Sir Gawain And The Green Knight - 889 Words

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a medieval text written by an unknown author sometime around the fourteenth century. The story is written in Middle English often making the translation difficult and open for interpretation. The story begins for Sir Gawain, a member of King Arthur’s court, as a mysterious man appears in Arthur’s court to present a challenge. He offers a challenge for the court, a blow for a blow. Gawain takes the stranger up on his challenge and it continues from there. Gawain then has to face the consequences of the decisions he makes and it then manages to spiral from there. The story creates a vivid picture of how Gawain experiences a conflict between the word of his chivalric code as well as his bond and how he lives his everyday life. Debate has raged for many years whether or not this story emphasizes the values of the chivalric life or in fact criticizes it. The language and syntax of the text itself along with the events of the story paint a c ritical and perhaps unconventional portrait of the chivalric life. The first real criticism of the chivalric code begins with the scene where the Green Knight rides into Arthur’s court. Arthur begins with being a gracious host and welcoming the visitor to his court, however the favor does not seem to be reciprocated and the Knight comes off as almost rude as he issues a challenge to the court. He even goes as far as to call the Arthur’s court â€Å"berdlez chylder† (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 1. 280)Show MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn the poem â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,† a protagonist emerges depicting an Arthurian knight named Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes initiative by accepting the challenge requested by the Green Knight in place of his uncle. He undergoes a perilous adventure, seeking for the Green Knight to receive the final blow. Although Sir Gawain is not viewed as a hero for his military accomplishments, he is, however, viewed a s a heroic figure by the Knights at the Round Table for hisRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight862 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by an unknown author referred to as the â€Å"Pearl Poet,† we are introduced to Sir Gawain. Gawain is a knight of the Round Table and he is also the nephew of King Arthur. As a knight, Gawain is expected to possess and abide by many chivalrous facets. Throughout the poem he portrays many of the qualities a knight should possess, such as bravery, courtesy, and honor among others. Because of his ability to possess these virtues even when tempted to stray away from themRead MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight1100 Words   |  5 PagesThe poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight compares a super natural creature to nature. The mystery of the poem is ironic to the anonymous author. The story dates back into the fourteenth century, but no one knows who originally wrote the poem. This unknown author explains in the poem of Sir Gawain not knowing of the location of the Green Chapel and or who the Green Knight really is. This keeps the reader entertained with the suspicion of not knowing. The author then does not give his name orRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight contains ambiguity and irony that make it interesting to read and teach. Gawain’s conflict arose when he accepted the girdle that could protect him and when he lied to his host, severing fellowship with the lord for courtesy with the lady. By utilizing a social reconstructionist philosophy of teaching that emphasizes personal beliefs and ethics, a teacher will help the students establish their identities and learn to appreciate classic literature. Sir Gawain and theRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1514 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight is an epic poem written in the mid to late fourteenth century by an unknown author. Throughout the tale, Si r Gawain, a Knight at the Round Table in Camelot, is presented with many hardships, the first being a challenge on Christmas by a man in which, â€Å"Everything about him was an elegant green† (161). This â€Å"Green Knight† challenged someone in Camelot to accept his game which they will chop off his head with his axe and the Green Knight will do the same to the playerRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1335 Words   |  6 PagesSir Gawain: The Ironic Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale of the utmost irony in which Sir Gawain, the most loyal and courteous of all of King Arthur’s knights, fails utterly to be loyal and courteous to his king, his host, his vows, and his God. In each case, Sir Gawain not only fails to perform well, but performs particularly poorly, especially in the case of his relationship with God. Ultimately, Sir Gawain chooses magic over faith, and by doing so, shows his ironic nature as aRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight906 Words   |  4 Pagesusually the latter. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight we see Sir Bertilak go off to hunt three very specific animals as a game with Sir Gawain. They agree that â€Å"what ever [Bertilak catches] in the wood shall become [Sir Gawain’s], and what ever mishap comes [Sir Gawain’s] way will be given to [Bertilak] in exchange.† (Sir Gawain†¦, ln 1105-1007). In this deal we slowly see Gawain loose his honor as paralleled with Sir B ertilak’s hunt. The first animal that is hunted by the knight is a deer, while thisRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1521 Words   |  7 PagesFall 16 Donnelly Many years ago, knights were expected to form a certain type of relationship with their king, this relationship was otherwise known as fealty. Fealty is a knight’s sworn loyalty to their king (in other words a loyal relationship should be formed between the two). The use of this relationship is shown in the poem called â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† ( the author is unknown). This poem has a classic quest type of formula, with a knight receiving a challenge and then going outRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1455 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, for Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight temptation existed around every corner while he was playing the game of the Green Knight. Temptation existed every day and each day it existed in a new way. Gawain never knew what was coming his way throughout the grand scheme of the game, but one thing was for certain he was being tested. Without his reliance religious faith and dedication to his reputation, Gawain wo uld not have been able to make it through the game of the Green Knight alive andRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1020 Words   |  5 PagesBoth Sir Gawain, from â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† translated by Marie Borroff, and Beowulf, from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, serve as heroes in different times of Medieval English Literature. Many of the basic principles that describe heroes in Medieval Literature are seen in both of these characters even though they were written in different times. There are distinct similarities, differences, and also a progression of what the hero was in English literature, between Sir Gawain and

Bcg Matix Free Essays

Placing products in the BCG matrix results in 4 categories in a portfolio of a company: BCG STARS (high growth, high market share) – Stars are defined by having high market share in a growing market. – Stars are the leaders in the business but still need a lot of support for promotion a placement. – If market share is kept, Stars are likely to grow into cash cows. We will write a custom essay sample on Bcg Matix or any similar topic only for you Order Now BCG QUESTION MARKS (high growth, low market share) – These products are in growing markets but have low market share. – Question marks are essentially new products where buyers have yet to discover them. – The marketing strategy is to get markets to adopt these products. Question marks have high demands and low returns due to low market share. – These products need to increase their market share quickly or they become dogs. – The best way to handle Question marks is to either invest heavily in them to gain market share or to sell them. BCG CASH COWS (low growth, high market share) – Cash cows are in a position of high market share in a mature market. – If competitive advantage has been achieved, cash cows have high profit margins and generate a lot of cash flow. – Because of the low growth, promotion and placement investments are low. Investments into supporting infrastructure can improve efficiency and increase cash flow more. – Cash cows are the products that businesses strive for. BCG DOGS (low growth, low market share) – Dogs are in low growth markets and have low market share. – Dogs should be avoided and minimized. – Expensive turn-around plans usually do not help. And now, let’s put all this into a picture: Main Steps of BCG Matrix * Identifying and dividing a company into SBU. * Assessing and comparing the prospects of each SBU according to two criteria : 1. SBU’S relative market share. 2. Growth rate OF SBU’S industry. Classifying the SB U’S on the basis of BCG matrix. * Developing strategic objectives for each SBU. Benefits * BCG MATRIX is simple and easy to understand. * It helps you to quickly and simply screen the opportunities open to you, and helps you think about how you can make the most of them. * It is used to identify how corporate cash resources can best be used to maximize a company’s future growth and profitable too Limitations * BCG MATRIX uses only two dimensions, Relative market share and market growth rate. * Problems of getting data on market share and market growth. High market share does not mean profits all the time. * Business with low market share can be profitable too BCG analysis Unilever MISSION STATEMENT * Unilever’s mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition; hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. From sumptuous soups to sensuous soaps, our products all have one thing in common. They help you get more out of life. Brands Cooking eating Let our culinary experts bring pleasure to your palate. Healthy living Let us make the healthy choice your easy choice. Beauty style We want to help you feel good about yourself. Around the house Hints to make your household chores that little more manageable. BCG Analysis Chart for Unilever Portfolio Cash Cows Stars Products Question Marks Dog Products Decisions after Analyses BCG * Build Market Share: Make further investments (for example, to maintain Star status, or turn a Question Mark into a Star) * Hold: Maintain the status quo (do nothing) * Reduce the investment (enjoy positive cash flow and maximize profits from a Star or Cash Cow) * Get rid of the Dogs, and use the capital to invest in Stars and some Question Marks. How to cite Bcg Matix, Papers

Assistive Technology

Question: Discuss the importance of AT Devices.Use of AT Devices.Selection and Decision Making Process in Assistive Technology.Assistive technology performance over their working principals.Scope of Improvement. Answer: Importance of AT Devices The over growing technological enhancement brings many features towards the modern age people, but this technological improvement is not compatible for people with disability. To make a suitable platform in between the new technology and the physically challenged people Assistive Technology or AT is introduced. Assistive technology act as conversion buffer so that the newly introduced technology can be converted for the person with a disability. Knowing the range of matching ratio of AT devices - Assistive technology based devices are designed from the user perspective ("Assistive Technology Assessment - Find the Right Tools", 2016). So it can create an influential impact over its user because the type of disability and percentage of disability are differed from time to time and person to person. If the usability ratio varied from one end to another end, so it is oblivious the AT device users need to check their device range or description before using it on their purpose. Use of AT Devices If I use the Assistive technology in my classroom to overcome my disability factor with the layer of new technological development, then I should follow some precaution before using it. Before adopting of new assistive technology, first I will make an analysis to check the compatibility of the device with my disability ("Consumer Guides for Buying and Marketing Assistive and Learning Technologies", 2016). If the compatibility ratio turns a green signal about confirming the maximum compatibility factor, then I go for the next level checking. After satisfying with the compatibility ratio, I will check for its quality standard because low or wrong quality standard can harm my physical condition. Now I should check the AT devices user instruction manual for creating a proper and convenient communication channel among the device and technological approach. Selection and Decision Making Process in Assistive Technology Assistive technology is born by helping the physically challenged person so that they can also take the advantage of new edge technological development. In the era of utilizing Assistive technology, it is the best way to integrate this technology in the root level of disability ("assistive-technology-resources", 2016). Peoples can suffer from their disability from the birth or the disability developed over the years. It is easy to select those people who are disabled by their birth and in this scenario school children are the top most area where AT can totally change their view towards technology uses. The using of assistive technology over the child education or assistance it is necessary to take some measurements over its uses. These proactive measurements will help for a successive decision making AT services. Assistive technology performance over their working principals For creating a performance evaluation, it is necessary to check the workability of AT devices in regular interval. First of all users' needs to check their AT device services are goes on the predefined context of materials which is set by the manufacturer ("assistive-technology-resources", 2016). The Next thing is to collaborate all the functionality over application uses. If the functionality of the AT device met all the requirements, then it can say that the AT device is well formatted. Scope of Improvement The functionality of an Assistive technological device differs by its type of uses and type of user. There are no one AT device is present in the market which can directly improvise the content of AT module along with the user needs (Gilman, 2016). Users are trained on AT devices services for making it more useful but now day's artificial knowledge learning system make it simpler with the help adaptive knowledge base. So it oblivious the rapid technological growth in the area of artificial programming or algorithm can make life easier for the person with a disability. References Assistive Technology Assessment - Find the Right Tools. (2016).Techpotential.net. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from https://www.techpotential.net/assessment assistive-technology-resources. (2016).Edutopia.org. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/assistive-technology-resources#graph2 Consumer Guides for Buying and Marketing Assistive and Learning Technologies. (2016).https://techmatrix.org/. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from https://techmatrix.org/sites/all/themes/TechMatrix/images/consumerguide.pdf Gilman, d. (2016).cognitive disabilities reminders, prompts and cues at specified times or under specified conditions.Abilityhub.com. Retrieved 19 August 2016, from https://www.abilityhub.com/cognitive/index.htm

Seniors in High School free essay sample

In recent years, there has been the debate on whether or not seniors should have to take finals. When most people were freshmen, seniors didn’t have to take finals if they met the requirements. When people were sophomores, seniors didn’t have to take finals if they met the requirements. When people were junior, seniors didn’t have to take finals if they met the requirements. Now those freshmen are now seniors, they have to take finals. Those freshmen, now seniors, had been looking forward to not taking finals at the end of their senior year. Now those hopes are crushed unless the policy is changed. It should be said that high school students should not be required to take finals in their senior year of high school with some requirements that have to be met to be exempted from finals. Seniors should not have to take finals because they have been in school for the past 12 years of their lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Seniors in High School or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The past four years especially should have prepared them for college. If students don’t prepare for school now, they’ll never be prepared for college. The people who procrastinate when they have homework in high school will procrastinate in college as well. Students will carry on their habits, whether they are good or bad, when they go to college. Students who have achieved an A before finals should be able to exempt from final exams in that class. They have already shown that they understand the material. Obtaining a good mark takes much more than testing. In order to get an A in a class, a student must demonstrate good work ethic throughout the entire semester, doing homework on a regular basis, paying attention diligently, and thoroughly understanding the material. While the studying and the final itself may reinforce the information, a high-scoring student has displayed that they already know it through consistent high marks. If the material has already been understood, taking the final could be seen as a mere waste of time. â€Å"If I’ve worked hard all semester to get good grades that I’ve already established I can earn, why should I have to further prove that by taking a final? † Amanda Zhang, a junior at LHS said† (Grom). The requirements weed out the people who should have to take finals. If the requirements are set to a high enough level, the people who need to take finals will have to take them. The people who meet these requirements have proved themselves that they know their material and one more test wouldn’t make a difference in how prepared they are for college. Most students believe the requirements for finals should be: No absences in May, no tardies/ISS/OSS, and a student’s lowest grade can’t be lower than a C. Gaining the privilege of not having to take the finals should be like a reward to the students who meet these requirements. People who are in favor of seniors taking finals who argue the following arguments: Taking finals would better prepare students for the rigors of college. College students say high school didn’t prepare them enough for college. All 12th graders should take finals regardless. Some seniors may develop â€Å"senioritis†, but then those seniors should have to take finals because they slacked off at the end of the year. The counter argument against â€Å"senioritis† is for the seniors who didn’t catch â€Å"senioritis,† they should be rewarded for not slacking off for the entire year. Before Walpole High School seniors leave in May, they have to make sure that their final grades for the second semester in each class are above an 80. Anything below an 80 for a class, even a dreaded 79, means they are required to take the final exam for that class. This can be a real drag for a senior that is ready to get out of high school for good. All the freshmen, soph omores, and juniors have to stay in school for over a month and a half more, while the seniors are out joy-riding and enjoying an early release from school. Seniors shouldn’t be the only students who are exempt from finals† (Heiberger). Taking finals would better prepare students for the rigors of college because it shows they have mastered their material and have proved it. As for the college students who say they aren’t prepared for college, they should’ve study harder and not procrastinated in school. Every 12th grader should take their finals regardless of their grades and squeaky clean records and perfect grades. It would better prepare them because they have proved that they have mastered their subjects. Not having final exams would be a radical change for any high school, but these tests would be unnecessary if students learned the material correctly the first time around. â€Å"If they worked harder to receive an A for whatever reason, they should be rewarded by their teacher acknowledging that they already know the material instead of making them prove that they know how to take a test. The absence of exams would not affect teachers, except for the fact that they would not have a huge pile of tests to grade after Christmas break or during those first few days of summer. Instead of pushing for memorization and recitation, they should be teaching information that can be understood and retained. Some people, no matter how knowledgeable they are in a subject, are simply not good test takers. Final exams are not always an accurate picture of what a student does or does not know due to the sheer volume of information that students are expected to memorize for each class† (Reilly). High school students, with exceptions, should not have to take finals. They have proved themselves in the 12 years they have been in school. They have really proven that shouldnt take finals in the last four years. With a list of requirements, the people who have proved themselves don’t have to worry about finals and then bomb the finals. Being exempted from finals should be treated as a privilege, not a right. The students would have to work hard all year to be granted this well-earned privilege. It should be like a gift for working hard for 12 years. This is why most students believe that seniors shouldnt have to take finals, with requirements, at the end of their high school career.

Writing Special Educational Needs Essay

Writing Special Educational Needs Essay Writing: Special Educational Needs Essay The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision The leadership team have demonstrated a very high standard of leadership and management through careful analysis of the pre-school’s needs and the implementation of improvements. This enables the children to access an exciting range of stimulating and imaginative activities that contribute significantly to their all round excellent progress and development. Detailed planning that takes account of the six areas of learning as well as children’s individual interests ensures that they are well motivated and are developing into confident young learners. The manager has developed a strong team, who along with the committee, and taking account of parents’ views, are closely involved in evaluating in detail the provision’s strengths and areas for development very thoroughly. Over the last year they have incorporated the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, by ensuring all staff have received training in the new framework and through extensive revisio n of their planning and assessments procedures. Regular staff meetings are held to evaluate practice and for further planning to ensure the individual needs of all children are being met effectively through the provision of challenging and interesting activities. The key person organisation enables staff to monitor progress closely and to communicate regularly with parents how well their children are doing. All staff have access to further training to regularly update their skills, especially in first aid, food hygiene, special educational needs, managing behaviour and child protection matters. Annual appraisals ensure that staff maintain high standards and that any training needs are identified and met. Parents are seen as very important partners and their views are closely canvassed through questionnaires, newsletters and discussions. The optional lunch club was implemented following a suggestion from a parent. Home booklets enable parents to record activities and achievements mad e by children at home, sometimes using photographic evidence, which is then shared with pre-school and included in their assessment information. Parents describe the provision as ‘brilliant’ because of the good level of care provided and because their children enjoy attending so much. Parents are particularly pleased with the excellent transitional arrangements made with the school which allows many visits for children to get to know the staff and other children through joining in a range of activities like plays, assemblies, and story time. Parents are

Are you stuck in a rut Choose your adventure!

Are you stuck in a rut Choose your adventure! Do you ever feel like life is an incredible adventure and absolutely anything is possible? I had a week like that. I noticed it particularly on Friday when I went for my normal swim and had so much energy I swam an extra quarter mile past my regular routine, then chased the swim with 30 push-ups. The entire time I felt energized and capable of accomplishing anything I set my mind to. Mental attitude is the biggest factor in producing results. I was reminded of this truth last Thursday night, when, at the Wild Scenic Film Festival, I watched a video about three climbers who scaled Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan. What made this climb particularly impressive is that all of the climbers were disabled. One had been born with just one arm (a â€Å"minor inconvenience† according to him); the two others had lost a leg each, one due to a climbing fall and the third from bone cancer. Said one of the men: â€Å"The right attitude and one arm will beat the wrong attitude and two arms, every time.† If you have any doubts, watch this inspiring film: Mind you, I am not planning on scaling any peaks even with all my limbs- not in this lifetime. But the sense of excitement that spurs these climbers is accessible to all of us at every moment. For me, it started with an assignment I was given during a workshop with the Wright Institute in Chicago. Prior to the workshop, I was in a rut. Daily tasks were feeling like a grind and I thought that maybe I needed to travel out of the country for a while to break my routine. Then came the homework for the first night of the workshop: to create an adventure! The adventure begins†¦ It was already midnight and class was starting up again at 8am the next morning. What adventure exactly was possible in that short a time frame? I found out the next morning. I woke up before my alarm sounded with cramps, in an empty house that belongs to my cousin Zack. I thought to myself, â€Å"I could lie here trying to sleep or I could get up and have an adventure!† I decided to get out of bed. As soon as I entered the shower I remembered that Zack had mentioned a big bathtub with whirlpool jets somewhere in his house. I don’t normally take baths, but this time I decided to interrupt my regular pattern. I got out of the shower and began searching for the whirlpool, towel wrapped around me, leaving a trail of wet footprints. In the basement, I found a bathtub †¦ full of cleaning supplies. The search continued, and I finally found the whirlpool, which I filled up †¦ but I couldnt figure out how to turn on these fabled jets. I got into the tub anyway, but thought, â€Å"Hey Im on an adventure! This won’t do!† So I got out of the tub, looked at all the switches on the walls, and finally figured it out. Back in the tub, I noticed a line of tea light candles along the side of the bath. But no matches. My refrain: â€Å"Im on an adventure!† So I got out of the tub, looking everywhere until I found matches. I was going to do this thing the right way! After a few minutes the jets turned off and suddenly I was relaxed and floating in a self-made paradise, being held gently by warm water, surrounded by glowing candlelight. I was so glad I had chosen this adventure, rather than sleeping another hour or going to my default of â€Å"I don’t take baths.† Unexpected treasures, unprecedented energy†¦ When I went to hang up my towel, for some reason I decided to look behind the door rather than hang the towel where I had put it before. I found two beautiful dragonfly hooks which I hadn’t noticed before. Who knows what can show up out of a sense of adventure? Who knows what else I had been missing? My adventures continued in the days following the workshop. Out of a conversation with a friend that felt a bit scary at first, I unexpectedly drove to Minneapolis and stayed two days, all because I decided to take some risks and not let anything stop me. Today, a week after the conclusion of that workshop, my energy is still high and I can’t wait to discover what’s next. So how about you? Are you living an adventure at every moment or are you stuck in a rut? Are you letting anything stop you from creating an exciting and energized life? Whether your challenge is staying upbeat while facing unemployment, creating joy within your current circumstances, or scaling a rock face- it’s all in your frame of mind. The right attitude, moment by moment, means you can have the adventure of a lifetime right in your own backyard.

Vendoline Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Vendoline Company - Case Study Example The management of the organization has invested in excellent service delivery and innovation in meeting the consumer demands. The company is located in Turkey and has a national and international presence in sections of Middle East and Europe. The company is valued at $393, 338. It has a traffic rank of over 500,000 in Europe. As a service provider, Vendoline Company has determined what the consumers expect. The top level management has been investing in real-time access of customers to information like prices and terms of delivery. My role was to ensure that web hosting management systems were functional and effective. I was coordinating a team of IT experts who were had direct contacts with customers. This enabled me to assess the effectiveness of the organizational management practices and systems in the company. Problem statement How can organizational performance in technology-based organizations be enhanced? Technological companies are faced by the challenge of rapidly changing external environments. The management has focused on external competition and environment and failed to invest in the internal competencies of the organization. This has compromised excellence in service delivery. There is a need to research on the factors that affect quality and organizational performance in technology based organizations.... Modern organizations are directly connected to technological systems that affect their performance and appeal to the clients (Andres, 2001). The company has strategic plans to increase reliance on technological innovations in future. Organizations face resistance to change from employees. Technological organizations must be flexible while implementing models. Globalization is forcing many technological organizations to keep reviewing their strategies (Gouge, 2003). This aims at enhancing the capacity of innovations in a bid to remain relevant and competitive in a technologically driven market (Cameron & Green, 2004). The field of technology is advancing as more efficient and powerful discoveries enter the market. Organizations dealing with technological matters are faced with bigger pressure than the rest (Rapp, 2002). The reason is occasioned by the need to upgrade the technological capabilities and remain competitive. On the converse, the technological companies are faced by the th reat to become obsolete (Lennick & Kiel, 2005). The technological innovations are known to have a profound effect on the market. Organizational leadership must be professional, pro-active and visionary in order to keep the technological momentum and remain market leaders (Gouge, 2003). Technological organizations need strategic leadership and management. The management of technological organizations like Vendoline Company needs to either innovate internal technology that can alter the trends in the market. They can also procure external knowledge or expertise. This can happen through outsources or partnerships of strategic nature (Lennick & Kiel, 2005). Internal innovation for technological companies is preferable

Strategic Corporate Fiance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Corporate Fiance - Essay Example From the above-mentioned table, it is quite evident that Net Asset Value of Marks and Spencer have increased for 0.03 bases point and is higher in 2011 than 2010. The company has net assets worth of ?1.72 in 2011 and ?1.69 in 2010, which clearly explains that the Net Asset Value is improving. 2) Cost of Capital (CAPM) In the table mentioned below, the computations have been shown for the weighted average cost of capital of the company, Marks and Spencer. The cost of debt of the company is 4% whereas the cost of capital of the company was found as 4.5%. The weighted average cost of capital of the company, which incorporated the value of debt and value of equity was found to be 4.33%. Cost of Debt       Rd = Annual Coupon    Current Bond Price          = 5    125       Rd = 4.00% Value of Equity Ve = Current Price of Share x Number of Shares outstanding = 3.76 x 1,600 = 6,016 Value of Debt Vd = Current Price of Bond x Number of Bonds Issued = 125 x 2,489 = 3,111                         100       Weights       Wd = Debt = 3,111 = 34.09%    Debt + Equity 3,111 + 6,016          We = Equity = 6,016 = 65.91%       Debt + Equity    3,111 + 6,016       3) Dividend Growth Model (DGM) In this section of the paper, computations for Gordon’s dividend growth models have been shown. ...       K – g    0.045 - 0.02       From the above-mentioned table, this information can be extracted that if the growth rate is zero, then the hypothetical ex-right price of share price of Marks and Spencer is approximately 377 pence. In contrast to that, if it is assumed that dividend grow at the rate of 2%, then there is an enormous increment in the share price of the company, which is around 693 pence. It can be stated that at the growth rate 0, the share price of the company of 363 pence is more appropriate than the share price at growth rate 2%, which is 693. The share price of 693 pence is highly optimistic. 4) Price Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio) The following table demonstrates the Price Earnings Ratio of Marks and Spencer. Price Earnings Ratio    31-Mar-12 11-Jan-13 P/E Ratio = 376 = 11.56 times = 363 = 11.2 times       32.5             32.5       In the year 2011, the Price Earnings Ratio of the company is 11.56. Nevertheless, it reduced in the last year to 11.2 because there was a reduction in the share price of the company. The average price earnings ratio of the respective industry of Marks and Spencer is 8.5 times, on the other hand, the P/E of Marks and Spencer is 11.2 times. If the P/E of Marks and Spencer is compared with the industry average, then it can be stated the Price Earnings ratio of Marks and Spencer is substantially higher than the industry average. It reveals that the share price of the company is over-values as compared to its industry competitors. Task 2 Investment in stocks is something which can be extremely tricky for ordinary investors. This is because the investors lack in having capabilities regarding the pricing of the stocks. The pricing of stocks have turned out to be a key factor as a minor mistake in

Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Essay Philosophy is â€Å"the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life, etc†¦; a particular set of ideas about knowledge, truth, and meaning of life; and a set of ideas about how to do something or how to live† (Philosophy, 2014, para. 1). Philosophy plays a huge role in all of our lives. Studding of philosophy influences our lives in many ways and has many purposes. Philosophy has five major branches metaphysis, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and logic. Each of these branches plays a role with culture to develop thoughts in human beings by wondering, a dynamic  process, the truth, and wisdom. â€Å"Philosophy is an attempt to reason clearly and critically about all areas of experience: science, religion, art, politics, and mortality† (What is Philosophy, Para, 1). The purpose of philosophy is to try to understand and evaluate our most basics, beliefs, values, and to integrate them into a coherent view of each of us and the world around us (What is Philosophy, 2014). Studying philosophy is important because it continues to play an important role in shaping the future of all human existence, Philosophy enhances personal growth,  professional opportunities, improves reading skill, critical thinking, communication, and helps in arguments by showing your philosophical knowledge (What is Philosophy, 2014). There are five major basic branches of philosophy. The branches are the metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and logic. The metaphysics branch is the study of existence. For example, a few questions one might ask them self would be PHILOSOPHY 3 what else is out there, why I am here, and what is my purpose in life (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Epistemology branch is the study of knowledge. Individuals like to know as much as possible to help their selves understand what is going in life and around then. For example, a question one might ask their selves would be how I know about certain things. In philosophy, knowledge is looked at as factual senses, and not just guesses. People that are epistemology rather use statements and questions in factual form, such as, dogs are mammals (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Ethic branch is the study of actions. This is the branch of philosophy that helps the decision making in what is right and what is wrong; beliefs and values. An example of ethics is your conscious. On one side there is the devil telling you to do the wrong thing, and the angel on the other side telling to do the right thing. Many ethical people try to avoid judgment, but have high moral beliefs in specific things. Ethics also plays a role in religion and faith (Important of Philosophy, 2014). The Aesthetics branch (also known as politics) is the study of action. This is the branch that shoes what actions are permissible. An example, would be how politics work in the world. What laws should be made, and how they should come to be. Politics are the ethics that are applied to people based off what they are told to do or believe (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Finally, the last branch of philosophy is logic or esthetics. This is the study of art. The main question is what can life be like? This is the branch that allows mankind to see the world in an abstract way. According to Importance of Philosophy (2014) PHILOSOPHY 4 Esthetics is important because it delves into the reason why art has always existed, the burning need of mankind through the ages to see the world in a different, clear way it  further evaluates art by the standards of human life, and whether it accomplishes the job of satisfying man’s intellectual needs, or whether it tends to hurt or make worse those needs (Para. 3). Esthetics is bringing the emotion and idea together to make a decision (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Within all the branches there are arguments, these arguments helps in philosophy to create creative thinking and growth. We all have questions, and beliefs to the meaning of life, and we will continue to argue trough ethnic, logic, politics, and beliefs. Each of the five basic philosophy groups have to face basic arguments, These  arguments are structure of arguments, evaluating arguments, types of arguments, and informal fallacies (Chaffee, 2013). The structure of arguments includes: reason, reason, and conclusion. Evaluating arguments include truth of reason, validity of structure, and soundness of argument. There are two types of arguments deductive: conclusion follows necessarily from premises (reasons), and inductive: conclusion supported by premises to some degree. Finally, there are informal fallacies, these are unsound arguments that appeal to emotion and prejudice (Chaffee, 2013). Philosophy and culture interact to develop thought because there are so many different beliefs in the word. Philosophy is love and wisdom, while in culture there is so much hate. The more we talk about our beliefs, and talk out the way we each feel it creates creative thinking, and more open minds. For example, scientist see things one PHILOSOPHY 5 way, but when we are more philosophical it shows us that there are more than one answer to each question. Science believes in evolution, religions believe in god, while the rest of us are still trying to find the meaning of life. When it comes to me, I think ethics represents me the most. I believe in right and wrong, and I have faith. I believe that taking actions against wrong in the world is very important. In our culture, there is so much hate, and I am a very big advocate for equality. I fight for equality for all humans, and I also fight for the rights of animals. Philosophy is â€Å"the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature, and meaning of life (Philosophy, 2014, para. 1). There are five major basic groups, and there will always be questions to create creative thinking, and open minds. Philosophy has  been around from the beginning of time, and will be around until the end of time. We will always want to know the meaning of life and why we exist. PHILOSOPHY 6 References: Chaffee, J. (2013). The philosopher’s way: Thinking Critically about Profound Ideas (1st Ed,). Pearson Education, INC. Importance of Philosophy. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. importanceofphilosophy. com/FiveBranchesMain. html Philosophy. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. merriam- webster. com/dictionary/philosophy What is Philosophy? (2014). Retrieved from http://www. etsu. edu/cas/philosophy/whatis. aspx.

Education And The World Citizen :: essays research papers

Education seems to be becoming more and more of a controversial subject not only among government, but also with school boards, teachers, parents, and even the students. Some of this controversy is attributed to the normal routine things such as starting times, funding for clubs and sports, and more recently the rise of violence in the schools, as well as outcries from the church for the return of religion in the schools. However, people of today’s society are even more confused by the recent additions of new subjects not only the college curriculum but also in the curriculum of grade schoolers as well. These additions include the study of non-western cultures, the study of women and ethnic minorities in the U.S., and finally the study of human sexuality. In addition, people are wondering what exactly education has to do with being a â€Å"world citizen†? Is the life experience enough to become a â€Å"world citizen†? According to Nussbaum, a world citizen can be understood in two ways, the first being the strict of the two is â€Å"the ideal of citizen whose primary loyalty is to human beings the world over, and whose nationality†¦are considered distinctly secondary† (1). An example that one could use to paint a picture of this type of world citizen could be Ghandi or Mother Teresa who both put others, no matter their race or gender, above themselves. The second way is much more relaxed and states that â€Å"however we order our varied loyalties, we should still be sure that we recognize the worth of human life wherever it occurs and see ourselves as bound by common human abilities and problems to people who lie at a great distance from us† (2). An example that fits this description could be Princess Di or the Reverend Jesse Jackson. But, how exactly does one become this so-called world citizen? In The Old Education and the Think-Academy, Nussbaum gives us three of the numerous steps needed in order to become a â€Å"good citizen†. Nussbaum tells us that there are three essential ingredients for becoming a world citizen, the first being the critical examination of ones self, which is simply examining your life, where you have been and where you are going. The second of these is to see oneself as not just a citizen but as a group. Nussbaum is simply telling us that to often we get so wrapped up in our labels that we tend to forget that we are all human beings, and that we are all connected to one another. Education And The World Citizen :: essays research papers Education seems to be becoming more and more of a controversial subject not only among government, but also with school boards, teachers, parents, and even the students. Some of this controversy is attributed to the normal routine things such as starting times, funding for clubs and sports, and more recently the rise of violence in the schools, as well as outcries from the church for the return of religion in the schools. However, people of today’s society are even more confused by the recent additions of new subjects not only the college curriculum but also in the curriculum of grade schoolers as well. These additions include the study of non-western cultures, the study of women and ethnic minorities in the U.S., and finally the study of human sexuality. In addition, people are wondering what exactly education has to do with being a â€Å"world citizen†? Is the life experience enough to become a â€Å"world citizen†? According to Nussbaum, a world citizen can be understood in two ways, the first being the strict of the two is â€Å"the ideal of citizen whose primary loyalty is to human beings the world over, and whose nationality†¦are considered distinctly secondary† (1). An example that one could use to paint a picture of this type of world citizen could be Ghandi or Mother Teresa who both put others, no matter their race or gender, above themselves. The second way is much more relaxed and states that â€Å"however we order our varied loyalties, we should still be sure that we recognize the worth of human life wherever it occurs and see ourselves as bound by common human abilities and problems to people who lie at a great distance from us† (2). An example that fits this description could be Princess Di or the Reverend Jesse Jackson. But, how exactly does one become this so-called world citizen? In The Old Education and the Think-Academy, Nussbaum gives us three of the numerous steps needed in order to become a â€Å"good citizen†. Nussbaum tells us that there are three essential ingredients for becoming a world citizen, the first being the critical examination of ones self, which is simply examining your life, where you have been and where you are going. The second of these is to see oneself as not just a citizen but as a group. Nussbaum is simply telling us that to often we get so wrapped up in our labels that we tend to forget that we are all human beings, and that we are all connected to one another.

Brave Incident Essay

High School Fight I went to high school in Vietnam; my cousin who I call brother went to the same high school with me. The high school I attended was also the school that many gang members attended. Those gang members always abused other students and took their lunch money as well as many of their valuables such as their wallets, cell phone and laptops. Our school principal always tried to inform the police about this behavior, but unfortunately that did not help. One day my class mate ran into the lass room where I was spending my break, since I did not like to hang out in the play ground because of the gang members that were there, and he told me that my cousin was being harassed by a couple of those gang members and that they threatened to beat him to death if he does not give them all his money. My cousin was very stubborn much more like Victoriano. The two gang members had my cousin against the wall and were trying to steal his wallet and belonging while he fought hem as much as he could. I had nothing on my mind at that moment but to save my cousin and help him run away from those gang members. I looked for small pieces or rocks and a wooden stick and immediately ran towards my cousin screaming loudly so that I can distract them from him. As I started throwing the rocks on them they let go of my cousin and paid attention to where I was heading which was directly towards them. I screamed loudly telling my cousin to run away and go to the rincipal’s office Just like when Dona Guadalupe told her cousin â€Å"l am not cutting you free so you can be brave and get killed. I want you running so you can live† I wanted my cousin to run and not try to fight the gang members when they let go of him. My cousin ran to the principal’s office while I threw the stick of wood towards them. I immediately changed my direction and ran towards the principal’s office as well. The Principal called the police and they arrested the gang members and I was able to save my cousin after all.

Full Day Kindergarten Essay

Full day kindergarten should be mandatory and of no extra cost for all of the elementary schools. This will boost the children’s academic achievement. The children that are exposed to full day kindergarten will learn more in literacy and mathematics than those in half-day kindergarten. The students that are in a full day program get to spend more time on their math, writing, and reading activities. The full day students also get the advantage of being able to participate in gym, art, and music classes. The half-day students do not get to experience gym, art, or music class. I have seen results first hand because I chose to put my son in a full day kindergarten versus the half-day. I chose to bring my son to a school that is located in Fridley so that he could receive the benefits of the full day kindergarten. The half-day program that Blaine offers has a very undesirable schedule for parents who work. The half-day schedule for Blaine elementary school is full days Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday. I think that the earlier the educational intervention begins the higher the impact and the more likely the effects will be retained. Other than the health of a child, I think that nothing should be more important than their education. Giving children the opportunity to be in a full day kindergarten program gives them opportunities that the half-day students do not receive. One of the opportunities is being able to spend more time on reading, writing, and math. The teachers also have more time to sit one on one with each student one or in small groups and work on these skills. They also have a different theme for each month that they focus on. Some examples of the themes are the solar system, U. S. residents, maps, and the celebrations around the world. Children also absorb things more easily when they are younger. Being a mother of a full day kindergarten student, I see the results of the extra reading, writing, and math that the teacher does with him. My son is one of the youngest in his class and he is reading at a first grade level. As for his writing, he attempt to write big words using phonics. For example, I came home one day a few months ago and he had written on his dry erase board â€Å"I see a red ladebug†. He also brought home a worksheet that he had written about his favorite fruits. On this worksheet, he had written â€Å"watrmlon†. As far as his math goes, he is always measuring things in the house with a kid’s yard ruler. The themes that they work on each month give the students the ability to know what is going on in the world around them. My son came home from school one day and told me that there was a planet that was not considered a planet anymore. I did not know this and I was in complete awe. According to Debra Ackerman, â€Å"Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. Full-day kindergarten advocates suggest that a longer school day provides educational support that ensures a productive beginning school experience and increases the chances of future school success. In both full-day and half-day programs, kindergartners spend most of their class time working on reading, language arts, and math activities, but the total number of minutes teachers devote to specific subjects differs. For example, 80 percent of full day but only about 50 percent of half-day programs devote more than 30 minutes each day to mathematics instruction. Sixty-eight percent of full day but only 37 percent of half-day classrooms dedicate at least 60 minutes to reading instruction each day. Perhaps most striking, 79 percent of full-day teachers read aloud to their students every day, compared to 62 percent of half-day teachers. Reading aloud is a critical activity in helping to develop children’s reading skills. Additional research shows children’s literacy learning is enhanced in full-day programs, as the full-day schedule provides a more intensive, ongoing, enriched language and literacy experience for the young child. (Ackerman) Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. I asked my son’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Janssen, what the average for reading was for her class. Ms. Janssen stated that the majority of her students are already in the first grade reading level as of the end of the second trimester. As said by the Indiana Association of Public School Super Intendants, â€Å"Full day kindergarten programs are associated with greater reading achievement gains during the kindergarten year than half day programs†. Plucker, 6) The students are graded on their writing and math abilities as well. According to the Kalamazoo Public Schools reports, â€Å"The group of kindergartners advanced in 2010 to first grade at Kalamazoo Public School, where 60 percent tested at or above the 50th percentile in reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills last April. That’s a 7-point increase compared to Kalamazoo Public School first-graders tested in April 2009, Rice said. On the Iowa Test Basic Skills math test, 52 percent of first-graders tested a t or above the 50th percentile last spring, a 12-point jump over spring 2009. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills are administered in schools nationwide and is a norm-referenced test, which means scores are based on how students perform compared to other test-takers. The Kalamazoo Public School results show that 60 percent of Kalamazoo students are in the top half of first-graders nationwide in reading and 52 percent are in the top half in math. † (Mack) Children who are in full day kindergarten have better social and behavioral effects than those who are in half-day kindergarten. When children are in school for the full day they have more time to get to know the other students. They get more time to interact together socially and they are learning while they are interacting. The students also get to go to specialists and they go with their classmates. Some of the specialists that Hayes Elementary offers are music, art, Spanish, and gym. Going to the specialist is something that the full day kindergarteners get to do and the half-day kindergarteners do not get to do. These students also get to spend more time with the teacher. This means that they will be less hesitant to approach their teacher. According to Clark, â€Å"Some researchers have examined social and behavioral effects. According to researchers, a clear relationship emerged between the kindergarten schedule and children’s behavior. Teachers rated children in all-day kindergarten programs higher on 9 of the 14 dimensions; there were no significant differences on the other 5 dimensions. Other researchers who have studied social and behavioral outcomes found that children in all-day kindergarten programs were engaged in more child-to-child interactions and they made significantly greater progress in learning social skills†. Clark) In the kindergarten classrooms of Hayes Elementary, the students get into groups called centers. During this center time, the teacher takes a group of five students to a table to do independent reading and the rest of the students go to a center. The centers are groups of three or four students and the students get to interact socially while doing something educational. Some examples of the centers are writing center, listening center, leapster center, and art center. The writing center is where the students can write freely. The listening center is where the students put on headphones, listen to directions, and write down what they hear. The leapster center is where the students get to play a handheld learning game that integrates math, reading, and spelling in the games. Finally, the art center is where the students get to draw and color what they want. When the time is up the students clean up as groups. A full day of learning offers many social and emotional benefits to kindergarteners. As stated by NEA, â€Å"They have more time to focus and reflect on activities, and they have more time to transition between activities. When children are taught by qualified teachers, using age-appropriate curricula in small classes they can take full advantage of the additional learning time—social, emotional, and intellectual— that a full day allows. Further, research finds that children adjust well to the full-day format. † (NEA) The full day kindergarten teachers plan and use the extra time in class well. The time in class is spent differently in both the full day kindergarten and the half-day kindergarten. According to the research that the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å"The research provides evidence that time in full day kindergarten programs is different both quantitatively and qualitatively from how time is used in half day programs† (Plucker, ii). Full day kindergarten offers benefits to teachers. Teachers prefer the full day program to the half-day program. If there is a child that is struggling with something, the teacher has the ability to find time to help that student. There is also more time to finish activities. According to Ms. Janssen, â€Å"With the full day program I am able to get through four reading groups versus two reading groups in one day. With the full day program we are able to go more in depth on our unit that we focus on in class. † (Janssen) According to the NEA, â€Å"Switching to full-day kindergarten gave teachers more time to plan the curriculum, incorporate a greater number of thematic units into the school year, and offer more in-depth coverage of each unit. (NEA) In the half-day programs there is less time for multiple activities. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Many kindergarten teachers favor full day kindergarten because they find it difficult to balance cognitive activities and affective social activities in the short kindergarten day. † (Martinez, 2) Teachers also prefer full day kindergarten because there is more instructional time than that of a half-day kindergarten program. As stated by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å" Across all of the schools in the Indiana sample, the proportion of instructional time is similar across program types, resulting in much greater instructional time in full day programs, representing approximately 40-50% more instruction in full day programs than half-day programs†. (Plucker, ii) Teachers also have the benefit of getting to know the students and their parents better. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers state that they have a chance to know children and parents better, to do more individualization of instruction, and to expand the curriculum horizontally. (Dr. Martinez) There are so many benefits for the children. A very important benefit is that the full day kindergarteners have the opportunity to an easier transition into the first grade because they are already used to the full day schedule. The time that the students get to spend with the teacher is a great benefit as well. The extra time that is spent with the teacher is as much beneficial for the teacher as it is for the students. According to the research from Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers thought children developed closer relationships and were more relaxed in the full-day program and felt more a part of the school. Teachers indicated they were able to give more individual attention to students and that children had more time to develop both academic and socialization skills. Teachers noted they could work more on the continuing development of each child and felt children showed more advancement. Teachers indicated they felt closer to the children and that they got to know both child and family better. Some indicated in the full day they felt more flexible, were more relaxed and spontaneous, and felt better prepared to meet with parents. † (Dr. Martinez, 6) The time that the students get to spend on activities is another great benefit. According to NEA, â€Å"in a study evaluating teachers’ views on full-day kindergarten, teachers reported a number of benefits for themselves as well as children and parents. Participating in full day eased the transition to first grade, helping children adapt to the demand of a six-hour day. Having more time available in the school day offered more flexibility and more time to do activities during free choice times. Having more time actually made the kindergarten program less stressful and frustrating for children because they had time to fully develop an interest in activities. Participating in he full-day schedule allows more appropriate academic challenges for children at all developmental levels. Children with developmental delays or those at risk for school problems benefited from having more time to complete projects and more time for needed socialization with peers and teachers. † (NEA) Full day kindergarten offers more benefits to the students that are at risk and children that come from educational and economical disadvantaged homes. If the full day kindergarten programs cost money, as most do, they cost around 3000 dollars per child for the year. The 3000 dollars is charged to the parents of the child. The children that come from the educationally and economically disadvantaged homes would not be able to attend because of the cost. These children are the ones that benefit from the program the most. According to the Indiana Superintendents, â€Å"Students at or below the poverty level enrolled in full day kindergarten scored statistically significantly higher in math and reading than their half day counterparts. Poor children enrolled in full day kindergarten programs tested statistically significantly above half day pupils on reading, spatial, and verbal skills, naming colors and letters, and identifying numerals. (Plucker, 6) Parents prefer full day kindergarten as well. I as a mother prefer the full day kindergarten program to the half-day program. One of the advantages is that I do not have to figure out childcare and who would bring my son to the childcare. Trying to figure out childcare and school between my job schedule would be undesirable. As said by Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Full-day kindergarten saves parents day-care problems, while providing children a comprehensive, developmentally-appropriate program. Parents said that children often feel more stress when they have to go from a school situation to a day-care environment, where different rules and philosophies apply. Therefore, parents favor a full-day program, which reduces the number of transitions kindergartners experience in a typical day. † (Dr. Martinez) Full day kindergarten also takes a huge cost out of many parents’ monthly budget including mine. Even though some people would be against this and say, â€Å"Why would I have to pay for your childcare? † I would say that many parents including myself pay taxes too. Their parents wanted them to have the best education that they could have gotten. Most importantly, I know that my son and many other children are getting the best out of their day while they are in school. They are having fun while they are learning. My son enjoys being in school. If he had a choice, he would go on Saturdays and Sundays. Children attending full day kindergarten spend the day learning instead of watching television or playing video games. Full-day kindergarten provides parents with better support for their children. According to NEA, â€Å"For parents who work outside the home, full-day kindergarten means that children do not have to be shuffled between home, school, and childcare. For all parents, there is more continuity and less disruption in the child’s day and more time for focused and independent learning. One study of parent attitudes found that after the second year of a full-day kindergarten program, 100 percent of full-day parents, and 72 percent of half-day parents noted that, if given the opportunity again, they would have chosen full-day kindergarten for their child†. (NEA) In conclusion, having full day kindergarten should be mandatory. There are many benefits of the full day kindergarten program. The benefits are not limited to the students. Teachers and parents also get great benefits out of the full day program. According to MaryBeth, â€Å"Research has shown that it is important to begin learning early in life. School systems that have implemented the academically based full day kindergarten are finding it to be successful. If I had to choose again if a child of mine was going to go to full day or half-day kindergarten, I would not even have to think twice. A child’s education should be one of the most important things to think about. These children will be the future and they need a great education to get there.

Technology and Nutrition Essays

Technology and Nutrition Essays Technology and Nutrition Essay Technology and Nutrition Essay Technology and Nutrition Name: Course: Date: Technology and Nutrition Analyze the impact a particular technological development on nutrition or eating habits. The changes in technology could be termed as traversing all aspects of society in that they play a significant role in making life easier. Sustainable development and nutrition are among significant transformations that have been facilitated by the rapid changes in technology. Such changes have been enabled healthier living using better nutrition approaches and diets. I n the developed world, it is evident that enhanced channels of means of communication are able to improve the health and wellbeing of a given population. The changes in technology have enabled the betterment of channels of gathering and subsequent dissemination of nutrition information. Literature indicates that the new channels of communication such as the computer-mediated channels such as independent computer applications and software, multimedia applications, interactive television sessions and on-line services. Such platforms are used widely in both developed and developing nations to provide the respective populations of such nations with the much-needed information. The new channels of computer communications are usually divided into two groupings, which are namely stand-alone applications and the on-line applications. Stand-alone applications are defined as applications, which do not rely on connections to technology-based products such as television, telephones, and satellites among others. This are considered as the most used applications for nutritional educational purposes. On the other hand, other channels such as online-based applications are gaining widespread use around the world because of the increased availability and accessibility of the internet and technology-based products enabling access to computer programs. The stand-alone applications are considered as having been designed to provide information to any interested parties. Given the varied storage devices, such programs are easily availed in the various storage devices such as CD-ROM disks, floppy disks and flash disks. Such programs have increased in number because of the enhancement in the awareness of the importance of nutrition to the lives of many people in the public domain. This allows for additional research based on the availed information on nutrition. Hence, additional information is essential for the public in their individual evaluations of nutritional value. Other nutrient based programs such as nutrient based recipes, which are accessible to the public for use (Guo, 2009). Online or linkage applications are usually considered the best means to reach a larger or wider part of the population with nutrition information. Cyberspace or the internet is currently one of the largest media and communication channels used by people in both developed and developing worlds for dissemination of information. Electronic mails are used as a means for basic communication in the modern world. This is currently used by nutrient experts around the world for information and idea exchanges. Emails are also used to engage in online discussion forums, which are logged in using electronic mail addresses. This enables communication of information and ideas. This has also enabled communication on an international level to understand the multiplicity in the field of nutrition hence ensuring that basic nutritional information is communicated to a larger part of the global population (Kennedy, Kennedy, Muth, 2012). Food and nutrition on-line based services are easily availed to the public because of the low costs of access to the internet as well as the associated costs of use of the internet. Numerous sources of information are usually availed in the form of websites about the various issues on health and nutrition. This is essential for the public because the information is usually availed at the touch of a button and relatively low costs of access and use of internet-based products such as computers. Electronic bulletin boards are defined as computerized systems that are usually used to give focus to specific issues or subjects with a specific target in mind. Such bulletins usually consist of information, which is up to date in respect to the current research on various topics of food, health, and nutrition, which is essential for the public. Other services available include computer conferencing, which enables individuals to interact with one another using videos, and internet connections and thus engage in interactive discussions, which may result in sharing of information and ideas relevant from improvements in the field of nutrition (Buzzard, Price, Warren, 1991). Some higher institutions of learning are also engaging in issue of lessons or programs from computers though the internet. Virtual learning is rapidly gaining worldwide acceptance. This has enabled nutritional experts to access knowledge and skills relevant for enhancing nutritional value in their lives as well as those of the public at relatively lower costs and with higher convenience. Additionally another vital issue is telemedicine, which is the e issue of medical services and the respective information to the public using online based platforms such as websites and online bulletins. This has enabled individuals to increase their awareness in relation to their levels of nutrition and subsequently observe health as well as accrue numerous benefits from the services issued by these online sites issuing health and nutritional information (Guo, 2009). Conclusively the changes or improvements in technology are paramount in enabling the issue of health services at relatively lower costs. Additionally the availability of information from online platforms has enabled increased awareness in the society in terms of observance of health and nutrition. This is essential as it increases the bailey of individuals to lead healthier lives as they have adequate information as tot the appropriate nutritional standards, which they should observe to ensure better health such as changes in lifestyles and the subsequent changes in diets for maximum benefits. References Buzzard, I. M., Price, K. S. Warren, R. A. (1991). Considerations for selecting nutrient calculation software: evaluation of nutrient database. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91(54): 7-9. Guo, M. (2009). Functional foods: Principles and technology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Kennedy, X. J., Kennedy, D. M., Muth, M. F. (2012). â€Å"Michael Pollan. The Cooking Animal† The Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader, Research Manual, and Handbook. Colorado: University of Colorado.

Awesome Google Tricks You Didnt Know Existed [Infographic]

Awesome Google Tricks You Didnt Know Existed [Infographic] Google is an integral part of our lives. Whether we’d like to admit it or not, we rely on Google for many things. It has become an encyclopedia for most of us. But how can we take our use of Google to the next level in order to truly make the most of theis valuable tool? The folks over at whoishostingthis  have compiled an infographic detailing some pretty awesome  Google tricks  that you probably are not  familiar with. Check them out below:

To what extent have external forces like the Leapfrog Group influenced Assignment

To what extent have external forces like the Leapfrog Group influenced change in the healthcare environment - Assignment Example This essay discusses that the healthcare sector has over the time undergone immense changes, characterized by improved healthcare systems that aid access and service delivery. These changes have been triggered by various sources, including but not limited to individuals, groups of people, government healthcare evaluators and the society at large. On a more specific ground, external forces have had their contribution to the changes observed in the healthcare environment. One of the identifiable external forces that have influenced change in the healthcare environment is the Leapfrog Group and related external factors. Changes in the healthcare sector have been tailored towards making healthcare accessible and affordable. On the same note, aspects of effective and efficient service delivery systems have been advocated for, formulated and implemented. This has led to the realization of healthcare services that by greater margin meet their primary purposes, among them promoting and uphol ding good health to the larger society. These external factors have been the driving force of change in the healthcare sector of the country. While the government has crucial concerns about healthcare issues, triggering change from within the system has been observed to be slow and inefficient over time. With the presence of Leapfrog Group among other external forces in the healthcare environment, quick, efficient and effective changes in healthcare have been realized. Specifically, evidence-based initiatives have been successfully introduced. On the same note, modern technology-based physician order entries, hospital referrals and ICU staffing has been enhanced and improved through external forces advocacy (Stead &Herbert, 2009). Your sister is entering into the hospital for elective surgery. She asks you how to determine she is safe while in the hospital. What do you tell her and why. Patient’s safety in any hospital is setting is fundamentally defined by patient rights. A patient that knows his or her rights is bound to feel safer in the hands of the caregiver. The most basic point to consider is consent to treatment, and surgery on a more specific ground as it relates to this question. Feeling safe while in the hospital first begins with the patient and then the caregiver’s context comes in. This is because, in order to begin any healthcare procedure, the patient must be willing to undertake the required actions that pertain to the procedure of treatment. This is the first step to determine that the patient is safe while in the hospital. Effectiveness and quality of care is another factor combination that determines how safe a patient is. The two are determined by a number of factors that the patient herself should actively consider in order to create a safe hospital environment for her and the caregiver during treatment, and this in case elective surgery. Speaking up when an unusual scenario arises is crucial to the patient’s safety i n the hospital. The patient should observe the practices of the caregiver so that practices or actions are tailored towards promoting the patient’s welfare. Attention should be paid in the setting up of the elective surgery procedure, so that all required materials and surgical tools are well in place before hand. The caregivers responsible for the elective surgery procedure should give the patient sufficient information about the procedure so that the patient is well informed of what is expected of her. Other safety related issues to check for are the medication procedure, standard of the healthcare facility in the light of Joint Commission’s Standard and patient participation allowed by the caregivers. This information is relevant to the patient since every patient is entitled to quality and safe healthcare. What are some of the downfalls of obtaining

Reading notes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Reading notes - Essay Example The two examples are a clear indication of how sports can alter a man’s attitude. More so, sport affects significantly on their fantasy’s life. It is when they describe and imagine how they will do it in the real sense. A family has a significant role in defining American woman’s dreams and expectations. Men determine what women do in life (McBride & Parry, 2014). Taking the case of Willy and his Wife Linda, Linda must ensure that his husband’s cup is filled with coffee whenever he needs it. For this reason, instead of sitting down and enjoying her coffee, Linda must keep on checking whether Willy has coffee in his cup. In another context, Willy orders The Woman to leave immediately to the hall. Despite pleading that she is naked, Willy asks her to respect his order and leave without questioning. According to this play, men and women are treated differently. It is because; the society has defined certain roles for women and others for men (McBride & Parry, 2014). Therefore, women are to be submissive to men at all

(Exam questions) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(Exam questions) - Essay Example "When the environment audit is undertaken, the objective is to develop a finite list of opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. Here the word finite list is emphasized because the job of the manager is not to make an exhaustive list of all the factors that may affect the organization. But focus should be on key environmental variables that could influence business"1. The importance of the environmental analysis is mostly realized by organizations but the depth of the analysis is often compromised. For example in Toyota Corporation, there is a management concept "to go to the roots". The meaning of this concept is that, when we are collecting information for analysis, the information should be collected from the source or in other words from the origin. When an external environmental analysis is done with information collected from the sources and decisions are made based on such in-depth data, the applicability and durability of strategic plans are considerably increased. The information from the external environment should be used to tune up the internal environment to meet the challenges and make good of the opportunities. When an organization needs to possess a competitive advantage its focus should be internalized rather externalized. The ability of a business concern to focus on its strengths and potential areas of improvement will lead to formulation of workable plans. Hence, the conflict between where we are and where we want to go does not arise. Wastage of time and money on formulating strategies which have to be later sacrificed to carry out day to day operations can be avoided. Many a times in a business organization, managers are faced with the challenge to modify the day to day operations to achieve the long term strategic goals and vice versa. This may be due to the gaps between the aspirations and actual business environment. The organization may aspire to achieve the mission and vision, but the ground reality faced by the company may create hurdles in the path. In an organization, long term strategic plans are useful to tune up the operations to achieve future objectives. But, it is often hard to follow the preplanned course of actions. This may be due to various reasons and mangers are often at the cross roads. Assigning priorities and making decisions becomes a challenge for the business managers when they have to decide the sacrifices that have to be made to get along in business. When we argue that often operational priorities derail strategic plans, it denotes that the culture in an organization is not oriented towards the strategic plans made. Th e external environment is ever dynamic and the strategy formulated should be flexible to accommodate the changes. When the strategists bring this concept into the strategy formulation right from the nascent stage then the situation of trade off of strategies can be avoided. When a person wants to achieve something in future the attitude, personality, values and other psychographic factors should be matching with what he/she wants to achieve. In an organization there are so many people working who have different kinds of needs. When different people work together to contribute towards the success of the organization, then the pattern in dealing with problems and the behavior of the employees should be assessed. This pattern of behavior is often called as the

TRADITIONAL VERSUS MODERN METHODS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING

TRADITIONAL VERSUS MODERN METHODS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING Education is vital to the pace of the social, political and economic development of any nation, so effective teaching is very essential. Effective teaching is important because teaching is based on helping children progress from one level to another in a more sociable interactive environment and to get the approach right to get students to be independent learners (Muijus and Reynolds, 2005). Effectiveness does not mean being perfect or giving a wonderful performance, but bringing out the best in students. My experience comes from a Nigerian background, where traditional teaching method is more widespread than the modern method of teaching. It is in this line that I decided to investigate empirically which of the two methods is more effective in Nigerian primary schools. Primary education in Nigeria refers to the education children receive from the ages 6 years to 11 years plus. A lot of the teaching in primary schools is done with the traditional method especially in the government schools where the teacher is in charge of the classroom. The formal education system is 6-3-3-4, 6 stands for primary school. The primary education in Nigeria is controlled by the state and local government. Traditional method relies mainly on textbooks while the modern method relies on hands-on materials approach. In traditional method, presentation of materials starts with the parts, then moves on to the whole while in the modern approach, presentation of materials starts with the whole, then moves to the parts. Traditional method emphasizes on basis skills while modern method emphasizes on big ideas. With traditional method of teaching, assessment is seen as a separate activity and occurs through testing while with modern method of teaching, assessment is seen as an activity integrated with teaching and learning, and occurs through portfolios and observation (Brooks and Brooks, 1999). Teaching methods are best articulated by answering the questions What is the purpose of education? and What are the best ways of achieving these purposes? for much of pre-history, education methods were largely informal, and consisted of children imitating or modeling the behaviour of that of their elders, learning through observation and play. In this sense, the children are the students, and the elder is the teacher, a teacher creates the course materials to be taught and then enforces it. Pedagogy is a different way by which a teacher can teach. It is the art or science of being a teacher, generally referring to strategies of instruction or style of instruction. Resources that help teachers teach better are typically, a lesson plan, or practical skill involving learning and thinking skills. A curriculum is often set by the Government with precise standards. These standards can change frequently, depending on what the government states. DIVERSITY IN TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM For effective teaching to take place, a good method must be adopted by a teacher. A teacher has many options when choosing a style by which to teach. The teacher may write lesson plans from other teachers, or search online or within books for lesson plans. When deciding what teaching method to use, a teacher needs to consider students background, knowledge, environment, and learning goals. Teachers are aware that students learn in different ways, but almost all children will respond well to praise. Students learn in different ways, of absorbing information and of demonstrating their knowledge. Teachers often use techniques which cater to multiple learning styles to help students retain information and strengthen understanding. A variety of strategies and methods are used to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to learn. A lesson plan may be carried out in several ways: questioning, explaining, modeling, collaborating, and demonstrating. QUESTIONING A teaching method includes questioning is similar to testing. A teacher may ask a series of questions to collect information of what students have learned and what needs to be taught. Testing is another method of questioning. A teacher tests the student on what was previously taught in order to identify if a student has learned the material. Standardized testing is in about every Middle School (i.e. Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) Proficiency Test, College Entrance Tests (Act and SAT). before that we have to teach how to make questioner. If the question is perfect then this method will be effective. EXPLAINING Another teaching method is explanation. This form is similar to lecturing. Lecturing is teaching, giving a speech, giving a discourse on a specific subject that is opened to the public. It is usually given in the classroom. This can also be associated with demonstrating and modeling. A teacher may use experimentation to demonstrate in a science class. A demonstration is the circumstance of proving conclusively, as by reasoning or showing evidence. Modeling is used as a visual aid to learning. Students can visualize an object or problem, then use reasoning and hypothesizing to determine an answer. DEMONSTRATING Demonstrations are done to provide an opportunity in learning new exploration and visual learning tasks from a different perspective. Demonstrations can be exercised in several ways. Here, teacher will also be a participant. He will do the work with his/her students for their help. COLLABORATING Students working in groups are another way a teacher can enforce a lesson plan. Collaborating allows students to talk among each other and listen to all view points of discussion or assignment. It helps students think in an unbiased way. When this lesson plan is carried out, the teacher may be trying to assess the lesson of working as a team, leadership skills or presenting with roles. TRADITIONAL VERSUS MODERN METHOD OF TEACHING Traditional method of teaching is when a teacher directs students to learn through memorization and recitation techniques thereby not developing their critical thinking problem solving and decision making skills (Sunal et al 1994) while modern or constructivist approach to teaching involves a more interacting, student-based of teaching. Here, the students learn through group participation. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Nigerian primary education is deteriorating at a very fast rate and this has been a great concern to the ministry of education, parents, teachers and others concerned. It was in this light that the researcher deemed it fit to investigate the varying influences of the traditional and modern methods of teaching on students academic performance. PURPOSE OF STUDY Because education is a vital aspect of society, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of teaching methods (Traditional Versus Modern) on students academic performance. The purpose of this study was also to investigate and determine which of the two major teaching methods was more effective. RELEVANCE OF STUDY The findings of this study would be found relevant to teachers, parents, students and the society at large. The findings of this study would be of great importance to Ministry of Education in drafting the curriculum for primary schools. The parents and the students also stand to benefit greatly if the effective teaching method was used to teach the students. Effective teaching method would improve the performance and learning of the students. And, lastly, the society at large would benefit because the children (students) are the leaders of tomorrow. SCOPE OF STUDY The study is particularly; i. Concerned with the determinants of teaching method effectiveness. ii. Concerned with examining influences of teaching method (Traditional and Modern) and determining which of the teaching methods is more effective than the other. RESEARCH QUESTIONS (1) To what extent if there is a shift in pedagogical practice from traditional methods to modern methods in Nigerian primary school in the classroom? (2) Which approach is more effective in terms of student outcomes and more successful between the traditional methods and modern methods of teaching? RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS (1) Modern Method of teaching is more effective than the traditional method of teaching THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK LEARNING THEORIES OF COGNITION Learning theories were used in this study as the theoretical framework to explaining how children learn. Classical conditioning The typical paradigm for classical conditioning involves repeatedly pairing an unconditioned stimulus (which unfailingly evokes a particular response) with another previously neutral stimulus (which does not normally evoke the response). Following conditioning, the response occurs both to the unconditioned stimulus and to the other, unrelated stimulus (now referred to as the conditioned stimulus). The response to the conditioned stimulus is termed a conditioned response. Operant conditioning Operant conditioning is the use of consequences to modify the occurrence and form of behavior. Operant conditioning is distinguished from Pavlov conditioning in that operant conditioning deals with the modification of voluntary behavior. Discrimination learning is a major form of operant conditioning. One form of it is called Errorless learning. Observational learning The learning process most characteristic of humans is imitation; ones personal repetition of an observed behaviour, such as a dance. Humans can copy three types of information simultaneously: the demonstrators goals, actions and environmental outcomes. Through copying these types of information, (most) infants will tune into their surrounding culture. Play Play generally describes behavior which has no particular end in itself, but improves performance in similar situations in the future. This is seen in a wide variety of vertebrates besides humans, but is mostly limited to mammals and birds. Cats are known to play with a ball of string when young, which gives them experience with catching prey. Besides inanimate objects, animals may play with other members of their own species or other animals, such as orcas playing with seals they have caught. Play involves a significant cost to animals, such as increased vulnerability to predators and the risk of injury and possibly infection. It also consumes energy, so there must be significant benefits associated with play for it to have evolved. Play is generally seen in younger animals, suggesting a link with learning. However, it may also have other benefits not associated directly with learning, for example improving physical fitness. Habituation In psychology, habituation is an example of non-associative learning in which there is a progressive diminution of behavioral response probability with repetition of a stimulus. It is another form of integration. An animal first responds to a stimulus, but if it is neither rewarding nor harmful the animal reduces subsequent responses. Humans have been able to handle certain cognitive tasks due to habituation. One example of this can be seen in small song birds if a stuffed owl (or similar predator) is put into the cage, the birds initially react to it as though it were a real predator. Soon the birds react less, showing habituation. If another stuffed owl is introduced (or the same one removed and re-introduced), the birds react to it again as though it were a predator, demonstrating that it is only a very specific stimulus that is habituated to (namely, one particular unmoving owl in one place). Sensitization Sensitization is an example of non-associative learning in which the progressive amplification of a response follows repeated administrations of a stimulus (Bell et al., 1995). An everyday example of this mechanism is the repeated tonic stimulation of peripheral nerves that will occur if a person rubs his arm continuously. After a while, this stimulation will create a warm sensation that will eventually turn painful. The pain is the result of the progressively amplified synaptic response of the peripheral nerves warning the person that the stimulation is harmful. Sensitization is thought to underlie both adaptive as well as maladaptive learning processes in the organism. Imprinting Imprinting is the term used in psychology and ethnology to describe any kind of phase-sensitive learning (learning occurring at a particular age or a particular life stage) that is rapid and apparently independent of the consequences of behavior. It was first used to describe situations in which an animal or person learns the characteristics of some stimulus, which is therefore said to be imprinted onto the subject. Enculturation Enculturation is the process by which a person learns the requirements of the culture by which he or she is surrounded, and acquires values and behaviours that are appropriate or necessary in that culture. The influences which as part of this process limit, direct or shape the individual, whether deliberately of not, include parents, other adults, and peers. If successful, enculturation results in competence in the language, values and rituals of the culture. Rote learning Rote learning is a technique which avoids understanding the inner complexities and inferences of the subject that is being learned and instead focuses on memorizing the material so that it can be recalled by the learner exactly the way it was read or heard. The major practice involved in rote learning techniques is learning by repetition, based on the idea that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more it is repeated. Rote learning is used in diverse areas, from mathematics to music to religion. Although it has been criticized by some schools of thought, rote learning is a necessity in many situations. Informal learning Informal learning occurs through the experience of day-to-day situations (for example, one would learn to look ahead while walking because of the danger inherent in not paying attention to where one is going). It is learning from life, during a meal at table with parents, Play, exploring. Formal learning Formal learning is learning that takes place within a teacher-student relationship, such as in a school system. Non-formal learning Non-formal learning is organized learning outside the formal learning system. For example: learning by coming together with people with similar interests and exchanging viewpoints, in clubs or in (international) youth organizations, workshops. Non-formal learning and combined approaches The educational system may use a combination of formal, informal, and non-formal learning methods. The UN and EU recognize these different forms of learning. In some schools students can get points that count in the formal-learning systems if they get work done in informal-learning circuits. They may be given time to assist international youth workshops and training courses, on the condition they prepare, contribute, share and can proof this offered valuable new insights, helped to acquire new skills, a place to get experience in organizing, teaching, etc. In order to learn a skill, such as solving a Rubiks cube quickly, several factors come into play at once: Directions help one learn the patterns of solving a Rubiks cube Practicing the moves repeatedly and for extended time helps with muscle memory and therefore speed Thinking critically about moves helps find shortcuts, which in turn help to speed up future attempts. The Rubiks cubes six colors help anchor solving it within the head. Occasionally revisiting the cube helps prevent negative learning or loss of skill. LITERATURE REVIEW Interview data from marks, Schrader, and Levine (1999) revealed that paraedsucators perceived that their job responsibilities included: 1) Keeping students with disabilities from bothering general education classroom teachers. 2) Creating all modifications and adaptations for the child, and 3) Maintaining responsibility for all aspects of the childs education. These findings indicate that paraeducators perceived their duties to be actions that are not considered ethical (Heller, 1997): National joint committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD), 1999). Marks et al, reported corroboration of these perceived job duties by another group of paraeducators, but no observation were conducted and no comparison made to job description. French and Chopra (1999) conducted interviews with parents who reported that they believe inclusion without paraeducators is impossible. The parents cited reasons of health and safety, social and academic engagement in support of their assertion. Actually, these parents believe that paraeducators are more important than teachers to their childs inclusion. But parents also emphasized that paraeducators should stand back a little, too and to become invisible in a very calculated way (French and Chopra, 1999 p. 264). In Scotland, more than 4,400 classrooms were appointed between 2000 and 2001 in an effort to improve adult-to-student ratios. The program was federally funded and evaluated in three phases. All data sources verified that the amount of time students were engaged in active versus passive tasks increased as a result of the presence of the assistants, and that the presence of the assistants permitted teachers to improve the quality of their teaching time and to engage in more small group and individual work with students. Scottish teachers also reported that their expectation of students has increased because of the added support available to them. Students liked working with classroom assistants and appreciated the extra support. Student clearly distinguished between classroom assistants, whom they saw as helpers and teachers. This evaluation study did not disaggregate findings for special education students (Wilson et al 2002). Storey et al 1993, conducted a study using a multiple-probe across settings design to examine the effectiveness of a peer-mediated intervention conducted by classroom assistants on the social behaviour of socially withdrawn and socially skilled preschoolers in public school classrooms. Two socially skilled students were matched with one socially withdrawn student, and the group of three became the unit of study. The results demonstrated that all of the withdrawn preschoolers increased their social interactions with peers during the instructional triads studied. Social validation findings also indicated improvement in the students behaviour. Hall, McClannahan, and Krantz (1995) observed that paraeducators were reluctant to Step away from students in classroom interactions. Although they did not inquire as to the paraeducators beliefs about their roles, the researchers assumed that the paraeducators believed their primary role to be that of providing support and assistance juts as Marks, Schrader, and Levine later reported Hall et al, however, provided training for paraeducators on how to reduce the number of verbal and gestural prompts given to students and to use physical prompts were absolutely necessary. Observations subsequent to training revealed a significant reduction in the number of verbal and gestural prompts, indicating that the concepts the paraeducators had learned during training were being applied on the job. They then observed the amount of engagement and initiative on the part of students and found that both increased significantly. Young et al (1996) examined in elementary education classroom, each of whom as assigned a full-time paraeducators. Researchers assessed the on-task, in-seat, self-stimulatory and vocalization behaviours of the students as a function of paraeducators proximity, recording activities, and behaviours at 20-second intervals. They considered three conditions: Close proximity? Less than 2 feet away; More than 2 feet away; and Out of room. Teachers initiated contact with the target students occurred most often when the paraeducators was more than 2 feet away from students or when out of the room, but the teacher initiated contact with student less than 1% of the time when the paraeducators was closer than 2 feet away. This finding suggests that paraeducators proximity effectively reduced student opportunities to engage with the classroom teacher and could be used to support the argument that the presence of a paraeducators allows the argument that the presence of a paraeducators allows the classroom teacher to be relieved of responsibility for the child. At the same time, observations showed that the issue of gestures or cueing occurred less than 1% of the time a problem because all students had difficulty with verbal direction and needed cues and prompts. Nevertheless, students were on task, appropriate amount of time most often when working with a peer. Similar to the earlier conclusions of Storey, Smith and Strain (1993) regarding preschoolers, those authors concluded that the most appropriate role of the paraeducators working with elementary-aged children with autism is to facilitate peer interaction, and they did not recommend discontinuing the sue of paraeducators. Giangreco (1997) observed classrooms where students with significant needs were included and reported that dedicated paraeducators serving children one-to-one hovered over their charges, which limited opportunities for the students to benefit from the teachers instruction and interfered with social interactions among students. These findings were published in a widely read article that served as the wake-up-call for those who had rushed to provide every child with an individual dedicated paraeducators. At variance with these findings, Hill (2003) observed paraeducators working in classrooms where students with disabilities were included. Their observations focused on: 1) The activities in which the instructional assistant was involved; 2) Participants in the interactions; and 3) Whether the interaction occurred in or out of the classroom. Hill concluded that assistants facilitated inclusive practices by interacting more frequently with both exceptional and typical students together, rather than with the exceptional student alone, and that they spent significant time assisting in activities that did not include exceptional students. Hill also concluded that paraeducators promoted independence by limiting the amount of direct instruction they provided to exceptional students, so that students would attend to the classroom teacher for their instruction. Other reported benefits of employing paraeducators included improved student behaviour (Kotkin, 1998). In a series of well designed, quasi-experimental studies, Kotkin reported consistent improvements in the behaviour of boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (1998). In one study, Kotkin (1998) tested the effects of social skills training versus the effects of combined social skills training and continued support a trained classroom aide. This study showed that the majority of students receiving the combined set of practices (Social skills training plus classroom aide) improved over the course of the year, whereas less than half of the students in the control group or the social-skills-only group improved (in terms of disruptive behaviour in class). Kotkin also examined the effects of social skills training and school-based token reinforcement components on response to provocation and frustration in aggressive boys. Repeated measures included direct observation of the boys participants role-plays of target skills, and teacher ratings. The data showed that boys receiving social skills training alone were able to perform in role-play but showed little improvement in natural settings. Token reinforcement improved the behaviour in boys prior to social skills training, but adding a trained classroom aide resulted in greater improvement. Moreover, the improved behaviour was maintained at follow-up (Kotkin, 1998). Werts et al (2001) considered the academic engagement of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. This quasi-experimental study examined those effects of paraeducators proximity to students. The findings showed that close proximity yielded higher levels of academic engagement, while greater paraeducators distance promoted social interaction. Others have noted positive student attitudes toward learning and school. For example, Mclntyre (1999) found that 9th and 10th grade students had improved attitudes and self-concept regarding math because of readily available assistance from a teaching assistant. The inference that may be drawn from these studies is that improved student achievements is related to the presence of paraeducators because improved student behaviour, positive attitudes toward subjects, and better self-concept are all known to be highly correlated with student achievement. Although none of the research on the impact of paraeducators on attitudinal factors, or on social or academic engagement factors compared the data to student-achievement data, one might extrapolate that increased student engagement and independence, as well as a higher adult-to-student ratio would be associated with increased academic achievement, given the ell-established findings about the positive effects of student engagement (Marzano , 2003) and small class size (Glass and Smith 1979): Shavelson and Towne, 2002). Yet, such extrapolation remains unconfirmed by empirical information. Harrington and Mitchelson (1986. 1987) interviewed teachers who worked with paraeducators. The teachers reported improved morale, reduce stress, and improved school-home-community relations. French and Chopra (1999), from interviews with parents similarly reported improved school home relations. The parents reported that paraeducators served as connectors between the schools and themselves and that the most frequent contact with the school came through the paraeducators. Parents spoke of many ways in which paraeducators connect their children and created connections between their children and teachers. Other reports describe paraeducators as a vital link to parents and the community, noting that they often live in low-income neighborhoods near their schools and are more familiar with their schools diverse enrollments (Chopra, 2002 and Jennings, 2000). Various anecdotal reports tell of paraeducators who assisted families in numerous ways. For example, in one case a family ran out of food stamps and had nor eaten and the paraeducators helped the family access a local food bank (Sack, 1999). At the conclusion of a study of school district policies regarding the employment of paraeducators, Policy Studies Associates (1997) reported to the U.S. Department of Education with recommendations that districts should tend to programmatic aspects of their school before deciding to invest in hiring or training paraprofessionals. Although this report did not recommend against employing paraeducators, the authors intent clearly was to focus on instruction that engages students in hard work and challenging curriculum. This perspective puts the role of paraeducators in a defined subordinate role to the program and asserts that measuring the effectiveness of paraeducators is of merit only if the program in which they work is sound. To date, only one of the reported attempts at measuring the effect of paraeducators on student achievement has considered the curricular and instructional program. Sam String-filed led a team of researchers in a complex study of paraeducators effectiveness funded by the American Federation of Teachers Schools were selected or participation only if they demonstrated high student achievement by students living in poverty and employed paraeducators in instructional roles. Therefore, the correlation between student achievement and paraeducators employment was the antecedent of the study. The research team found that effective programs generally included whole-school reforms and professional development involving the entire staff. The paraeducators held clear task assignments, both academic and managerial, and provided intensive instruction to children under the close direction of classroom teachers (AFT, 1999). In Scotland, a nationwide evaluation of a major initiative to put classroom assistants in every elementary classrooms in the country showed that, at the end of two academic years exceeded or met targeted levels. Researchers at the Scottish Council for Research in Education noted that job descriptions varied by district, and that supervision and training also varied considerably. They concluded that classroom assistants had an indirect impact on student achievement although they were unable to define the precise contribution the classroom assistants made to improving student achievement because multiple curricular initiatives had been implemented simultaneously (Wilson et al, 2002). Like the Scottish study and in contrast to the AFT study, the Tennessee STAR study attempted to answer the question of paraeducators effectiveness relative to student achievement but ignored the curricular and instructional program factors (Boyd-Zaharias and Pate-Bain, 1998). Moreover, Boyd-Zaharias and Pate-Bain (1998) reported that teachers provided no direction, that untrained paraeducators did whatever they wanted to do or only routine paperwork, and, significantly, that many teachers resented the paraeducators presence because the paraeducators employed during the study were political hires in an economy where jobs were precious. Those authors also noted that the teacher-with-aide and teacher-alone group were confounded by students moving between those classes during the experiment. In spite of flaws in the Tennessee study, groups with aides consistently performed slightly better than groups with teachers alone, but the differences were too small to show statistical significance (Institute for Educational Inquiry, 2000).further analysis of the Tennessee data showed a small improvement in reading scores for students who attended a class with a teacher aide for 2 or 3 years (Gerber et al 2001, pp. 123). Gerber et al admitted that other benefits that might be associated with employing paraeducators were not considered in the study. RESEARCH METHODS Research Setting The study was carried out in two primary schools in Lagos, Nigeria. Participants The sample was drawn randomly among the primary school students in Nigeria. Due to the limitation of time, only 20 participants were used for this study. 10 participants were selected from the public schools and 10 participants were also selected from the private schools. The rationale for this was to have 10 students that had been used to the modern teaching method and 10 students that were used to the traditional teaching method. The 10 students selected from the public schools were assumed to have been taught with traditional method of teaching while the 10 students chosen from private schools were assumed to have been taught with modern method of teaching. Research Instruments The researcher used 2 classrooms for this study. The first class used for the study was a classroom in a private primary school, where the classroom setting wore the look of modern classroom. And, the other classroom used was a classroom in a public primary school, where the classroom setting wore the look of the traditional classroom, where learning is individualistic