Module VI- Ethics of the Professional Educator Essay

Module VI- Ethics of the Professional Educator - Essay Example It is misleading, for example, the role of homework to the student, he is against it. How will the teacher know that what he has taught the students is well understood? It is only through the homework that the students and teachers will know the level of understanding and put effort into areas of weaknesses before primary exams. Kohn argues that appreciating the child’s work, for example, saying ‘good job’ is a way of evaluating bad job (Kohn, 2001). It might be accepted in some cases, but in educational purposes and as a way of motivation, it encourages the child to keep on with the good job always. In any profession, ethics is the most important thing to be maintained in order to enhance good relationship between professionals and other people that interact with organizations and societies hence good output/results in the line of profession. For educators, they are guided by different principles and standards in respect to the diverse and distinctive features. Teachers are professionally trained individuals with knowledge of ethical issues (Mostert 1998, p.18). For example, most teachers have failed to realize that failing to maintain competence is a way of reducing ethical standards among themselves. Competence is maintained by a professional interaction that helps in building of an important inter-collaborative professional relationship. It helps teachers to consult one another before the decision is made. Maintaining high expectation is essential for teachers in ethical judgment and decision-making (Mostert, 17). Teachers are also expected to support the application of posi tive behavior supports and be conventional to confined policies that relate to the use of disciplinary methods and behavior change process. In most cases, teachers thought that they are the ethical decision makers when it comes to such issues by overlooking what is expected from them; it is an ethical requirement for teachers to use the application of positive behavior

Hello Kitty Singapore Essay Example for Free

Hello Kitty Singapore Essay A person has many needs at any given time. Abraham Maslow sought to explain why people are driven by particular needs at particular times. According to him, human needs are arranged in a hierarchy (refer to Figure 1), from the most pressing to the least pressing. In order of importance, they are physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. The most basic level of needs must be satisfied first before desiring higher level needs. Therefore, having a Mctoy fulfils the forth level needs, called as ‘Esteem Needs’. Self-esteem is the desire for status, self-respect and prestige. Owning the series of Hello Kitty dolls has gained a sense of fulfilment to the individual because it is not that easy to get the limited edition toys at any time. Besides that, the ‘Kiasu’ attitude which is very popular among Singaporeans to have something which everyone else is having, regardless of whether it is of any use. The fear of losing out drives the feeling to fulfil their esteem needs, where they are happy knowing they too have one like others. In order to fulfil the esteem need, people are often engaged in either profession or hobby to gain recognition. For those who loves collecting dolls, use this hobby as a platform to gain recognition from others so that they will be praised. Thus, they feel that by owning the series of hello kitty dolls can make them gained recognition. How has McDonald’s created value to its consumers by offering Hello Kittty dolls in their Extra Value Meals? Marke ting experts, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers say that ‘The only value a company will ever create is the value that comes from customers.’ Customer value is the relationship between the consumers perception of benefits they believe they will derive from a purchased compared to the price that will be paid. The total benefit package includes functional attributes of the product and related service attributes. Creating value not only transforms sales effectiveness, it also provides insulation from price pressure. There are many sales strategies, tactics and techniques for creating value for customers. McDonald’s has identified the benefits that consumers would gain from the promotion by creating a series of value to its customer through the promotion. The total value created to its consumers by McDonald’s comprises of four sources namely product, services, personnel and image. Firstly, the product (Hello kitty Dolls) were given as a premium to its loyal consumers at its cost price when consumer purchases the Extra Value Meal, rather than charging any extra amount for it. McDonalds has created value to its consumers by offering this product premium. In terms of service, McDonald’s has created value to its consumers an alternative way of getting the exclusive dolls, where these dolls can only be purchased through McDonald’s outlets during the limited period of time. This series of limited-edition toys will not be available as and when consumers want them. Thirdly, the satisfaction gained by consumers by owning these dolls. As the dolls were limited edition and were sold at cheaper price, McDonald’s has created the satisfaction feeling among its consumers when they own them. And finally image value is created to McDonald’s consumers where the consumers have the option to choose designs of their preferences during the one-month promotion. The image of ‘Kitty’ representing different cultures wedding costumes creates value to those owning them. Thus, McDonald’s has added up values from all the four sources mentioned above to successfully create values to its consumers through its ‘Hello Kitty’ Promotion. Recommendations and Conclusion Here are several alternatives that McDonald’s should have considered before carrying out the promotion to avoid such havoc from happening: 1) Study the consumer behaviour of Singaporeans 2) Periods of the promotion 3) Increase the number of toys offered for promotion In conclusion, the havoc caused from the ‘Hello Kitty’ Promotion in Singapore has not tarnished McDonald’s image in any aspect. This was proven when McDonald’s introduced another six sets of designs featured royal costumes around the world a year after, and the sales seem not to be declining. There was no repeat of the previous year’s frenzy as McDonald’s was prepared. Several precautions were taken such as limiting the number of dolls each customer can buy to four, and had more dolls in stock for panic buying. Besides that, to monitor and control the crowds, McDonald’s has hired security personnel and mobile squad officers to visit McDonald’s outlets.

Servant Leadership Essay example -- Religion Faith Religious Vocation

Servant Leadership Vocation is our call to be the best that we can be, each of us in our own way, so that we may better ourselves and society. Servant leadership is the truest fulfillment of our responsibility to charity and social concern. Servant leadership provides a charismatic self-identification, and thus we can better define our lives and commit ourselves to a fruitful vocation. Christ came into the world as the King of all humanity. He came as the redeemer of our world. However, Jesus did not come into this world to be served, He came to serve. Although Christ is no longer with us, His mission and his legacy live on in us, the Church. We are called to be the Body of Christ by fostering the brotherhood of all men (Dulles 85). We are called to be Christ to one another and to act as the suffering servant. Dulles tells us that we too are called to serve, to heal, to reconcile, and to bind up wounds. We are called to bring about the Kingdom of God. In being Christ to all around us, Pope John Paul II tells us that â€Å"we must make the poor feel at home. Without this form of evangelization through charity and without the witness of Christian poverty, the proclamation of the Gospel, which itself is the prime form of charity, risks being misunderstood† (Wojtyla 4). Pope John Paul II tells us that we are to be Christ to all we meet, so that we may make all people feel dignified and wholly human. We must value the sacredness of each individual person so that we may transform this earth into the Kingdom of God. We are given a divine mission to reach out to all others in our lives, and if we do not serve others as Christ has served us, then we risk misinterpretation of the m... ...Models of the Church. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 2002. - New American Bible, The. Grand Rapids, MI: Catholic World Press. 1991. - Nouwen, Henri J.M. In the Name of Jesus. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989. - Smith, Christian, and Jerry Z. Park. â€Å"’To Whom Much Has Been Given†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢: Religious Capital and Community Voluntarism Among Churchgoing Protestants.† Journal for Scientific Study of Religion. 39 (2000): 272-286. - Velander, Peter. "Reflections on Christian Leadership." Clergy Journal 78.8 (2002): 19-22. - Wojtyla, Karol (Pope John Paul II). â€Å"In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millenium.† Catholic International. 12.3 (2001): 10-17. ---. â€Å"Novo Milennio Ineunte: ‘Time for a New Creativity in Charity.’† Catholic International. 12.3 (2001): 3-10.

Animal Farm †the Nature of Power Essay

Animal Farm: The Nature of Power Describe at least one idea that was worth learning about. Explain why the idea was worth learning about in the text. In George Orwell’s book Animal Farm an idea that was worth learning about was the corruptive nature of power, and the effects it has on those who wield it. â€Å"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.† -Lord Acton. This is important because it gives the reader an insight on Orwell’s theory on why most communist revolutions and regimes fail. In the beginning of Animal Farm the tyrant farmer Jones is overthrown and the animals are filled with visions of a farm where were all animals are equal and were animals work together to create a better world for all animals, the base principles of communism, or the so called â€Å"animalism† in the book. Although this is a good ideal in theory, it runs against the nature of humans (or animals in the case of the book) and we soon see things heading downhill. Because of the nature of power we aren’t all equal. We don’t have the same drives and same compassion as a group, and therefore i t is unlikely we can create a society of true equality. The way Orwell portrays the pigs suggests he believes that any vacuum of power will be filled quickly by those who take the chance to seize it. In the book, from the very point Jones is overthrown, the pigs assume leadership roles. In the first harvest on the farm, â€Å"The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership.† The pigs have already asserted themselves because of their â€Å"superior intellect†. None of the animals seem to have a problem with this, perhaps because the pigs have suggested its natural, even though it is already running against one of the key principles of animalism – all animals are equal. Napoleon and Snowball have already set themselves up with superiority to the un-educated animals. The pigs begin to take things for themselves, always convincing the animals that it is for the good of the whole farm. Taking milk and apples for them selves to be mixed into their mash. This is covered up by the pigs â€Å"propaganda machine† Squealer, a highly manipulative pig with a way in  words. â€Å"‘Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples.† Squealer plays on the trust given to the pigs, and manipulates reality so as the pigs can take for themselves. This runs completely against the idea of equality, the vision of equality does not mean someone taking privileges for themselves. The pigs use their higher intellect to their advantage, and use control over language to keep the power in their hands and out of the hands of the masses. They also use this control over language to assign themselves privileges and allow themselves to edit the rules. â€Å"The birds did not understand Snowball’s long words, but they accepted his explanation, and all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by heart. â€Å"Four legs good, two legs bad.† This maxim, which serves as a controlling device, arises because of the working animals’ inability to understand or learn the seven commandments, a set of â€Å"rules† set after the rebellion. Its simplicity allows it to be easily altered and manipulated. Napoleon uses his control of language to his own advantage, and the pigs edit the seven â€Å"unchangeable† commandments. â€Å"There was yet another of them that the animals had remembered wrong. They had thought that the Fifth Comma ndment was ‘no animal shall drink alcohol’, but there were two words which they had forgotten. Actually the commandment read: ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.’† They allow themselves the luxury of the farmhouse beds, and drinking alcohol, all which was agreed against after the rebellion. Because the animals believe that the commandments are unchangeable, and because of their blind trust in the pigs, and now also because of fear of the pigs, they do not question them, their â€Å"superiors†. Squealer, Napoleons â€Å"propaganda machine† is the main culprit of this twisting of language, and controls the masses with this. If anybody opposes, the sheep begin to bleat in chorus, â€Å"four legs good, two legs bad† preventing any discussion, so Napoleon has control of what is said. This relates directly to real revolution, were control over language and especially large amounts of propaganda are used to control the masses, what is said and sometimes even what is thought. Because the pigs and especially Napoleon have power, and the trust of the  other animal’s, and no one questions their decisions. When the dogs give birth to some new born puppies, Napoleon takes â€Å"them away from their mothers, saying that he would make himself responsible for their education†¦ the rest of the farm forgot their existence.† The animals noticed that the dogs are gone, but decide against questioning or challenging what Napoleon is to do with them. Lack of action on the animals part means that the pigs can continue to seize power until a state where they are practically untouchable. It is not until Snowball proposes a windmill be built on the farm that we see things escalate. We then see a power struggle between Snowball and Napoleon. This is where the dogs come back in, and Napoleon releases them on Snowball and exiles him from the farm. Nobody now speaks out against Napoleon as they are physically intimidated by the dogs, which serve as bodyguar ds to Napoleon. Napoleon becomes greedy with power and swiftly removes his opposition, Snowball, and asserts his own dominance. Napoleon can do what he chooses because Snowball is not there to oppose, and the other animals do not oppose either out of fear after seeing the fate of Snowball, or because they are blinded by Squealers lies and still trust in Napoleon. Orwell is here proposing the idea that those in power often use physical harm or intimidation to keep power away from the masses. In the end we see the pigs associating with humans and the pigs almost becoming the same as humans, as they have been filled with the corruption of power and greed â€Å"The creatures looked from pig to man, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which†. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is important because Orwell was strongly anti-fascism hence he went to fight in the Spanish civil war with the republicans against the fascist militarist rule of Franco. Throughout the book the pigs play upon the naà ¯ve trust of the other animals. This is important because it demonstrates people’s willingness to take advantage of others. This is an unattractive but strong part of human nature. The flip side is the stupidity of the animals, or masses of humans, that give trust to those who are unproven and then fail to return to that decision and check that it was really the correct one to make. â€Å"The only thing necessary f or the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.† – Edmund Burke. Surely we don’t just hand over unlimited trust and therefore power and expect it to all just work out? Responsibility belongs to us all.

Love and Friendship Essay

Aristotle once said, â€Å"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.† As everyone knows, it is one of the important things in our lives. It is the only ship that doesn’t sink even without the captain or the crew. Love and affection must maintain its equilibrium otherwise, that friendship can’t be possible. Friendship is a gift by God; it is the beginning of love and care and it should be cherished by every individual. Did you ever realize life without it? Like your family, a friend is your number one supporter and maybe a favorer of a cause. A friend can be the best of all or your worst enemy. They can be your annoying sister who teases you, laugh at you and make fun of you or your loving mother who gives you advice, hug you and protect you. Friendship is between you and your friends and it depends on how you treat them and how they treat you back. If you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything. For me, a friend’s argument hurts more than a broken partner’s relationship. A broken trust cannot easily rearrange your relationship with your friends. It’s like a crumpled paper, you can use it again but its appearance will be unpleasant. You can never straighten the wrinkles on the paper unless you replace it with a new one. Friendship is built on trust and it should be until the end of time. There are lots of benefits your friend can give you. First, they can be your light in the dark – you should never seek them because if they’re true, they will always be there for you. Next, they can be your shield to protect you and your strength to boost your confidence. Lastly, they can be your partner in crime. They can help you in times of need, they can give you a lot of advice, they can lift you up when you’re down etc. If life goes wrong, don’t worry, they won’t turn their back against you. As Plato said, â€Å"Friends have all things in common.† They teach us how to be strong in facing reality and how to fight for what we believe. This is one of the proofs why God created people with other people. People can’t leave without friends because a friend teaches everything and they don’t just benefit us, they benefit all. You’ll experience great and strange adventures if you have them and you’ll learn a lot because of them. Come; see the world behind your wall with me my friend.

Global Issues Essay Example

Global Issues Essay Example Global Issues Essay Global Issues Essay Essay Topic: Global Issues Contemporary Issues and Futures in Criminal Justice Global Crime Issues A crime Is an action that Is considered harmful to the welfare of the public and Is prohibited by the law. Crime Is a not only a national problem but also a global problem around the world. Although the effects of crime are experienced and felt In the local level, an abundance of crime is coordinated and ran internationally. This paper discusses these crimes, issues related to them, and what the criminal justice systems are doing. These international crimes are as follows. Crimes exist all over the world. The Justice system department usually have the records for criminal activities in every country. There are many global crime issues and criminal Justice systems are working to combat them. Terrorism. One popular international crime is terrorism. Terrorism is the unlawful use of violence by an organized group or a person against people or property deliberately to coerce or Intimidate a government or a society often for political or ideological reasons. Terrorists use kidnapping and bombing of places to Intimidate or bully a target. Terrorist attacks on targets have their bases on political, ethnic, or religious Issues that these organized groups oppose. Transliterating. The second criminal issue experienced internationally is drug trafficking. It is the illicit trade involving growing, manufacturing, distributing and sale of substances that are subject to drug prohibition laws. The illicit drug industry is a great threat to social stability and welfare globally (Gillette, 2014). : Illegal drugs and substances such as cocaine and heroin are produced and distributed to an organized network of drug traffickers who sell to their customers. Drug abuse, despite negatively affecting the social fabrics of the society and health situations, leads to socially unacceptable behavior and promotes disrespect for the laws. Human trafficking. Human trafficking Is the other criminal Issue that Impacts criminal Justice systems globally. Most victims of this crime are women and children. Human beings are taken across borders for forced labor, sexual exploitation and slavery, domestic servitude, subjecting them to the threat of violence and extreme cruelty. Human trafficking violates immigration, criminal and labor laws (Gillette, 2014). Arms trafficking. The other crime experienced internationally is arms trafficking. Weapons, weapon systems and their spare parts are sold on illegal arms markets to terrorism clients around the world. Black-market arms transfers do not pass through an export licensing process. Illegal arms trafficking avails dangerous weapons to unauthorized persons posing a security threat to the public since the arms fuel conflict and undermine political and military efforts In promoting security stability. Piracy. Piracy Is also a crime and a criminal Issue In the world. Piracy Is criminal violence or robbery at sea and off the coasts by pirates. Maritime piracy Is common off the coasts of Africa and Southeast Asia and threatens the security of the most important often familiar with shipping schedules, so they plot their attacks quite accordingly and hijack cargo in real time. Cybernetic. Cybernetic is another crime impacting global criminal Justice. According to Gillette (2014) cybernetic is a criminal activity carried out by a person using a computer and the internet to disrupt operations using malicious programs, to stalk people with ulterior motives, to steal confidential information that if released would collapse an institution, or spying to obtain information from the government or a impetigo or another institution. Cases of cybernetic are most common in developed countries where most of their activities are computerized and automated. Money laundering. Money laundering also counts as a criminal issue in global operations. According to Gillette (2014) criminals conceal and legitimate proceeds gotten from criminal activities. Money laundering prevents law enforcement agencies efforts from figuring out the sources of illegal proceeds and tracing the funds to their respective criminal activities. The system used by international criminal organizations and groups to make the proceeds appear legal is extensive. The best end used to launder illicit proceeds is the international banking and financial systems, launderers routinely use these grounds to legitimate and transfer the proceeds. Corruption. The last criminal issue,widely affecting the world, and its stability is corruption. Corruption is fraudulent or dishonest conduct and abuse of public trust by those in power. Corruption is an immoral act described as a crime against humanity. Corruption is an international crime,it entails bribery, misappropriation of public funds, selfish practices for personal gain. Corruption is a common practice in most nations of the world. Criminal Justice systems approach to criminal issues The criminal Justice systems usually deal with criminal issues and reprimand the suspects that are found guilty. Most countries allocate huge amounts of their budget on security and related programmer to deal with crimes. Various approaches to attaining Justice have often been used. Powerful incentives on suspects. Worldwide criminal Justice systems have been unbelievably successful in crippling terrorist activities in the world. According to Gillette (2014),criminal Justice systems have been providing useful intelligence on al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. They administer moving incentives for suspects to provide reliable information relating to terror and terrorists. Intelligence departments such as the FBI, Interpol and individual intelligence agencies from different states work closely with these Justice systems to maximize intelligence. Criminal Justice systems cripple terrorist activities by prosecuting suspects and locking the guilty behind bars. Effective law enforcement teams. The criminal Justice systems around the world do a lot against drug trafficking and money laundering. Appropriate legislation is placed to provide the powers to impound and confiscate the assets of the criminal and take away profits of criminal enterprises. Beside legislation is an effective law enforcement team. Suspects are arrested by organized police and investigation is carried out to be able to capture the court of law to be awarded punishment (Gillette, 2014). Iii. Appropriate prosecutorial and Judicial organization The crime of human trafficking has adequately been planned against by various criminal Justice systems across the globe. Law enforcement agencies should be empowered, organized and allocated funds that would enable them to respond appropriately to the crime. Strong and well informed prosecutorial and Judicial organization are put in place to rightfully persecute, try and sentence suspects of human trafficking accordingly. Ensure proper identification of human trafficking victims and attending to their needs before being taken to their places. Disarming the public. Justice systems around the globe also address the criminal issue arm trafficking. Criminal Justice system requests the public to surrender their weapons if they are not licensed to have them. Judicial systems acquire enough information concerning arm trafficking to trace the distributor and the target clients, and then arrests them, rosettes and takes them to court for trial, if found guilty, sentenced. Suspects taken for questioning after arrest surrender useful information. Adoption of appropriate legal capacity for trial Piracy has recognition as an international crime. Gillette (2014) argues that going with the re-expansion of piracy in the recent years, prosecution of pirates who operate outside the territory of states is now possible. The nations have ensured that there is legal capacity to try pirates. A new Somali court was built within the territory of a third state. Adoption of a regional tribunal and the establishment of an international tribunal. The International Criminal Court is also a forum for prosecuting pirates. Synthesizing of the public Criminal Justice systems also have their stand on corruption and what they are doing about it. Criminal Justice systems know quite well that the prosecution cannot be effective in stopping corruption alone, other methods must be incorporated to see to it that corruption is dead. Alongside prosecution, trial and punishment, criminal justice systems take it to be their responsibility to sensitizes the public on issues regarding corruption and what they are to do in the event of one (Gillette 2014). Recent terrorism-related news story There are many terrorism incidents that have occurred in the past. Both the developed and developing countries have been terrorism targets and have lost a lot in the log run. One of the common stories known around the world is the the Bengali attack. On 1 lath of September 2012, heavily armed Islamic militants ambushed the U. S. Diplomatic mission in Libyan city Bengali. They set buildings on fire before all U. S. Personnel could escape, or reinforcements could arrive(Capable, 2014). They then attacked a nearby CIA compound, here;Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens together with three other Americanizes killed. Later on 1 5th of June 2014 U. S. Special Operations forces swarmed a residential home south of the waterfront city and took him captive, one of the suspected supervisors of the 2012 attack, ABA Chattel. He district (Capable, 2014). ABA Chattel was arrested two years later and put in detention. According to the court filings by the U. S Attorney General, he was motivated to be involved in the violence by his extremist ideology. At a detention hearing in a U. S. District court,Chattel appeared before Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson. Prosecutors spelled out in court papers that Chattel should remain in detention and reasons for he same. Opinion In my own opinion regarding the Bengali attacks and the Justice system ruling, the capturing of Chattel was a little too late. It would have been better if his capture were made a lot earlier, when still the matter was up in the headlines making news. That move would have earned the system a vote of confidence praising their ability to attend to issues quickly. The decision by the court to have him stay in detention for a while longer is quite in order, the detention before trial would help the system gather enough intelligence on the base of the Bengali attack and others related to the error organization responsible for the Bengali terror. The intelligence gathered through powerful incentives might bring in more terrorists to book. My suggestions on similar cases in the future, the response leading to the capture of terror culprits should be faster and take the shortest time possible. Considering that the suspect is a regular fighter and a terrorist, chances are that he might have made more attacks elsewhere leading to similar losses. In the need to prevent similar attacks in the future, security should be beefed up in areas where terror is routine. In conclusion, rimes and criminal issues are bound to be there for as long as morality is still an option for some. Criminal Justice systems despite doing well in dealing with criminal issues there are loopholes that must be attended to and dealt with accordingly for the best results from the Justice systems. The major global crime issues around the world are terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms trafficking, cybernetic, piracy, and money laundering. Many criminal Justice systems around the world are working to combat these crimes.

Play Review - Grace and Glorie essays

Play Review - Grace and Glorie essays The production Grace and Glorie was a variation from the odd couple play base. It shows that even though someone may not need help from someone, the help may come unexpectedly. Grace and Gloria end up helping each other at a time when they are both facing tragedies in their life. Grace Stiles was a ninety-year-old southern woman who is living with cancer. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia, where the story takes place. Grace's illness was gradually getting worse, and there was nothing that could be done to cure it, so she went home to live the rest of her life. Hospice, a special concept of care that was designed to help people with increasing illness, sent Gloria Whitman to take care of Grace. Gloria was a graduate of Harvard and a former power management consultant from Manhattan. She moved to Virginia because her husband had joined a power law firm and the move was also an attempt to get over the death of her twelve-year-old son. Grace does not need any help to cope with death. She released herself from the hospital and refused to take any pain medication because she "wants to be awake to meet death." The one who needed the help was not Grace, but it was Gloria. It is not until Gloria resigns from Hospice and goes back to Grace 's cottage when we start to see the compassion and love that is at the heart of everyone at Hospice. In the play, Grace urges Gloria to read aloud from a Hospice pamphlet titled the Signs and Symbols of approaching death. This pamphlet just explained what happens to the people as they are dying. After reading, the information that was read pertained to both Grace and Gloria. Grace and Gloria looked at each other after reading the pamphlet and realized what kind of roles they were going to play to each other. This play was dramatic but very uplifting. The elements of the play brought a sense of happiness to the play - the costumes of both characters kind of defined where ...

Using Verb Tenses in Chinese

Using Verb Tenses in Chinese Western languages such as English have several ways to express tense. The most common are verb conjunctions which change the form of the verb depending on the time frame. For example, the English verb eat can be changed to ate for past actions and eating for current actions. Mandarin Chinese does not have any verb conjugations. All verbs have a single form. For example, the verb for eat is Ã¥ Æ' (chÄ «), which can be used for the past, present, and future. Despite the lack of Mandarin verb conjugations, there are other ways to express timeframes in Mandarin Chinese. State the Date The simplest way to  clarify which tense you are speaking in is to directly state the time expression (like today, tomorrow, yesterday) as part of the sentence. In Chinese, this is usually at the beginning of the sentence. For example: æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ Æ'è ± ¬Ã¨â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦Ëœ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ Æ'çÅ' ªÃ¨â€šâ€°Ã£â‚¬â€šZuà ³tiÄ n wÇ’ chÄ « zhÃ… « rà ²u.Yesterday I ate pork. Once the timeframe is established, it is understood and can be omitted from the rest of the conversation. Completed Actions The particle ä ºâ€  (le) is used to indicate that an action occurred in the past and has been completed. Like the time expression, it can be omitted once the timeframe has been established: (æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©)我å Æ'è ± ¬Ã¨â€šâ€°Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã£â‚¬â€š(æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©)我å Æ'çÅ' ªÃ¨â€šâ€°Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã£â‚¬â€š(Zuà ³tiÄ n) wÇ’ chÄ « zhÃ… « rà ²u le.(Yesterday) I ate pork. The particle ä ºâ€  (le) can also be used for the immediate future, so be careful of its usage and be sure to understand both functions. Past Experience When you have done something in the past, this action can be described with the verb-suffix  Ã© Å½ / è ¿â€¡ (guà ²). For example, if you want to say that you have already seen the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (è‡ ¥Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾ /Ã¥  §Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾â„¢ - wà ² hÇ” cng long), you can say: 我å · ²Ã§ ¶â€œÃ§Å"‹é Å½Ã¨â€¡ ¥Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾ Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ · ²Ã§ » Ã§Å"‹è ¿â€¡Ã¥  §Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾â„¢WÇ’ yÇ jÄ «ng kn guà ² wà ² hÇ” cng long. Unlike the particle ä ºâ€  (le), the verb suffix guà ² (é Å½ / è ¿â€¡) is used to talk about an unspecific past. If you want to say that you saw the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon yesterday, you would say: æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã§Å"‹è‡ ¥Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾ Ã¤ ºâ€ Ã¦Ëœ ¨Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã§Å"‹å  §Ã¨â„¢Å½Ã¨â€" Ã© ¾â„¢Ã¤ ºâ€ Zuà ³tiÄ n wÇ’ kn wà ² hÇ” cng là ³ng le. Completed Actions In The Future As mentioned above, the particle ä ºâ€  (le) can be used for the future as well as the past. When used with a time expression such as 明å ¤ © (mà ­ngtÄ «an - tomorrow), the meaning is similar to the English perfective. Take for instance: 明å ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ ° ±Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¥Å½ »Ã¥  °Ã¥Å'â€"ä ºâ€ Ã¦ËœÅ½Ã¥ ¤ ©Ã¦Ë†â€˜Ã¥ ° ±Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¥Å½ »Ã¥  °Ã¥Å'â€"ä ºâ€ Mà ­ngtiÄ n wÇ’ jià ¹ huà ¬ qà ¹ TibÄ›i le.Tomorrow I will have gone to Taipei. The near future is expressed with the combination of the particles è ¦  (yo - to intend); Ã¥ ° ± (jià ¹ - right away); or Ã¥ ¿ « (kui - soon) with the particle ä ºâ€  (le): 我è ¦ Ã¥Å½ »Ã¥  °Ã¥Å'â€"ä ºâ€ WÇ’ yo qà ¹ TibÄ›i le.Im just going to Taipei. Continuing Actions When an action is continuing to the present moment, the expressions æ ­ £Ã¥Å" ¨ (zhà ¨ngzi), æ ­ £ (zhà ¨ng) or Ã¥Å" ¨ (zi) can be used, along with the particle å‘ ¢ (ne) at the end of the sentence. This can look something like: 我æ ­ £Ã¥Å" ¨Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ zhà ¨ngzi chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. or 我æ ­ £Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ zhà ¨ng chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. or 我åÅ" ¨Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ zi chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. or 我å Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ chÄ «fn ne.I am eating. The continuative action phrase is negated with æ ² ¡ (mà ©i), and æ ­ £Ã¥Å" ¨ (zhà ¨ngzi) is omitted. The å‘ ¢ (ne), however, remains. For example: 我æ ² ¡Ã¥ Æ'é £ ¯Ã¥â€˜ ¢WÇ’ mà ©i chÄ «fn ne.I am not eating. Mandarin Chinese Tenses It is often said that Mandarin Chinese does not have any tenses. If tenses mean verb conjugation, this is true, since verbs in Chinese have an unchangeable form. However, as we can see in the above examples, there are many ways to express timeframes in Mandarin Chinese. The main difference in terms of grammar between Mandarin Chinese and European languages is that once a timeframe has been established in Mandarin Chinese, there is no longer any need for precision. This means sentences are constructed in simple forms without verb endings or other qualifiers. When talking to a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, Westerners may get confused with this lack of continuous precision. But this confusion arises from the comparison between English (and other Western languages) and Mandarin Chinese. Western languages require subject/verb agreements, without which the language will be glaringly wrong. Compare this with Mandarin Chinese, in which a simple statement can be in any timeframe, or express a question, or be an answer.

MANAGING THE ORGANIZATION'S STRUCTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MANAGING THE ORGANIZATION'S STRUCTURE - Essay Example ops a working environment that guarantees the trust and respect for employees by allowing them to make fundamental contribution to organizational goals and objectives (Dammen, 2001). Organizational structure also influences how organizational members perform, communicate, decide, and coordinate their affairs. An effective organizational structure enables the employees to show the management how they can utilize their creativity and teamwork, which enhances productivity (Dammen, 2001). Organization’s structure affects the well-being of its members and influences the members’ behaviors since it can relieve mental stress and limit increased absenteeism. Indeed, literature confirms that â€Å"organizational structure is an extrinsic factor, which influences people’s behaviour from the outside, through formal limitations set by division of labor, authority distribution, grouping of units, and coordination† (Janićijević, 2013, p. 36). Through successful organizational designs, organizations gain the capacity to compete in the global arena where they define the roles and stipulate the relationships between members of the organization with an aim of guaranteeing effectiveness and efficiency. Organizations achieve this by influencing organizational behaviors as depicted by the managers and employees. Successful organization designs reduce ambiguity for employees leading to certain and effective behaviors. Moreover, organization designs influence the employees’ job satisfaction, performance, job involvement, absenteeism, preferences, and cultural norms. Organizational design defines the division of labor, coordination, grouping, and authority distribution in an organization, which influencing organizational behaviors. For example, functional organizational design subdivides work into specific areas of specialization, which may lead to boredom as members become tired of doing the same thing for long. The matrix structure also influences organizational behaviors

Corporal Punishment Actually Means Hitting Children Research Paper

Corporal Punishment Actually Means Hitting Children - Research Paper Example Corporal punishment seems a simple and effective way to punish children when they stray from desired actions. Children seem to respond much quicker to physical punishments or even the threat of this than they do verbal corrections. Many parents believe that spanking is an acceptable form of punishment and consider the practice as an indispensable component of child-rearing. Others believe hitting anyone is wrong including and maybe especially, a person’s own child. Physically abusing another adult is a crime and when it involves a child, should be considered reprehensible as well. A civilized society should not permit a child to be abused simply because of some perceived biological right that somehow supersedes all others. Is spanking a positive, healthy and effective way to discipline a child or does this practice teach the child that violence is an accepted way to vent anger? This discussion will examine the argument from studies which advocate spanking as well as those whic h denounce the practice. According to Larzelere’s (2000) findings, whether children experience negative or positive outcomes due to their upbringing depends on the rate of recurrence of any disciplinary approach. This includes all types and does not single-out corporal punishment. Consequently, it is determined to be excessive recurrences of bad behavior that is the root-cause of negative outcomes such as excessive punishment – children are not bad because they’ve been spanked but are spanked because they’ve been bad. Parents understand that recurring bad behavior will hamper their child’s chances for a successful life as an adult and feel compelled to diminish poor behavioral patterns with disciplinary techniques they believe to be most effective. Most parents find it necessary to resort to the advice of those older than they regarding how best to handle disciplinary matters, thus acting without the guidance of emerging research and theories regar ding what motivates children and how best to redirect their behavior (Hernandez, 2007). â€Å"There are many aspects which influence parents in this hard job; for example, the culture in which they live, the economic situation in their society, and the religious environment† (Hernandez, 2007). For many of these groups, parents must either rely upon grandparent support and child-raising techniques or avoid raising their children altogether, leaving them to essentially raise themselves, as the parents must spend a majority of their time simply earning the necessary money to keep these same children fed, housed and clothed. This means children are either raised via archaic methods of punishment and behavior expectations or are raised without any boundaries, structure or cultural values. Without time or energy to research the latest knowledge regarding child behavior, what parents need is quality information regarding methods by which to effectively discipline their children with out needing to resort to violence or allowing their children to grow up without appropriate guidance. As it turns out, the most effective punishment techniques are established on the basis of a relationship between the parent and child that is positive and loving. The punishment methods are proactive but measured and administered with competency while being designed to both respect the misbehaving individual and present them with an opportunity to learn from their inappropriate behavior. Many of these concepts are based upon the teachings of Gandhi as they are outlined by R. Rajmohan (2000). According to Rajmohan, Gandhi believed that â€Å"Punishment and disciplinary action might make for an outer show of orderliness and

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

History - Essay Example It is no wonder that hardly the first serious book on Progressive Era history was The Search for Order. Its author, Robert Wiebe, viewed this search as replacing such mores and values of small town community life as promptness, frugality, efficiency and foresight† with such assumptions of bureaucracy as rationality and functionality, management and administration, regularity and continuity. According to Wiebe Americans traded the values that had been regulating individual relationships for those oriented towards bureaucratic order because new interconnected industrial economy needed to be centralized and professionalized. As a result Americans have assumed bureaucratic Weltanschauung. Wiebe argues that such a worldview allowed for giving adequate responses to complicated problems unlike previous era narrow-minded, community-centered moralistic mind. As Wiebe puts it the Progressivism in fact was ambition of the new born middle class to realize its predestination through the mea ns of bureaucracy Work Cited Wiebe, Robert. The Search for Order, 1877-1920. New York: Hill & Wang, 1967. Print.

Advocacy activity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advocacy activity - Research Paper Example It also establishes a Class A misdemeanour for violations in regard to the distribution of an abortion inducing drug and for the failure to report the adverse effects. I do not support this bill as it is being discussed by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana. The bill is an act to amend the Indiana Code in connection to health. The bill was brought into the house by one of the members of the house committee named Morris. Even though the bill is aimed at enhancing accountability in distribution, selling, giving, administering and prescribing the abortion inducing drugs, it provides room for abortion which is against human rights of the right to life. The bill provides room for abortion by allowing physicians to terminate those pregnancies that are clinically diagnosable and with the knowledge that the termination may lead to the death of the foetus. No one has the right to terminate a pregnancy and lead to the death of a foetus since life begins at conception. The bill allows pregnancy women to abort their unborn babies as they can be given the drug for as long as they are aware of the adverse effects which may result from it. Abortion is regarded as ‘killing’ which is against the religious beliefs and human rights. Legislator Jeff Morris, who was elected to the National Conference of State Legislatures Board in September 25, 2013, brought this bill to the House. I am planning to influence Representative Kristine Lytton who is the Deputy Majority Floor Leader in the house to object to the bill. Lytton has voted to pass the bill that requires implementation of health plans that would cover abortions which is effective from January1, 2014 an indication that she also supported the bill on abortion inducing drugs. I would influence her not to vote for this bill as it contravenes human rights. Whether voluntary or involuntary, abortion is killing of innocent lives and as a woman and mother, she should not

Aspects of Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aspects of Strategic Management - Essay Example Therefore, a business venture is exposed to a number of factors that act as the judiciary in determining the direction that the business takes. In order to bring together all work processes and to develop a more etched direction that the business could take, by evolving plans and implementing them with foresight, strategies ate laid down and executed. The overall processes, inclusive of policies and programmes, ideas and plans, and the like together constitute Strategic Management. Strategic Management is extremely crucial for business ventures, since it helps prevent wayward movement and direction that the company takes, owing to internal and external factors. Firstly, strategic management helps companies come up with mission statements and policies. It helps company gain direction and momentum, while helping negate the impact of external and internal environments that have a huge impact on the business. Secondly, strategic management helps in management of resources. When a company has a set of resources, it cannot go overboard and get into insolvency, nor should it ideally under-utilise the available resources.

Advocacy activity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advocacy activity - Research Paper Example It also establishes a Class A misdemeanour for violations in regard to the distribution of an abortion inducing drug and for the failure to report the adverse effects. I do not support this bill as it is being discussed by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana. The bill is an act to amend the Indiana Code in connection to health. The bill was brought into the house by one of the members of the house committee named Morris. Even though the bill is aimed at enhancing accountability in distribution, selling, giving, administering and prescribing the abortion inducing drugs, it provides room for abortion which is against human rights of the right to life. The bill provides room for abortion by allowing physicians to terminate those pregnancies that are clinically diagnosable and with the knowledge that the termination may lead to the death of the foetus. No one has the right to terminate a pregnancy and lead to the death of a foetus since life begins at conception. The bill allows pregnancy women to abort their unborn babies as they can be given the drug for as long as they are aware of the adverse effects which may result from it. Abortion is regarded as ‘killing’ which is against the religious beliefs and human rights. Legislator Jeff Morris, who was elected to the National Conference of State Legislatures Board in September 25, 2013, brought this bill to the House. I am planning to influence Representative Kristine Lytton who is the Deputy Majority Floor Leader in the house to object to the bill. Lytton has voted to pass the bill that requires implementation of health plans that would cover abortions which is effective from January1, 2014 an indication that she also supported the bill on abortion inducing drugs. I would influence her not to vote for this bill as it contravenes human rights. Whether voluntary or involuntary, abortion is killing of innocent lives and as a woman and mother, she should not

Headhunters in Personnel Staffing Industry Dissertation

Headhunters in Personnel Staffing Industry - Dissertation Example Some businesses may require few replacements, and thus the cost of entering into such agreements is high when the commission charges are low. Further, signing written agreements to recruit workers with certain qualities comes as a contractual obligation that must be fulfilled. However, there are instances where headhunters may not find the ideal candidates, which puts their competitiveness at risk or risk legal action from employers. Employers also benefit from â€Å"gentlemen’s agreements†. There are instances where headhunters save businesses in dire need of employees. In these situations, the employers need urgent solutions that are easily found through â€Å"gentlemen’s agreements†. Designing and signing of a legal contract would be time wasting for both parties. In normal practice, headhunters may lure employees from competitors. Such actions cannot be easily put in legal terms. Thus, requiring headhunters to sign a written contract is detrimental to the personnel staffing industry.   An agreement between headhunters and businesses should be treated as a legal contract. Headhunters and employers would then be in a binding agreement. In addition, headhunters should clearly outline their charges and the modalities of their operations. Recruiting agencies are crucial in an enabling the meeting of employers and prospecting employees. For example, in the case, Cantell, et al. V. Hill Holliday Connors Cosmopulos, Inc., the recruiter enabled Hill Holiday to meet Nancy Lehrer, whom it employed later. Though there was no signed agreement, headhunters enabled Hill Holiday to secure an employee; thus, they ought to pay a commission since it is the only way recruiters make money (Conklin 25). I believe that the agreement between the plaintiff and the defendant in the case could be strengthened by clear guidelines in regard to the operations of the recruiter. In such a case, an employer can know that it owes headhunters for any communicati on it makes with their referral. Thus, the industry can continue surviving with its current simplicity.

Qualitative research Essay Example for Free

Qualitative research Essay PREPARING A CASE STUDY: A Guide for Designing and Conducting a Case Study for Evaluation Input By Palena Neale, PhD, Senior Evaluation Associate Shyam Thapa, PhD, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor Carolyn Boyce, MA, Evaluation Associate May 2006 P AT H F I N D E R I N T E R N AT I O N A L T O O L S E R I E S Monitoring and Evaluation – 1 PREPARING A CASE STUDY: A Guide for Designing and Conducting a Case Study for Evaluation Input By Palena Neale, PhD, Senior Evaluation Associate Shyam Thapa, PhD, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor Carolyn Boyce, MA, Evaluation Associate. May 2006 Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the following Pathfinder employees and partners for their technical inputs into this document: Emmanuel Boadi (Pathfinder/Ghana), Anne Palmer (Futures Group International), Ugo Daniels (African Youth Alliance (AYA)), Veronique Dupont (Pathfinder/Extending Service Delivery (ESD)), Cathy Solter, Lauren Dunnington, and Shannon Pryor (Pathfinder headquarters). Jenny Wilder and Mary Burket are also thanked for their inputs and assistance in editing and producing this document. 2 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY. What is a Case Study? A case study is a story about something unique, special, or interesting—stories can be about individuals, organizations, processes, programs, neighborhoods, institutions, and even events. 1 The case study gives the story behind the result by capturing what happened to bring it about, and can be a good opportunity to highlight a project’s success, or to bring attention to a particular challenge or difficulty in a project. Cases2 might be selected because they are highly effective, not effective, representative, typical, or of special interest. A few examples of case study topics are provided below—the case studies would describe what happened when, to whom, and with what consequences in each case. Case Study Examples Shifting Attitudes of Youth-Serving Service Providers Uniqueness/Point of Interest Your program was able to change service providers’ attitudes towards dealing with Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) needs in an environment where provider’s attitudes have been a barrier to young people accessing SRH services. Your program was effective in introducing YFS to the MOH and in institutionalizing an YFS curriculum in a setting where the MOH did not provide YFS. Your program was able to integrate HIV prevention in several FBO service delivery points in an environment that normally does not include or welcome HIV prevention activities. Your program built the leadership capacity of youth to advocate, promote, and participate in decision making around ASRH. This transpired in a setting that did not include ASRH on the agenda nor encourage youth participation in general or in decision making in particular. Integrating Youth-Friendly Services (YFS) in the Ministry of Health (MOH) Integrating HIV Prevention in Faith-Based Organization (FBO) Health Services Delivery. Developing Youth Leadership in Tanzania 1 2 Yin, Robert K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oakds: Sage Publications. Case refers to the unit of analysis or topic chosen for study (i. e. , the individual, organization, or program). PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 3 When is a Case Study Appropriate? Case studies are appropriate when there is a unique or interesting story to be told. Case studies are often used to provide context to other data (such as outcome data), offering a more complete picture of what happened in the program and why. What are the Advantages and Limitations of a Case Study? The primary advantage of a case study is that it provides much more detailed information than what is available through other methods, such as surveys. Case studies also allow one to present data collected from multiple methods (i. e. , surveys, interviews, document review, and observation) to provide the complete story. There are a few limitations and pitfalls however, each of which is described below. Can be lengthy: Because they provide detailed information about the case in narrative form, it may be difficult to hold a reader’s interest if too lengthy. In writing the case study, care should be taken to provide the rich information in a digestible manner. Concern that case studies lack rigor: Case studies have been viewed in the evaluation and research fields as less rigorous than surveys or other methods. Reasons for this include the fact that qualitative research in general is still considered unscientific by some and in many cases, case study researchers have not been systematic in their data collection or have allowed bias in their findings. In conducting and writing case studies, all involved should use care in being systematic in their data collection and take steps to ensure validity3 and reliability4 in the study. Not generalizable: A common complaint about case studies is that it is difficult to generalize from one case to another. But case studies have also been prone to overgeneralization, which comes from selecting a few examples and assuming without evidence that they are typical or representative of the population. Yin, a prominent researcher, advises case study analysts to generalize findings to theories, as a scientist generalizes from experimental results to theories. 5 3 4 Validity refers to the degree to which a study accurately reflects or assesses the specific concept that the researcher is attempting to measure. Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or any measuring procedure yields the same result on repeated trials. 5 Yin, Robert K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. 4 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY. What is the Process for Conducting a Case Study? The process for conducting case study research follows the same general process as is followed for other research: plan, collect data, analyze data, and disseminate findings. More detailed steps are given below. 1. Plan †¢ Identify stakeholders who will be involved. †¢ Brainstorm a case study topic, considering types of cases and why they are unique or of interest. †¢ Identify what information is needed and from whom (see â€Å"What are Potential Sources of Information? † and â€Å"What are the Elements of a Case Study? †). †¢ Identify any documents needed for review. †¢ List stakeholders to be interviewed or surveyed (national, facility, and beneficiary levels) and determine sample if necessary. †¢ Ensure research will follow international and national ethical research standards, including review by ethical research committees. For more information, please see the International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, available at http://www. cioms. ch/frame_guidelines_nov_2002. htm. 2. Develop Instruments †¢ Develop interview/survey protocols—the rules that guide the administration and implementation of the interview/survey. Put simply, these are the instructions that are followed to ensure consistency across interviews/surveys, and thus increase the reliability of the findings. The following instructions for the should be included in the protocol: †¢ What to say to interviewees when setting up the interview/survey; †¢ What to say to interviewees when beginning the interview/survey, including ensuring informed consent of the respondent (see Appendix 1 for an example); †¢ What to say to respondent in concluding the interview; †¢ What to do during the interview (Example: Take notes? Audiotape? Both?); and †¢ What to do following the interview (Example: Fill in notes? Check audiotape for clarity? Summarize key information for each? Submit written findings? ). †¢ Develop an interview guide/survey that lists the questions or issues to be explored and includes an informed consent form. Please note that you will likely need interview guides/surveys for each group of stakeholders, as questions may differ. †¢ Where necessary, translate guides into local languages and test translation. PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 5 3. Train Data Collectors †¢ Identify and train data collectors (if necessary). (See â€Å"Training Tips for Data Collectors†6. ) Where necessary, use interviewers that speak the local language. Training Tips for Data Collectors Staff, youth program participants, or professional interviewers may be involved in data collection. Regardless of what experience data collectors have, training should include: †¢ An introduction to the evaluation objectives, †¢ A review of data collection techniques, †¢ A thorough review of the data collection items and instruments, †¢ Practice in the use of the instruments, †¢ Skill-building exercises on interviewing and interpersonal communication, and †¢ Discussion of ethical issues. 4. Collect Data †¢ Gather all relevant documents. †¢ Set up interviews/surveys with stakeholders (be sure to explain the purpose, why the stakeholder has been chosen, and the expected duration). †¢ Seek informed consent of each respondent (written or documented oral). Re-explain purpose of interview, why the stakeholder has been chosen, expected duration of, whether and how the information will be kept confidential, and the use of a note taker/tape recorder. †¢ If the respondent has consented, conduct the interview/survey. 5. Analyze Data †¢ Review all relevant documents. †¢ Review all interview/survey data. 6. Disseminate Findings †¢ Write report (see â€Å"What are the Elements of a Case Study? †). †¢ Solicit feedback. †¢ Revise †¢ Disseminate 6 Adamchak, S. , et. al. (2000). A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluating Adolescent Reproductive Health Programs. Available at http://www. pathfind. org/site/PageServer? pagename=Publications_FOCUS_Guides_and_Tools. 6 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY What are Potential Sources of Information? Case studies typically rely on multiple sources of information and methods to provide as complete a picture as possible. Information sources could include: †¢ Project documents (including meeting minutes) †¢ Project reports, including quarterly reports, midterm reviews †¢ Monitoring visits †¢ Mystery client reports †¢ Facility assessment reports †¢ Interviews †¢ Questionnaire/survey results †¢ Evaluation reports †¢ Observation †¢ Other What are the Elements of a Case Study? Case studies do not have set elements that need to be included; the elements of each will vary depending on the case or story chosen, the data collected, and the purpose (for example, to illustrate a best case versus a typical case). However, case studies typically describe a program or intervention put in place to address a particular problem. Therefore, we provide the following elements and example on which you might draw: 1. The Problem i. Identify the problem ii. Explain why the problem is important iii. How was the problem identified? iv. Was the process for identifying the problem effective? 2. Steps taken to address the problem 3. Results 4. Challenges and how they were met 5. Beyond Results 6. Lessons Learned. PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 7 1. The Problem: It is essential to identify what the problem was. Specifically: i. Identify the problem. For example, certain FBO leadership was opposed to including HIV prevention activities within their programming. Specifically, they felt that prevention activities would promote sex among youth and thereby increase the incidence of HIV. In addition, the FBO felt that the promotion of condoms as a form of prevention was morally wrong. ii. Explain why the problem is important. Following the same example, to provide a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, prevention activities are an important part of HIV programming, in addition to care and support. Addressing moral and religious concerns and objections of FBO leaders in order to incorporate this component greatly expands the prevention effort and offers a greater breadth and depth in HIV programming. iii. How was the problem identified? It is likely that program staff will have an idea of what general problems exist. For example, YFS is not integrated in the MOH, FBOs do not include prevention activities, youth involvement does not occur, etc. What was likely missing and required exploration were the details around this general problem. In the case of working with FBOs, an initial project planning meeting was held to discuss the specifics behind the problem. It was revealed during this process that certain FBOs who conducted care and support activities did not offer prevention activities, specifically condom promotion. The primary reason given was religious objections; another reason identified but not explicitly stated was stigma. iv. Was the process for identifying the problem effective? After additional one-on-one discussions with FBO leaders, it was determined that the leaders had concerns based on moral and religious grounds regarding prevention efforts, particularly promoting condoms. Furthermore, discussions revealed that a number of leaders had limited and/or erroneous information regarding transmission and prevention options. 8 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 2. Steps Undertaken to Address the Problem: What was done (activities/ interventions/ inputs), where, by whom, for whom? In the case of integrating prevention in FBOs, an illustrative outline of steps undertaken to address the problem is given below: What was done? Phase 1: Sensitization Sensitization of leadership: activities included reviewing FBO policies and bylaws by program staff in order to demonstrate to leadership that there were no constitutional objections to prevention activities. Project staff engaged liberal FBO leaders to supply quotes from the Bible to build their evidence-based argument to convince other leaders that there was in fact no biblical basis for the preclusion of prevention activities. Sensitization of facility managers: meet with managers to discuss leadership approval and present evidence-based arguments on why integration activities can be included. Sensitization of community: work with groups to explain that these activities have been approved by the FBO leadership and where they can go to receive services. Phase 2: Integration Facility assessments Selected facilities Project Staff, FBO representatives Local Implementing Partners (IPs) Project Staff, Facility Managers Contractor FBOs, Project Staff Facility Staff District/ National Project Staff FBO leaders Where? By Whom? For Whom? Facilities Project Staff Facility Managers Community catchment areas Project Staff Community members Training of service providers Selected facilities Conduct staff orientations Facilities Facility Staff Physical infrastructure improved Phase 3: Outreach Identify peers that you want to work with Training Provide Tools Supervision Phase 4: ME Reassessments Facilities Facility Selected facilities Facilities Facility Staff IPs Project Peer supervisors Beneficiaries Peers Peers Peers Sample of selected facilities Project Staff, Facility Management, Youth Trained mystery clients Project Staff, Peer Supervisors. Facility, Project Staff Mystery client interviews Monitoring visits Facilities Facilities, Peers Facility staff, Project Staff PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 9 3. Results: What were the results of your intervention, particularly the significant or unique results? For example: your activities resulted in the FBO including HIV prevention activities in their programming, which contributed to an increase in condom distribution. Or, your activities resulted in youth-serving service providers adopting a youth-friendly attitude which contributed to improved services and an increase in youth visits. Church leadership may have made a commitment and modified policies to include ASRH activities, leadership talking about the issues publicly. Facility managers may make financial commitments to refurbishments, training, etc. 4. Challenges and how they were met: This focuses on what challenges or difficulties you encountered and what you did to overcome them. One of the challenges in working with FBOs may have been dealing with Catholic FBOs and your response could have been to negotiate with them to include certain prevention activities like abstinence, and/or providing a referral point to youth who may want to get information about condoms. Another possible challenge is that not all FBOs who you had hoped to work with were willing to come on board and this required additional attention. 5. Beyond Results: Are the results mentioned above sustainable? Why or why not? For example, an integrated approach to programming (which included a strong policy and advocacy component) created an enabling policy environment with strong stakeholder support that can be nurtured and leveraged beyond the project duration. 6. Lessons Learned: What lessons were learned: programmatic, technical, financial, process, etc.? For example, the experience showed that it was imperative for project staff to have a very solid understanding of government policies to speak to these issues with key stakeholders. In addition, it was important to have a good understanding of the various religious beliefs in addition to their respective policies and by-laws for developing and delivering advocacy arguments. How are Case Studies Presented? Case studies are flexible in that they can be presented in a number of ways—there is no specific format to follow. However, like all evaluation results, justification and methodology of the study should be provided, as well as any supporting information (i. e. , copies of instruments and guides used in the study). Case studies may stand alone or be included in a larger evaluation report. If presented as a stand-alone report, the following report outline is suggested: 1. Introduction and Justification 2. Methodology a. How was the process carried out? (Describe the process of selecting the case and data collection sources, as well as how data was collected. ) b. What assumptions are there (if any)? 10 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. c. Are there any limitations with this method? d. What instruments were used to collect data? (You may want to include some or all in the appendix. ) e. What sample(s) is/are being used? f. Over which period of time was this data collected? The Problem The Steps Taken to Address the Problem The Results The Challenges and How They were Met Beyond Results Lessons Learned Conclusion Appendices Where Can More Information on Case Studies be Found? Information on Case Study Research Adamchak, S. , et. al. (2000). A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluating Adolescent Reproductive Health Programs. Available at http://www. pathfind. org/pf/pubs/focus/guidesandtools/PDF/Part%20II. pdf. Patton, Michael Q. (2002). Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Stake, Robert E. (1995). The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. United States General Accounting Office, Program Evaluation and Methodology Division. (1987). Case Study Evaluations. Available at http://161. 203. 16. 4/t2pbat22/132683. pdf. Yin, Robert K. (2003). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: Sage Publications. Examples of Case Studies Cornwall, A. and Welbourn, A. (2002). Realizing Rights: Transforming Approaches to Sexual and Reproductive Well-Being. London: Zed Books. Population Council. Quality/Calidad/Qualite series. Available at http://www. popcouncil. org/publications/qcq/default. htm. SRI International. (2001). The Organization of Learning in Community Technology Centers: Learning with Technology in Six Communities. Available at http://www. americaconnects. net/research/SRI_case_study_report. pdf. PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: WRITING A CASE STUDY 11 Appendix 1: Sample Informed Consent Form Key Components: †¢ Thank you †¢ Your name †¢ Purpose †¢ Confidentiality †¢ Duration †¢ How interview will be conducted †¢ Opportunity for questions †¢ Signature of consent I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. My name is ________________________ and I would like to talk to you about your experiences participating in the African Youth Alliance (AYA) project. Specifically, as one of the components of our overall program evaluation we are assessing program effectiveness in order to capture lessons that can be used in future interventions. The interview should take less than an hour. I will be taping the session because I don’t want to miss any of your comments. Although I will be taking some notes during the session, I can’t possibly write fast enough to get it all down. Because we’re on tape, please be sure to speak up so that we don’t miss your comments. All responses will be kept confidential. This means that your interview responses will only be shared with research team members and we will ensure that any information we include in our report does not identify you as the respondent. Remember, you don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to and you may end the interview at any time. Are there any questions about what I have just explained? Are you willing to participate in this interview? __________________ Interviewee __________________ Witness __________ Date ______________________________________ Legal guardian (if interviewee is under 18) 12 PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL: SAMPLE INFORMED CONSENT FORM Pathfinder International 9 Galen Street, Suite 217 Watertown, MA 02472 USA Tel: 617-924-7200 Email: [emailprotected] org 05/06/500.

Ryanair: Performance Objectives

Ryanair: Performance Objectives Ryanairs five performance objectives to maintain or ultimately increase Ryanairs competitiveness, it is useful to analyse its operations with the help of five performance objectives: Quality: In the long run, even the most competitive price structure will not attract customers if the quality of the service offered is below a certain standard. This includes maintenance, efficient booking and luggage handling, reliability, punctuality, and interaction with Ryanair staff. Speed: The areas where speed matters most for Ryanair are turnaround time of aircrafts, reservations, luggage handling, and aircraft maintenance, all of which have a direct impact on costs. Although Ryanair has implemented many steps to increase speed, it also depends on service providers that are not directly under its control. Dependability: This compares very favourably with competitors, where punctuality is similar, but the missed bag/passenger ratio is orders of magnitude higher. This excellent record has to do with the fact that Ryanair offers only point-to-point flights, thereby eliminating the risk of luggage mismanagement during connecting flights. Flexibility: Customers have a high degree of flexibility in choosing the level of service, since only the basic airfare is charged and any additional services must be paid for. Increasing flexibility for the customer would mean offering additional options. From Ryanairs perspective, flexibility comes with diversification of supplementary services on the one hand, and, with increasing market strength, the ability to negotiate alternatives for various service sectors, such as maintenance agreements, outsourced functions, etc. Cost: The fuel price is one of the direct costs for any airline operations. There are enormous fluctuations, and, unlike its competitors, Ryanair has committed to a policy of not imposing fuel surcharges. Therefore, the fuel price become fluctuations and Ryanair takes consider of that action. As a result, Ryanair reported its first annual loss in 2009 when oil prices were at a record high. (BBC Online News, 21 June 2009) International Competition: Ryanair is one of the most successful low cost carriers in Europe. The phenomenon strategy for long-term sustainable which Ryanair has developed from Southwest airlines is cut-cost to gain in high profitable in market share. According to Gillen and Lall (2004) stated that Ryanair has taken step further of Southwest operational, therefore, Ryanair has strongly and clearly position regarding to the airline does not offer any frills such as, no providing service, no ticket, no connection, no travel agents, no frequent flyer programme as well as food and beverages are sell on board. However, Ryanair can keep the cost low and gain more profit by setting the cheaper fares to customer regarding to increase the cash flow. In addition, according to the economic crisis and the fuel price has been increased, it effected to all airlines industry. However, it seems not really effected to Ryanair. Based on that, in 2009, Ryanair has aggressively discounted fares to increase the pressure on its com petitors and increase the cash flow. (Euromonitor International 2010) Nevertheless, Ryanair has been very tactical and acted very quickly to get advantage out of the competitors. Moreover, the competitors of Ryanair, for example, in Western Europe are mostly the schedule airlines such as, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM Group, British Airways, and Easyjet. Therefore, Easyjet is the direct competitor of Ryanair. Furthermore, the competitors in Eastern Europe are mainly budget airlines such as, Wizz Air (Hungarian airlines) as well as the schedule airlines Aeroflot (Russian airlines), LOT (Polish airlines) and, CSA (Czech airlines). In this case, Ryanair claim to increase the traffic to compete with cometitors by operate more routes. However, the competitive advantage of Ryanair that helped Ryanair to maximine growth which require the location advantage by using the secondary airports that located not far away from the city. For example, Gillen and Lall (2004) stated that at Hahn airport ne ar Frankfurt, the number of passengers increased from 450,000 in 2001 to 1.5 million in 2002, due to Ryanair serving that airport. Easyjet tend to have the same direction, however, Ryanair negotiation with secondary airports, often located in economically depressed areas, Ryanair bargained hard for low fees compare to EasyJet. On the other hand, Gillen and Lall (2004) stated that EasyJet is not entirely secondary airport based and so it does seek to attract some business customers. Based on that, Easyjet has more cost regarding to the airport fees. In addition, one of the advantages of Ryanair is rapid turnaround time than other airlines. According to (Barret 2004) stated that the shorter turnaround times permit more journeys per plane which, coupled with the higher seat density of Ryanair planes, generate lower seat mile costs. Based on that, Ryanair planes are mostly flying and it savings more cost of the airport fees in term of the landing charge. According to Ryanair report (201 0), Ryanair received award of being punctual and less in baggage lost Based on the short-haul point to point routing, hence, (Barret 2004) stated that the punctuality performance of Ryanair is high, therefore, the simple point to point is not delayed the passenger and check-in is quicker because is less complex than an interline one. According to table 1, staff of Ryanairs were non union, (Vlaar et al. 2005) stated that the consequence is flexible workforces enable low-cost airlines to fly and support each aircraft with only eighty workers, compared to the employees that required by traditional network carrier. For instant, Ryanair focus on the tight cost control measures. Pilots and cabin crew received lower salaries than other industries, however, the employees received significant variable compensation such as, the commissions on on-board sales. (ibid) Table 1. Some distinctive features of Ryanairs business model Choice Consequence Secondary airports à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Low airport fees Lowest ticket price à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Large volume Low commissions to travel agents à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Low cost Standardized fleet of 737s à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Bargaining power with suppliers Single-class à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Economies of scale High-powered incentives à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Attract combative team No meal à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Faster turnaround Nothing free à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Additional revenue Spartan headquatres à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Low fixed cost No unions à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Flexibility in rostering staff Source: Casadesus-Masanell R, and Ricart J E, 2010 cited from Strategy to Business Models to Tactics As a result, (Vlaar et al. 2005) concluded that Ryanairs business model is a simple product, low operating cost, and differential positioning which they focused on leisure, VFS (visiting friends and relative). Based on that, the value proposition is good fit with these customer segments. More importantly, (Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart 2010) concluded that Ryanair plan of action create a unique and valuable position by engaging in a new set of activities. Based on that, Ryanair found the way to operate the company more efficiency amongst the competitors by create the value for their stakeholders. International emerging markets The Ansoff product-market expansion grid is useful for Ryanair to visualise and identify market opportunities. Therefore, Ryanair establishing a partnership with Wizz Air, it helps company penetrate non-EU markets, synergies can benefit in both party. Regarding to, the market development Ryanair striving to target in business travellers by offering them more benefits such as refundable tickets in terms of more flexible. Moreover, Ryanair consider of the product development by plan to open the new route to US for long-haul, with flight tickets starting at EUR10 according to the Open Skies Agreement between the EU and the US. Based on that, Ryanair could attract more young generation travellers who has low income but would love to experience in Hollywood place.

Kudler Fine Foods Database Project Essay -- on-line ordering system bu

Kudler Fine Foods Database Project Background and Business Application Proposal Kudler Fine Foods is an upscale specialty food store, servicing the fine food conesouer from their three California locations. Kudler's business objective is to maximize profits by offering the highest quality products at competitive prices. Through adding the on-line ordering system, Kudler hopes to boost profits by increasing their customer base beyond customers in their local areas. The Kudler on-line ordering system will add three important advantages to Kudler customers. First, the on-line ordering system will allow current Kudler customers to access the system, place their order, and have it ready for pickup when they arrive at the store. The second benefit for Kudler?s on-line clientele is the added convenience of local delivery service. This feature, allows the customer to place their order and select a timeframe in which the order will be delivered to their home or place of business. The third and final new offering from Kudler will be worldwide shipping. Using major shippin g companies, such as Federal Express, UPS and DHL, Kudler will provide next day shipping to customers from around the world. Database Revisions to support Application Proposal In order to implement these new services, the current Kudler database needs to be examined and revised. The current database is in a Microsoft Access format and provides a basic inventory system, as well as a list of current customers...

Marketing Management’s Ability to Develop Essay

Main Forces in the Organisation’s Macroenvironment Macroenvironment: The larger societal forces that affect the whole microenvironment. – The organisation and its microenvironment operate in a larg macroenvironment of forces that shape opportunities and pose threats to the organisation. The organisation must carefully watch and respond to these forces. The macro environment comprises of six main forces: 1. Demographic Forces: Demography is the study of human populations in terms size, density, location, age, sex, race, occupation and other statistics. The organisa my group discussed was McDonalds. The points we come up with involving demographic forces were:- As Australia has an aging population McDonalds co better tailor products this. – As Australia is and is becoming more ofa multi cult society McDonalds need to be aware of the ethnic diversity in each region. 2. Economic Forces: The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumer buying power and spending patterns. Markets require buying power a well as people. Total buying power depends on current income, prices, savings an credit. Marketers should be aware of major trends in income and changing consu spending patterns. A range of products to meet all levels of income would be advantageous especially considering the recent global financial crisis where consumer spending was dramatically reduced. 3. Natural Forces

Philippine Educational Status Essay

Philippine education is patterned after the American system, with English as the medium of instruction. Schools are classified into public (government) or private (non-government). The general pattern of formal education follows four stages: Pre-primary level (nursery, kindergarten and preparatory) offered in most private schools; six years of primary education, followed by four years of secondary education. College education usually takes four, sometimes five and in some cases as in medical and law schools, as long as eight years. Graduate schooling is an additional two or more years. Classes in Philippine schools start in June and end in March. Colleges and universities follow the semestral calendar from June-October and November-March. There are a number of foreign schools with study programs similar to those of the mother country. An overall literacy rate was estimated at 95.9 percent for the total population in 2003, 96 % for males and 95.8 % for females. Compared with other countries, the literacy rate in the Philippines is quite high. Moreover enrolment rate is 99. 9% in primary level and 77. 8% in secondary level, which is higher than Singapore and the highest in ASEAN countries. However while statistics on educational attainment may be high, the economic situation in the Philippines is still not so good. The Philippines has succeeded in expanding its education in quantitative terms, but now they have to think about â€Å"Quality of education†. Three government organizations handle education in the Philippines. These are the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). In 1999, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, which governs both public and private education in all levels, stated that its mission was â€Å"to provide quality basic education that is equitably accessible to all by the foundati on for lifelong learning and service for the common good.† The Department also stipulated its vision to â€Å"develop a highly competent, civic spirited, life-skilled, and God-loving Filipino youth who actively participate in and contribute towards the building of a humane, healthy and productive society.† All these ambitions were embodied in the development strategy called â€Å"Philippines 2000.† The academic year in the Philippines is patterned after its wet/cool and dry/hot seasons. The hottest months of the year are from March to May, thus making them the â€Å"summer break.† The wet season starts in June, which also marks the beginning of the academic school year. Beginning 1993, DECS increased the number of school days from 185 to 200. The school year ends during the first few weeks of March. The Philippines, a Catholic country, has a two- to three-week break during Christmas in December and a four- to five-day break at the start of November to celebrate the Day of the Saints and the Day of the Dead. The language of instruction has been a much debated topic. For a country dispersed over 7,107 islands, with 11 languages and 87 dialects, colonized by Spain for more than 300 years, and educated by the Americans, the decision to pick a particular language of instruction has been very controversial. The languages used for instruction have switched from Spanish to Tagalog, to English to the local vernacular, including some Chinese languages, and Arabic, which is used in the southern part of the country. According to an official publication of the U.S. Library of Congress, the Philippine census reported that during the 1990s a total of 65 percent of Filipinos understood English. During the last four decades of the twentieth century, education in all levels had vastly improved. In the compulsory elementary level, from 1965-1966, there were a total of 5.8 million students enrolled, 4.5 percent of which were in private institutions. In 1987-1988 these numbers grew to 9.6 million enrolled, 6.6 percent of which were in private schools. By school year 1999-2000, 12.6 million were enrolled with 7.1 percent in the private sector. This level is for grades 1 through 6—ages 7 to 12. The various Philippine grade levels are referred to with cardinal numbers (one, two, three) rather than ordinal numbers (first, second, third). Secondary education is taught for 4 years from ages 13 to 16. Primary and secondary schools are taught from Monday to Friday, starting at 7:30 A.M. The school day begins with a flag raising, national anthem, and pledge of allegiance. Students usually have an hour for lunch. School cafeterias are mostly non-existent and those that exist are largely inadequate. Students either go home for lunch or pack their lunch. Some parents, usually mothers, come to school to bring warm lunch for their children. Classes resume for the afternoon, until about 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. In some areas, due to lack of facilities, certain schools are forced to have double shifts, minimizing the hours children spend in school. Access has been a problem for certain sectors of the population and DECS has made this the number one priority. In the secondary level for 1965-1966, approximately 1.17 million students were enrolled with 62.3 percent in the private sector. In 1987-1988, there was a total of 3.49 million students enrolled, 40.8 percent of whom were in private schools. By 1999-2000 there was an overall total of 5.1 million students, with 24 percent in private schools. Higher education in the Philippines is strongly in the private sector. Most bachelor degrees are for four years. Students are usually from 17 to 20 years old. In 1985, the private sector of higher education was close to 80 percent of the student population. Of these institutions one-third are considered non-profit, while two-thirds function for monetary gain. This has lead to the reputation of certain schools as â€Å"diploma mills† and to the more serious problem of producing unqualified, unemployed, and underemployed graduates. During the 1970s, there was a wide discrepancy in the literacy rates of the various regions of the country. The capital region of Metro Manila had a 95 percent literacy rate; the Central Luzon area had a 90 percent literacy rate while the We stern portion of Mindanao had a 65 percent rate. Three principal indigenous languages in the Manila area are Cebuano in the Visayas, Tagalog and Ilocano in the northern portion of Luzon. In 1939 Philipino (which is based on the Tagalog language) was made the national language. Philipino later evolved to Filipino which is based on the languages used in the Philippines. English still remains the most important non-indigenous language used by media, higher education, private, primary and secondary schools, government administration, and business. Only a handful of families have maintained speaking in Spanish. The multiplicity of languages used in the Philippines has not affected its literacy rate of 94.6 percent, one of the highest in East Asia and the Pacific region. Technology use is starting to gain momentum in the overall education of the Philippines. In 1999, there were 93 Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country. By the beginning of 2001, the participation of nongovernmental organizations and the private sector in educati on was evident with the donation of 1,000 personal computers for use during school year 2001-2002 in 1,000 public high schools of 16 regions. The program, called One Thousand PCs, has four major components, namely: curriculum development with the creation of a one year course on computer education as a specialization in entrepreneurship; teacher training for recipient schools; courseware development through the creation of Information Technology materials; and the purchase of hardware from the private sector through the Adopt-A-School Program. The Department of Trade and Industry chaired this project. Curricular development is under the jurisdiction of the DECS. Authority slowly trickled down to the municipal/local levels as the system shifted to decentralize decision-making and empower local schools. Despite these efforts, much of the important decisions, such as the purchase of all public school textbooks, is done by DECS. Important curricular changes needed to respond to emerging student needs are limited due to budgetary constraints. Three tests are administered to students, the preparation for which must be addressed through further curricular development. These tests are the National Elementary Aptitude Test (NEAT), the National Secondary Aptitude Test (NSAT), and the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE). The Philippine population grows at a rate of 2.07 percent per year. In July 2000, the estimated population was 81,159,644 people. About 37 percent of this population was from birth to 14-years-old. A 2 percent yearly population growth translates to about 1.6 million children born every year. This growth rate strains the resources of the educational system. During 1999-2000, a 2 percent increase in the number of students meant 8,000 more classrooms needed. The deficit was 29,000 since DECS was able to build only 6,000 new rooms for the year. More teachers required (total lack of 21,000 since the budget allowed for hiring only 4,700 new teachers) 400,000 more desks (of the 2.2 million needed, only 500,000 were purchased) and 10 million additional textbooks with a ratio of 2 students per book. To alleviate this strain, certain schools hold double sessions (one in the morning and another in the afternoon) in elementary schools. Some high schools even have triple sessions due to space and resource problems. As for gender distribution in the elementary level, male and female students are almost equally represented, while there are more females students at the secondary and higher education level. In rural areas, men are expected to do work while women are allowed to pursue education. Males have a higher rate of failure, dropout, and repetition in both elementary and secondary levels.

Favorite Time of Year

A Little Christmas Dinner Christmas is the time of year renowned for bringing families together in a way no other holiday can quite muster up to. Family togetherness feels like a cup of hot chocolate on the first cold night of the year; heart warming. That magical day when relatives flock from all over to be in one house, at one table, and to eat one meal, nothing is more special than a little Christmas dinner. Christmas is known for coming quicker and quicker each passing year.Many people begin to silently panic as soon as they hear the first Christmas song on the radio. To me it strikes into my head that our yearly family Christmas dinner is ever so close. As a child I enjoyed the Christmas dinner but not for the wholesome heart warming reasons that echo through my words now, but for the greedy natured presents. Admittedly the presents still are a highlight of the Christmas dinner, but after a few seasoned years of learning that Christmas is not about materialistic items I now feel that the Christmas dinner is the best part of this day.Every year we have the dinner at my grand parent’s quant house in the country. It takes a few hours to get there, but the country ride is more mesmerizing than any movie that I have ever seen. The twists and turns on a single lane road surrounded by tree’s help set the tone for what the day will bring. Every year I am always the first one there to help my grandparents to set up. The first thing I always remember to do is hug each one of them for as long as I can, thankful for another year to take in their open arms.After the greetings I always help Grandpa with the yard, raking up the final of the fall leaves and stringing up a few lights on top of the house because the little cousins always look forward to it. Grandpa is a hard working man that refuses to retire and knows his best working days are behind him. It seemed like yesterday all of this work he could have done with his eyes closed. Knowing how much sense of pride he gets on his hard work and watching him stand there helpless unable to do any of the work reminds me cherish the moments we have together.Soon Grandpa would be too tired to do much more and I would hustle back into the house to find Grandma hard at work. She has just as much work ethic as Grandpa but is ten years younger so she still has that fire that seems to burn deep in all of the Little family. She is hustling away baking cakes and cooking the ham. Watching how hard she works gives me a greater sense of joy than any present that I could possibly receive on this day. The other family members begin to arrive group by group.The food is still not done and the cake still needs to be frosted, but I believe Grandma sets it up like that so my four and five year old cousins can lick the spoon. Everyone pitches in to help on the final sides and setting the table while having casual conversation. And just as fast as Christmas seemed to come it was time to sit down and enjoy th e famous Little Christmas Dinner. We all gather around the large mahogany table and join hands and pray. My Grandpa always leads us into a wonderful prayer that always seems to summarize how we as a family feel.After the prayer we all line up from youngest to oldest to gather a plate load of the best food we will have the rest of year. Everyone hurry’s to get a big helping of Grandma’s mashed potatoes because she always seems to never cook enough. After we have all placed as much food that our little styrofoam plates can handle the food disappears almost as quickly as it was put on the plate. As soon as the food seems to settle into everyone’s system that is when the true Christmas spirit seems to have hit. The joy on everyone’s face echoes my sentiments that this Little Christmas Dinner is what life is truly about.