Thursday, December 26, 2019
The Different Types Of Stem Cell Research - 2084 Words
Stem Cells: An Evolutionary Step in Medical Research by Summer Billings ENGC 1101 77 Freshman Composition Bradley Brothen 20 November 2014 Outline Thesis: The different types of stem cell research are a necessary medical advancement needed in our communities, regardless of its ethical controversies. I. Stem cell research has been around for almost 200 years, but the research done has only skimmed the possibilities that there is with stem cells. a) The discovery of stem cell research and some of its possibilities. b) There are five different types of stem cells that have contributed to research involving cures for diseases and permanent injuries. II. There are five different types of stem cells that should be regarded when it comes to stem cell research. a) Cord blood stem cells b) Adult stem cells c) Embryonic stem cells d) Induced pluripotent stem cells e) Fetal stem cells III. Federal Funding for stem cell research has been limited due to ethical controversies regarding stem cell research. a) Since this subject is so controversial government permission and funding is very restrictive. b) People argue that fetal stem cell research kill a potential human. c) Cloning is also controversial since it involves creating another exactly identical human being. IV. The current advancements made in stem cell research has helped people recognize medical potentials and has led to more interest on the subject. Conclusion: Despite difficulties along the way, stem cellShow MoreRelatedThe Use Of Embryonic Stem Cells In Medicine1472 Words à |à 6 Pagesdisease? Embryonic Stem Cells can be used to treat many different diseases, but some people have their opinion that using these stem cells in medicine is unethical because they are coming from a human embryo. There are countries that have banned the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine, and in America there are people arguing that it should be banned here. But what about all of the lives that these stem cells are saving, what if research continues and these embryonic stem cells end up being a cureRead MoreStem Cells Are Good Or Bad?968 Words à |à 4 Pages Stem cells are cells that can be changed into other cell types. There are positive and negative aspects to them. They can help and danger peopleââ¬â¢s lives. Stem cells have many properties and uses. There is a big debate on whether stem cells are good or bad. There are many different opinions but I will write about what I think on this subject. The unique properties of stem cells are that they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for a long time. This means they can multiply as many timesRead MoreStem Cells And Its Effect On Human Cells1369 Words à |à 6 PagesStem cells are cells that have the ability to generate other cells. If research continues going the way it is now stem cells could potentially reduce the need for insulin in diabetics and treat various conditions and diseases. The discovery of stem cells, how they differentiate and their potential use in medicine are very important stories. Stem Cells can be obtained two different ways, one from embryos, which are called embryonic stem cells, and one from adults, called adult stem cells. Stem cellRead MoreEssay on Stem Cell Research: Should it be Permitted?868 Words à |à 4 PagesStem cell related diseases affect over 100 million americans (White). Right now, there are plenty of government funds for stem cell research, and if we continue on the same pa th as we are now, stem cell research should be successful; however, the ethics used for embryonic stem cell research are incomprehensibly horrific (Stem cell policy). If this continues to be funded, it could have answers to numerous major diseases, including why they are caused, prevention, and cures for the diseases. MoreRead MoreStem Cell Research1149 Words à |à 5 Pagesinterest in stem cells, not just within the scientific and medical communities but also among politicians, religious groups and ethicists,3 Fiona Watt argued. Although overhearing debates and controversy regarding stem cells on the news, television or conversation is common, many arenââ¬â¢t aware of what the big debate is about or what stem cells truly are. The major argument against stem cell research is that it is morally wrong and unethical. To phrase it simply, a stem cell is an unspecialized cell thatRead MoreStem Cell Research Should Not Be Allowed1170 Words à |à 5 Pagesuse of stem cells. Many peopl e think stem cell research should not be allowed, due to the fact that researchers mostly use stem cells from embryos. But, if an eight year old boyââ¬â¢s life can be extended or even saved through the stem cell surgery, the research using stem cells should continue. In 1978, an important discovery was uncovered in our medical world; stem cells were recognized in human cord blood (Murnaghan, ââ¬Å"History of Stem Cell Researchâ⬠N.p). With the discovery of stem cells, researchersRead MoreResearch On Stem Cell Research1582 Words à |à 7 Pagesin its advancement in research compared to the rest of the world due, to the lack of federal funding. One advancement which creates conflicts and dilemmas is stem cell research. The conflicts are specific types of stem cells are unethical and not morally right to research on, but not all stem cells are this way. Stem cell research is the study of different types of stem cells and their possible clinical uses. Stem cells can be developed to act as treatments for different types of illnesses and diseasesRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Essay1429 Words à |à 6 Pagesdisease? Embryonic Stem Cells can be used to treat many different diseases, but some people have their opinion that using these stem cells in medicine is unethical because they are coming from a human embryo. There are countries that have banned the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine, and in America there are people arguing that it should be banned here. But what about all of the lives these stem cells are saving, what if research continues and these embryonic stem cells end up being a cureRead MoreStem Cell Essay1310 Words à |à 6 Pagesinsights of stem cells and having the capacity to apply their new learning to either look into potential medications or really convey powerful medicines to people. In 2001, Bush issued an official request that put huge limitations on government financing for undeveloped cell look into; and in 2009, Obama canceled this request with his very own request called Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research involving Human Stem Cells. It merits bringing up that even grown-up undeveloped cell exploreRead MoreStem Cells : What Are They Good For? Absolutely Everything1217 Words à |à 5 PagesWorking title: Stem Cells: What are they good for? Absolutely everything. Introduction (1 page): Medicine has benefitted for years from advancements in technology and research. Technology combined with research has allowed, once crazy and impractical, ideas to be put into action to treat, heal and even cure many diseases and illnesses to improve or ensure a long quality of life for patients. Continuation of medical technology and research is vital and offers many potential cures, especially through
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
The Concentration Of Stock Ownership - 999 Words
1.1 optimize the concentration of stock ownership The empirical analysis shows that the degree of ownership concentration has a significant impact on the performance of the listed banks, and the degree of ownership concentration has a positive effect on the performance of the banks. The reason may be that China s current market mechanism is not fully mature, the protection of small investors rights and interests of the regulatory system is not yet perfect, especially the implementation of the intensity of the need to be strengthened. Different equity models have the relative institutional environment. Most of the dispersed ownership mode and perfect investor protection legal system, in the market mechanism and legal system to protectâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Because of the clear, governance and management efficiency, the legal person shareholders of commercial banks tend to play a greater influence on the governance structure of the commercial banks than in the state shareholders and the dispersed public shareholders. The prop ortion of legal person shares is relatively concentrated, they have the ability to supervise the management of commercial banks in the management of the behavior, so that it is more in line with the interests of shareholders. The proportion of legal person shares is large, because the legal person shares cannot flow, can only transfer agreement, with strong stability, and therefore they are more concerned about the long-term development of commercial banks, they have stronger motivation to supervise and control the commercial bank management. Therefore, to increase the proportion of corporate shares, improve the modern enterprise system of commercial banks, play its role in the supervision of bank governance, so that the corporate shareholders in the management of commercial banks play a more important role is to improve the performance of commercial banks is an inevitable choice. 1.3 increase the proportion of floating shares of Listed Banks The empirical results show that there is no obvious correlation between the proportion of tradable shares and bank performance, but this does not mean that the proportion of tradableShow MoreRelatedThe Financial Analysis Of Terms On The Tunisian Stock Exchange1252 Words à |à 6 Pages Table 2 of the descriptive statistics shows a summary of the variables that were taken from the financial statements and the annual reports of sampled firms on the Tunisian Stock Exchange. Based on the table mean percentage of dividend policy was 0.630 which represents almost 63%. This results in the fact that all the selected firm under consideration for the period of ten year (2006- 2015) had been a 42% decision to pay dividend to shareholder. The profitability variable, Return on EquityRead MoreFactors Influencing The Performance Of Bank s Comprehensive Management1292 Words à |à 6 Pagesyear Net profit growth rate (x8) = net profit growth of this year / last year Total assets growth rate (x9) = total assets growth of the end of the year / the total assets of the previous year. Thus, this paper mainly studies the impact of bank ownership structure on business performance, but from the perspective of the actual operation of the bank, which considering that there is a certain relationship between the bank s operating performance and the bank s size and the capital structure, etcRead MoreVariable Effect Model And Random Impacts Model1380 Words à |à 6 Pagesof explanatory variables. If significance level is à ±, Wï ¼Å"X_à ±^2(k), it is said to choose the random effect model, the other is vice versa. Now referring to our study, The comprehensive performance P is ãâ¬â"y ãâ¬â"_it, X_it shows different variables of ownership structure, à ¼_it represents error term. Confirmatory factor analysis: ââ¬Å"Confirmatory factor analysis is a type of structural equation modeling that deals specifically with measurement models, that is, the relationship between observed measures orRead MoreNotes On Bank Ownership And Performance1331 Words à |à 6 Pages Bank Ownership and Performance Introduction In this paper we investigate the relationship between ownership structure and firm performance in the American financial industry. There has been a lot of research done dealing with the issue of ownership and firm performance since Berle and Means (1932, with critical discussions on how to align the managerââ¬â¢s interests to that of the shareholders. Berle and Means (1932) hypothesised that firms that are controlled by the managementRead MoreThe Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance in Mauritius935 Words à |à 4 PagesLiterature Review Related searches in other countries It has been argued that as ownership concentration increases, the incentives and the abilities of shareholders to properly monitor managers increase too. This creates beneficial effect for firms in the sense that performance or profitability improves (Morck et al. (1989)). There are studies which find that higher ownership concentration lead to detrimental effects for corporations in the sense that large blockholders and managersRead MoreCorporate Strategy1565 Words à |à 7 Pagescorporation can grow internally by expanding its operations both globally and domestically, or it can grow externally through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances. A merger is a transaction involving two or more corporations in which stock is exchanged, but from which only one corporation survives. An acquisition is the purchase of a company that is completely absorbed as an operating subsidiary or division of the acquiring corporation. A strategic alliance is a partnership of two orRead MoreThe Role Of Media Coverage On The Media1399 Words à |à 6 Pages While analysing media ownership, it resulted clear how proprietorial influence plays an important role in citizensââ¬â¢ lives. It is not just a matter of controlling the news outcome but it also directly influences politics where media coverage is essential for the spreading of ideas. Regarding this topic, the perfect example in position of power is Rupert Murdoch, a man whose only cravings are power and control, a man who has built an empire from the ground earning a position of international respectRead MoreEssay about : Adam Smith and Karl Mark: Contrasting Views of Capitalism902 Words à |à 4 Pagesdimension of an economic system in which goods and services are traded with others and capital goods belong to private ownership. To Karl Marx defined capitalism by the creation of a labor market in which most people have to sell their labor in order to make a living. As Marx stated, capitalism also differs from other market economies that feature private ownership through the con centration of the means of production in the hands of a few. Adam Smith was the first theorist of what we commonly refer toRead MoreStarbucks : A Non Coffee Drinker1724 Words à |à 7 Pagescompetition market has modest concentration ratio. Industry sources and business publications from 2008 through 2014 indicate that,â⬠Starbucks has less than 15 percent of the U.S. coffee bar business and a mere 7 percent of all coffee sales. The top four coffee bar outlets (Starbucks, Caribou, The Coffee Beanery, and Peetââ¬â¢s) have a concentration ratio of only 28 percent ââ¬Å"(table 11.2 pg. 265). Starbucks is part of the four largest firms in the coffee industry but due to the concentration ratio it cannot dominateRead MoreTypes Of Reorganization Of A Company Essay1399 Words à |à 6 Pagesfacing liquidation by restructuring it in order to carry out activities which minimizes reoccurrence of past situations. Type A reorganization involves consolidation and merging and it gives greater flexibility since there is no restrictions of voting sto ck. Nontaxable status is not affected by removal of unnecessary assets. Additionally, this type of reorganization saves on time as approval from shareholders, which often brings complexity can be avoided. In a type B, assets and contracts which cannot
Monday, December 9, 2019
History Of The Aircraft Propeller Essay Example For Students
History Of The Aircraft Propeller Essay History of the PropellerThe aircraft propeller looks like a simple mechanism to the uneducated individual. To the educated, an aircraft propeller represents the highest sophistication in aerodynamics, mechanical engineering and structural design. This report will touch on the history of the propeller, from early pioneers/experiments, advancement during/after the war, all the way up to current applications of the propeller. The creation of the propeller can be traced back to Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vincis ?helical screw? helicopter is believed to be the ancestor of the air propeller and the helicopter rotor. The first idea of a propulsive airscrew, however, belongs to J.P. Paucton, a French mathematician. Paucton envisioned a flying machine that had two airscrews, one for propulsion and the other for sustaining flight. The idea of using an airscrew for propulsion was utilized during the late 1700s to early 1800s. Only after experimentation did the inventors conclude that more propulsive power could be obtained by merely straightening out the surface of the airscrew blades. Attempts to utilize the ?straight blade? propeller were made by balloonists. These contraptions were quite strange and hardly fulfilled their purpose of actually propelling the balloon. The basic propeller had evolved from the simple concepts of da Vinci, and was slowly becoming an effective means of aerial propulsion. To reach the next plateau of flight an increased knowledge of the propeller would be needed, and the mysteries of the propeller and mechanical power would need to be solved. These substantial tasks remained for aviations pioneers to tackle during the 19th century. Throughout the 19th century, aviation pioneers explored and tinkered with the concepts of flight to design a viable airship. Some pioneers tried to transform the balloons into navigable cigar shaped airships by experimenting with sails, propellers, and paddlewheels but all produced limited results. Other experimenters, who were convinced that man flight should have wings, worked to establish basic principles in aerodynamics, flight stability and control, as well as propulsion. Controlled mechanical flight came on August 9, 1884. Charles Renard and A.C. Krebs flew the airship ?La France? on a closed circuit from Chalais-Meudon to Villacoublay and back in 23 minutes. The airship ?La France? was powered by a 9 horsepower electric motor that drove a 23ft diameter propeller and reached a speed of 14.5 mph. This flight was the birth of the dirigible, a steerable, lighter-than-air ship with adequate propulsion. Another important milestone in aviation, was the understanding of aerodynamics. Sir George Cayley, a British theorist, was acclaimed as the father of aerodynamics. He established a solid foundation of aerodynamic principles that were essential to the success of other pioneers. In 1875, Thomas Moy created a large model that had twin 12ft propellers with 6 blades each! Interestingly enough these blades could be adjusted to produce maximum thrust under certain conditions, an early recognition of the need for changing blade pitch. Without a doubt, the most expensive and spectacular project of its time was that carried out by Sir Hiram Maxim. His numerous experiments with propellers, culminated in the construction of a huge, four-ton biplane in 1890. This contraption was powered by two 180hp steam engines that each drove propellers 17ft, 10inches in diameter and weighing 135lbs. The two-blade propellers, inversely tapered and squared at the tips 5 ? ft wide, were made of American Pine, planed smooth, covered with glued canvas and stayed to the propeller shafts with steel wire to handle the high thrust loads. These massive propellers produced 1,100lbs of thrust each during full power while rotating at 425rpm. Maxims jumbo creation didnt last long however, it jumped the test track and suffered extensive damage. Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleleyev Was Born In The Town Of Tobolsk, Siberia EssayAdvanced applications of the propeller are currently being experimented by Hamilton Standard. The new idea deals with transport category aircraft and the introduction of the ?un-ducted fan?. This design incorporates the reliability of the turbine engine, with the efficiency of a prop. Expected savings of 25% in fuel costs drive the ongoing interest in this application. The design utilizes 8-10 thin but very wide, closely spaced, swept angle blades to propel an aircraft at speeds approaching the speed of sound (mach .8). It will be interesting to see how the role of the propeller develops as time goes on. This report has sparked my interest in propellers. I have never researched this topic before and feel that Ive benefited from writing it. I enjoyed researching the history of the propeller and its contributions to aviation milestones. Ive taken you, the reader, from the early experiments of da Vinci, the wo oden props of the Wright brothers, the design of the variable pitch propeller, through the advanced concept of the ?un-ducted? fan. I hope this report was as interesting to read as it was to write.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Matrix Essays - Fictional Cyborgs, The Matrix, Australian Films
Matrix The Matrix (1999) is an extension of the existentialist motifs of the mid 20th Century set in the 23rd, for its obvious influences from the American Noir Style. This is apparent when looking at the five points of this existentialism. First, Thomas A. Anderson (Keanu Reeves), a.k.a. "Neo," is portrayed from the beginning of the film as a "normal Joe" who holds the potential of a world savior, yet without the narcissism. He does not have X-ray vision or the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but rather, he is a lowly computer programmer for a respectable computer company. He does not appear important to anyone else in the film at first, and it is because of his lifestyle. Mister Anderson is immersed in the world of computers. As a result, he is lonely and alienated from the world or "reality." This feeling is also reflected in the high, swooping camera angle found in the film, which is characteristically Noir. But what is reality? The truth? "Neo" makes the conscious choice to "see how deep the rabbit hole goes." One finds out later in the film that at the point of making such a choice, he was nothing... or nothing more than an oversized Energizer; but upon choosing the "truth" he is also trying to "free his mind" from the prison he cannot taste or touch or see. Neo is doomed to fail, as no one has come before him to succeed in the freeing of his own mind. As a result, he is under a sentence of death; the system is set up against him; the Matrix has him... he struggles with the choice between life and death, as he must let his instructor, Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne), die or sacrifice himself to save him. There is only one element holding his life in tact: Fate... At first, Mister Anderson does not like the idea of fate, as he cannot stand the idea of not being able to control his own destiny. Throughout the entire film, as Mister Anderson further transpires to his alter ego Neo, he struggles to accept the reality of his destiny. But something happens that makes Mister Anderson realize the authenticity of his destiny; he learns that he is, in fact, "the One" who is to save the world from Artificial Intelligence. No one can change their destiny if they do not realize that their pseudo-reality is a part of them. There are also other characteristics of a Noir film in the Matrix. The chiaroscuro lighting is very apparent in many scenes. Also, it invokes a great sense of alienation with its Noir-like high angle shots. The entire film is very dark and rainy. There are also many reflections, which are found in many Noir films, such as Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941). Kane was an obvious motivation and influence on this film, as was Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948), as mentioned by producer Joel Silver, editor Zach Staenberg and Effects Supervisor John Gaeta. These people had the Noir template in consideration when writing and editing this film. It is evident that Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), the head Sentient Program hunting Neo, is the hard-boiled detective, and Neo is the "Fugitive from a Chain Gang" that is always on the run. Moreover, there is the classic "tilt shot" seen in the film that clues the viewer to the film's Noir-like style. This modern-day, science fiction, Kung Fu fighting Neo-Noir (no pun intended) thriller is clearly rooted in film classics from the past. "Wake up, Neo... The Matrix has you..." Thomas A. Anderson is a respectable software programmer for a respectable computer company. He pays his taxes, has a social security number, and even helps his landlady take out her garbage. He's just a normal guy in a normal job, doing the normal thing, much like Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon. But one thing the viewer does not count on is Mister Anderson's alter ego, Neo, to be one of the world's most renowned computer hackers, guilty of virtually ever computer crime there is a law for. It is not until this e-lifestyle starts to spill over into his "real" life that he must start to make choices... choices that will forever change the way he sees the world, and changes that will forever impact his effect on that world. Neo feels alone in his quest for the "Truth." He is trying desperately to find out what is out there, and most importantly, "What is the Matrix?" He begins to
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Pregnancy Alcohol essays
Pregnancy Alcohol essays SUBSTANCE USES AND PREGNANCY THE MULTIPLE WAYS OF DISSEMINATING INFORMATION January 1989 the results of a study conducted by Ann Pytkowicz Streissguth were published in the Journal of Developmental Psychology. The study investigated the relationship of maternal use of drugs, alcohol and/or cigarettes during pregnancy on the IQ of her child at the age of four years. Newsweek and Scientific News also print articles later that year reporting the effects of maternal use of alcohol and drugs on the infant. They also looked at the effects of cigarette smoke on the fetus. Although the articles dealt with the same topic using information reported in the original study they differed in how they presented that information to their readers. All three publications varied use of methodology, use of scientific findings, and the presentation of the conclusion to meet the informational needs of their audiences. "IQ at Age 4 in Relationship Maternal Alcohol Use and Smoking during pregnancy" was written by the group of researchers that group participated in a study lead by Ann Streissguth. This the original article is the actual research paper which was presented by the group. The paper tells how an original group of over fifteen hundred pregnant women was reduced to a select group of under five hundred. They explain how the condition of the infant at birth was not a factor in the study. It was their goal to define the long term effect of substance use during pregnancy. Further information shares how they followed the children in a longitudinal study at eight months, eighteen months, and four years. The group looked at a multitude of factors which included the toddlers learning abilities and the child's IQ at the age of four. Of the three articles this one relies most on the use of methodology, scientific findings and presentation conclusion. In their paper they use the standard method o f reporting research data....
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Civil War Battle of Stones River
Civil War Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River was fought December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). On the Union side,à Major General William S. Rosecransà led 43,400 men while Confederateà General Braxton Braggà led 37,712 men. Background In the wake of the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862, Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg began retreating south from Kentucky. Reinforced by troops under Major General Edmund Kirby Smith, Bragg ultimately halted at Murfreesboro, TN. Renaming his command the Army of Tennessee, he began a massive overhaul of its leadership structure. When complete, the army was divided into two corps under Lieutenant Generals William Hardee and Leonidas Polk. The armys cavalry was led by the young Brigadier General Joseph Wheeler. Though a strategic victory for the Union, Perryville resulted in changes on the Union side as well. Displeased with the slowness of Major General Don Carlos Buell actions following the battle, President Abraham Lincoln relieved him in favor of Major General William S. Rosecrans on October 24. Though warned that inaction would lead to his removal, Rosecrans delayed in Nashville as he organized the Army of the Cumberland and re-trained his cavalry forces. Under pressure from Washington, he finally moved out on December 26. Planning for Battle Moving southeast, Rosecrans advanced in three columns led by Major Generals Thomas Crittenden, George H. Thomas, and Alexander McCook. Rosecrans line of advance was intended as a turning movement against Hardee whose corps was at Triune. Recognizing the danger, Bragg ordered Hardee to rejoin him at Murfreesboro. Approaching the town along the Nashville Turnpike and Nashville Chattanooga Railroad, Union forces arrived on the evening of December 29. The next day, Rosecrans men moved into line two miles northwest of Murfreesboro (Map). Much to Braggs surprise, Union forces did not attack on December 30. For December 31, both commanders developed similar plans calling for a strike against the others right flank. While Rosecrans intended to attack after breakfast, Bragg ordered his men to prepare to advance at dawn. For the assault, he shifted the bulk of Hardees corps to the west side of Stones River where it joined with Polks men. One of Hardees divisions, led by Major General John C. Breckinridge, remained on east side to the north of Murfreesboro. The Union plan called for Crittendens men to cross the river and attack the heights held by Breckinridges men. The Armies Clash While Crittenden was in the north, Thomas men held the Union center and McCooks formed the right flank. As his flank was not anchored on any substantial obstacle, McCook took measures, such as burning additional campfires, to deceive the Confederates as to the size of his command. Despite these measures, McCooks men bore the brunt of the first Confederate assault. Beginning around 6:00 AM on December 31, Hardees men moved forward. Catching the enemy by surprise, they overwhelmed Brigadier General Richard W. Johnsons division before Union resistance began to mount. To Johnsons left, Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis division held briefly before beginning a fighting retreat to the north. Realizing that McCooks men were not capable of halting the Confederate advance, Rosecrans canceled Crittendens attack at 7:00 AM and began flying around the battlefield directing reinforcements south. Hardees assault was followed by a second Confederate attack led by Polk. Moving forward, Polks men met significantly stiffer resistance from Union forces. Having anticipated an early-morning attack Brigadier General Philip H. Sheridan had taken the necessary precautions. Sheridan Hazen Hold Mounting a vigorous defense, Sheridans men turned back numerous charges by the divisions of Major Generals Jones M. Withers and Patrick Cleburne while holding a small cedar forest that became known as the Slaughter Pen. By 10:00 AM, as Sheridans men battled, the bulk of McCooks command had formed a new line near the Nashville Turnpike. In the retreat, 3,000 men and 28 guns had been captured. Around 11:00 AM, Sheridans men began to run out of ammunition and were compelled to fall back. As Hardee moved to exploit the gap, Union troops worked to plug the line. A bit to the north, Confederate attacks against the brigade of Colonel William B. Hazen were repeatedly turned back. The only part of the original Union line to hold, the rocky, wooded area held by Hazens men became known as Hells Half-Acre. As fighting quieted, the new Union line was essentially perpendicular to its original position. Seeking to complete his victory, Bragg ordered part of Breckinridges division, along with units from Polks corps, to renew the attack on Hazen around 4:00 PM. These assaults were repulsed with heavy losses. Final Actions That night, Rosecrans called a council of war to determine a course of action. Deciding to stay and continue the fight, Rosecrans revived his original plan and ordered Brigadier General Horatio Van Cleves division (led by Colonel Samuel Beatty) to cross the river. While both sides remained in place on New Years Day, Rosecrans rear and supply lines were continuously harassed by Wheelers cavalry. Reports from Wheeler suggested that Union forces were preparing to retreat. Content to let them go, Bragg limited his actions on January 2 to ordering Breckinridge to clear Union forces from the high ground north of town. Though reluctant to attack such a strong position, Breckinridge ordered his men forward around 4:00 PM. Striking Crittenden and Beattys position, they succeeded in pushing some of the Union troops back across McFaddens Ford. In doing so, they ran into 45 guns arrayed by Captain John Mendenhall to cover the river. Taking severe losses, Breckinridges advance was checked and a swift Union counterattack by Brigadier General James Negleys division drove them back. Aftermath of the Battle of Stones River The following morning, Rosecrans was re-supplied and reinforced. Convinced that Rosecrans position would only get stronger and fearful that winter rains would raise the river and split his army, Bragg began retreating around 10:00 PM on January 3. His withdraw eventually halted at Tullahoma, TN. Bloodied, Rosecrans stayed at Murfreesboro and did not attempt a pursuit. Deemed a Union victory, the fighting raised Northern spirits following the recent disaster at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Transforming Murfreesboro into a supply base, Rosecrans remained until embarking on the Tullahoma Campaign the following June. The fighting at Stones River cost Rosecrans 1,730 killed, 7,802 wounded, and 3,717 captured/missing. Confederate losses were slightly less, numbering 1,294 killed, 7,945 wounded, and 1,027 captured/missing. Extremely bloody relative to the numbers engaged (43,400 vs. 37,712), Stones River saw the highest percentage of casualties of any major battle during the war. Following the battle, Bragg was severely criticized by other Confederate leaders. He only retained his post due to President Jefferson Davis inability to find a suitable replacement.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Create a value chain for Ryanair. Examine the extent to which Ryanairs Essay
Create a value chain for Ryanair. Examine the extent to which Ryanairs value chain represents a traditional value chain, as opposed to a revised value chain, - Essay Example These core competencies help in the creation of value chain. Porterââ¬â¢s traditional value chain focuses on the enterprise and its internal mechanisms and is recognized as an effective management tool for value analysis. This paper will examine how this traditional value chain differs from the revised value chain created by Deise et al., and create a value chain for Ryanair based on its core competencies. According to Porter, ââ¬Ëevery firm is a collection of activities that are performed to design, produce, market, deliver and support its product. All these activities can be represented using a value chainââ¬â¢. The porterââ¬â¢s model of value chain (Table I) describes generic activities undertaken by the firm to procure, transform and add value to the products and services delivered to the customer. These activities can be primary or support activities where the primary activities are concerned with the transformation of the input into output as services or after sales service. Support activities include procurement, HRM, technology and infrastructure. A firmââ¬â¢s value chain reflects its history, strategy, the approach to implementing the strategy and the economics of the activities themselves. In this traditional value chain each activity is an independent process and each activity sequentially adds value to the final outcome. Creating a value chain is with the objective to create a process or product that will lead to profits. Thus value chain analysis studies each link of the chain to ensure that economic value is added to it. According to Porter, adding value is a strategic means to achieve profit and competitive advantage. Traditionally different business functions perceived and created value differently but with Porterââ¬â¢s model each activity can be analyzed individually or collectively to asses their contribution to the enterprise. An analysis helps to eliminate the inefficient processes and add value. Mascarenhas, Kesavan and
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Education - Diversity and Inclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Education - Diversity and Inclusion - Essay Example Developing a deeper understanding of how inclusion can develop with the growth of diversity and cultures then becomes an essential component for teachers that are working within the classroom. The personal relationship to diversity and inclusion is one which becomes complex because of the different perspectives which I relate to. The perspective as a student is one which is based on the cultural identity which I carry into the classroom. Each student comes from a different background, holds values and beliefs in place and creates specific attitudes and behaviors toward this. However, another individual, specifically those not from the locality, carry a different set of ideologies because of the cultural relationship which is presented. The relationships and dynamics which are created are complex in relation to the social development as well as the ability to teach the same subject matter to students that are at different levels of understanding. In my experience, this has created gap s in learning, specifically because no one is learning at the same pace or with the same approach to learning. More important, there is sometimes not the ability to develop the correct perspectives and associations with those that are in the classroom because of the cultural definitions and understanding. As a student, this has led to personal gaps in learning as well as times when it seemed as though the teacher was approaching only those which did not understand the subject matter. The problems associated with the perspective which I held as a student are linked directly to the questioning of what the definition of diversity and inclusion relates to. Currently, the policies and formulas for teaching in the classroom are to treat each student equally while giving students the same opportunities and information for success. However, the equality which is associated with teaching does not take into account the
Sunday, November 17, 2019
The significance of Vygotskyââ¬â¢s theories Essay Example for Free
The significance of Vygotskyââ¬â¢s theories Essay There has been increasing interest in the significance of Vygotskyââ¬â¢s theories and methodologies in education, mainly because these were not completed and empirically tested by Vygotsky himself, and because for Vygotsky, education was ââ¬Å"central to cognitive developmentâ⬠and is ââ¬Å"the quintessential sociocultural theory. â⬠Vygotskyââ¬â¢s theories have been important in creating educational change, and his formulations concerning the ââ¬Å"surrounding situationsâ⬠in education help us understand the social nature of behavior. Because of the importance of culture and social context to sociocultural theorists, they would naturally be concerned with education as it begins outside the classroomââ¬âin the ââ¬Å"realâ⬠world. Thus, learning was studied in places where conventional thought deemed that it did not occur in. However, this does not tell much about the source of cognitive skills because of the variability of success of specific tasks, depending on the social contextââ¬âthe ââ¬Å"surrounding situation. â⬠Vygotsky believed that cognitive development per se created potentialities but that learning is required to realize them. He believed that it is important to understand the relationship between instruction and mental development to understand many aspects of teaching and learning. Vygotsky differentiated between spontaneous and non-spontaneous developmentââ¬âbetween a concept whose meaning is experienced and that whose meaning needs to be explained systematically, for example. The issue of diversity is a considerable challenge to sociocultural theorists today. Sociocultural theories can help in teaching socially and culturally diverse learners. The Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition (LCHC), an institution which has made significant contributions to sociocultural theory, has helped in testing, analyzing, and expanding ideas on the social nature of human thought. Two of the LCHCââ¬â¢s most important products are the Fifth Dimension, a computer-based curriculum for academically challenged students, and La Clase Magica, an offspring of the Fifth Dimension focused on diversity. The idea of the social nature of human thought has existed for a long time, although it was Vygotsky who ââ¬Å"solidifiedâ⬠the whole paradigm. Socio-cultural research on education is in its early stages. The increasing diversity in the world of education means that researches will need to work with many cultures in mind, and will need to collaborate across cultures. It can be expected that knowledge of the social nature of thought and its relationship to education will increase an necessary to accommodate the rapidly changing realities of modern times.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Al Capone And Organized Crime In The 1920s Essay -- Al Capone Essay
Al Capone ran many illegal businesses including bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and murders. There were many gangs in the world of organized crime and Al Caponeââ¬â¢s was at the top. Al Capone was the most infamous gangster in the 1920ââ¬â¢s. à à à à à Being a highly know and revered gangster was a big business. Money was made fast and very easily. Bootlegging alcohol was by far the most profitable in the 1920ââ¬â¢s; this was because of the prohibition of alcohol. Gambling was another business that paid off; stations sanctioned for gambling were set up all over cities. Prostitution and murders were also crimes that made gangsters quick and easy money. à à à à à Alphonse Capone was the biggest force in organized crime. He started his career of crime in Boston as an apprentice to Johnny Torrio. There he earned the unforgettable nickname ââ¬Å"Scarface.â⬠It was in a bar when Capone made some rude comments about a woman. Minutes later, the womanââ¬â¢s brother sliced Capone in the face. This man was a friend of Charles ââ¬Å"Luckyâ⬠Luciano. Al Capone was punished and forced to apologize. Al Capone did not become a leader until he went to Chicago. At the time he was still an apprentice to Johnny Torrio. In the middle of the gang violence and bootlegging was Chicago, the government was very weak which made it easier to do crime. Capone entered the city of Chicago in 1920. At the time, ââ¬Å"Big Jimâ⬠Colosimo ran things. He made about $50,000 a month. Torrio and Capone started their business with four gambling joints/whore houses in Chicago. These underground places were known as deuces. In Chicago Capone met a man who would be his friend for life, Jack Guzik. Guzik and his family lived off prostitution. After Guzik was roughed up by gangster Joe Howard Capone let his temper flare. It did not his cause when Howard called Capone some foul names. Soon after the verbal altercation Capone shot him in cold blood. There was no conviction and it was becoming more and more clear that Capone was becoming extremely powerful. He obviously had connections in the law to not be convicted. à à à à à Al Capone finally got a taste of leadership after a few years of partnership with Torrio. Torrio left Capone in control of their areas to take his sick mother back to Italy. Capone was at the top of a Chicago suburb known as Cicero. At the ag... ... of his guys were said to be located, The team was dressed in police uniforms and armed with machine guns and sawed off shotguns. They shot down 7 of Moran's men but Moran was never there. The police and all the people of Chicago all knew Capone ordered the murders. But with no evidence, Capone could not be arrested. It was known as the St. Valentines Day Massacre and became the most publicity any gang event had ever received. à à à à à No other single gangster could be as infamous as Al Capone. Al Capone was the most powerful gangster to ever live. No one could stop his reign of crime, and anyone that got in his way, he would take out, even when it came to his friends. He was never convicted for any of the hundreds of crimes he committed; this is one of the most important facts that showed how many connections Capone had. It was until the 1930ââ¬â¢s when Capone was convicted of tax invasion when he did his first jail sentence. He was transferred though many jails across America until he finally landed in Alcatraz. While serving his jail time Alphonse Capone became a victim of the deadly disease Syphilis. Al Capone died but his crime legacy will always live on. Al Capone And Organized Crime In The 1920s Essay -- Al Capone Essay Al Capone ran many illegal businesses including bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and murders. There were many gangs in the world of organized crime and Al Caponeââ¬â¢s was at the top. Al Capone was the most infamous gangster in the 1920ââ¬â¢s. à à à à à Being a highly know and revered gangster was a big business. Money was made fast and very easily. Bootlegging alcohol was by far the most profitable in the 1920ââ¬â¢s; this was because of the prohibition of alcohol. Gambling was another business that paid off; stations sanctioned for gambling were set up all over cities. Prostitution and murders were also crimes that made gangsters quick and easy money. à à à à à Alphonse Capone was the biggest force in organized crime. He started his career of crime in Boston as an apprentice to Johnny Torrio. There he earned the unforgettable nickname ââ¬Å"Scarface.â⬠It was in a bar when Capone made some rude comments about a woman. Minutes later, the womanââ¬â¢s brother sliced Capone in the face. This man was a friend of Charles ââ¬Å"Luckyâ⬠Luciano. Al Capone was punished and forced to apologize. Al Capone did not become a leader until he went to Chicago. At the time he was still an apprentice to Johnny Torrio. In the middle of the gang violence and bootlegging was Chicago, the government was very weak which made it easier to do crime. Capone entered the city of Chicago in 1920. At the time, ââ¬Å"Big Jimâ⬠Colosimo ran things. He made about $50,000 a month. Torrio and Capone started their business with four gambling joints/whore houses in Chicago. These underground places were known as deuces. In Chicago Capone met a man who would be his friend for life, Jack Guzik. Guzik and his family lived off prostitution. After Guzik was roughed up by gangster Joe Howard Capone let his temper flare. It did not his cause when Howard called Capone some foul names. Soon after the verbal altercation Capone shot him in cold blood. There was no conviction and it was becoming more and more clear that Capone was becoming extremely powerful. He obviously had connections in the law to not be convicted. à à à à à Al Capone finally got a taste of leadership after a few years of partnership with Torrio. Torrio left Capone in control of their areas to take his sick mother back to Italy. Capone was at the top of a Chicago suburb known as Cicero. At the ag... ... of his guys were said to be located, The team was dressed in police uniforms and armed with machine guns and sawed off shotguns. They shot down 7 of Moran's men but Moran was never there. The police and all the people of Chicago all knew Capone ordered the murders. But with no evidence, Capone could not be arrested. It was known as the St. Valentines Day Massacre and became the most publicity any gang event had ever received. à à à à à No other single gangster could be as infamous as Al Capone. Al Capone was the most powerful gangster to ever live. No one could stop his reign of crime, and anyone that got in his way, he would take out, even when it came to his friends. He was never convicted for any of the hundreds of crimes he committed; this is one of the most important facts that showed how many connections Capone had. It was until the 1930ââ¬â¢s when Capone was convicted of tax invasion when he did his first jail sentence. He was transferred though many jails across America until he finally landed in Alcatraz. While serving his jail time Alphonse Capone became a victim of the deadly disease Syphilis. Al Capone died but his crime legacy will always live on.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Bathing a Baby
ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â Bathing a baby 0-1 years old- At this very young age it is important that your baby is cleaned every night. This doesnââ¬â¢t mean that you should give your baby a bath every night, but you should at least ââ¬ËTop and Tailââ¬â¢ your baby. Topping and Tailing ââ¬ËTopping and Tailingââ¬â¢ means washing your baby from head to toe with warm, damp cotton wool. This method of washing doesnââ¬â¢t require a bath being made for the baby, however there are a few piece of equipment you will need to top and tail your baby. You will need to collect: â⬠¢ Cotton wool pieces â⬠¢ A towel A bowl with warm water (38à °c) â⬠¢ A clean nappy â⬠¢ Changing mat for nappy change How to Top and Tail your baby: 1. Gather all the equipment together before you begin. 2. Undress your baby down to their nappy and wrap them in a towel. Making sure their face isnââ¬â¢t covered. 3. The next step is to get a piece of c otton wool, dip it into the water and then clean your babyââ¬â¢s eyes, wiping from the inner corner outwards. It is extremely important to use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye, in case your baby has an infection which could be transferred from one eye to the other. . Next clean around their nose, the skin creases around his neck and under his chin, using a different piece of cotton wool. Then clean the contours of their ears, then their face. 5. You should then use the towel to dry the baby lightly. 6. You can then clean the rest if their body if you want, using a different piece of cotton wool each time. You can clean their hands, under their arms and around their belly button, and then you can remove their nappy. 7. Changing cotton wool frequently, you then need to clean the nappy area.You must always ensure that you wipe your from front to back on a girl to avoid transferring any germs to her genitals. 8. Lastly, you should pat your baby dry then put on a clean nappy and put their clothes back on. Bathing you baby becomes part of their daily routine. When your baby is young you may find that you bath them during the day. However, it is always good to make bath time part of the night time routine before your baby goes to bed. It is very important to understand how to bath your baby correctly, so that your baby is safe.Bathing your baby When bathing your baby you need get all the equipment together beforehand, such as: â⬠¢ Cotton wool pieces â⬠¢ A towel â⬠¢ A baby bath with warm water (38à °c) â⬠¢ A clean nappy How to Bath your baby: 1. Firstly, you should wash your hands and get all the equipment together that you need for bath time. 2. You should then fill the bath with cold water first, and then add hot water to get the bath to the right temperature (38à °c). To test the temperature you should use your elbow and the water should feel lukewarm. 3.Bring your baby to the bath area and remove your babyââ¬â¢s clothes. Wrap your baby in a towel, keeping their head exposed so you can wash their face and hair before you put them in the bath. 4. Wash your babyââ¬â¢s eyes, ears, face and neck as you would for topping and tailing. 5. Hold your baby so that their head is over the bath water and wash their scalp with a wet, soapy flannel or just water. Rinse their hair carefully and dry it. 6. Now take off your baby's nappy. If there are faeces in the nappy,à clean your baby's genitalsà and bottom before putting them in the bath. . Gradually slip your baby into the bath feet first, using one hand to support their neck and head. The water should be covering their shoulders so that they don't get cold. 8. Use the cotton wool pieces to clean your baby from top to bottom, front and back. 9. Rinse your baby thoroughly, and then lift them out of the bath. Lift them with one hand supporting their neck and head and your other hand under their bottom. 10. Wrap your baby in a towel and dry them thoroughly, checking t hat folds of skin around the groin and neck are dry.Then put a clean nappy on them. You can then redress your baby. 1-3 years old- Toddlers tend to become messier and dirtier as they are now mobile. Therefore, it is really important that they are regularly having baths to keep them clean. Toddlers should be bathed every night and their hair should be washed at least once a week. When bathing your toddler it is very important that the water is not too hot or cold as this will make it uncomfortable for them. Therefore, you should check the water temperature using your elbow.You should also use a non-slip mat in the bath now so that the child does not slip and you should ensure that your toddler is not stand up in the bath It is essential that your child is never left unattended in a bath, as a child can drown very quickly in only a small amount of water. To wash your child you should use a child friendly liquid soap or body wash squeezed onto a wet sponge or cloth. You should use this to wash their body and then rinse off the excess soap. You should use a cup or a little bowl to rinse the soap off. You should always your childââ¬â¢s face, hands, and bottom.Cleaning their face and hands helps to get rid of germs and dirt. Washing your childââ¬â¢s bottom reduces the chances of nappy rash or irritation of the skin. You should save washing your childââ¬â¢s bottom till last and once you used the sponge on their bottom or other privates, set it aside and donââ¬â¢t use it again until you wash it. To wash your toddlerââ¬â¢s hair you should use a childrenââ¬â¢s shampoo that wonââ¬â¢t sting their eyes. To wash your childââ¬â¢s hair you should start by tilting their head back and pouring water over their head to wet the hair.You should then add a small amount of shampoo and should work it in the wet hair. Finally, you will need to tilt their head back, shield their eyes with your hand and rinse the shampoo out by pouring water over their head again. It is useful to have a dry towel handy to wipe away water and shampoo that gets in their face or eyes. Once your toddler has been washed you should take them out of the bath and you should dry them off with a towel. At this age it is important to let your child to start learning how to wash on their own.Therefore, you should talk through the routine with your child, telling them what you are doing at each stage. You could also let your wash themselves with the sponge and rub the shampoo into their hair; however you should always be close at hand in case they get soap in their eyes. You should also make bath time fun for your toddler by using lots of bubbles and bath toys, e. g. boats, rubber ducks, cups etc. Also, toys that squirt water are always fun for your child to play with, although the chances are that you may get a little wet! -5 years old- Your child should now be becoming more independent at bath time and may undress themselves for bath time. They will become more involve d in washing themselves, although you are still there to supervise them during bath time. They will also be familiar with the routine of bath time, although they may still make a fuss about bath time. Therefore, it is important that you make it as fun as possible for them. There are lots of different, new and exciting bath time toys for children to play with. You can buy soap crayons hich allow children to draw on themself, on the bath or on tiles. These crayons come in different colours and they wash off. You could also get Stick-on shapes to stick to the sides of the bath and walls. Also, bath time books are good. These books are waterproof and you can get involved in your childââ¬â¢s bath time by ready them the story. You can also make up games for them to play during bath time, like I spy, or you could make a treasure hunt by throwing lots of different toys into the bath for your child to find. -8 years old- Children around 6-7 years old are now capable of bathing or showerin g alone and should be given more privacy. You should teach your child how to turn on and off the taps and you should show them how to heat up the bath properly by turning on the cold water first, then gradually warm it up and testing it. You should also go over the basic safety rules of bath time, for example, don't hop in and out of the bath, use just a small bit of shampoo, and be extra careful getting in and out of the bath.You can now also help to teach your child on how to use a shower. It is important that you stay close and within earshot of the bathroom, in case of any problems but as long as your child knows how and what to clean, you should let them have some privacy. Your child is now in control of their own cleanliness, so you should ensure that your child knows how to fully rinse their hair, and you should keep on reminding them about washing everywhere, including behind the ears and down at the feet.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Hunting Snake by Judith Wright Essay
First of all remember that we would never know what exactly the poet is trying to mention and non of the comments can said to be ââ¬Ëwrongââ¬â¢ Great black snake represents the aborigin people in Australia and the person who gets scared of this snake is an English occupier. The word ââ¬Ëblackââ¬â¢ is simply you can understand that it means black people and snake is a wild animal who lives on their own land but humans are the occupiers and the writer at the same time fears and admires the snake while the snake ââ¬Ëfledââ¬â¢ which mean the snake is also afraid of the people. As you can understand in present time, English people have started moving to Australia in order to get that place and the aborigins, the original people of Australia is being ignored at the same time we admire them but this admire is so extreme and unnecessary that we make them feel like theyââ¬â¢re wild animals. And if you ever go to Australia, you would see that the tour guides would show the local people of Australia, the aborigins with their hands and we would admire them but we will never chat with them or have any talk between as we are scared and this is also the way we treat the wild animals. In the first stanza, we can see a perfect Picture of the atmosphere. The sky is in ââ¬Ëgentlestââ¬â¢ way despite when the person sees that ââ¬Ëgreatââ¬â¢ ââ¬Ëblackââ¬â¢ snake, we can understand that with using the word ââ¬Ëgreatââ¬â¢, person admires the snake. But why is the word ââ¬Ëblackââ¬â¢ is used? As you can understand the color black represents darkness which humans fear. Also donââ¬â¢t we talk about racism, the ââ¬Ëblackââ¬â¢ and white people. We treat the black people as the same way, we act like theyââ¬â¢re aliens, like theyââ¬â¢re different from us and also we show an unnecessary amount of admire which makes them more alienated.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Email Matters
Email Matters Email Matters Email Matters By Maeve Maddox The ease of dashing off an email is both a convenience and a deadly snare. Emails are not as public as a Twitter tweet, but can lead to grief for the unwary. Weââ¬â¢ve all heard the horror stories of the jokester who says something outrageous intended for the eyes of a friend, and then hits the ââ¬Å"Reply Allâ⬠button by mistake. Because thereââ¬â¢s always the chance that an email might go astray, the best practice is what I call the ââ¬Å"Klingon ruleâ⬠: Donââ¬â¢t say anything in an email that you donââ¬â¢t want a third party to read. (I think it was General Chang in StarTrek VI who said he never uttered anything he wouldnââ¬â¢t want to be overheard. Klingons are always under surveillance.) One way to avoid embarrassing situations with clients or employers is to make a habit of treating every email with care, even the ones you dash off to your friends. Human frailty being what it is, thereââ¬â¢s probably no way to avoid saying or typing something stupid at some time or another, but a few tips can save some embarrassment. Common courtesy is the key to writing an email that wonââ¬â¢t come back to bite you. Courtesy when writing an email means considering such things as the fact that not everyone can read tiny type or understand texting abbreviations. Depending upon the recipient, sloppy English or attempts at humor can prove deal breakers. In these tippy-toe times of political correctness, it doesnââ¬â¢t take much to offend some people. No one, however, is likely to take offence at standard usage and conventional formatting. Email Address A snappy email handle may amuse your friends, but if you use your account for business as well as social correspondence, you may want to avoid choosing a handle like redhotpapa or partygirl. As the first thing the recipient sees, it can affect the spirit in which the message is received. Subject Line Put something meaningful in the subject line. Be as specific as possible, even for your friends. Instead of ââ¬Å"Hiâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Hello,â⬠type something that refers to the message. No one enjoys having to sort through hundreds of emails in order to double check one of them. Font Leave the fancy script and colored text for homemade greeting cards. Choose an easy-to-read font and a dark font color. Dark blue is all right, but black is better. Red is the hardest color to read. Big is better than small. Use a minimum of 12-point. Upper- and Lower-case Use lowercase type with capitals where capitals are called for. Lowercase is easier to read than all caps, but donââ¬â¢t go to extremes and omit capitals altogether. Friends may not mind, but a business colleague may interpret lack of capitalization as evidence of lack of education or energy. Spelling Spell correctly. Use conventional abbreviations. Save texting code for texting. Punctuation Itââ¬â¢s easy enough to misinterpret a written message. Reread what you have written before hitting Send. See if the addition of a comma or other punctuation might make your meaning clearer. Salutation Begin your email with the recipientââ¬â¢s name. For a friend or associate, the first name is the obvious salutation. Otherwise, use the full name. I donââ¬â¢t often see ââ¬Å"Dear So-and-Soâ⬠in electronic correspondence; beginning with the name alone is sufficient. Close The way you end your email will depend upon your relationship with the recipient and the nature of the email. If you are reporting bad news or responding to it, youââ¬â¢re not going to close by writing ââ¬Å"Cheersâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Have a nice day.â⬠Here are some options: Best, Best regards, Best wishes, Cheers, Cordially, Kindest regards, I remain yours truly, Regards, Sincerely, Take care, Thanks again, Warmest regards, Yours. If you have asked someone to do something time-consuming for you, your close can be even longer: Thanks for your time and consideration. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"50 Idioms About Roads and PathsCharles's Pen and Jesus' Name
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession â⬠And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid
Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession ââ¬â And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid The following article, by Brenda Bernstein, was first published on MyLegal.com. In a well-publicized case, a federal judge in Florida denied a lawyerââ¬â¢s motion (without prejudice, so he can re-file the motion) stating that it was ââ¬Å"riddled with unprofessional grammatical and typographical errors that nearly render the entire motion incomprehensible.â⬠Read the full article here: Judge Labels Lawyers Motion Nearly Incomprehensible, Marks Up Errors ABA Journal The judge highlighted the following problems, among others: Incorrect use of apostrophes. Typographical errors (using the word ââ¬Å"thisâ⬠instead of ââ¬Å"thusâ⬠and the word ââ¬Å"fullâ⬠instead of ââ¬Å"forâ⬠). Incorrect placement of periods and commas outside of quotation marks. Wrong word use (using the phrase the plaintiff ââ¬Å"had attended on filingâ⬠this action, instead of saying the plaintiff had ââ¬Å"intendedâ⬠to file an action). One very long sentence. Donââ¬â¢t let this happen to you! If you write legal documents in any way, shape or form, it is absolutely essential to use correct spelling and grammar. In a famous case in England, a traffic ticket was thrown out because it was issued for illegal ââ¬Å"stopingâ⬠instead of ââ¬Å"stoppingâ⬠; the alleged perpetrator had conducted no mining activities (ââ¬Å"stopingâ⬠is a mining term) and so was found not guilty. I bet that police officer never issued another ââ¬Å"stopingâ⬠ticket. Past or Present? One extremely common error I see amongst law students is using the word ââ¬Å"leadâ⬠to mean the past tense of ââ¬Å"lead.â⬠This mistake could get you in trouble, since the past tense of ââ¬Å"leadâ⬠is ââ¬Å"ledâ⬠(with no a). You could be writing in the wrong tense! Example or Complete List? Another place you can easily convey the wrong meaning is with ââ¬Å"i.e.â⬠and ââ¬Å"e.g.â⬠When you use ââ¬Å"i.e.â⬠it means ââ¬Å"that isâ⬠or ââ¬Å"in other words.â⬠The proper way to follow ââ¬Å"i.e.â⬠is with a definition or complete list. For example: The defendant was charged with illegal stoping, i.e., mining activity. ââ¬Å"E.g.â⬠means ââ¬Å"for example.â⬠The proper way to follow ââ¬Å"e.g.â⬠is with a partial list of possibilities. For example: The motion was denied for bad grammar, e.g., typographical errors and wrong word use. If ââ¬Å"i.e.â⬠were used here, we would need to provide a complete list of the examples of bad grammar. (For a more thorough explanation of i.e. and e.g., read my post Common Grammatical Errors: Should You Use i.e. or e.g.?) Law or Liberty? Do you know the difference between a statute and a statue? Statutes are laws. Statues are sculptures. We have statutes of limitations and a Statue of Liberty. Donââ¬â¢t get these confused. You might want to remember the extra ââ¬Å"tâ⬠for ââ¬Å"timeâ⬠when itââ¬â¢s a statute of limitations, or for ââ¬Å"textâ⬠when itââ¬â¢s any written law. And you might think of following those statutes to a ââ¬Å"Tâ⬠(or 3)! Proper Punctuation: Periods and Commas Inside Quotation Marks To touch on one of the Florida judgeââ¬â¢s beefs, periods and commas, in the United States, always go inside quotation marks, even when they are not part of the quotation, e.g., The defendant was arrested for ââ¬Å"illegal stoping.â⬠Although there are rare exceptions to this rule, they will probably not appear in legal writing (they are more likely to show up in technical writing). For a detailed discussion of this issue, see my blog post The Quandary of Quotation Marks ( ). Proper Punctuation: Apostrophes Many people incorrectly use apostrophes to make plural words. Donââ¬â¢t do it! Did you notice that the plural of apostrophe is NOT ââ¬Å"apostropheââ¬â¢sâ⬠? It is ââ¬Å"apostrophesâ⬠! The plural words lawyers, judges, laws, statutes, DUIs and the 1990s do NOT take apostrophes. Use an apostrophe and then an ââ¬Å"sâ⬠to make a singular possessive. The lawyerââ¬â¢s brief was riddled with errors. The judgeââ¬â¢s ruling was final. Use an ââ¬Å"sâ⬠and then an apostrophe to make a plural possessive. The five lawyersââ¬â¢ arguments diverged widely. All the county judgesââ¬â¢ courtrooms contain the latest in audio-visual equipment. Put your apostrophes in the right place ââ¬â and avoid annoying the judge. So Many Chances to Err! There are multiple ways to make writing errors in legal documents, and I have only covered a few. My most important advice is to proofread and proofread again! Get a second pair of eyes to check your work. If you have grammar questions you want answered, I will answer them to the best of my ability in the comments section of this blog. I look forward to hearing from youâ⬠¦ Happy writing!
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Life Ambition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Life Ambition - Essay Example And in the beginning I found being a scout very tough. It wasn't easy, trying to remember so many knots or then trying to figure out whether the star in the horizon was the North Star or some other star. Eventually, I started getting used to it and very soon started enjoying it. But scouting wasn't only about fun and games though; I learnt a lot of new and interesting things. I also leant many things that are not thought in books. I learnt about duty, about honor and how to serve others. It also taught us how to model our lives according to great people, people like Nelson Mandela who overcame the odds and made a difference. I didn't have to look far for such a role model; I just had to look at my family. For me one of the best role models I have is my dad. In some ways I always wanted to be like my dad. He was one of the first people in our family to get a college degree. No one thought he could, and most of them said what's the point of studying so much But he didn't listen, he still went, studied a lot and finally got a college degree. Now whenever they meet him, they look up to him. Here was someone who had overcome all the odds and did something. This is why dad would always tell me how important education was. Right from the first day I joined school he always told me how important it was is in life. How it wasn't just about how to learn to read and write, everyone could do that he said.
Friday, November 1, 2019
The effect of Junk Food Advertising on Obesity in Children Essay
The effect of Junk Food Advertising on Obesity in Children - Essay Example Mother - 103 Children (10-15 years) - 52 Information areas The key information areas covered in the research were From the mother Various activities for the child in a day Television watching habits Preference of foods Parental control in the intake of food Factors that influence choice of food and reasons for obesity Role of various bodies in controlling obesity in children Reaction to the proposal for ban on advertisements of unhealthy food Opinion of the advertisements for unhealthy foods Demographic details - gender, age of child, economic status of the family, weight of the selected child From the selected child Preference for specific foods Food which are considered healthy Reasons for consumption of 'junk food' Intention to reduce consumption of 'junk foods' and reasons ascribed to it. Analysis The data was analysed to look at the mothers of all children and specifically understand differences between habits and practices of the children in the younger age group and the older age group - these differences have been mentioned in the findings and the tables in the appendix. the girls and the boys - there were no differences which emerged among the boys and the girls at an overall level The questions asked to the children in the age group of 10 to 15 years were analysed separately. Key findings - among mothers 1. Activities undertaken and time spent There were a fair number of activities undertaken by children. Watching television, was the only activity that obtained 100% mentions other than sleeping, eating and going to school. About of the mothers claimed that their children also did some physical activity and participated in sports, cycling etc. This percentage was significantly higher among the younger children in the age...The details of the survey have been summarised below Given that the link between television watching and obesity have been much talked about, there is a need to understand whether this link exists or not. There is also a need to understand from the children, the drivers and motivators for eating fast foods and foods that have high fat content. There were a fair number of activities undertaken by children. Watching television, was the only activity that obtained 100% mentions other than sleeping, eating and going to school. About of the mothers claimed that their children also did some physical activity and participated in sports, cycling etc. This percentage was significantly higher among the younger children in the age group of 4 to 9 years. The average time spent on television was more than 3 hours among the younger group and about 4.3 hours among the older group which was significantly higher than the younger children. In contrast to this the average time spent on any kind of a physical activity was as low as 1.4 and 1.7 hours respectively.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Case Brief, U.S. V. Clemons, 32F.3d 1504(11th Cir. 1994) Research Paper
Case Brief, U.S. V. Clemons, 32F.3d 1504(11th Cir. 1994) - Research Paper Example Althouse was murdered late in the night while driving toward a colleagueââ¬â¢s house, to discuss the next dayââ¬â¢s arrest warrants The court relied on the law stating that any individual who kills or attempts to kill federal agents while they are engaging in their official duties can be convicted of murder. In cases whereby an individual is found guilty of an attempted murder, a jail term of not more than twenty years is issued. The court was convinced that the federal agent (Althouse) was engaging in official duties when he was murdered. Clemons argued that the evidence presented to the judge was insufficient to show that the federal agent was on official duties at the time of the murder. In addition, he argued that the court broke the law by relying on similar cases and evidence to make its decision. Smith argued that the use of Clemonââ¬â¢s confessions in implicating him is against the law. The court argued that Althouse was trying to prevent the theft of FBI property when he was murdered. Even though the duties were being carried out late in the night, the court still believed that Althouse was performing his duties. The way in which Clemons carried out the carjacking led to murder. Any individual who kills or attempts to kill federal agents, or any officer or employee working in the secret service or drug enforcement administration, is punishable under sections 1111 and 1112 of the United Statesââ¬â¢ Constitution. Individuals found guilty of attempted murder are given jail terms of not more than twenty years. The court made its decision based on the argument that the federal agent was performing his official duties. Althouse was trying to prevent the theft of a federal car when he was killed. In such circumstances, the judges were convinced that the agent was performing official duties. The court also relied on the evidence presented by Althouseââ¬â¢s colleagues. Althouse had
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Importance of Natural Product Synthesis
Importance of Natural Product Synthesis History of medicine dates back practically to the existence of human civilization. Historically, the majority of new drugs have been generated from natural products and from compounds derived from natural products. Natural products, including plants, animals and minerals have always been a source of therapeutic agents for many years. Natural products sometimes exhibit pharmacological or biological property that can be of therapeutic benefit in treating diseases. As such, natural products are the active components not only of mostà traditional medicinesà but also of many newer medications. Furthermore, synthetic analogs of natural products with improved potency and safety can be prepared and therefore natural products are often used as Lead Copmpounds forà drug discovery. In fact, natural products are the inspiration for approximately one half of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. The birth of the natural product synthesis dates back to 1828 when Friedrich Wà ¶hler synthesized urea, a naturally occurring substance from ammonium cyanate. This event as trivial as it may seem by todayââ¬â¢s standards not only gave birth to a boundless science called organic synthesis but also contributed to a demystification of mother Nature by burying the fact that synthesis of natureââ¬â¢s molecules is her exclusive domain. The second major achievement in the field of organic synthesis is the synthesis of acetic acid from elemental carbon by Kolbe3 in 1845. It is historically significant because Kolbe coined the word Synthesis for the first time to describe the process of assembling a chemical compound from other substances. The total synthesis of naturally occurring pigments alizarin in 1869 by Graebe and Liebermann and indigo in 1878 by Baeyer represent landmark accomplishments in the field. Probably, after urea, the most spectacular total synthesis of the nineteenth c entury was that of Emil Fischerââ¬â¢s (â⬠¡)-glucose not only for the complexity of the target but also for the considerable stereochemical control that accompanied it. Figure 1: Although the precedent was set in the nineteenth century, it was only in the twentieth century the field of total synthesis started to flourish when Robert Burns Woodward synthesized Quinine. This event ushered in the modern era of total synthesis and Woodward who received the 1965 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for several brilliant examples of total synthesis such as his 1954 synthesis of strychnine, cholesterol5 is regarded as the father of modern organic synthesis. Figure 2: Today the art of organic synthesis has improved to astoundingly high levels of sophistication. Through its practice, chemists are able to synthesize organic molecules of all types of structural motifs and for all intents and purposes. Some modern classical examples of total synthesis include the synthesis of prostaglandin PG2à ± and Ginkgolide by E. J Corey, Ingenol by Wood, Brevetoxin by Nicolaou, Vancomycin by Evans, Taxol by Holton6, Nicolaou7, Wender and Danishefsky8 groups independently. The discipline of natural product synthesis today, is an important field of investigation whose dividends stretch from new scientific knowledge to practical applications. Considered by many as the flagship of organic synthesis, natural product synthesis symbolizes the power of chemical synthesis at any given time and defines its scope and limitations. It also serves to improve chemical synthesis by attempting to push its frontiers into higher molecular complexity, diversity, and efficiency. they can synthesize not only the molecules of nature and their analogues, but also myriad other organic molecules for potential applications in many areas of science, technology and everyday life Introduction to THF-containing natural products Tetrahydrofuran (THF)-containing natural products widely occur in several important families of biologically active compounds, such as the annonaceous acetogenins [1] and polyether antibiotics isolated from Streptomyces organisms (ionomycin, lonomycins Aââ¬âC, or monensin) [2]. Itââ¬â¢s worthwhile at this juncture to discuss few THF ring containing natural products such as which have been of paramount importance to the mankind and also to the researchers who have been actively involved in the synthesis and isolation of these natural products. Acetogenins Acetogenins abbreviated as AAGs are a group of THF-Containing natural products isolated from Annonacae species which are vastly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. They exhibit different biological activities such as antitumor, ant-imalarial, anti microbial, anti protozoal, pesticidal activities2. The common structural features of acetogenins include several free hydroxy groups with various stereo centers, differently located oxygenated functional groups and tetrahydrofuran (THF) ring(s) along the long hydrocarbon chain with an à ±, à ²-unsaturated à ´-lactone moiety at the end. Uvaricin, a bis THF acetogenin was the first of the AAGs isolated from Uvaria acuminata in 1982. It exhibited potent anti-cancer activity by inhibiting NADH cells in the mitochondrion. The total synthesis of Hexepi-Uvaricin was published by Hoye in 1994 and subsequently first total synthesis was achieved by Keinan in 1998. Montanacin D is a non classical acetogenin isolated from the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Annona Montana16 by Qin group in 1999, possessing a 4,8-cis THP ring along with a 16,19-trans THF ring. Ionomycin Amphidinolides Amphidinolides constitute a series of unique cytotoxic polyketide macrolides obtained from marine symbiotic dinoflagellates of the genus Amphidinium, which are symbionts of Okinawan marine flatworms Amphiscolops spp.1 They exhibit potent cytotoxic activity against murine lymphoma L1210 cells and human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells. Given below are some important Amphidinolides that incorporate a THF-ring in their structure Pectenotoxins Pectenotoxin (PTX)-group toxins are a group of polyether macrolide compounds found in microalgae and bivalve molluscs of Australia, Japan, New Zealand and some parts of Europe. Their presence in shellfish was discovered due to their high acute toxicity in the mouse bioassay after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of lipophilic extracts of shellfish. Pectinotoxins are exclusively produced by Dinophysis species. In shellfish they are always accompanied by closely related okadaic acid (OA)-group toxins. The common structural features of (PTX)-group toxins include a spiroketal group, three THF-rings, a bicyclic ketal and a six-membered cyclic hemiketal (Allingham et al., 2007). PTX2 is beleived to be the main precursor, from which many PTX-group toxins are derived through biotransformation during metabolism in the gut of bivalves. It is suggested that an oxidation of PTX2 occurs, leading to the formation of other PTX-group toxins, including PTX1, PTX3, and PTX6 PTX-group toxins have been shown to cause cell cycle arrest, cell death and apoptosis. The wide range (10-9 and 10-6 M) of effective concentrations of PTX-group toxins as well as the apparent resistance of some cell lines to the cytotoxic effect of PTX-group toxins indicate the existence of cell-specific factors affecting the sensitivity of biological systems to this group of natural compounds. Studies have confirmed that PTX2 induces apoptosis in several cell lines through multiple mechanisms, involving the perturbation of the cell cycle machinery, inhibition of mitotic separation and cytokinesis through the depolymerization of actin filaments. Oscillariolide and Phormidolide Oscillariolide is a halogenated macrolide isolated from a marine blue-green alga Oscillatoria sp. from Gokashowan-Bay, Mie Prefecture. It exhibits significant cytotoxic activity in the echinoderm egg assay. Phormidolide, a closely related macrolide was isolated from the extract of a laboratory culture of an Indonesian isolate of the cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. It displayed cytotoxicity towards drine shrimp with a LC50 of 1.5 à µM. The characteristic features of both oscillariolide and phormidolide include a trisubstituted bridged THF macrolactone with a long polyhydroxy chain containing a unique terminal bromo diene. Structural elucidation revealed that the polyhydroxy side as well as THF ring of both compounds have same stereochemistry Chagosensine Chagosensine is a sixteen-membered chlorinated macrolide isolated from the methanolic chloroform extract of a bright yellow sponge Leucetta chagosensis usually found in the coral reefs of Red Sea, Aqaba Gulf (Israel). the extract of the Leucetta sp. sponge exhibited potent ability to inhibit the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway. A new mechanism for the action of naamidine A and inhibition of tumor cells was shown.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Divorce or Annulment Essay -- Social Issues, Custody of the Children
In the failure of marriage, most couples nowadays prefer to have a divorce or annulment. For them, separation is a lot easier than forcing a relationship to work. However, the consequences of divorce appear to have greater impacts on children and not just on the couple. The custody of the children is usually brought into court settlements to determine which party, whether the motherââ¬â¢s or the fatherââ¬â¢s, qualifies for custody. In this regard, lawyers require help from mental health experts who would make evaluations of both parties. Mental health experts also provide counseling that would help the individuals to cope with the condition that they are experiencing. This way, the psychologist would have dual tasks: a forensic evaluator and a therapeutic counselor. This dual task would be the center of this discussion. In 1997, Greenberg and Shuman wrote an article that shows the irreconcilable conflict between dual roles of mental health experts in court proceedings. Several factors have enabled mental health experts to appear as forensic expert witnesses. However, these two roles are not compatible due to several differences between these and confidentiality and anonymity are compromised. Definitions must first be provided to differentiate between the roles. The therapist refers to a clinician or mental health expert who provides psychotherapy to the client. His primary responsibility is to treat his patient. A fact witness, meanwhile, refers to the person testifying based on direct observations. He does not offer expert opinions. In short, a therapist who serves as fact witness is someone who testifies based on the observations carried out during therapy. His conclusions are thus drawn from his observations (Strasburger, Gutheil, &... ...ings as therapist and forensic expert. This is due to the premise that assuming the roles of both a therapist and a forensic expert may lead to the possibility that the expert is more concerned about the conclusion of the case than the integrity and accuracy of his testimony. Furthermore, there are many differences between the roles of the therapist and the expert. Some of these differences include attitudes of each expert, goals, and roles of therapist-patient and forensic-expert-patient relationships. These differences lead to the incompatibility of dual roles. Furthermore, confidentiality and anonymity are compromised when therapists provide testimony in court proceedings. While some researchers believe that the dual roles can be compatible, the points discussed in this paper are adequate enough to conclude that therapeutic and forensic roles are incompatible.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Raising Resilient Children
Another point he article makes is that by raising resilient children, they tend to be more self- efficient, resulting In future success as a teenager and an adult(Wade). Relation to Textbook There is a section in the textbook titled ââ¬Å"The Wellsprings of Resilienceâ⬠. It states children who have been beaten, neglected, or constantly subjected to verbal or physical abuse by their parents are more likely than other children to have emotional problems, become delinquent and violent, commit crimes, drop out of school, develop mental disorders such as depression, and develop chronic stress-related illnesses.It goes on to conclude that most children are surprisingly resilient, eventually overcoming drastic effects of having an abusive parent or even being sexually molested. These situations are extremely devastating, but don't happen In everyone life, but if a child was molested, even they can heal from that wound by being rescued by love. The book emphasizes the most significant reason for the resilience of children, is that we are all constantly interpreting our experiences. Whether we want to remain prisoners of childhood, or be enlightened by the possibilities of adulthood, IS a choice that ;s Vital.Child development research RAISING RESILIENT CHILDREN 3 does suggest certain overall guidelines to help parents teach children to be confident, considerate, and helpful: set high expectations that are appropriate to the child's age and temperament, and teach the child how to meet them, explain why the parent has applied a rule, encourage empathy, and notice, approve of, and reward good behavior(Camps). Relates to My World I chose this article because I can definitely relate to It. My mother raised me alone cause my dad left when I was a little girl.I remember In my childhood she always made sure that I was growing up to be an emotionally strong person. When I wanted to get myself dressed with no help, my mom would let me because she wanted me to learn the res ponsibility of dressing myself. She also let me be Ms. Bossy basically. The practices she taught me and wanted me to really grasp during my childhood has positively affected me as a teenager and a young adult. I do not plan to have children anytime soon, but I do completely agree that children need to be resilient. It really evolves their stronghold on life.Having a strong head on your shoulders is essential for getting through the tough tribulations and trials life throws at you. This article hits the head on the hammer. I truly appreciate the Information I have gotten from It. Ask Questions 1 OFF I Nils article sat arts out Walt a parent slang ââ¬Å"How can we Keep two Solos inanely Ana merry, I thought, in a world that can seem as precarious as the one we live in now? â⬠As I continued to read the article, I began asking myself how creditable these experts are and what are they really trying to accomplish.This article does not mention the hardships of raising children, and does not address how difficult it can be to do so. It Just states that if a parent uses these specific strategies when raising their children, the child will be emotionally stable, which is not always the case. Sometimes other things can interfere. Avoid Emotional Reasoning This article begins to go in detail about the parent wanting to solve the child's problems, sometimes blocking the logical thing to do, which is to let the child learn from their mistakes, and develop self-responsibility.Don't Oversimplify The article gives off an either/or thinking, with it being either you practice these guidelines or your children will grow up unemotionally stable. RAISING RESILIENT 5 Consider Other Interpretations This article does not give the opposite side of being resilient, so who is to say that these experts are correct, and know what they are talking about. Tolerate Uncertainty This article does not involve certainty of a sure situation. It Just simply states some things a parent can do to raise their child to be emotionally intact.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Creating Performance Goals and Measures for Your Charter School Essay
This document is designed to provide guidance and assistance in developing sound goals and measures ââ¬â both educational and organizational ââ¬â for inclusion in your charter agreement with [Authorizing Agency]. The following guidance focuses especially on providing deeper guidance for developing strong educational goals and measures ââ¬â i.e., those that will comprise the Academic and Student Non-Academic Performance indicators of your charter agreement. This task demands particular attention because educational performance indicators are often more challenging to state in meaningful, objective terms than are non-educational measures, such as those focusing on Organizational and Management Performance (the third category of performance indicators required for your charter agreement). However, the principles for developing all of these types of goals and measures are very similar; thus, to the extent applicable, you should follow the guidance in these pages for developing your non-educational goals and measures as well. I. General Criteria for Goals Goals should be SMART: Specific and Tied to Standards Measurable Ambitious and Attainable Reflective of Your Mission Time-Specific with Target Date 1. Specific A well-defined goal must be specific, clearly and concisely stated, and easily understood. Academic goals should be tied to academic standards that specify what students should This document was first developed by Margaret Lin as a guidance tool for the Charter Schools Office of Ball State University (IN) to offer to the schools it oversees. It has been adapted for distribution at the Annual Conference of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Nov. 13-14, 2003, San Diego, CA. Many of the concepts, definitions and principles in these pages are adapted from the following sources: Measuring Up: How Chicagoââ¬â¢s Charter Schools Make Their Missions Count, by Margaret Lin (Leadership for Quality Education, 2001); Guidelines for Writing Charter School Accountability Plans, 2001-2002 (Charter Schools Institute, State University of New York), http://www.newyorkcharters.org/charterny/act_guide.html; and ââ¬Å"Some Expectations Regarding the Contents of Charter School Accountability Plans,â⬠District of Columbia Public Charter School Board. know and be able to do, for each subject or content area and for each grade, age, or other grouping level. Equally important, academic goals should be developed with solid knowledge of studentsââ¬â¢ baseline achievement levels. 2. Measurable A goal should be tied to measurable results to be achieved. Measurement is then simply an assessment of success or failure in achieving the goal. 3. Ambitious and Attainable A goal should be challenging yet attainable and realistic. Academic goals should be based on a well-informed assessment of your schoolââ¬â¢s capacities and your studentsââ¬â¢ baseline achievement levels. 4. Reflective of Your Mission A goal should be a natural outgrowth of your school mission, reflecting the schoolââ¬â¢s values and aspirations. 5. Time-Specific with Target Date A well-conceived goal should specify a time frame or target date for achievement. Ball State expects its charter schools to specify both long-term goals that each school expects to achieve by the end of its fourth year of operation, along with annual benchmarks that will enable the school, authorizer and other stakeholders to monitor and assess the pace of progress. Definitions of Key Terms To develop adequate learning goals and measures, schools should begin with a clear understanding of a few essential terms: Goal: A clear, measurable statement of what students will know and be able to do in order to be considered ââ¬Å"educatedâ⬠after a certain length of time attending the school. Standard: A clear, measurable statement of what students will be expected to know (a content standard) or be able to do (a performance or skill standard) at a given point in their development, usually each year and at graduation. (Standards are usually defined grade-by-grade and subject-by-subject, and are thus more specific than ââ¬â but necessary to support ââ¬â overarching school goals.) Assessment (sometimes also ââ¬Å"measureâ⬠): A method, tool or system to evaluate and demonstrate student progress toward ââ¬â or mastery of ââ¬â a particular learning standard or goal. (Examples: A standardized test, or a portfolio-judging system) Measure: An application of an assessment that defines progress toward or attainment of a goal and indicates the level of performance that will constitute success. (Example: ââ¬Å"Students at the Successful Charter School will improve their performance on the reading portion of the Stanford-9 by at least 3% per year, on average.â⬠) Assessments ââ¬â and by extension, measures ââ¬â should be valid, reliable, and demonstrate scoring consistency: â⬠¢ Valid: Assesses the skill or knowledge it is intended to assess. Reliable: Provides consistent results when taken repeatedly by the student at a given point in his/her development, as well as by other students at the same point in development. Scoring Consistency: Produces consistent scores, ratings, results or responses when a particular assessment tool, scoring guide or rubric is used by different evaluators to assess the same student performance or work sample. 3 II. Essential Principles to Guide the Development of Sound Educational Goals and Measures â⬠¢ Your mandate as the operator of a charter school is not just to teach well but also to demonstrate objectively ââ¬â in ways that are clear, understandable and credible to a variety of external audiences ââ¬â that you are doing so. Thus, you must measure and report academic progress precisely and extensively. Distinguish between goals and measures. Goals are the starting point, but require valid, reliable ways to measure and demonstrate that you have achieved them. Make sure that your goals are clear, specific and measurable. Your measures for attainment of those goals should describe how you will assess progress, and how much progress will constitute success. Educational goals must be connected to a well-defined set of learning standards for both content (what students should know) and performance (what students should be able to do). Such standards should exist for every subject or content area and each grade, age or other grouping level in the school. Focus on outcomes and evidence of learning, not inputs. For example, participation rates or the number of hours spent on an activity are not sufficient measures of success. Participation and investment of time areà necessary first steps, but they are inputs, not measures of learning and accomplishment. In developing goals for your accountability plan, focus on whatââ¬â¢s most important. Ten or fewer clear, well-chosen and carefully measured educational goals (for both Academic and Student Non-Academic Performance) should allow you to provide a convincing story of your progress and achievements ââ¬â and will be more effective than listing a score of vague, trivial, redundant or hard-to-measure indicators. The measures you develop to assess achievement of each goal, if not based on standardized assessments, should be demonstrably valid and reliable. (The attached framework will provide some help in developing validity and reliability of assessments.) A Note on Defining Standards: Milestones on the Path to Broader School Goals Educational goals must be tied to clear content and performance standards specifying what you expect your students to know and be able to do in order to graduate or be promoted to the next level. These standards need only to be referenced in your accountability plan, but they form the foundation of your schoolââ¬â¢s education program. As such, selecting and developing grade-bygrade, subject-by-subject standards is an essential component of accountability planning that goes hand-in-hand with broader goal-setting. Of course, many of your school standards will be Indiana state standards. However, most schools have important aims beyond the state requirements, and developing these supplemental standards is a technically challenging task. It usually consists of several steps, including: 1. Articulating desired characteristics of ââ¬Å"educatedâ⬠students at a general level ââ¬â or setting yourà schoolââ¬â¢s overarching goals; 2. Breaking these general qualities and goals into more concrete graduation or exit standards; and 3. Benchmarking these exit standards down into specific and measurable grade-age-level content and performance standards.2 III. Practical Steps for Developing Sound Educational Goals and Measures â⬠¢ Define a set of goals that describe what success will look like at your school. These goals should be carefully selected to reflect the breadth and depth of your mission, and should answer critical questions such as: How will you know if your school is succeeding (or not)? What will be important characteristics of ââ¬Å"educated studentsâ⬠at your school? What will students know and be able to do after a certain period of time? Outline your goals in precise, declarative sentences. Example: ââ¬Å"All students at the Excelencia Charter School will be proficient readers and writers of Spanish within four years of enrolling.â⬠Identify at least one and possibly multiple measures to assess and demonstrate progress toward each goal. These measures must indicate both (1) the level of performance you will expect your school or students to achieve, and (2) how much progress will indicate success. (It is not sufficient to say youââ¬â¢ll administer a certain type of assessment; you must explain how you expect your students to perform on it to demonstrate progress and success.) Adapted from Accountability for Student Performance: An Annotated Resource Guide for Shaping an Accountability Plan for Your Charter School (Charter Friends National Network, 2nd ed., 2001), p. 5, http://www.charterfriends.org/accountability.doc. You may develop different types of measures to assess (1) absolute achievement; (2) student growth or gains; or (3) achievement compared to other schools. (The box below provides an example of different ways to measure achievement of the same goal.) For every goal, choose means of assessment that make non-attainment of the goal as objectively apparent as success. That is, the assessment(s) should tell you (and external audiences) immediately whether you have achieved a particular goal or not. Make sure that your measures of student learning are based on knowledge of your studentsââ¬â¢ baseline achievement levels. Without such knowledge, your measures will not be meaningful or realistic. Set long-term goals as well as intermediate (typically annual) benchmarks to assess progress. Administer assessments corresponding to this timeline to provide longitudinal data over the term of the charter. To have time to counter learning deficits that students may have upon entering your school, you may consider setting certain goals for students who have been enrolled in your school for a certain period of time, such as ââ¬Å"students who have been in the school for at least three years.â⬠For every measure you develop, ask yourself, ââ¬Å"Will this measure be readily understandable and credible to someone who doesnââ¬â¢t spend a day or a week in our school getting to know us?â⬠Remember, your school will be judged by the media, community leaders and the public at large, in addition to your authorizer and parents. For measures not based on standardized tests, establishing external credibility typically requires demonstrating validity and reliability. (The attached framework offers an overview of one way for schools to do this.) Understand what data you will need to gather to support each measure. Remember, if you have no data, you have no case proving your schoolââ¬â¢s achievements. Likewise, if you have insufficient data, you have an insufficient case. There is no single best way to measure achievement of a particular goal. As charter schools, you are free to choose measures that you prefer, provided that they are also meaningful and persuasive to external audiences. The following example shows how three different measures might be applied to a single learning goal. (These goals could be developed by one school or by three different schools that have the same goal.) Note that each measure describes how progress will be assessed and how much progress will constitute success. The third measure allows the school to assess skills beyond those measured on standardized tests, and would thus require some demonstration of validity and reliability or be used in addition to externally validated assessments.
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