Thursday, December 26, 2019

Major Wars and Conflicts of the 20th Century

The 20th century was dominated by wars and conflicts that often altered the balance of  power around the globe. The 20th century saw the emergence of total wars, such as World War I and World War II, which were  large enough to encompass nearly the entire world. Other wars, like the Chinese Civil War, remained local but still caused the deaths of millions of people. The reasons for the wars varied from expansion disputes  to  upsets in government to the  intentional murder of an entire people. However, they all shared one thing: an extraordinary number of deaths. Which Was the Deadliest War of the 20th Century? The largest and bloodiest war of the 20th century (and of  all time) was World War II. The conflict, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, involved most of the planet. When it was finally over, more than 60 million people were dead. Of that enormous group, which represents about 3 percent of the entire world population at the time, the huge majority (well over 50 million) were civilians. World War I was also bloody, with 8.5 million military deaths plus an estimated 13 million more civilian fatalities. If we were to add in the deaths caused by the  1918  influenza epidemic, which was spread by returning soldiers at the end of  World War I,  the WWI total would be much higher, since the epidemic alone was responsible for  50 to 100 million deaths. Third in the list of bloody wars of the 20th century is the Russian Civil War, which caused the deaths of an estimated 9 million people. Unlike the two world wars, however, the Russian Civil War did not spread across Europe or beyond. Rather, it was a struggle for power following the Russian Revolution, and it pitted the Bolsheviks, headed by Lenin, against a coalition called the White Army. Interestingly, the Russian Civil War was over 14 times deadlier than the American Civil War, which saw the deaths of 620,000. The American Civil War was by far the deadliest war in history for United States soldiers. The second deadliest war in terms of American deaths was World War II in which 405,399 Americans died. The List of Major Wars and Conflicts of the 20th Century All of these wars, conflicts, revolutions, civil wars, and genocides shaped the 20th century. Below is a chronological list of the major wars of the 20th century. 1898–1901 Boxer Rebellion1899–1902 Boer War1904–1905 Russo-Japanese War1910–1920 Mexican Revolution1912–1913 First and Second Balkan Wars1914–1918 World War I1915–1918 Armenian Genocide1917 Russian Revolution1918–1921 Russian Civil War1919–1921 Irish War of Independence1927–1937 Chinese Civil War1933–1945 Holocaust1935–1936 Second Italo-Abyssinian War (also known as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War or the Abyssinian War)1936–1939 Spanish Civil War1939–1945 World War II1945–1990 Cold War1946–1949 Chinese Civil War resumes1946–1954 First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina War)1948 Israel War of Independence (also known as the Arab-Israeli War)1950–1953 Korean War1954–1962 French-Algerian War1955–1972 First Sudanese Civil War1956 Suez Crisis1959 Cuban Revolution1959–1975  Vietnam War1967 Six-Day War1979–1989 Soviet-Afgha n War1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War1990–1991 Persian Gulf War1991–1995 Third Balkan War1994 Rwandan Genocide

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Fight For Cameras Police Officers Should Wear Body...

8548488 The Fight for Cameras: Why Police Officers Should Wear Body Cameras In 2014, the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri sparked an outbreak of protests and negative attention against the nation s law enforcement. Michael Brown was shot and killed and the whereabouts of what actually happened were very unclear. Was it an accident? Was it intentional? Did Michael Brown give a big enough reason to be shot at or was the cop abusing of his power? So many questions were asked and many of them were left unanswered. There was not enough evidence to figure out what happened. Many witnesses thought that it was a race issue and that the officer, Officer Darren Wilson, had no reason to kill Michael. The grand jury declared Darren Wilson not guilty for the murder of Michael Brown (Buchanan 2015). After the tragedy occurred and the news of the officers’ liberty spread, the â€Å"war† against officers had begun (Kaste 2015). 51 officers were killed nationwide all in 2014, a huge increase from the 2 7 killed in 2013 (Kaste 2015). People from all over the country were becoming terrified of the nation’s patrolmen. The fight between police officers and the community is becoming a serious issue. Cops are being blamed for unjust behavior against innocent people and nothing can be done to prove that what the officer did, was for a good reason. It is a â€Å"he said/she said† controversy when trying to figure out who s right. Incidents involving police force and citizen misconduct wereShow MoreRelatedEfficacy Of Body Cameras On The Police Officer Essay1737 Words   |  7 PagesEfficacy For Body Cameras In a case highlighted by The police staff an Arizona police officer had a confrontation one day on the job that ended up in a fight with the individual that he confronted. 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Monday, December 9, 2019

The Wasps Nest free essay sample

After a thorough reading and analysis of the poem, I have found that there co-exists a number of underlying themes and contradicting meanings within the poem; I believe the most plausible and recurrent theory is that this poem revolves around the theme of significance, human nature and fear of a looming and impending threat. I have also seen that the themes, tone and meaning of the poem change throughout the poem. At first glance –in its starting lines, 1 to 24- the poem appears to be about nothing more major than the character’s disturbance at particular wasps which have chosen to make his US mailbox their nest. The poem then progresses, as do its continuously shifting tone and meaning. After identifying the situation of the wasps’ nest, the voice, at one point, seems to run into somewhat of a conflict where his usual instinct, moral judgment and human nature are locked in a power struggle of conflicting thoughts. As the poem then reaches its final lines, there begins an unraveling of deeper, more hidden themes. Written by James L Rosenberg, published in 1962, The Wasps Nest can be taken under many different annotations depending on one’s view, throughout my analysis I have tried to convey as many possible –plausible- ideologies as to the poem’s individual and/or co-operative elements whether contradicting, coinciding or emphasizing in relation towards each other. One could note that the real significance of the poem is hidden within the last seven lines of the thirty-one. Prior to the last seven lines; the complete tone and purpose of the poem shifts from the theme of a menial nuisance/ minor disturbance into questions about controversial thought of the significance of existence. Rosenberg starts line 1 in a majestic description which refers towards particular wasps which have inhabited his mailbox. Although his description is praising towards the wasps, his first sign of the acknowledgement of their existence as living creatures; the first sign of evidence as to this can be seen in line 9; ‘Their insubstantial and their only home’ In saying this, Rosenberg, for the first time, gives the wasps’ existence a certain sense of importance, by , in a way, personifying the wasps in referring to their nests as a ‘home’ rather than a nest. This gives a rather synonymous connotation towards the feeling of humanity, thusly personifying the wasps with more of an equal human importance. Rosenberg continues this effect in several other lines throughout the poem despite its shifting themes and tones. Evidence of this can be seen in the following lines- 24 to 26-: ‘Perhaps, they sense, I’ll never deal the blow’ These two lines show clear implications made by Rosenberg to give the wasps more acknowledgement by giving them a sense of human judgment and intelligence. The same effect can be seen in lines 21-24: ‘And yet they seem Too deeply and too fiercely occupied To bother to attend. ’ The fact that Rosenberg grants the wasps a sense of judgment in such a way that they noticed a potential threat and are too busy to attend to it. The mere fact that the author granted them with the thought that they could protect themselves adds emphasis towards my previous statement of the theme of acknowledgement. In lines 15-25, one can note somewhat of a conflict which appears where the voice questions his natural instincts to destroy the wasps nest (for the purpose of disposing of a nuisance and potential danger) with moral judgment and a deeper sense of human nature/emotion: ‘And I think They know my strength, Can gauge The danger of their work: One blow could crush them And their nest; and I am not their friend. And yet they seem Too deeply and too fiercely occupied To bother to attend. Perhaps they sense I’ll never deal the blow,’ Now the change in tone and meaning can be noted clearly. From monitoring the placement of these wasps and where they have decided to inconveniently locate their home to a comparison between their world and ours and the frailty of both of them that we share. In these lines, the author seems to relate and create somewhat of a likeness between our two worlds: whilst the wasps’ nest is depicted as small and fragile, the author motioned a thought that in this universe, so is ours. Whilst the wasps’ nest is depicted as small and fragile, Rosenberg motions a thought that in a universe so large, everything could be just as small and fragile. He bridged and related our world to the wasps’, Introducing the likeness that we are all small beings in universe so large, and if he delivers a crushing blow to their home, is there not just as likely a possibility that something even larger crush ours, just as easily? That our society could be an even larger force’s wasps’ nest? It is according to my understanding and analysis that there is not enough evidence to say as to whom the main character/voice of the poem is. We can see that it is written in first person narrative, but this provides no nsight towards the actual identity of this voice in the poem. The setting of the poem is implied –from lines 9 to 10- to be in the USA: ‘Neither the sore displeasure Of the US Mail’ Further implications as to the setting of the poem appear to be rather vague, although I imagined it to be set in a typical American suburban home as the man creates the thoughts noted in the poem, he is staring at his mai lbox, he is contemplating the fragility of his existence. The poem generally, although rather complex as a whole, does not contain many words which hold difficult and complex meaning. The meanings and connotations of the words are rather obvious in accordance to its noted denotations. The poem seems to be written in a style of free verse, this can be proven due to the fact that it is one body of writing; there are no stanzas. The length of the sentences vary from being long to short in a seemingly random order, and can thusly be justified as to coinciding with the poems theme in the way that the erratic sentence structure imitates the energetic aerials of the wasps. The further enjambment and caesuras spread throughout the poem could, in a way, emphasize a motion of streamlined thought, in the poem. It can be said that it is written as though one movement of developing thought streamlining from beginning to end of the poem. I conclude that after further analysis of the poem, my ideologies and theories as to the theme, tone and other factors which I have noted remain the same. I still believe that the boldest theme depicted is the theme of questioning significance and where ours stands in the universe.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Nike Csr Essay Example

Nike Csr Essay Nike CSR Corporate social responsibility can be defined as the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of organisations at a given point in time (Carroll and Buchholtz 2003, p. 36). The concept of corporate social responsibility means that organizations have moral, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities in addition to their responsibilities to earn a fair return for investors and comply with the law. A traditional view of the corporation suggests that its primary, if not sole, responsibility is to its owners, or stockholders. However, CSR requires organisations to adopt a broader view of its responsibilities that includes not only stockholders, but many other constituencies as well, including employees, suppliers, customers, the local community, local, state, and the government, environmental groups, and other special interest groups. Collectively, the various groups affected by the actions of an organisation are called stakeholders. Nike started with a handshake between two visionary Oregonians Bowerman and his University of Oregon runner Phil Knight. Themselves and the people they hired evolved and grew the company that became Nike from a US based footwear distributor to a global marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and equipment that is unrivalled in the world. Along the way, Nike has established a strong Brand Portfolio with several subsidiaries including Cole Haan, Converse Inc. , Hurley International LLC, Nike Golf, and Umbro Ltd. Their world headquarters is located near Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. So while the Pacific Northwest is the birthplace to Nike, today they operate in more than 160 countries around the globe. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Csr specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Csr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Csr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Through their suppliers, shippers, retailers and other service providers, they directly or indirectly employ nearly one million people. That includes more than 30,000 Nike employees across six continents, each of whom makes their own contribution to fulfil the mission statement, â€Å"to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. † I have chosen Nike, from the sporting goods industry, as my company to evaluate their level of corporate social responsibility, strategies and policies. My reason for this is that Nike has shown a huge change in the business ethics and corporate social responsibility over the last decade or so. From the beginning, Nike has used celebrity athletes to promote its products, and its advertising budget in 2002 ran over $900 million. Despite vast sales, Nike owns very few manufacturing facilities and describes itself as a marketing operation. Most of the shoes and apparel are contracted out to companies in the United States and abroad. The three main operations in America act as distribution centers. Nike came in for criticism when reports surfaced about sweatshop working conditions in factories overseas. Employees were said to be overworked, underpaid, abused and denied the right to organise. Nike’s initial response to these allegations was to say that it was not responsible for the actions of its subcontractors. Since the boycott movement in the 1990’s, Nike has taken positive steps to raise the standards of employment used by its sub contractors. An example of how they did this was by banning petroleum based glues and inviting independent monitors to visit the facilities. In 2007 Nike pledged to cut back on the level of overtime undertaken by workers at its factories, in an attempt to improve working conditions of up to 880,000 workers. This is a serious area of concern for Nike, which operates 130 factories in China, where many workers have been expected to work unpaid. They have also pledged new targets for reducing waste and carbon emissions. This is just a couple of measures Nike have practised and I will discuss a variety more throughout my essay. Their goal is to carry on his legacy of innovative thinking, whether to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders. I am now going to list and elaborate on all of Nikes’ CSR policies and schemes. The Nike Considered Index Breakdown: This index tool is provided for evaluating the carbon footprint of a product prior to commercialisation. This system examines solvent use, waste, materials and innovation for ootwear. Apparel products are evaluated on waste, materials, garment treatments and innovation. Products are assigned a Considered score using the Index framework based on Nikes known footprint in these areas. Only products whose score significantly exceeds the corporate average can be designated as Considered. The Index metrics are based on over a decade of collecting solid waste and solvent use data in footwear, and th e examination of waste footprints in hundreds of apparel and footwear products across all sport categories. They are also based on the evaluation of every commercial material used to manufacture Nike products using a life cycle approach. Reuse the shoe program: Since 1993, Nike have recycled over twenty million sports shoes and contributed to more than 250 sports surfaces for children to play on. They promote this program by using the slogan, â€Å"Worn out. Play on. † Nike Environmentally preferred materials: Nike has developed a Material Analysis Tool (MAT) based on lifecycle thinking to quantitatively evaluate and rank our material choices, giving definition to Nike EPMs. Each material is assigned a numeric value that feeds into a sustainability score for our products. The MAT framework is a set of 19 environmental impact questions, in four categories that are weighted as follows: Issue| Weighting| Impact Metric| Chemistry| 40%| Risk (hazard and exposure potential) A number of toxicology endpoints are considered including:Carcinogens Acute Hazards Chronic Hazards Endocrine Disruptors / Teratogens | Energy Intensity / CO2| 25%| MJ / Kg of Material Energy Source Kg CO2 / kg of Material | Physical Waste| 20%| Recycled Inputs Manufacturing Waste Disposition Consumer End of Life Disposition | Water Intensity| 15%| gt;, =, lt; 100 Liters / kg of Material | Sustainable materials: Expanding the use of environmentally preferred materials as new technologies become commercially viable will allow Nike to integrate these materials into the products. These materials have added environmental benefits that do not compromise the quality and performance of Nike products. This allows for leverage on purchase volumes with suppliers, making environmentally preferred material options more cost effective. Nike focus on engaging men and boys in achieving gender equality: The Nike Foundation joined more than 450 cross-sector leaders in this unique symposium to explore research and best practices by programs that challenge rigid gender norms and engage men and boys in reducing violence against women and girls, promoting sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and fatherhood and care giving. One of the most fundamental impacts Nike can have is to improve working conditions in their global supply chain and the industry as a whole. The three main product lines of Nikes brand footwear, apparel and equipment are made by 565 contract factories that employ more than 800,000 workers in 46 countries around the world. Being the market leader, it is critical for them to stay competitive in terms of employee wage and manufacturing costs, however in terms of brand image and rapport it is crucial for Nike to act ethically. This is no doubt a difficult area for Nike and causes a lot of concern in the present day. Nike is very transparent when it comes to corporate responsibility as they show their reports on their website. A quote from their website states, â€Å"Reporting provides information about Nike’s corporate responsibility performance and strategy. Corporate responsibility must evolve from being seen as an unwanted cost to being recognized as an intrinsic part of a healthy business model, an investment that creates competitive advantage and helps a company achieve profitable, sustainable growth. Nike’s long-term corporate responsibility goals are broadly embedded into our business. † As I researched through the various practical models such as the AA1000 and GRI reporting I found elements that I can relate to Nike. Firstly, as I researched www. accountability. org, I found a business aid AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard. It discusses how securing the right to be heard for people who are affected by or can affect an organisation’s activities and obliging the organisation to respond to these concerns, makes organisations perform better. It increases their knowledge, their legitimacy, and the values that are affirmed or created by the dialogue enhance their reputation nd moral stature. Nike as a company and market leader in my opinion does this very well. Their website shows a substantial amount of information that stakeholders would want to know. On the site you can access all their CR reports online which show that they are satisfied with their business ethics and this can only benefit their brand image and strengthens their position a market leader. It also shows that Nike sees reporting as an important means of sharing information about its commitments, successes and targets regarding corporate responsibility. The website states,† We prepare information, taking account of our business impacts and the desires of stakeholders, to provide an open, clear picture about our aims and progress in incorporating responsible practice into our operations. † In addition to this, Nike also has an article on innovation and sustainability which shows, along with the other material mentioned that Nike does hold CSR in high regards, especially the informing of its’ shareholders. Crowthers Stages of Maturity for CSR Stage of Development| Dominant feature| Typical activity| Examples| 1| Window Dressing| Redesigning corporate reporting| Changed wording and sections to reflect CSR language| 2| Cost containment| Re-engineering business processes| Energy efficiency programmes| 3| Stakeholder engagement| Balanced scorecard development| Customer/employee satisfaction surveys| 4| Measurement and reporting| Sophisticated tailored measures| CSR reports| 5| Sustainability| Defining sustainability:Re-engineering processes| Sustainability reporting| 6| Transparency| Concern for the supply chain: requiring CSR from suppliers| Human rights enforcement e. . child labour| 7| Accountability| Reconfiguration of the value chain| Relocating high value added activity in developing countries| Crowthers stage of maturity for CSR is another model that I feel I can analysis Nike upon. This model shows how companies develop their corporate responsibility strategies as well as being able to rate themselves in their develop ment process form one to seven. In terms of stage one; Nike has certainly achieved this through dedicating their CSR strategies on their websites for all stakeholders to see. For stage two Nike have began to use ecycled materials such as recycled polyester in many of products in the All Conditions Gear outdoor line as well as various active apparel items. Expanding the use of environmentally preferred materials as new technologies become commercially viable will allow integration of these materials into their products. These materials have added environmental benefits that do not compromise the aesthetic, quality and performance that consumers expect from Nike products. Stage 3 of Crowthers model deals with stakeholder engagement. Nike has expressed interest in the importance of suitable factories working conditions for employees overseas. In addition Nike is sharing select contract factory auditing tools. These tools help provide further transparency and insight into the manner in which Nike contract factories are evaluated for compliance with company standards. From this information it shows that Nike has covered stage 3extensively. Stage four has also been covered through Nike having all their CSR reports from 2004 on their website. Sustainability reporting for stage 5 again Nike has on the website www. nikebiz. com. In the United Kingdom, Nike has been a lead member of the United Kingdoms Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP). Through SCAP, they partner with the U. K. government to improve the environmental and social impacts of the clothing supply chain. SCAP was launched in February 2009 at Estethica, London Fashion Weeks sustainable fashion show. Main areas of focus for the action plan are the reuse, recycling, and development and use of sustainable fibres. Sustainability is crucial to Nikes future success and in their sustainability report it says,† We anticipate a future that seeks out and rewards new models of consumption and growth, separated from material consumption. Its a transition from build, buy and bury the common business model today to a future of sustainable business models for consumption and growth. † However, their main competitor in the sporting goods industry, Adidas, made it for the sixth time in a row into the ranking of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. The Global 100 is a selected group of companies taken from a pool of some 1,800 international companies which provides investors and other stakeholders with a unique evaluation tool. Launched in 2005, the annual Global 100 is announced each year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Nike does not display this achievment, so im presuming that they have not made into the rankings, suggesting that Adidas are more sustainable. Due to the fact that all Nike’s CSR information is on their website, it’s clear that they are very transparent. Nike states in one of their policies that they will not to use leather in its products produced from cattle raised in the Amazon Biome as defined by IBGE (Brazil’s National Institute of Geography and Statistics. Another area where Nike shows their transparency is by allowing monitoring of all its factories. The European Unions European Commission has launched a voluntary online register for interest representatives (groups and bodies who seek to influence policy formulation and decision-making processes of EU institutions). Nike has been a member of this from 2008 and has been strongly committed to tr ansparency in government advocacy for many years. Although Nike, in my opinion have been successful so far in Crowthers model but when it comes to accountability it is a different matter. To a certain extent Nike are accountable as they provide a level of exposure on their website and are stakeholder friendly, but accountability does not stop there. Nike have 565 contract factories in 46 countries mainly in southeast Asia to reap the benefits of lower wage rates and excess to raw material suppliers. They are not, at the moment, looking to relocate to assist in developing companies. Besides all these initiatives in the area of fair labour practices that Nike introduced, the public awareness on the issue of social accountability that was resulted due to the earlier campaigns, which started in early 1990s, could not put to a halt. So I would rate Nike to be at the stage 6/7 of Crowthers model because they have shown transparency as I have discussed but I feel there is always more from a business of this size to give. For example instead of claiming that there abroad employees are getting legal, minimum wage they should be stating exactly how much they are getting. Therefore showing that they have nothing to hide and are accountable for there actions. According to Carroll, â€Å"corporate social responsibility involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. To be socially responsible means that profitability and obedience to the law are foremost conditions when discussing the firm’s ethics and the extent to which it supports the society in which it exists with contributions of money, time and talent† Caroll’s model, the CSR pyramid deals with the four main aspect of CSR; Philanthropic, Ethical, Legal and Economic responsibilities. I am now going to discuss how Nike’s social responsibility can be related to these key areas. The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility (Carroll,1991. ) In respect to the philanthropic section of Carroll’s pyramid I can discuss a number of ways in which Nike have been a respectable corporate citizen. In 2009, Nike teamed up with RED to come together and fight HIV/AIDS in Africa by delivering funds to support programs that offer education and medication on the ground, and have used the power of sport to engage youth around the world, in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Another way in which Nike have supported the community is by donating money to the Bowerman Track Project. Bowerman (co founder) stepped down from the Nike board of directors in June 1999 after holding the post since 1968, over the past 10 years Nike have contributed two million dollars in grants to support the building and ongoing maintenance and refurbishment of running tracks in the United States. In terms of ethics, Nike have shared a variety of auditing tools to provide further transparency and insight into the manner in which Nike contract factories are evaluated for compliance with company standards. Examples of these tools are SHAPE (Safety, Health, Attitude of Management, People and Environment) and ESH (Environment, Safety and Health). Nike, like every other company holds their legal responsibilities in the highest regard. Nike is responsible in this respect as they pay employees in all factories the legal wage as well as not employing anybody under the age of eighteen. In addition to this Nike operate a global free phone line for employees to report in confidence any suspected violations of the law or our code of ethics. Any reported concerns around accounting, auditing or internal control are communicated to the Audit Committee of the Board. The fact that Nike are market leaders is because of their ability to make profits. Nike’s current assets have risen from $9. 6 dollars in August 2009 to $10. 5 billion in August 2010. In relation to Nike’s revenues, in August 2009 it was $4. 8 billion and in August 2010 it has risen to $5. 17 billion. Gross profit has also risen from $2. 3 billion in August 2009 to $2. 5 billion the following year. From these figure it is clear that Nike are still a profitable company. Nike’s main competitor in their market is Adidas. In terms of CSR it was crucial that Nike treated employees in a fair manner and since their CSR improvements in 2000, Nike have saved themselves a large amount of valued customers. If Nike had not increased and established a level of corporate responsibility, the negative publicity, reports etc could have damaged Nike’s reputation and customers may have shifted their buying preferences to Adidas. If Nike had not done what they did there is a strong possibility that Adidas could be today’s market leader. â€Å"Competitive advantage is a special edge that allows an organisation to deal market and environmental forces better than its competitors. (Schermerhorn) With all companies, there is always a need for bench marking against competitors. An area of Adidas’ weakness could the very recent merge between Reebok and Adidas, especially in terms of CSR. The problem with the two companies merging is that they could be culturally different and this could lead to the ign oring of cultural differences instead of implementing them, which could lead to failure in the combination. This is due to top level managers not having intercultural knowledge from lack of training in this area. The fact that the newly combined Adidas and Reebok will be dealing with management and infrastructure changes as well as learning a new corporate responsibility culture, Nike will be still going at full speed. Therefore developing their CSR policies, new innovative products and developments. Another area that I feel Nike is stronger on compared to their main competitor Adidas is the idea of stakeholder engagement. Nike in the 1990’s were renowned for their CSR opaqueness but now are reporting on CSR, auditing tools, sustainability measure and community projects demonstrating transparency and recognising a wider stakeholder audience. Adidas on the other hand their reports are updated periodically and seem to be always referring back to their KPI’s. This narrows their stakeholder audience and weakens their CSR reports as a useful marketing tool. Updating their CSR reports rather than leaving all the reports online does not allow people to see how far the have developed in their CSR strategies or sustainability statements. To finalise my findings on Nike, they were poor on CSR in the 1990’s. It could be they felt that it restricts the free market goal of profit aximisation, dilutes the primary aim of the business or limits the ability to compete in the global market place. However CSR demonstrates a commitment to society’s values and contribute to society’s social, environmental, and economic goals through action. It also insulates the public from the negative impacts of company operations, products and services. Although the main aim of Nike is to make profits, CSR essentially is  "doing the right thing† and Nike demonstrating this will enable them to make more money in the future. From my research I have found that Nike is, in my opinion, still leading in this industry in all aspects whether it’s market share, policies on corporate responsibilities or giving back to the community and I hope I have expressed enough throughout my assignment.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Medieval Europe essays

Medieval Europe essays Many great Historians of European history identify the years 500-1500 the Middle Ages or the Medieval Period. The word medieval came about when early scholars combined the two Latin words medium (middle) and aevum (age), which means the transition between ancient and modern times. The first 500 years of this period are known as the Early Middle Ages or the Dark Ages. They were called the Dark Ages because the level of learning and culture were not as great as they had been earlier, during Greek and Roman Times. After the year 1000, Western Europeans saw many changes in their social, economic, and political lives. The many small kingdoms of Western Europe began to develop political strength and size. This time period was known as the Later Middle Ages. However, this time period played a great roll in history because it laid the foundation for Europe's future development. The Early Middle Ages firstly began with the fall of Roman empire which lead to a decline in commerce and cities in Western Europe. This time period is known more for its plunge than anything else. Bridges, roads, and sewage systems were not maintained. Many people left cities for the countryside because city life became almost unbearable. Many kingdoms were now developing, but they all remained small and weak. However, there was one exception to this, the Frankish Kingdom, which included most of present-day France and the western half of present-day Germany. The Franks were a Germanic group of people who had adopted the Christian Religion. One of the Franks greatest leaders was Charles Martel who organized an army to fight the Moors (a Muslim Group who invaded Spain). These two powers met at the Battle of Tours, but the Franks came out on top. This battle stopped the Moors from advancing anymore into the heart of Europe. The next dominant leader of the Franks was Martel's grandson, Charlemagne, who was the son of Pepin the Short. He ruled what are now p...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

False Cognates are Faux Amis Who May Not Be Welcome

False Cognates are Faux Amis Who May Not Be Welcome In English and Romance languages like French, many words have the same roots, they look identical or very similar, and they share the same meaning. Thats a wonderful convenience to the student of either language. However, there are also a great many faux amis (false friends), that are  false cognates.  These are words that look identical or similar in both languages, but they have completely different meanings- a  pitfall for English-speaking students of French. A Pitfall for Students There are also semi-false cognates: words that sometimes, but not always, share the same meaning as the similar-looking word in another language.  Semi-false cognates are words that don’t look exactly the same, but they’re similar enough to cause confusion.   The  list of French-English false cognates below includes both false cognates and semi-false cognates, and the meaning of each word. To avoid confusion, weve added (F) for French and (E) for English to the titles. There are hundreds of false cognates between French and English. Here are few to get you started. Faux Amis and Semi-Faux Amis Ancien  (F)  vs. ancient (E)Ancien (F)  commonly means former, as in lancien maire  (the former mayor), although it can also mean ancient as in English  in certain contexts that discuss, for instance, very old civilizations. Attendre  (F)  vs. attend (E)Attendre means to wait for and its in one of the most common French phrases:  Je t’attends  (Im waiting for you). The English attend, of course, though similar in appearance means to take part in or to go to some event, such as a meeting or a concert. Bra  (F)  vs. bra  (E) The French bra  (F) is a limb on the human body and the opposite of jambe (leg). A bra (E) in English is, of course, a female undergarment, but the French call this garment, appropriately, a support (un soutien-gorge). Brasserie (F)  vs. brassiere (E)A French brasserie is an institution in France, a place, much like the British pub, where youd find a bar that serves meals, or a brewery. No connection to the female undergarment in the English word brassiere, of which bra  is the abbreviated form. Blessà © (F) vs. Blessed (E)If someone is blessà ©Ã‚  in France, they are wounded, emotionally or physically. This is far from the English blessed, which can apply to a religious sacrament or just great luck. Bouton (F) vs. button  (E)Bouton does  mean button in French, as it does in English, but  a French  bouton  can also refer to that bane of the teenage years: a  pimple.   Confection (F) vs. confection (E)La confection (F) refers to the making or preparing of clothing, a device, a meal, and more. It can also refer to the clothing industry. An English  confection  (E) is a class of food thats sweet, something thats made in a bakery or candy shop. Exposition (F) vs. exposition (E)Une exposition (F) can refer to an exposition of facts, as well as to an exhibition or show, the aspect of a building, or exposure to heat or radiation.  An English exposition is a commentary or or an essay developing a point of view. Grand  (F) vs. grand (E)Grand is a very, very common French word for big, but there are times it refers to something or someone great, such as un grand homme  or a grand-pà ¨re.  When it describes a person’s physical appearance, it means tall. Grand in English commonly refers to a special human being, thing, or place of notable achievement. Implantation (F) vs. implantation (E)Une implantation  is the introduction or setting up of a new method or industry, a settlement, or a companys presence in a country or region. Medically, the French terms means implantation (of an organ or embryo). An English implantation is an implantation only in the sense of an introduction or setting up or in the medical sense. Justesse (F) vs justice (E)French justesse  is all about exactness, accuracy, correctness, soundness, and the like. If something is juste, it is corect. The English justice  refers to what we expect when the rule of law prevails: justice. Librairie  (F) vs. Library (E)These two terms are  often confused, and  they are true  faux amis. Books are involved in both, but  une librairie  is where you go to purchase a book: a bookshop or newsstand. Your local library is  une bibliothà ¨que in France,  or these days  it may be part of  a  mà ©diathà ¨que.  The English library is, of course, where you borrow books. Location  (F) vs. location  (E)  There are miles between these two meanings.  A French location  is a rental, and youll often see ads for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"les meilleures locations  de vacances,† meaning â€Å"the best holiday rentals.†Ã‚  Location is the physical spot where something like a building lives, you know: location, location, location, which can be important in finding a French location. Monnaie  (F) vs. money (E)Monnaie  for the French is the loose change jingling in your pocket or weighing down your handbag. People at the checkout who say they have no  monnaie  dont have the right change. English money is all of it, both change and bills. Vicieux (F) vs. vicious (E)The French term  vicieux (F) gives us pause because its what you call someone perverted, depraved, or nasty. In English, the vicious person is brutal, but not quite so nasty as a  vicieux in French.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

West indian literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

West indian literature - Essay Example Poet uses a language blends with her native language with enormous simplicity and the Caribbean have the view that their language is something differ from other language. The language of the poem reveals the suppression and sufferings of Caribbean people with all its emotional conflicts. In his article, entitled ‘Selected poems by Lorna Goddison’ Almendarez shares similar views about the Goddison’s language. He rightly puts it as: â€Å"Many of Goodison’s poems express a deep connection to Jamaica with all of its open wounds and beauty scars.†(Almendarez, Ayme, 2006). Her images are related with harsh realities of colonization and the suffering women folk in Caribbean countries. In her poem, Survivor Goddison uses free verse with an extensive use of words. The repetition of consonant sounds constitutes rhythmic quality of the poem. When analyzing the poem one can identify themes like the inner feelings and identity crisis, yearnings of the heart, and the clamors and temptations of the rough world are explored the following lines. The poet sings: â€Å"They took most living things/ even some rare species/ with extended wings† (Goodison, 4-6). The excellent use of figure of speech is another significant feature of Goddison’s poetry. The use of metaphor is apt to the situation when the poet remarks about her ancestors who sacrificed themselves for attaining their birth rights. Poet says, â€Å"So, here the wind plays/mourning notes/ on bones that once were ribs.†(Goodison, 11-13). The movement of the wind has been attributed as playing ‘mourning notes’ with a musical touch. There is a note of simile when she writes, ‘barrel of rain.’ The poem Survivor filled with rich images and word pictures. The survival of Caribbean woman can see such as ‘bear feet and bound hair’. The words of Chamberlin make it clear when he rightly says, â€Å"This freedom, along with the love and language of their islands, has been nourished by West

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Single-sex education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Single-sex education - Research Paper Example ts have the right to get a good education, the readers can identify the advantages and disadvantages of each system to develop the current education system. Single-sex or gender-separate education relates to education that involves members of the same sex attending the same classes. This may occur in elementary, secondary schools or even in higher education. This is in contrast to the more conventional coeducation style of education where students of both sexes attend the same classes and schools. This single-sex education has been used in so many countries where it is considered as an appropriate style from the view of religion, or cultural tradition. Also, it was a worldwide style of education before the nineteenth century (Wikipedia, n.d.). According to The New York Times magazine, the number of single-sex schools had increased to forty-nine in 2008. In 1995, this number was only two in the whole United States (Silva, 2008). Each student has the right to get better educated and the solution is to have a coeducation system which offers single-sex classrooms to approach the advantages of both. Title IX was the first law that seemed to support the learning of both boys and girls together. It stated that boys and girls should be educated equally and together. Nevertheless, in 2006, the Department of Education removed these boundaries that only supposed on single-sex education. Since then, single-sex schools and classes was split across the country(Stanberry, n.b.). The change to Title IX to allow single-sex education in public schooling provided more choices in the public schools. Parents from then on have variety of options in the public schools for their children’s education. For example, Prestige Academy was going to open in 2008 in Wilmington, America for boys’ only public charter school. This was an important step to help black and Latino boys that come from low-income, and scored lower than the average score in most of the school’s requested goals

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Physics, Roller Coasters Essay Example for Free

Physics, Roller Coasters Essay Roller coasters Additional notes: GPE = m x g x h KE = m x v? The main energy transfers that happen as a car travels along the track from the start of the ride to the end: [1]The rollercoaster car gains gravitational potential energy (GPE) as it travels to the top. Once over the top, the car gains speed as GPE is transferred to kinetic energy (KE). As it travels to the top of another loop, KE is transferred to GPE. Not all the energy is transferred to or from GPE – some is transferred to the surroundings as heat and sound. All moving objects have kinetic energy, KE. The kinetic energy an object has depends on the mass and speed. If the mass doubles, the KE doubles and if the speed doubles, the KE quadruples. Normally energy is lost through sound and heat (friction, air resistance). How the heights of the hills are designed to allow an empty car to reach the end of the ride: [2]The hills are designed so that it is low enough that the momentum of the car from the previous drop carries it up and over the hill. This is why the hills are usually lower towards the end of the ride, because the car has lost momentum due to friction and air resistance. Mainly the consecutive hill must be lower as it will not have enough energy because some of it is lost and sound and heat. Therefore, if the car was to reach the end of the ride, the height of the hills must be lower each consecutive time. How the energy transfers determine the heights of the hills: [4] After the roller coaster is drops from the first hill it does two things with its energy. First, it begins to transform that energy from one form to anotherfrom gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy and from kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy, back and forth. Second, it begins to transfer some of its energy to its environment, mostly in the form of heat and sound. Each time the roller coaster goes downhill, its gravitational potential energy decreases and its kinetic energy increases. Each time the roller coaster goes uphill, its kinetic energy decreases and its gravitational potential energy increases. But each transfer of energy isnt complete because some of the energy is lost to heat and sound. Because of this lost energy, the roller coaster cant return to its original height after coasting downhill. Thats why each successive hill must be lower than the previous hill. Eventually the roller coaster has lost so much of its original total energy that the ride must end. With so little total energy left, the roller coaster cant have much gravitational potential energy and must be much lower than the top of the first hill. This is why the hills must be a certain height, in order to transfer enough GPE into KE. Bibliography: [1] http://www. bbc. co. uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_ocr_gateway/forces/themeridesrev2. shtml [2] http://science. howstuffworks. com/engineering/structural/roller-coaster3. htm [3] http://www. coasterforce. com/coasters/technical-info/physics-of-a-coaster [4] http://library. thinkquest. org/26455/amuse/roller/roller01. shtml [5] Collins Additional Sciences B ISBN-13 978-0-00-741531-1 Colin Bell, 2011

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster Essay -- Analysis, Emilie Durkheim

Buffalo Creek Flood Disaster Emilie Durkheim described the concepts of social regulation and social integration, and how both are connected to suicide rates. Both of these concepts can also be used to analyze the effect that the Buffalo Creek flood had on individuals and the community. Using the ideas of social regulation and social integration as well as the book â€Å"Everything in Its Path† by Kai T. Erikson, we can see the consequences of the Buffalo Creek flood disaster. Durkheim used the concepts of social regulation and social integration to analyze how social forces affect suicide. Social integration refers to how integrated a person is inside their social group, or the level of attachment a person feels toward their group (Conley 187). Social integration varies greatly from community to community and differs in degrees of member attachment. A tightly knit community, where citizens interact with each other in a variety of ways, reflects higher social integration. This can be compared to a community in which members rarely or never interact with many other community members, which reflects low social integration. According to Durkheim, two types of suicide arise from the different levels social integration. One cause of suicide is extremely low social integration, which is referred to as egoistic suicide. Durkheim argues that this is the case because others give the individual’s life meaning, so without this support from the group the person may feel hopeless (Conley 188). The other type of suicide, altruistic suicide, reflects the opposite situation: when an individual is too socially integrated (Conley 189). This type of suicide occurs when members of a group or community become so totally engrossed by the group tha... ... no rules to govern everyday life, there was no moral compass. The loss of community was acutely felt by the former Buffalo Creek residents, who had previously been a very tight knit people. This was demonstrated by the fact that post-disaster euphoria was completely absent after the flood. Usually this euphoria arises when the survivors realize that the community is still existent and alive. However in Buffalo Creek there was not a shred of community left to cause celebration. This was due in part to HUD’s housing regulations that not only worsened the feeling of isolation, but also because of the massive destruction caused by the flood itself. After the sudden and violent incident the pain of the survivors would continue far into their future. The chronic pain and suffering resulting from the loss of community and the effects of it on would linger for years. â€Æ'

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Globalization & Planet Essay

In our world today, firm evidences are very much needed to support claims and produce a sturdy foundation of concepts that were recently discovered by few a portion of the population. In connection to this, the role that scientists play in the discovery and confirmation of certain events is very crucial especially in terms of environmental issues because they are deemed to be the people who are knowledgeable of the technicalities and dimensions of the natural phenomena (Gott et al. , 2009). In dealing with these types of issues, it is believed that the knowledge and expertise of the scientists, researchers, and other experts must be put into consideration prior to the development of environmental policies (Gott et al. , 2009). This is based on the idea that the availability of concrete scientific evidence will enhance the integrity of the policy that is to be formed and will also save the stakeholders from investing time and monetary provisions to policies and actions that are not hinged on well-researched and scientifically backed up data (Gott et al. , 2009). Consequently, the importance of a having scientific evidence prior to the formation of environmental actions is essential in ensuring that all the possible pitfalls and counteractions for the study are provided. B. Is it better to prepare for the consequences of global warming rather than try to prevent it? As seen from the slide presentations of chapter 9, it is clearly depicted from this reference material that it is more important to prevent the occurrence of global warming rather than trying to rely on the idea that preparation for the consequences of this natural phenomenon is a better option (It is one planet, n. d). Although it is true that the occurrence of global warming is a natural phenomenon that will proceed on its own conditions, man should still do his or her best to accomplish ways that can lessen the speed of the reactions and minimize the possible amount of the detrimental effects on our mother Earth. At present, actions made by national leaders like Al Gore and government leaders of other developed countries will tell us that addressing the roots of the problem on global warming is still a better option than just sitting down and waiting for the effects to come and hoping that the pre-formed actions will suffice the need to prevent subsequent damages (It is one planet, n. d). People all over the world can lessen the utilization of carbon-based products, reduce the usage of technologies that emit substantial amount of pollution to our surroundings, and exhibit a global effort to lessen the consumption of materials that tend to damage the quality of the natural resources that are made available to us by nature in order to prevent the worsening conditions of global warming (It is one planet, n. d). C. Can you imagine a world without oil? Does it matter? In 1950s, a geologist named Marion King Hubbert predicted the bell-shaped trend on the production and consumption of oil products in the United States of America and by comparing his predictions to the present conditions, it will appear that he is right (Goodstein, 2004). According to Hubbert, oil production or oil supply in the USA will start to reduce by 1970 (Goodstein, 2004). Here also said that the worldwide supply of oil will also start to reduce by the year 2000 (Goodstein, 2004). In accordance to this, present data show that humans are using oil products at rate of about 25 billion barrels per year and by merging this data to the predictions of Hubbert and other experts, it can be said that we have about 40 more years to enjoy the benefits of oil (Goodstein, 2004). Based from these facts, it can be said that a world without oil is not far from reality and is actually about to happen in the near future (Goodstein, 2004). Hence, people should act now on the development of alternative energy sources in order to avoid pandemonium that is caused by the lack of material that will power our modern equipments (Goodstein, 2004). D. Are environmental issues an opportunity or a constraint for corporations? Corporations can look at environmental issues both as constraints and as opportunities depending on the way by which they handle the situation (Shah, 2002). In a report published in 2002 by the United Nations Environment Program, they said that there is an increasing disparity between efforts to save the planet and business projects (Shah, 2002). One specific example on the manner by which corporations utilized environmental issues as an opportunity is seen on the exploitation and harassment of the Nigerian people in order to push through with the oil extraction process in the said country (Shah, 2002). This event clearly shows the abusive power that can be manipulated by large corporations (Shah, 2002). In contrary to this, however, are the efforts made by the GE Company to develop green business, a venture that has enabled them to produce eco-friendly products (GE Company, 2010). Therefore, it lies in the hands of the owners of these big corporations on whether they will use their power to benefit or to harm the Mother Nature. E. Should the decisions at global conferences be made enforceable? By whom? Ultimate enforcement of decisions made on global conferences can only be done if majority of the participating nations have agreed on the idea that was raised and when a global pressing issue is the concern of the conference (UN, 2009). Consequently, it is the United Nations which is allowed to execute enforcement of these types of decisions and this is because of the fact that this organization is joined by majority of the nations in the world and is also authorized to carry out stipulations and solutions to issues on health, environment, and social concerns (UN, 2009). F. How does bring about a change in life styles in order to live sustainability? In order to switch to a sustainable way of living, a series of simple to complex efforts can be done by a person and these efforts are characterized by the alteration of the way by which one deals with his or her environment, changing the daily activities and avoiding bad habits, and overall promotion of responsibility to the things that are executed by the person (Ways of Wisdom, 2002). Specific steps that can be done in order to have a sustainable lifestyle include the promotion of resourcefulness, healthy physical work, and self reliance; not focusing on the short-term effects of monetary rewards but on the long-term plans, tapping natural resources in a positive way like backyard gardening and tree planting, stewardship for the environment, and valuing the importance of time and resources in order to avoid waste of time and efforts on non-important things (Ways of Wisdom, 2002). References General Electric Company. (2010). Ecomagination. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. ge. ecomagination. com Goodstein, D. (2004). The end of the age of oil. California Institute of Technology, 38 (2). Gott, R. , Duggan, S. , Roberts, R. & Hussain, A. (2009). Research into understanding scientific evidence. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. dur. ac. uk It is one planet. (n. d). Chapter 9. Shah, A. (2002). Corporations and the environment. Global Issues. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. globalissues. org United Nations. (2009). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Division for Sustainable Development. Retrieved 06 May 2010, from http://www. un. org Ways of Wisdom. (2002). Ten characteristics of a sustainable lifestyle. Ways of Wisdom. Retrieved 06 may 2010, from http://www. waysofwisdom. com

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Bal-A-Vis-X

Trying to minimize which program is the most effective lies in the opinion and experience of the teacher under the policies of each school district. Currently, my professional peers use Brain Gym, Go Noodle, Move It or some form of a self-designed kinesthetic curriculum in their classroom as a management technique to reduce or minimize undesirable behaviors and create healthy environments. Another reason to incorporate movement is to engage multiple areas of the brain and to use both sides of the brain. Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain resulting in improve academic performance. There is a plethora of programs designed to accomplish this concept with integrating kinesthetic lessons into education.It has been proven and evidence supports that movement using multi-sensory techniques increases cognitive functions of the brain. Ultimately, this is the desired outcome or goal for the educator and student.Hubert, Bill.  Cues for Learning and Teaching in Flow. Wichita, KS: Bal-A-Vis-X, 2014. Print.   Bal-A-Vis-X was developed by a teacher in Wichita, Kansas named Bill Hubert. Bill Hubert uses cognitive exercises which encompass the integration of balance, auditory, and vision exercises using racquetballs, balance boards, hand-sized sandbags and various complexity of rhythmic exercises. The exercises focus on rhythm, patterning, balance and visual teaming. The combination of 300 various exercises increase in complexity as the student masters the fundamental skills. The exercises can be reduced to accommodate the student with varying disabilities. The program is designed to help individuals who struggle with academics, post-traumatic stress, physical and social impairments. (Hubert, 2007)Bill Hubert suggest the lack of flow within a person can trigger the stressful occurrences which may cause the cognitive debilitation of an individual. (Hubert, 2007). He further explains what he believes are the series of physical and developmental movement which occur and how this movement contributes to the cognitive aspects of the individual to perform a required task.In Bill Hubert's book Bal-A-Vis-X Rhythmic Balance/Auditory/Vision/eXercises for Brain and Brain-Body Integration, he mentions neurophysiologist Carla Hannaford. She wrote an excerpt about how the brain and body worked which inspired him: A most fundamental and mysterious aspect of the mind, thought, creativity and intelligence are not processes of the brain alone, but the whole body. Sensations, moments, emotions, and brain integrative functions are grounded in the body. The human qualities we associate with the mind can never exists separate from the body, it is our movements that express knowledge and facilitate greater cognitive function as they increase in complexity. (Hubert 2014) The principals of the program are to introduce midline crossings in three dimensions which are designed to follow steady rhythm using the whole mind-body system creating the flow with in the student aligning the mind with the body. The idea is to listen to the rhythm of the sound of the balls bouncing or the sandbags being passed while simultaneously integrating patterned movement involving the whole body.†Making an Intervention Report.†Ã‚  WWC | Find What Works!  US Department of Education, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2018. One reliable intervention resource for Special Education teachers is the website, What Works Clearinghouse created by the Department of Education. The information presented on this website shares interventions which are research based with data which has been proven to be effective and reliable across multiple categories. Another resource is the National Intervention Institute in Florida. They have collected and presented a multitude of research supporting the Response to Intervention tiered System academically and behaviorally. I did not find any data on either of these websites for Bal-A-Vis-X. Searching for data and information seemed to come from the founder himself, testimonials of educators and parents, and other graduate students conducting their own research. I felt the information could be bias and not authentic or reliable. I questioned if Bal-A-Vis-X was possibly just another product to entice the movement program generation to incorporate it in their interventions in schools, nursing homes, care facilities and physical therapy centers. Several of the testimonials were extremely emotional and supportive that Bal-A-Vis-X is remarkable in its entirety. Web. 14 Mar. 2018.  Norsworthy, Francis, and Bill Hubert. The Illustrated Bal-A-Vis-X: Rhythmic Balance/auditory/vision Exercises for Brain and Brain-body Integration. Wichita, Kan.: Bal-A-Vis-X, 2009. Print.  The founder, Bill Hubert claims it takes approximately three years to master all the skills of the program. (Hubert, 2007) I started my project first with viewing the first disc in the series of three. Each disc is a video recording of the founder Bill Hubert and his students demonstrating the first foundational exercises. He demonstrates the target skill precisely. He then demonstrates variations of the skill with modifications to accommodate students who struggle with the skill. Bill Hubert strives for three main goals with the program First, it is important to test a student for visual tracking. This is very important for a student to be able to visually track. Starting from the beginning basic skills visual tracking is essential for the student to be able to follow with their eyes the direction of the bean bags or balls while engaging their body in various other movements simultaneously in multiple directions and abilities. The next goal is to have discipline parameters. Classroom management is necessary. Students must be paying attention to the instructor and responding to exactly what is being demonstrated exactly the way it is intended. The student must be able to hear the rhythm of the bean bags slapping, the balls bouncing, and feel the flow from all of the components of the program working together with the student similar to pendulum swinging. When mind and body are working together harmony will occur in the body and mind to create a sense overall balance. In conclusion of training elementary students in the basic skill activities of Bal-A-Vis-X, I have discovered intensive individualized instruction is needed for optimal results. My fidelity of the training was challenged in the setting I provided for the instruction to the participating students. The parameters of what was needed was comprised by instructing in a group setting for the initial training. In addition, I was unaware at first that I would be losing one training a week per grade level due to Keyboarding class at the same time. I had originally planned on the group training two days a week, for sixteen weeks, for fifteen minutes prior to their physical education class. In the beginning I randomly drew from a jar which had each student's name printed on it from the targeted grade level fourth, fifth and sixth grades. One group would participate and one group would not participate in Bal-A-Vis-X skills. I administered all students an assessment an oral reading fluency probe and a silent reading comprehension probe. There were no significant positive results from the reading data which validated that Bal-A-Vis-X improved the students reading skills comparing from the beginning to end reading skills assessments. There were no significant differences comparing the Bal-A-Vis-X group to the non-Bal-A-Vis-X group either. Even though I did not get the intended results I was hoping for with this intervention program for reading, I did observe other positive outcomes. These observations were my personal observations from watching the students perform the skills. One observation example was a sixth grade girl with Autism. She is high functioning but just rebuts physical activity. She continually argued how all the skills were stupid or hard. I put her on the end to practice by herself or where I could be her partner. She repetitively could not perform the tasks asked without restarting several times, dropping of the beanbags or balls. She couldn't balance herself on the board and refused to even try. Each time I worked with her I broke the task down in smaller increments of movements. Eventually, the complaining decreased and she willing participated. One day at recess, which she stands and typically watches her peers play a popular competitive speed basketball game of shooting hoops, she stepped forward and joined. Remarkably, she hit the hoop every time she attempted to hit the hoop. This was a very first for her. She was so excited and her peers even noticed and were awed by her success. This was the first time I saw her happy and excited to engage with her peers in a physical activity. There were a few other coordination observations I made during the sixteen weeks. In knowledge I have obtained from the results first hand from this program, I have decided to peruse professional development of this program so I can teach it more reliably next year. I would like to teach it one on one to my special needs students. Many of the skills taught on the CD disc I personally struggled with performing them myself. I received as much satisfaction from inter personal learning as I did from learning from the students as they were performing the skills. Over all, I cannot say at this time in my personal opinion, observation, and results from reading assessments that Bal-A-Vis-X will improve a student's reading performance. However, I have not determined that it is not effective either. I will need more time and specific measurable obtainable data implementing the program in a individualized specialized setting for the best results.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Motivation and Leadership Theories

Motivation and Leadership Theories Introduction Leadership is a concept that has been applied in organizations to encourage people to achieve goals. Leaders motivate the followers to achieve the goals of an organization. Therefore, leadership and motivation should be applied together to achieve the intended objectives (Certo, p. 149).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and Leadership Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Transformational theory Leaders apply transformational strategies to change the old systems and install new systems in an organization. In an organization, this can be achieved by collaborating with all stakeholders (Certo, p. 152). From the case study, Jonathan is seen as a transformational leader who is attentive to his workers. Jonathan is focused on the performance of his group by allowing flexibility in the job environment. He assigns his workers different duties each weak, so the workers do not get bored by doing the same task each week. On the other hand, Dan is supervisor who is adamant to allow his worker change work strategies. Hence, Alex complains about doing the same task each weak. Dan does not believe that the best way of learning is doing the same thing over and over again. Alex condemns the way Dan handles the workers. Participative theory Participative theory suggests that ideal leadership style requires the input of others. This helps the member of the group to feel relevant in that organization and engaged in decision making process (Certo, p. 123). In the case study, Jonathan applies this theory by encouraging his employees to notify him when the items are running low. He also empowered them to obtain items from the vendors. Motivation theories For employees to perform their duties to the expectations of an organization, they need to be motivated. Several people have suggested varied theories to find out the workers can be greatly motivated. Contribution theory The theory was dev eloped by Rensis Likert. According to Likert organizations can be broken down into primitive authoritarian, benevolent authoritarian, consultative and participative systems of management. He suggests an organization that embraces this approach is more likely to have motivated workers than organizations that adopt other system. In the case contest, Dan is flexible enough to allow his workers do their work on the own receives feedback from them regarding the job. He discusses job issues with Stephanie and lets her actively participate in determining how the work is to be done. Despite the fact that the work seems difficult Stephanie is motivated because she new assignments as chance to learn new things. On contrast, Dan doesn’t discuss work matters with his employees to find out how better the work can be done. This has left Alex disgruntled and disappointed with his leadership style.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Needs Hierarchy theory This theory postulates that employees are not only motivated by rewards in form of salaries and other bonuses but by also by satisfying employees various needs. Such needs are physiological, security, social, esteem and self-actualization. Any organization that tend to focus on satisfying employee needs is bound to have Motivated workforce In the case study Jonathan understands this and tries appreciating the work done by his employees. He allows his employees to socially and achieves self-actualization about their work performance. Dan on the other hand limits employee’s freedom of socialization by not letting them have a sense of security and association. Conclusion To motivate workers, managers should understand that special attention needs to be paid to worker needs and expectations from organization. They should strive to achieve good working relationship with the workers for proper motivati on and performance. Certo, Samuel. Modern Management: International Version. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd, 2011. Print.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Meanings of Myth and Related Words

The Meanings of Myth and Related Words The Meanings of â€Å"Myth† and Related Words The Meanings of â€Å"Myth† and Related Words By Mark Nichol Myth, originally a word of elevated and scholarly pretension, has passed into the vernacular to describe anything of dubious truth or validity, though it retains earlier senses. This post lists definitions of the word and others of which it is the root. The word derives from the Greek term mythos, which variously means â€Å"speech† or â€Å"story,† or even â€Å"thought.† In modern English usage, a myth is a story, often featuring heroes and deities or supernatural entities, that explains a belief, custom, phenomenon, or worldview; it is also a synonym for allegory or parable. By extension, a myth is a belief or tradition, often one integral to a society, or an invalid notion born of ignorance or bigotry, or simply a rumor or untrue story. (Myth, without the article, denotes a body of myths.) An urban myth, meanwhile, is an account of an unusual or inexplicable event that did not occur, or state that does not exist, that is widely assumed to be true. The primary adjectival form is mythical; it is also used in the sense of â€Å"imaginary,† but mythic is appropriate for referring to astonishing achievements. Mythology pertains to a set of myths, the study of myths, or an allegory, or to an assumption or belief. A mythologist (or, sometimes, mythologer) is someone who studies myths. Mythos is a synonym for both myth and mythology and denotes a symbolic set of cultural attitudes as well. Mythogenesis is the development of myths or the tendency to ascribe mythical status to something. Mythopoeia, too, refers to the creation of myth. To mythicize is to turn something into, or treat something as, a myth; mythologize also has the latter meaning. Conversely, to demythologize is to analyze the meaning of myths or to unromanticize them. (A countermyth, meanwhile, is a myth that challenges or contradicts another myth.) A mythmaker is someone who creates myths, generally in the casual sense of beliefs or traditions or of reputations about a person, place, or thing. A mythomaniac (or, sometimes, mythomane), meanwhile, is a pathological liar or exaggerator; the condition is called mythomania. An etymologically related word is stichomythia (â€Å"verse speech†), denoting argumentative repartee, especially as a dramatic device in the performing arts. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"50 Types of PropagandaPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Biotechnology techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biotechnology techniques - Assignment Example Is this statement TRUE or FALSE, explain? (5 points) Electroporation is used to introduce DNA in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. This is the general method of introducing the foreign DNA into the desired cells. This method uses the electrical pulses to create a pore in the cell membrane and through these pores the foreign DNA molecule is inserted. 3. What are the 3 main sources of Stem Cells? (10 points) The 3 main sources of stem cells included Bone marrow, Bloodstream or peripheral blood and finally umbilical cord blood from the newborns. Bone marrow particularly those in the pelvis’ bones have rice supply. Blood normally has few stem cells, and when hormone like substances called growth factors are given to individuals, stems cells grow faster and move from the marrow to the blood. Blood left in the placenta and the umbilical cord of the newborns can be retrieved, store and utilized for future.   4. What is meant by humanization of mouse antibodies and what is the need for "humanization"?  (10 points) While using therapeutic antibodies or murine antibodies isolated from mice in humans, immunogencity problem arose due to the differing protein sequence. To alleviate this issue, specific regions within a mouse antibody called complementarity determining regions (CDR) are identified and transferred into human variable regions and this process is called humanization. When this is done, it will confer binding and so the resultant humanized antibodies can function without major immunogencity problem.   5. Which technology cannot be used to determine the function of a gene? Explain. (5 points) Stem cell technology cannot be used to study the gene function because, it is a method to produce the entire cell and study the organs and it is not the direct method of analysis of gene function.    6. cDNA microarray technology specifically evaluates the gene expression levels of ONLY microRNA in cells and tissues. Is this statement TRUE or FALSE? Explain? ( 5 points) No cDNA microarray technology is used for the analysis of all the genes and its function. cDNA technology is used to analyse the functions of known and unknown gene.    7. Which of the following gene expression strategies increase the number of different proteins available to the cell without increasing the total number of genes encoded by the genome?(5 points) Translation is used to increase the number of different proteins in the cell without increasing the total number of genes in the genome. By varying the mRNA translation, the protein synthesis is modified.    8. In the sequence given below, how many EcoRI recognition sites are present? Please circle them. (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5’-ATGGAATTCCCAATTGAATTCCGGCTGAATTCAAA-3’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3’-TACCTTAAGGGTTAACTTAAGGCCGACTTAAGTTT-5’ There are three EcoRI recognition sites in the given sequences. They are   5’-ATGGAATTCCCAATTGAATTCCGGCTGAATTCAAA-3’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3â⠂¬â„¢-TACCTTAAGGGTTAACTTAAGGCCGACTTAAGTTT-5’ 9. What is meant by the statement, "Complementation screening of genomic eukaryotic clones will not work in E.coli because of absence of splicing machinery?" (10 points) E.coli is a prokaryote. The bacterial systems cannot remove the introns from the mRNA sequences. Complementation screening is the technique used to identify the mutations in the gene of interest. In this method, the selection is based on the capacity of the gene to get back the phenotype. The splicing mechanism is not present in the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Alcohol Abuse in Adolescents and Personality Essay

Alcohol Abuse in Adolescents and Personality - Essay Example Today, however, we will be considering the link between alcoholic abuse in adolescents and personality by reflecting upon two of the major personality traits that researchers believe to be indicative of Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among Australian adolescents. In 2001, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey reported that approximately two-thirds of 14-17 year-olds used alcohol, with almost one-fifth admitting that they consumed alcohol on a regular basis, while the Australian Temperament Project (ATP) revealed that some 25 percent of 13-14 year-olds had used alcohol within the previous month. The project also reported a serious increase in the amount of adolescents using alcohol, with 60 percent of 15-16 year-olds, and 85 percent of 17-18 year-olds, having consumed alcohol within the past month (Smart, Vassallo, Sanson, Richardson, Dussuyer et al.2003). The misuse of alcohol among adolescents is an increasingly serious problem. Although it has been shown that many teenagers do not suffer from alcohol-related problems (Bonomo, Coffey, Wolfe, et al., 2001), there exists a large sub-group who engage in dangerous levels of drinking. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW 2003), for example, reported that approximately 35 percent of 14-17 year-olds, and 64 percent of 18-24 year-olds, consume high-risk levels of alcohol. The incidence of dangerous drinking patterns was even higher among Australia's Indigenous youth (AIHW 2003). Alcohol and Personality - Current Literature An Australian survey (Shanahan & Hewit, 1999), which was conducted in order to discover the needs of a national alcohol campaign, reported that adolescents aged between 15-17 years identified the major influences in their use of alcohol as being: The desire to try new experiences (79%); the need to socialise with peers (77%); peer pressure (68%); a way of escaping from their problems (66%); and trying to dispel feelings of inadequacy/insecurity (66%). Other literature has also revealed similar results. Labouvie (1990) and Maggs (1997), for example, found that some adolescents used alcohol in relation to psychosocial adjustment and functioning. However, alcohol abuse and dependency usually results from a progressive development, which involves the dynamic interplay of a wide variety of influences spread over a long period of time.The way in which personality affects this process has received widespread research and/or study, through which it has been shown that; "By the first grade, or earlier, children show temperament and behaviour traits that are powerful indicators of their inclination to use and abuse drugs in their teenage and adult years. Researchers have identified not only common childhood risk factors and behaviours that predict drug abuse potential but also protective factors that shield some children from influences to use drugs" (Neil Swan, 1995). A number of long-range studies, which traced 1,242 at-risk children over a twenty-year period, identified two important risk factors predicting future alcoholic abuse. These were, shyness - described as "sitting alone, having few friends and not

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Assignment Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Assignment Two - Essay Example icle on â€Å"The effect of unionization on the gender earnings gap in Canada† by Shamsuddin and University of New England (1996), women are not as organized as compared to men when it comes to joining unions. Gender variations in unions are a critical topic in Human Resource Economics because students in the management class get to understand the role that unions play in a state. The second question is on the topic of 21st century unionization rates by genders. Have the rates of men and women in Unions changed in the 21st century? Contrary to the number of women who joined unions in the 1990s, women in the 21st century are now joining unions at an increasing rate. Women in 1981 were at a rate of 31% as compared to men who were at a rate of 42% in terms of joining unions (Barry & Wilkinson, 2011). The 21st century unionization rates by genders serves as a fundamental topic in Human Resource Economic because students in a management class are in a better position to address gender differences among employees as future managers. Lastly, the other question is on unionization rates in Canada and United States. Is there enough evidence to show that the unionization rates in Canada are similar to those in the U.S? According to Barry and Wilkinson (2011), there is little research showing the possible causes of gender variations in Canada. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more research to fully understand the gender variations in unions which are in Canada (Shamsuddin & University of New England, 1996). The unionization rates in Canada and the U.S are important in Human Resource Economics because they allow management students to understand the factors that have an impact on different countries when it comes to managing unions or different employees as future

Sunday, October 27, 2019

E Books To Replace College Textbooks

E Books To Replace College Textbooks E-learning is today gaining serious grounds as most institutions of learning are fast adopting e-learning methods and techniques, at the same time doing away with the manual learning technique which involves text books in institutions/Universities. With the advent of e-books, textbooks are fast becoming obsolete as Hellman revealed that, it is even more economical using e-books than textbooks as it saves time (11). Methodically, it is observed that it is more economical to acquire E-books than a manual textbook. The general cost of acquiring an E-book is much cheaper or less than a text book. Experts advise that it is much more economical to use e-books in a learning process than textbooks. One can save more when using E-books than when using textbooks. Today, E-books are generally accepted as the generality of students studying in various institutions would prefer to save for other purposes, if they discover that it is cheaper than acquiring a manual textbook. The possibility of the se E-books is another aspect that makes it very feasible to use than the manual textbooks. With the availability of electronic gadgets like the I-Pad, Palm tops and other electronic devices that can effectively aid reading has made the use of E-books feasible and has given it an edge over the manual textbooks, especially considering its cost. Table of Content Page No. Executive Summary.. 1 Introduction . 4 Portability . 5 Cost . 6 Availability 7 Method 7 Data . 8 Conclusion 8 Recommendation.. 9 Works Cited. 10 Introduction The e-book is just a literary work in a different form from the textbook, it is only a digital object that is composed of one or more standard and distinctive identifiers, broad databases as well as monographic body of content that is directed towards published books and accessed through electronic devices. Indiviglio explained that, both the textbooks and e-books receive the same content provided in print textbooks together with their print page numbers for note-taking as well as communication features that can only be obtainable through the internet Students are capable of printing out the pages they require at any particular time. Values in the e-book arena are being developed in five key areas that include e-book formats, digital right management format, digital audio formats, digital rights management systems as well as distribution and promotion. Each of these has an appealing technological aspect, but they are also motivating in terms of the stakeholders who encourage them. Th e internet has allowed us to take full benefit of the accessibility and user-friendly resources obtainable to us. Today, it sure seem like the era of manual textbooks have enjoyed their stay and rule in the learning process, now, the e-book is taking its turn and dominating the learning process. Besides that, at the beginning of fall semester, there is always a plan on how one spends his money and aside food and beer, a greater percentage of funds are always channelled to pounds and pounds of textbooks. Lately, e-readers have decided to set free college students from heaving anything to do with bundles of pages of manual textbooks that most of them drag home from the bookstore at the commencement of every semester. Melissa explained that, from Amazons Kindle DX to Barnes Nobles Nook and even the I-Pad, an age group of digital readers have pledged to restore overflowing backpacks filled with stuffy textbooks with a portable, lightweight slate loaded with every required book one will ever need for the whole semester or even for every semester (Melissa). But can one just go and download the books that are vital for class at that particular time? How expensive are they? Before one would consider going for an e-book, they should note that, the portability, the cost, and availability at any particular time is very critical. Portability Learning process is quite a task; therefore no one would want to make learning more difficult, but simple. Hoofing textbooks to class like a hunch back in most cases is quite a difficult task. Having 30 pounds of textbooks drooping off ones back in a bag that looks like it is about to crack at the seams, the spine definitely surfers (Melisa 23). However, rather than hoof over 30 pounds on the back, when there is an option of a portable e-book reader. Instead of 30 pounds, it will be preferably to use the e-reader in a device that is normally as portable as a magazine. Reading devices like the Kindle DX weigh about 1.1 pounds, while the I-Pad is just about 1.5 pounds. It is observed that, when assessing the cost of e-books they cannot be sold, which strikes a most important drive against any form of media that a lot of people would only presume converting directly to beer money once they are done using that book. However, another important note is that, the E-book cannot be borrowed, unlike the manual textbook. E-books cannot be lent and be destroyed on returned (Bilton). The plan or idea of splitting between two friends is not applicable to e-book and with this feature; the e-book can be preserved for a very long period of time and it also saves cost. Several e-readers claim that, e-book lending is permitted, but this is not quite true. On the other hand, one can lend an e-book, only if the publisher permits it and for a given time period of 14 days and just once ever, for the existence of the book. Some patents do not allow the borrowing of e-books, once an individual buys, it can be tattooed or customized to the individuals taste as nobody else will have right of use to that book except the owner. Cost The internet is a medium or house for enormous potential with several useful functions that are conveniently used to assist people save money in the long run. In this paper, the cost of acquiring e-books and textbooks when compared is much cheaper than textbooks. When discussing the expenses of books in relation to college students, Bilton states that, but it is a very important cost. The average public university student spends $1,122 per year on books, according to the College Board (E-Books: A New School of Thought). Normally, this cost annually is for a public college student which is the least when comparing with a private university student. Comparatively, this is quite expensive relative to E-Books currently selling for $3 to $7 range (Indiviglio). This to a great extent proves the overbearing cost of text, excluding the tuition fee. Students who buy e-books pay significantly less than the cost of either used or new books, with an average savings of about $60, the advantages can extend when the universities decide to select digitally (Hellman 14). Students at the University System of Pennsylvania, for instance, are enjoying great value at a great price, now that the university system has partnered with Course Smart. Course Smart is an online bookstore that bears over 90% of all major textbooks used in Higher Education today as E-Textbooks. The objective is to achieve this particular goal of benefiting as a university, and also acquiring the personal gain that comes with using it (Hellman 14). Availability Today, it really looks like the textbook is more available than the e-book, but no, that is quite not true. E-books require just the electronic devices and the printing it online and not on paper like the textbooks. The textbook requires printing on paper which is extremely expensive. Paper is made from wood that is supposed to be used in other meaningful economic means, but rather waste it on printing textbooks that will get rot after a period of time (Indiviglio). But the e-book is always accessible and can be preserved over a long period of time; it can also be referenced whenever the need arises without it being depleted like the printed textbooks. This really makes the e-book more available than the printed textbooks. Method Today, the e-book has made the very expensive competitive and would soon be decided whether it will continue at its high rates or not, the I-pad and the Apples e-learning devices will cost less than taking a whole pile of textbooks. For instance, Mokey asserted that various schedules supported on books could make a University freshman consider whether he really need it for different introductory courses, he will rather get to consider how much he will be expected to spend on e-books than his normal printed textbooks. After drawing his plans, he will get to decide whether to go for e-books as it will cost him far less than what textbooks will cost him. Though, money might not really be a great cause to look into an e-reader, a student will discover that, buying e-books will cost him less than getting printed textbooks from the stores, he will get to keep the e-books for a long period of time while the textbooks might get rotten over time. Mokey also cited that, two students went to sh op online in online stores, after buying from a normal book store to compare prices; they observed that, the online shopping was far cheaper than the textbooks gotten from the book store. Data When comparing different brands, it is observed that between hefty textbooks and the new e-reader, the e-books can save a full pack. For example, writing systematically would cost about $66.50 brand new textbooks from the US book store, while a simple download of an e-book could cost just $46.30 on the Amazon and one will get a total savings of about $20.20 for just a single book (Bilton). Different factors in the used-book market and savings decline a little more like the portrait for instance. It is observed today in schools that, most students prefer to buy their books online, rather than go to normal stores and get printed textbooks for their learning. Data released from a survey monitoring students behaviour with the likes of books reveal that, the Apple I-Pad tablet is gradually dominating and it is already more popular than the other forms of textbooks used by students. But the easy accessibility to textbooks makes some school administrators question the effectiveness of the e -reader. Also, the resale value of e-books when compared generally reveals that, it is more economical to textbooks. Advantages One of the main advantages of the e-book is the low cost. There are no printing, storage, or postal fees involved with e-books, therefore the product is produced at a lower cost. This is an advantage for the production company and the consumer. Traditional textbook costs have been an ongoing problem for college students worldwide. In an effort to follow the trend of textbooks rising cost, it was found that the average prices rose 186 percent between 1986 and 2005, and continue to shoot up each year far faster than inflation (Jeffrey Young). This price increase has taken on toll on many students pockets with a cost of more than 80 dollars per book on average. In an article discussing the expenses of books in relation to college students, Baumann states, Its a significant cost. The average full-time public university student spends $1,122 per year on books, according to the College Board (Ebooks: A New School of Thought). This is more than twice the amount e-books users are spending. S tudents who purchase e-books pay substantially less than the cost of either new or used books, with an average savings of about $60 per book. That is a huge saving, especially for those who already struggle to pay for their tuition and books. Our objective is to maximize students savings by more than 50 percent. The update function is also an important advantage that the e-book holds. The e-book allows for instant updating of outdated material without having to purchase new material. Traditional textbooks are available in several editions, because the authors continue to add new findings. Since the e-books are a part of an electronic database the information is easily accessed for renewal. This prevents the students from having to purchase new editions, with minute differences from past editions, but sold for a higher cost. This is a factor because if the textbook is a new edition used books arent available; therefore the student must purchase the new book at the full inflated cost. Other advantages of the e-book are the convenience, weight riddance, saving trees, and the bookmarking, highlighting, annotating and search capabilities. E-books are typically purchased and download from the internet; therefore this may be done from home. That saves time for students who may work full-time or half congested scheduled. Also bookstores are known to have long lines causing long wait times. This time constraint could be eliminated with the convenience of purchasing the e-book at your own leisure. Along with that advantage is the withdrawal of carrying these books. Textbooks weight can be overbearing, especially when a student is carrying four to five books at one time. Some books, particularly for economics or the hard sciences, can weigh up to seven lbs. each. This proves that the baggage can get physically exhausting. On the other hand the e-book is baggage free, if assuming students will access information from school. If others choose to carry and alternate device, s uch as a laptop or kindle, it still would not amount to half the weight of carrying even two traditional textbooks. Using the type of devices also saves trees. According to ecology.com, Nearly 4 billion trees or 35% of the total trees cut around the world are used in paper industries. The one-third percent of trees cut down for paper could drastically decrease with the ebook conversion. The environmental friendly paper alternative could be vital to our health and the environment. Although the ebook can be printed if preferred, this is a matter of personal choice. The ebook proves to be environmentally and economically sound. In addition to contributing to the environment, these devices also have capabilities that textbooks does not. They hold the options of bookmarking, highlighting, annotating and searching through text. These are means that could make studying easier. It saves time and relieves the difficulty of searching through material for needed information. Bookmarking, annot ating, and highlighting text is also useful for preserving thoughts and ideas, and organization. This helps maintain a trouble-free studying experience with just a click. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of the e-book is the concern of eyestrain and accessibility. The display resolution of computer screens and electronic devices is considerably less than the print quality produced by a printing press; therefore viewing the material electronically is believed to be a strain on the eyes. This can cause discomfort to the reader which could discourage study habits. The chair of the ophthalmology department at the University of North Carolina disagrees with this notion and went on to explain that it is not the screen causing the strain, but suggest its a variety of other factors that can cause physical fatigue (Dr. Travis Meredith). He then went on to further explain the problem and suggest a solution to the problem. Dr. Meredith states, the ergonomics of reading screens and the lack of blinking when we stare at them play a big role in eye fatigue. The current problem with reading on screens is that we need to adjust our bodies to our computer screens, rather than th e screens adjusting to us. This is something that students should consider when seeking comfort while studying. Another solution to this problem would be using the print option offered. Most e-books offer the option to print text, therefore the student is afforded the option to print the necessary text needed when studying for extended periods of time. This choice integrates the two study habits for the small fee of printing the pages needed. This function is also a solution to the issue of accessibility. Some students do not have access to the needed devices to access the e-books outside of school, others worry of not having ready access to the text in classrooms when needed. Those students could simply print the text from school libraries for home use. This enables the student to have the luxury of both electronic and printed text, if necessary. Other disadvantages of the e-book are the durability and battery-life. E-book readers are more susceptible to damage from being dropped or hit than a print book. This can become a problem when toting around electronic devices. When students are carrying around such sensitive equipment extra precautions should be taken. As with any piece of technology, the reader must be protected from the elements (such as extreme cold, heat, water, etc.). To ensure caution is taken students should protect the device with the proper cover. There is covered protection available to protect against these issues. If an instance occurs that the device is damaged, students may access the information from the online database it was originally purchased from. This solution is also useful to in case of data loss and other hardware or software malfunctions. In addition to the durability problem is the issue of the battery-life. Most laptops and other electronic devices have a battery life of three to four hour s. This may become a problem if the student is mobile with the device. In a situation such as this, students should carry a secondary battery as a back-up or bring along a charger. Most public places have available outlets and are equipped with free Wi-Fi for the purpose of studying and searching the web. This promotes positive study habits from practically anywhere. Conclusion The accessibility and familiarity provided by Apple, Pc and Macintosh computers is a very exciting one that will keep the use of e-books for a longer existence than the textbooks. Having had a great deal of experience through school, I strongly believe that, no knowledge is wasted and at the same time it is much easier to use e-books than it is to use textbooks. In my final school year, I decided I was going to use only e-books and that helped me greatly as I save a lot of money, got easy access to e-books than when I used to buy text books for my studies. Recommendation Today I am very familiar with e-books and nothing has been easier than using e-books for learning purposes. Therefore, I strongly recommend e-books for students in schools today as it saves time; it is easily accessible and always available as well as cost effective.