Cloud Computing in Education Essay Example

Cloud Computing in Education Essay Cloud computing- an emerging trend in education in India 1. Introduction to cloud computing Cloud Computing is the use of common software, functionality or business applications from a remote server that is accessed via the Internet. Basically, the Internet is the cloud of applications and services that are available for access by subscribers utilizing a modem from their computer. With Cloud Computing, one simply logs into desired computer applications such as sales force or office automation programs, web services, data storage services, spam filtering, or even blog sites. Generally, access to such programs is by monthly or annual paid subscription. Through Cloud Computing, businesses may prevent financial waste, better track employee activities, and avert technological headaches such as computer viruses, system crashes, and loss of data. [pic] Characteristics a) Cloud Computing Is User Centric: Once as a user are connected to the cloud, whatever is stored there—documents, messages, images, applications, whatever—becomes authorized to the user access them. ) Cloud Computing Is Task-Centric: Instead of focusing on the application and what it can do, the focus is on what one need done and how the application can do it for us. Traditional applications—word processing, spreadsheets, email, and so on—are becoming less important than the documents they create. c) Cloud Computing Is Powerful: Connecting hundreds or thousands of computers together in a cloud creates a wealth of computing power impossible with a single desktop PC. d) Cloud Computing Is Accessible: Because data is stored in the cloud, users can instantly retrieve more information from multiple repositories. We will write a custom essay sample on Cloud Computing in Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Cloud Computing in Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Cloud Computing in Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We are not limited to a single source of data, as we do with a desktop PC. e) Cloud Computing Is Intelligent: With all the various data stored on the computers in a cloud, data mining and analysis are necessary to access that information in an intelligent manner. f) Cloud Computing Is Programmable: Many of the tasks necessary with cloud computing must be automated. For example, to protect the integrity of the data, information stored on a single computer in the cloud must be replicated on other computers in the cloud. If that one computer goes offline, the cloud’s programming automatically redistributes that computer’s data to a new computer in the cloud. 2. Services of Cloud Computing The rapid improvement of the capacity of online connectivity gave birth to cloud computing. Although the term was already used since the 90s, the actual adoption of cloud computing in relation to online computing started in the 21st century. Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: a) Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Infrastructure as a Service is a provision model in which an organization outsources the equipment used to support operations, including storage, hardware, servers and networking components. The service provider owns the equipment and is responsible for housing, running and maintaining it. The client typically pays on a per-use basis. Characteristics and components of IaaS include: †¢ Utility computing service and billing model: (charges per usage) †¢ Automation of administrative tasks. Dynamic scaling. †¢ Desktop virtualization: (multiple network,, centrally located server. ) †¢ Policy-based services. †¢ Internet connectivity. b) Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a way to rent hardware, operating systems, storage and network capacity over the Internet. The service delivery model allows the customer to rent virtualized servers and assoc iated services for running existing applications or developing and testing new ones. Characteristics of Paas include: Operating system features can be changed and upgraded frequently. Geographically distributed development teams can work together on software development projects. †¢ Services can be obtained from diverse sources that cross international boundaries. Initial and ongoing costs can be reduced by the use of infrastructure services from a single vendor rather than maintaining multiple hardware facilities that often perform duplicate functions or suffer from incompatibility problems. †¢ Overall expenses can also be minimized by unification of programming development efforts. ) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider and made available to customers over a network, typically the Internet. SaaS is becoming an increasingly prevalent delivery model as un derlying technologies that support Web services and service-oriented architecture (SOA) mature and new developmental approaches, such as Ajax, become popular. SaaS is closely related to the ASP (application service provider) and On Demand Computing software delivery model Characteristics of the SaaS include: easier administration †¢ automatic updates and patch management (acquiring, testing, and installing multiple patches (code)) †¢ compatibility: All users will have the same version of software. †¢ easier collaboration †¢ global accessibility. The traditional model of software distribution, in which software is purchased for and installed on personal computers, is sometimes referred to as software as a product. 3. Advantages Of Cloud Computing 1) Lower-Cost Computers for Users 2) Improved Performance 3) Lower IT Infrastructure Costs 4) Fewer Maintenance Issues 5) Lower Software Costs ) Instant Software Updates 7) Increased Computing Power 8) Unlimited Storage 9 ) Increased Data Safety 10) Improved Compatibility between Operating Systems 11) Improved Document Format Compatibility 12) Easier Group Collaboration 13) Universal Access to Documents 14) Latest Version Availability 15) Removes the Tether to Specific Devices 4. Disadvantages of cloud computing 1) Requires a Constant Internet Connection 2) Doesn’t Work Well with Low-Speed Connections 3) Can Be Slow 4) Features Might Be Limited 5) Stored Data Might Not Be Secure 6) If the Cloud Loses Your Data, You’re Screwed ) 5. History of Cloud computing [pic] [pic] [pic] 6. Architecture of Cloud Computing Individual users connect to the cloud from their own personal computers or portable devices, over the Internet. To these individual users, the cloud is seen as a single application, device, or document. The hardware in the cloud (and the operating system that manages the hardware connections) is invisible. [pic] It all starts with the front-end interface seen by individual users. T his is how users select a task or service (either starting an application or opening a document). The user’s request then gets passed to the system management, which finds the correct resources and then calls the system’s appropriate provisioning services. These services carve out the necessary resources in the cloud, launch the appropriate web application, and either creates or opens the requested document. After the web application is launched, the system’s monitoring and metering functions track the usage of the cloud so that resources are apportioned and attributed to the proper user(s). [pic] 7. The Future of Cloud Computing Cloud computing may be a relatively new concept for some businesses and consumers. But even though some businesses are only starting to adopt and realizing the advantages of cloud computing, industry giants are already looking forward to the next big step of cloud computing. â€Å"cloud† has become the application for business purposes. If a business will not consider their future in cloud computing, the challenges as well as the advantages of cloud computing may not be addressed and fully harnessed. 8. Level of Competition in Cloud Computing Industry Competition is always good in any industry. Through competition, the best services as well as the most competitive prices will come out. The cloud computing industry is no exception to this rule. Companies such as Amazon, Google, Sun Microsystems and SalesForce. com are only some of the highly recognized companies in the cloud computing industry. These companies offer advantages that will fit the need of any businesses. But the level of competition, as some industry experts predict, could soon be gone. The previously mentioned companies are aggressively promoting their services so that they could become the leader in the industry. These companies are now spending millions of dollars in hardware upgrades, human resources and even in advertising. Unfortunately, not every company will come out strong. Some industry experts predict that one of the companies will come out of top and might even become the synonym for cloud computing. On the other hand, smaller companies who provide personalized services for cloud computing are slowly coming out in the open. Their personalized services would be limited to few clients which will give them the ability optimize the services to their clients. 9. Services of Cloud Computing in India 1st  century economic power house: India, the 2nd  fastest growing economy has mesmerized the world with its stunningly high economic growth rate since last 2 decades. A World Bank report has projected that in 2010, the rate of growth of Indias economy would be faster than the currently fastest growing economy (i. e. China). What does this mean for SMBs, PSUs, MNCs or any business entity b ased in India? Last 5 years have seen Indian companies on a buying spree, resulting in acquiring many big small overseas companies. In brief, Indian companies, sitting on a huge cash piles, are ready to rapidly scale up in their niche. Interestingly, India is a global leader in providing IT services but the implementation of IT in its burgeoning domestic market is still lagging. This may be a boon in disguise as they have an opportunity to lap up the latest Cloud Computing technologies. Currently, most of the companies are start-ups and are nowhere near the global giants like Amazon, Google, Salesforce or Microsoft but they have the potentials to compete with these giants in near future. Here’s the list of India based Cloud Computing Service Providers, in random order. a) Zenith InfoTech †¢ Base Location: Mumbai, India †¢ Cloud Offering:  PROUD Cloud Type: IaaS An IT product development and innovation company. With an investment of INR 175-crore, this is considered as India’s one of the most ambitious RD efforts in IT. The company is expecting 2,000 3,000 clients of  Proud  in next 2 years. b) Wolf Frameworks †¢ Base Location: Bangaluru, India †¢ Cloud Offering: Wolf PaaS â € ¢ Cloud Type: PaaS Founded in 2006, it provides affordable cloud service with 99. 97% Service Level Assurance. Wolf is a browser based On Demand Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for rapidly designing and delivering database driven multi-tenant Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. One can get started without writing any piece of code whatsoever. Coding only comes in when you need custom templates or specific integration Business Rule actions c) OrangeScape †¢ Base Location: Chennai, India †¢ Cloud Offering: OrangeScape Cloud †¢ Cloud Type: PaaS The experience of building business applications of varying complexity across industries has made OrangeScape the most comprehensive PaaS (Platform as a Service) offering in the market. You can transform your idea into a SaaS application and can showcase them to your investors, partners and potential customers. It has an impressive list of customers viz. Ford, Pfizer, Geojit, Sify etc. d) TCS †¢ Base Location: India †¢ Cloud Offering: ITaaS †¢ Cloud Type: IaaS+SaaS ITaaS is a  Nano  in software. ITaaS framework is a one-stop shop for total end-to-end IT and hardware solutions. It includes hardware, network, bandwidth business software. Currently ITaaS is available for 5 sectors: Manufacturing, Retail, Healthcare, Education and Professional Services. e) Cynapse India †¢ Base Location: Mumbai, India †¢ Cloud Offering:  Cyn. in †¢ Cloud Type: IaaS + on Demand SaaS Cyn. n on demand is a cloud hosted service and is the quickest way to get your own cyn. in server, without the hassles of having to set it up. With a Cyn. in on-demand system, you get a dedicated virtual server running a Cyn. in appliance that is maintained updated by Cynapse and hosted by Amazon, ensuring an infrastructure-free and worry-free Cyn. in experience. f) Wipro Technologies †¢ Bas e Location: India †¢ Cloud Offering: Wipro w-SaaS †¢ Cloud Type: SaaS Wipro has built w-SaaS, a platform for rapid SaaS enablement and deployment on cloud, using some of the commonly accepted trends in software engineering and open standards. Wipro chose Oracle (Oracle Database, Oracle WebLogic Application Server and Oracle VM) as the deployment platform for w-SaaS enabled applications. The software vendor can deploy the same application on-premise or on the cloud using w-SaaS and Oracle. g) Netmagic Solutions †¢ Base Location: Mumbai, India †¢ Cloud Offering: CloudNet, CloudServe, PrivateCloud †¢ Cloud Type: IaaS Netmagic looks like a dedicated cloud provider in Indian market with a potential to become a big player in near future. h) Reliance Data Center  (a division of Reliance Communications) †¢ Base Location: India Cloud Offering: Reliance Cloud Computing Services †¢ Cloud Type: IaaS+SaaS+PaaS A hosted infrastructure service based on the  Microsoft  platform for Enterprises and SMBs geared to deliver  India’s largest cloud infrastructure. i) Infosys Technologies †¢ Base Location: Bangalore, India. †¢ Cloud Offering: Cloud based Solution for Auto Sector. †¢ Cloud Type: SaaS Infosys’ Cloud Computing Consulting and Service offerings enable organizations to adopt the Cloud Computing platform selectively and effectively. But brand Infosys, the most recognized IT brand from India has to put significant efforts to catch up with other cloud providers. ) Synage †¢ Base Location: Mumbai, India. †¢ Cloud Offering:  DeskAway †¢ Cloud Type: SaaS A Web company delivering  software as a service (SaaS)  over the Internet to the global audience. DeskAway  is the flagship product of Synage, based on a monthly or yearly subscription model, requiring zero-installation, and powered by a cutting-edge user interface, It’s the future of project team collaboration software. Though the companies listed here have a long way to go before they can be compared with the best in the world yet they have the potential to grow big with the growing Indian economy. 0) cloud computing and education Cloud computing  is another buzz word sp illing into the education sector and IT press. What does it mean for a teacher, for education, for a school? The term ‘cloud computing’ is synonymous with the terms ‘Software as a service’ (SaaS), a hosted service, or utility computing. And for anyone who wants to work from multiple locations – such as different campuses, home, conferences, and while travelling – cloud computing makes perfect sense. Using the services is a simple matter – register for free, agree to the terms and conditions, and then use the application. You don‘t pay, you don’t sign up for a plan, you (usually) don’t have to download anything, or pay licensing fees. For an individual, this is web heaven. What does it mean for education? Cloud computing is used in two ways in the education sector: †¢ by individual teachers or schools: they use the cloud to support particular teaching and learning experiences and the software is available, free, and ready to use. For students cloud applications can add richness and variety to their learning experience enabling them to undertake study activities and collaborate with other students outside standard school hours. The cloud enables an individual teacher to exploit new web software applications for learning purposes without their school. †¢ by jurisdictions: committing to an enterprise implementation. It enables and supports innovation in the use of new technologies for learning with minimal investment. What does it mean for schools? Cloud computing is used to provide enterprise services to schools and jurisdictions. A simple example of this is the  New South Wales Department of Education and Training which is using Google’s Gmail service  to provide an email service to all its school students. The use of the cloud means that increases in usage levels can be easily and immediately accommodated – that is, the service provider can supply additional computer processing power or storage capacity at peak periods, and can reduce supply when it’s not needed. That means jurisdictions don’t have to have to buy, support and maintain a whole infrastructure to service short peak periods. Instead it can utilize the capacity of the cloud. nternet juggernaut Google launched its 3D virtual world ‘Lively’ in July 2008 and closed it in December the same year, much to the dismay of some educators who had started using it for teaching and learning purposes. Cloud computing in education- 2010 Universities are already onboard. According to Educause, about 20% of Universitie s have already moved to a SaaS model for email. This isnt limited to small schools, Clemson University which has nearly 20,000 students switched from web mail to Gmail several years ago. Many schools are also embracing or considering Google Apps. Universites have a long history of academic cooperation. Whether through regional consortiums or techology, colleges and Universites have long built cooperative relationships with other institutions. University systems have a tremendous financial incentive to build shared cloud computing facilities. Alternatively, leading institutions could recoup investment in HPC research computers by selling excess cloud capacity to smaller institutions. Universities have the right identity infrastructure in place. Many schools have already built strong central identity management platforms using open standards around Web Services, Liberty, SAML, and XACML. Additionally, Universities have been strong adopters of Federated Identity technologies like PKI, and In Common. This identity infrastructure is necessary for central cloud services authentication which is absolutely crucial for privacy, compliance, governance, and chargeback billing. In addition to these factors, Universities are notoriously lean when it comes to IT, therefore provisioning a service/application makes a lot more sense the provisioning IT technology infrastructure and then provisioning a service/application. Finally, cloud computing will not be limited to higher education alone actually, it is a perfect fit for K-12 as well. States could establish and run central cloud computing services for schools, eliminate the need for local IT and tech support, and level the playing computing field between rich and poor school districts. In summary, cloud computing infrastructure, platforms, and applications fit education like a glove. Universities are already on board so expect some of the most aggressive and creative cloud implementations to be based on campus. References: http://www. itslearning. co. uk/microsoft ttp://blogs. educationau. edu. au/jmillea/2009/06/23/heading-into-the-cloud-cloud-computing-and-education/ http://www. helium. com/items/1951964-top-10-cloud-computing-service-providers http://groups. google. com/group/cloud-computing/web/list-of-cloud-platforms-providers-and-enablers http://www. nationmultimedia. com/home/2010/04/20/technology/2010-Year-of-cloud-computing-services-30127470. html http://www. exforsys. com/tutorials/cloud-computing/the-future-of-cloud-computing. html http://communication. howstuffworks. com/cloud-computing1. htm http://harbhag. wordpress. com/2010/01/02/cloud-computing/

The Geography of Cocaine

The Geography of Cocaine Free Online Research Papers Cocaine is a crystalline alkaloid produced from the leaves of the coca plant. It stimulates the central nervous system and suppresses appetite, creating an euphoric sense of happiness. It can also be used to increase energy, and post production. We need not confuse the coca leaf with the actual chemically altered substance that is cocaine, for they are two separate entities. This essay will focus on the history of the coca leaf, throughout South America, as well as the transformation from the leave to the actual drug. We will also be looking at the production and markets of the drug, focusing on the target consumers and the effects the drug has. Historians believe the first consumption of coca leafs dates back to 6000 BC by the Aymara Indians in the Andes mountains, significant in the social and religious organizations of the region’s pre-Columbian civilizations (Laserna, 1995; Erickson 1994) The Incas had adapted their myths and religion to conform to the plant. The leaf itself was said to be part of their daily diet in order to suppress their hunger and relieve their altitude sickness. Chewing of the coca leaves was at first reserved for Inca royalty, used for social, mystical, medicinal and religious purposes. Its use then expanded to the general public. They believed the plant had sacred origins and would therefore use it for various rituals and celebrations. The South American natives used coca for religious and medicinal purposes. It was also believed that chewing the leaf promoted contact with the spirit world and had healing powers. During the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the traveler Pedro Cieza de Leon wrote in his memoir â€Å"The Indians carry the Coca in their mouths, from morning until they lie down to sleep; they never take it out. When I asked some of these Indians why they carried these leaves in their mouths, which they do not eat, but merely hold between their teeth, they replied that it prevents them from feeling hungry, and gives them great vigor and strength (in Mortimer,1901). The Spanish originally restricted the use of coca but later gave in when they discovered it stimulated and sustained laborers. The cultivation and consumption of coca under the Spanish rule became so popular that the leaf itself was often used in the place of money. It was the most commercialized Indian product in the colonial Andean world, even used as capital in Spanish commercial exchanges. The coca leaf was chewed in a specific manner and an invitation to do so was considered of the highest honor among a socie ty. Laborers would chew the plant to stimulate them and give them energy to continue working. The cultivation of the coca leaf and cocaine was mostly concentrated in Bolivia’s Yungas region, under the Incas. Laserna argues that 90% of rural Bolivians use coco regularly one way or another. Other countries exploiting the coca included Columbia and Peru. There has also been commercially cultivated cocaine in such places as Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Japan. For these countries cocaine cultivation remains a major source of income creating many jobs in the various stages of the creation process. Although the use and sale of this drug is prohibited and illegal, it remains a major substance in the United States. Cocaine HCI is odorless and classifies as a central nervous system stimulant. One of the central reasons why the cultivation of the coca leaf is so appealing in terms of job characteristics is as follows. Coca can reach maturity within two years of planting, which is faster than most other crops. It has a relatively long productive lifespan and requires less attention and investment than other crops once it has been planted. Also, once harvested and dried, leaves spoil slowly and are not prone to damage during transport. Coca can also provide up to 6 harvests a year in a region where most crops give 1. It also has access to a guaranteed local market, providing year round income and insurance against unusual weather-related or other disasters. The plant is highly adaptable to many climates and conditions and can be grown in bad or depleted soils. It can expand the agricultural frontier into land not otherwise suitable for farming and in exhausted soil. A chemist named Albert Niemann first extracted pure cocaine from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush in the mid-19th century. In the early 20th century it became the main pick-me-up drug used in tonics to treat a wide variety of sicknesses. Its popularity grew as an ingredient in patent medicines and other family products such as the ever hip Coca-Cola. The use of cocaine was however later removed from the beverage and only the coca leaves were used. However this craze soon grew into instances of addiction, psychotic episodes, seizures, and even death. There were several steps taken to fight the problems associate with the use of cocaine Today, cocaine is a Schedule II drug, and comes in two basic forms such as powdered and freebase. The powdered form dissolves in water and it a hydrochloride salt where as freebase means it has not been neutralized by an acid and therefore not made into hydrochloride salt. The freebase form can also be smoked. Highly addictive, it can cause severe mental and physical problems and even death. The central ways of using cocaine are either by inhaling, snorting, injecting or smoking. It is said that the substance develops faster when smoked. Cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant that interferes with the re-absorption of dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasure and movement. Such physical effects include dilated pupils, increased temperature and heart rate and also blood pleasure. The high from snorting can last up to 30 minutes, while that from smoking can last up to 10 minutes. Each user will react differently to the drug but the end results will always end in dependency and addiction and possible death. Research Papers on The Geography of CocaineAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeGenetic EngineeringThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Spring and AutumnPETSTEL analysis of India

Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution Essay

Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution - Essay Example Nonetheless, the common man in the United States enjoys his/her fundamental rights. S/he can sue the national government if s/he feels that his/her rights are violated. The United States Constitution supports the federal form of government. This is governance by the rule of law. The essence and treatment of law is supposed to be with the judiciary. The judiciary interprets the law. The new framework of the Constitution does not overtly affect the liberty of citizens except on the issue of taxes. There are taxes levied by the federal and state governments. The US citizen has the right to expression, movement and to earn his living. The Constitution does not come in the way of these. The same sex marriage and abortion laws differ between the states. There are variations in same sex and abortion laws and these persuasions are supposed to be in the best interests of the citizens. (David T. Canon et al) In the same manner, there are other issues such as housing, medical care, employment, etc. where laws are framed for the good of citizens but are subject to dispute in the implementations. However, the overall position of the common man is significantly better when compared to other nations. The issues are between the states and the national government. ... where laws are framed for the good of citizens but are subject to dispute in the implementations. However, the overall position of the common man is significantly better when compared to other nations. The States and National Government The issues are between the states and the national government. The United States is a large country with 53 states. The states provide the national government the means to stay alive. Hence, provisionally the states are in a position to dictate terms to the national government. By itself, the national government does not have the wherewithal to survive. At best, it could try and keep itself afloat on negotiations. But such strategies do not last. The Civil War (1861-1865) was the defining moment for the bona fides of the national government. President Abraham Lincoln had to pay for it with his life. Nevertheless, he left a legacy for the national government to emerge stronger. It made conditions better for succeeding national governments to build and maintain an army. The federal government raises and supports an army. The president of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the army. The control and maintenance of the army gives the national government more powers vis--vis the states. Nonetheless, the maintenance of an army can only play limited role. Other countries ruled by the army are not effective as the United States. Hence, although the president of the United States is the commander-in-chief of the army, the country still enjoys democracy. The rule of law is prevalent and there is election once every four years. Foreign Affairs At the time the US Constitution replaced the Confederation, the United States was not a super power. It was more seized of

Bridget Jones Diary as the New Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bridget Jones Diary as the New Feminism - Essay Example Her lack of a love interest is the primary concern of her mother and the dominant thought in her mind. She spends the entire movie trying to work out her life in an acceptable fashion, working to try to choose between two men that continue to enter her social sphere. However, it is only when she is under the right male influence that she is able to achieve any kind of the stability and direction necessary to move forward in her life. Her greatest challenge, then, is to determine which man is the right one to help her move forward. All of her other accomplishments to that point have amounted to virtually nothing as a result of her flighty, feminine ways. Although one of the men in the story turns out to be just as flighty and directionless, this fact doesn’t emerge until near the end of the story, allowing both men throughout much of the movie to appear as though they are the quintessential man, strong and sturdy in their differing beliefs and goals and equally capable of provi ding Bridget with her needed stabilizing influence. Seen in this light, it is difficult to understand why the book and subsequent film became so popular with a contemporary audience. This paper is an attempt to explain this popularity and examine its significance in context of the ‘second wave feminism.’

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 8

Case Study Example The business model followed by Hanon compelled the managers to follow all the rules laid down by the corporate office down to every word. Therefore, the corporate office had complete control over all the operational activities of the restaurant chain. Looking at the initial results of success, the higher management decided to expand the business of China Delight. After the expansion the problem started surfacing. As a result of the expansion, the management had to hire general managers from outside. This decision making eventually proved to be the root cause of the downfall of China Delight. The previously implemented model of close control by the corporate office started creating friction with the newly appointed managers. Moreover, they did not possess any experience to run chain restaurants, so they had to be trained in order to get them habituated with the business and operational structure of Hanon. The training did not prove to be fruitful for China delight, as the managers mos tly ignored the instructions from the higher management and decided to run the operations based on their own knowledge and expertise. This as a result led to severe deviations from the operations manual provided by the corporate office thereby reducing its control over the restaurant chain. The newly appointed managers who did not had any experience in running restaurant chains failed to maintain consistency and quality standards, which hampered the brand image of the restaurant chain thereby reducing the foot fall level. The decreasing revenue and severe loss making became a severe concern for the company. Moreover, there was a communicational gap between the general managers and the corporate office, as the managers did not file regular reports and mostly ignored the instructions from the higher management; this as a result worsened the problem even further. There was also a great

Importance Of Communication Skills In Business English Language Essay

Importance Of Communication Skills In Business English Language Essay In the modern corporate world today, effective communication is vital in any type of businesses, because it builds a close interaction among each of the members from all the departments in an organization. It also can determine whether a business success or a business failure of the organization will be. Moreover, it does help the relationships to develop along good lines, and ensure that arguments and disagreements are kept to a minimum. For example, good communication skill is very important in partnership, so that the partners can avoid the problems of misunderstanding and petty quarrels. We can measure the importance of communication skills in business sector when we take a look at the job advertisement. Candidates with good communication skills seemed to be the single most repeated phrase in the job qualification requirement. And, the ability of good communication is also the most basic of job skills. There is almost no exception that employer will come across a job advertisement which does not specify that candidates should have good communication skills. Good management skills are the key to develop a successful and profitable organization. Effective communication of information and decision is an essential component for management-employee relations. Most of management problems arise such as misunderstanding and misrepresentation can be minimized with proper communication system. Communication is a basic tool for motivation, which can improve morale of the employees in an organization. The major cause of conflict and low morale are often caused by inappropriate or faulty communication among employees or between manager and his subordinates. Good communication helps ensure the efficient operation of all levels of an organization, from lowest to highest, which is from subordinates to employers. A good human relation in the organization with effective communication encourages employees or workers to come out with new ideas or suggestions, and implementing them whenever possible. More than that, it can also minimum the cost of production and remain the low cost. A person who possesses good communication skills is always full of self-confident. Such a person knows how to effectively organize and present ideas to the business organization by using these skills. Effects of poor communication In contrast of good communication skills, poor communication often results in inefficiency in fundamental of management, and so, loss of productivity and, consequently, a loss of profits. Increase efficiency is not the only consequence from good communication. However, since it also creates a sense of unity between workers, resulting in cooperative mind and their feeling that they are working together toward a common goal, and achieving that goal is the way to success in organization. Ignorance and negligence of communication skills can lead to many problems in dealing matters and interact with each other. The examples of the impacts of lack effective communication are misrepresentation, lack of information, low in employees performances, decrease in employees turnover, and many others. Without effective communication skills, an employee may find it very hard or worse, impossible to climb up the corporate ladder. Promotions and remuneration usually come to those who can communicate effectively at all levels, from senior management level to the lowest employee. Hence, a person with bad communication skills will be left behind. Managers inability to clearly express their thoughts, ideas and demands leads to employees inability to perform work well, according to the companys demands. This shows that one of the pitfalls of poor business communication skills by managers. As a result, large and complicated projects are unable to complete by poor communicator. For instance, it can hamper the efficiency of the organization or department through vague emails that need to be clarified and the inefficient preparation of presentations. Furthermore, without the ability to clearly communicate project responsibilities and objectives, the projects to be carried out in the organization will never get off the ground. Due to poor business communication skills, the ability to communicate tasks and to get things done also will be affected badly. Poor communication is an important issue to overcome in the workplace, so it needs time to motivate the employees properly.

The Power of Money in Campaign Finance Essay -- American Politics, Pre

It may seem that with the Buckley decision, soft money and PACs the hope for reform has been lost, however there is still hope. The Supreme Court upheld the voluntary public financing of presidential election, which was considered a great step forward because taking public funds requires the candidate to limit their spending on the federal level. There is also the â€Å"hard money† in political campaigns, which is strictly regulated by law through the Federal Election Commission. Hard money is the contrast to soft money meaning that it is the contributions made by a person or PAC that gives to a federal campaign or political party for the use in federal elections. But of course with one step forward there is always two steps back. Because of the way soft money has forged it way into being one of the primary sources of federal campaigns, it has made a mockery of public financing at the federal level. Soft money and all its allied forms of legal cheating and finance loopholes ha ve almost completely stopped any effort or control to regulate and disclose federal campaign funding. From the 1980s to 2002 Congress played an active part in helping the parties and candidates through loopholes (arguably Congress is still presently helping). James Bopp (1999) believes the explosion of soft money in political campaigns in part came from the 1996 elections when national and state party committees would use soft money to pay for advertisements that featured their respective nominees, but were not subject to the spending limitations of publicly funded candidates. These advertisements are referred to as issue ads, which would clearly promote the victory or defeat of candidates, but because they did not use the words â€Å"vote for†, â€Å"elect†, or â€Å"defeat† ... ...nders in congress are willing to go to stretch the line of the laws and legal cheat just to keep their seat and the money flowing into their pockets. In present society politics is at its dirtiest and most cynical, evenly chipping away what our constitution stands for and our democratic values. I cannot in any way say what the future will hold for this uphill battle for disclosure and regulations on campaign finance. But I do know that the time for action is slowly passing by and if something is not done soon I fear the U.S. government may be lost to all and any forms of revival. Our government would basically have to start a new throwing everything off balance. Our government is standing on thin ice not only with its own citizens but also with foreign relations, it only takes waiting a day to long until the ice finally breaks and the American government sinks.

The Role of Computer and Internet in Education

CHAPTER 5 THE INTEGRATION OF COMPUTER USE IN EDUCATION JAN Department VAN DEN AKKER, PAUL KEURSTEN and TJEERD PLOMP of Education, University of Twente, P. O. The Netherlands Abstract Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, There is an increasing awareness that disappointing experiences with the introduction of computers in education are a consequence of insufficiently taking into account factors that are crucial when introducing change in educational settings. Many of the problems in the literature show great similarity with the kind of problems often experienced in curriculum implementation.In this context the endeavors to make computer use an integrated part of classroom activities are analyzed. Emphasis will be laid on the interaction between teachers and courseware; elements for a more effective strategy for the integration of computer use in educational practice will be presented, with special attention to the design of support materials as an essential part of courseware. Introduction Despi te many national and local initiatives, examples of successful computer use in classroom practice are still relatively rare. In many countries the number of computers in schools has considerably increased in recent years.However, little progress has been made: still few teachers are actual users; software use is often restricted to drill and practice type; the alignment with the curriculum pattern is poor. Research results (of both surveys and case studies) from many countries point to the conclusion that there is still a long way ahead before computer use will be effectively integrated in most classrooms (see e. g. Becker, 1986; Office of Technology Assessment [OTA], 1988, for the USA;, Chomienne, 1988; Olson & Eaton, 1986, for Canada; Cox, 1987, for the U. K. ; Inspectorate, 1986; Plomp & Van den Akker, 1988, for the Netherlands).There is an increasing awareness that these disappointing experiences are a consequence of insufficiently taking into account factors that are crucial wh en introducing change in educational settings. Many of the reported problems that schools and teachers face when implementing computer use show great similarity with the kind of problems often experienced in curriculum implementation (cf. Fullan, Miles, & Anderson, 1987; Sheingold, Martin, & Endreweit, 1987; Walker, 1986). For that reason we would like to analyze the endeavor to make computer use an integrated part of classroom activities 65 6 .I. VAN DEN AKKER et al from a curriculum implementation perspective. We shall start with an overview of the variables that can influence the process and outcomes of curriculum implementation. For the different categories of those variables we shall then discuss the literature on computer use in education. Emphasis will be laid on the interaction between teachers and courseware. Based on this problem analysis we shall present elements for a more effective strategy for the integration of computer use in the educational practice.Special attentio n will be paid to the design of (written) support materials as an essential part of courseware. An Overview of Factors Affecting Implementation _ Drawing upon the work of Fullan (1982) and of Van Velzen, Miles, Ekholm, Hameyer, and Robin (1985), we propose a framework for discussing factors influencing the implementation of innovations in the educational practice by distinguishing four categories of variables: national (and/or state and/or district) context; characteristics of the school (organization); external support; characteristics of the innovation itself.Within each category several variables can be mentioned: – National context central legislation and regulations; system of policy formation and decision making in educational affairs; time, resources and facilities made available for an innovation; proclaimed values and aims about an innovation; attitude of politicians and (other) opinion leaders about an innovation. School organization experiences with earlier innovat ions; role of the school leader(s); methods of decision making; available facilities (time, money, materials); internal co-operation and mutual support; distribution and exchange of information.External support inservice training; assistance with internal coaching and guidance personal contacts with – – staff development; for individual teachers; experts and colleagues from other schools. – Innovation characteristics relevance of the innovation for needs and problems of users; clarity of the goals and practical meaning of a change proposal; Implementation of Computers in Education 67 – complexity of innovation requirements, especially in teaching quality and practicality of the innovation products. ehavior; In the next sections we shall first summarize literature on the integration of computer use, as far as it relates to the first three categories (national context, school organization, and external support). We refer to those categories of variables as the conditionalfactors, because they are conditional for the ultimate use of products by teachers in their daily work. Afterwards we shall focus our attention on the characteristics of the innovation product itself in relation to the teacher’s role.Conditional Which computer literature, emphasis Factors for the Integration of Computer Use research results about use in education? We but restrict ourselves on empirically based conditional factors can be found in the literature on do not intend to offer an exhaustive overview of this to a summary of some selected publications, with an sources. National Context Still little empirical research is done about the impact of variables in the national (state/district) context on the actual use of computers in the school practice.Descriptions of national policies on information technology in many countries are available (e. g. Beishuizen, Tobin & Weston, 1988), but focused research efforts in this area are hard to find. Broad attention for policy variables is given by Fullan et al. (1987) in their study on the implementation of the new information technology in Ontario schools. Apart from obvious tasks as investing in hardware, software development, research, teacher training and the like, policy makers should also play a stimulating role in the planning and co-ordination of implementation activities.Proclamation of new aims for the educational system and encouragement â€Å"from above† for initiatives and activities in the field can be helpful for the many participants in the innovation. School Organization The influence of the school organization on the implementation of computer use has been studied more frequently. The results usually confirm the findings from the more general innovation literature. Encouragement and support from school administrators and principals are of vital importance (Carmichael, Burnett, Higginson, Moore, & Pollard, 198. ; Cox, Rhodes, & Hall, 1988; Fullan et al. , 1987). Help fr om principals is especially necessary in providing for facilities for training, the purchase of hardware and software, the rearrangement of timetables and other organizational measures. Also conducive to the implementation process is a positive school climate where teachers give mutual support by exchanging ideas and experiences and by providing feedback (Carmichael et al. , 1985; Cox, 1987; Inspectorate, 1986). 68 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al.A beneficial role can also be played by computer coordinators, especially if they combine computing expertise with strong interpersonal and organizational skills (Strudler & Gall, 1988). Also measures have to be taken to secure long term supplies and maintenance of hardware and software (Bitter & Gore, 1986; Wagshal, 1986). External Support A growing body of experience and research data has become available about effective components of inservice training and other forms of external support for schools and teachers in the use of computers.A criticis m on past inservice approaches is that the emphasis on technical aspects was too strong, while too little attention was paid to the integration of computer use in the daily classroom practice and also to the skills in selecting and evaluating courseware ~~homienne, 1988; D’Arcy & Gardner, 1988; Wiske et al. , 1988). Teachers need a strong support to overcome their (initial) problems of uncertainty and their concerns about changing teacher/student relationships and about accountability (OTA, 1988).There is a growing consensus about characteristics of inservice training that can increase its effectiveness (OTA, 1988; Stecher & Solorzano, 1987): appropriate balance between lecture and (guided) practice; detailed curriculum guides and plans for the course plus lesson-related materials and hand-outs; clear training objectives; inservice lessons linked to teachers’ own instructional practice; peer interaction, including communication during hands-on activities; strategies fo r teaching heterogeneous groups; follow-up support and guidance. This (selective) literature review indicates a rough imilarity between conditional factors for both integration of computer use and curriculum implementation. Future, more focused, research activities are necessary to sharpen our insights in this area. Product Characteristics and the Teacher’s Role â€Å"Educators and educational researchers consistently cite one factor as central to the full development of technology’s use in the schools – the classroom teacher† (OTA, 1988, p. 87). For that reason it is important to take a closer look at the changes facing teachers at the implementation of computer use in their classroom practice.As Fullan (1982) has pointed out, nearly every innovation requires teachers to change on several dimensions: the use of new materials, alterations in their teaching behavior, and changes in their beliefs and attitudes. In this section we want to explore how certain characteristics of the new materials (especially courseware) can influence changes in teaching behavior and beliefs. From the general innovation literature we know that there are several product characteristics that can influence the fate of a certain innovation. First, we present a brief overview of this literature.Then we shall use this as a filter to screen the literature on computer use in education. Implementation of Computers in Education 69 Well-known discourses about influential (product) characteristics of innovations are delivered by Rogers and Shoemaker (1971) who describe features like observability, complexity, compatability, and relative advantage, and by Doyle and Ponder (3977-78) who refer to the practicality ethic of teachers, with criteria like instrumentality, congruence, and cost. An authorative summary of these characteristics is provided by Fullan (1982; see also Fullan et al. , 1987).He mentions the following characteristics, elucidated by some central questi ons: Need and relevance What is the need for and the appropriateness of the change? What is the priority of the efforts to implement the innovation relative to other concerns? Clarity How clear are the goals and essential features of the innovation? practical implications for the users? Complexity How clear are the How many components of instructional practice are affected and how much do they differ from existing practices and beliefs? How difficult is it to learn the necessary changes? Quality and practicality How well developed and tested are the products?How certain is the impact of the innovation? What is the trade-off between the actual benefits and the personal and organizational costs? Weaknesses in one or more of these characteristics usually cause major obstacles for implementation. Fullan (1982, p. 62) underlines the importance of individual perceptions in this respect: â€Å"ImpIementation is a problem of individuals developing meaning in relation to specific policy or program directions. † Although materials alone can never be sufficient for the implementation of innovation proposals by broad target groups of teachers, the potential influence of materials is great.Well designed and vafidated products can contribute substantially to the realization of educational changes (Crandall and Associates, 1982; Emrick & Peterson, 1978; Van den Akker, 1988~). We proceed now with a short overview of research findings about the interaction between product characteristics and teachers in the domain of computer use. Courseware Quality and Teachers’ Problems There is a wide dissatisfaction about the quality of educational software and courseware (OTA, 1988). Some conclusions are: Much educational software is isolated material, badly attuned to the curriculum 0 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al (content, materials, strategies) in use (Inspectorate, 1986; Woodhouse & Jones, 1988). Often computer use cannot be a process of simply incorporating new into old, but i t requires reshaping what was there (Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986). But also a warning is in place: if the software closely relates to the existing curriculum, it can indeed be easier for the teachers to use, but then it is often seen as just an â€Å"extra† and not fully integrated in the day to day practice (Cox, 1987).Thus, software should either support the goals of the existing curriculum or meet the needs for a curriculum change (Mallatratt, 1988). Much software has been developed for use by individual students, not taking into account the usual whole-class teaching and the practical constraints of a classroom with limited numbers of computers (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation [CERI], 1986). This restriction places a considerable demand on the planning and management skills of teachers. Much software is poorly documented (Jorde, 1985). User guides contain mainly â€Å"technical† information about operational aspects of the software.Support (print) mate rials for the teacher with suggestions how to integrate the program in the instructional process is frequently lacking (Inspectorate, 1988). â€Å"Most software does not yet sufficiently exploit the capacity of the computer to Drill and practice software continues to enhance teaching and learning. . dominate all subject areas† (OTA, 1988, p. 122). Furthermore, much of the early generation of software can be characterized by the â€Å"Quiz Syndrome† (Mackey, 1987). An innovation which appears to bring just one long question-answer routine gets a bad name.The available educational software covers only parts of the different subject matter domains (Inspectorate, 1988); most software is just â€Å"piecemeal† (Williams & Williams, 1984). The lack of sufficient high quality materials obstructs the integration of computer use into the daily practice. Problems many teachers experience are the following: For various reasons it is difficult to select suitable software. No t only is software often poorly documented, but also many teachers lack the knowledge and skills for an effective evaluation of the software quality (Knupfer, 1986; Preece & Jones, 1985).Moreover, there are only limited possibilities to preview potentially useful software before purchase (Balla, Gow, & Burton, 1986; Mallatratt, 1988). Teachers often lack technical skills in using computers and software (CERI, 1986; Ridgway et al. , 1984). This often leads to uncertainty, especially when the level of computer familiarization of the teacher is the same as or even lower than that of the students (Carmicheal et al. , 1985; Heywood & Norman, 1988). A consequence of this phenomenon may be that educational computing will be restricted to the limited level of expertise of the teacher.Teachers often experience unanticipated problems with their instructional roles (Carmicheal et al. , 1985; Cuban, 1986; Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986; Wiske et al. , 1988). Computers challenge teachers’ exis ting instructional routines by requiring a shift from expository teaching towards a role in which the teacher is more of a partner and guide of the students. Many teachers feel uncomfortable about these changes and therefore try to minimize them (Elder, Gourlay, Johnstone, & Wills, 1987; Olson, 1988; Plomp, Steerneman, & Pelgrum, 1988). This factor is particularly Implementation f Computers in Education 71 – important because research has shown that the way a teacher integrates computer use through his ongoing instructional decisions is critical to the impact of computer use on learners and learning results (Wilson, 1988). Cox et al. (1988) observe that teachers frequently lack knowledge and skills for effective stimulation of students’ microcomputer activities, and thus children fail to learn what they might learn with judicious teacher intervention. Teachers experience many practical problems when they start to use computers (Carmicheal et al. 1985; Elder et al. , 19 87; Inspectorate, 1986). Computer use demands from teachers many time-consuming management and organizational activities. Wiske et al. (1988) conclude that the major barrier for computer use is that it is unclear for teachers how the potential contribution of computer use can outweigh the costs involved. In summary we may conclude that the research on the integration of computer applications in education reveals many similar problems as described in the literature on curriculum implementation (cf. Fullan et al. 1987). Most factors that influence curriculum implementation also influence the integration of computer use in the instructional practice. An Infusion Approach for the Integration of Computer Use In this section we will try to identify elements of an effective strategy for the integration of computer use in education by analogy reasoning with approaches of effective curriculum implementation. Most teachers, if they are using computers at all, are still inexperienced users; th e great majority are in the initial implementation phase.In this stage small-scale successful experiences are an important factor in stimulating the use of the innovation by teachers, both in the field of curriculum implementation (Van den Akker, 1988b) and computer integration (Fullan et al. , 1987). There are two components of successful experiences: first, the students attain clear learning results; second, the teacher succeeds in an effective lesson execution without major problems, and is aware of his own contribution in this respect.Such successful experiences can only take place when teachers have high quality courseware at their disposal. We define courseware as: a package comprising computer software and (mostly written) support materials. Since our analysis of implementation problems indicated that especially the support materials – if available – are of a poor quality, we shall focus on that component (â€Å"lessonware†) of the courseware.In order to identify â€Å"high quality† characteristics, we need to clarify what functions the materials should have for the teacher. Functions and Characteristics of Courseware As shown in the previous sections, integration of computer use by teachers is complex and involves them in learning new roles and unlearning old ones. Implementation can be 72 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al. conceived as a learning process for the teacher in which changes are required in teaching behavior as well as in beliefs, attitudes and understanding.A literature review of Van den Akker (1988b, c) on curriculum implementation, teacher planning, and general learning theories provides some answers to the question of how materials can contribute to this learning process of teachers in their initial implementation phase. The literature on curriculum implementation reveals that in teachers’ initial implementation efforts personal self-concerns dominate, changing via more task-oriented concerns to concerns about t he impact of the curriculum on learners (Loucks & Lieberman, 1983).Research indicates that this change model also applies on computer integration (Cicchelli & Beacher, 1985, 1987; Wiske et al. , 1988). Thus, at present, where most teachers are still in the initiation phase where personal survival concerns dominate, courseware materials should support the teachers by anticipating as much as possible potential user problems and by offering practical advice to prevent or solve such problems.From research on teacher planning (Clark & Peterson, 1986) it has become more evident that changing the practice of teaching requires more attention to the stage of pre-active planning. The lesson planning approach is of crucial importance for the lesson execution, and, ultimately, also for learning-by-reflection of the teacher afterwards. Literature on general learning theories indicates that (intensive) orienting activities yield more precise and reasoned plans for action.Courseware may activate a nd support teacher planning by providing a clear orientation to the teaching task, by pointing to critical features of (computer assisted) lessons and by making suggestions about how to deal with emergent problems during the instructional process. From this analysis we may conclude that courseware, intended for teachers’ initial use, should contain a large amount of procedural specifications: very accurate how-to-do-it advice focused on essential but apparently vulnerable elements of the curriculum.This means that the support materials should not only contain â€Å"technical† information about the use of the computer program, but also detailed advice about the instructional process (cf. Fullan et af. , 1987). With the help of such materials, the teachers should be stimulated to a task orientation and to concrete role-taking experiences and should be supported with practical advice for successful lessons. In order to produce such courseware, one has to follow a very car eful development approach, with much attention for formative evaluation and revision of the materials.Obviously, the technical certainty of the software must be guaranteed and the program should be easy to use (Fullan et al. , 1987). Special efforts have to be made to detect teachers’ problems with the use of the courseware in their classroom situation. These evaluation findings should lead to the incorporation of procedural suggestions for the teachers in the support materials about how to prevent or solve such problems. It seems desirable that the development of the software and the support materials (â€Å"lessonware†) proceeds in close interaction.More or less simultaneous design, construction and evaluation activities can further the interwoveness of the different courseware components. Such an approach may also increase the chances to produce courseware that is innovative from an instructional and curricular perspective (cf. Hawkins & Sheingold, 1986). Implementa tion of Computers in Education 73 An Illustrative Study An explorative study along these lines has been done by Keursten (1988), who developed courseware for primary science.He pointed out that there is a remarkable resemblance between major implementation problems of teachers with a new approach in (activity-based) science education and the earlier discussed problems with the integration of computer use. Van den Akker (1988a, b) mentioned the following key problems for teachers in the science domain: complex and time-consuming lesson preparation; a lack of background knowledge and skills (causing a lack of self-confidence); great difficulties in changing the didactical role; insufficient view of possible learning outcomes.In the research project of Van den Akker (1988a, b), a successful effort was made to diminish these problems by providing teachers with many, carefully tested procedural specifications in curriculum materials. Keursten (1988) applied the same sort of specification s in courseware for a series of seven lessons (on the theme â€Å"weather†; final grade of primary school), to be used by teachers who had neither experience with computer use nor with an activity-based science approach.The courseware package consisted of: written lesson materials containing subject matter information and directions for lesson preparation and execution; educational software with a very succinct manual about its operation; and some student materials. The procedural specifications for the package were divided over the written lesson materials (â€Å"lessonware†) and the software manual. In the â€Å"lessonware† the following categories were incorporated: i general characterization of the series of lessons in terms of objectives, content, time (also division of time over different lessons), suggestions for detecting learning effects. ackground information about the subject matter so that it is not necessary for the teacher to refer to other sources during the lesson preparation. Per lesson were included: a short outline of the lesson; suggestions for the lesson preparation, including issues like: necessary learning aids, classroom organization, structure of the lesson in keywords, personal preparation by the teacher. guidelines for lesson execution with suggestions for instructional activities, for classroom organization, and for guidance of the students.The manual of the computer program consisted of: directions for the use of the computer (especially important for teachers without experience with computers); description of the objectives (short, because it is also part of the written lesson materials); directions for the use of software (important, as it must answer all possible questions teachers may have in using the program); points of attention about the siting of the computer(s). – – – – 74 J. VAN DEN AKKER et al. Two basic elements in the design approach should be underlined.First, the curr icular perspective was in the forefront; the computer software was developed as a tool for realizing the formulated curriculum aims. Second, the primary focus in the elaboration of the materials was on the tasks and user problems of the teachers – and not on the possibilities of the software. An evaluation of the use of this courseware with five teachers had positive results. The teachers were able to use the package as meant by the designers. They hardly experienced any technical problems and adequately realized the activity-based science approach.Also the reactions and learning outcomes of the students were very satisfying. A general conclusion of this study was that the characteristics of the courseware seem very appropriate to reduce implementation problems. Therefore follow-up research has been started for further investigation of this approach. Conclusion The integration of computer use in the instructional practice of teachers â€Å"infusable† support materials (cf. Wilson, 1988). We would like to summarize our infusion approach as follows: benefits by eachers can start their computer use with short and well organized applications; successful use is strongly advanced by carefully designed and validated procedural specifications in the different courseware components; based on these successful experiences, teachers acquire clarity about the meaning and potential of the innovation, gain confidence in their own competence, and develop their own view of the appropriateness of the innovation for their students and themselves. Without such early â€Å"high quality† experiences, teachers’ judgments about the relevance and practicality of computer use can only be superficial.As Wiske et al. (1988) found, the initial reservations of teachers about computer use diminish after experiencing examples of computer use that yield clear educational benefits. A real integration of computer use in the curriculum can only be realized when teache rs recognize the surplus value of computer use. Successes in the early implementation phase are crucial for motivating teachers to further activities and to elicit commitment to the change efforts. We have strongly concentrated our arguments on the role of products (courseware) in the process of implementation.Of course we realize – see the first part of our article – that there are many other variables at stake. But we agree with Collis (1988) that it makes sense to focus on those variables which are relatively easy to manipulate. And, within the then available options, we have strong indications that a sophisticated design of the support materials within courseware can have a great impact on implementation activities and outcomes. 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The use of computer assisted learning in primary schools: Some factors affecting the uptake. Computers and Education, 12 (l), 173-178. Crandall, D. P. , and Associates (1982). People, policies and practices: Examining the chain of school improvement (Vols. I-X). Andover, MA: The NETWORK. Cuban, L. (1986).Teachers and machines: The classroom use of technology since 1920. New York: Teachers College Press. D’Arcy, J. , & Gardner, J. (1988). Learning from teachers: Teachers’ perspectives of relevant courseware and training provision. Computers and Education, 12 (2), 321-326. Doyle, W. , & Ponder. G. A. (1977-1978). The practicality ethic in teacher decision making. Interchange, 8 (3). I-12. Elder, R. J. , Gourlay, J. , Johnstone, M. , & Wills, R. (1987). Microcomputers in primary education. In N. Rushby (Ed. ), Computer bused learning, selected readings (pp. 120-126). London: Kogan Page. Emrick, J. A. , & Peterson, S. M. 1978). A synthesis of Jindings across five recent studies in educational dissemination and change. San Francisco, CA: Far West Laboratory. Fullan, M. G. (1982). The meaning of educational change. New York: Teachers College Press. Fullan, M. G, Miles, M. B. , & Anderson, S. A. (1987). Strategies for implementing microcomputers in schools: The Ontario case. Toronto, Ontario: Ministry of Education. Hawkins, J. , & Sheingold, K. (1986). The beginning of a story: Computers and the organization of learning in classrooms. In J. A. Culbertson & L. L. Cunningham (Eds. ), Microcomputers in education (85th NSSE Yearbook, pp. 0-58). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Heywood, G. , & Norman, P. (1988). Problems of educational innovation: The primary teacher’s response to using the microcomputer. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 4, 34-43. Inspectorate (1986). Onderwijs en informatietechnologie: Stand van zaken in her schooljaar 1985l1986 [Education and information technology: State of affairs in the school year 1985/1986] (Inspectorate report No. 7). The Hague: Staatsuitgeverij. Inspectorate (1988). Het NIV0 project in de scholen [The NIV0 project in the schools] (Inspectorate report No. 25).The Hague: Staatsuitgeverij. 76 J. VAN DEN AKKER et af. Keursten, P. (1988). Computertoepassi~gen in het natuur~nder~ijs-curricuf~ [Computer applications in the science curriculum]. Enschede: University of Twente. Knupfer, N. N. (1986). implementation of microcomputers into the current K-12 curriculum: A critical discussion of issues. Madison: University of Wisconsin. Loucks, S. F. , & Lieberman, A. (1983). Curriculum implementation. In F. W. English (Ed. ), Fundamental curriculum decisions (pp. 126-141). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Mackey, B. (1987).Effective educational courseware – the microcomputer as a learning medium. In J. Moonen & Tj. Plomp (Eds. ), EURIT ‘86: Developments in educational software and courseware (pp. 603-610). Oxford: Pergamon Press. Mallatratt, J. (1988). CAL: Development of an environment to support the innovation. Computer Education, 59, 21-23. Office of Technology Assessment (1988). Power on! New fools for teaching and learning. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. Olson, J. (1988). Schooiworfds/microworZds. Computers and the culture of the classroom. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Olson, J. , & Eaton, S. (1986).Case studies of microcomputers in the classroom. Questions for curriculum and teacher education (Education and technology series). Ontario: Ministry of Education. Plomp, Tj. , & Akker, J. J. H. van den (1988, April). Computer integration in the curricufum: promises and problems. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. Plomp, Tj. , Steerneman, A. H. M. , & Pelgrum, W. J. (1988). Curricular changes as a consequence of computer use. In F. Lovis & E. D. Tagg (Eds. ), Computers in education. Proceedings of the IFIP TC 3 European Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 03-508). Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers. Preece, J. , & Jones, A. (1985). Training teachers to select educational computer software: Results of a formative evaluation of an Open University Pack. British Journal of Educational Technology, 16 (l), 9-20. Ridgway, J. , Benz ie, D. , Burkhardt, H. , Coupland, J. , Field, G. , Fraser, R. , & Phillips, R. (1984). Conclusions from CALtastrophies. Computers in Education, 8, 93-100. Rogers, E. M. , & Shoemaker, F. F. (1971). Communication of innovations. A cross-culfural approach. New York: Free Press. Sheingold, K. , Martin, L. M. W. I & Endreweit, M. E. (1987).Preparing urban teachers for the technological future. In R. D. Pea & K. Sheingold (Eds. ), Mirrors of minds. Patterns of experience in edl~~ationa2 compufi~~ (pp. 67-85). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Stecher, B. M. , & Solorzano, R. S. (1987). Characteristics of effective computer in. ~erv~cepro~rams. Pasadena, CA: Educational Testing Service. Strudler, N. B. , & Gall, M. D. (1988, April). Success&l change agent strategies for overcoming impediments IO microcomputer implemenfution in rhe classroom. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans.Velzen, W. G. van, Miles, M. B. , Ekhol m, M. , Hameyer, U. , & Robin, D. (1985). Making school improvement work. A conceptual guide to practice. Leuven: Acco. Wagshal, P. H. (1986). Computers in the schools: Lessons from television. Curriculum Review, 24 (3), 32-34. Walker, D. F. (1986). Computers Microcomputers and Education and the curriculum. In J. A. Culbertson & L. L. Cunningham (Eds. ), (85th NSSE yearbook, pp. 22-39). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Williams, F. , & Williams, V. (1984). Microcomputers in elementary education; Per. spectives on impl’ementation. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.Wilson, B. (1988). faking sense of the future. A position puper on the role of technology jn science, mathematics, and computing education. Cambridge, MA: Educational Technology Center, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Wiske, M. S. , Zodhiates, Ph. , Wilson. B. , Gordon, M. , Harvey, W. , Krensky, L. , Lord, B. , Watt, M. , & Williams, K. (1988). How technology affects teaching. Cambridge, MA: E ducational Technology Center, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Woodhouse, D. , & Jones, A. .I. (1988). Integrating CAL with other instructional activities in schools. Computers and Education. 12 (3), 381-389.

abortion1 essays

abortion1 essays Do you consider something with a beating heart a living creature? A babies heart forms and starts beating in the fifth week of pregnancy, therefore, that would make abortion murder. The baby that is growing inside of you is depending on you, so when you make the choice to end that life, you are making the choice to murder another person. Someone that believes in the pro-choice theory would say that the decision is up to the woman, but the person with the pro-life theory would say that it is murder no matter what the situation. Would you consider it murder to kill a baby the day after it is born? Then why would it not be murder to kill it before it is born? If it is impossible to abort a baby in the ninth month, then what makes it ok to do in the fifth or sixth month. (Carl Sagan Many abortions are performed each year in the United States. 75% of all abortions in the U.S. are performed on women over 20 years of age, but the lawmakers try to concentrate on the 186,000 teens that have an abortion each year. In 1990, there were nearly 400 abortion bills were introduced to 41 legislatures. So far, as many as 20 states have passed laws that requires a teenager to have a parents consent before having an abortion. This may help reduce the number of abortions each year, the people that passed these bills feel that maybe the parents will feel differently about the situation and be able to talk their child out of it. 20% of teens that are sexually active do not use any form of birth control, these are the teens that end up getting pregnant and getting an abortion. If these girls would use some kind of contraceptive it could stop a lot of the abortions performed each year. If you think about it, it is so much easier to take a pill then it is to be pregnant and have to decide on the life of another person. When you feel that you are responsible enough to participate in sexual activity, you should also f ...

Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses

Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses Introduction Property tax rates are an essential source of revenues for the majority of local governments which ensure their local fiscal autonomy. The procedures of determining the property tax rates are complicated and extremely important for the functioning of the internal financial administration in general.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, the property tax rates are calculated based on the market value of the property. However, in particular cases, due to the specifics of the situation, this method can be inappropriate. This paper will analyze the complex process of quantification of property tax rates for the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses, detect the main inconsistencies in the current procedures, provide two arguments in favor of giving this category of taxpayers with a tax break and two argumen ts opposing this decision and offer a resolution for the existing problem. Quantification The property tax bills received by taxpayers combine some rates imposed by different jurisdictions and can be compared to a layer cake. Similarly, the process of quantification of the property taxes paid by the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses in a particular municipality is somewhat complicated and depends upon a wide array of influential factors. The rate of property taxes is defined by property tax administration, consisting of the property assessors determining the value of parcels, the local bodies responsible for evaluating the amounts of money which are needed for the budgets of particular jurisdictions and should be taken from the property tax revenues, auditors calculating the property tax rates for different authorities and treasurers collecting the taxes and distributing them among the corresponding governments. One of the primary goals of the property tax administration is to m easure property value and adjust it to the taxpayers’ capability to pay the tax. Market value is the commonly accepted standard used for appraising the property (Mikesell, 2010, p. 496). Market value can be defined as the price at which the property could be sold in a competitive and open market. Therefore, the quantification of property taxes paid by owners of Habitat for Humanity houses in a particular municipality depends upon the market value of these houses and the decisions made by the local jurisdictions.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, taking into account the specifics of the Habitat for Humanity programs in which partner families from vulnerable categories of population are selected and then take part in building and/or restoring the houses they will live in and receive zero-interest mortgages for buying these houses, it can be stated that there is a substantial deviation of the acquisition price from the market value. Arguments in favor of a property tax break Taking into account the inconsistency in the current system of determining the real property taxes paid by the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses due to which the property taxes become an overwhelming burden which can tax people of their homes, it can be stated that a property tax break is required for adjusting the tax rates to the house owners’ capability to pay. The first argument for developing the appropriate tax break programs for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses is the deficiency in the procedures of measuring the tax breaks. The use of the standard of the market value based on the principle of possibility to use the property for different purposes for determining the tax rates for this category of taxpayers is inappropriate. Because of the deed restrictions preventing the owners of this property from selling their houses or getting home equity loans before their 20-year mortgages are fully paid. Therefore, the principle of the potential use of this property for profit is excluded because of the deed restrictions and the market value is not related to the case of the Habitat for Humanity houses. The second argument for establishing a tax break for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses is the patent unfairness of the current system of determining the tax rate for this category of property taxpayers. The existing provisions contradict the constitutional requirement for equal protection. Taking into account the fact that the initial objectives of the Habitat for Humanity program were to provide the low-income categories of the population with opportunities to buy affordable houses, it can be stated that the tax system contradicts the main principle of this program. It understates the efforts of the Habitat for Humanity (20 year zero-interest mortgages) and hundreds of hours of ‘sweat equit y’ the owners spent on building work due to which the residents received an opportunity to buy houses at the cost significantly different from their market value.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Arguments against a property tax break Regardless of the apparent deficiency in the current tax system determining the property tax rates for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses, the application of a property tax break for this category of taxpayers can have some negative implications. The first argument against giving a property tax break to owners of Habitat for Humanity houses is the potential inconsistency in the tax administration functioning as a result of such a decision (Schick, 2000, p. 151). The property tax is the source of revenues used by the local jurisdictions for financing the schools. Consequently, the reduction of the property laws in particular spheres can result in deficits of school financing (Mikesell, 2010, p. 485). Therefore, a property tax break given to a specific category of taxpayers can lead to the imbalance of budgets and deficits in certain expenditures covered at the expense of particular tax revenues. The second argument against giving a tax break to the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses is the destruction of uniformity and the possibility of imposing different tax rates for similarly situated individuals. Tax breaks result in the gradual erosion of  the integrity of general taxes, which in their turn have some negative consequences. Rubin (2009) stated that tax breaks result in a reduction of revenues and require cutting back spending, searching for alternative sources of revenues or permitting constant budget deficits (p. 68). Additionally, the tax break for the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses can produce the impression of unequal treatment of eq uals upon other low-income citizens. It can encourage different low-income categories of population to look for the opportunities to reduce their tax payments, further erosion of the integrity of the tax system and budget deficits. Suggestion resolution As can be seen from the case under analysis, the current property taxes based upon the market value of property overburden the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses and should be reconsidered.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taking into account the fact that the owners of these houses pay higher taxes than their mortgage payoffs and some of them have to leave their homes because of the high fees, it can be stated that there are significant inconsistencies in the current tax system. Analyzing possible negative implications of giving a tax break to this category of taxpayers, it can be stated that a substantial reform instead of local measures are required for improving the existing situation. One of the possible solutions which can be suggested for adjusting the property taxes to the owners’ capability to pay is to change the procedures of determining the tax rates and using the acquisition-value assessment instead of the market value standard. Additionally, changes need to be made in the ordinary appraisal procedures, which assume that an owner can use the property for different for-profit purposes. Therefore, it is recommended to take into account the specifics of the case of the owners of Habit at for Humanity houses, including the circumstances under which they receive this property and the restrictions in use of these houses imposed by Habitat for Humanity. Generally speaking, analyzing the case of the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses, it can be stated that the acquisition value assessment procedure can be an effective alternative to the commonly used property tax rates based upon the market value of property in determining the property tax rates for low-income property holders. Conclusion Bearing in mind the importance of property taxes as a source of revenues for the local fiscal administration and taking a close look at the principles of taxation of the owners of Habitat for Humanity houses, it can be concluded that a resolution of the existing problem is not an easy one. Though the inconsistency in the existing procedures of determining the tax rates contradicts disregards the specifics of the situation of the holders of Habitat for Humanity houses, a tax break for this category of taxpayers can have several negative implications. Therefore, more fundamental changes in determining the property tax rates are needed, and using the acquisition-value assessment instead of the market value standard can be one of the possible resolutions. Reference List Mikesell, J. L. (2010). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector  (8th ed.: 2010 custom edition). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning. Rubin, I.S. (2009). The politics of public budgeting: Getting and spending; borrowing and  balancing (6th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press. Schick, A. (2000). The federal budget: Politics, policy, process. Washington, DC: Brrokings Institution.

Impact of European EURO Crisis on the US Marketplace Research Paper

Impact of European EURO Crisis on the US Marketplace - Research Paper Example In this regard, Greece was the first country in the Eurozone to seek assistance from the IMF, other member states and international financial institutions in managing its debt. One of the actions taken to relieve Greece’s problems was the lowering of bond values held by major investors, and in conjunction with other reasons, this becomes a major issue for the United States market place. The crisis in the Euro region is of continuing interest to the United States and other major economic powers in the world (Gros and Alcidi, 2011). One of the facts about this case is that the United States and the Eurozone have one of the largest economic relationships in the world, and there have been worries that the debt crisis being experienced in some parts of Europe could adversely affect the U.S. economy. This is because of the large commitment that major financial institutions in the U.S. committed to the salvaging of Greece’s debt crisis. Another area of concern is that the Unit ed States is one of the biggest contributors to the IMF funds, and the United States congress has been concerned about the level of commitment shown by the IMF to struggling European economies (Nelson, Belkin and Mix, 2011). This paper will analyze the potential effects that the Eurozone crisis might have on the United States marketplace and economy, which will be discussed by focusing on the individual investor, large financial institutions and the whole economy. One of the major effects of the Euro crisis on the United States market place is evident from the ties that major financial institutions have with the banks in Europe (Nelson, Belkin and Mix, 2011). From research, it is evident that European banks are some of the main players in the euro crisis, since they have to extend financial help to the affected countries (Nelson, Belkin and Mix, 2011). The relationships that the European banks have with the banks in the United States indicate that they are all at a risk from the cre dit extension granted to the countries in financial trouble. Research indicates that a total of $700 billion is held be U.S. banks in Great Britain alone, and a total of about $350 billion in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, which are countries at the center of the Euro crisis (Nelson, Belkin and Mix, 2011). These countries, with the exception of Great Britain, could descend into default if the crisis escalates, and with them, carry the risk of the U.S. banks. The impact of these financial commitments in the financial countries could cause a major financial crisis in the United States and with the country; recovering from the 2007 financial crisis it cannot afford another crisis. Despite the fact that major financial institutions have their loans spread out through different regions in the Eurozone, a crash or default in any of the countries would have a domino effect on all banks and other financial institutions (Nelson, Belkin and Mix, 2011). This could lead to a tightening of cr edit in the United States market as the banks try to consolidate their capital, which would cause a serious reduction in the capital available to internal investors. The other effect that the Euro crisis would have on the United States market place would be felt by exporters. Research indicates that more than 25% of all exports from the United States

An essay on Andrew Jackson and the negative aspects of his presidency

An on Andrew Jackson and the negative aspects of his presidency - Essay Example Body During the period of Andrew Jackson’s presidency, a huge amount of population that belonged to the group of Native Americans resided in the regions located east of the Mississippi River as well as West of the Appalachian Mountains (Tucker 667). Although the natives claimed that the land belonged to them, Jackson was against their view and took strong measures against them. He evacuated these Native Americans from their homeland by bribing the leaders of their tribes and even coerced them at the tip of the gun. Due to measures taken by Jackson, these individuals had to travel to look for a new place to settle and due to the difficulty in finding a new location, several of them experienced death and a huge population of those who died included women and children. This event clearly shows that Jackson used his powers in an unethical way and worked against the rights of humans. Human rights are the basis of the foundation of the American society; still Jackson used his power to violate human rights. Due to this move made by Jackson, Native Americans were forced to blend into other cultures and this move is in violation of an individuals’ right of choosing what is right and what is wrong for them. His mal treatment with the Natives did not come to an end even after he kicked them out of their own homeland. The Cherokee, an Indian tribe tried to settle in the region that is referred to as the American Deep South and tried to blend through the act of cultural transformation. While this transformation was taking place, Andrew Jackson again dislocated the Native Americans through the enactment of Indian Removal Act that was enacted during the period of 1830 (Schultz 637). By the period of 1838, the Cherokee community was the last Native American community that was evacuated from their land. Due to this evacuation and relocation a total of 4,000 members of the community of Cherokees experienced death and this incident was regarded as Cherokee Trail of Fears (Seale 259). This movement took place because gold was found in the region where the community settled and Jackson tried to add the region to the state of Georgia, while the Cherokee community protested and took the matters to the court. The court announced the decision in the favor of the community, but Jackson operated against the rulings of the court and took measures to move the community from the region. Again, the rights of the Native Americans were violated by the president. This event even shows that Jackson was misusing his powers as a president and believed that he was above the court of law. When President Jackson came into action, the government system was quite fair in nature, but He reversed fair practices and started operating a corrupt government. He introduced the spoils system; according to this system the president and or the winning political party has the power of electing anybody to any position in the government (Massey 126). He manipulated the governmen t with his powers and replaced the experienced holders of government positions with inexperienced ones. The individuals who were selected to take over government positions were mostly close associated of the president and did not know how to run the affairs. This event even confirms that the president used his powers to manipulate and to obtain personal benefits while disregarding the benefit