Othello a tragic hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Othello a tragic hero - Essay Example Othello is a valiant soldier, a Black Moor from Cyprus, who now owes allegiance to Venice, and has been elevated to a position of General and is the admired protector of the city. He has been raised to this position of eminence by the White Senators of the city who see in him the savior of the city. Othello has taken Desdemona, daughter of Barbantio, as his wife, with her will, and the father is grieved at this match of his white daughter to the black Moor, who he considers a foreigner despite his polished manners and exalted position. Iago, a soldier Othello trusts, but who is not chosen as his lieutenant, is jealous of Othello on two counts. One he presents as not being chosen as his rightful lieutenant, and second his own lust for Desdemonia whom he desired but was denied by Desdemona herself. Seeking vengeance, Iago spins a deceitful plot by tainting Desdemona as unfaithful and having an affair with Cassio, the lieutenant Othello had chosen in preference over Iago, and Othello fa lls into the trap. Othello dismisses Cassio from his service and when Desdemona pleads with Othello for his reinstatement, it merely serves Iago’s cause and firms up his allegation about her in Othello’s confused mind. Othello then confronts her with the accusation of unfaithfulness and refuses he plea of innocence and kills her. Iago had earlier used Emily his wife, who unwittingly aided him, but when realization dawns on her she tries to make amends and clarifies her role and that of Desdemona to Othello, but it is too late.

The Idea of Free

The Idea of Freedom to the Colonial America Essay Introduction Colonial America never had experienced freedom to its fullest implication from the beginning of their settlement in America. This could be perhaps understandable in the sense that back in England where many of these settlers came from, the expression of freedom had been so limited too. They have no freedom to express their political views nor did they have freedom of religion. The reigning monarchs James I (1603-25) and Charles (1625-49) established a series of â€Å"increasingly repressive laws against the few remaining Catholics and the growing numbers of Protestants in England† [1]These laws triggered religious persecution that drove many people to migrate to America to escape such repressive laws and the resulting religious persecution. The restriction of religious freedom was also imposed in the colonial America although there had been minor enhancement on its implication to the people. The ideas of freedom during the colonial America varies and was religious in nature but was quite vague in a sense that they implement strict laws and imposed very harsh punishment for violations where freedom was restricted. Based on the lecture of Zaheer Ali (September 10, 2008), America was inhabited by Asian Migrant between 16,000-14,000 B.C. particularly North[2] America (. These migrants undoubtedly had enjoyed unaltered freedom for very long period of time as they may have been undisturbed by the repressive or colonial laws experienced by the colonial America. They can do all they want with out fear of getting apprehended for violating restrictive laws. For the colonial America however, the idea of freedom varied and this was partly due to their diversity of ethnic origin. The Lutheran immigrant from Germany for example carried with them their notions of freedom as â€Å"the potential for philanthropic service to God and fellow humans,†[3] So as did the Puritans from England. This implies the absence of religious persecution in which the individual was persecuted on account of his or her faith. The idea about freedom of the Lutherans from western Germany, in contrast with the notion above, held freedom as â€Å"liberation from external coercion, alongside the promotion of inner godliness.†[4] While the first notion was purely religious, the context of this idea sounds a socio-religious which could be referring to the oppressive laws directed against Protestants and other non Catholic faiths. However, these German American ideas of freedom had evolved during the time of American Revolution. Freedom now includes the protection of property, which means that freedom was not only about serving God and fellow human freely, but also living a secured life with out fear that their properties would be confiscated. But for the Immigrants from England, and other Catholic countries, the idea of freedom was associated to freedom to exercise religion. George Kurian, Jeffrey D. Schultz, John G. West, and Ian S. Maclean pointed out that â€Å"the Pilgrims and Puritans came for religious freedom that chiefly meant freedom to practice their religious convictions without constraint from the English authorities.†[5] During this period, the concept of freedom was very narrow and specific in a sense that it only referred to one particular subject. Furthermore, their ideas were quite vague because while they held that freedom was associated to freedom to exercise religion, anyone who would exhibit different expression of faith even from their own ranks, would be severely punished, usually with death. This was the case in Massachusetts in 1659 and 1661 in which according to George Kurian et, al. â€Å"Quakers were outlawed and punished—four were even hanged†[6] for proclaiming â€Å"a different version of Christian faith.†[7] This was also the case of Roger Williams which was banished from Massachusetts in 1636. Kurian et, al. stated that William was intensely devout and was one of the â€Å"first to grasp the idea of religious freedom in the sense that we mean it today.†[8] Thus, the notion of freedom during the colonial America, though linked to freedom to exercise religion, does not actually have any room for tolerating different version of exercising their faith or religious practices, other than the prescribed manner, or to tolerate any other religion which was the true meaning of freedom of religion. The Puritans’ idea of freedom were also grounded on religion. Sheldon Hackney stated that for the Puritans in seventeenth-century New England, freedom was â€Å"the ability of their communities to establish a society of their understanding of the Bibl, the kind of Biblical commonwealth they were not permitted to create on Great Britain were the King was the defender of faith and the church of England was the established church†[9] For the Puritans, Freedom was a spiritual thing. It means freedom from enslavement to sin, which could be achieved â€Å"by strict conformity to the will of church and community.†[10] In his speech to the general court in 1645, John Winthrop, leader of the Massachusetts Bay stated, â€Å"On liberty, moral liberty is to be understood in terms of the covenant between God and man, and it is to that only which good, just and honest†¦.This liberty is is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is the same kind of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free† [11]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These ideas of freedom of the colonial America were a reflection of the social realities at the time in which religion has been the basis of governance and it encompassed every spheres of the society as well as the everyday life of the individual families. Did everyone experience freedom in the same way?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is no doubt that the expression of freedom in the context of religion was experienced in the same way through out the colonial America even though some states have different religious ideas. Hackney noted, â€Å"Colonial America in general, was not devoted to religious toleration. Anglican in Virginia had very different religious ideas from the Puritans in New England, but they agreed completely about the need of the society for uniformity of worship.†[12] This same experience of the idea of freedom could be attributed to the fact that the issue of religion as the basis of governance was also the standards of the moral and ethical norms of the society throughout Europe and the Americas. The fact that most of the immigrants had migrated to America to escape religious persecution reflects the same experiences that logically breeds the same feelings in which; their idea of freedom were based.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All throughout the American colonial period, the ideas of freedom were influenced by the developments in England particularly the set of power. Notable was the rise to the throne of Mary, the protestant daughter of James II and her husband, William of Orange which paved the way for the objective view of religion and government. It was from this period that the evolution of the ideas of freedom to exercise religion began to find a place in the government which later influenced the declaration of independence of the colonial America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Generally however, the main issue of freedom was freedom to exercise religion between Protestant and Roman Catholics. It means people experiences tyranny, oppression, injustice, and discrimination on account of their religion. These experiences were common among every state in colonial America as religiosity were the basis of the society’s everyday lives. It is the standard of norms of the society and was the basis of justice. However, this is quite vague because the freedom to choose religion was between Protestant and Roman Catholics only and which ever one chose, affects his or her own life socially, physically, and economically. Moreover, the idea of freedom limits to freely exercise either the Puritan or the Lutheran faith in the traditional manner of worship. It means that the individual were not allowed to have personal interpretation of the word God in a way that will suit to his or her situation and needs. It was a freedom to mean only to exercise the Lutheran and the Puritan faith and practice freely. This vague understanding of freedom had led many colonial states to â€Å"abstain voluntarily from asserting a governmental right to control or regulate religious activity within their territories and jurisdiction†[13] This development in the ideas of freedom was experienced all through out America until the birth of the United States because more and more states had recognized that religious freedom was part of the ideology of America, part of the American’s self concept. Thomas Jefferson according to Guinn once stated that freedom is, â€Å"the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights.†[14] This realization of the value of religious freedom had contributed to idea of freedom which we now enjoy. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The social realities in Europe during the 1700s greatly affected the lives of people everywhere. The religious conflict between Protestant and Roman Catholics affected not only people of England but also in most part of Europe where the conflicts were intense. These realities led people to migrate to America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At first glance, all we can see are the ugly, realities but looking objectively, those ugly realities paved the way for a more meaningful concept of freedom which enabled us to live a more enjoyable and exciting life. It gave our policy makers a more objective understanding and more objective laws that guarantees the individual freedom not only to practice religion but also to express views on governments or to criticize what one perceive to be wrong as long as he or she does not violate the law. Today, we are benefiting from the equal implementation, equal, purpose, and equal meaning of the law regardless of race, sex, color, religion, and ethnic origin, as our laws guarantee not only our freedom, but also our peaceful existence, our rights, and the security of our properties and most all our future. Bibliography Ali, Zaheer â€Å"The American Experience† (Lecture, September 10, 2008). Fahlbusch, Erwin; Bromiley, Geoffrey William; Barrett, David B. The Encyclopedia of Christianity USA: Wm. B. Eerdsmans Publishing, 1999 Guin, David Faith in Trial USA: Lexington Books, 2006 Hackney,   Sheldon Magnolias Without Moonlight USA: Transaction Publisher, 2005 Kurian, George; Schultz, Jeffrey D.; West, John G. Maclean, Ian Encyclopedia of religion in American Politics USA: Greenwood Publishing, 1999 Noll, Mark A. America’s God New York: Oxford University Press, 2005 [1] Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley, David B. Barrett, The Encyclopedia of Christianity USA: Wm. B. Eerdsmans Publishing, 1999, p. [2] Zaheer Ali â€Å"The American Experience† (Lecture, September 10, 2008). [3] Mark A. Noll, America’s God New York: Oxford University Press, 2005, p. 116 [4] Noll, p. 116 [5] George Kurian, Jeffrey D. Schultz, John G. West, Ian Maclean Encyclopedia of religion in American Politics USA: Greenwood Publishing, 1999, p. 59. [6] Kurian et, al, p. 59 [7] Ibid [8] Ibid [9] Sheldon Hackney Magnolias Without Moonlight USA: Transaction Publisher, 2005, p. 126. [10] Hackney, p. 126 [11] Ibid [12] Ibid [13] David Guin Faith in Trial USA: Lexington Books, 2006, p.25 [14] Ibid

The High Price of Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The High Price of Education Once again, students at State University will pay more in tuition during the 2005-2006 academic year, by a 4.5 percent increase. The State Board of Regents was presented with a proposed 5.2 percent increase at its September 23-24 meeting in Capital City, but decided this month that a 4.5 percent increase in tuition was more reasonable. Even with the additional services that could be made available by the tuition hike, the students should not have to pay this increase. According to the memorandum, the tuition proceeds at State University will go toward student financial aid, inflation, library acquisitions and services, learning communities, the four-year graduation plan, study-abroad programs, graduate assistantships and computing and information technology. The extra funds acquired from the raise in tuition are meant to improve the quality of education, however, the proposed increase impedes State University's commitment of affordability and access for its students. As a tuition-paying freshman at State University, this raise will directly effect my already currently suffering bank account and me. I applaud the board for its efforts to improve the quality of higher education for students, and for seeking to help State University in its goal to become the best institution in the nation. Although I don't approve of a 4.5 percent tuition hike for students to increase the funding of various programs at the university, or as a means to help achieve State University's goal. Each time the tuition goes up, it makes it harder for aspiring college-bound students to come to school here. What kind of impact will a higher tuition have on students? If the cost of living plus tuition pushes students to w... ...this increase are not tuition-paying students, but administrators overseeing the institutions from a distance. This raise may have no effect on their bank account, or may even provide the funds for their salary increases. If we as students don't agree with these allocations, we need to speak out and let our views be known. Our opinions will be considered, but only if we take them to someone other than our roommates, such as the Board members themselves. A few years ago, the Regents actually changed the tuition rate during the process due to student feedback, so we shouldn't assume the decision is out of our hands. It may seem as though our bills each September and January are much lower in comparison to other universities, however, we can't just sit back and accept tuition increases that come our way. After all, it is our money and financial future that is at stake.

Bamboo as a Sustainable Material of Architecture in Australia

Bamboo as asustainable stuffof architecture in Australia Subject: Material and sustainable design Abstraction: Bamboo is a stuff that is became much more application in day-to-day life. Architecture is one of using range that is increasing used. The bamboo’s architecture non merely bound on the topographic points such as East-Asia, South-Asia and South-America which is besides increasing applied in USA and Europe such as Germany, Spain and Italy. However, bamboo as a sustainable stuff of architecture, thedevelopmentof bamboo’sarchitecturein Australia is really slow. In Australia, there are merely really less architecture that is widely applied with bamboo. Most of them merely remain in the phase of bamboo’s flooring, furniture and ornaments. Hence, this paper investigated bamboo as a sustainable stuff of architecture in Australia. At the first, this paper studied the advantages and disadvantages of the Bamboo and the bamboo’s architecture in the whole universe to analysis the feasibleness of bamboo’s architecture in Australia. After that, this r esearch paper explore the history, recent state of affairs, coming development of bamboo and bamboo‘s architecture to analysis the job that is confronting and development of hereafter.AT last, this paper has a comparing between bamboo and wood and analysis that is wood became a. obstruction of the development of bamboo’s architecture. Introduction Bamboo is a stuff that has been used for different application such as cookery, cloths and vesture, agribusiness, arms, instruments, interior ornaments and edifice stuffs.Bamboo is widely used for constructing stuff in the East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia since thousand old ages ago. In 21th century, topographic point like American, Europe, start to use bamboo in architecture and application of bamboo in architecture is increasing. Although stuffs like masonry, concrete and steel are the chief building stuffs in the recent history of architecture, there is a social push for more sustainable architectural stuffs presents. Bamboo is an highly lasting stuff that has a possible to replace stuffs such as lumber and steel. However, there are a batch of factors that is impacting the application of bamboo in the architecture. This research paper studied the characteristic, advantages and disadvantages of bamboo and examined edifice that is applied bamboo in the whole universe. This p aper besides explored the history, recent state of affairs and future development of bamboo in Australia and one illustration of bamboo architecture in Australia is studied. In add-on, there is a comparing between Bamboo and wood. Analysis Advantages of Bamboo Bamboo has a good strength and lastingness, it can be stronger than oak, even steel, it is light and flexible at the same clip and has a good H2O opposition (green physique2012 ) . Bamboo has good temblor opposition, the bamboo of edifices in Colombia still stood strong when a 6.2 temblor was happened in January 1999 ( The Permaculture Research Institute 2011 ) . Bamboo is an environmental friendly stuff. Bamboo merely needs 30 MJ/m3per N/mm2, it is less than the energy demand of concrete, steel and lumber (J. Bamboo2003) . Hardwood trees release less 35 per centums oxygen than bamboo (Bamboo Grove Home2008 ) . Therefore, bamboo can run into the demand of energy efficiency that is more of import in presents. The regeneration of bamboo merely necessitate approximately two to three old ages, so bamboo can supply a big figure of resources in a short period ( J. Bamboo2003) . Each portion of the bamboo can be made different sort of merchandises. So, there is merely has small waste (Bambo o Grove Home2008 ) . One of advantages of bamboo is it low cost when it compared with other architectural stuffs such as concrete, lumber, steel, masonry. The cost of a bamboo house is non more than 450USD in Ecuador and most of people can afford the monetary value. The bamboo industry can besides increase the employment ( J. Bamboo2003) . This is one of the chief grounds that bamboo can be successful applied in commercial all over the universe. It is easy to construct houses with bamboo because it no demand require high engineering to construct and bamboo can be maintained and replaced anytime (Bamboo Grove Home2008 ) . Furthermore, bamboo can turn in a broad scope of clime environment such as low wetlands, waterless parts, top of the mountain. Unlike other harvests, bamboo no demand agricultural chemicals to turn strongly (Bamboo Grove Home2008 ) .That is why bamboo are more natural and would non impact human wellness. After Reaping, the root of the bamboo still remain in the dirt , it could protect the dirt and supply foods for the following works (Bamboo Grove Home2008 ) . Disadvantages of bamboo Although bamboo has a batch of benefit, there are besides some disadvantages. The starchy inside of bamboo ever attracts to insects and it is difficult to paint the surface of the bamboo due to the natural waterproof coating (NaturalConstructing Colloquium Southwest) . In add-on, the right clip of the crop is of import so that bamboo have the best strength and minimise erode by plagues. As the harm by insects, fire, Fungis and putrefaction, bamboo besides need to hold a good intervention such as smoking fires in kilns and utilizing chemical coating to maintain bamboo in a high quality (green physique2012 ) . The process of cutting and drying the bamboo is besides of import for prevent erode. As the bamboo is easy to absorb wet, the belongingss of bamboo will cut down, hence, a covered and dry topographic point is provided for the shop of bamboo. Most of the root of bamboo does non turn directly wholly and the diameter and thickness of one bamboo is non the same ( Minke 2012 ) . Hence , it is difficult to maintain bamboo in a criterion. Bamboo edifices in the whole universe As bamboo solutions have a batch of advantages, it is non surprise that Asiatic and Central and South American widely integrate bamboo in their applications in day-to-day life and civilization. North American wages more attending to the application of bamboo in edifice (green physique2012 ) . After the ZERI marquee in the universe EXPO 2000 is built, more European designers and applied scientists feel Interesting to bamboo. Ten old ages subsequently, the marquees in universe EXPO show bamboo as a high-performance sustainable stuff ( Minke 2012 ) . Nowadays, more and more bamboo architecture appear in Europe and all around the universe. Two illustrations are study in the followers. The first illustration is the Vietnam Pavilion by Vo Trong Nghia in China. The edifice is over 10m tallness and the whole piece of frontage and interior constructions are built by bamboos ( Sanchez Vidiella 2011 ) . It shows that it is possible to use bamboo in a big graduated table of architecture and it i s successfully used bamboo widely in a large architecture. The 2nd illustration is the Pacific Tahitian by David Sands in United Sates. It is a prefabricated house which is made by bamboo and it was assemble in Vietnam and sent it to Hawaii to construct up on site. It spent two yearss merely ( Sanchez Vidiella 2011 ) . Hence, the procedure of the green goods is non necessary in the locals. Most of the bamboo resource of Europe and America are imported from Colombia. States such as German, Italy and Spain import bamboo from Colombia, Ecuador and Indonesia. Although it need cost for transit, it is still cheaper than wood. In USA, although they have their ain plantations, it is cheaper to import bamboo from Colombia or China. ( Minke 2012 )In decision, Australia has possible to works its ain bamboo and applied in architecture widely. History of bamboo in Australia In Australia, bamboo is non a common stuff comparison to Asia. In Asia, bamboo is used in cookery, furniture, musical instruments, architecture, arm, artifact†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦bamboo has already integrated in the society and civilization of Asia. In Australia, bamboo has a bad repute, which is moving an invaded character (The RIC Good Wood Guide1998 ) . Therefore, the attitude of how people treat the bamboo and the civilization was impacting the development of bamboo. This is besides one of the grounds why the bamboo of Australia is developing easy. However, there are at least three autochthonal bamboos in Australia and one of them has been applied in the stuff of an instrument over four thousand old ages (The RIC Good Wood Guide1998 ) . Unfortunately, it did non use in edifices and used widely in day-to-day life. Bamboo architecture in Australia Nowadays, most of the applications of bamboo in Australia merely remain in the little scale objects such as flooring, furniture, gardening so on. There is merely less big graduated table of architecture that is made by bamboo or widely applied bamboo as a facade or construction of architecture. There is an illustration. The Bamboo Loveshack is the first bamboo’s edifice that is designed and built by Australia’s pupils in Australia. The Bamboo Loveshack is a lasting architecture which is used for community at Randwick. The Loveshack shows that bamboos have possible to be an architectural stuff that can be applied at shelter, summerhouse and houses. The Bamboo is used for Loveshack, which is come from a plantation in north-east New South Wales (Faculty of the built environment2008) . Except the doors are built with lumber, most of the portion of the edifice are made by bamboo including the portion of construction (bambooroo) . The graduated table of Loveshack is little, b ut it is meaningful. It shows the ability of bamboo widely applied for lasting architecture in Australia and Australia can besides supply local’s bamboo for architecture. Roentgenecent state of affairs of bamboo in Australia The followerss are analysis about the jobs and state of affairs that is happened today. Although bamboo has a batch of benefits, bamboo is difficult to go through the quality confidence criterions, specification criterion and ordinances of Australia’s authorities (The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia1992 ) . Hence, the place and support of the authorities is really of import and it is moving an of import character of the development of the bamboo. For illustration, even Australia supply a good environment to develop bamboo, the authorities can still barricade the development. Furthermore, although the increasing of Asiatic people in Australia rise the demands for good quality of bamboo for different demands of used, Australia still lack a complete set to bring forth mature bamboo and good quality of bamboo. The complete set including the expeditiously accomplishments of builders, the design of designer, the cognition of applied scientist, the intervention, harve st home of manufacturer (The RIC Good Wood Guide1998 ) . The craftsmen in Australia besides do non hold professional cognition and accomplishments for doing furniture and interior ornaments (The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia1992 ) . That means, Australia besides need to develop people and better their cognition to manage the hereafter development of bamboo or else the state of affairs will be the same as today. Although there are large countries of land is suited to works bamboo, Australia still imports different bamboo merchandises (The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia1992 ) . That besides means that Australia has possible to supply its ain bamboo resource for architecture. Nowadays, Golden bamboo, Painted bamboo and Balcooa are three sorts of bamboos that are planted in Australia. The balcooa could be used in edifice and it is better than the other two (The RIC Good Wood Guide1998 ) . This is a illustration which is demoing the feasibleness of seti ng bamboo in Australia. Future development of Bamboo in Australia In the hereafter, development of bamboo in Australia is optimistic. As the native lumber environment become worse and cut down, the demands of bamboo will increase in Australia due to the benefits of bamboo, particularly the advantage to the environment (The RIC Good Wood Guide1998 ) . It shows that bamboo has a possible to go a common stuff in Australia, it can be one of the stuff that is applied in architecture. As Different sort of bamboos as garden ornamentals are sold in Australia, the market of bamboo is increasing and there will be more and more applications of bamboo in the hereafter (The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia1992 ) . It will advance the demand of bamboo in Australia and more people will be accept and know bamboo. Hence, it besides promotes the development of bamboo of architecture in Australia. The monetary value of the bamboo furniture which is imported from South-East Asia, is expensive due to the usage and transit charge. If Australia can bring f orth its ain bamboo furniture, it can salvage money. Australia perfectly has the possible and experience to bring forth its ain merchandises and design and produce the better one (The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia1992 ) . This is a good ground to develop the bamboo’s industry. Some of the organisations such as the Rainforest information Centre, the Bello Bamboo Company are advancing the applications of bamboo in day-to-day life. It is besides to organize a complete set such as the publicity of the bamboo’s civilization, the preparation of the applied scientist, craftsmen, architect so on (The RIC Good Wood Guide1998 ) . Until 2002, there are 200 hectares of bamboo plantation in Australia. However, the industry has competed with monetary value of import. Comparison between wood and bamboo In Australia, lumber is a common stuff that is used widely in different portion of edifice, but bamboo merely applied in a narrow field of architecture. In the followers, bamboo and wood are compared. As bamboo is a good renewable resource, it needs merely one to five old ages to be mature. Hardwood needs at least 20 twelvemonth before it can be harvested. Some of the hardwoods like oak need over 40 old ages to go mature (Bamboo Grove Home) . Trees absorb less 40 % CO2 than bamboos (green builder) . In add-on, some sorts of the bamboo are really strong and lasting. It can hold the same lastingness with ruddy oak, Strand woven bamboo can even harder than ruddy oak. (about.com) . In each hebdomad, we lost one million estates of woods in the whole universe. If bamboo displaces portion of the hardwood, bamboo can retrieve portion of the woods that are lost. Bamboo can besides replace wood in each field including edifice stuffs. Compare with wood, bamboo can accommodate more different cli me status (Bamboo Grove Home) . Hence, the market of bamboo has possible to replace lumber in the hereafter (The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia1992 ) . Decision To reason, bamboo as a renewable, inexpensive, strong, flexible, lastingness, light good water-resistance easy to works and construct, the applications of bamboo is increasing in the day-to-day life of the whole universe, even there has some disadvantages of bamboo, those jobs are piddling affair and easy to work out it. That is why more and more bamboo is applied in architecture in the universe. However, hindrances such as ordinances, civilization, import competition, accomplishments are the unfavourable factors that are forestalling the development of the bamboo architecture in Australia. Nevertheless, the hereafter development of bamboo’s architecture is still bright as the increasing used and benefits of bamboo. Mentions About.com. ‘’The Benefits of Natural Bamboo Flooring ‘’ hypertext transfer protocol: //flooring.about.com/od/Flooring-Pros-And-Cons/a/The-Benefits-And-Drawbacks-Of-Bamboo-Floors.htm ( beginning 4ThursdayOctober, 2013 ) Bamboo Grove Home. ‘’Bamboo Grove’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bamboogrove.com ( beginning 4ThursdayOctober, 2013 ) Bambooroo. ‘’Bamboo Love Shack’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bambooroo.net/love_shack.php ( sourced 1stOctober, 2013 ) Faculty of the built environment ‘’Bamboo Love Shack An FBE Winter Elective’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //www2.fbe.unsw.edu.au/research/strengths/LearningTeaching/Exhibit/Bamboo_Love_Shack/ ( sourced 1stOctober, 2013 ) Green Build. â€Å"Use of Bamboo in Sustainable Building.† hypertext transfer protocol: //www.greenbuild.org/new-construction/uses-for-bamboo-in-sustainable-building/ ( sourced 24ThursdayAugust, 2013 ) J. Bamboo and Rattan, ( 2003 ) Bamboo lodging: market potency for low-income groups.vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 381–396 Minke, Gernot ( 2012 ) , Constructing with Bamboo: Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture, Basel Natural Building Colloquium Southwest. ‘’Bamboo Architecture and Construction with Oscar Hidalgo’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/bamboo.html ( sourced 24ThursdayAugust, 2013 ) Sanchez Vidiella, Alex ( 2011 )Bamboo: Bambu = Bamboe = Bambu. Barcelona: Loft Publications, The Permaculture Research Institute. ‘’Bamboo: a Great Building Material Gets Even Better’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //permaculturenews.org/2011/03/09/bamboo-a-great-building-material-gets-even-better/ ( beginning 4ThursdayOctober, 2013 ) The Archives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia. ‘’farming bamboo’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Bamboo/FarmingBamboo9-92.htm ( beginning 4ThursdayOctober, 2013 ) The RIC Good Wood Guide. ‘’Bamboo the Rainforest’s Universal, Renewable, Spiritual Resource’’ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.rainforestinfo.org.au/good_wood/bamboo.htm # anchor137507 ( beginning 4ThursdayOctober, 2013 )

Educational psychology Essay

School children in Durban, South Africa. In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses and their content offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults. A curriculum is prescriptive, and is based on a more general syllabus which merely specifies what topics must be understood and to what level to achieve a particular grade or standard. An academic discipline is a branch of knowledge which is formally taught, either at the university–or via some other such method. Each discipline usually has several sub-disciplines or branches, and distinguishing lines are often both arbitrary and ambiguous. Examples of broad areas of academic disciplines include the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science,social sciences, humanities and applied sciences. [5] Educational institutions may incorporate fine arts as part of K-12 grade curricula or within majors at colleges and universities as electives. The various types of fine arts are music, dance, and theater. [6] [edit]Preschools Main article: Preschool education The term preschool refers to a school for children who are not old enough to attend kindergarten. It is a nursery school. Preschool education is important because it can give a child the edge in a competitive world and education climate. [citation needed] While children who do not receive the fundamentals during their preschool years will be taught the alphabet, counting, shapes and colors and designs when they begin their formal education they will be behind the children who already possess thatknowledge. The true purpose behind kindergarten is â€Å"to provide a child-centered, preschool curriculum for three to seven year old children that aimed at unfolding the child’s physical, intellectual, and moral nature with balanced emphasis on each of them. †[7] [edit]Primary schools Main article: Primary education Primary school in open air. Teacher (priest) with class from the outskirts ofBucharest, around 1842. Primary (or elementary) education consists of the first 5–7 years of formal, structured education. In general, primary education consists of six or eight years of schooling starting at the age of five or six, although this varies between, and sometimes within, countries. Globally, around 89% of primary-age children are enrolled in primary education, and this proportion is rising. [8] Under the Education For All programs driven by UNESCO, most countries have committed to achieving universal enrollment in primary education by 2015, and in many countries, it is compulsory for children to receive primary education. The division between primary and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally occurs at about eleven or twelve years of age. Some education systems have separate middle schools, with the transition to the final stage of secondary education taking place at around the age of fourteen. Schools that provide primary education, are mostly referred to as primary schools. Primary schools in these countries are often subdivided into infant schools and junior school. In India, compulsory education spans over twelve years, out of which children receive elementary education for 8 years. Elementary schooling consists of five years of primary schooling and 3 years of upper primary schooling. Various states in the republic of India provide 12 years of compulsory school education based on national curriculum framework designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. [edit]Secondary schools Main article: Secondary education Students working with a teacher at Albany Senior High School, New Zealand. Students in a classroom at Samdach Euv High School, Cambodia In most contemporary educational systems of the world, secondary education comprises the formal education that occurs during adolescence. It is characterized by transition from the typically compulsory, comprehensive primary education for minors, to the optional, selective tertiary, â€Å"post-secondary†, or â€Å"higher† education (e. g. university, vocational school) for adults. Depending on the system, schools for this period, or a part of it, may be called secondary or high schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, middle schools, colleges, or vocational schools. The exact meaning of any of these terms varies from one system to another. The exact boundary between primary and secondary education also varies from country to country and even within them, but is generally around the seventh to the tenth year of schooling. Secondary education occurs mainly during the teenage years. In the United States, Canada and Australia primary and secondary education together are sometimes referred to as K-12 education, and in New Zealand Year 1–13 is used. The purpose of secondary education can be to give common knowledge, to prepare for higher education or to train directly in a profession. The emergence of secondary education in the United States did not happen until 1910, caused by the rise in big businesses and technological advances in factories (for instance, the emergence of electrification), that required skilled workers. In order to meet this new job demand, high schools were created, with a curriculum focused on practical job skills that would better prepare students for white collar or skilled blue collar work. This proved to be beneficial for both employers and employees, for the improvement in human capital caused employees to become more efficient, which lowered costs for the employer, and skilled employees received a higher wage than employees with just primary educational attainment. In Europe, grammar schools or academies date from as early as the 16th century, in the form of public schools, fee-paying schools, or charitable educational foundations, which themselves have an even longer history. MLC Kx12 in Portland, Oregon [edit]Autodidacticism Main article: Autodidacticism. Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is self-directed learning that is related to but different from informal learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is â€Å"learning on your own† or â€Å"by yourself†, and an autodidact is a self-teacher. Autodidacticism is a contemplative, absorbing process. Some autodidacts spend a great deal of time reviewing the resources of libraries and educational websites. One may become an autodidact at nearly any point in one’s life. While some may have been informed in a conventional manner in a particular field, they may choose to inform themselves in other, often unrelated areas. Notable autodidacts include Abraham Lincoln (U. S. president), Srinivasa Ramanujan (mathematician), Michael Faraday (chemist and physicist), Charles Darwin(naturalist), Thomas Alva Edison (inventor), Tadao Ando (architect), George Bernard Shaw (playwright), and Leonardo da Vinci (engineer, scientist, mathematician). [edit]Vocational Main article: Vocational education Vocational education is a form of education focused on direct and practical training for a specific trade or craft. Vocational education may come in the form of an apprenticeship or internship as well as institutions teaching courses such as carpentry, agriculture, engineering, medicine, architecture and the arts. [edit]Indigenous Main article: Indigenous education Indigenous education refers to the inclusion of indigenous knowledge, models, methods and content within formal and non-formal educational systems. Often in a post-colonial context, the growing recognition and use of indigenous education methods can be a response to the erosion and loss of indigenous  knowledge and language through the processes of colonialism. Furthermore, it can enable indigenous communities to â€Å"reclaim and revalue their languages and cultures, and in so doing, improve the educational success of indigenous students. †[9] [edit]Anarchistic free schools Main article: Anarchistic free school An anarchistic free school (also anarchist free school and free school) is a decentralized network in which skills, information, and knowledge are shared without hierarchy or the institutional environment of formal schooling. Free school students may be adults, children, or both. This organisational structure is distinct from ones used by democratic free schools which permit children’s individual initiatives and learning endeavors within the context of a school democracy, and from free education where ‘traditional’ schooling is made available to pupils without charge. The open structure of free schools is intended to encourage self-reliance, critical consciousness, and personal development. Free schools often operate outside the market economy in favor of a gift economy. [citation needed] Nevertheless, the meaning of the â€Å"free† of free schools is not restricted to monetary cost, and can refer to an emphasis on free speech and student-centred education. [citation needed] [edit]Alternative Main article: Alternative education Alternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, is a broad term that may be used to refer to all forms of education outside of traditional education (for all age groups and levels of education). This may include not only forms of education designed for students with special needs (ranging from teenage pregnancy to intellectual disability), but also forms of education designed for a general audience and employing alternative educational philosophies and methods. Alternatives of the latter type are often the result of education reform and are rooted in various philosophies that are commonly fundamentally different from those of traditional compulsory education. While some have strong political,scholarly, or philosophical orientations, others are more informal associations of teachers and students dissatisfied with certain aspects of traditional education. These alternatives, which include charter schools, alternative schools,independent schools, homeschooling and autodidacticism vary, but often emphasize the value of small class size, close relationships between students and teachers, and a sense of community. Alternative education may also allow for independent learning and engaging class activities. [10] [edit]Special. In the past, those who were disabled were often not eligible for public education. Children with disabilities were often educated by physicians or special tutors. These early physicians (people like Itard, Seguin, Howe, Gallaudet) set the foundation for special education today. They focused on individualized instruction and functional skills. Special education was only provided to people with severe disabilities in its early years, but more recently it has been opened to anyone who has experienced difficulty learning. [11] [edit]Education through recreation The concept of education through recreation was first applied to childhood development in the 19th century. [12] In the early 20th century, the concept was broadened to include young adults but the emphasis was on physical activities. [13] Educationalist Lawrence L. P. Jacks, who was also an early proponent of lifelong learning, best described the modern concept of education through recreation in the following quotation â€Å"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself he always seems to be doing both. Enough for him that he does it well. â€Å"(Jacks, 1932). [14] Education through recreation is the opportunity to learn in a seamless fashion through all of life’s activities. [15] The concept has been revived by the University of Western Ontario to teach anatomy to medical students. [15] ————————————————- [edit]Systems of higher education Main article: Higher education. The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. Higher education, also called tertiary, third stage, or post secondary education, is the non-compulsory educational level that follows the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school or secondary school. Tertiary education is normally taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as vocational education and training. Colleges and universities are the main institutions that provide tertiary education. Collectively, these are sometimes known as tertiary institutions. Tertiary education generally results in the receipt ofcertificates, diplomas, or academic degrees. Higher education generally involves work towards a degree-level or foundation degree qualification. In most developed countries a high proportion of the population (up to 50%) now enter higher education at some time in their lives. Higher education is therefore very important to national economies, both as a significant industry in its own right, and as a source of trained and educated personnel for the rest of the economy. [edit]University systems Lecture at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, CTU in Prague. University education includes teaching, research, and social services activities, and it includes both the undergraduate level (sometimes referred to as tertiary education) and the graduate (orpostgraduate) level (sometimes referred to as graduate school). Universities are generally composed of several colleges. In the United States, universities can be private and independent, likeYale University, they can be public and State governed, like the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, or they can be independent but State funded, like the University of Virginia. [edit]Open Higher education in particular is currently undergoing a transition towards open education, elearning alone is currently growing at 14x the rate of traditional learning. [16] Open education is fast growing to become the dominant form of education, for many reasons such as it’s superior efficiency and results compared to traditionalist methods. [17] Cost of education has been an issue throughout history, and a major political issue in most countries today. Open education is generally significantly cheaper than traditional campus based learning and in many cases even free. Many large university institutions are now starting to offer free or almost free full courses such as Harvard, MIT and Berkeley teaming up to form edX Other universities offering open education are Stanford, Princeton, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Edinburgh, U. Penn, U. Michigan, U. Virginia, U. Washington, Caltech. It has been called the biggest change in the way we learn since the printing press. [18] Many people despite favorable studies on effectivness may still desire to choose traditional campus education for social and cultural reasons. [19] The conventional merit system degree is currently not as common in open education as it is in campus universities. Although some open universities do already offer conventional degrees such as the Open University in the United Kingdom. Currently many of the major open education sources offer their own form of certificate. Due to the popularity of open education these new kind of academic certificates are gaining more respect and equal â€Å"academic value† to traditional degrees. [20] Many open universities are working to have the ability to offer students standardized testing and traditional degrees and credentials. [citation needed] There has been a culture forming around distance learning for people who are looking to enjoy the shared social aspects that many people value in traditional on campus education that is not often directly offered from open education. [citation needed] Examples of this are people in open education forming study groups, meetups and movements such as UnCollege. [edit]Liberal arts colleges. Saint Anselm College, a traditional New England liberal arts college. A liberal arts institution can be defined as a â€Å"college or university curriculum aimed at imparting broad general knowledge and developing general intellectual capacities, in contrast to a professional, vocational, or technical curriculum. â€Å"[21] Although what is known today as the liberal arts college began in Europe,[22] the term is more commonly associated with Universities in theUnited States[citation needed]. Examples include St. John’s College, Reed College, Carleton College, and Smith College. [edit]Community colleges Main article: community colleges A nonresidential junior college offering courses to people living in a particular area. ————————————————- [edit]Technology Main article: Educational technology One of the most substantial uses in education is the use of technology. Also technology is an increasingly influential factor in education. Computers and mobile phones are used in developed countries both to complement established education practices and develop new ways of learning such as online education (a type of distance education). This gives students the opportunity to choose what they are interested in learning. The proliferation of computers also means the increase of programming and blogging. Technology offers powerful learning tools that demand new skills and understandings of students, including Multimedia, and provides new ways to engage students, such as Virtual learning environments. One such tool are virtual manipulatives, which are an â€Å"interactive, Web-based visual representation of a dynamic object that presents opportunities for constructing mathematical knowledge† (Moyer, Bolyard, & Spikell, 2002). In short, virtual manipulatives are dynamic visual/pictorial replicas of physical mathematical manipulatives, which have long been used to demonstrate and teach various mathematical concepts. Virtual manipulatives can be easily accessed on the Internet as stand-alone applets, allowing for easy access and use in a variety of educational settings. Emerging research into the effectiveness of virtual manipulatives as a teaching tool have yielded promising results, suggesting comparable, and in many cases superior overall concept-teaching effectiveness compared to standard teaching methods. [citation needed] Technology is being used more not only in administrative duties in education but also in the instruction of students. The use of technologies such as PowerPoint and interactive whiteboard is capturing the attention of students in the classroom. Technology is also being used in the assessment of students. One example is the Audience Response System (ARS), which allows immediate feedback tests and classroom discussions. [23] American students in 2001, in a computer fundamentals class taking a computer-based test Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a â€Å"diverse set of tools and resources used to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information. †[24] These technologies include computers, the Internet, broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and telephony. There is increasing interest in how computers and the Internet can improve education at all levels, in both formal and non-formal settings. [25] Older ICT technologies, such as radio and television, have for over forty years been used for open and distance learning, although print remains the cheapest, most accessible and therefore most dominant delivery mechanism in both developed and developing countries. [26] In addition to classroom application and growth of e-learning opportunities for knowledge attainment, educators involved in student affairs programming have recognized the increasing importance of computer usage with data generation for and about students. Motivation and retention counselors, along with faculty and administrators, can impact the potential academic success of students by provision of technology based experiences in the University setting. [27] The use of computers and the Internet is in its infancy in developing countries, if these are used at all, due to limited infrastructure and the attendant high costs of access. Usually, various technologies are used in combination rather than as the sole delivery mechanism. For example, the Kothmale Community Radio Internet uses both radio broadcasts and computer and Internet technologies to facilitate the sharing of information and provide educational opportunities in a rural community in Sri Lanka. [28] The Open University of the United Kingdom (UKOU), established in 1969 as the first educational institution in the world wholly dedicated to open and distance learning, still relies heavily on print-based materials supplemented by radio, television and, in recent years, online programming. [29] Similarly, the Indira Gandhi National Open University in India combines the use of print, recorded audio and video, broadcast radio and television, and audio conferencing technologies. [30] The term â€Å"computer-assisted learning† (CAL) has been increasingly used to describe the use of technology in teaching. Classrooms of the 21st century contain interactive white boards, tablets, mp3 players, laptops, etc. Wiki sites are another tool teachers can implement into CAL curricula for students to understand communication and collaboration efforts of group work through electronic means. [citation needed] Teachers are encouraged to embed these technological devices and services in the curriculum in order to enhance students learning and meet the needs of various types of learners. ————————————————- [edit]Adult Main article: Adult education Adult learning, or adult education, is the practice of training and developing skills in adults. It is also sometimes referred to as andragogy (the art and science of helping adults learn). Adult education has become common in many countries. It takes on many forms, ranging from formal class-based learning to self-directed learning and e-learning. A number of career specific courses such as veterinary assisting, medical billing and coding, real estate license,bookkeeping and many more are now available to students through the Internet. With the boom of information from availability of knowledge through means of internet and other modern low cost information exchange mechanisms people are beginning to take an attitude of Lifelong learning. To make knowledge andself improvement a lifelong focus as opposed to the more traditional view that knowledge and in particular value creating trade skills are to be learned just exclusively in youth. ————————————————- [edit]Learning modalities Students in laboratory, Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University. There has been work on learning styles over the last two decades. Dunn and Dunn[31] focused on identifying relevant stimuli that may influence learning and manipulating the school environment, at about the same time as Joseph Renzulli[32] recommended varying teaching strategies. Howard Gardner[33] identified individual talents or aptitudes in his Multiple Intelligencestheories. Based on the works of Jung, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Keirsey Temperament Sorter[34] focused on understanding how people’s personality affects the way they interact personally, and how this affects the way individuals respond to each other within the learning environment. The work of David Kolb and Anthony Gregorc’s Type Delineator[35] follows a similar but more simplified approach. It is currently fashionable to divide education into different learning â€Å"modes†. The learning modalities[36] are probably the most common: * Visual: learning based on observation and seeing what is being learned. * Auditory: learning based on listening to instructions/information. * Kinesthetic: learning based on hands-on work and engaging in activities. Although it is claimed that, depending on their preferred learning modality, different teaching techniques have different levels of effectiveness,[37] recent research has argued â€Å"there is no adequate evidence base to justify incorporating learning styles assessments into general educational practice. â€Å"[38] A consequence of this theory is that effective teaching should present a variety of teaching methods which cover all three learning modalities so that different students have equal opportunities to learn in a way that is effective for them. [39]Guy Claxton has questioned the extent that learning styles such as VAK are helpful, particularly as they can have a tendency to label children and therefore restrict learning. Instruction Teacher in a classroom in Madagascar Instruction is the facilitation of another’s learning. Instructors in primary and secondary institutions are often called teachers, and they direct the education of students and might draw on manysubjects like reading, writing, mathematics, science and history. Instructors in post-secondary institutions might be called teachers, instructors, or professors, depending on the type of institution; and they primarily teach only their specific discipline. Studies from the United States suggest that the quality of teachers is the single most important factor affecting student performance, and that countries which score highly on international tests have multiple policies in place to ensure that the teachers they employ are as effective as possible. [42][43] With the passing of NCLB in the United States (No Child Left Behind), teachers must be highly qualified. A popular way to gauge teaching performance is to use student evaluations of teachers (SETS), but these evaluations have been criticized for being counterproductive to learning and inaccurate due to student  bias. [44] ————————————————- [edit]Theory Main article: Education theory Education theory can refer to either a normative or a descriptive theory of education. In the first case, a theory means a postulation about what ought to be. It provides the â€Å"goals, norms, and standards for conducting the process of education. â€Å"[45] In the second case, it means â€Å"an hypothesis or set of hypotheses that have been verified by observation and experiment. â€Å"[46] A descriptive theory of education can be thought of as a conceptual scheme that ties together various â€Å"otherwise discrete particulars. . . For example, a cultural theory of education shows how the concept of culture can be used to organize and unify the variety of facts about how and what people learn. â€Å"[47] Likewise, for example, there is the behaviorist theory of education that comes from educational psychology and thefunctionalist theory of education that comes from sociology of education. [48] ————————————————- [edit]Economics Main article: Economics of education Students on their way to school, Hakha,Chin State, Myanmar It has been argued that high rates of education are essential for countries to be able to achieve high levels of economic growth. [49] Empirical analyses tend to support the theoretical prediction that poor countries should grow faster than rich countries because they can adopt cutting edge technologies already tried and tested by rich countries. However, technology transfer requires knowledgeable managers and engineers who are able to operate new machines or production practices borrowed from the leader in order to close the gap through imitation. Therefore, a country’s ability to learn from the leader is a function of its stock of â€Å"human capital†. Recent study of the determinants of aggregate economic growth have stressed the importance of fundamental economic institutions[50] and the role of cognitive skills. [51] At the individual level, there is a large literature, generally related back to the work of Jacob Mincer,[52] on how earnings are related to the schooling and other human capital of the individual. This work has motivated a large number of studies, but is also controversial. The chief controversies revolve around how to interpret the impact of schooling. [53][54] Economists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis famously argued in 1976 that there was a fundamental conflict in American schooling between the egalitarian goal of democratic participation and the inequalities implied by the continued profitability of capitalist production on the other. [55] ————————————————- [edit]History Main article: History of education Nalanda ancient center for higher learning. Plato’s academy, mosaic from Pompeii. The history of education according to Dieter Lenzen, president of the Freie Universitat Berlin 1994, â€Å"began either millions of years ago or at the end of 1770†. Education as a science cannot be separated from the educational traditions that existed before. Adults trained the young of their society in the knowledge and skills they would need to master and eventually pass on. The evolution of culture, and human beings as a species depended on this practice of transmitting knowledge. In pre-literate societies this was achieved orally and through imitation. Story-telling continued from one generation to the next. Oral language developed into written symbols and letters. The depth and breadth of knowledge that could be preserved and passed soon increased exponentially. When cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond the basic skills of communicating, trading, gathering food, religious practices, etc. , formal education, and schooling, eventually followed. Schooling in this sense was already in place in Egypt between 3000 and 500BC. [citation needed] The first large established university is thought to be Nalanda established in 427 A. D in India. [56][unreliable source? ] At its peak, the university attracted scholars and students from as far away as Tibet, China, Greece, and Persia. The first university establishments in the western world are thought to beUniversity of Bologna (founded in 1088) and later Oxford university (founded around 1096). A depiction of the University of Bologna, Italy, founded in 1088. Matteo Ricci (left) and Xu Guangqi (right) in the Chinese edition of Euclid’s Elementspublished in 1607. In the West, Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC. Plato was the Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician and writer of philosophical dialogues who founded the Academy in Athens which was the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Inspired by the admonition of his mentor, Socrates, prior to his unjust execution that â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living†, Plato and his student, the political scientist Aristotle, helped lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. [57] The city of Alexandria in Egypt was founded in 330BC, became the successor to Athens as the intellectual cradle of the Western World. The city hosted such leading lights as the mathematician Euclidand anatomist Herophilus; constructed the great Library of Alexandria; and translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek (called the Septuagint for it was the work of 70 translators). Greek civilization was subsumed within the Roman Empire. While the Roman Empire and its new Christian religion survived in an increasingly Hellenised form in the Byzantine Empire centered at Constantinople in the East, Western civilization suffered a collapse of literacy and organization following the fall of Rome in AD 476. [58] In the East, Confucius (551-479), of the State of Lu, was China’s most influential ancient philosopher, whose educational outlook continues to influence the societies of China and neighbours like Korea, Japan and Vietnam. He gathered disciples and searched in vain for a ruler who would adopt his ideals for good governance, but his Analects were written down by followers and have continued to influence education in the East into the modern era. In Western Europe after the Fall of Rome, the Catholic Church emerged as the unifying force. Initially the sole preserver of literate scholarship in Western Europe, the church established Cathedral schools in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education. Some of these ultimately evolved into medieval universities and forebears of many of Europe’s modern universities. [58] During the High Middle Ages, Chartres Cathedral operated the famous and influential Chartres Cathedral School.

Bacteria and Food Poisoning

Bacteria and Food Poisoning The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 80 million people a year in the U.S. alone contract food poisoning or other foodborne diseases. Foodborne illness is caused by eating or drinking food that contains disease causing agents. The most common causes of foodborne diseases are bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Foods containing toxic chemicals can cause foodborne diseases as well. Typically, our immune system fights off germs to prevent illness. However, some bacteria and viruses have developed ways of avoiding immune system defenses and causing sickness. These germs release proteins that help them avoid detection by white blood cells. In addition, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become increasingly prevalent and a worldwide public health issue. Strains of resistant E. coli and MRSA have become increasingly proficient at causing infection and avoiding immune defenses. These germs can survive on everyday objects and cause disease. There are over two hundred types of bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause foodborne diseases. Reactions to these germs can range from mild gastric and digestive system discomfort to death. The easiest way to prevent foodborne illness is to properly handle and cook foods. This includes washing and drying your hands, washing utensils carefully, replacing kitchen sponges often, and cooking meat thoroughly. Below is a list of a few bacteria that cause foodborne diseases, along with the foods that are associated with them, as well as symptoms that are likely to develop from ingesting the contaminated foods. Bacteria That Cause Foodborne Illness Microbe - Aeromonas hydrophilaAffiliated Foods - Fish, Shellfish, Beef, Pork, Lamb, and PoultryDiseases - Gastroenteritis, SepticemiaSymptoms - Diarrhea, Blood and Mucus in Stool    Microbe - Bacillus cereu Affiliated Foods - Meats, Milk, Rice, Potato, and Cheese ProductsDiseases - B. cereus Food PoisoningSymptoms - Diarrhea, Abdominal Cramps, Nausea    Microbe - Campylobacter jejuni Affiliated Foods - Raw Chicken, Unpasteurized Milk, Non-chlorinated WaterDiseases - B. cereus CampylobacteriosisSymptoms - Diarrhea, Abdominal Cramps, Nausea and Fever, Headache and Muscle Pain    Microbe - Clostridium botulinum Affiliated Foods - Canned Foods Including: Vegetables, Meats, and SoupsDiseases - Foodborne BotulismSymptoms - Weakness, Double Vision and Vertigo, Difficulty in Speaking, Swallowing, and Breathing, Constipation    Microbe - Clostridium perfringens Affiliated Foods - Non-refrigerated Prepared Foods: Meats and Meat Products, GravyDiseases - Perfringens Food PoisoningSymptoms - Severe Abdominal Cramps, Diarrhea    Microbe - Escherichia coli O157:H7Affiliated Foods - Undercooked Meats, Raw Ground BeefDiseases - Hemorrhagic colitisSymptoms - Severe Abdominal Pain, Watery and Bloody Diarrhea, Vomiting    Microbe - Listeria monocytogenes Affiliated Foods - Dairy Products, Raw Vegetables, Raw Meats, Smoked FishDiseases - ListeriosisSymptoms - Flu-like Symptoms, Persistent Fever, Nausea and Vomiting, Diarrhea    Microbe - Salmonella spp. Affiliated Foods - Poultry and Eggs, Milk and Dairy Products, Raw Meats, Fish, Shrimp, Peanut ButterDiseases - SalmonellosisSymptoms - Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal Pain, Fever, Headache, Diarrhea    Microbe - Shigella spp Affiliated Foods - Poultry, Milk and Dairy Products, Raw Vegetables, Fecally contaminated water, Salads: Potato, Chicken, Tuna, ShrimpDiseases - ShigellosisSymptoms - Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Fever, Vomiting, Blood or Mucus in Stool    Microbe - Staphylococcus aureus Affiliated Foods - Poultry and Egg Products, Meat Products, Dairy ProductsDiseases - Staphyloenterotoxicosis, StaphyloenterotoxemiaSymptoms - Abdominal Cramping, Nausea and Vomiting, Prostration    Microbe - Vibrio cholerae Affiliated Foods - Contaminated Water, ShellfishDiseases - CholeraSymptoms - Watery Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Dehydration, Vomiting, Shock For additional information on bacteria, food poisoning, and foodborne diseases, take a look at the Bad Bug Book. Again, the single most important thing you can do to prevent foodborne illness is to keep your environment clean when preparing food. This includes washing your hands with soap and water and sanitizing utensils and counter tops. In addition, it is vital that you cook meats thoroughly to ensure that germs are killed.

Social Media Audit How to Complete Yours In 9 Steps (Free Template)

Social Media Audit How to Complete Yours In 9 Steps (Free Template) Audits are annoying, uncomfortable, and time-consuming. No one likes them. And no, Im not talking about getting an audit from the IRS (although that is annoying, uncomfortable, and time-consuming too). I’m talking about running a social media audit. Running a social media audit may not be the most glamorous part of your job. But, like it or not, it needs to be done. After all, how else will you know if your strategy is (or isn’t) working? Or if there are massive problems going unfixed right under your nose? And what about opportunities you might not realize are right in front of you, too? An audit  can help your team identify all of the above (and more). Best of all, completing one successfully doesn’t have to be a tear-your-hair-out sort of process. Not when you follow this simple process (and use our free templates). Whats ?: is an all-in-one marketing calendar to organize your busy team. Equipped with robust social media scheduling and analysis features, its a powerful platform that can help you plan, publish, and measure your social media marketing. Learn more about us. Download Your Social Media Audit Template + Checklist Auditing your social presence doesn’t have to take forever. With our free template, we’ve saved you the time of having to build your own spreadsheet. Plus, with our checklist, you can easily walk through all the necessary steps without wasting time wondering what you should do. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it’s time to make that dream a reality by snagging ‘em both below.How To Complete A Social Media Audit In Nine Steps (Free Template + Checklist)What is a Social Media Audit? For the purposes of this post a social media audit is: An annual analysis of your social media profiles to determine what is and isn't working for your strategy. What's a social media audit?Why Should I Care About Auditing My Brand’s Social Presence? There are plenty of reasons, but here are the three most important: Identifying strengths and weaknesses in your execution. Making sure you aren’t missing opportunities anywhere. Ensuring you’re representing your brand appropriately. In short, doing an audit is like doing one big house-cleaning project. It’ll take some work, but you’ll be happier and more successful when you’re done.

Famous Christmas Quotes

Famous Christmas Quotes There is something about Christmas that makes everyone feel spirited, happy, and excited. Christmas brings out the child within. The festive air is contagious; even the most despairing soul cannot help but feel enthused by the vibrancy of the season. Famous Christmas Quotes Happy holidays! Enjoy your eggnog while you read these famous Christmas quotes. Deborah WhippLike snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance each beautiful, unique and too soon gone. Mary Ellen ChaseChristmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. John Greenleaf WhittierFor somehow, not only at Christmas, but all the long year through,The joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you. Charles DickensI will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Janice MaeditereChristmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. W. J. CameronChristmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority. Henry Wadsworth LongfellowI heard the bells on Christmas Day; their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the word repeat of peace on earth, good-will to men! Shirley TempleI stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph. Walter Scott, Sr.Heap on the wood! the wind is chill;But let it whistle as it will,Well keep our Christmas merry still. Helen KellerThe only blind person at Christmas time is he who has not Christmas in his heart. Norman Vincent PealeChristmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Alexander SmithChristmas is the day that holds all time together. Hamilton Wright MabiBlessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. Christina G. RossettiLove came down at Christmas; love all lovely, love divine; love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign. Calvin CoolidgeChristmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

Columbine Attack and its Results Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

Columbine Attack and its Results - Case Study Example Most importantly, it shows that outer appearances can be deceptive and hide cruelty, twisted mindset and general tendency to vandalism. Parents and authorities should have got alert with the first offense, howsoever minor, and consulted a good psychiatrist to unravel the psychology of young students, who were otherwise intelligent and seemingly well mannered. Parents had never tried to go into the depth of the things when they had come across their children’s criminal behavior, including the making of homemade bombs. The authorities should also have investigated the activities, including cyber activities of the students and studied the characteristics of a psychopath, before letting them get into the program and allowed early release. The evildoers are always people who use covert behavior to hide their true intentions. The evil activities and criminal behavior are never an isolated act but are characterized by a trend or pattern of criminal acts. Thus, if the person has committed a criminal activity, it is important to investigate his past actions and take the help of psychologists to assess deviant personality. No, Harris and Klebold should not be forgiven for their assault on Columbine High School. They are a strong example of abnormal personality with a devious mindset and violent tendencies. The attack was deliberately carried out in an educational institute, targeting innocent children and faculty members. The basic objective was to create an environment of terror for the sole purpose of personal satisfaction. Moreover, it was also an expression of hatred against people at large. Thus, their acts must be condemned publicly and not forgiven. The parents had taken lightly the criminal activities of their children and shown scarce concern for discipline or punishment to improve them. Such type of parental neglect gives the wrong signal to children and encourages them towards unsocial activities and acts of violence. Hence, parents should also have been held responsible for the acts of their children and served as an early alarm for those parents who ignore minor and not so minor evil or criminal activities of their children within and outside the home.

Should English be the Global Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should English be the Global Language - Essay Example The author has rightly presented that language plays a key role in effective communication. Language is the key component, which makes messages understandable for the people involved in the process of communication. Here, a point that must be considered is that for communication, such language should be selected which should be easily understood by all people. For example, if there is more than one person from different cultures and societies participating in the process of communication, they must talk in a language with which all people should be familiar because communication can be productive or result-oriented only if all people understand the messages easily. Use of a global language plays a very important role in such cases. A global language is one, which is easily understood by every person regardless of his/her cultural or social background. If we study different languages that are spoken in different parts of the world, we come to know that English is the language, which h as the largest spoken rate. â€Å"English is a global language that allows many diverse peoples around the world to communicate when they don't speak, read, write, or understand one another's language†. All other international languages, such as French, German, Spanish, or Chinese language has less spoken rate than English has. People from different cultures not only understand English but also they can speak good English. The reason is that English is a well-known language, which is used in medical, business, and scientific communication all over the world. Most of the well-known scholars and researchers prefer to do their scientific and medical researches in English language because of its high understandability and spoken rate. In case of negotiations between the parties from different countries, English is used as the communication language in most cases. The reason is that English has already become a common language for the people who do not understand each otherâ€℠¢s language. English language has an attraction in itself, which no other language has. It has become a leader of languages because people from different countries feel pride in speaking English language. Researches show hat English language is the most learned language in the whole world. The graph of English language being taught and learned in any specific country is higher than the graph of any other language. The reason is that English has become the key to professional and educational success of a person. People like to study in those universities, which provide highest quality education to the students. Today, the United States of America and the United Kingdom are viewed as the leaders in providing excellent education to the students related to any specific field of life. Students like to study in such universities in order to get highly valued degrees, which can earn professional success for them in future. Here, the point is that in all those universities, the academic lan guage is English. Students from other countries need to learn English in order study in those universities properly. Moreover, when they graduate from those universities, they are able to get good jobs in the multinational companies because they get the command over the language that is used extensively in multinational languages. In some countries, English is being used as the academic language even though the regional and national languages are different in those countries. It is because the ministries of education of such countries believe in the importance of the English language for the academic and professional success of students. Therefore, we can say that English should be the Global language because it brings

THE MID-EAST Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE MID-EAST - Research Paper Example Israel is further right in their claim that Jews probably need a state of their own – after the tragedies of the holocaust, where the entire people was nearly exterminated, it is impossible to argue that Jewish safety is not augmented by the state (27). Both sides thus have the â€Å"right† on their side, leading them to feel entirely justified in any actions they take to achieve their aims – after all, they are in the â€Å"right.† This argument obscures, however, the fact that a just cause is not all that constitutes being in the right. The actions one takes to achieve one’s goals are also incredibly important, and both Israel and Palestine put themselves in the wrong in this way. Israel has waged wars that have cost countless civilian lives, while some Palestinians have resorted to terrorist tactics, targeting civilians in the attempt to achieve their aim. So while the fundamental argument of both sides might keep them in the right, their tactics place them squarely in the wrong. This quotation may be an apt one – certainly it has been impossible for lasting peace to be achieved in the middle east for some time now, despite monumental efforts by everyone involved. The Six Day’s war, rather than leading to lasting peace, for instance, only intensified the conflict within the Levant itself (Shoshan 38), and the more recent war against Palestine by Israel served only to inflame opposition and further empower Hamas. This quote obscures, however, the fact that there is still a possibility of peace, and simply because the current political situation is not conducive to it does not mean that it will never happen. One of the fundamental problems with conflict in the middle east is the fact that there has rarely been representative governments – before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recent Arab Spring, dictators or clans have been the norm of power in the Middle East. This is conducive to violence, because a) democracies have little qualms

Best Practices Position Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Best Practices Position Paper - Essay Example The way organizational culture changes in the wake of the adoption of the best practices is one significant aspect that comes under serious reckoning. It raises eyebrows since the company has an automatic shift within its work methodologies and it wants to emulate the best amongst the business. This imitation is not for the sake of copying workflow by workflow but to attain higher levels within the management regimes when the talk goes out loud regarding the organizational cultural domains. This means that the way employees dress up, do their chores and interact with the clients and customers is in direct proportion with the ways the best practices have been doing for a considerable period of time. (Taylor & Labarre, 2006) Also there is a great deal of check and balance mechanism being conducted so that the mistakes could be avoided and if the same are committed in essence, efforts are made to re-do them in the correct way. The best practices lead to the benchmarks that already exist within the related industries and are indeed deemed as the very best amongst their concerned areas of service. It is necessary for the best practice human resource management to have performance management systems in place before any advancement could be envisaged at some point in time within the future. Once these performance management systems are installed and in place, we can have a proper check and balance mechanism as concerns to the people who are working in the company. Performance management systems make use of the fact that performance is increased on the part of all concerned and there is no shortfall as concerns to commitment, dedication and devotion when at work. What this performance management system does is to ensure that the right people get the bonuses, incentives and so on as well as point out the ones who have fallen short on the company’s expectations over a period of time. This would help in giving them rewards and incentives which will

How Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement Relates to Essay

How Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement Relates to CMMI - Essay Example This paper provides a summary of the article Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement and its relationship with CMMI. Summary The goals and objectives, products and services of organizations are not uniform. Nor do organizations uniformly implement CMMI models to improve their business processes or the manner in which analyse the results obtained. Irrespective of these variances the CMM-based process improvement approach is proving to be effective. Evidence of this started with the earlier special report published by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). This article provides further empirical evidence taken from diverse sources of business activity that includes the telecommunications, financial, manufacturing and defence sectors. This article classifies performance categories into six broad areas, consisting of cost, schedule, productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, and return on investment and employing CMMI is to provide benefits in these areas. Usually org anizations choose a combination of these benefits or refinements in these benefits and the use of CMMI targets this. Through the comparison of the sum of results of quantitative performance across 35 organizations with regards to these benefits prior to the use of CMMI and subsequent this article justifies the use of CMMI towards improvement in performance results. The median improvement as a percentage with respect to cost, schedule, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction was 34%, 50%, 61%, 48%, and 14% respectively, while in the case of returns on investment it was 40.1. According to the article through the use of CMMI organizations can achieve similar results, but there is the need for more quantitative studies to provide clarity on the circumstances that lead to these process improvements and the manner in which they can be sustained. Expanding on the demonstration of impact on performance by CMMI, this article provides greater detail on the changes that organizations report with regards to these six benefits. In the case of costs the changes include cost of final or intermediate products, costs of processes, and savings achieved model-based process improvement. In the case of schedule the improvements reported relate to schedule predictability and the reduced time required to complete the work. Improvements reported for productivity are essentially on the improvements on the amount of work that is completed over a given period of time. Reported improvements in quality relate to the reduction in the numbers of defects observed in finished or intermediary products. Improvements in customer satisfaction are based on customer satisfaction feedback received from surveys conducted. Improvements in ROI are reported in several ways that include benefit-to-cost ratios, net present value, internal rate of return, payback periods, and break even points. The article then goes onto the details of measures of process performance achieved in the case studies o f several organizations. The case studies include the organizations of 3H Technology, ABB, Hitachi Software Engineering, Motorola Global Software Group, Raytheon Network Centric Systems, North Texas, TrialStat Corporation, Tufts Health Plan, Warner Robins Air Logistic Center, The article concludes that organizations that have based their process improvement methods on CMMI models have demonstrated marked improvement in their performance, but more studies are required to understand the different reasons that contribute to this success and also generate more evidence to establish the benefits of CMMI models for process improvements and hence performance in organizations (Gibson, Goldensen & Kost, 2006). . This article relates to CMMI because it attempts to justify the use of CMMI models by organizations to

Best Practices Position Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Best Practices Position Paper - Essay Example The way organizational culture changes in the wake of the adoption of the best practices is one significant aspect that comes under serious reckoning. It raises eyebrows since the company has an automatic shift within its work methodologies and it wants to emulate the best amongst the business. This imitation is not for the sake of copying workflow by workflow but to attain higher levels within the management regimes when the talk goes out loud regarding the organizational cultural domains. This means that the way employees dress up, do their chores and interact with the clients and customers is in direct proportion with the ways the best practices have been doing for a considerable period of time. (Taylor & Labarre, 2006) Also there is a great deal of check and balance mechanism being conducted so that the mistakes could be avoided and if the same are committed in essence, efforts are made to re-do them in the correct way. The best practices lead to the benchmarks that already exist within the related industries and are indeed deemed as the very best amongst their concerned areas of service. It is necessary for the best practice human resource management to have performance management systems in place before any advancement could be envisaged at some point in time within the future. Once these performance management systems are installed and in place, we can have a proper check and balance mechanism as concerns to the people who are working in the company. Performance management systems make use of the fact that performance is increased on the part of all concerned and there is no shortfall as concerns to commitment, dedication and devotion when at work. What this performance management system does is to ensure that the right people get the bonuses, incentives and so on as well as point out the ones who have fallen short on the company’s expectations over a period of time. This would help in giving them rewards and incentives which will

Module 5 - Case MITIGATION AND RISK REDUCTION Essay

Module 5 - Case MITIGATION AND RISK REDUCTION - Essay Example 385). Therefore, the effect of the ear on terrorism is vital in the analysis of the re-evaluation of the definition of security in the United States and reiterating the significance of a connection between threats and the institutionalization of the reactions to the perceived threats. Illegal cross-border activities are still considerable threats to the United States where on the Southwest border, the Tucson section is the main point of entry for the people who smuggle marijuana along with illegal aliens. In the last couple of years, arrests on United States territory have not necessarily reflected the approximations provided by the border patrol thus implying the threats are increasing. Information sharing and communication among the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies has increased considerably in the recent years but there are still gaps that need to be filled as far as implementing agreements between the agencies is concerned. The agencies have come up with forums that allow them to share and exchange information. Nonetheless, in the Tucson section, the agencies have not had enough coordination to make sure that the federal law enforcers maintained access to information concerning the threats and radio communications that are secure and compati ble so enhance their daily operations (Stana, 2010, p. 23). Coordination and collaboration in this areas could improve the safety of the officers and create effective law enforcement responses to the illegal activities that are increasing in this area. Coordination between agencies has been enough to allow sharing of intelligence evaluations between the different agencies as far border security threats to the lands under federal jurisdictions are concerned. These agencies need to collaborate and come up with mutual budget requests, strategies and combined operations that deal directly with these threats. Various efforts between agencies towards the implementation of provisions in the existing

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou) Essay Example for Free

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou) Essay In I know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou shows us a dark side of American history and how racism and discrimination can affect people, but she also shows us the power of the human spirit in our ability to overcome negativity and succeed in spite of great difficulties in life. One of the earliest examples of race relations in the book symbolizes the major separation of opportunity for black and white children. On the second page of the book, Marguerite explains how she wished that she would â€Å"wake up in a white world, with blond hair, blue eyes, and she would shudder from the nightmare of being black. † Thus, from the beginning of the book, race relations were one of the major themes. The way that Marguerite was thinking at this point, was the same way that other young black children were thinking during this time. They were so use to the white children being praised, they felt that if they looked that way, they would be praised and have the finer things in life as well. According to Valà ©rie Baisnà © (1994), â€Å"Angelous autobiographies in the midst of literature, were written during and about the American Civil Rights movement. The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Lupton states that Caged Bird captures the vulgarity of white Southern attitudes toward African Americans. Angelou demonstrates, through her involvement with the black community of Stamps, her developing understanding of the rules for surviving in a racist society, something she is not able to articulate for many years, when she finally writes the book. Angelou also vividly presents racist characters so real one can feel their presence.† Maya Angelou’s early experiences with racism are so powerful, that in 1982, during an interview with Bill Moyers in Stamps, she is unable to cross some railroad tracks into the white part of town. Bill Moyers was an American Journalist and public commentator. Critic Pierre A. Walker (1995), characterizes Angelous book as political; he stresses that the â€Å"unity of her autobiographies serves to underscore one of Angelous central themes: the injustice of racism and how to fight it.† Walker (1995) also states that Angelous biographies’, beginning with Caged Bird, consists of a sequence of lessons about resisting racist oppression. This sequence leads Angelou, as the protagonist, from helpless rage and indignation to forms of subtle resistance, and finally to outright and active protest throughout all six of her autobiographies. Maya Angelou used all that she has been through to write her stories. Her childhood was not really a child hood because she had to accept what had happened to her and move on which caused her to grow up faster than normal. The events that took place in her life made her the strong woman that she is today. She decided not to let her situation define her, instead, she decided to define her situation. Far too many times there are individuals who allow things that happen to them tear them down and they never seem to recover, but not Maya Angelou. She was determined. During the time that this book was written, there were a lot of things going on in the country. One major event was the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement was a time in American History where Blacks were protesting and fighting to be able to have the same rights as a those of non-blacks. Bibliography Angelou, Maya (1969). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House. Random House Inc is the worlds largest English-language general trade book publisher Baisnà ©e, Valà ©rie (1994). Gendered resistance: The autobiographies of Simone de Beauvoir, Maya Angelou, Janet Frame and Marguerite Duras. Amsterdam Walker, Pierre A. Racial protest, identity, words and form in Maya Angelous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.. College Literature 22.3 (1995): 91+. Academic OneFile. Web. 8 Aug. 2012.

Internet Social Networking

Internet Social Networking The Value of Internet Social Networking in Business Introduction Prior to the arrival of computers, individuals who aspired to have success in their businesses clearly understood that business is about people thus they saw the importance of social networks. For instance, in the Victorian era, there were rampant uses of calling cards for requesting a woman of high social status to visit. These calling cards were relatively elaborate and could be match up to the featured pages in MySpace or any other internet social networking sites. The calling cards were essentially a means of self expression. Nevertheless they served a greater purpose in the social settings of the Victorian period. Calling cards were often times posted on the walls close to the house entrance. This made it possible for visitors to know which lady was from the social network that the lord of the house belonged to. If at all the visitor believed that one of the house hostesses had acquaintances with the high status social network then he would ask for introduction. Even more intere sting is fact that modern internet social networking site operates similarly as the callings card in the Victorian period. For example, Victorians received acceptance by adhering to the etiquette rules in the same way modern social networks adhere to certain rules. â€Å"Friend request† are similar to the Victorian calling cards since once online status determines whether you will be accepted in a certain click of friends. The 21st Centaury has witnessed a more advanced and developed function of social networks other than the usual circle of friends socialization. Professionals are increasingly discovering the application of internet social networking as a way of enhancing their businesses. Internet social networks center on building online communities composed of individuals with similar interests. These networks provide bases whereby people can interact. A great number of these social networks are web based.† Internet Social networks can be dated back to online communities in the likes of, The WELL which initially started operating in 1985, Theglobe.com of 1994 and Tripod in 1995† (Castells, 2003). These sites provided a platform whereby people can interact and share ideas through personal homepages and chat rooms. In spite of, the new inventions some closed down simply because they were not profitable. Other upcoming internet social networking inventions saw to it that more control of co nnectivity and content is given to users. With time emerging trends of internet social networks have developed. Several internet social networks namely MySpace, Facebok and Twitter and others have emerged as the trendiest since they have a wide range of users. Business Application of Internet Social Networks Technology has inherently proven that internet social networks can be applied to advance businesses. Over the course of time different business enterprises have rampantly adapted the new trends of using internet social networks in order to advance their businesses. This is mainly because social networks provide a base of connecting populace at minimal costs. They essentially act as a base whereby companies can relate to their customers. Modern social networking applications focus on people since business is mainly about people. â€Å"Enterprises are increasingly using consumer based technology in social networks to share information relating to their business operations since consumer based applications provide an easier and faster way of dispensing information† (Castells, 2003). Currently, large enterprises are employing these applications in order to standardize their technology practices. Business networking applications gather data and link its users to the pertinent contents. Business enterprises use the provided applications to expand their bases of clientele, associates and employees. Aspects that define business social networking include the available functionalities such as forum and blogs that enable businesses to interact with their clientele, the ability of the social networks to link with its users and the availability of the users. Examples of Internet Social Networks Used In Businesses Evidently, technological inventions are limitless as far internet social networks are concerned. There are a variety of social networks used in business that were before hand solely developed for social connections. More social sites are being developed while the previous sites are being modified so as to measure up with the needs and demands of users. Commonly used internet social networks in businesses include, Face book, Twitters, MySpace, Secondlife, World of warcraft, LinkedIn, Bebo, Orkut and Iphone among many others. These internet social networks have played great role in enhancing businesses since they provide the appropriate platforms for advertising, branding, marketing, training and conferencing among many other functions. Application of Twitter in Businesses. Twitter provides a blogging platform that enables enterprises to publish messages concerning their enterprises. Other than being a social utility it also enables the business management to connect with their clientele by giving certain business updates. Alternatively it enables clients to give feedbacks concerning certain goods or services. Twitter can also be used as a publicity tool for wide range of enterprises since it provides a base whereby business information can be published or accessed. Twitter has a unique marketing channel mainly due to its steady and active network, with help of this active network, businesses are able to easily connect their brands with potential and current clients. Furthermore they can receive feedbacks from their clients. The twitter marketing style is termed as a two-way audience involvement. Twitter provides a sound platform for airing job advertisements. Companies can send messages with recommendations of particular vacant posts. Interested end users can in turn respond to the advertisement either by applying for these posts online or by contacting the alleged company thus creating a job recruitment base. In a business setting Twitter can be applied to connect employees. â€Å"Twitter enables employees to easily network with each other especially when handling group projects, particularly in a case whereby other employees are in the field or working in a different business branch† (Brogan, 2007). This internet social network has live coverage features that can enable businesses to carryout detailed coverage of conferences, workshops, businesses events and real-time commentaries. â€Å"It also has features that can be used to give updates of business meetings or events amongst business associates and interested parties. Other functional features in Twitter include features of managing and analyzing time within a business setting† (Brogan, 2007). Application of LinkedIn in Businesses. LinkedIn is a business centered social networking base widely for professional networking. It enables its registered users to have contact details of their trusted business associates otherwise referred to as â€Å"connections†. LinkedIn provides a base whereby hiring business managers can find suitable employees. Alternatively job seekers through their existing connections can solicit for employment. It also provides a base for businesses to identify business opportunities by sharing ideas with their business connections. Features in this social network provide a platform for creating solid business relations (Brook, 2008). By using this social networking method, new businesses are given an appropriate base for marketing their brands, services and products through the present business connections. Different enterprises are able to connect and give ideas concerning their business activities. Application of MySpace in Businesses The MySpace internet social network provides a base where businesses can showcase an overview of their services and products. Businesses can list and explain their services and products to target audience. MySpace has features in which enterprises are enabled to design the brands that best suite the image of their businesses. It allows one to specify their corporate colors which in turn promote brand awareness. This internet social network has unique video features that can be utilized to increase business profitability. Businesses can form and upload commercials related to the types of services and products that they offer. These commercial video footages are then availed to end users. Business can upload footages that aim at influencing end users to try out their products or services. For instance, they can upload video footages that have interviews of their employees or satisfied clientele. MySpace blogs enable enterprises to create their own blog which can be simply accessed from their MySpace pages. These blogs provide appropriate bases for businesses to advertise since they list the labels of the current blogs posted by businesses. By the help of these blog features businesses can give regular updates on the promotions, new products, upcoming business events and services among many others. Application of SecondLife in Businesses The SecondLife network provides a base for enterprises to freely interact with their clients using a feature referred to as avatars. Companies can, advertise, post briefings of their services and merchandise. This network gives an invaluable advantage to businesses that incorporate virtual programs such as architectural design businesses and entertainment industries. It has a tri-dimensional program that enables its users to create virtual objects. Unlike other social networks Secondlife has an in-house currency referred to as the Linden dollar that can be used by a wide range of businesses to procure and sell virtual products such as jewelry, vehicles, clothes and objects of all kinds. This feature enhances trade amongst different businesses. The Linden dollars are bought by the normal dollar currency. This feature in second life has enabled companies to make profit and then convert the Linden dollars to normal currency. Real estates business, through the premium land membership program in Second life can easily carry out their normal transactions of buying, selling or renting properties. Businesses which have registered and have access to premium accounts can participate in these ventures. So as to participate and be registered as members enterprises are charged a small monthly after their emancipation they gain status in the SecondLife Network and are now referred to as residents. Residents in SecondLife can carryout transactions of buying, selling or renting property thus making profits without the involvement of brokers. Application of Facebook in Businesses Facebook is one of the widely used social networks not only for social connections but also in the business context. Using appropriate combination of apps available in Facebook features businesses can be monitored from the Facebook profiles. With the slideshare features in Facebook enterprises are enabled to upload power points presentations, PDF files or OpenOffice so as share information with other end users. This is an elaborate method of spreading information to business associates, employees and clients once at the touch of a button. The free conference facets in Facebook allow businesses to organize meetings, by using conference calls. Individuals can set up meetings dates from the confines of their residence, offices or anywhere. Skype and VoIP services in Facebok enable one to make free and quick connections to the needed people thus prompting the upcoming meetings. â€Å"Facebook also has up to standard video base that allow companies to upload their video clip with contents aimed at marketing their products. Clients and potential customers are briefed each time new video clips are uploaded this helps them to keep track with the transitional business dealings† (Jantsch, 2008). Depending on the size of a particular business Facebook provides an elaborate platform for a number of advertisements. Companies can formulate their advertisements and choose the locations to air their advertisements. Other than advertisements facebook provides a good base for companies to endorse their brands using features such as myblogs. Compared to the traditional methods of advertisement, advertising through facebook can cover a wide area base at minimal costs. Another way that businesses can advertise their trademarks using facebook is by posting their business cards in their homepages, each time end users visit the alleged homepage they are more acquainted with the services or products offered by that business. Companies can take advantage of features in face book to attract potential customers. Search feature in face book can allow businesses to find out the websites regularly visited by their potential customer and then use this information to create links between their pages of advertisements and the sites regularly visited by these clients. â€Å"Interested end users in turn respond to the showcased advertisement pages. Other than tracing potential clients search options in facebook can be used by businesses to send updates or keep track of their regular clients† (Jantsch, 2008). Facebook provides a platform whereby companies can form stronger relationships with their audiences and clients. This is courtesy of the two way interactive features present in facebook applications. Clients can give feedbacks regarding their approval or dissatisfaction in the purchased products or rendered services. This in turn helps the alleged companies to attend to the grievances of the customers, clarify issues, change or better their services. In a business setting facebook features can be used to enhance team work especially in a case whereby the alleged business has branches in different locations. Employees can share ideas and keep each other posted on the tasks at hand simply by posting information on the facebook walls. Business Value of Internet Social Networking Social networking has proven to be a current method of growing and promoting profitability in both big and medium sized enterprises. A number of people use social networking sites such as LinkedIn to advance their careers which is quite vital during the inflexible economic times. Several business corporations use these social networking sites as marketing basis and public relations communications. With the rampant use of online facilities these social networks have proven to be more effective in marketing compared to the traditional radio and television mediums of marketing. These networking sites have been not only used to create company brands but also to cultivate productivity. A wide range of businesses are finding it more easy and affordable to create their brands in these social networking sites rather than other traditional bases. Hiring processes in business has become easier, cost effective and less time consuming due to the available options in internet social networks. Prior to the formation of social networks businesses incurred a lot of expenses in the recruitment processes of its staff. Scores of time ware as well used up during the course of interviewing and short listing. However with the current trends of social networks business administrators can carryout out staff recruitments easily at minimal costs. This is mainly as a result of the fact that social networks reach a wide range of people in little time and are generally cheap as far as advertising is concerned. The goal of many businesses is centered on building customer loyalty this can be achieved through strengthening the relationship between the clients and the business. Internet social networks have enabled businesses to build solid relationship with its clients thus ensuring customer loyalty which in turn promotes the profitability of the business. By using internet social networks such as Twitters, MySpace and Face book which have a two way audience, businesses have been enabled to interact with their clientele. They are more capable of establishing whether the client requests have been realized. Internet social networks have increased the marketing power of businesses by enhancing viral marketing and communications between customers. For instance social networks such as twitter and facebook allow its end users to create â€Å"product craze groups† that mainly centre on airing feedbacks about a particular product. These peer-to-peer customer groups lower the costs of customer support groups. Social networks have contributed to teamwork in the business workforce. They have enabled employees to team up and share ideas even when they are in different localities. This has yielded heightened innovations, as presently witnessed, more businesses are coming up with outstanding inventions that have made life easier. â€Å"These networks have as well contributed to the making of better decisions in companies this is as a result of the cross functional inputs and consultations. Social networks have as well increased communications between companies and their employees thus promoting solid work relationships† (Happe, 2007). Furthermore social networks have played a great role in coordinating easy communications between businesses partners, consultants and developers this has in turn enabled some companies to realize a speedy cross-company achievements. Sales of some companies have increased due to the real-time market collaboration and capacities found in internet social networks.† These networks have also enabled the creation of interdependent links of business partners resulting to an increase in the profit net of business that participate in these links through the help of internet social networks† (Happe, 2007). Evidently, internet social networks have proven to be invaluable to Businesses. Initially the application of social networks in businesses was relatively minimal. However a wide range of business enterprises have discovered the immeasurable benefits of being linked to these networks this explains the popularity and rapid increase of users that these networks currently experience. Nevertheless with the dynamic and ever changing market internet social networks are being modified in order to meet the standards of its users and generate market growth in the coming decades. Shortcomings of Internet Social Networks in businesses. Internet social networks are generally advantageous in business settings however there are some risks involved that should be careful weighed by businesses enterprises before making links. Companies use various social networks tools to discuss business agendas however these tools are not available to companies because they are more customer oriented and have been taken up independently by small fractions of people within the business settings.† Since business cooperates cannot regulate their uses certain risks could be involved. For instance clients may be thwarted if their expectations are not met â€Å"(Happe, 2007). The on going increase of internet social networks in businesses may cause a sudden urge for businesses to adopt their functionality. This will give the IT departments challenging tasks of incorporating social networking applications and setting them up in the entire enterprise so as to meet the needs of partners, employees and clients. IT departments will face an even tougher task of managing the operations of these social networks. Most businesses face the risk of using a lot of resources to employ these technologies and then later discover that they are not profitable to their model of business. Notwithstanding, the fact that applications in social networks allow, users to share information, the policies of a given organization will determine the manner in which certain information are shared. Furthermore many companies fear losing control of the information shared thus they hold back from using social networks. Enterprises that dread contents that are customer generated may keep away from social networking links inhibiting inter-independent cooperations in social networks. Conclusion The business world, believes in the concept of â€Å"business is all about the people†. Internet social networks provide an elaborate platform for businesses to make connections and enhance their net profits. The application of the various internet social networks in businesses is invaluable since it enables businesses to easily market, advertise, promote brands and carryout trainings among many other things. Companies are increasingly adapting the applications provided in these networks in order to enhance their businesses. In as much as these networks are beneficial to businesses certain risks are involved however they do not outweigh the value of internet social networking in businesses. References Brogan, C. (2007). 50 Ideas of Using Twitter for Business. Retrieved on 19 July 2009 Brook, R. (2008). LinkedIn for Small Businesses and Enterprises. Retrieved on 19 July 2009 Castells, M. (2003). The Internet Galaxy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Happe,R. (2007).TheBusinessValueofSocialNetworking.Retrievedon19July2009