Nature of logic and perception

Introduction/Thesis StatementThis paper entitled â€Å"Nature of Logic and Perception† intends to carry out the following:First of all, to reintroduce the following psychological concepts or terminologies by explaining the nature of logic as it relates to critical thinking and how I personally understood it.  Second is to outline my own perceptual process.  Third is to describe the types of perceptual blocks that influence my views.  The fourth is to explain the critical thinking process and how it is altered by perception.Last but not least is to: recognize an instance in my life where my perception of the reality situation was far from the actual reality; to tell what I believe is actually occurring; to state what is really happening; to indicate the difference of the two; the occurrences after; the things I have learned; and finally how the process of my critical thinking changed.Perceptual Process Definedâ€Å"Perceptual Process† is technically defined as â₠¬Å"the order of steps that commence with the surroundings or atmosphere and directs to our perception of a stimulus and an action as a reaction to the stimulus† (The.., n.d.).Perceptual Blocks Definedâ€Å"Perceptual Blocks†, however, include the following: 1) difficulty in isolating the problem; 2) inclination or possibility to draw up the boundaries of the dilemma too closely; 3) failure to see the predicament from an assortment of perspectives; 4) seeing or bearing in mind what you look forward to to see (stereotyping); 5) saturation; and last but not least 6) failure to make the most of all sensory contributions (Perceptual.., n.d.).Critical Thinking DefinedLast but not least, â€Å"Critical Thinking† is defined as â€Å"the mental procedure of analyzing, scrutinizing, or evaluating statements or propositions that people have offered as true† (Wikipedia, 2007). It also entails â€Å"reflecting on the denotation of assertions, exploration of reasoning, as well as, developing judgments based on the truth† (Wikipedia, 2007).Instance in My Life Where My Perception of the Reality Situation was Far From the Actual RealityThere was a time when I was torn between two jobs that I believe I would love to make a career of or focus on. It actually began when, fortunately, I have been accepted to become a part of a certain research/consultancy firm. I extremely wanted to do research but I have also been promoted at my mother’s bakeshop, from just being one of the helpers running errands for her, I was given the opportunity to become one of the cake designers. This has been exceedingly agonizing and excruciating on my part.So what I primarily did was to request for the Human Resources Department of the bakeshop, as well as, that of the consultancy firm, if I may be given a week more before I finally sign the contract. This move of mine would buy me some time to rethink things over, sort everything out, and finally come up with a sound decision. Auspiciously for me, both the representatives of the Human Resources Department agreed to what I have asked.I took advantage of the time provided to me and thought of a decision-making model that I could bring into play to be able to guide me through (Perceptual.., n.d.). Since critical thinking should be involved in the crucial decision that I have to make, I resorted to the four-step sequence decision-making model technically referred to as the rational model (Decision.., n.d.). The four steps referred to include the following:1) Recognition and identification of the quandary, wherein I had to accept and recognize that in spite of the happiness I felt when I was picked by the consultancy firm, as well as, when I was promoted as a cake designer in the bakeshop, it is not at all easy to sacrifice or relinquish one for the other (Decision.., n.d.).   I cannot just leave my responsibilities at the bakeshop, where I have worked for seven years already (Decision.., n.d .).   I cannot just repudiate the promotion that I am worthy of for the perseverance, dedication, and passion that I exhibited (Decision.., n.d.). On the other hand, I cannot just say no to the consultancy firm, which I passed an excruciating interview, as well as, examination from and which I am so grateful of (Decision.., n.d.).2) Bringing into being alternative solutions, for instance, when I contemplated that maybe it is achievable or doable to keep both jobs and that it is possible not to pick one over the other (Decision.., n.d.).3) Selection of solution, wherein I considered that since consultancy may actually be taken home, and the bakeshop is very near my home and that I can be on-call, I chose to accept the promotion and took the job offered by the consultancy firm, as well (Decision.., n.d.).4) Execution and assessment of the solution, wherein, immediately after such critical thinking, I made up my mind, I signed the contract the consultancy firm gave (Decision.., n.d.) . Then I also assumed the cake designer position in the bakeshop (Decision.., n.d.).EtceteraComing from the personal occurrence detailed above, the instance in my life where my perception of the reality situation was far from the actual reality is the fact that I optimistically saw that I could manage two full-time jobs at the same time (Perceptual.., n.d.).I am extremely hopeful and confident during that time that I actually thought or focused only on the opportunities that were presented to me, all ready to be taken hold of (Perceptual.., n.d.). The setback is that things turned out not the way they seemed, those opportunities were not just chances; they are also challenges and excruciating choices that I have to think about before making any decision, much less taking on both jobs (Perceptual.., n.d.). This is the part where some of the â€Å"perceptual blocks† presented itself (Perceptual.., n.d.).   First of all, I had difficulty in isolating the problem (Perceptual.., n.d.).Secondly, I also was not able to see the problem from certain viewpoints, in fact I just saw the good side of it, and I did not entertain the other aspects or the negative side (Perceptual.., n.d.). Last but not least, I also experienced stereotyping, I only saw what I anticipated or expected to see and this is the fact that those two jobs are opportunities (big ones) to me (Perceptual.., n.d.).There was a difference between what I saw and what was really going on because of the â€Å"perceptual blocks† (Perceptual.., n.d.).   Unfortunately, what happened to me was I ended up making the incorrect assessment and decision even if I thought I already applied the best critical thinking model there is (Perceptual.., n.d.).It is fortunate, however, that I learned: more about critical thinking; that it is imperative to evaluate logically everything before making a decision since things are not really the way they seemed to be; that there are perceptual blocks that needed to be considered before finalizing any notion and position that I have; and last but not least, that it altered the critical thinking process that I usually carry out because of the perceptions that presented itself in the personal experience that I went through (Perceptual.., n.d.).ReferencesThe Perceptual Process. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2007 fromhttp://www.csun.edu/~vcoao0el/de361/de361s101_folder/tsld003.htmWikipedia. (2007). Critical Thinking. Retrieved April 24, 2007 fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking Nature of logic and perception This paper entitled â€Å"Nature of Logic and Perception† intends to carry out the following:First of all, to reintroduce the following psychological concepts or terminologies by explaining the nature of logic as it relates to critical thinking and how I personally understood it.Second is to outline my own perceptual process.Third is to describe the types of perceptual blocks that influence my views.The fourth is to explain the critical thinking process and how it is altered by perception.Last but not least is to: recognize an instance in my life where my perception of the reality situation was far from the actual reality; to tell what I believe is actually occurring; to state what is really happening; to indicate the difference of the two; the occurrences after; the things I have learned; and finally how the process of my critical thinking changed.Perceptual Process Definedâ€Å"Perceptual Process† is technically defined as â€Å"the order of steps that commence with the surroundings or atmosphere and directs to our perception of a stimulus and an action as a reaction to the stimulus† (The.., n.d.).Perceptual Blocks Defined  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Perceptual Blocks†, however, include the following: 1) difficulty in isolating the problem; 2) inclination or possibility to draw up the boundaries of the dilemma too closely; 3) failure to see the predicament from an assortment of perspectives; 4) seeing or bearing in mind what you look forward to to see (stereotyping); 5) saturation; and last but not least 6) failure to make the most of all sensory contributions (Perceptual.., n.d.).Critical Thinking DefinedLast but not least, â€Å"Critical Thinking† is defined as â€Å"the mental procedure of analyzing, scrutinizing, or evaluating statements or propositions that people have offered as true† (Wikipedia, 2007). It also entails â€Å"reflecting on the denotation of assertions, exploration of reasoning, as well as, developing judgments bas ed on the truth† (Wikipedia, 2007).Instance in My Life Where My Perception of the Reality Situation was Far From the Actual RealityThere was a time when I was torn between two jobs that I believe I would love to make a career of or focus on. It actually began when, fortunately, I have been accepted to become a part of a certain research/consultancy firm. I extremely wanted to do research but I have also been promoted at my mother’s bakeshop, from just being one of the helpers running errands for her, I was given the opportunity to become one of the cake designers. This has been exceedingly agonizing and excruciating on my part. So what I primarily did was to request for the Human Resources Department of the bakeshop, as well as, that of the consultancy firm, if I may be given a week more before I finally sign the contract. This move of mine would buy me some time to rethink things over, sort everything out, and finally come up with a sound decision. Auspiciously for me, both the representatives of the Human Resources Department agreed to what I have askedI took advantage of the time provided to me and thought of a decision-making model that I could bring into play to be able to guide me through (Perceptual.., n.d.). Since critical thinking should be involved in the crucial decision that I have to make, I resorted to the four-step sequence decision-making model technically referred to as the rational model (Decision.., n.d.). The four steps referred to include the following:1) Recognition and identification of the quandary, wherein I had to accept and recognize that in spite of the happiness I felt when I was picked by the consultancy firm, as well as, when I was promoted as a cake designer in the bakeshop, it is not at all easy to sacrifice or relinquish one for the other (Decision.., n.d.).   I cannot just leave my responsibilities at the bakeshop, where I have worked for seven years already (Decision.., n.d.).   I cannot just repudiate the p romotion that I am worthy of for the perseverance, dedication, and passion that I exhibited (Decision.., n.d.). On the other hand, I cannot just say no to the consultancy firm, which I passed an excruciating interview, as well as, examination from and which I am so grateful of (Decision.., n.d.).2) Bringing into being alternative solutions, for instance, when I contemplated that maybe it is achievable or doable to keep both jobs and that it is possible not to pick one over the other (Decision.., n.d.).3) Selection of solution, wherein I considered that since consultancy may actually be taken home, and the bakeshop is very near my home and that I can be on-call, I chose to accept the promotion and took the job offered by the consultancy firm, as well (Decision.., n.d.).4) Execution and assessment of the solution, wherein, immediately after such critical thinking, I made up my mind, I signed the contract the consultancy firm gave (Decision.., n.d.). Then I also assumed the cake design er position in the bakeshop (Decision.., n.d.).EtceteraComing from the personal occurrence detailed above, the instance in my life where my perception of the reality situation was far from the actual reality is the fact that I optimistically saw that I could manage two full-time jobs at the same time (Perceptual.., n.d.).I am extremely hopeful and confident during that time that I actually thought or focused only on the opportunities that were presented to me, all ready to be taken hold of (Perceptual.., n.d.). The setback is that things turned out not the way they seemed, those opportunities were not just chances; they are also challenges and excruciating choices that I have to think about before making any decision, much less taking on both jobs (Perceptual.., n.d.). This is the part where some of the â€Å"perceptual blocks† presented itself (Perceptual.., n.d.).   First of all, I had difficulty in isolating the problem (Perceptual.., n.d.).Secondly, I also was not able to see the problem from certain viewpoints, in fact I just saw the good side of it, and I did not entertain the other aspects or the negative side (Perceptual.., n.d.). Last but not least, I also experienced stereotyping, I only saw what I anticipated or expected to see and this is the fact that those two jobs are opportunities (big ones) to me (Perceptual.., n.d.).There was a difference between what I saw and what was really going on because of the â€Å"perceptual blocks† (Perceptual.., n.d.).   Unfortunately, what happened to me was I ended up making the incorrect assessment and decision even if I thought I already applied the best critical thinking model there is (Perceptual.., n.d.).It is fortunate, however, that I learned: more about critical thinking; that it is imperative to evaluate logically everything before making a decision since things are not really the way they seemed to be; that there are perceptual blocks that needed to be considered before finalizing any notion and position that I have; and last but not least, that it altered the critical thinking process that I usually carry out because of the perceptions that presented itself in the personal experience that I went through (Perceptual.., n.d.).ReferencesPerceptual Blocks. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2007 fromhttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/rest-just/ch4/cul&div.htmlThe Perceptual Process. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2007 fromhttp://www.csun.edu/~vcoao0el/de361/de361s101_folder/tsld003.htmWikipedia. (2007). Critical Thinking. Retrieved April 24, 2007 fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

Nature’s Impact Essay

The outdoors contains many wonders that a child explores throughout the early years of life; therefore, a person’s childhood tends to position his path for the future. As a result, occurrences seen on an average day sitting at school, exploring in the woods, or examining the stars have the potential to be life changing. An American Childhood (Dillard), â€Å"Two Views of a River† (Twain), and â€Å"Listening† (Welty) all allocate this thought, yet the works juxtapose each other with different morals. Annie Dillard writes of the expectations of her to return after completing college and settling in the same town in which she resides her entire life before attending college: â€Å"It crawled down the driveway toward Shadyside, one of the several sections of town where people like me were expected to settle after college, renting an apartment until they married one of the boys and bought a house† (2). Dillard feels essentially unpermitted to broaden her horizon of a future. She believes she had been restricted too early and therefore Dillard feels she is not allowed to live up to her possible potential. Mark Twain, on the other hand, writes of the river and its influence upon him: This sun means that we are going to have wind tomorrow; that floating log means that the river is rising, small thanks to it; that slanting mark on the water refers to a bluff reef which is going to kill somebody’s steamboat one of these nights if it keeps on stretching out like that [†¦]. (1) Within his piece, Twain wonders if he were to have noticed all the diminutive and revealing things of the river as a child, whether it would have foreshadowed the future from the perspective from which he sees the past now. Twain wishes he had respected the river further as a child rather than simply viewing it as an effortless beauty. Eudora Welty also writes of her childhood, explaining her love for the sky and all that dwells within it. She states, â€Å"I could see the full constellations in it and call their names; when I could read, I knew their myths† (Welty 1). Even with all the knowledge she had of the ominous unknown that seems endless and vague to the common child, it still takes Welty until she is already a published writer before she realizes the moon does not rise in the west. Learning of this alters her perspective. However, without believing that the moon rises in the west, less delight and excitement would have occurred within her childhood. Dillard, Twain, and Welty write of their upbringings and how certain changes, if varied, could have fashioned a different future. They outwardly realize the options they had, and the elements they would have distorted in the past to assist themselves in the future. Where Dillard, Twain, and Welty’s works mutually contain the reference to their childhoods, they contrast each other with the morals of their writings. Dillard’s extended metaphor places her in an equivalent situation as the Polyphemus moth whose overgrown wings span wider than the Mason jar that withholds it. The piece uses the bit about the moth to foreshadow her telling of her confinement to Shadyside. The moral of her piece is that one’s parents, friends, or even society’s restraints should not oppress one’s aspirations to what is simply considered to be correct: Conversely, Twain’s piece concludes one should not take life for granted because it can exceed so hastily, that a large quantity of imperative information and experiences can be neglected and missed: The world was new to me, and I had never seen anything like this at home. But as I have said, a day came when I began to cease from noting the glories and the charms which the moon and the sun and the twilight wrought upon the river’s face; another day came when I ceased altogether to note them. (1) Welty teaches in her piece that a child’s learning is made of specific moments in time and she shares her involvements with this learning: â€Å"There comes the moment, and I saw it then, when the moon goes from flat to round. For the first time it met my eyes as a globe. The word â€Å"moon† came into my mouth as though fed to me out of a silver spoon. Held in my mouth the mood became a word† (Welty 1). Eudora reveals that moments like this which seem miniscule can alter one’s personality and interests. Each instant of learning creates a change in one’s mental makeup. Dillard, Twain, and Welty are each eloquent and sophisticated writers. Their works are relatively alike in the fact that they each converse of their childhoods and what they would have altered within them; however, they juxtapose each other with diverse morals veiled within the pieces. Works Cited Dillard, Annie. An American Childhood. New York: Harper & Row, 1988. Twain, Mark. â€Å"Two Views of a River. † Life on the Mississippi. New York: Harper, 1896. Welty, Eudora. â€Å"Listening. † Agents, Russell & Volkening. Welty: 1984.

Education †Want Essay

We could say that an educated person is like a piece of artwork, it is open to the interpretation of the viewer. Just like every art work critique has their own opinion about an artwork, everyone has their own different interpretations of what an educated person is. One thing is clear though, in order to be a successful person in life, you do not need money, as well as in order to be an educated person, you do not need a college diploma. What you are willing to give up in order to become your best person depends on how much you truly want to accomplish that goal. Not everyone knows right away what they have a passion for. One has to explore new activities and only then will they be able to decide for themselves. Everyone expresses their opinion, and in my thought an educated person is the willing to put in time like Gladwell explains, claims their learning rights like Rich exercises, applies critical thinking and reasoning to work towards a success like Wagner emphasizes and lastly does not fall victim to adversity like my father focuses attention on. An educated person should always be willing to put in time. This means that they are willing to give up what they want now, for what they want most. For example, in Gladwell, Schoenfeld the math professor experimented with a young girl Renee, which took her approximately twenty-two minutes to figure the slope of a vertical line. â€Å"This is eight-grade mathematics†¦ If I put the average eighth grader in the same position as Renee, I’m guessing that after the first few attempts, they would have said, ‘I don’t get it. I need you to explain it. ’ (Gladwell 2008, pp. 245). † What Schoenfeld proved with this experiment was the willingness of Renee to continue the math problem. Of course, compared to the eighth grader, Renee had more self-discipline and wanted to continue on going until she was able to solve it. An educated person should be willing to put in time and work towards their goal. It will not be easy or given to the person, there is a lot of time and energy put to having what one wants. Another idea Gladwell explains is the amount of time one is willing to put in and how that makes one an expert. â€Å"Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: 10,000 hours† (Gladwell 2008, pp. 40). Gladwell’s idea of hard work and dedication to whatever it is that you want to become an expert at takes at least 10,000 hours. I agree with him, but only to a certain point. It is true that in order to become someone well knowledgeable on a certain activity or topic one must practice and put in time. I do not necessarily agree that 10,000 hours should be the exact number for â€Å"true expertise† as Gladwell calls it, but it definitely should not be a few hours. For example, ideally doctors should be one of the most specialized fields. They are ones performing their knowledge on people and I honestly would not want a doctor that has gotten a few hours of practice to do anything to me, because there is more of a chance that they are not as experienced as someone else that has been working for decades as a doctor. An educated person should be willing to put in time to practice which is what makes someone good at their specialization. Rich’s idea of â€Å"claiming an education† also applies within our pursuit to defining an educated person. Rich explains that a student should not think about education as â€Å"receiving it†, but to be thought of as â€Å"claiming it† (Rich 1979 pp. 365). Rich explains that claiming an education is taking as if one were the owner. I agree with Rich, students should have the mentality of taking the education being given to them. There is a difference between claiming what is rightfully yours, and taking what if rightfully yours. One difference is that when you claim something, you are putting in effort to learning what is being taught. For example, a student that goes to class and learns whatever the lesson was for that day, would in my terms be called receiving. On the other hand, if that same student were to go to the instructor’s office hours and basically use the resources that there are around campus, that would be claiming. The mere difference of going one step above the other makes the difference between the two. Rich also backs this idea of claiming, with the simple act of participating in class, becoming more engaged in class and the teacher’s professional life. This idea of claiming an education is not limited to those in school, because not every educated person goes to college, or needs a college degree. It is helpful in order to have something to fall back upon. One way we can connect the idea of claiming an education without going to school, could be my father’s story. His decision of dropping out of high school did not stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He claimed his rights to learning about how to create his own company and becoming a successful entrepreneur, without having a business college degree. Claiming your rights as a human being over all is what counts. Anyone should be able to express their passion for something. In my father’s case, he first started by working at a small local shop as a cashier, but he found himself not doing what he loved, â€Å"I loved helping people, make their houses bigger or just fixing their house up for them. † (Gomez 2014). My father eventually stopped receiving, and started claiming. An educated person is one who does not receive, but one that claims and demands their ability to practice their passion. Give a child a list of three words with a definition to each, allow them to memorize it and few minutes later, they can regurgitate it back to you. As an education major, it is easy to go a whole year teaching children a certain vocabulary words, or teaching them how to solve a math problem, but explaining why the answer is the answer, is a lot more difficult. Wagner explains that many students lack â€Å"intellectual challenges† (Wagner 2008, pp. xxv). A class lacking intellectual challenge for students can cause a downfall in the future. Providing students with more rigorous work and questioning their solutions, prevents them from finding lessons uninteresting and eventually leading them to want to drop the course, or worse yet, want to drop out of school. For example in history class, one has to remember specific dates, but also know why several of these specific events happened or what lead to it. I was one of them. Rarely do students remember what lead to wars, or life historically changing events, like the great depression because they are just taught either to memorize the dates or they find it easier to only remember the dates and names of important historical figures. The same concept can be applied to mathematics, where one has to know how to solve the problem, but does not always know why a certain formula was used or why it only works with that certain problem. According to Wagner, knowing the answer is not sufficient, one must know and be able to critically think about the end result. Therefore, an educated person should be willing to not only claim their education, but also be able to apply more critical thinking and reasoning. Which by later exercising that through practicing and preparing, one can accomplish their goals. Lastly, I interviewed my father, because he is the first man I have ever admired. He was able to successfully carry out a career that he did not go to college for. Matter of fact, he never went to college, and only completed a few years of high school. Through my interview with him, he allowed me to truly appreciate and admire him a lot more. One main adversity he got through was coming in to the United States, he believes that without coming to the United States his success would not have been possible. â€Å"Coming from a huge family, having 8 brothers and 7 sisters you did not always get what you wanted† (Gomez 2014). My father further explained that he was always having to share his things and he never had the opportunities that I have today. â€Å"I had to run a whole mile in order to get to class, there were no buses, because we lived in the country, and I had to run to the city every morning to get to school† (Gomez 2014). My father continues with his story, â€Å"every morning we all had to do chores, mine were taking care of the farm animals. I would milk the cows every morning and since I had to do my morning chores before school, sometimes I ran late and I had to go to school smelling like farm animals and sweat† (Gomez 2014). The dedication put into working back then is not the same today. For everything there is always an excuse made up. I myself have made many excuses, but it takes an educated person to not make excuses. He could have easily said I am not walking a mile to go to school, but he was determined. My father did not drop out of school because he was failing his classes. At age 18 he became an innocent victim in a shooting, in which he was shot in the stomach and had missed a big portion of his senior year. He was months away from graduating, but he never was able to complete his missed classes due to the lack of support from his teachers, he explained. He after started his own family and came to the United States when I was born. â€Å"You are the luckiest one of everyone in the family† he told me, â€Å"your sisters do not have the opportunity that you have and an educated person is one who can make the best situation out of a tough one† (Gomez 2014). Without doubt, my father was able to create a self-made company. He was the only one of his 15 siblings to become an entrepreneur, and today in my eyes he is the most successful. An educated person would ideally be my own father, who was willing to put in time to learn about his passion, claim his rights as a United States resident and created his own business, and lastly he did fall victim to adversity. An educated person and a successful person go hand in hand, but the definitions are endless, and open to many interpretations, but what makes either person educated or successful, depends on what they are willing to give up in order to become their best person. An educated person is one who no matter what is willing to put in time in order to be called an expert at his passion. Someone who rightfully claims the ability to carry out their love for their passion and lastly, someone who does not fall victim to adversity. ? Bibliography Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"The 10,000-Hour Rule† in Outliers, 34-68. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gladwell, Malcolm. â€Å"Rice Paddies and Math Tests† in Outliers, 224-249. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gustavo Gomez, interview by Alondra Gomez, April 28, 2014. Rich, Adrienne. â€Å"Claiming and Education† in On Lies, Secrets and Silence, 365-369. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1979. Wagner, Tony. The Global Achievement Gap, intro xix-xxviii. New York: Basic Books, 2008.

1000 word justification of an assessment event implemented in the Essay

1000 word justification of an assessment event implemented in the workplace - Essay Example Rowntree (1987) stated that the purpose of an â€Å"assessment involves selection-formative or summative, maintaining standards-continuity of care and delivery, motivation of students-encouraging learning by questioning and quizzing. Feedback to students-performance can be a means of helping them learn and preparation of life-to utilize in future needs†. A comprehensive assessment consists of a formative and a summative assessment. Formative assessment refers to the process of ascertaining the student’s progress during a period of study (Welsh & Swann 2002). This was accomplished by asking the student to summarise the practical steps for clarification, and determining understanding of the task. This allowed the student to use social learning (Banura 1977 cited in Quinn 1997) and apply previous knowledge to successfully complete the task. Doing this it allowed the student to practice without the stress of being formally graded (Welsh & Swann 2002). Also, a formative assessment allows the student to obtain feedback on their performance and progress, which could be used in the summative assessment. Giving feedback can reinforce positive and negative elements of performance. It is vital to give feedback as soon as possible after the event. Feedback should also be given fairly promptly if it is to affect the student’s performance and ability to complete the skill safely. Feedback is essential because it gives the student the opportunity to ask questions and participate in discussions. Feedback supports the student’s acquisition of the task at hand. The assessment that the student participated in had to cover the set criteria listed in presentation provided by the mentor (Appendix 1). The desired outcome would be that the student demonstrated safe performance of newly acquired skills, knowledge and attitudes. The goal of the assessment focused on integrating theory into practice. Testing the student’s grasp of theory and

Wk2 Progress a Assign. INTL304 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wk2 Progress a Assign. INTL304 - Assignment Example There are different types of sensor suites. These are the easiest way to monitor the things inside a building from any part of the world. An Orbit refers to a path of an object found in the space. There are four types of orbit of satellite sensor. The first one is satellite orbit; this satellite follows an elliptical path, round the earth. One complete revolution is known as the orbital period. Geostationary orbits, this occurs when a satellite follows an orbit that is parallel to the equator that moves in a similar direction as the earth’s rotation. Near polar orbits, refers to the orbital plane that is inclined at an angle with respect to the rotation of the earth’s axis. Sun-synchronous orbits, follows an orbit whose altitude is in a way that the satellite will pass over a location at a local solar time. Technical intelligence is not easy because it not possible to collect complete information from the adversaries. This is because the chips may be down, and some of the strategies may fail. Designing a satellite of balanced force has been another drawback of the airborne sensors platform in collecting technical intelligence. 2 Resolution is the clarity of an image. It is the ability of the sensors to see the smallest objects in an image. Resolution determines the sharpness of an image. Spatial resolution refers to the ability of measuring how closely lines can be resolved in an image. Spatial resolution is limited by diffraction. The pixel spacing the ground sample of an image on the earth’s surface is small compared to resolvable spot size.

American Perception on Arranged Marriages and Dating Essay

American Perception on Arranged Marriages and Dating - Essay Example A conservative mosque may assist arrange marriages in hopes of maintaining modesty and chastity, the most important norms in Islam. Religion, ethnicity, and community all play significant roles in the negotiation of marriage options for new immigrants (Ternikar 1-22). Whereas, the person is central to American culture and his/her unique attributes are respected while in other (Markus 80-82). In this paper American perception on arranged marriages and dating in some of the immigrant communities is presented. In arranged marriages parents agree before children do. The Americans wonder how could someone marry if they have not lived together before. In Islamic culture males are raised differently than females . They are considered superior and take all decisions. For marriage, their friends or family introduces young men. The male's parents play an important role, they judge the suitability of the girl for marriage on the basis of her financial condition and family back ground. If satisfied, they make a proposal. They visit the girl's house where she serves them tea. The man can, then, take the girl out usually with her parents to coffeehouse, ice-cream parlor, park or even a movie. The girl wears modest cloths and couple cannot touch each other. They cannot even hold hands. Three such dates mean they are ready for marriage (Kuriansky 37). In an example of a Muslim marriage, the american-muslim husband replies as an idealist that he would love his wife selected by parents, regardless of who she is. He further said that in American culture a man looks for his special someone himself while in his culture he makes the girl selected by parents 'the one'. The match works well and they share something deeper than love and great compatibility (Tarabay par.1). Actually there is no concept of dating in Islamic culture. Live-in or physical relationship or any premarital relationship between man and women is absolutely taboo (Joseph and Najmabadi 95). They further disclose that Internet, though, is permitted to get in touch where the people of opposite sex can exchange their ideas, liking and disliking. They can communicate with more than one prospective life partner also. The Internet puts mind and personality over physical appearance. Similarly Indian culture permits boy and girl to meet before marriage though in presence of family. They can talk about their preferences etc. It seems like the parentally facilitated dating of United States but it is not (Yalom and Carstensen 217). They further explain that boy and girl may have multiple meetings prior to wedding but the acquaintanceship or dating leading to romantic love does not develop as in America (219). The girl should ideally be docile and good in running the home. An independent or opinionated girl does not make good wife. A woman has to make more sacrifices in arranged marriages. She has to compromise more also. The word of male is final and the verbal communication to handle conflicts is less (Yalom and Carstensen 224). As a result, they say the women suffer silently and conclude that love, attraction, similarities, commitments may provide marital choice

Chinas Consumption And Its National And International Consequences Case Study

Chinas Consumption And Its National And International Consequences - Case Study Example The overconsumption of energy and resources by China is a threat to the world as well as the Chinese society itself in many ways. This paper highlights some of the ways in which overconsumption of resources has had detrimental effects on the Chinese society as well as the world at large. On one hand, coal happens to be a fundamental reason of the economic growth of China; on the other hand, the consumption of coal has caused immense damage to the environment of China and the people of China at large. Today, at least 70 per cent of the energy needs of China are being met by coal. In the year 2006m China consumed about 2.4 billion tons of coal that was more than the combined consumption of three big countries of the world including America, Britain, and Japan. In the year 2000, China’s coal consumption was anticipated to double by the year 2020. One reason for the huge consumption in China is its inefficiency that reflects from this statement of a Chinese official; â€Å"TO PRO DUCE GOODS WORTH $10,000 WE NEED SEVEN TIMES THE RESOURCES USED BY JAPAN, ALMOST SIX TIMES THE RESOURCES USED BY THE U.S. AND--A PARTICULAR SOURCE OF EMBARRASSMENT--ALMOST THREE TIMES THE RESOURCES USED BY INDIA† (Elizabeth para. 7). ... E EMISSIONS, FALLS ON ONE-QUARTER OF CHINA'S TERRITORY AND ON ONE-THIRD OF ITS AGRICULTURAL LAND, DIMINISHING AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT AND ERODING BUILDINGS† (Elizabeth para. 8). Coal consumption in China is also a cause of water shortage. Coal mining and coal processing both require intensive use of water. Since most of the coal resources of China are found in its arid regions, the operations of coal mining in China often get into a competition with its agriculture and residents in their access to the water resources that have thus become scarce. â€Å"AS MINING ACTIVITIES OFTEN DRAW HEAVILY FROM GROUNDWATER SOURCES, THEY HAVE DEPLETED GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN MANY COAL DISTRICTS. THIS HAS DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA, ESPECIALLY DURING INCREASINGLY MORE FREQUENT PERIODS OF DROUGHT† (Tu and Johnson-Reiser 7). The water pool China has seriously dried and decayed as a result of the incompetent management of the resources. This has not only led to the loss of grain s but has also caused increase in the social disruption in different forms including protests and conflicts, thus thwarting contemporary China’s supreme socio-economic goal. Most of the programs of conservancy of water in China have failed. China has not only affected its own people and the countries all over the world with its massive consumption of coal, but is also responsible for the rise in food prices because of its high consumption needs of grains. â€Å"FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, GLOBAL FOOD PRICES HAVE SOARED BY 80 PERCENT, AND THE MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS CHINA’S GROWING DEMAND FOR GRAIN TO FEED ITS LIVESTOCK AS A MAJOR REASON FOR THE CURRENT GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS† (Kim 232). The US and China account for 40 per cent of the emissions of greenhouse gas across the globe. Success or failure of the efforts

Bipolar Disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bipolar Disorder - Essay Example Genetic factors are considered to be the leading contributor to the disease, accounting for up to 80% of the risk of having the illness. The heritability index was calculated to be around 0.7 (Edvardsen 2008). Despite having been restricted to a relatively low number of samples, twin studies have revealed a considerable genetic component, together with a clear environmental impact. Extensive studies over the last years have consistently estimated the concordance rate for bipolar I disorder to be around 5% in fraternal twins, in comparison to over 40% in  identical  twins (Barnett & Smoller 2009). Studies have also identified certain physiological processes underlying the bipolar disorder. For instance, by means of magnetic resonance imaging researchers have noted the differences in the volume and density of various brain zones between the healthy individuals and patients with BD. Specifically, the analysis of structural MRI findings provided evidence of the increased volume of the pale body and lateral ventricles (Arnone et al 2009). Simultaneously, functional MRI scans indicated the impaired coordination between the limbic corpus amygdaloideum and prefrontal region (Srakowski et al 2012). According to another theory, when genetically predisposed people are exposed to stress, their stress threshold at which behavioral changes happen lowers. After a number of such exposures, the episodes may start spontaneously. In support of the theory, Alloy and Bender (2011) report of the correlation between stressful situations and malfunction of the  hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Stress factors cause hypothalamic hyperactivation, which may eventually result in disease. Some researchers imply the major contribution of the environmental factors to the development of bipolar disorder. Evidence suggests that broken interpersonal relationships and hurtful early-life events may increase the risk of onsets and induce

A Theory of Dividends Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

A Theory of Dividends - Dissertation Example The main dividend policies practically adopted by most of the companies world wide can be basically divided into four categories. Constant dividend system tops the list followed by constant dividend ratio system, dividends equal to free cash flow system and sticky dividend system (Internet, Introduction to Dividend Policy & Theory, two issues, 1). In the constant dividend system, companies pay sum constant amount as dividend every year irrespective of the profit range while in the constant ratio system, they adopt a constant ratio on earnings.   The latter is also known as the EPS or DPS meaning earnings per share or dividend per share. In the third system, quantum of free cash flow guides the payment. In the last one, also known as the Lintner Model, companies adopt a sticky method in which dividends are first paid in a low level and then increased after some years. This is mainly done to enhance the confidence of investors and shareholders.  Dividend theoriesWhy should companie s declare dividends? It is the responsibility of the managements to show some monetary benefit to the investors who have invested their savings. Companies conduct their business with the investments offered by the shareholders and it is their bounden duty to offer dividends in return to them. But, as the shares of the companies are traded in the stock markets, it is natural for market players to link the dividends to the share prices. It is true that there are some companies that do not pay dividends.

Transcendentalim and Walden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transcendentalim and Walden - Essay Example int hum of a mosquito making its invisible and unimaginable tour through my apartment at earliest dawn, when I was sitting with door and windows open, as I could be by any trumpet that ever sang of fame. It was Homer’s requiem; itself and Iliad and Odyssey in the air, singing its own wrath and wanderings. There was something cosmical about it; a standing advertisement, till forbidden, of the everlasting vigor and fertility of the world. The morning which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us; and for an hour, at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day and night. Little is to be expected of that day, if it can be called a day, to which we are not awakened by our Genius, but by the mechanical nudgings of some servitor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Thoreau 140). According to Walden, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden is a manuscript of self-reliance, a social experiment that reflects upon simple living in natural surroundings. The book employs elements of transcendentalism, an idealistic philosophical movement developed by Immanuel Kant that is based on the idea that to understand life, one must enter an intuitive process of personal introspection. This paper employs close reading techniques to show how elements of transcendentalism are exemplified in the excerpt. The paper also discusses figures of speech, diction, tone, and the general use of words in Thoreau’s Walden, to explain their effectiveness in relaying Thoreau’s message of simple living. Spiritual awakening, simplicity, individualism, and being one with nature are some of the elements of transcendentalism that unshackle human beings from the traditional ideologies of conformity and materialism. Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that champions for self-independence and self-reliance of the individual in society. It was developed by transcendentalists in the early 1820s and 1830s. Transcendentalism is exemplified by various

Factors that Motivate Consumers Towards Internet Shopping Assignment

Factors that Motivate Consumers Towards Internet Shopping - Assignment Example The same study quoted the definition of an e-market as â€Å"an interorganisational information system that allows the participating buyers and sellers to exchange information about prices and product offerings† (Bakos, 1991, p.295). An e-market was also described as â€Å"a way of conducting business by companies and customers performing electronic transactions through computer networks (Liu and Arnett, 2000, p. 34). Also, it is â€Å"a virtual realm where products and services exist as digital information and can be delivered through information-based channels† (Meuter, et al., 2000, p. 50). These various definitions of online/internet shopping/retailing as the more concrete media, system, or network, to the more abstract â€Å"virtual realm† is testament to the various levels this phenomenon affects the psyche and actions of the buying public. It begs the question, â€Å"What factors significantly influence shoppers to buy products over the internet?† From a cursory scan of academic literature, it appears that studies on what influences the online purchase decision may be categorized into three general sets of theories: behavioural, rational, and experiential. Based on this observation, this researcher shall classify the theories gathered from the survey of literature and discuss them in groups, then thereafter compare the groups of theories as this researcher perceived them. Rational The rationale to the inquiry as to customers’ purchase intentions, rather than their attitudes or tendencies to patronize internet shopping, is based on the theory of reasoned action by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) which states that rational intention is a more powerful or compelling force compared to attitude or behaviour on the decision to purchase, and that the antecedents of intention are shopping orientations, online trust and prior online purchase experience. In determining customers’ attitudes towards internet shopping, early studies tended to touch on a wide range of factors including income, involvement, home shopping versus internet shopping experience, even attitude towards the retailers’ brand and attitude towards retailers’ websites. Along this line, Balabanis and Vassileiou (1999) found that high income favours internet shopping from retailers with strong brand names, and that high involvement with a product category affects adversely shopping from retailers’ sites with weak brands. Furthermore, it was determined that customers’ extensive home-shopping experience and positive attitudes towards a retailer’s web site both had positive effects on the shopper’s buying intentions, whether the product had a strong or weak brand (p. 361). Ling, Chai and Piew (2010) had likewise adopted the same approach to test multiple aspects of online shopping over a broad range of market segments to d etermine any general considerations of the decision to purchase online. Findings showed that such factors as impulse purchase intention, quality orientation, brand orientation, online trust, and prior online purchase experience all positively related to the customers’ intention to purchase online (p. 63). Behavioural The theories that adhere to the behavioural factors propose that customers tend to buy online because certain attitudes, values, and personality traits beyond the scope of reason compel the desire to do so. The result is that the purchase is not so much arrived at as a rational decision but a feeling that the purchase is desirable. Online shoppers’ actions are determined by three elements, namely affect (emotional feelings), intentions (desires), and behaviours, where behaviour is the product of two dimensions: internal

Arizona Laws- Immigration Essay Example for Free

Arizona Laws- Immigration Essay America the land of opportunities. Have you ever heard this infamous saying before? We live in a country created of immigrants, yet Arizona is trying to enforce SB1070 which is an intrusive law that goes against the diversity of what makes America great. The recent efforts in Arizona threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities which is crucial to keep us safe. This harsh crackdown against undocumented immigrants is currently in full swing and is causing plenty of controversy. Is this law an effective way to keep out undocumented immigrants? Or is this law simply causing more issues rather than creating positive outcomes? To be clear, Arizona’s SB 1070 requires documents to be carried at all times. Whoever violates the federal alien registration laws, are subject to arrest and penalties under the Arizona criminal code. While being stopped, SB1070 directs law enforcement officers to determine the immigration status of individuals who they reasonably suspect to be illegal immigrants. In addition, law enforcement officers are also authorized to arrest an individual without a warrant if there is a probable cause to believe the individual has committed a public offense that makes them removable from the U.S. In spite of it’s motives to reduce the number of illegal immigrants, SB 1070 gives all immigrants a false image as criminals and racism goes in effect, thus dividing the communities to great lengths. In addition, businesses are also affected resulting in the closure of stores and even shopping centers. Many undocumented immigrants simply want to obtain a chance at building a better life for their children so they can succeed in their future. A large portion of them would rather not be a bother, simply sending their children to school, paying taxes and staying out of trouble. Throughout my research, I came across the article â€Å"Arizona’s Punishment Doesn’t Fit the Crime† on the American Immigration Council’s website, which discusses recent statistics of Arizona’s crime rate. A century’s worth of research has demonstrated that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than native borns. Furthermore, the problem of crime in the United States is not caused or even aggravated by immigrants, regardless of their legal status. In addition, a 2007 study by University of California Irvine, sociologist Rubà ©n G. Rumbaut, found that for every ethnic group, incarceration rates among young men are lowest for immigrants, even those who are the least educated. This statement holds true especially for the Mexicans, Salvadorans, and Guatemalans who make up the bulk of the unauthorized population. Thus, despite accusations that undocumented criminals’ are a key factor with crime, statistic show that the rates are actually lower in the most populated cities with undocumented immigrants. For example, â€Å"The El Paso Miracle† by Radley Balko describes El Paso, Texas which is a relatively poor and heavily Latino city that is home to many unauthorized immigrants, as among the list of the safest big cities in the United States. Although Arizona’s SB1070 claims race will not be an issue, it seems to actually be sparking the most controversy, which is unfortunate for it leads to division among the community. I find it rather mindboggling that some Americans feel this law is not a step towards racism. Above all, I found myself rather frustrated and even disgusted at numerous comments on newspaper articles and YouTube postings th at were clearly putting spotlight on specifically one ethnicity, yet stating racial profiling is not tolerated. I find this ironic, hence the law allows law enforcement to determine the immigration status of individuals who they reasonably suspect are illegal immigrants. Is it just me or does that clearly sound like racial profiling? Furthermore, Former state senator Alfredo Gutierrez made a good point when expressing his thoughts to Arizona radio station KTAR 92.3 saying, â€Å"Reasonable suspicion in Arizona isn’t going to be someone who looks like a Canadian, whatever a Canadian looks like, it’s going to be someone who looks like my family†. Gutierrez then went on to say, â€Å"â€Å"This is the first step towards apartheid.† According to the article â€Å"Arizona Legalizes Racial Profiling† by Juilanne Hing, she discusses when Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was bombarded with questions concerning the criteria police officers will use to determine whether or not there is reasonable suspicion to detain a person. Governor Brewer replied with â€Å"I do not kn ow what an illegal immigrant looks like.† Considering she signed the law, it’s unfortunate and rather humorous that Brewer cannot state what reasonable suspicion consists of. This response was not thoughtful considering what the public is encountering in result of SB 1070. It appears that when Arizona SB 1070 was being considered, the economic reality of what the law results of, was not a thought that crossed Governor Brewer’s mind. Coupled with the other factors of SB 1070 is Arizona’s current money situation, which is the current budget deficit of more than $4.5 billion dollars. Maybe this wasn’t thought about, but there is a significant number of immigrants and Latinos who will be persuaded to leave the state because of this new law. Thus, the tax dollars, businesses, and purchasing power they will take with them. As in the article â€Å"Hispanic Families Flee† by Ed Pilkington, a disturbing pattern is discussed where once busy shopping centers are turning into ghost towns. One example is a Mexican restaurant in which proudly boasts, â€Å"Tacos Since 1975† which is unfortunately now stripped bare like the other local restaurants and stores. In the long run, Arizonans should take into consideration not only the potential costs of implementation and defending the state against lawsuits. Additionally, what needs to be reminded is the significant numbers of residents who are currently leaving the state and what consequences that brings. In the midst of all this controversy, let’s try not to forget the American dream. We are all immigrants from somewhere and shouldn’t blame undocumented immigrants for what ails America. We should instead, recognize those before us who took the leap of coming to America and thank their hard work, as well as what they risked to be here. Immigrants are human beings, simply wanting a better life and are not criminals. Instead of dividing the community with racism, which can eventually divide America, let’s focus on improving our country. Clearly, without immigrants the economy will take an additional downfall. In short, I hope a law that is fair will replace Arizona’s SB 1070.

A Christian Music Guide

A Christian Music Guide Music forms an integral part of all communities and religions. Christian music is no exception to that. Christian music primarily consists of the music played and sung in churches for the purpose of worshipping and praising the Lord. Christian music has different forms and has a different name for each form. However, Christian music also conforms to the music outside the regular church service. The various forms of Christian music include anthem, antiphon, cantata, chant, chorale, hymn, mass, motet, plainsong, carol and oratorio. An anthem is a song sung with a religious or political significance having a meaning itself. An anthem can be sung in church or any other place with or without any other companions. By Christian terminology it often denotes a song sung for praising loyalty. An antiphon is sung after the narration of a psalm or canticle in response to it. A cantata is performed primarily by a group of people who sing in the church and are known as the choir. However, a cantata can also comprise of solo performances accompanied by musical instruments. A chant is a repeated utterance of short and simple words or syllables sung in the same tone and melody. A chorale is a German hymn known to be much more simpler than the English ones. They came into existence to replace the plainsongs in order to be sung to announce the congregation participation in the liturgy. A hymn is sung as note of thanksgiving, devotion and praise towards the lord almighty. A mass is sung to celebrate public celebrations mostly in the Roman Catholic Churches and a few Protestant Churches. A motet comprises of the sacred text, mostly from the Bible, and is usually sung alone without any companion. Any Christian song sung without the restrictions of meter are known as plainsong. Often plainsong is also sung alone. A carol usually celebrates joy and celebration such as the Christmas carols. They are accompanied with dancing and loud singing in groups. An oratorio is a musical composition accompanied with orchestra and chorus depicting a sacred tale without any kind of stage enactments. The Christian music has evolved over the years keeping in tact its tradition and customs and yet, giving way for the contemporary Christian music, largely influenced by the secular music. The music from the different gospels along with the Christian Country Music is the most popular forms of music in the US. Christian Pop Music Pop music is considered to be the short form of popular music. Pop music generally appeals to the teenage and young section of the listeners. It is mostly accompanied by electronic musical equipments and is characterized by a heavy rhythmic pattern. The themes may include personal or loud group emotions, although the most common and popular themes are derived from emotional or physical love themes. Christian pop music found its existence in the term Contemporary Christian Music in the year 1970, which was based on Christian Faith. The music derived its root from the hippie Jesus Movement, from which the genre of Jesus Music began. In the early days, Christian pop music consisted of folk pop songs depicting the artists belief and faith in Jesus. Soon, Christian pop music became quite popular and began being aired on various radio stations and sold in local stores. Popular artists like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith made the Christian pop music a flourishing Industry by 1980 when millions of their records started getting sold. The early Christian pop music was divided into four main groups known as the separatist, purist, spiritually reflective and incidental positions. Each group prophesied their own view in deciding the motive and themes of the pop music and composed music accordingly. Eventually, this separate genre of music was opposed by some of the other artists who deviated from this genre to form other Christian music genres such as hip hop, punk, alternative, metal etc. Some of these artists include Lost Dogs, Joy Electric etc. In the present scenario however, Christian pop music has found its place beside all the other existing genres of Christian music. The contemporary pop music is a combination of inspirational, sacred, gospels and emotions strains. Over the years, quite a number of artists have made Christian pop music durable and popular among the young generations. Christian Music Charts Music charts usually functions as an overall rating report of the contemporary songs based on their popularity and music quality. Like every other genre of music, songs belonging to the Christian music also find its way up and down the music charts decided by the various criterions. An overall survey is done through various means of communications such as Internet polls, sms and of course letters and online public forums. Based on this survey a song would enter the hit chart and find its position on the top slot. These positions may vary from one week to another as new songs and albums keep entering the music charts. As a result, the song or album, which was on the top slot a week before, can lose its position and come down the rating charts. The way of airing and popularizing a song or an album, are the various radio stations and innumerable television channels. These radio stations and television channels help in making these songs and albums popular, which in turn help them enter the music charts. However, these music charts are not always the best way to judge the quality of a song or an album. Often, it might be possible that a really good song has not been able to enter the music charts because it is not a part of a very high budget project. In that case song does not appear on air or television channels and thus is not a part of the top music charts of a country or state. Usually Christian music charts are divided according to the different genres of Christian music such as Contemporary, Rock, Adult Contemporary, Inspirational, Pop to name a few. However, they can also show an overall rating combining all the genres and types of music prevalent. The songs and albums are often listed starting with the most popular ones on top and the count going up with the following numbers. Christian music charts can be found in the various online websites, and are transmitted through multiple radio and television channels regularly. Christian Karaoke Music The word Karaoke derives its meaning from the combination of two Japanese terms. Kara in Japanese means empty or void and oke means orchestra. Together they formed Karaoke to establish a different genre of Christian music. Karaoke music is a live performance by the artist accompanied by a pre-recorded orchestra. It is very popular in a lot of places, including stage performances. The pre-recorded orchestra and video displays act as a guide to the singer whose microphone volume is usually kept low. The singer merely lips the songs, which are already played in the background. Christian Karaoke music shows usually take place in open areas such as parks, fairs and other public get-togethers, which provides a platform for all those who are not so confident about their singing alone. The pre-recorded voice helps them to sing along and yet participate in the shows. This also serves as another way of spreading the word of God providing the flexibility of local gatherings instead of going to the church. Christian Karaoke music often consists of hymns and other popular genres of Christian music which, when played and participated by the general people help in making them popular. Although, usual Karaoke music is popular in bars and nightclubs Christian Karaoke Music do not associate itself with such places and is mostly comprised of gospels, carols and other religious streams. Singing along with the Karaoke has become a popular profession and various websites have come up to train the singer about the ways off singing in a Christian Karaoke. Christian Karaoke Music lists are available on most online music shopping websites with the latest and most popular artists and albums in store. However, it is advisable to compare and check the different sites and price rates offered by them before buying a certain album. Prices may vary depending on the popularity and music chart ratings of an album.

Impact of skiing on mountain environments

Impact of skiing on mountain environments It is extremely easy to forget the impact imposed by skiing on the mountain environments. Most people believe the only effect that they have on the environment within mountain regions are the tracks in the snow left by their skis. However, there is strong evidence that skiing has both a social and more noticeably, environmental impacts that influence the natural environment. Some experts of the Alpine region suggest that tourists directly affect over half of the Alps entire surface area. It can therefore be stated that the Alps are now one of the most threatened mountain ecosystems on Earth. This viewpoint was further backed up by Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, chairman of Alp Action, based in Geneva, which works towards preserving and restoring the Alpine habitat, saying that tourists have merely transported the problems of the city up 6,500 feet. As the majority of ski slopes take place on the sides of large, rugged mountains, the process of deforestation is required in order to create the downhill ski slopes. Deforestation can lead to the displacement of the natural habitats of resident birds as well as cause an increase in the surface runoff from the melt water flowing down the mountains once the snow has melted in the summer months. The problem of surface runoff is further increased by the alteration of the grade of the slope in order to make it suitable for skiers. This allows the melt water to flow quicker and results in the melt water coming into contact with few obstacles which can eventually lead to landslides. Other wildlife such as ibex, snow hares, and red deer are also affected by deforestation and the alteration of the slopes grade. Wildlife is initially affected by the development and expansion of the ski resorts, however, the human impact on wildlife can also be seen in the construction and maintenance of the s ki runs in the night time and by the numerous skiers during the daytime. An example of the affects on wildlife is the black grouse which resides in the Alps, Wales, Scotland and the Lake District. As a result of skiing, the black grouse now exists at only half its usual population density around ski resorts. However, the disturbance area is increasing in size as more and more people ski off-piste and intrude into the habitat of the black grouse. When examining the visual impacts of skiing on the mountain environment, it is easy to see that the monstrous metallic pylons which support the ski lifts and the ski lift terminals blemish the previously unscarred panoramic views. The implications of all of the developments within the mountain environment results in a snowballing affect and results in increased pressure on the environment. With the rise in popularity of some resorts such as Tignes and the Trois Vallà ©es in France, there is the added pressure of expansion of the resorts and the improvement of its facilities. The ski resorts are mainly built on confined valley floor areas and are therefore hemmed in by the surrounding mountainous environment. However, the need to accommodate the increasing numbers and demands of tourists means that resorts have had to expand resulting in further erosion of the mountain sides. The impact of skiers on the environment can be seen due to the increased problems of global warming within these areas. Over the past few years, scientists have proved that the snow levels in mountain areas such as the Alps in Europe have started to dwindle. Birgit Ottmer from the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research based in the famous resort of Davos said that the Alpine areas below 1,600 metres are now receiving twenty per cent less snow. The future is even more unpromising with Michel Revaz of the Liechtenstein-based Alpine conservation society Cipra, stating that within fifty years all ski resorts below 1,200 metres wont have a chance and will go out of business. This is especially unwelcoming news for the majority of the ski resorts within Austria where seventy-five per cent of all of the ski lifts lie below 1,000 metres. The problem of snow levels has meant that new resorts are springing up further and further up the sides of the mountains. This migration of ski resorts will mean further visual impacts on the area with large accommodation blocks and pylons being erected further upland as well as an increase in the human affects on the higher altitude areas which have a more sensitive ecosystem. It is widely believed that aviation travel currently contributes about four per cent of the global carbon dioxide emissions. This is a worrying fact, especially when over thirty million international tourists fly into the Alpine region each year and the fact that Alpine tourism is only second in the world to the Mediterranean coast in the number of visiting tourists per annum. Once arrived in the Alpine region, the vast amounts of tourists generally reach the ski resorts by vehicles or even coaches supplied by the travel agencies. The increasing presence of vehicles within this environment has led to an increase in carbon emissions from the vehicles. Within some areas of the Alps, the pollutants reach the upland coniferous trees. Once this has happened, the pollutants weaken the evergreen trees which then become susceptible to insects and parasites. The United Nations recently carried out a study on the affects humans have on the mountain forests and discovered that acid rain and air pollution have damaged approximately sixty per cent of the Swiss, Italian, German and Austrian alpine forests. Another human impact which can be related to global warming is the retreat of the glaciers worldwide. Many skiers and snow boarders enjoy the thrill of skiing or snow boarding on glaciers. The tour guides usually put a great emphasis on the environment and the affects of humans on the mountain environment during the excursion; however, these tours may cease to exist in the near future with the retreat of the mountain glaciers. For example, Boulder Glacier in the North American state of Washington, is extremely popular with climbers, skiers and snow boarders. However, such activities have an increasingly short life as the glacier retreated an incredible four hundred and fifty metres between 1987 and 2005. The retreat of the glacier can be directly linked to the rise in the winter temperatures and to the reduction in snowfall levels within this region. There is an increasing problem with the amount of litter in the ski resorts. As is true anywhere else in the world, the majority of litter dropped does not degrade straight away or at all. However, in such a sensitive or delicate region, like the Alps, the effects are amplified. For instance an orange peel takes approximately two years to fully degrade, and cigarette butts can take up to five years to disintegrate. The chocolate wrappers or left over lunch that is left outside the mountain restaurants attract species which would not normally be found at such high altitudes. This alteration in the fragile ecosystem has a huge affect on the indigenous population of wildlife which eventually die out due to the invasive species. However, tourism can help sustain the mountain communities. The tourists provide a market for the local communities. There are over four and a half million beds for tourists within the Alps. The local communities have set up bed and breakfast accommodation as well as hostels and small, traditional hotels or chalets. This provides a vital economy for the local population even though the busiest periods are only during the winter months. Upon seeing that the majority of their business is seasonal, many of the locals in the ski resorts and surrounding villages have begun to diversify in order to sustain a living throughout the year. The local population have begun to offer summer outdoor activities to try and attract thrill-seeking or nature-loving tourists in the summer months. Many of those within the mountain communities offer guiding walks in the summer or activities such as rock climbing and driving off road vehicles through the rough terrain. The local authorities for ski resorts have only recently started to publicise visiting mountain areas in the summer months and are trying to advertise the ski resorts and villages as year-round destinations instead of solely winter locations. Tourism can help sustain human communities if the right methods are introduced by the local authorities, for example by ensuring that the local populations get their share of the money brought in by tourists so that the larger international tourism firms do not overpower the local businesses. This might include, the local authorities supporting local brands or shops and only allowing a certain number of international businesses or hotels into the region. Many learning schemes have also been introduced in order for the local population to learn other languages such as English in order to accommodate and to improve on the services provided to tourists visiting their town or village. Teaching the locals languages will help them both socially and economically and could even lead to their customers returning or attracting new customers by word of mouth due to the level of customer service. Having a second language allows local people who know the area and its surrounding environment best, to supply more annual activities such as guided walks. This will keep the economy within the area and result in a small rise in the prosperity of the local population. In conclusion, I believe that skiing is not a sustainable activity and has greater impacts on the mountain environment than it does improve it. The affects on the environment are detrimental and could mean that future generations will not be able to go and look at the Mont-Blanc Glacier in its current beauty but will be able to admire at it from text books due to its possible demise. However, I do have confidence in the fact that tourism can play a large role in sustaining and improving the local human communities and makes the mountain areas an extremely exciting and diverse area which is why so many people visit it each year.

Policy issues - Geographic Information :: science

Policy issues - Geographic Information Policy issues and availability of Geographic Information Geographical Information is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing things that exist and events that happen on earth. The major components of a GI are: a user interface; system/database management capabilities; database creation/data entry capacity; spatial data manipulation and analysis packages; and display/product generation functions. GIS technology integrates, via the Internet, common database operations such as query and statistical analysis with the unique visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. These abilities distinguish GIS from other information systems and make it valuable to a wide range of public and private enterprises for explaining events, predicting outcomes, and planning strategies Public Sector:- Defense: The rapid development of technology has led to advancements that have had a direct impact on the improvement of our military. Weapons have become more effective and the use of satellite imagery has helped reduce the amount of lives lost during conventional warfare Banking and insurance Companies: GI technology provides financial users with insight about their customer's purchasing habits, financial behavior, and needs for additional products or services. As a result, banks are able to target their best prospects and not misdirect marketing and advertising resources. Power (Electricity Sector): GI can effectively manage information on the distribution of electricity to customers and information describing the attributes of each customer such as location and electricity use. It makes information easily updatable and accurate and hence can cater to the needs of maintaining large power infrastructure Police: In today’s world when there is so much crime all around and police forces need to be very efficient, GI help police department to plan and keep an eye on the crime & criminals. It helps to manage, number of Police Personnel required, starting point for each team / person while on patrolling, direction and length of path for each team. Telecom: GI systems within Telecom utilities can provide facilities for fault tracking, customer care, Planning and efficient management of a large distributive network and more importantly provide a framework for better integration and analysis of relevant facility information derived from several sources in graphics environment. Commercial Sector: Retail market and Distribution: It provides real world picture like which areas of the city are more than 2 km from any shop selling my products? How many households does a particular shop serve? What is average household income in the areas that this shop serves? What route should my distribution trucks take to minimize delivery cost and time? Policy issues - Geographic Information :: science Policy issues - Geographic Information Policy issues and availability of Geographic Information Geographical Information is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing things that exist and events that happen on earth. The major components of a GI are: a user interface; system/database management capabilities; database creation/data entry capacity; spatial data manipulation and analysis packages; and display/product generation functions. GIS technology integrates, via the Internet, common database operations such as query and statistical analysis with the unique visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. These abilities distinguish GIS from other information systems and make it valuable to a wide range of public and private enterprises for explaining events, predicting outcomes, and planning strategies Public Sector:- Defense: The rapid development of technology has led to advancements that have had a direct impact on the improvement of our military. Weapons have become more effective and the use of satellite imagery has helped reduce the amount of lives lost during conventional warfare Banking and insurance Companies: GI technology provides financial users with insight about their customer's purchasing habits, financial behavior, and needs for additional products or services. As a result, banks are able to target their best prospects and not misdirect marketing and advertising resources. Power (Electricity Sector): GI can effectively manage information on the distribution of electricity to customers and information describing the attributes of each customer such as location and electricity use. It makes information easily updatable and accurate and hence can cater to the needs of maintaining large power infrastructure Police: In today’s world when there is so much crime all around and police forces need to be very efficient, GI help police department to plan and keep an eye on the crime & criminals. It helps to manage, number of Police Personnel required, starting point for each team / person while on patrolling, direction and length of path for each team. Telecom: GI systems within Telecom utilities can provide facilities for fault tracking, customer care, Planning and efficient management of a large distributive network and more importantly provide a framework for better integration and analysis of relevant facility information derived from several sources in graphics environment. Commercial Sector: Retail market and Distribution: It provides real world picture like which areas of the city are more than 2 km from any shop selling my products? How many households does a particular shop serve? What is average household income in the areas that this shop serves? What route should my distribution trucks take to minimize delivery cost and time?

Emergency Room Overutilization Essay -- Emergency Room Misuse

Emergency room over utilization is one of the leading causes of today’s ever increasing healthcare costs. The majority of the patients seen in emergency rooms across the nation are Medicaid recipients, for non-emergent reasons. The federal government initiated Medicaid Managed Care programs to offer better healthcare delivery, adequately compensate providers and reduce healthcare costs. Has Medicaid Managed Care addressed the issues and solved the problem? The answer is ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. Throughout the early 1980’s and 1990’s the Federal Medicaid program was challenged by rapidly rising Medicaid program costs and an increasing number of uninsured population. One of the primary reasons for the overall increase in healthcare costs is the over utilization of hospital emergency rooms. This is a direct result of not having a primary care physician and/or family doctor who is the main source of healthcare delivery for an individual and/or entire family The traditional Medicaid program does not offer, or require, recipients to choose a primary care physician like, its counterpart, Medicare. Medicare still operates under the traditional fee-for-service methodology and does not require beneficiaries to identify and primary provider as well as having direct access to specialty services. This allows a cost sharing approach which results in higher out-of-pocket expenses and does not cover drug or prescription benefits. In an effort to offer better healthcare services and access as well as reduce costs the federal government allowed the States to turn to managed care and proposed a mandatory statewide implementation for the Medicaid population. In order to make major changes like these, states have to request waivers of Medicaid regulatio... ...sive.(Practice Trends)." Clinical Psychiatry News 33.2 (Feb 2005): 88(1). Academic OneFile. Thomson Gale. University of Phoenix. Retrieved February 25, 2013 from: . 5. Roohan, Patrick J., Anarella, Joseph P., & Gesten, Foster C. (July-August 2004) Quality oversight and improvement in Medicaid managed care.(Quality Assurance Reporting Requirements ). In Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 10, p321(9). 6. Wang, Cheng, Villar, Maria Elena, Mulligan, Deborah A., & Hansen, Toran. (Nov 2005) Cost and utilization analysis of a Pediatric Emergency Department Diversion Project. In Pediatrics, 116, p1075(5). Retrieved July 11, 2013, from InfoTrac OneFile via Thomson Gale:

Operations Management Essay

I. Introduction Operations management is a management system dedicated in dealing with the allocation of resources, dealing with constraints, marketing and the strategic management theories that would be used in the day to day processes necessary for a company, with the endpoint of producing profits and revenues.(â€Å"Operations Research†, 2006) It is basically the management function that deals in the production and distribution of goods and services.(Stevenson, 2005) Companies practice this type of management to ensure that the daily processes to produce the necessary good or service that would be available for distribution. Basically, an organization or company has three functional fields that it functions on. First of which, is finance.   Basically, Finance is the management field dealing with the sourcing and allocation of funds in the organization; it functions as a distributor of funds to the whole organization and is also responsible for the investment decisions that would generate future cash flows for the company. Marketing is the managerial field responsible for the identification of consumer’s preferences and tastes. It seeks to employ these as market factors that would be used to promote and sell the organizations products or outputs. Lastly, Operations is the managerial function that deals mainly in the production of goods and services that the company considers as output. The driving force of the organization or company is operations. II. Industry in Scope The Service Industry of the United States is one of the industries that runs under the classification of being one of the main industries in the United States. It is the industry devoted to the utilization of non-good products that would be utilized by the market, mainly in finance and operations. A. The Information Industry The Information Sector of the Service Industry is the sector concerned with data processing, distribution of products that perform data processing activities, and more importantly, the distribution of information through mediums like the Internet. Main components of the industry include the data processing companies, broadcasting companies, movie and audiovisual companies and other industries that function as distributors of information or provide products that would be capable of receiving, transmitting or processing of Information. The information service industries that include data portals and search engines are also included in the list.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) This shows that the Information Sector is one of the key industries in the development of information and data exchange. The development in softwares and the evolution of the means of data processing is achieved through the development of this industry. Characteristics of the Information Industry There are several unique characteristics associated to the Information Sector segment. They are the distinguishing characteristics that separate this sector from the different sector segments.   First is that the products associated with this industry does not take any particular form(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006); the associated outputs are intangible in nature. For example, news delivered by a television broadcasting company does not have a true form, although it can be grasped by the comprehension of people. The second characteristic is that the transaction can be consummated without direct contact from the parties involved.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) Since the transaction can be done in the Internet, such as that in E-Business, the buyer and the seller can transact using that medium. The third characteristic is that the since the products involved does not really have a tangible form, the content of the product is what gives the product its value.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) Structure is not important. And since this is the case, intellectual property laws protect the products. For example, the reel of film is not what gives a motion picture its true value,; hence the motion picture itself is the one protected by the law and not that of the film in which it is recorded in. The fourth characteristic is that the processes involved in the production of the products in this sector is different from the processes involved in the production of the goods in any other industry.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) This reserves the company the sole rights in the nature of its processes and its sequential structure. The fifth characteristic is that companies in this industry that does not derive its profit mainly from the revenue from the sales of its products(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006); instead, the main part of revenue is accumulated form the additional values that are attached to the product such as advertisements. II.   The Health Care Industry The Service Industry also has Health Care under its roster. This industry is the one responsible for the administration of proper care in health of the people that needs them. These varieties of receivers of health care range from the poor to the rich, from the terminally ill to those of infections. The combination of human affection and that of modern technology helps provide the necessary service that the industry promises to deliver.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) Workers ranging from physicians of every kind to the paramedics, this industry is responsible for the research and study of the illnesses that afflict mankind and finds ways to counteract the diseases before they become outbreaks. This industry is also essential in providing the public information on their health care and of the recent diseases and how to prevent them. The Nine Segments The Health Care Industry can be classified into nine segments overall. The first segment would be that of the Hospitals. This is the segment includes the care of patients that would need to be cared for overnight.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) The hospital facilities offer a whole variety of health care services that they offer to the general public. The second segment is the Nurses and Residential Care Facilities. (â€Å"Health Care†, 2005)This segment takes care of people who cannot fully take care of them selves but not in definite need of hospital care. This segment mainly deals with children, the elderly and the incapacitated. This is also the facility that gives care round the clock nurturing, like those of children. The Office of the Physicians is also a segment of the Health Care industry.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) This is a segment wherein a group of physicians practice together in order for them to reduce costs. Doctors also find it convenient to practice with peers, which lead to the formation of such. This segment also comprises about 37% of the industry of Health Care. The Office of the Dentist is the next segment, comprising about 20% of the health care facilities established.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) This office provide specialized dental care, and in times, dental surgery. The Home Health Care Service is a fast growing segment in the Health Care Industry. This segment specializes in the care of the elderly in the comfort of their homes. This special care is always under the supervision of a doctor or physician, in order to establish any concerns in the field of medicine. The segment of the Office of Health Practitioners is the segment that includes the services of alternative medicine such as the practice of acupuncture. It also includes the services of other practitioners such as the chiropractors, who are paid either in cash or by insurance coverage. The segment of Ambulatory Services is the segment involved in this industry as the support of the medical field of hospitals and other institutions. This segment includes transport (helicopters), surgical components (blood banks), and other support services like that of anti-smoking programs. Outpatient care centers are also part of this industry as another segment. This segment includes the outpatient services of dialysis, mental health care and that of drug abuse rehabilitation centers. The last segment is that of the medical and diagnostic services. This segment deals with the laboratory work that patients need from time to time. Services include x-rays, sonograms and x-rays. These laboratory works are commonly used in hospitals to supplement the knowledge of the doctors practicing their profession there. III. Analysis of Companies Intel Corporation Intel is a processing chip producer that specializes in the production of microprocessors utilized by the computer producing companies. The corporation can be classified as belonging to the Information Sector of the Information Industry as it manufactures the microprocessors used in data exchange and data interpretation. The companies recent developments are also put into focus. A. Marketing The marketing aspect of Intel Corporation is on a roll recently. They made strategic tie-ups with Dell and Google, giving them an advantage against their competitors. The tie-up consists of the production of microprocessors that would be used in the assembly line of Dell Computers and would also provide Google the hardware that they need. In addition to that, the management changed their company’s logo, stating the fact that they need to be at the same page with the developments that the industry is undergoing. Furthermore, the marketing implications of changing a logo that was easily related to the company was a good move, especially with the extinct principles that accompany the old design. In addition to that, the company is promoting their processors with the renaming of their products. The Pentium Series would be phased out, being replaced by their new products, the Viiv and the Centrino. This put consumers on a new page with the development of new names of their products. And Lastly, Intel produced power-saving chips for the search engine Google, which lets Intel make advertisements through the search engine. Google also expressed their liking of Intel’s wireless technology, the WiMax. B. Operations Intel’s operation is on the rise as it is the product of the company make-over issued by the newly appointed CEO, Paul Otellini. The production of their microchips has risen and they have also expressed their plans to penetrate the markets governed by the leadership of Texas Instruments by producing the same chips that Texas does. Moreover, the company decided it should produce more of the specialized type of chips that the digital players require. Inking a deal with a Hollywood producers and music services. Intel is now producing digital players the same way that their partners Sony and Philips do. The operations of the company took a major turn in the changing of leaderships. This result may be due to the different principles employed by the new management, which other companies say is a good strategy on Intel’s part. A continuance on the part of Intel in its operations like in the production of their specialized microchips may give further development on their part. Praise is also due to the Digital Home team of Intel as it was one of the key factors that affected the company’s success in the present. C. Product Quality Products by Intel seem to be growing in quality, as it the marketing strategies employed was a success. The ride in the demand of the company’s new products, especially of the new processors, may also be attributed to the quality control measures employed by the company. No company’s growth would be constantly on the rise unless the company’s product has good quality. The digital players that Intel produced were a good plan, according to their business partners. They followed through by producing real good products that are now competing with the dominant producers of digital music in the industry. Furthermore, their strategic partnership with well-known brands ensured the public of the good quality of products that are produced by Intel. The power saving chips that are manufactured by Intel to be used by Google are of good quality, otherwise Google would not use it. A quality company would want nothing less than their standards of quality. And finally, the wireless application WiMax, which was developed by Intel, was of comparing status with the existing WiFi, giving the go signal that Google is also interested in further development of the application. D. Product differentiation The company’s marketing strategy employs quite a good differentiation of their market at present in such a way that the public would know what type of product they would want o own. The digital player developed by the Digital home team of Intel was made to those music fans who wanted no less than the best products for their listening pleasure. The powers saving chips were made at the idea of Google, which now has a tie-up with Intel Corporation. The basic computer processors were made with different names: the Viiv and the Centrino. This allows consumers to choose their processor without confusing it with the other. The product differentiation in this part of Intel’s product line worked well as the two products mentioned have different characteristics, giving good judgment to the fact that they should be named differently. The company also stressed a point that Intel is not all about microprocessors inside the computers. They also have a wide variety of goods that do not overlap in the market. The placing of the products is both effective and efficient. D. Consumer Satisfaction Issues At present, not much consumer satisfaction issues have made any negative impact on the products of Intel. The microprocessor that they produce would only be delivered to the assembly line of the computer producers. They would be the one to incorporate the chip into the system of the computer. So far, no problem in the speed and the accuracy of data processing has been large enough for the company to re-think their strategies. The consumer satisfaction index that can be nearly based on would be the satisfaction of the consumers on their continued development of their product lines that somehow reaches out to almost all generations. E. Overall Assessment The management of Intel made the best move when they have changed not only the look, but also the outlook of the company. Marketing strategies have been hitting two birds with one stone: achieving promotional means and the earnings they generate through the ale of product to tie-up companies. This excellent strategy made Intel one company to watch in the future. However, the drawback with Intel’s new strategy the company’s new logo was a lot different from the previous generation’s idea of the Intel logo. This may pose to be a problem to the older generation of the market that would want to catch up with the progress of technology. Consumer preferences actually change with this move by Intel; but the implication of the changing of the logo was also the changing of the practices, values and principles that governed the company for years. Furthermore, Intel must live to the expectations of its consumers, accompanied with the change in principles. Intel must prove that they have indeed developed into a powerhouse strategist.