Love Is Never Silent Movie Summary

In the 1985 movie â€Å"Love is Never Silent† it is set during the great depression and follows the Ryder family, Abel and Janice two deaf parents of two hearing children Margaret and Bradley. Abel works for a newspaper company on the printing press, Janice is a seamstress. The parents rely on the oldest child Margaret as their link to the hearing world by being their voice. In the beginning tragedy hits the family as the Ryder’s youngest child Bradley falls from their second story apartment and dies. Now that Margaret is the only hearing child she feels obligated to always be available for her parents when they need her.When she goes with her parents to a Mortuary she has to help them purchase a wood box instead of a coffin for her brother because that’s all they can afford. Anytime Margaret’s parents come into conflict with the hearing world they have Margaret taken out of school or later work to interpret for them. The only friend Margaret has and the o nly person to know that her parents are deaf and elderly store owner named Mr. Patrakis, who usually gives whatever her family needs for free. In the middle Margaret graduates from high school and this is where her classmates, their parents and staff find out that her parents are deaf.Mr. Patrakis gives Margaret radio as a graduation gift, she is so excited that she brings it home, plugs it in and her dad seems to be interested and Margaret and her dad start to dance until her mom unplugs it to cook signing that the radio doesn’t belong. Margaret gets a job as a secretary and is still the only link between the deaf and hearing world for her parents. She has so social life and when a handsome man named William shows interest in her she makes excuses not to go out with him. William is persistent though and Margaret eventually gives in and they go on their first date.Margaret keeps the fact of her parents being deaf from William until he purposes to her and William tells her tha t he doesn’t care that her parents are deaf and that he’d love to meet them. In the end Margaret and William elope and this upsets her parents because they don’t want to lose her not only because she’s their only child but also because she’s their link to the hearing world. William joins the military and while he’s gone Margaret invites William’s mother Mrs. Anglin and brother Marshall to her parents’ house for dinner, which doesn’t go well because Mr. and Mrs.Ryder refuse to sign in an even more awkward silence. William comes back injured but not crippled and they live with her parents until he’s accepted into college. Margaret’s parents are sad to see her go but as soon as they can they go see her and it was unannounced. Margaret’s parents are very upset to see the place where she’s living and go to sign how upset they are that William hasn’t provided better for their daughter. Her pa rents never visit her again. The next time Margaret sees her parents is when she’s very pregnant to let them know that they’ll be grandparents.Lastly William and Margaret move into better housing where they will raise their child till William graduates from college. Margaret and William invite everyone to their baby shower after the birth of their son and her parents show up after everyone has gone. Margaret is upstairs with her son and William answers the door and her parents surprise her. When they see each other all the turmoil between them is gone and they enjoy each other’s company. The movie ends with Janice’s retirement party where Abel, Margaret, William and their son go and Janice’s signs a speech that Margaret interprets.

Formal Education Vs. Informal Education Essay

Are you or your child receiving an education that fits your element? If not then when would now be a good time to look into that? Adults and children today or mostly unaware of how education is being presented do to the fact that they are only aware of one type of education. Of course most of us all are all born and raised on the â€Å"ladder system† which is another way of saying formal education, but many people don’t realize that there is an abundance in different types of education. We have all heard of private schools and charter schools, but those are just schools not education. Yes they are education to a degree but there are only two types of education, and they are frequently fought and argued about which one is better. Those two types of education are formal education and informal education. In todays society people are built mainly on morals and beliefs that are passed down through the government and high end white collard business men. Unfortunately people are becoming more and more unaware of informal education. Informal education is better than formal education do to the constant environment change and open curriculum that a education lacks. Informal education is better and should be blended in with formal education to get a real world experience. The year two thousand and thirteen today we thought to have evolved in our educational practices. Even now people are becoming more intelligent in formal education through the years that the â€Å"ladder system† was introduced. Unfortunately though with that we also have been developing lower and lower common sense. That is mainly to do with formal education. Many people ask what is formal education? Formal education is education presented in a prestiges matter in which there are different levels completed. The levels being Elementary school, Middle School, High School, and finally college. Seeing that there are different levels to be completed makes a more focused approach on education which in the long run will increase your intelligence, do to wanting to complete the final task which is college. Even by doing this many people blindly rush into college only forgetting what they have learned in middle school and even high school. Formal education is also very narrow and not open in many other experiences. Formal education schools are often decided what to teach based on what the state wants. With most of the formal educations power going to the government and states. That leads formal educated schools to having a very closed curriculum and not being able to learn outside the box or have any other experiences. With formal education being a ladder system and a narrow curriculum, you can see that in terms of college expectations you are intelligent, but in realistic experiences you are not. Now what is Informal Education. Let me share an idea with you before i tell you. You probably know what a formal event is right? You wear a formal garment such as a suit or a dress and you go to a very on point social event, but whatever when you are not dressed formally? You tend to have more creative freedom and you start to be educated on different types of apparel. Informal education the informal clothes appose to formal clothes such as a dress or suit. In the world of informal education there is no Ladder system. It is in short basic education but in a progressive form. And with being no ladder system the states are not involved with the curriculum which means you get to learn outside the box and experience far more than formal education could ever teach you. Many people argue which is better when most people really lean more towards formal education, but really for an educational stand point informal education is better. There are many factors to bring into play when explaining the reason informal education is better than formal education. First let me explain environmental reasons to this. Looking at formal education you see that every day you are in the same blocks of classes and you are constantly surrounded by the same people. With that you are not really experiencing different types of people because you are built upon having the same people through out the school year. You are not exposed to different personalities or characteristics do to people adapting to your own and becoming more like you. Informal education on the other hand you are exposed to the same class room, but there are usually different people in your class daily, and frequently even different teachers. With that your are not adapting to certain personalities but you are adapting to a realistic way of life which is being surrounded constantly with different people. Another thing argued strongly is the experience range. Formal education gives you a very narrow curriculum not allowing you to experience other things that are more valuable outside of school. Most of the things in formal educated school apply only to school and not in the real world although english, science and some math is an exception. Informal education allows you to see many different prospectives on certain subjects and you really get to experience a lot more than what the state narrows it down too. Experience such as different people usually everyday, different subjects everyday and when a subject is ever retaught, it is taught by a different teaching making a different point of understanding. The education in an informal school is usually basic things that you would learn in middle school, but going more into formal education it starts to be applied to many different areas in a real world circumstance, and applied several different ways. In a formal education school you are taught more advanced things that help develop the brain, but has no use in the outside world. In todays formal educated schools we are all taught that knowledge is power but that is really an understatement. What use do you have of acquired knowledge if you don’t even know how to apply it in a real world circumstance? Point proven. Formal educated schools today are focused to much upon how to help you get to the next step of the ladder rather than helping you understand the use of the information provided. While formal education has a great affect on the brain development wise, it lacks many uses outside of its buildings. In formal education on the other has many experiences that are less advanced and may not enhance or develop the brain much. But if knowing how to use one piece of great information acquired and it making you become very successful. Then all the other information obtained that had no transformational value was just a waist of time. Even today many people see education beyond high school as a waist of time, and the ones that adore formal education argue greatly on the belief. The biggest thing that affects people differently in formal or informal schools is the mindset that is carried through out the course. When begging a regular ladder system school which starts at elementary school we are all familiar with the different cards used to display behavior status. The blue card representing excellent behavior. The green card representing good behavior. The yellow card representing behavior that needs attention, and finally the red card representing bad behavior. What people do not know is the physiological effects that the cards hold towards the child. When growing up we are all taught right from wrong, but it is now human nature to focus only on the problems. With that said many times in elementary school kids are often punished more than rewarded, and many times barely acknowledged for the good they have done. When still developing at a young age there brains start adapting and internalizing what they are surrounded by. Many times do kids get yelled at for there miss behavior and even punished frequently. And not so often do the kids get praised with the same amount of energy they were being punished for. With so little energy going towards the good and rewarding, and so much going towards punishing there starts to become an imbalance of emotions. In the long term the students feel like they are useless and not worthy enough for whats to come. With that they start growing up with these feelings and in the long run do not have the emotional uplift to conquer any dreams or goals. While during informal education every student is treated equally and is not so much punished as they are rewarded. This in the long run carries the opposite effect than in formal education.

Talent Management in McDonalds Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Talent Management in McDonalds - Case Study Example They also do not come about as coincidences or by chance. Indeed, these successes happen as a result of series of coordinated efforts and through the implementation of carefully planned strategies and protocols. One of the aspects of the coordinated used by these organizations has to do with their talent management programs. From the account given by Goldsmith and Carter (2009), it can really be seen that McDonald’s has invested so much into talent management and that process deserves some key consideration. The present paper considers some of the key considerations. Talent Management Program that Led to Success for the Company Goldsmith and Carter (2009) outline the talent management program as used by McDonald’s in gaining market dominance in the food services industry. First, we are made to understand that the company undertook a keen alignment of the individual goals of its human resource to achieve larger goals of the organization. This alignment was necessary in e nsuring that the human resource talent that the company was recruiting was people whose individual concern for success was in line with those that had been set by the company. Inferably, acts of conflict of interest were minimized if not entirely reduced. It will be observed that companies such as McDonald’s and some of its other competitors have their own organizational goals, missions and visions (Barlow, 2006). Because of this, recruiting talents that possess entirely different ambitions from these ones could be suicidal for the companies because it would eventually be like two captains who are trying to control just one ship. Even more, the case presented by Goldsmith and Carter (2009) makes a very clear case of how McDonald’s as part of its talent management program made it a core aim to identify the career paths of highest performers. This component of the talent management essentially involved two key tasks and activities, which were first to discover highest pe rformers. In other words, the company distinguished between ordinary talent and special. This is a very important responsibility in talent management as it paves the way for human resource management policy such as the assignment of roles. Without knowing who is best in what area of operation, the phenomenon of putting round pegs in square holes may arise. The second component of this same management program was to closely and carefully link the career paths of these highest performers to suitable roles. For instance some who is best in pizzas will not be put in charge of pastries. In the long run therefore, there is the creation of a squarely balanced talent positioning. Furthermore, McDonald’s has been a company that has over the years fostered the development of future leaders and this has been a key aspect of the talent management program of the company. By fostering the development of future leaders, reference is being made to the fact that McDonald’s has always c oncentrated on the role that can be played by its human resource in not just the present circumstance but in the future as well. For this reason, the company has constantly directed its endowment programs towards equipping the knowledge and skill of human resource for future challenges (Bersin, 2010). A clear example of this is the creation of the Future Leaders Forum in the company whereby a group of young talents are given technologically advanced skills on the food services industries so that these talents would always be ahead of time in terms of management of the key technological components of the company. The result of this innovation is that the company has always had a competitive advantage in terms of the application of advanced technology in the conduct of business. Finally, the talent manage

Arguing against legalizing prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Arguing against legalizing prostitution - Essay Example On the other hand, Sweden has taken a different legal approach, decriminalizing the women in prostitution while at the same time penalizing the buyers. Prostitution should not be legalized; it should be treated as sexual exploitation and violence against women, and not as ‘sex work’. The arguments against legalizing prostitution apply to all state-sponsored forms of prostitution including the legal operation of brothels and pimping, decriminalization of the sex industry, regulating prostitution through registration and health checks for women, recognizing prostitution as ‘sex work’ or advocating it as an employment of choice (Raymond 315). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is argue against legalizing prostitution, taking into consideration the various adverse outcomes for women in the domain. Prostitution Should Not be Legalized Raymond (315) argues that â€Å"legitimizing prostitution as work makes the harm of prostitution to women invisible, exp ands the sex industry, and does not empower the women in prostitution†. ... Legalization and decriminalization of the sex industry also converts brothels, sex clubs, massage parlors, and other sites of prostitution activities into legitimate venues where commercial sexual acts are allowed to thrive, with few legal restraints. Countries which criminalize women for prostitution activities, should advocate for the decriminalization of the women in prostitution. Such exploited women should not be punished by criminalization. However, pimps, buyers, procurers, brothels, or other sex establishments should not be decriminalized (Raymond 316). Legalization/ Decriminalization of Prostitution Promotes Sex Trafficking One of the root causes of sex trafficking is legalized or decriminalized prostitution industries. An argument supporting legalizing prostitution in the Netherlands was that legalization would help to end the exploitation of desperate immigrant women who had been trafficked to the country, for prostitution. However, the Budapest Group (1) argues that 80% o f women in Netherlands’ brothels were trafficked from other countries. The International Organization of Migration (IOM 4) stated that in 1994 nearly 70% of trafficked women were from the Central and Eastern European countries. Dutting (16) observes that although the government of the Netherlands presents itself as a champion of antitrafficking policies and programs, it has eliminated every legal obstacle to pimping, procuring and the running of brothels. In the year 2000, the Dutch Ministry of Justice argued for the authorization of a legal quota of foreign sex workers, because the Dutch prostitution market called for women of different nationalities. Further, in

Operation Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Operation Management - Assignment Example The location would provide greater benefits to the company as there is significant demand for printing related services. Correspondingly, the aspect of quality control and capacity planning have been emphasised as they would enable the printing organisation to ensure quality outcomes. Part 1: Introduction The growing demand of the printing industry has inspired in strategizing a business plan related to printing. The business is based in the city of Madinat Zayed in the UAE to meet the market demand and benefit from the business in the future years. Al Gharbia Printing Centre will be based on the concept of partnership, where the capital for the business will be provided by every member. The business will be headed by three partners; one of the partners will focus on the operational aspects and the others on the marketing. The intention for the business to set up was the profit making perspective and the demand. The printing service will be small in nature with nearly 30 employees in the initial years. The factors that influenced the business idea regarding the printing were the market trend and the growing demand in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The growing economy of the country, the future market growth prospects and the present market need of the business have influenced the choice of the business. The printing services as planned by the partners would offer cards, brochures, booklets, envelops, business forms and catalogues to meet the demand of the market and to attain its unique position. The easy availability of the raw material and the location of the business selected in the UAE would prove to be of advantage to the business. Moreover, the business can be beneficial as the printing service would provide assistance to the other industries by fulfilling their requirements of cards, catalogues and brochures (Palo Alto Software, 2013). Mission The missions of the Al Gharbia Printing Centre are as follows: To ensure satisfaction to the clients Creation o f more value through better services Promoting the cultural communication for the up gradation of the society Ensuring creativity and design in serving the public To influence the growth of the people working in the organisation Employing high standards Ensuring reliability, ethical practises and professionalism Ensuring timely delivery of services Goal of the Company The goal of the business is to develop relationship with clients. Working together with the client and gaining trust would facilitate in the delivering better services. Providing satisfaction to the customer is the primary goal of the business. Attainment of the long-term goals by providing quality services through Al Gharbia Printing Centre business will be the utmost objective. The business strategy for the success of the business is based on the mission, goals and objectives of the business. The business strategy to be used is to analyse the market and the target segments. The target market segment strategy is to be followed in which the focus of the company will be to satisfy the requirements of the small organizations. The reason for selecting this strategy is because the primarily aim to would to work at small level and gradually grow towards satisfying larger organisations’ demand. The business depends on the knowledge of the print vendor they rely upon. The main area of the marketing strategy would be face-to-face contact with the individuals. The pricing and the promotion

Future Trends Influencing Police Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Future Trends Influencing Police - Essay Example Technology has increasing become an indispensable tool in the contemporary times. The efficient use of technology within the operation of policing has greatly aided the police force to enforce law and order. Indeed, the use of technology has hugely facilitated the police to enhance its effectiveness in resolving crime and punishing the criminals with more authenticity. The advancement made in forensic science and uses of sophisticated technology to investigate complicated criminal issues have shown that trends in technology would remain the major factors of influence within the police force. To efficiently handle the increasing numbers of cyber crimes have also made technology an intrinsic part of policing in the 21st century. Hedlund and McCartt (2002) of AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety, claim in their report that ‘drunk drivers continue to plague American highways. They crash, they injure, and they kill. In 2000, 16,653 traffic fatalities — 40 percent of all highway d eaths’. The drunk driving has today become a major road menace that needs to be tackled with more innovative approach. The punishment and financial fine have not been an effective deterrent for the offenders.

Marketing - Fictisious Prodcut repositioning Essay

Marketing - Fictisious Prodcut repositioning - Essay Example They sell their product through retailers and other distributing outlets and they have a strategic position in chocolate gift baskets for special occasions. Product repositioning is another key area in marketing. Repositioning relate to the change of the image of product and also targets other buyers. Repositioning is also involves changing the market segment from one to another. Godiva chocolate manufactures change their product position to tween market segment. Currently they are targeting products in general consumers. Their product lines include coffee and cocoa biscuits and other branded chocolates, and their key marketing strategy focused on gift chocolate baskets meant for special occasions. Re positioning in tween market segment in the USA is a very strategic and competitive decision. It is one of the high potential marketing areas mainly intended consumers from aged between 8-12 years. â€Å"The ‘tween’ market represents a whole new marketing challenge -- and opportunity -- for retailers and marketers. Defined by Associate Professor Cele Otnes as "kids ages 8-12," the tween market has approximately $14 billion in annual spending power.† (The â€Å"tween† Market, College of Business Communication Features). Product positioning will depends mainly on consumer’s behavior and perception. Market survey is an important tool before repositioning to identify and determine customer’s needs and wants. The target customers for Godiva chocolates are primarily children in the age group of 8-12 years. They have to consider a proper strategy to reach at their customers, through a strategic market survey to ascertain the reaction of customers as well as main chocolate retailers to determine the final design of the product and its physical attributes like color, size, shape, packaging, brand name etc. It also needs to be ascertained as to what quantity

Correlational Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Correlational Methods - Essay Example rticipants included 734 male students and 1030 female students (with a mean age of 14.12 years) that were enrolled from middle schools, as well as high schools within the Canadian capital region. Participants’ confirmed and finalized self-report measures to evaluate the rate at which family meals as well as risk factors related to BMI increase, which was resultant from objective measures of weight and height (Goldfield et al., 2011. 539). The study examines the literature on causes that contribute or correlate to obesity in adolescent children. It examines several different studies examining causes like exercise, diet, family history, education, income, breastfeeding, and gender thought in impacting BMI and obesity. The authors discuss the range as well as the number of studies that found certain types of relationships with high BMI within children and if gender is the cause. This study also determined that the correlation between family meals, as well as BMI, is greater in females than in males, and is consistent with the regression analyses. The study findings showed that families eating meals together could be a protected reason against obesity within female adolescents, but not male adolescents. Yes, because after controlling for suggested confounding variables, a higher rate of family meals was linked to lower BMI within females, but not males. A Z-alteration test of equality regarding adjusted correlation coefficients indicated an important trend (p = 0.06), signifying that the association amid family meals, as well as BMI, is stronger in females than in males and is consistent with the researchers regression analyses (Goldfield et al., 2011). The researchers findings suggest that eating together as a family could be a protective factor alongside obesity in adolescent females, but not in adolescent males. In summary, results from this study have significant implications for health care practitioners and parents advocating for more regular family meals

Morality of war in Afghanistan and Iraq Essay Example for Free

Morality of war in Afghanistan and Iraq Essay The war in Afghanistan and Iraq are referred by President Bush as wars against terror. They came as a result of the events that happened in the land of America in September 11th 2007. During this time America was attacked by terrorists who bombed the World Trade Center and Washington’s defense unit; the pentagon. These two attacks led to the loss of about 3000 lives. Immediately the US president declared war on Afghanistan which was said to harbor the world’s terrorist Osama bin Laden who masterminded the attacks. Later, he also attacked Iraq after Saddam Hussein said that he also happy to learn that America was attacked though he was not responsible. When both nations were attacked by USA in the name of war against terror, they retaliated. Now the question of morality comes in, who had a right to fight back, is it USA or the so called terrorists? It is this question of morality that will be my main focus on this paper. On 11th September 2001, America was hit by what seemed to be a well coordinated terrorist attack. There were about 19 terrorists who worked in groups of 4 or 5 to execute their plans. They used American jetliners as bombs to hit their two targets that is, the twin towers of the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon which is the USA’s military headquarters at Arlington, Virginia. The other plane which was also hijacked failed to hit its target after the passengers realized what was going on and fought back. It crashed somewhere in rural fields of Pennsylvania. All these acts showed every traits of terrorism. And the 19 men who were involved were Arabs who came from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab countries. They were all linked to the al-Qaeda network which is an Islamic group headed by Osama bin laden. This organization is dedicated to wage war against USA and their main targets include financial, political and military section. It has never witnessed such deaths since the civil war ended. This is why Bush found it morally right to protect and to fight for he thought it wise to stand up to their bullies. The al-Qaeda network started when Osama bin laden offered himself to support Afghanistan in 1980’s against the occupation by the Union of Soviet Socialist State (USSR). He financed the anti-soviet resistance. After he succeeded in chasing the Soviet out, Osama devoted himself to fight for Muslims in other regions in the world. He was especially angered by the stationing of USA military in Saudi Arabia and the idea of United States for supporting Israel against Palestine in the Arab- Israel war. Osama is an extremist who believed that no US citizen should step in the Muslim land and is totally opposed to the Western influences. Osama bin laden is not an Afghanistan citizen. Afghanistan as an independent nation and it had its every right to fight back USA. Any independent nation should be able to protect its citizens against any external aggression. So, this is one of these obligations that Iraq and Afghanistan were meeting (Press release. 2007 Sept 27) Again, Afghanistan had every right to fight USA back in support of Osama bin laden- the said master minder. This is because a friend in deed is a friend in need. Osama and his al-Qaeda, network saved them from external aggression by the USSR. Now it was their turn to help him. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. By not fighting back was not only a sign of cowardice but also being ungrateful. The Taliban regime depended on Osama’s wealth. He helped to organize and equip all military training camps USA should have used diplomatic strategies to arrest Osama bin laden and bring an end to the operations of the al-Qaeda. According to Martin Luther King junior, you do not pay evil with evil, it will escalate to a very terrible thing. There was no way the attacked nations could have remained quiet. Yes war is not the answer and should be the last option but cannot face your enemy who is armed with open arms. For this reason, I don’t see anything unusual or bad with Iraq and Afghanistan retaliating. Therefore, they were justified to fight back. To the affected Arab nations, the September 11th, 2001 attacks if anything, was a revenge of harms done by USA to the Arab states. USA has been against the Arabs since the Israel Palestine conflict. The US government thought that it must teach these deviant nations a lesson by attacking them. They knew that US is superior to them but they had slow down its move. They were aware that that if you give your enemy an inch, they will take a mile so by fighting back, they were only reducing further military interventions. According to the Muslims (Scott D. M. , 2005) staging a holy war is not morally wrong. Muslims do value holy war or what is called Jihad. To Muslims jihad war should be directed to a visible enemy, against devil inducements and on one’s self aspects. So, by Afghanistan and Iraq fighting back, they were only fulfilling the teachings of Koran. According to them, America fits the description of a foe and it should be shunned from entering in any of the Muslim territories. According to Saddam, it was alright to fight your foe. He was a very strong supporter of this course. In one of his speech that was read by the Information Minister Saeed Al sahaf he said, â€Å"O great warrior nation, O sons our great nation men of arms who uphold the honor of resistance, God’s peace be upon you as you face the aggressors the enemies of God and humanity the passing infidels, with chests filled with faith and love for God. † In his speech he argued people to fight against their enemy, â€Å"The aggressors will flee from what is right and be damned along with their devils. Faith and honor will brighten the faces of Mujahedden (holy fighters), men and women. † He said. Saddam Hussein justified the course he took of fighting Americans and Persians. He died cursing both of them. Before he died he argued all Muslims from all over world to unite and fight their common enemy. By fighting Americans they are only acting according to the Koran’s teachings. After the September 11 attack (Press release. 2007 Sept 27)Saddam was heard saying that the act was heroic though he was not responsible there was no indication that Iraq was responsible for the attack Saddam Hussein celebrated the attacks on USA just a few days after the attack. He said that the attacks were the fruits of the crimes they had committed against humanity. There was no evidence pointing Iraq to the attack so, there was no way they could have allowed USA to attack them. Any move to punish them was resisted by fighting back. America attacked Iraq on allegations that it was involved in the 2001 September 11 attack. What I think prompted US to act against Iraq is the Saddam’s speech after the attack. It should be known that everybody should feel free to express his ideas whenever he feels like. That is why there is freedom of expression. Therefore, Saddam was only exercising his freedom of speech. In Afghanistan, the US government crushed the Taliban government and put another government of their choice. This can be said to be interfering with other states affairs. Taliban was the ruling government before it was ousted by the American troops. Thus, they were fighting back to take their former leadership positions. On the other hand, I think America had all the rights to attack Afghanistan. This is because all the evidence was pointing on Afghanistan. For example in 2007 a videotape was discovered in Afghanistan. It provided insights in Osama’s thinking and ties to the attack. This video was discovered in November 2001 and was conversation between Osama bin laden and the Arab Sheik who had visited Afghanistan. In the tape Osama bin Laden could be heard saying how he premeditated the attacks. He even knew the number of people who would be victims of the attack. Also, because he is a construction engineer, he knew that the best floors to target were three or four because the fine caused by the caused by the gas on the plane would melt all the iron above it and make the while building to collapse. This was enough evidence that linked Osama bin laden, Taliban government and USA attack. Though this tape linked Afghanistan with September eleven attacks, it was not enough evidence to prove that they are the one who did that. May be the tape was recorded by people who wanted to make a name for al-Qaeda? Even before the tape was discovered, USA had already started to revenge on Afghanistan as on 7TH October 2001(Bergen P. , 2006)

Dramatic Tension in “The Royal Hunt of the Sun” Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Tension in â€Å"The Royal Hunt of the Sun† Essay How does Shaffer create and use dramatic tension in â€Å"The Royal Hunt of the Sun† and to what effect? The Royal Hunt of the Sun is a gripping play about the journey of the Spanish army sent to conquer Peru, and the unlikely friendships that are formed. Shaffer creates dramatic tension with a number of techniques such as the use of Martin to narrate the story to the audience, a unique and powerful use of sounds, and the use of symbolic props and duologue scenes that create dramatic irony. He also employs a number of methods to show the contrasts and similarities of religion, culture and philosophy between the Inca and Spanish armies. Shaffer initially uses Martin’s narration to foreshadow the ensuing disastrous events. Old Martin generates the audience’s attention at the very start of the play by saying â€Å"This story is about ruin.† This creates dramatic irony and suggests a treacherous and threatening atmosphere. In â€Å"The Mime of the Great Ascent† Old Martin speaks about the tribulation the army faced â€Å"†¦we crept forward like blind men, the sweat freezing on our faces† in order to gain the sympathy of the audience. Old Martin’s emotions are showed in different ways throughout the play, â€Å"Look at the warrior where he struts†¦ salvation in his new spurs. One of the knights at last.† Here Shaffer uses Old Martin’s cynicism and bitterness to exaggerate the loss of Young Martin’s innocence and childhood and gain the empathy of the audience. As the story unfolds, the reason for Old Martin’s pessimism becomes clear to the audience, â€Å"I went out into the night†¦ and dropped my first tears as a man†¦ Devotion never came again.† Here Shaffer uses Old Martin’s reflection on his past as a window through which the audience can see how Martin’s broken youth shaped him as a man, and uses realism to involve then in the action onstage, creating suspense. Shaffer makes use of stage directions, which play a big part in revealing the symbolism of the performance, and creating dramatic tension. The use of â€Å"Tropical bid cries† throughout the play creates a dangerous and threatening atmosphere, and hints at the power Atahuallpa has over Peru and the Spanish army. During the climb of the Spanish Army to reach the city, Shaffer uses  Ã¢â‚¬Å"an eerie, cold music made from the thin whine of huge saws.† This creates an unnerving atmosphere, putting the audience on edge. Symbolic props also play a large part in creating contrasting moods throughout the performance. â€Å"Four black crucifixes, sharpened to resemble swords† are placed on the back wall, criticizing the hypocrisy of the church, and the use of religion as a pretext for killing whilst representing the conflicted and violent theme. During the course of the play, Shaffer uses the imagery of the â€Å"golden sun† which is placed at the back of the stage. â€Å"Diego†¦ drives his halberd into a slot in one of the rays.† This symbolizes the destruction of the Inca empire, and once again sound is used to create tension when â€Å"The sun gives a deep groan, like the sound of a great animal being wounded.† Here the personification of the sun creates sympathy and compassion amongst the audience. Peter Shaffer uses scenes of duologue between the main characters to give the audience an insight into the relationships between them, and create dramatic irony. During the play there are moments where Pizarro is alone with Young Martin, and speaks to him in confidence; here the audience is encouraged to sympathize with the characters’ predicaments and anxieties. When Pizarro warns Young Martin that the Army is â€Å"Nothing but years of Us against Them† the audience becomes aware of the extreme differences in their opinions and views, which creates great tension and unrest between the characters. Shaffer enables Pizarro to freely suggest the extent of is own greed and betrayal during his duologue scenes with Martin, â€Å"if the time ever came for you to harry me, I’d rip you too, easy as look at you.† Here Shaffer creates more tension, causing the audience to question Pizarro’s loyalty to Martin, whilst hinting at the slightly more malevolent and spiteful side to Pizarro. The duologue scenes between Pizarro and Atahuallpa allow the audience to see the fragile and personal characteristics of the otherwise powerful, dominant male figures. At first Atahuallpa shows his lack of distrust in Pizarro when proclaiming him dishonest â€Å"you have no swear to give†. Atahuallpa takes a leap of faith and trusts his captor, to the surprise of the audience, creating an uneasy and nervous atmosphere. â€Å"You make me laugh! (In sudden wonder) You make me laugh!† It is at this point in the play that Pizarro realizes he has formed a genuine friendship  with Atahuallpa, and the audience feels the tension rise once again as Pizarro is forced to decide the fate of Atahuallpa. A main theme of the play is the contrast between the Inca and Spanish cultures. Atahuallpa is nearly always shown sitting high up in front of the golden sun, showing his power and authority, whereas the Spaniards wore heavy, clumsy clothing, which symbolizes their awkwardness in the foreign land, and their ignorance of other cultures. Domingo says â€Å"God-dammed place. I’m starting to rust.† This could indicate of the immorality and true objectives of their journey. The Spanish consider Atahuallpa to be â€Å"just one savage† when in fact he is the core of the Inca society, this is shown throughout the play. Atahuallpa finds it difficult to understand the Spanish way of life as the Incan religion and society was built on concepts and simplicity rather than material wealth and gain, creating tension. Despite many differences, both religions believe in a supreme being who would rise from the dead. Until Pizarro met Atahuallpa, he had lost faith in all conventional religion, and exclaimed, â€Å"I’m going to die! And the thought of that dark has rotted everything for me.† Atahuallpa gave him a new sense of belonging and introduced him to the Inca religion, â€Å"Believe in me. I will give a word and fill you with joy.† Pizarro found this concept very attractive and was instantly fascinated by Atahuallpa. This creates tension and increases the audience’s interest in the story. The great contrasts between the two cultures and the similarities between the two men create a sense of mystery and rising tension as the story continues, this is greatened by the audience’s knowledge that Pizarro will have to kill Atahuallpa. Shaffer uses stages directions, imagery, sound and narration to create an ongoing sense of tension throughout the play, it is extremely effective. I particularly enjoy his use of duologue scenes to create tension and allow the audience to gain an insight into the story.

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Group

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Group This is a case study report to analyse how Hunter Douglas Group manages its human resource planning and how the activities involved in the human resource planning process contributes to the success, as well as to ensure future success, of this large multi-national organisation in line with its corporate vision, mission, core values, strategic planning and objectives. Human resource planning provides the means to accomplish the desired outcomes of the organisation and achieving objectives by ensuring that the organisation has the right number of quality people available to achieve objectives through strategy implementation. This is based on a close working relationship between the human resource practitioners and line managers in each company (business unit) of its decentralised organisational structure. The human resource practitioners serve as consultants to line managers concerning the people management implications of business objectives and strategies. Line managers, in turn, have the responsibility to respond to the business implication of human resource objectives and strategies. We also see that the environmental and contextual changes present a number of competitive challenges to this organization which requires its human resource management to be involved in helping to create and build new capabilities. The challenges include: Globalisation: the challenge is to move peoples ideas, products and information around the world to meet local needs. Technology: the challenge is to make technology a viable, productive part of the work setting Competition: in order to remain competitive and remain as a market leader, Hunter Douglas is aware of the importance of continuous training of its people. Economics: economic growth or lower interest rates cause the increase in spending and often increase in business opportunities. Changes in the labour market has an impact on the organisations ability to find and keep employees Workforce changes and ability to cope with change: these include resignations, terminations, leave of absences, death, change in employment status and retirement The success of a business is directly linked to the performance of those who work for that business and Hunter Douglas Group is fully aware of this as it believes in the power of learning and providing its employees growth opportunities to develop their skills. Hunter Douglas Group acknowledges that its employees commitment is the key ingredient to the Groups continued growth and success. Hunter Douglas Group prides on the diversity and strength of its corporate culture that empowers its employees to build and run the business like their own businesses. The Hunter Douglas Group acts like a federation of entrepreneurial companies who think globally but act locally. The character and creativity of its 21,000 employees in 169 countries worldwide have built the dynamic and entrepreneurial company that the Group is today. With numerous benefits encouraging wellness and a work-life balance, Hunter Douglas Group regards its employees as its most valuable resource which is the key to the Groups success. Background Corporate Mission and Core Values Corporate Mission: Hunter Douglas is the worlds market leader in manufacturing a wide range of innovative and quality architectural and window covering products. Hunter Douglas provides on-time delivery, reliable and friendly service at a competitive price. Its aim is to offer fulfillment to its staff and to secure a reasonable return to its shareholders. Core Values: Customer Oriented Putting customers first Providing reliable and friendly service. Achieving on-time delivery Innovation Seeking continuous improvement and new ideas to create value to our customers Striving for creative ways of doing our work better Teamwork Working together harmoniously to achieve common goals and objectives Integrity Honouring commitments to customers, staff and organisation Being sincere and truthful Communication Showing respect and understanding for each other Being frank, open and receptive Staff Well-Being Providing continuous training and development Recognising good performance Corporate Structure Board of Directors Hunter Douglas Group has a one-tier corporate structure. Under its Charter, the Board of Directors is responsible for the overall management and control of the Company. The Board is appointed by the shareholders at the annual General Meeting. The Board has four regular meetings per year and additional meetings as required. Board members may not be members of more than five boards of public companies. Independence The Board has six Members, of whom four are independent. It acts collectively by majority resolution. Functions The Board reviews the overall strategy, financial objectives, budgets, acquisi ­tions, divestments, capital expenditures, currency and aluminium hedging, port ­folio composition and returns, results and risks in the Companys business. Audit and Compensation Committees The Board has an Audit and a Compensation Committee, whose members are independent. The Audit Committee reviews the Companys accounts, internal controls and meets with the Companys external Auditors twice a year. The Compensation Committee reviews the Directors and Officers compensation and stock options. Chairman, President CEO Mr. Ralph Sonnenberg is Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer. Officers The Board annually appoints the Officers of the Company: the President, the Co-Presidents, four regionally responsible Vice Presidents, two Staff Vice Presidents and a Corporate Secretary. The Vice Presidents and Corporate Secretary report to the President. Financial Reporting In accordance with the applicable reporting principles, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group. The annual report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description of the principal opportunities and risks associated with the expected develop ­ment of the Group. Major Business Processes A business process is a collection of structured, related tasks or activities which produce a specific product or service which serves a particular goal for customers. The main types of business processes observed in this case study report are Management Processes, Operational Processes and Supporting Processes. Management processes: processes which govern the operation of a system in an organisation. Typical management processes include Corporate Governance and Strategic Management. Corporate Governance The Hunter Douglas Group is incorporated in The Netherlands Antilles and has its statutory seat in Curaà §ao. Hunter Douglas is therefore not subject to The Netherlands Corporate Governance Code. However, Hunter Douglas adheres to good Corporate Governance. The Group has the following key internal controls: Conflicts of Interest Policy The Conflicts of Interest Policy is applicable to all key employees covering relations with customers, suppliers and other third parties. Insider Trading Policy The Insider Trading Policy, as prescribed by the Authority Financial Markets (AFM), restricts trading in the Companys shares by Directors, Officers, key employees and related persons. Internal Audit Function Hunter Douglas principal Operating Companies have an Internal Audit Program. Authority Limits Every Manager, including the Regional Vice Presidents, has clearly defined Authority Limits. Whistleblower Policy Hunter Douglas has a Whistleblower Policy in each and every Company within the Group. Compensation Compensation is reviewed by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Company also follows the best practices: Stock options Stock options are granted for five years with vesting starting after two years. Stock It is not the Companys Policy to provide stock at no cost. Loans Loans to Directors, Officers or other employees bear market interest. There is no forgiveness of principal or interest. Investor Relations Hunter Douglas has an Investor Relations Website, regularly issues press releases and holds analysts and investor meetings. Strategic Management Strategic management is a process through which organizations analyse and learn from their internal and external environments, establish strategic direction, create strategies which are intended to move the organisation in that direction and implement those strategies, all in an effort to satisfy stakeholders, as illustrated in the diagram below: External Analysis (External Environment) Strategic Controls Direction Setting: Generate, Allocate Build Develop Vision Evaluate, and relationships Control Mission and Manage Systems Values Select, Resources Design Strategies Structures Measure and Evaluate performance Internal Analysis (Internal Environment) Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation and Evaluation Hunter Douglas Group has been successful over the long term because the Group has effectively acquired, develop and manage resources and capabilities that provide competitive advantage. The Group has, over the years, achieved strong brand recognition such as the HunterDouglas ® in North America and Asia as well as for Architectural Products worldwide. Luxaflex ® for residential window coverings in the rest of the world. The Hunter Douglas Group, with its 21,000 employees in 169 countries worldwide, takes advantage of its organisational strengths and environmental opportunities. It continues to neutralise or overcome organisational weaknesses and environmental threats by managing its business processes well and applies best practices. Operational processes: processes which constitute the organisations core business and create the primary value stream. Typical operational processes include Purchasing, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Sales. As a highly decentralised organisation, each company in each region within the Hunter Douglas Group manages autonomous operations with minimum interference and maximum accountability, growing their businesses within the groups entrepreneurial environment following the corporate governance, vision, mission and values. Supporting processes: processes that support the organisations core processes. Examples in this category include Accounting, Recruitment, Technical support. Although highly decentralised, each company in each region within the Hunter Douglas Group has to follow an Internal Audit Program when it comes to financial and accounting matters. Recruitment and Human Resource matters are set in line with the business plan and strategies of each company in each region as well as in line with the directions and corporate governance, vision, mission and values of the Group. Business Strategy Porters Generic Strategies Target Scope Advantage Low Cost Product Uniqueness Broad Cost Leadership Differentiation (Industry Wide) Strategy Strategy Narrow Focus Strategy Focus Strategy (Market Segment) (Low Cost) (Differentiation) Hunter Douglas Groups strategy is to grow the market and the Groups market share by continuing to introduce innovative and proprietary new products and by expanding its presence in key geographic markets. It was observed that Hunter Douglas Group has been successful in using the Differentiation Strategy by having the following internal strengths: Access to leading research and development Highly skilled and creative product development team Strong sales teams with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths and benefits of the product. Corporate reputation for quality and innovation Differentiation Strategy A differentiation strategy calls for the development of a product or service that offers unique attributes that are valued by customers and that customers perceive to be better than or different from the products of the competition. The value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it. The firm hopes that the higher price will more than cover the extra costs incurred in offering the unique product. Because of the products unique attributes, if suppliers increase their prices the firm may be able to pass along the costs to its customers who cannot find substitute products easily. The risks associated with a differentiation strategy include imitation by competitors and changes in customers tastes. Generic Strategies and Industry Forces Industry Generic Strategies Force Cost Leadership Differentiation Strategy Focus Strategy Strategy Entry Ability to cut price in Customer loyalty can Focusing develops core Barriers retaliation deters discourage potential competencies that can act potential entrants entrants as an entry barrier Buyer Ability to offer lower Large buyers have less Large buyers have less power Power price to powerful power to negotiate to negotiate because of few buyers because of few close alternatives alternatives Supplier Better insulated from Better able to pass on Suppliers have power Power powerful suppliers supplier price increases because of low volumes, to customers but a differentiation-focused firm is better able to pass on supplier price increases to customers Threats of Can use low price to Customers become Specialised products core Substitutes defend against attached to differentiating competency protect substitutes attributes, reducing against substitutes threats of substitutes Rivalry Better able to Brand loyalty to keep Rivals cannot meet compete on price customers from rivals differentiation-focused customer needs Relationship With External Entities In order to remain successful and continue to expand its market share, Hunter Douglas Group has learned to develop and manage relationships with wide range of organisations, groups and people that have a stake in their business. The emergence of a fiercely competitive global economy means that the companies within the Hunter Douglas Group have to expand their networks of relationships in their region and cooperate with each other to remain competitive. Education Hunter Douglas Singapore team up with the National University of Singapores Department of Architecture to organise the NUS-Hunter Douglas Award for the innovative use of technology in Architecture. Hunter Douglas Group has developed multi-level training and education programs for its fabricators, retail dealers, professional designers and installers. It holds consumer seminars to help prospective buyers under ­stand the importance of window coverings for home fashions and for light control and energy efficiency. It provides training seminars and hands-on workshops for retailers, designers and installers, which includes CD-Roms, videotapes and web-based instructions, through ­out the world. It has created the industrys first and only formal Retail Alliance Program, offering its very best dealers a choice of tiered partnership options that reward their brand loyalty with lucrative business-building benefits, including financial incentives and exclusive products and programs. Through Hunter Douglas Group exclusive partnership with Archiprix International, it builds relationships with the next generation of architects as they begin their careers after college. With Hunter Douglas Groups support, Archiprix organises a biennial international com ­petition for the best graduation projects in architecture. Finalists travel to a host city with hundreds of architects from around the world where an independent jury evaluates the student entries and recognizes the most outstanding work with the Hunter Douglas award. Hunter Douglas Singapore was conferred the Singapore Institute of Architects Friend of Architecture Award in recognition of the companys contribution to Architecture in Singapore and its continuous support for the Singapore Institute of Architects. Its Windows of Opportunity seminar on the use of window fashions in interior design reaches more than 2,500 design school students and designers in major United States markets each year. At the Fashions Institute of Technology in New York and other leading design schools, Hunter Douglas provides design students with industry overviews and a business perspective through teaching opportunities. At the renowned Pratt School of Architecture, Hunter Douglas has sponsored design studio projects that challenge students to envision new and novel ways to integrate its products and materials into architectural structures. Corporate Citizenship Hunter Douglas Group actively supports the com ­munities in which they live, work and do business. Decisions about which causes to support and the form that support takes are made locally by the management in each country. It provides window coverings to hospitals, research centres and healthcare facilities around the world. It supports educational opportu ­nities for the families of its staff and less privileged members of our communities. In the United States and Canada, Hunter Douglas sponsors Habitat for Humanity, donating custom window cover ­ings for the homes Hunter Douglas has built for low-income families since 1993. Hunter Douglas employees have also contributed thousands of hours in sweat equity assisting with the building of these homes at the local level. Hunter Douglas stimulates students awareness of its products and encourage their creativity through competi ­tions in which they are judged upon the innovative application of its products in their design projects. Hunter Greenà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and Keen on Green are important new company-wide environmental initiatives being undertaken by the Hunter Douglas branded compa ­nies to reduce energy consump ­tion, water usage and its overall carbon-footprint. It also includes an ongoing consumer marketing effort creating increased aware ­ness of Hunter Douglas corporate commit ­ment to the cause as well as the superior energy-saving benefits of its products. The Process of Human Resource Planning in the Organisation Manpower Planning Manpower planning is a process of getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at the right time. It is a system of matching the supply of people internally, who are the existing employees, and externally, potential talents to be hired or searched for, with job openings which the Group expects to have over a given time frame. This planning requires the human resource departments in the Group to prepare an inventory of skills and talents already available as well as coordinating and controlling various activities in the Hunter Douglas Group. Manpower planning involves reviewing current manpower resources, forecasting future requirements and availability as well as taking steps to ensure that the supply of people and skills meets demand. It utilises the concept of planning to visualise how the Hunter Douglas Group can go through the allocation and control of its manpower resources in a better manner. It is also a tool for higher management to equip themselves with the necessary data on its human resources available immediately within the Group and from outside, when the need arises to meet markets demand. Manpower Planning Model Forecast Demand Forecast Supply Considerations: Internally Product/ Service demand Staffing tables Economics Balance Supply and Demand Markov analysis Technology Skills inventories Financial resources/ limitations Recruitment (Shortage) Management inventories Absenteeism/ turnover Full-time Replacement charts Organisational growth Part-time Succession planning Management philosophy Recalls/ transfers Overtime Externally Techniques: Outsourcing Demographic changes Trend analysis Reductions (Surplus) Education of workforce Managerial estimate Terminations Labour mobility Delphi technique Layoffs Government policies Leave without pay Unemployment rate Outplacement Demotions Retirement Factors Economic Competition Government action Organisational Divisional Skills and Historical Data Objectives Department abilities Nature of company Objectives required Skills Inventory Net human resource Types, numbers, requirements Human Resources Negative: Layoff, terminations, resignations, retirement Manpower planning, as observed in the Hunter Douglas Group, consists of the following steps: Identify the Groups objectives and strategies which are stipulated in the business plan and from the strategic planning processes of the companies within the Group. Determine the impact of the organisations objectives on specific organisational units. For this purpose the cascade approach can be used, whereby the organisations long term strategies are translated into the shorter term performance objectives and time schedules per division and department. Define the skills, expertise and total number of employees (demand for human resources) required to achieve the organisation and department objectives by using the different statistical methods and managerial estimates. Perform an analysis of the Groups current human resources. By doing a skills inventory will shed light on the number of current employees in terms of their different competencies, skills, training levels, qualifications, work experience, etc. Determine the additional (net) human resource requirements in light of the Groups current human resources. Develop action plans to meet the anticipated human resource needs which may include a comprehensive succession plan for each department, resultant recruitment strategies, the design and implementation of managerial development and other training programs, making available bursary schemes for current participants who may eventually fill scarce positions, designing compensation packages to attract and retain quality staff. The key activities of Human Resource Management carried out by both line managers and the Human Resource practitioners in the Hunter Douglas Group are: Organisation Organisation structuring: developing an organisation which caters for all the activities required, groups them together in a way which encourages integration and cooperation. Job design and role specification: deciding on the contents of the jobs which involve the employees duties and responsibilities and the relationships that exist between job holders and other employees within the Hunter Douglas Group. Organisational development: stimulating, planning and implementing programmes designed to improve the effectiveness with which the organisation functions and adapts to change. The employment relationship Improving the quality of the employment relationship Creating a climate of trust and self propulsion Developing a more positive psychological contract Achieving a highly committed organisation Resourcing Human resource planning: assessing future people requirements in terms of both numbers and all levels of skill and competence. Formulating and implementing plans to meet those requirements through recruitment, training, development, etc. Recruitment and selection: obtaining the number and type of people the organisation needs Performance management Getting better results from the companies, teams and individuals by measuring and managing performance within agreed frameworks of objectives and competence requirements; assessing and improving performance. Human resource development Organisational and individual learning Skill improvement through systematic approach to training Reward management Job evaluation: assessing the relative size of jobs as a basis of determining internal relativities Pay: developing and administering pay structures and systems Non-financial rewards: providing employees with non-financial rewards e.g. recognition, increased responsibility and opportunity to achieve and grow. Employee benefits: providing benefits in addition to pay which cater for personnel security and personal needs Employee relations Employee relations involving managing and maintaining formal and informal relationships with trade unions and their members Employee involvement and participation which means sharing information with employee and consulting them on matters of mutual interest Communication: creating and transmitting information of interest to employees. Health, safe

Rappaccini’s Daughter - Perceptions, Impressions, and Interactions Ess

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Writers often use the characters in a story to make a comment on people's actions.   In "Rappaccini's Daughter," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the characters make a telling comment on the interaction of people within society.   Hawthorne, a "thinker and artist" (Delbanco 14+), creates characters that are much different from what they seem like initially, and this encourages the reader to look deeper into issues instead of judging things by first impressions, rumors, or appearance.   Cappello defines the judging of people as "how [people], in general, translate or read the world" (263).   Hawthorne probes how people look at one another through his portrayal of Baglioni, Rappaccini, Giovanni, and Beatrice and their reactions with and toward one another. Baglioni's character initially makes readers believe that he is a helpful doctor, and the text of the story constantly shows him wanting to aid Giovanni.   Baglioni begins the story by supposedly clearing up the mystery regarding Rappaccini and his daughter:   "You shall hear the truth in respect to the poisoner Rappaccini and his poisonous daughter, yes, poisonous as she is beautiful" (Hawthorne 271).   He even remarks to the misguided Giovanni that Rappaccini "cares more for science than for mankind" (Hawthorne 259).   The picture that Baglioni paints scares both Giovanni and the reader into believing that horrid things are going on at Rappaccini's mansion.   Cappello believes that Baglioni is obviously "aware of the power of his language" (266).   Baglioni's advice continues, and he even warns Giovanni through a historical fable that depicts a woman "nourished with poison from her birth upward " (Hawthorne 270).   All of these warnings achieve their goal of helping t o formulate Giovan... ...presentative Men.'" Diss.   University of Toledo, 1988.   DAI 50-02A (1989): 0443.   Moss, Sidney.   "A Reading of ÔRappaccini's Daughter.'" Studies in Short Fiction 2 (1965):   145-156. Nelson, Ronald.   "Two Potential Sources for Pierto Baglioni in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Rappaccini's Daughter.'"   Studies in Short Fiction 28.4 (1991):   557-564. Predmore, Richard.   "The Hero's Test in 'Rappaccini's Daughter.'"   English Language Notes 15 (1978):   284-291. Ross, Morton.   "What Happens in 'Rappaccini's Daughter.'"   American Literature:   A Journal of Literary History, Criticism, and Bibliography 43 (1971):   336-345. Stoehr, Taylor.   Hawthorne's Mad Scientists:   Pseudoscience and Social Science in Nineteenth Century Life and Letters.   Hamden:   Archon Books, 1978. Uroff, M.D.   "The Doctors in 'Rappaccini's Daughter.'"   Nineteenth-Century Fiction 27 (1973):   61-70.   

Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources E

Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources Thesis: Conventional waste treatment plants, Living Machines and constructed wetlands can all be used for water purification, but only living machines and constructed wetlands will provide the human race with a sustainable future. Introduction Our liquid planet glows like a soft blue sapphire in the hard edged darkness of space. There is nothing else like it in the solar system. It is because of water (Miller 311). - John Todd Water is the most important resource on the planet. Absolutely no life could exist with out the presence of water. Humans use water to cook, clean, bathe and drink. However it seems that humans as a race have extremely little respect for this resource. Humans continually pollute and damage the health of our aquatic ecosystems using irresponsible agricultural practices and improper disposal of our wastes. These issues must be examined because the way humans interact with the earth have strong moral and ethical implications. As the scarcity of potable water continues to increase the value of water will continue to rise. In many places throughout the world clean water sources cause mass immigration and emigration of people so adequate water resources can be accessed (Homer 73). This causes large-scale political and ethnic upheaval. In the future water shortages have the potential for invoking war between ethnic groups as well as nations. It is the best interest of the human race to pres erve and restore the health of our aquatic ecosystems since they have such large implications for human societies and cultures. One of the major sources of water pollution throughout the world is human sewage. Understanding how to properly dea... ...tific America, February, 1993. Kerezman, Jim. Personal Interview. Assistant Superintendent Goshen Utilities, 9-28-99. Lerner, Steve. Eco-Pioneers. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. Lyle, John Tillman. Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development. New York: John Wiley & Sons INC. 1994. Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 2000. Schueler, Thomas. Design of Stormwater Wetland Systems: Guidelines for Creating Diverse and Effective Storm water Wetland in the mid-Atlantic Region. Washington D. C.: Anacostia Restoration Team, 1992. Todd, John and Jack Todd, Nancy. From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1994. Umble, Art. Concepts of Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters. Elkhart: City Press, 1999. Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources E Living Machines, Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Water Resources Thesis: Conventional waste treatment plants, Living Machines and constructed wetlands can all be used for water purification, but only living machines and constructed wetlands will provide the human race with a sustainable future. Introduction Our liquid planet glows like a soft blue sapphire in the hard edged darkness of space. There is nothing else like it in the solar system. It is because of water (Miller 311). - John Todd Water is the most important resource on the planet. Absolutely no life could exist with out the presence of water. Humans use water to cook, clean, bathe and drink. However it seems that humans as a race have extremely little respect for this resource. Humans continually pollute and damage the health of our aquatic ecosystems using irresponsible agricultural practices and improper disposal of our wastes. These issues must be examined because the way humans interact with the earth have strong moral and ethical implications. As the scarcity of potable water continues to increase the value of water will continue to rise. In many places throughout the world clean water sources cause mass immigration and emigration of people so adequate water resources can be accessed (Homer 73). This causes large-scale political and ethnic upheaval. In the future water shortages have the potential for invoking war between ethnic groups as well as nations. It is the best interest of the human race to pres erve and restore the health of our aquatic ecosystems since they have such large implications for human societies and cultures. One of the major sources of water pollution throughout the world is human sewage. Understanding how to properly dea... ...tific America, February, 1993. Kerezman, Jim. Personal Interview. Assistant Superintendent Goshen Utilities, 9-28-99. Lerner, Steve. Eco-Pioneers. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. Lyle, John Tillman. Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development. New York: John Wiley & Sons INC. 1994. Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 2000. Schueler, Thomas. Design of Stormwater Wetland Systems: Guidelines for Creating Diverse and Effective Storm water Wetland in the mid-Atlantic Region. Washington D. C.: Anacostia Restoration Team, 1992. Todd, John and Jack Todd, Nancy. From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1994. Umble, Art. Concepts of Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters. Elkhart: City Press, 1999.

Srs for Bpo Management System

CALL CENTRE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Vision Version ABSTRACT: A Call center is an area where several customer service representative (CSR) agents are located to man a bank of telephones and computer terminals. These agents are specially trained on telephone etiquette, the type of customer queries, that may arise and on how to respond to these queries in a quick and efficient manner.A Call center can also equipped with an automatic call handling system like an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) so that all routine, repetitive queries   Call center has tremendous impact on business. Call centers for selling goods and services, as well as call centers for providing customer care, is going to become a familiar part of the business of virtually every person. Call centers also pioneered the developed of self-service via the telephone, using interactive voice response technology.It is providing a richer and friendlier environment for self-service transactions than the tone telephone can be answered by the system without the customer having to speak to a CSR agent Revision History |Date |Version |Description |Author | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Table of Contents 1. Introduction1 . 1. Purpose and Intended Audience1 1. 2. Scope of Product1 1. 3. Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations2 1. 3. 1. Definitions2 1. 3. 2. Acronyms3 1. 3. 3. Abbreviations4 1. 4. Overview4 1. 5. References4 2. General Description6 2. 1. Product Perspective6 2. 2. Product Features6 2. 2. 1. Data Management6 2. 3. User Characteristics7 2. 3. 1. Use-Case Diagram7 2. 3. 2. Actors7 2. 3. 3. Use-Case Descriptions7 2. 3. 4. Scenarios8 2. 3. 5. Usermanual 8 2. 4.General Constraints12 2. 5. StakeholderProfile 12 2. 6. UserEnvironment 12 3. Product Overview6 4. Specific Requirements13 4. 1. External Interface Requirements13 4. 1. 1. User Interfaces13 4. 2. System Requirements18 4. 2. 1. Hardware requirements18 4. 2. 2. Software requiements18 4. 2. 3. Software interface22 4. 3. Non-behav ioral Requirements28 4. 3. 1.Performance Requirements28 4. 3. 2. Qualitative Requirements28 4. 3. 3. Design and Implementation Constraints28 4. 3. 4. Benifits29 Vision Introduction 1 Purpose and Intended Audience Call Center Management System is an Intranet and Internet Application which deals with Automation of a call center, Recruitment, performance of call center executives, payroll management and also deals with Customer Queries. 2 Scope of Product This system shall give a solution to ensure that the Customer can use the proposed new channels to access information as well as submit applications and first appeals.System shall comprise of the Call Centre and the Web Portal. We would like to maintain a common application to submit applications/first appeals received through the proposed new channels i. e. Call Centre and Portal. This common application shall be the Web Portal. Customers can be Citizens as well as Government officials. Broadly, the scope of work will comprise the fo llowing: 1. Setup, Operate and Maintain Call Centre 2. Develop, Implement and Maintain Portal 3. Provisioning of Data Centre– Disaster Recovery services for hosting of Portal 4.Training to Government Personnel 3 Definitions, Acronyms, and Abbreviations 1 Definitions The definitions in this section are given in the context of the product being developed. This intention is to assist the user in their understanding of the requirements for the system. |TERM |DEFINITION | |A-K |Program outcomes defined by BPO management system.Please refer to [1] for a complete list. | |Archive |To maintain data in a designated repository; in BPOMS, data will be maintained in the central| | |database. | |Assessment |The systematic and periodic evaluation of whether call centre executives are suitable to | | |answer all the customer queries. |Call center Number |A center request number | |Central database |An MS-Access database maintained by the BPO company to store queries related to call center . | |Product Request Number |Unique, five-digit identifier assigned by the system to identify each category in the call | | |center. |Download |Transferring data files from a main source to a secondary source. | |Encrypt |The alteration of data so that it is meaningful only to the intended receiver. | |Mapping |The linkages of two objects, e. g. , a customer query to a solutions in the database. | |System outcomes |This will include the sections comes under call center in which customer can ask their | | |queries. |Property list |A list of properties or attributes associated with an object; in BPOMS this is a list of | | |login names of the customer who can access call center and the list is associated with a call| | |center section. | |category number |A 3-digit field that corresponds to a category in the call center. | |Server |The main computer in a network.A central computer that connects and services those computers| | |(clients) attached to it. | |Customer |A person who wants to clarify his/her query related to the system. | |User profile |User characteristics maintained by the system | |Weight |A factor used to adjust a value. | 3 Acronyms ACRONYM |MEANING | |BPOMS |BPO Management System | |CSR |Customer Service Representative | |PRN |Product Request Number | |DBMS |Database Management System | |DFD |Data Flow Diagram | |GUI |Graphical Use Interface | |OMT |Object Modeling Technique | |SRS |Software Requirements Specification | |TBD |To Be Determined | |IVRS |Interactive Voice Response system | 5 Abbreviations |ABBREVIATION |MEANING | |e. g. For example | |Id |Identification | |i. e. |Such as | |info. |Information | 5 Overview The SRS is divided into three major sections: Introduction (Section 1), General Description (Section 2), and Specific Requirements (Section 3). This overview describes Section 2 and Section 3 of the SRS. Section 2 includes five subsections. Section 2. 1 provides a description of the product, its overall structure, and its functionality. Section 2. 2 summarizes the main features of the software from a high-level point of view. Section 2. identifies the different users of the system. This is accomplished through use-cases. A summary of the actors, use-cases, and scenarios is given. Section 2. 4 states existing constraints. Section 2. 5 gives the assumptions and dependencies of BPOMS. Section 3 includes four major subsections. External Interface Requirements (Section 3. 1) gives the requirements for user, hardware, software and communications interfaces. Behavioral Requirements (Section 3. 2) organizes the requirements in the following categories: same class of user, related real-world objects, stimulus, related features and functional requirements. Non-behavioral Requirements (Section 3. ) consists of performance and qualitative requirements, as well as design and implementation constraints. Section 3. 4 outlines database, operations and site adaptation requirements. 6 References ? www. google. com ? www. wikipedia. com ? IEEE SRS format General Description 1 Product Perspective BPOMS is designed to provide call center with a tool that facilitates in clarifying the queries of the customer. A more complete description of BPOMS’s functionality can be found in Section 2. 2. There are various existing products that have similar functionality to BPOMS. Although the some software products provide many of BPOMS’s features, the ability to manage and map outcomes to assessment items is not supported. 2 Product FeaturesThe main purpose of this system is to increase a company’s flexibility. However, several sources have different ways in which they perceive organizational flexibility. Therefore business process outsourcing (BPO) enhances the flexibility of an organization in different ways. 1 Data Management When managing customer query-related data, the system will allow the supporter to perform operations such as entering possible queries, entering solutions to th e queries. Data management includes the entry, storage, and manipulation of different methods of assessment. BPOMS will also provide executive with a tool with which they will check for the validation for every query he/she arise.This includes exceptional solution features such as displaying queries and their solutions in two levels: by category, and by product request number. 3 User Characteristics The main user of BPOMS is the customer. She/he is the person who is primarily in charge of a particular query for which call center is being performed. Because the system will have a GUI with a standard format, the customer will not need to have a high level of technical expertise. The following subsections present the Use-Case model for BPOMS. After presenting the use-case diagram, the section describes the actors, use cases, and scenarios. See Appendix A for the high-level use-case diagram. 1 Use-Case Diagram See Appendix B for a high-level, use-case diagram 2 ActorsBPOMS classifies th e actors of the system into three groups: Customer: The customer can login into the system by enter his/her details, ask queries and get the solutions. Central Database: The central database is responsible for storing data related to customer queries and its solution. Call center executive: Responds to calls by asking the customers query and provide solutions to the customer. Supporter: Perform searching operation to give solutions to the customer from the database. Admin: Maintains the data stored in the database and update the queries and its solutions in the database. 3 Use-Case Descriptions †¢ Customer Registration: This module deals with Customer Registration to the web site before querying to the call center Executive. Customer Queries:  This module deals with queries put forth by the customer through mail. †¢ Recruitment Module : This module deals with Recruitment process of a call center executive †¢ Payroll Module:  This deals with payment calculation of a call center employee based on the policies of the company. †¢ Employee Module: This deals with managing the call center employees and customers. The use cases that are associated with an include relationship are as follows: †¢ Access the system: the customer can access the system through a unique login name and password. †¢ Open section: the customer can select a category from the list of category that comes under call center.The use cases that are associated with an extend relationship are as follows: †¢ Set password – The customer can set the password for accessing and entering information on the system. †¢ Set property list – The customer can set the property list that gives the login names for the customer who can access a center. 4 Scenarios Use Case: Customer Registration Actor: Customer and database Scenario: 1. The customer enters values for the following attributes: a. name b. contact number c. date of birth d. password e. email-id 2 . The customer saves the information to the database. Alternatives: 1. The customer does not enter all required information. 2. The customer modifies a value in an existing attribute. 3.The customer enters a new value to an existing attribute. 4. The customer enters an incorrect value for product number. 5. The customer enters an incorrect value for PRN. Use Case: Customer Query Actor: Customer, database, and call center executive Scenario: 1. The customer enters values for the following attributes: a. customer name (first, last, middle initial) b. password c. query category 2. The customer asks for the solution with the call centre executive. Alternatives: 1. The customer does not enter all required information. 2. The customer modifies a value in an existing attribute. 3. The customer enters a new value to an existing attribute. 4.The customer enters an incorrect value for username and password Use Case: Customer login Actor: Customer, database Scenario: 1. The customer enters a l ogin name. 2. The customer enters a password. 3. The local database confirms the password through the local database. Alternatives: 1. The customer enters an incorrect login name. 2. The customer enters an incorrect password. Use Case: Open category Actor: Customer, database Scenario: 1. The customer selects a category in which he/she can ask queries from a list of categories in the system. 2. The general information about the system is displayed. Alternatives: None Use Case: Set password Actor: Customer, database Scenario: 1.The customer selects the option to change password. 2. The system prompts the customer for a password. 3. The customer enters a password. 4. The system prompts the customer to renter the password. 5. The system accepts the new password Alternatives: 1. The password that the customer enters the second time does not match the previously entered password. Use Case: Recruitment Module Actor: Executive, database Scenario: 1. This module deals with Recruitment proces s of a call center executive. 2. The system will store the details of the executive in the database. Alternatives: 1. An executive name is invalid. Use Case: Payroll Module Actor: Executive, database Scenario: 1.This module deals with payment calculation of a call center employee based on the policies of the company. 2. The system will store the salary details of the employee in the database. Alternatives: A payment calculation is incorrect. Use Case: Employee Module Actor: Executive, database Scenario: 1. This module deals with managing the call center employee and customer. 2. The system will store the details of the employee and customer in the database. Alternatives: An executive name is invalid. 2. 3. 5 USER MANUAL ? Customer: a person who has mediated interface at Call Centre via telephone or direct interface at the portal. ? Appellate Authority: a person who receives and responds to the customer calls. Call Centre Executive: Responds to calls for mail and Submit application a nd first appeal on behalf of customer in system. ? User: A person who provides the data for a computer system, updates the data, and uses reports from the system in his or her daily work. ? Server: The main computer in a network. A central computer that connects and services those computers (clients) attached to it. 2. 4 General Constraints The general constraints on the development of the system are as follows: †¢ The system will not be accessible to unauthorized customers. †¢ All data transmitted to the central database will be encrypted. †¢ The customer should ask a valid query with the call center employee. 2. 5 Stakeholder Profile |S.NO |STAKEHOLDER |ROLES |INTERFACE | |1 |Customer |Mediated interface at Call Centre via telephone |Direct interface at the system | | | |Direct interface at the portal | | |2 |Appellate Authority |Receives first appeal |Direct Interface at system | | | |Responds to appeal | | |3 |Call center executive |Responds to calls for mail | Indirect Interface at system | | | |information, application and appeals | | | | |Submit application on behalf of customer in system| | | | | | | | | |Submit first appeal on behalf of customer in system| | | | | | |4 |Supporter |Search for the solution from the database |Direct interface with the system | | | |Gives information to the customer | | |5 |Admin |Maintain the database details. |Direct interface with the database. | | | |Update the solutions for the queries in the | | | | |database. | | 6 User environment 1. To complete this task a single developer is involved. 2. Amount of time spend in completing this task is three months. 3. Any unique environmental constraints: mobile, outdoors, in-flight, etc.? 4. This system uses windows platform. Product OverviewThe project gets the queries from the various customers and stores them in a centralized data store. When there are number of queries the queries are stored up in a queue and then the queries are processed one by on e. There are separate blocks called data recognizer for recognizing the data, i. e. queries, and data interpreter for interpreting those queries. The input query from the customer is first recognized by the data recognizer by comparing with the entries in the data base store. In the database the solution for each and every query is stored and maintained. Then it is interpreted as what type of query it is and how it should respond to the query.The input query is compared with the queries in the database store. The solution for the input query is founded. The information service switch switches the application between different types of distributed services. The final result, the reply to the customer’s query is obtained at the end. Specific Requirements 1 External Interface Requirements The following section discusses the requirements related to the interfaces used to communicate with external entities. These entities include human customers and other hardware and software int erfaces that permit the system to carry out its tasks. 1 User Interfaces The requirements presented in this section describe the interfaces for BPOMS.The requirements do not assume a particular interface; however, the requirements are grouped according to the main features (as defined by the use cases) provided by the system. Note that the requirements that follow a subheading support the activities associated with the feature named by the subheading. 2 Applicable Standards The standards of this system include the following platform compliance standards and software: PLATFORM USED: ? Windows SOFTWARE USED: ? VB ? MS-ACCESS 2 System Requirements System Requirements: ? Hardware Requirements: PROCESSOR: 32 BIT, Intel core (i3) RAM: 256 MB HARD DISK: 40 GB MONITOR: SVGA Monitor (800*600 RESOLUTIONS) CLOCK SPEED: 266 MHz KEYBOARD: 101 KEYS MOUSE: Logitech FLOPPY DRIVE: 1. 44 MB ? Software Requirements: OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows FRONT END: VB BACK END: MS-ACCESSMIDDLEWARE: J2EE SERVER: To mcat4. 1 ? Software interface: †¢ Client on Internet: Web Browser, Operating System (Windows). †¢ Client on intranet: Client Software, Web Browser, Operating System (Windows). †¢ Web Server: WAMP Server, Operating System (Windows) †¢ Data Base server: MS-ACCESS, Operating System (Windows). 3 Non-behavioral Requirements 1 Performance Requirements With client and server running on the same machine, response time will be a maximum of two seconds. 2 Qualitative Requirements 1 Security This section is not complete. Additional requirements will follow. Each time there is a security violation, the log file will be updated with he login, date, and time. 2 Maintainability The system will be designed to allow the following changes: ? Database queries. ? Administration of Ms-Access. ? Archive files to database. 3 Portability The system will run on multiple platforms, in particular Windows, UNIX, and Macintosh. 3 Design and Implementation Constraints The system will be desig ned for the following future extensions: ? Archive call center-section data ? Use of existing category information as template for creation of a new category section ? Administration of database ? Customer access 4. 3. 4 Benefits 4. 3. 4. 1 Benefits to the Citizen: †¢ Power of information is just a phone call away Removes the hassles of physical presence at Central Public Authority for filing application †¢ Money saved by way of travel time / wage loss as well as for making Drafts/ Postal Order from Bank and Post Offices †¢ Government bears the cost of transmitting the application to the Central Public Authority †¢ Citizen’s handicap arising out of literacy level variations could be overcome by the Call Centre executives, who would understand, screen and do the necessary handholding in filing RTI applications. 4. 3. 4. 2 Benefits to the Government: †¢ Systematic management and real time monitoring of RTI applications and first appeals. †¢ Further improvement in transparency in government functioning. †¢ Empowerment of Common man through easy information dissemination. †¢ Man-hours spent by individual departments in collecting RTI applications can be saved by centralizing the process on the Portal. †¢ Support data analysis indicating area of improvement as well as sectors demanding intervention.

How to Be a Good Teacher

Great English Teachers What are the characteristics of a good teacher of English? The traits range from great teaching and management strategies to a good attitude. Top Characteristics for Teachers There are 15 characteristics of effective teachers that range from having high expectations to being flexible and imaginative. These 15 characteristics can be placed into two categories: management and instructional techniques and personal traits. To have strong classroom management and instructional techniques, an English teacher needs to try a variety of techniques to find the ones that work for him or her. Instructional Techniques English teachers need to teach reading, writing, viewing, listening, and speaking. These are five distinct areas, and each has its own set of benchmarks and indicators. Simply put, English teachers have a great deal of content to juggle in the classroom. The list of indicators for their content is quite long. They need to be knowledgeable of grammar, vocabulary, writing, literary elements, great novels, researching techniques, speech strategies, etc. In addition to being a master of content, teachers need to have a large repertoire of teaching strategies. Direct instruction, collaborative learning, and the jigsaw strategy, are just a few techniques that effective teachers use in the classroom. Variety is the key. So, the English teacher must be flexible and willing to try a variety of strategies to see what works best with his or her students. Management Techniques Good English teachers must have excellent classroom management techniques. If teachers cannot manage their students successfully, very little learning will occur in the classroom. With the No Child Left Behind Act and current state policy, it is important that students make gains in their learning every year. For young teachers, classroom management is usually a struggle. New teachers need to be willing to seek out seasoned teachers to mentor them on how to handle the classroom properly and to try different classroom management strategies. Personality Traits Usually, the three most important personality traits are a flexible approach, a caring attitude, and a sense of humor. There are, of course, other personality traits that enable teachers to become great teachers. However, in the current torrent of change in education, a teacher needs to be flexible to help a student. It also helps to be able to laugh and to keep smiling in this climate of change. It is very important that students feel that their teachers care about them. They need to feel safe in a supportive learning environment because this may be the only safe place that some children have. A safe, caring learning environment will help students to work to their true potential. Last, teachers need to have a sense of humor. So many things go wrong every day. It is important to be able to laugh and to keep going. The students need a happy teacher, not an angry one. The characteristics of a good teacher of English include many traits and strategies. English teachers need to do their best in implementing techniques in the classroom to help our nation's children reach their learning potential Think back to your school days for a moment, who were your favorite teachers? Which ones did you learn more from and why? The chances are that they were ones who made your lessons â€Å"come alive†. Engage you in your lesson as opposed to the â€Å"talk and chalk† variety! Whilst having a sound academic background and knowledge of your subject is one thing, having the ability to relate to your students and convey your message in understandable, motivational terms is quite another. This means not only being able to relate to your learners but being able to adapt your material to suit their needs, and put it across in the most effective (personable? ) form, creating a positive, supportive learning environment. Teaching a Language Having been a teacher trainer for many years I have little time for the teacher who delivers the same lesson verbatim, year after year, without considering their individual students’ needs and learner types, or those whose ego is so large that they are unable to relate effectively to their students. To my mind, teaching a language requires different skills to teaching other subjects like History or Math. We don’t learn a language by talking about it; we learn a language by talking in it! Once a teacher has presented language, it is the students who should speak and use the language (as it is they who need the practice), and not the teacher talking the highest percentage of time – hence the term TTT -Teacher Taking Time. Language teachers also need to â€Å"rough tune† their language, speaking in terms that are slightly above the level of the learner, rather than over simplify (thus providing a false model) or bombard them with meta-language. Core Characteristics Carl Rogers, an American psychologist suggested there are three core teacher characteristics to help create an effective learning environment. †¢Respect: Being positive and non judgmental in regards to another person †¢Empathy: Being able to see things from another person’s point of view †¢Authenticity: Being yourself without egoistic barriers or hiding behind a job title These three qualities a far more likely to induce a more positive learning environment, where students are more inclined to take risks and take responsibility for their own learning. Communication between student and teacher becomes more open and honest and therefore a stronger bond emerges, based on mutual respect. These qualities should not be â€Å"clothes† that a teacher puts on in the classroom. They have to be genuine intentions. A good teacher is one who not only has knowledge of their subject but has the personality to convey it in engaging, motivational terms. Therefore demonstration and participation rather than explanation is often more effective. In short: An effective language teacher is one that cares more about their students’ learning than they do about their own teaching! Top 10 Tips for Teachers Teachers are often placed into an awkward and stressful situation, not really sure of their authority and sometimes not even placed with veteran teachers who are much help. These tips can aid student teachers as they begin their first teaching assignments. Please note: these are not suggestions for how to approach the students but instead for how to most effectively succeed in your new teaching environment. 1. Be On Time Punctuality is very important in the ‘real world'. If you are late, you will definitely NOT start out on the right foot with your cooperating teacher. Even worse, if you arrive after a class has begun which you are supposed to be teaching, you are placing that teacher and yourself in an awkward situation. 2. Dress Appropriately As a teacher, you are a professional and you are supposed to dress accordingly. There is nothing wrong with over dressing during your student teaching assignments. The clothes do help lend you an air of authority, especially if you look awfully young. Further, your dress lets the coordinating teacher know of your professionalism and dedication to your assignment. 3. Be Flexible Remember that the coordinating teacher has pressures placed upon them just as you have your own pressures to deal with. If you normally teach only 3 classes and the coordinating teacher asks that you take on extra classes one day because he has an important meeting to attend, look at this as your chance to get even further experience while impressing your dedication to your coordinating teacher. 4. Follow the School Rules This might seem obvious to some but it is important that you do not break school rules. For example, if it is against the rules to chew gum in class, then do not chew it yourself. If the campus is ‘smoke-free', do not light up during your lunch period. This is definitely not professional and would be a mark against you when it comes time for your coordinating teacher and school to report on your abilities and actions. 5. Plan Ahead If you know you will need copies for a lesson, do not wait until the morning of the lesson to get them completed. Many schools have procedures that MUST be followed for copying to occur. If you fail to follow these procedures you will be stuck without copies and will probably look unprofessional at the same time. 6. Befriend the Office Staff This is especially important if you believe that you will be staying in the area and possibly trying for a job at the school where you are teaching. These people's opinions of you will have an impact on whether or not you are hired. They can also make your time during student teaching much easier to handle. Don't underestimate their worth. 7. Maintain Confidentiality Remember that if you are taking notes about students or classroom experiences to turn in for grades, you should either not use their names or change them to protect their identities. You never know who you are teaching or what their relationship might be to your instructors and coordinators. 8. Don't Gossip It might be tempting to hang out in the teacher lounge and indulge in gossip about fellow teachers. However, as a student teacher this would be a very risky choice. You might say something you could regret later. You might find out information that is untrue and clouds your judgement. You might even offend someone without realizing it. Remember, these are teachers you could be working with again some day in the future. 9. Be Professional With Fellow Teachers Do not interrupt other teachers' classes without an absolutely good reason. When you are speaking with your coordinating teacher or other teachers on campus, treat them with respect. You can learn a lot from these teachers, and they will be much more likely to share with you if they feel that you are genuinely interested in them and their experiences. 10. Don't Wait to the Last Minute to Call in Sick You will probably get sick at some point during your student teaching and will need stay home for the day. You must remember that the regular teacher will have to take over the class during your absence. If you wait until the last minute to call in, this could leave them in an awkward bind making them look bad to the students. Call as soon as you believe you will not be able to make it to class.