My Theory Of Conflict Resolution - 962 Words

My conflict resolution style stated that my style of conflict resolution is collaborating. I feel that this will help me in my future job because as a Physical Therapist I will not only be working by myself. I will need the patient to cooperate with me. Having two people, the patient and myself, working together will help improve the patients care. I always worry about other people and their concerns and also about my own because I want to be happy with the decision as well. This will improve my PT and future gym because I put others first as well as putting myself first. This type of style not only helps me in the work field but also in everyday life. I feel that it is very important putting others first but still maintaining a happy life for myself. My empowering and delegating score shows that I am in the middle between being able to delegate assignments to others and just doing everything myself. I do not feel like it is a trust issue. I do feel that I can do a job by myself fast er than if I had to explain to someone how I wanted something done. I need to learn to have patients so that I can teach others how to do tasks. I also have certain ways that I like things done so I should improve on letting go of being so particular. There are certain tasks that I allow others to finish because I do not care how it it finished as long as it gets finished. If I can learn to communicate with people how I want a task done I feel that I will be one step closer to being a successfulShow MoreRelatedSocial Conflict Resolution : Theory, Research, Practice Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Social conflicts- conflicts in which the parties are individuals or an aggregate of individuals- are unavoidable instances of life. What causes social conflicts, however, remains a subject of contention. Scholars across various disciplines have come-up-with different theories to explain the causes of social conflicts. Generally, each theory attempts to look at the causes from a particular perspective or discipline such as economics, sociology, psychology, political science or socio-biologyRead MoreThe Change Theory Of Nurses Leaders Can Help Make A Change1247 Words   |  5 PagesHandling Conflict Introduction Conflict cannot be eliminated from the workplace therefore learning appropriate conflict-handling skills is important. It is imperative nurses learn how to effectively handle conflict in the work environment (Morrison, 2008). According to the Conflict Resolution Questionnaire Analysis, my style of conflict resolution is Collaborating. I believe that working together will get better results than working alone, a win/win situation. I can express assertiveness, cooperationRead MoreHandling Conflict And The Conflict Resolution1254 Words   |  6 Pages Handling Conflict Norma Valdez-Rosa South University Online Handling Conflict Introduction Conflict cannot be eliminated from the workplace therefore learning appropriate conflict-handling skills is important. It is imperative nurses learn how to effectively handle conflict in the work environment (Morrison, 2008). According to the Conflict Resolution Questionnaire Analysis, my style of conflict resolution is Collaborating. I believe that working together will get better resultsRead MoreThe Process Of Conflict Resolution1573 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The process of conflict transformation includes numerous types of practices and approaches. It is crucial for a conflict resolution practitioner to be able to self-assess the entire practice of intervention to get a clear notion of why the approach that has been used was successful or caused fail. Conflict interveners whose practices are well established on theories of conflict resolution and ongoing researches need to refine their assumptions and skills through an extensive processRead MorePersonal Statement : Organizational Development Practitioner1684 Words   |  7 Pagesexperiences of conflict management in several organizations. Primarily, his discourse was about the United Parcel Service and the Transportation Security Administration. He outlined his working theory that institutions should encourage â€Å"conflict engagement.† This is where individuals, groups, and systems would identify underlying conflicts that have yet to be expressed. Bucherri says good conflict en gagement for at any level is as follows: †¢ Seek the opportunity to be in conflict †¢ Be energized byRead MoreConflict Management Styles Among Corporate Ceos Nigeria1430 Words   |  6 Pagesframeworks used, and identifying which frame work best applies to the topic: â€Å"Conflict Management Styles among Corporate CEO’s in Nigeria†. Also the extract below introduces the theory of â€Å"conflict management† thus describing the conceptual perspectives that informs the different forms behavior by which conflict may be handled. Conflict management Rahim and Bonoma (1979) researched and separated the styles of managing conflict. The two authors devised two basic dimensions namely: â€Å"concern for selfRead MoreInterpersonal Communication And Conflict Resolution1439 Words   |  6 Pagesmain secondary research resources that helped me understand my interpersonal communication topic, Conflict Management, and how theories, relevant skills and strategies can play a big role throughout the resolution and frequency of conflict among my peers. Personality Types and Development of Adolescents’ Conflict with Friends This study aimed to examine the developmental pattern of adolescents’ conflict frequency and conflict resolution with their best friends, and differences in these developmentalRead More Communication Patterns of Children During Conflict Essay examples1558 Words   |  7 Pageseventually their siblings or peers. Conflict is a part of life that children need to use to develop skills on resolving disagreements; conflict is not always bad. Peer conflict, however, can lead to aggressive behavior because of significant emotional and physical harm. Many youth lack the social skills needed to handle their aggravation. Peer conflict communicates joint disagreement or aggression between peers or peer groups. Peer conflict is characterized as conflict between people of equal or similarRead MoreEthical Egoism1656 Words   |  7 PagesEthical egoism is the normative theory that the promotion of ones own good is in accordance with morality. In the strong version, it is held that it is always moral to promote ones own good, and it is never moral not to promote it. In the weak version, it is said that although it is always moral to promote ones own good, it is not necessarily never moral to not. That is, there may be conditions in which the avoidance of personal interest may be a moral action. In an imaginary constructionRead MoreEffects Of Regime Type On The Duration Of War And War On Political Leaders903 Words   |  4 Pageshypothesize the following: longer wars have a worse impact on democracies than on dictatorships and mixed regimes, and as a result are shorter. In the first section of this paper, I define key terms used throughout the paper and review literature and theory related to the topic of war and regime type. In the next section, I Background and Literature Review Using [cite]’s definition of regime type, I have identified three types of regimes in this paper: democracies, dictatorships, and mixed regimes

The Need for Anti-Bullying Laws Essay - 2076 Words

Bullying has been escalating to a certain degree that it has affected as many as 160,000 students that reported staying home from school every day, because they were afraid of being bullied (www.stompoutbullying.org). Bullying does not only stops one from wanting to go to school, it also makes one feel anxious, insecure, and unhappy at school, isolated and at times severely depressed (Young, Shin Kim, and Leventhal). Schools must have better resources available to students; this includes the victim and the bully. The victim should have both better counseling and stricter laws to protect them. Bullies also need counseling due to research which states â€Å"that many bullies tend to come from families where parents are more†¦show more content†¦Dan Olweus published a Swedish book regarding bullying and in the US in 1978 under the title Aggression in the Schools: Bullies and Whipping Boys. According to Olweus â€Å"victims are generally cautious, sensitive, quiet, withdrawn, and shy, and are often anxious, insecure, unhappy, and have low self-esteem†( Olweus). He also stated â€Å"he found that bullies have a strong need to dominate and subdue other students to get their own way; are impulsive and easily angered† (Olweus). In another study Dr. Dan Olweus suggested that 15% of 140,000 students in 715 schools were involved in bullying from time to time or more frequently. About 94% of the students were classified as victims while 6% were classified as bullies (Olweus). Another researcher states â€Å"that bullying is a significant problem that despite all the sound and fury still has not received sufficient attention† (Greenya). Bullying is a serious problem that needs to be paid better attention to by schools, states, and parents.On October 12, 2009 a horrible act of violence related to bullying occurred. A fifteen year old, Michael Brewer was set on fire by three other teenagers and was left to die. Michael jumped into a pool nearby trying to put out the flames. Michael said the other boys were former friends. Michael now fully recovered is speaking out against bullying, in an interview with ABC News he said â€Å"If you try to take it on yourself, they’re going to do something even worse or kill you† (Chang, Sintay, Fahy,Show MoreRelatedBullying And The School System Essay1562 Words   |  7 Pagesnorm. He goes on to mention that bullying could be considered a form of microaggression and assumes many different shapes. Lastly, he identifies a series of different types of bullying that bullies can perpetuate which include: verbal, physical, material, relational, hate-motivated, and cyber (Miller 2012). The main argument of this paper is that federal and state legislation are not rigorous enough to address the burgeoning demand to address the issue of anti-bullying in the school systems. This paperRead MoreAnti Bullying Essay1444 Words   |  6 PagesThe Need for Enhanced Anti-Bullying Laws and School Programs Lisa Aparicio Saint Joseph’s College The Need for Enhanced Anti-Bullying Laws and School Programs Bullying was traditionally considered rites of passage, something all children and youth must go through. This is a myth. In today’s violent growing society, bullying has been responsible for several acts of non-punishable crimes. The lack of attention to implementing and enforcing anti-bullying state laws, and funding anti-bullyingRead MoreAnti-Bullying Laws and the Just Cause Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesThere are plenty of aspects when looking at anti-bullying laws and pieces of legislations that have been enacted around the world. There are currently some states in the United States that have laws against bullying. There are supporters and campaigns being launched every day to bring a stop to bullying in schools. There are many aspects that are involved when trying to enact a law into a state. The essential purpose of the law, the reason why it is being enacted. If the bill is passed, who willRead MoreCurrent Bullying Laws Not Working1100 Words   |  5 Pages Current Bullying Laws Not Working Bullying is something that has been going on in schools and communities for centuries. There are however, laws that have been put into place to help prevent bullying. These laws were first started in 1964. However, â€Å"under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not directly cover religion, often religious based harassments are based on shared ancestry of ethnic characteristics which is covered.†(Federal Laws 1) Laws started changing aroundRead MoreThe Effects of Bullying, Especially on LGBT Youth927 Words   |  4 Pageswell as adults is bullying. To find out more about this issue I will be looking into six articles that explain what bullying is, who is affected by bullying, the effect on LGBT children and what can be done to solve the problem of bullying. On this paper first, I will talk about what bullying is and the history of it. Second, I will talk about policies that exist regarding bullying, and how it affects LGBT families. Finally, I will talk about programs that help prevent bullying. According to GreeneRead MoreBullying And Victims Of Bullying1607 Words   |  7 PagesRationale: Bullying has become a relevant and serious problem over the past decade, especially among children between the ages of 4 and 16. Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behaviors such as threats, spreading rumors, or attacking someone physically or emotionally. Additionally, in recent years cyber-bullying, which is considered bullying on the Internet, has increased. Not only can bullying cause detrimental problems in the future for the victim but, research shows that the bully him/herselfRead MoreSchool Anti Bullying Programs Are Not Effective Enough At Preventing Bullying1109 Words   |  5 PagesBullying is the unwanted aggressive discrimination that mostly happens in middle school. Children who get bullied are always bullied because of race, religion, physical disability or sexual orientation. Bullies mostly are children who are being abused at home or they are delinquent. School anti-bullying programs are getting expensive and schools are backing out. Some programs deliver the wrong idea for children. Most anti-bullying school programs are refusing to protect LGBT students who get bulliedRead MoreCyberbullying: Comparing Bullying Laws in Minnesota and New Jersey1395 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Minnesota State Legislature first amended the original bullying law from 2005 in attempt to strengthening it (Minnesota State Legislature, â€Å"Approved 2005†, â€Å"Amended 2007†). As stated on a report by the United States Department of Education, Minnesota has one of the weakest bullying laws in the nation (United States Department of Education, â€Å"Analysis†). Bully Police graded Minnesota’s law as a C-, the lowest grade of all bullying laws currently regulated in the U.S. (Weber, â€Å"MPR News Investigation†;Read MoreThe Issue Of Bullying And Bullying1401 Words   |  6 Pages2305 4 Nov. 2014 The Issue of Bullying Did you know each year there are over 3.2 million students that are bullied? (11 Facts About Bullying ) Bullying has been a fundamental human demobilizing act for centuries; that has been woven into the crevices of non-physical cruelty and abuse. A simple meaning of bullying is the need for control. (contributors) It has always involved power, pain, persistence and premeditation. Emily Bazelon wrote an article, defining bullying as physical or verbal abuse,Read MoreAn Increase in the Worlds Technology Brings and Increase in Cyber Bullying 762 Words   |  4 PagesCyber Bullying The increase in the world of technology comes with a horrific price. According to a non-profit organization for social revision, â€Å"eighty-one percent of adolescents think bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person.† (11 Facts About Cyber Bullying). Universally, there is controversy involving stronger laws for cyber bullying. Unfortunately, many individuals live by the motto â€Å"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.† People also believe

School Murder Essay Example For Students

School Murder Essay It is 7:30 on a normal Tuesday morning at Westside Elementary School. The buses have begun to pull into the child unloading dock and have unloaded the students. As the buses pull off, the students began to head toward their classroom to wait for the day to begin. As the day progresses, the students ready themselves for lunch break. As the teachers aid opens the door for the students to leave, she sees four students dressed in long knee length jackets, strut briskly towards the cafeteria. She pays it little attention and waits for lunch bell to sound. Shortly after the bell sounds, the students leap out the door and cascade toward he cafeteria. In the cafeteria there is a stage like platform that jutted out like a shelf for about a third of the room. That is where all the disruptive, or the kids that were on silent lunch, had to sit. About five minutes until the bell for lunch to be over ringed, four students came into the lunchroom. The students began to shout ferociously and scream for the students to lie on the floor of the cafeteria. When the students wouldnt cooperate, the four boys reach under their coats to pull out . 9mm pistols. The teachers in the lunchroom try to contain the boys and settle them down, but the boys open fire n them. As the adults fall on the floor, the cafeteria was in an uproar with frightened, screaming children. With this the young boys open fire into the crowd of students. Although this scenario is just a figment of this writers imagination, we all have been subjected to similar scenes on recent T. V. newscast. Chabert 2 This kind of horrific event has become a common element in todays news. What has changed so much in our environment that would possess a child to destroy another child? The futures survival depends on the existence of todays youth to survive. The society of today has to dominate over the orroded minds of the trouble youth. It is time for members of society to open their eyes and take control of the corrupted youth. The public should be aware of the preventive measures against violence through out the school system. One effective preventive measure towards safety in the school system is to establish metal detectors throughout the school. Many schools of the nineteen nineties have been equipped with metal detectors due to the latest increase in school violence. These detectors are placed in the entrance of the school or may be held by a school resource officer or school staff member. Metal detectors are used to prevent students from bringing metal objects such as knives, guns and other potential weapons into the learning atmosphere of the school. 8. 3% of high school students carry a weapon to school today, which is down from 26% in 1996(CDC 2). Metal detectors helps to establish a much needed sense of security and allows students to concentrate on their schoolwork. Many students believe that these metal detectors will ward off would be violators of the schools policy, that weapons of any kind or nature would not be permitted on the school premises. School faculty and staff have reported that they feel safer and more at ease with the students, when metal detectors are in use. Although metal detectors are a step in the right direction, they alone are not the only answer. In order for the full effect of the detectors to be achieved, there must be some sort of security guard or monitor in place to implement them. Police and full time security Chabert 3 guards have played an important and necessary role in education for many years. The extent of policing was limited in the past as compared to today however. Police are showing up in suburban and small own schools(Robinson 2). The presence of police help to deter students from violating school policies. A policy such as no fighting, may include punishment such as a three day suspension for first time offenders (Robinson 4). Police effectiveness is greatly due to the fact that people in uniform maintain a higher degree of authority and respect than someone dressed in regular street clothes. Police alone are but a small percentage of the overall effectiveness and success of the school security (Greene 3A). Another percentage of the success rate is due to the counselor-student relationship. School counselors are a part of the school system and have been for some time. Until a few years ago, they were hired by the administration for class enrollment and to inform students of graduation requirements. Brave New World Genetic Engineering EssayChabert 6 With all of this in mind one should realize that the world is ever changing, maybe not for the better, maybe not for the worst, but still changing. These changes must be dealt with, whether it is through the use of the metal detectors, or even making the children conform by implementing uniforms. Some of those actions may appear to be quite severe, but in reality, the crimes are just as severe. With gun control laws and new students policies the children must learn what it is like to be discipline and to be aware of their actions, and the repercussions that may follow. Metal detectors are making it easier for kids to go to school. It will be like boarding an airplane when going to school. This may help prevent the horrible actions that are going on in Americas schools. The students will walk through the detectors at the entrances of the schools. If the detector detects a metal object a sound will be heard, and the police officer at the entrance will be allowed to search the student (Greene 3A). Students will also be required to wear photo IDs when on school grounds. The students will also be required to have see-through school bags or mesh. Some schools in America are also going as far as have breath test at the entrance to see if the student was drinking before school (Greene 3A). Parents are now getting involved heavily. Parents are now meeting with school boards to make sure of their kids safety. They are getting together to make plans on how to make schools safe for the kids. Many parents want police on school grounds at all times making sure the kids dont et out of hand (Galbraith 1A). Many schools are now beginning to take action in faculty-student programs. These programs will allow students to go to the adult for help. The student can explain any problems to the teacher so that their anger doesnt get out of hand and hurt another Chabert 7 student. The student can discuss their feelings to the teacher and also call another student in to the conference to settle the dispute calmly instead of violently. If the first meeting doesnt settle the dispute, the student can always come back for additional meetings till the problem is solved (Moore 1C). The violence in the high schools is getting worse. The punishments throughout the schools are also getting worse. The principals are not putting up with any kind of unacceptable behavior. Any student caught at school with any kind of harmful weapon will be arrested and suspended for a long time. If a student decides to pick a fight he or she is also going to be suspended for a while. A couple of years ago a fight would be broken up, and the student would be sent to the principals office. The punishment would have been a lot less than what it is to day. (Williams G1). Statistics show that young children are committing the killings in schools now. Ten to fifteen year old kids are turning to violence on each other. All over the United States people hear about third to seventh graders using guns and knives against one another. Police have arrested many of these kids for killing another student and wounding many others (Williams G1). Many principals were asked to note all the crimes that have happened in their schools. U. S. public school boards wanted to see where the most crimes were being committed. The school boards wanted to see where the dangerous schools were, and the safe schools ere. They also took notes on the racial status on crimes. It turned out that African-Americans were more likely to kill or commit a serious crime than whites. This happens because most African-Americans live in city schools where it is more dangerous to attend. These crimes occur because of either the social status of the students or the language being said between them. The students are at war to prove that their group is Chabert 8 better than the other group (Shaw 1-8). Where does these horrible actions stop? It is up to the American people to take charge of the schools and make it safe for our children.

Scale Lab Name Essays (256 words) - Measurement, Psychometrics

Scale Lab Name: SOURCE: http://ludwig.missouri.edu/47/scalelab.html 1.Determine the Representative Fraction for the following verbal scales. [pic] [pic] one inch represents 16 miles one inch represents one mile one inch represents 35 miles one inch represents 1/2 mile ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ 2. Establish the verbal scale for the following Representative Fractions: 1:380,000 ____________________?1:1,000,000 ____________________?1:25,000 ____________________ 3a. Which of the above scales will show the greatest detail in an area of one inch by one inch? 3b. Which will show the least areaExplain your answers for 3a and 3b 4. Convert the following RFs to graphic scales 1:250,000 (use 10 mile increments) 1:2,000,000 (use 50 mile increments) 5. Sometimes a scale is missing from a map. However, if certain pieces of information are present, the scale can be "obtained" by using logic. On a certain map we have two towns that measure 5 inches apart. We know from first hand experience that they are 20 miles apart. What is the RF of this map? The Missouri Football Stadium is 12 3/4 inches from the Columbia Regional Airport on a map with a representative fraction of 1:100,000. How many miles apart are they? What is the verbal scale of this map? Using your book and any other resource give six examples maps at different scales. You examples should go from the smallest scale map to the largest scale map. |Scale Ratio |Map Description | |(write examples from small scale to large scale) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

New York Essays - New York, Manhattan, World Champion Yankees

New York Essays - New York, Manhattan, World Champion Yankees New York English 99 1/1/99 I know of a interesting place where people flock to in hope of success. I on the other hand have been to this place twice as a tourist. People call it the big apple or the city that never sleeps. It?s home to Wall Street and the world champion Yankee?s. This place is called New York. I go to New York annually to see Jake a friend of mine who lives there. He is my best friend and went into the Air Force two years ago and ended up in New York. It?s hard to raise enough money to get to New York and still have enough money to go to school, but I manage. New York is strange, peculiar, and mysterious all in one. If you drive a vehicle in New York you better be ready to spend some money. To cross just one of the many bridges you must pay a toll of about six dollars. To park your car anywhere in downtown New York for a day, it?ll cost you around twenty two bucks on the average. Also, just driving downtown can be hazardous for you and your car. It?s scary to see taxi cabs with grill bars all the way around the vehicle, and to see paint spots on it and dents where they have hit some one. The neat thing about driving in New York is that when you honk your cars horn everybody does the same with theirs. It makes a car symphony played through out the streets. A good place to go to see what New York is really like is Central Park. It?s so fascinating to watch what people do to make a buck. I saw a performance where two guys where performing a mime act for money. At the end of their routine people threw them money, and then they moved to another location in the park and did the same routine for a different crowd. People where carrying around briefcases full of fake fossil watches trying to sucker people into buying them. Another person was trying to sell stolen cell phones to people who didn?t know any better. Basically these people were trying to make it in New York the wrong way. Jake and I visited the Sears Towers, and it?s amazing how tall they are. From the bottom looking up it looks as if the skyscrapers are rocking from side to side. Looking from the top at the small world below was something else! I thought New York was big, but from up there it looked so small. I was planning on seeing the Statue of Liberty, but we missed the boat that would have taken us there. I recommend that if you ever visited New York find out when the boat launches are to the Statue. I plan on seeing it next year.

5 Mistakes to Avoid at the Admission Interview

5 Mistakes to Avoid at the Admission Interview A crucial part of the private school application process, the admission interview can be a nerve-wracking experience for many applicants and their families. You want to make the best impression you can in order to find the perfect school for your child. But how do you do that properly in an admission interview? Check out these five tips of things you should not do during your admission interview.  Ã‚   Dont Be Late Many private schools schedule back-to-back admissions interviews at busy times of the year, so throwing off their schedule might not be an option. If you are going to be late, call the office and advise them as soon as you realize it. You can always offer to reschedule the interview, which shows that you value their time and understand that you have made a mistake. If the office allows you to arrive late, apologize when you do arrive. Avoid Ranking Schools The admissions staff knows that you are looking at several schools. No matter where their school may be on your list, be cordial and noncommittal. You are trying to determine if this is the right school for your child. Admissions committee members are doing the same. Dont tell each school that it is your first choice just to make it seem like youre more invested than you might be; and skip telling your backup school that it is not your first choice. Its OK to say that youre looking at and comparing a few schools. If you know that a school is truly your first choice and can articulate why, let the admissions committee members know, but be genuine in your comments. Dont Be a Difficult Parent Educating your child involves a three-sided partnership: the school, parent, and child. Ask direct questions about the school, but dont be abrasive. (It helps if you have done some research on the school beforehand.) Parents are part of the admission process, and it is not unheard of for a qualified student to be denied admission because of the way her parents acted during the interview It also never hurts to let the school know that you are willing to help when asked; many schools rely on volunteers, and involved parents are highly desirable. Do Not Try to Impress Schools champion diversity and finding the right fit over stacking their parental ranks with wealth and power. Private schools generally admit students based on qualifications first and foremost. These institutions also seek students who ordinarily could not afford a private school education, and they often offer scholarships and financial aid. Your ability to participate in the schools fundraising efforts may be a bonus, but that alone wont help your child gain admission. Your child needs to be the right fit for the school, and vice versa, so offering a large donation likely wont help. Do Not Be Overly Familiar The interview may have gone very well. It may be obvious that admissions committee members like you and your child. But dont get carried away. Be gracious, not effusive, in your comments. It would be inappropriate to suggest that the admissions staffer have lunch sometime or give her a hug. A smile and a polite handshake are all that is necessary at the conclusion of the interview. Article  edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example Cairncross, G. and Kelly, S. (2008) Human Resources Development and ‘casualisation’ in Hotels and Resorts in Eastern Australia: Getting the Best to the Customer. Journal of Management and Organization 14 (4), 367 ff. This article acknowledges the rising trend of casual employment in the tourism industry in Australia and reports of fieldwork with 15 hotel locations. The authors recommend that strategies like succession planning, job sharing, team performance pay and higher levels of empowerment be considered in order to lower turnover rate and improve performance. Donaldson, L. and Scannell, E. (2000) Human Resource Development: The New Trainer’s Guide. Cambridge, MA: Perseus. As the title suggests, this book looks at HRD from the trainer’s point of view. It approaches the subject in a chronological order, starting with the need for a trainer to organize his or her own self-development and then work out a strategy for establishing what the organization needs in terms of training. It moves to the design and planning of training inputs, obtaining the necessary resources, and specifying different objectives such as training, structural and behavioral objectives. Chapters 5-8 provide practical detail on lesson types, training methods and the use of techniques and technology. Some teaching theory on communication, learning, motivation and skills building is also provided. The last few chapters give guidance on meetings and dealing with â€Å"problem participants†. Elkeles, T. and Phillips, J.J. (2007) The Chief Learning Officer: Driving Value within a Changing Organization Through Learning Development. Burlington, MA: Elsevier. This book explains the origins and nature of the â€Å"Chief Learning Officer† role. This is a concept which is used in commercial companies, and it describes a senior position which aims to add value by linking strategic goals with the competencies of the personnel. It stresses learning rather than tra ining or development, and includes a drive to improve performance. A useful set of comments from industry professionals is included at the end. Flaherty, J. (2010) Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others. (3rd ed.) Burlington, MA: Elsevier. This book explains how coaching differs from other types of learning approach. It stresses the relationships between coach and client and explores how to build trust and respect, what techniques to use, and what kind of models to use for assessment. There are long sections (Chapters 7 and 8) on speech act theory and â€Å"the coaching conversation† which highlight how HRD professionals can improve their skills in dealing with clients one a face to face basis. Follis, E. (2001) Organization development & Human Resources: Planning for the future. Organization Development Journal 19 (2), 37ff. This article explores the tensions between the organization development and human resources sections of some companies. It reports on empirical research involving 48 individuals participating in structured interviews and concludes that there is still work to be done in ensuring that these two areas of expertise work effectively together and over come problems like turf wars and differing perspectives. Garavan, T.N. (1991) Strategic Human Resource Development. International Journal of Manpower 12 (6), 21-34. This article presents

Service Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Service Management - Assignment Example nsidered most effective in identifying the influences of customer satisfaction is any form of quantitative customer satisfaction survey that manifest the unconsciously and qualitatively experienced customers into tangible and meaningful measures that can be used for decision making. For example through the quantitative method, customers can rank the influencers that affect their purchasing behavior. Customers in business to customer markets often want to be treated with customized service even though their volumes of service are always high. This creates a gap that can only be addressed by the use of a focus strategic option which seeks to learn more about specific markets. For customers in business to business markets, their needs often focus on value, which means that to address this gap, the differentiation strategic option which seeks to value-based service is used. Customer survey forms collected and evaluated shows that marketers will continue to be faced with the responsibility of understanding their market through means such as research and development (R&D). This is because the needs of customers were noted to be very different and widespread, requiring only a detailed market research to discover these differences and building the right segments to provide services to customers. Supply networks and supplier relationships are focused on by the author in the sixth chapter. In this chapter, the author notes that supply chain management is very crucial in ensuring that the goal of the company in achieving efficiency and effectiveness can be realized. To do this, the need for all stakeholders to function in a manner that is in line with the organizational culture of the main service provider is recommended. Most service providers have underestimated the role and place of supply chain, thinking that supply chain management is useful only for those in retail and other product based industries. The supply chain constructed below however shows that the service

The Power of Words Essay Example for Free

The Power of Words Essay For those of you who like to create, you know that you are never fully satisfied with what you produce. Sure it may get the grade or suffice for what you planned to accomplish, but the thoughts circling what you could have done differently or ways you could improve can grow in the back of your mind. Maybe after investing great measures of effort and time, you are Done  by the time you’re done; don’t want to think about it, just want to move on. But maybe you go back, and go back, and go back, and can’t stop dwelling on things you could do or change to make whatever you made/produced/created manifest the ideas in your mind in a more accurate way. Well, that is how I feel about what I write. Since coming home for the summer, I’ve revisited old papers and essays for further refinement and fine tweaking just because I think it’s fun (and because I’m a perfectionist, whoops). So some of the essays I post are more loved and tended to than others, but today I am posting the first essay I wrote for the Nonfiction Writing class I took this past spring at KU. It’s come a long way since then, and I’m certain I will pay it a visit again in a few weeks or months and mix things around yet again. One day I love it and am happy with the progress I’ve made, and another day I am frustrated by my inability to express exactly what I want how I want. But that’s just the way it is, I suppose! so all that to say, here are some thoughts on the power of words, which just so happens to be the clever title of my essay. Boom. Feedback welcome! The Power of Words The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. -Proverbs 18:21 Long before I began, words existed. Even in my infancy, I babbled indistinct jargon to empty air. As a toddler, my parents spoke to me and urged me onward as I struggled to coerce meaning into form. With great exertion, I studied the shape of their mouths and attempted to recreate the sounds myself. Through practice, frustration, and failure, I learned words. But after nearly two decades of befriending new words, there are still words left unlearnt. Each new introduction excites, confounds, and embarrasses me all in one breath. When I shy away, they beckon me to understand. Thankfully, the words are gracious to those who delight in their discovery. I live to encounter them; to be empowered by them. However, I have failed to remember this until just now, and this fresh remembrance peels the scab of a wound I’ve left untreated for far too long. No amount of stitches could seal up this wound. My hands wrung together, willing the searing fire to subside, willing to forget the sting of the blade. But the penetration of a double-edged sword permits no man to walk away unscathed. I am no exception. The memory of my injury echoed and swelled in my mind, piercing me deeper and fiercer with each remembrance. Any compliment offered to me was like putting a cold compress on the head of a patient in need of heart surgery: a kind gesture, but naive at best. No earthly remedy can heal the wound caused by a rash remark, a reckless word, a biting tongue. The words reverberated, transcending both time and space, tossing a pinch of salt into the festering puss with each visit. In one blazing breath, the levee was breached. Insecurities gushed forth from moments past to moments present. The words washed over me again and again and again, throbbing to the rhythm of a familiar pulse. Worthless. Ugly. Insufficient. Outcast. The faces of the ones who introduced me to these words flooded my mind. The playground bully, the jealous friend, the past love interest, the inconsiderate classmate – one by one, their faces appeared and circled around me, each breathing their own kind of fire. They etched their scorching words onto my memory and my heart. Each recollection brought a new wave of hurt. Their flames engulfed me and I stood defenseless. Perhaps these dragons were right about me. Perhaps I was what they said. My knees began to buckle beneath the weight of some sort of self-hatred or bitterness. But just before I collapsed to the cold kitchen tile, my mother’s arms encircled me from behind and secured me in an embrace. Her hushed whispers traveled through my ear into my aching sides, tenderly dressing my wounds with honey. Gentle reassurances momentarily cooled the scorching fire which ravaged my thoughts. My mother’s sweet lips massaged my burns as nourishing balm. Maybe I wasn’t as worthless as they said. Though words have destroyed me, they have also restored me. But sometimes my scars whisper to me in the middle of the night, reminding me, ushering me into the dragons’ lair where I am taunted by each rash remark, reckless word, or biting tongue that has ever wounded me. Even as a child, I understood the weight of words and the value in speaking responsibly. I remember shutting the door of my fourth-grade classroom, double-taking to ensure no one was watching, and skipping along the empty hallway in search of the nearest drinking fountain. My eyes danced until they rested upon the rusted spigot. Suddenly, my innocent skip-to-my-lou developed into a nutcracker’s march. I swung my arms and stomped my feet to the beat of a distant war drum, stifling giggles at my own theatrical display. I was hilarious, giddy, free. At last I lowered my lips, gently twisted the nozzle, and felt the cool water trickle down the back of my throat. After several gulps, I straightened my back and my eyes zeroed in on a laminated poster taped to the wall. It portrayed a crying girl with her back turned from a group of laughing schoolchildren. My heart sunk as I read, â€Å"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.† What a lie, I thought. Why else would the girl be crying if she was not hurt? Who wrote this? Though I stomped back to my classroom, it was not a giddy stomp as before. I felt indignant at the injustice done to the crying girl in the poster. Even as a fourth grader, I knew words were far more powerful weapons than measly sticks and pebbles. I suddenly wished I was Mary Poppins and could leap inside the poster and watch the clip-art scene come to life. I would parade right towards the menacing pack of bullying children, stand on my tippiest-toes, and wag my finger in their mocking face. How could they not see the hurt they caused, the damage they’d done? The artist of this poster flippantly dismissed the girl’s hurt – dismissed my hurt. Obviously, he has never entered the dragon’s lair; or perhaps, he has but is simply trying to forget. Perhaps he hopes that denying his injuries will ease the pain they bring. The very thought caused my own scars to burn. Rage pulsed through my body as I thought of the daggers digging deeper into the crying girl’s subconscious – into my subconscious. Feeble. Pathetic. Weak. I could see the fire on the bullying children’s breath as their words melted into her ears. Though pressed down upon on all sides, her dragons bid her to stand strong as they prodded her with white-hot prongs and secured their perpetual mark. I’ll bet her scars whisper to her at night, too. To dismiss a reckless remark is to remove responsibility. This flippancy severs the cord of accountability between speaker and speech. As the mediums of our messages transitioned from slabs of stone to paper to screen, the weight of a word lost its wonder. Consider the scribe. He pauses – an ancient practice – before dipping his pen into his jar of thick, black ink. Fully aware of the repercussions of an error, he painstakingly paints each stroke with precision. He lives in an age unacquainted with a backspace key and where few can afford the price of an error. But today, a text message mindlessly tapped out is just as soon deleted. Even this sentence was reconsidered, revisited, and revised. Our ability to communicate no longer springs from our dexterity of thought but the agility of our thumbs. Our words are no longer preserved in a weighty stone tablet. Instead, they are typed, deleted, and retyped – in a two pound, portable tablet – then launched into cyberspace to be received and deleted from an already cluttered inbox. But why not? We are entitled. We have rights. Does not every tweeted and retweeted thought deserve merit merely in its right to be said? Is it politically correct to correct a politically incorrect statement? I never can tell. Our cry for the freedom of speech made passage for the freedom from speech and the careful tending that should accompany it. Our tongues run rampant – never checked nor balanced. We demand our right to speak, but our flapping mouths pay no heed to how we speak. Because an error or offensive slip of the tongue incurs only minimal – if any – cost, our words are many and close between. I fear I also am the rambling type. The filter between my head and my mouth is shorter than I’d like to admit. Sometimes I wonder if I even have a filter or if it got lost somewhere long ago in some prattling speech. Maybe I forgot I have one and, thus, never use it. In any case, I discover amusement in meandering the trail of my own thoughts and relaying my journey to others. I have never suffered from a scarcity of words. On the contrary, I am their abuser. I am apt to respond when spoken to and likely to speak until stopped. But the scribe towers over me, soliciting silence. â€Å"If you love the words, you will treasure them,† he cries. When words are many, error is not absent. Even a fool who holds his tongue seems wise for he at least holds the appearance of revering the sanctity of a word well said. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words wield the power of life and death. One flippant remark on how one should eat cake turned nation against queen and then off came her head. By the power invested in one man’s announcement, two lives are joined and beget more life still. On the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a bearded, honest man issued a proclamation declaring that all persons held as slaves would be then, thenceforward, and forever free. A deceitful dictator once told a big enough lie so frequently that his followers ran camps where with the aim of teaching the world to decipher beauty in piles of misshapen bodies. When Sophie Scholl spoke out against that lie and called German youth to cast off their cloaks of indifference, the dictator silenced her once and for all. By the word of a King, a dream stretched over the expanse of history and cried for the equality of the emancipated. By the word of the King, dry bones rose from the grave and walked out of their tombs. The Word from the very beginning sighed that it was finished and up from the deep the dragon prince relinquished his keys. With reverence comes escape. At some point or another, I began to regard the words as my slaves. I made them toil on my behalf. Beneath my whip, they labored without rest. Though they were exhausted, I trafficked them through the night and forgot to feed them breakfast in the morning. I believed their usefulness to me fulfilled their purpose. I considered them as nothing more than a spoken sound, a written conglomeration of lines and curves and dots, existing only to serve me – the â€Å"autonomous† man, the benefactor – and my appetites. But today I realized I will soon be dead – be it in sixty years or in the morning – and the words will live on without me just as they did before me for the word and the Word cannot die.

Self StudyBasics of Education :: essays papers

Self StudyBasics of Education Chemistry is not my favorite subject. I think it seems funny to have a minor in chemistry when I don't even like chemistry, but it was sort of a package deal when I decided my biological science major. It not that I despise or hate chemistry, it's just that I have a ingrained fear of it. Chemistry is the only class that I've failed. I've never failed any class up until I failed my inorganic class my sophomore year. That class was unbearable and I really believe that it was partially the instructor's fault. She taught us one thing and we where tested over something else, she never showed up to her office hours, and when we had scheduled review sessions, she told the class that she would not go over the old material. She believe that she had already taught it once and that if we had questions we should look back in our notes and read our book. Besides she was foreign and had quite a thick Eastern European accent and she could be hard to understand. It seemed the more I studied th e worse I did on tests and quizzes so by the end of the semester I gave up because it was hopeless. I would of had to get over %100 on my final to even come close to passing. At the end of the semester I found out that almost half of the class failed. I think that says something when there is that many students failing a class. It has been three semesters since I took that class. I took one semester off from chemistry, and then retook that inorganic class this previous semester. Now I am back on tract and on my next phase of chemistry, "The Deep Fried World of Organic Chemistry". The first day of class was a real eye opener. "Organic Chemistry 251 is the biggest class I have ever been in! I'm guessing that there is about 400 people in this class. It would make sense that there would be this many people since this is the only one lecture time of 251 this semester. I had a hard time finding a seat. The seating capacity for this lecture hall is 438 people, and I think it almost at that capacity.

Save the Earth, Save Mankind

Good morning Miss and my fellow classmates. Today, I would like to talk to you about topic on â€Å"save the earth and save mankind†. My dearest audience, imagine it’s after class now and you’re heading back to your car under the bright hot sun. After you get in the car, you grab some tissue and wipe all your sweat. What would you do after using the tissue? Well, let’s be frank. We wind down the window and just throw them outside. It is fun doing it when you see no cars behind or beside you. Let’s pollute the earth and hopefully clog the drain.We would love to swim in the flood. Next, imagine you just woke up from your sleep, went to wash up while leaving the air conditioner on. After washing up, you feel like having a cold soft drink in your room. So you open up the fridge saw some chocolate bar, hesitate a while, grab a can of soft drink and went back to your room. While you’re about to step into your room, you feel like having a bar of cho colate, so you go back to the fridge, get a bar of chocolate and went upstairs. Now the most enjoyable magical moment in this morning is the moment you step into your room.With a can of soft drinks, a bar of chocolate and most importantly is the cold enjoyable CFC releasing room. What more to ask in such relaxing morning? Imagine your friend called you up and he asked you to come over to his walking distance house. What would you do? Well of course you start your car and drive to his house because it is an irrational act to walk to your friend’s house. Reason because you’ll be a victim to kidnappers? Unfortunately no, but something even worse than being kidnapped, it is because the sun will melt you down and the distance will break your leg.Let’s drive more and burn more fuel to release more carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide to the air. Who says we cannot fight god’s creation? We can increase the earth temperature and defeat mother earth with greenhouse effect! Imagine you’re a person with the authority to voice out in your country. In order for a country to develop, the best way is to develop land. So let’s organize campaign to support deforestation! Let’s celebrate for every single tree being cut down and you’ll see new project in the future. Let’s support burning down more forest and hope for a better economy.Burn more and increase the greenhouse temperature. We would love to inhale polluted air but not with forest around us. Imagine you’re living in the arctic, freezing cold, no place to go during winter so you just stay at home and pray that the people from other region can help melting the ice by increasing global temperature. The best part of melting the ice is not to solve the cold temperature but to increase the sea level. Let’s pray and hope for a rise in sea level. Let’s cover more land with sea and with this increase of sea level let’s hope for another mega tsunami.We shall wait for a brand new video on this beautiful tragedy. Let us all leave the air conditioner in the room turned on while we’re not using. Let’s drive more and burn more fuel. Let’s burn more and increase the earth temperature. Let’s increase the temperature and melt the ice. Let’s melt the ice and increase the sea level. Let’s increase the sea level and pray for more tragedy. Now please take a minute to think! In the end, who is the one suffering? Who is the one will pray for a better day to live? Who is the one begging for another chance to fix the problem?We are the one. But don’t be afraid. I’m here to remind you the ways of preventing. Let me start with the easiest way which is start recycling. Since young, we were all taught to learn how to recycle by differentiating different types of material that can be recycled such as glass, paper, aluminum and plastic. This is the easiest way that we can start to help saving the earth. By recycling, we reduce factory production and therefore it reduces the air pollution as well. With one stone, we can kill 2 birds, it’s worth a shot.

Aspects of Meaning

Jubayr zakariyya Aspects of meaning assignment 1 The experiment that has been conducted, and written about in the paper ‘The representation of polysemous words', by Devorah Klein and Gregory Murphy, endeavours to uncover the degrees to which different senses of polysemous words use the same or diverse kind of representations. Whilst homonyms from a linguistic perspective, are groups of words that share the same orthographical and phonological characteristics, yet do not share the same semantic meaning.There are a number of theoretical perspectives pertaining to the root cause of how two separate word meanings are able to converge on the same phonological representation, or how a single word is able to separate into diverse and separate semantic meanings. But the term ‘polysemy' refers to something that is intrinsically more complex, and as Klein and Murphy have noted in their paper, more problematical in terms of defining its root source and in which ways are the senses r elated and represented.What Klein and Murphy mean by this, and have studied in this paper, is the process in which words semantically relate to one another, through a process of extension. Yet unlike homonyms, polysemous words do not have lexically separate meanings, which leads to the questions of whether polysemous words have a single represented sense that can be accounted for every use of a word, how can they be linked in memory, and how are they co-ordinated in processing. Klein and Murphy aim to ‘provide data that will constrain accounts of the representation and processing of polysemy'(Klein and Murphy (2001)).The first experiment that was conducted entailed the use of memory performance in order to measure the representation of polysemous senses. it was particularly looking at whether people were more familiar with a same sense or a different sense than the original presentation given. the results showed that same phrase items were the most precisely evaluated, which w as followed by the consistent sense phrases. The inconsistent sense phrases were the most error prone. Klein and Murphy also suggest that words being seen in identical context was the most helpful in getting a correct evaluation.The results here point out that the way in which a polysemous word is processed initially affects later memory access. After conducting a number of detailed experiments, Klein and Murphy conclude that polysemous senses are semantically related, yet they are not extremely similar, which consequently results in ‘same-sense facilitation' and ‘cross sense inhibition' (Klein and Murphy (2001)). If a polysemous word does not contain a core meaning, it is no longer a substantial semantic component thatis common to all senses in a given word. word count: 429

The Chac Mool Statues of Mexico

The Chac Mool Statues of Mexico A Chac Mool is a very specific type of Mesoamerican statue associated with ancient cultures such as the Aztecs and Maya. The statues, made of different types of stone, depict a reclined man holding a tray or bowl on his belly or chest. Much is unknown about the origin, significance, and purpose of the Chac Mool statues, but ongoing studies have proven a strong link between them and Tlaloc, Mesoamerican god of rain and thunder. Appearance of the Chac Mool Statues The Chac Mool statues are easy to identify. They depict a reclining man with his head turned ninety degrees in one direction. His legs are generally drawn up and bent at the knees. He is almost always holding a tray, bowl, altar, or other recipient of some kind. They often are reclined on rectangular bases: when they are, the bases usually contain fine stone inscriptions. Iconography related to water, the ocean and/or Tlaloc, the rain god can often be found on the bottom of the statues. They were carved from many different sorts of stone available to Mesoamerican masons. In general, they are roughly human-sized, but examples have been found which are larger or smaller. There are differences between Chac Mool statues as well: for example, the ones from Tula and Chichà ©n Itz appear as young warriors in battle gear whereas one from Michoacn is an old man, nearly naked. The Name Chac Mool Although they were obviously important to the ancient cultures that created them, for years these statues were ignored and left to weather the elements at ruined cities. The first serious study of them took place in 1832. Since then, they have been viewed as cultural treasures and studies on them have increased. They got their name from the French archeologist Augustus LePlongeon in 1875: he dug one up in Chichà ©n Itz and mistakenly identified it as a depiction of an ancient Maya ruler whose name was â€Å"Thunderous Paw,† or Chaacmol. Although the statues have been proven to have no relation to Thunderous Paw, the name, slightly changed, has stuck. Dispersion of the Chac Mool Statues Chac Mool statues have been found at several important archaeological sites but are curiously missing from others. Several have been found at the sites of Tula and Chichà ©n Itza and several more have been located in different excavations in and around Mexico City. Other statues have been found at smaller sites including Cempoala and at the Maya site of Quirigu in present-day Guatemala. Some major archaeological sites have yet to yield a Chac Mool, including Teotihuacn and Xochicalco. It is also interesting that no representation of the Chac Mool appears in any of the surviving Mesoamerican Codices. Purpose of the Chac Mools The statues - some of which are quite elaborate - obviously had an important religious and ceremonial uses for the different cultures that created them. The statues had a utilitarian purpose and were not, in themselves, worshiped: this is known because of their relative positions within the temples. When located in temples, the Chac Mool is nearly always positioned between the spaces associated with the priests and that associated with the people. It is never found in the back, where something revered as a deity would be expected to rest. The purpose of the Chac Mools was generally as a place for sacrificial offerings for the gods. These offering could consist of anything from foodstuffs like tamales or tortillas to colorful feathers, tobacco or flowers. The Chac Mool altars also served for human sacrifices: some had cuauhxicallis, or special recipients for the blood of sacrificial victims, while others had special tà ©hcatl altars where humans were ritualistically sacrificed. The Chac Mools and Tlaloc Most of the Chac Mool statues have an obvious link to Tlaloc, the Mesoamerican rain god and an important deity of the Aztec pantheon. On the base of some of the statues can be seen carvings of fish, seashells and other marine life. On the base of the Pino Suarez and Carranza Chac Mool (named after a Mexico City intersection where it was dug up during road work) is the face of Tlaloc himself surrounded by aquatic life. A most fortunate discovery was that of a Chac Mool at the Templo Mayor excavation in Mexico City in the early 1980s. This Chac Mool still had much of its original paint on it: these colors only served to further match the Chac Mools to Tlaloc. One example: Tlaloc was depicted in the Codex Laud with red feet and blue sandals: the Templo Mayor Chac Mool also has red feet with blue sandals. Enduring Mystery of the Chac Mools Although much more is known now about the Chac Mools and their purpose, some mysteries remain. Chief among these mysteries is the origin of the Chac Mools: they are found at Postclassic Maya sites such as Chichà ©n Itz and Aztec sites near Mexico City, but it is impossible to tell where and when they originated. The reclining figures likely do not represent Tlaloc himself, who is usually depicted as being more gruesome: they could be warriors who carry the offerings to the gods they were intended for. Even their real name – what the natives called them – has been lost to time. Sources: Desmond, Lawrence G. Chacmool. Là ³pez Austin, Alfredo and Leonardo Là ³pez Lujan. Los Mexicas y el Chac Mool. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Vol. IX - Num. 49 (May-June 2001).

USS Wyoming (BB-32) - US Navy

USS Wyoming (BB-32) - US Navy USS Wyoming  (BB-32) - Overview: Nation:  United States Type:  Battleship Shipyard:  William Cramp Sons, Philadelphia, PA Laid Down:  February 9, 1910 Launched:  May 25, 1911 Commissioned:  September 25, 1912 Fate:  Sold for Scrap USS Wyoming  (BB-32) - Specifications: Displacement:  26,000  tons Length:  562 ft. Beam:  93.1 ft. Draft:  28.5 ft. Propulsion:  12  Babcock and Wilcox  coal-fired boilers  with oil spray, 4-shaft  Parsons  direct-drive  steam turbines Speed:  20.5  knots Complement:  1,063  men​ Armament: 12 Ãâ€"  12-inch/50 caliber Mark 7  guns21 Ãâ€"  5/51 caliber guns2 Ãâ€" 21  torpedo tubes ​USS Wyoming  (BB-32) - Design: Originating at the 1908 Newport Conference, the Wyoming-class of battleship represented the US Navys fourth type of dreadnought after the earlier  -,  -, and  -classes.   The initial design came about through war games and discussions as the preceding classes had not yet entered service.   Key among the conferences conclusions was the need for increasingly larger calibers of main armament.   Through the latter part of 1908, debate ensued over the layout and armament of the new class with various configurations being considered.   On March 30, 1909, Congress approved construction of two Design 601 battleships.   This design called for a ship approximately 20% larger than the  Florida-class and mounting twelve 12 guns.    Designated USS Wyoming  (BB-32) and USS  Arkansas  (BB-33), the two ships of the new class were powered by twelve Babcock and Wilcox coal-fired boilers with direct drive turbines turning four propellers.   Layout of the main armament saw the twelve 12 guns spread through six twin turrets in  superfiring (one firing over the other) pairs forward, amidships, and aft.   To support the main battery, designers added twenty-one 5 guns with the majority mounted in individual casemates below the main deck. In addition, the battleships carried two 21 torpedo tubes.   For protection, the Wyoming-class possessed a main armor belt eleven inches thick.    Assigned to William Cramp Sons in Philadelphia, work commenced on  Wyoming  on February 9, 1910.   Moving ahead over the next fifteen months, the new battleship slid down the ways May 25, 1911, with Dorothy Knight, daughter of Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Jesse Knight, serving as sponsor.   With the completion of construction,  Wyoming  shifted to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where it entered commission on September 25, 1912, with Captain Frederick L. Chapin in command.   Steaming north, the new battleship finished final fitting out at the New York Navy Yard before sailing to join the Atlantic Fleet. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - Early Service: Arriving at Hampton Roads on December 30,  Wyoming became flagship for Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger, commander of the Atlantic Fleet.   Departing the following week, the battleship steamed south to the Panama Canal construction site before conducting exercises off Cuba.   Returning north in March,  Wyoming  underwent minor repairs before returning to the fleet.   The remainder of the year saw the battleship engaged in routine peacetime activities until October when it sailed for the Mediterranean to make goodwill visits to  Malta, Italy, and France.   Returning home in December, Wyoming entered the yard at New York for a brief overhaul before joining the Atlantic Fleet off Cuba for winter maneuvers the following month. In May 1914, Wyoming steamed south with a contingent of troops to support the US occupation of Veracruz which had commenced a few weeks earlier.   Remaining in the area, the battleship assisted operations  relating to the occupation into the fall.   Following repairs at New York, Wyoming spent the next two years following the  US Navys standard cycle of maneuvers in  northern waters during the summer and  in the Caribbean  in the winter.   Having completed exercises off Cuba in late March 1917, the battleship found itself off  Yorktown, VA when word arrived that the United States had declared war on Germany  and entered World War I. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - World War I: For the next seven months, Wyoming operated in the Chesapeake training engineers for the fleet.   That fall, the battleship received orders to join USS New York (BB-34), USS Florida (BB-30), and USS Delaware (BB-28) in Battleship Division 9.   Led by Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman, this formation departed in November to reinforce Admiral Sir David Beattys British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow.   Arriving in  December, the force was redesignated the 6th Battle Squadron.   Commencing combat operations in February 1918, the American ships aided in protecting convoys bound for Norway. Continuing similar operations through the year, Wyoming became the squadrons flagship in October after New York collided with a German U-boat.   With the conflicts end in November, the battleship sortied with the Grand Fleet on the 21st to escort the German High Seas Fleet into internment at Scapa Flow.   On December  12, Wyoming,  carrying new squadron commander Rear  Admiral William Sims, sailed for  France where it rendezvoused with SS George Washington which was transporting President Woodrow Wilson to the peace conference at Versailles.   Following a brief port call in Britain, the battleship left European waters and arrived  at New York on Christmas Day. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - Postwar Years: Briefly serving as flagship of Battleship Division 7, Wyoming aided in directing a flight Curtiss NC-1 flying  boats on a trans-Atlantic flight in May 1919.   Entering Norfolk Navy Yard in July, the battleship underwent a  modernization program in anticipation of its transfer to the Pacific.   Designated flagship of the Pacific Fleets Battleship Division 6, Wyoming departed for the West Coast later that summer and arrived at San Diego on August 6.   Conducting maneuvers through the following year, the battleship then cruised to  Valparaiso, Chile in early 1921.   Transferred back to the Atlantic  that August, Wyoming  embarked the Atlantic Fleets commander Admiral Hilary P. Jones.   Over the next six years, the  vessel resumed its previous cycle of peacetime training which was only punctuated by a European cruise in 1924 which included  visits to Britain, the  Netherlands, Gibraltar, and the Azores. In 1927, Wyoming arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard  for an extensive  modernization.  Ã‚   This saw the addition of anti-torpedo bulges, the installation of new oil-fired boilers, as well as some alterations to the superstructure.  Ã‚  Completing a shakedown cruise in December, Wyoming became flagship of Vice Admiral Ashley Robertsons Scouting Fleet.   In this role for three years, it also aided in training NROTC detachments from several universities.   After brief service with Battleship Division 2, the aging Wyoming was  pulled  from frontline service and assigned to Rear Admiral Harley H. Christys Training Squadron.   Placed in reduced commission in January 1931,  efforts commenced to demilitarize the battleship in accordance with the London Naval  Treaty.   This saw the anti-torpedo bulges,  half the main battery, and the ships side armor removed. USS Wyoming (BB-32) - Training Ship: Brought back to active service in May, Wyoming embarked a contingent of midshipmen from the US Naval Academy and NROTC cadets for a training cruise to  Europe and the Caribbean.   Redesignated AG-17 in August, the former battleship spent the next five years in a training role.   In 1937, while taking part in amphibious assault exercise off California, a 5 shell accidently exploded killing six and wounding eleven.   Later that year, Wyoming conducted a goodwill call to Kiel, Germany where its crew  visited the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.   With the beginning of World War II in Europe in September 1939, the ship assumed a place in the Atlantic  Naval Reserve Force.   Two years later,  Wyoming  commenced conversion into a gunnery training ship. Beginning this duty in November 1941, Wyoming  was operating off Platts Bank when word was received of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.   As the US Navy expanded to meet the demands of a two-ocean  war, the old battleship remained engaged in training gunners for the fleet.   Earning the nickname Chesapeake Raider for its frequent appearances in the bay, Wyoming  continued in this duty until January 1944.   Entering the yard at Norfolk, it commenced a modernization which saw the removal of its remaining 12 guns and the conversion of the turrets into single and  dual mounts for 5  guns.   Resuming its training mission in April, Wyoming remained in this role until June 30, 1945.   Ordered north it joined the Operational Development Force and  aided in devising tactics to combat Japanese kamikazes. With the end of the war, Wyoming continued to operate with this force.   Ordered to  Norfolk in 1947, it arrived on July 11 and was decommissioned on August 1.   Stricken from the Naval Vessel Registry on September 16, Wyoming was sold for scrap the following month.   Transferred to New York, this work began that December. Selected Sources: DANFS: USS  Wyoming  (BB-32)NHHC: USS  Wyoming  (BB-32)MaritimeQuest: USS  Wyoming  (BB-32)

Will The Middle Class survive in the United States Term Paper

Will The Middle Class survive in the United States - Term Paper Example Alternatively, a counterargument is presented to the effect that the middle class does not exist. The most important rhetoric of the modern society is perhaps based on the financial integrity and performance and the interplay with benefits and liabilities presented to individuals’ financial abilities. While social stratification may not be a welcome idea in the modern society, economic potential unfortunately creates an imprint of social classes dependent primarily on the economic status of individuals. Among the five presumed socioeconomic classes is the middle class which can be defined as the class comprising of between one-third to a fifth of employees in an economy and has white-collar employees, junior managers, small and middle entrepreneurs. In the apparent social stratification and classification, there are two lower classes ranking below the middle class and two classes higher in ranking than the middle class. From the table above, Weston (2011) tries to illustrate the definition of the various socioeconomic classes based on the range of earnings that they make and the position of the middle class has been highlighted in bold. Below and above this class, there are two socioeconomic classes with a possibility to move up and down the classes being dependent on the performance on earnings and individuals’ financial status. Depending on the general performance of the national economy, the distribution of the classes across the population may depict certain patterns. As an illustration, in the developed economies, the population in the advanced classes is higher than in the lower classes, which is the exact opposite in developing economies. Equally, the possibility of movement up and down the classes is reminiscent of the prevailing economic environment. It therefore implies that the middle class is composed or relatively better

Preventive measures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Preventive measures - Assignment Example The company offers or provides the employees with adequate and quality training to enable them to transform their visions into reality. The company in question owns and also operates the Sizzler restaurants. The worldwide Restaurant Concept Inc was anciently known as Sizzler International Inc but later the name was changed to the worldwide Restaurant Concept Inc. However the worldwide concept inc. like many other companies around the globe has also been facing legal challenges due to a series of factors. There are main challenges that have become a menace to the World-wide restaurant concept Inc financial prosperity. The challenges are as follows. The main Legal issues/challenges facing the World-Wide Concepts, Inc. Company The first and the most head aching issue is the issue of disgruntled workers. This is greatly becoming a major head aching legal issues to the worldwide concept Inc. this is in the sense that, the employees have been granted by its law more freedom than in other c ompanies and business firms. The freedom in particular is in the form of; they are allowed to form unions the unions fight for wrongful termination from this company. This has made it very difficult for the employers to fire the underperforming individuals in the company in order to avoid facing the law. This is because of the stiff laws set to defend the employees. For example there is a law that states that, if an employer terminates or fires an employee, he/she should make sure that the employee has signed the regal documents which have been cautiously drafted by an attorney upon the termination of the employee to make the terms for termination very clear. If an employee is terminated without the signing of the document, it leaves the door open or rather paves away for a legal action against the employer in of the firm. The second and also one of the fears issue is the issue of discrimination and harassment cases. The company in question has been facing these challenges for a lon g period of time, it seems that the more the company ventures into different nations, the problems grows bigger and bigger. These discriminations of all kinds from the sex, age or even age and many others have lead to very serious legal problems. The company’s CEOs have been arrested due to such related cases and have also lead to loss of money through the court fines. The companies should make sure that their human resources and also the legal team is well prepared to be able to handle these issues if in any case they occur. For the period of the hiring procedure, the firm’s CEO should ensure that he/she is prepared for all applicants resumes incase discrimination cases arise, this is in order to make sure that they hire the best and also the most qualified individuals in regardless of their gender, their ethnicity or even their age. The sufferers of pestering and discrimination likely have drawn attention from the media which in turn have tarnishes the companies†™ reputation as well as draining their legal budgets. The third issue is the copyright and also the patent issue. This has greatly affected the designing field and partners of worldwide restaurant concept Inc who are based in Russia and India. The companies are often faced with aggressive patent legal action. This has lead to loss of m

Mandatory Drug Testing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Mandatory Drug Testing - Assignment Example The experience of recent years shows that drug spread causes numerous problems for present-day life penetrating into almost every sphere of human activity, starting from school and high educational establishments through job and finding its direct aftereffect in drug misuse in prisons, which in addition very often appear to be an immediate result of personal involvement into drug use or indirect distribution of different substances. One way or another, drugs as pervasive evil touches and destroys people’s life day by day endangering the prosperity of their future as minimum and their physical being and psychological health as maximum. The main reason for this lies in inappropriate control or lack of control in such an essential question as drug use by people of various occupations whether they are teachers, students, employees or inmates. In this regard, mandatory drug testing must be accepted and applied universally in the places that have displayed their engagement into drug consumption. There is a strong belief that any kind of tests related to questions of drug use and applied for clarifying of a situation within the issue may be extremely stressful for persons under test. Moreover, they are able to have a negative impact on the reputation of such persons. As a matter of fact, there are particular disadvantages of mandatory drug testing, which can be found in errors and faults of the procedure itself. The question is that any tests and researches are supposed to have some drawbacks, this is the fact. Still, except people’s intentional misrepresentation of absolute data in the matter of drug use or misuse, there even cannot be evident large errors of mechanic origin, since modern equipment is engineered according to the latest scientific discoveries. This is the particular slightness of the opinion.  

Business Strategy And Planning Of Costcutter

Business Strategy And Planning Of Costcutter The corner shop or convenience store, as it is sometimes labelled, has been a feature of retail life in cities and towns from Roman times, if not earlier. To be sure, the Romans articulated the role of the convenience store in everyday life, developed its corporate identity and regarded it as an enterprise that operates optimally within the range of footfall. The Roman streetscape was littered with these stores, most engaging prominent positions, some even corner positions, but all dominating the facades of the masonry buildings they occupied. A characteristic of the Roman convenience store was its integration into the local market, sourcing locally grown farm produce, supplying locally refined products and distributing this merchandise at a local level. With the passage of time, the convenience store began to infiltrate the New World, and remained a characteristic feature of retail life in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States, until well after the Second World War. But from the 1960s, as the economies of the industrialised world entered a rapid phase of expansion, the supermarkets emerged as the dominant players in the retail grocery sector. Yet, the convenience store managed to survive as a viable economic entity. Nowadays, even supermarket giants such as Tesco and Sainsburys here in the United Kingdom, have begun to penetrate the lower echelons of the retail grocery sector with their own version of the corner shop. Using this concept as a launch pad, Tesco has already made inroads in the United States, though with varying degrees of success. Moreover, Tesco harbours further ambitions to establish its convenience scale outlets in such emerging economies as South Korea. On the face of it, very little appears to have changed over the millennia since the Romans devised the concept of the convenience store. Neighbourhood stores, if they form part of a larger national chain, are still obsessed with such issues as corporate image and identity, not to mention their strategic role in the local market.1 What has changed, however, is the largely oligopolistic nature of the retail grocery sector. By 2010, the major participants in this sector Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons controlled 65.4 per cent of a grocery market valued by industry analysts at a staggering  £118.2 billion2. Given the strongly oligopolistic character of this market, it is hardly surprising to observe that these key players have developed planning strategies that virtually anticipate their competitors next move. In other words, their behaviour is very much retaliatory! There is evidence, too, to suggest that this behaviour is being emulated in the convenience store segment of the market, where the hallmarks of oligopolistic competition are just starting to appear3. COSTCUTTER Costcutter is one of the United Kingdoms leading convenience store chains. Although the majority of the stores trading under its banner are based here, Costcutter also operates outlets in Northern Ireland and Poland. As a typical grocery retailer, Costcutter stocks a comprehensive range of groceries, alcoholic products, tobacco and confectionery. However, Costcutter operates two distinct retail store models : (a) the directly owned outlet; and (b) the independently owned franchised outlet. Both models benefit from economies of scale, so that as the organization grows, so too, does its purchasing power. Yet, those outlets that are independently owned tend to operate along the lines of a retailers cooperative. Costcutter has developed a high profile corporate image, which is bolstered by its own range of branded products. Groceries bearing the company brand name are often shelved alongside those of Nisa Today Costcutters warehousing and distribution affiliate. The companys headquarters are based in Yorkshire. As of December 2006, ownership of Costcutter is vested in James A Barry Co.4 COMPANY HISTORY Costcutter was founded in 1986 by Colin Graves, a former sales employee of the SPAR grocery group. In the short space of just 12 months, Graves set up seven stores in Yorkshire. By 1991, Costcutter had opened its first outlets in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In 1992, the company established a grocery distribution centre in Barnsley. It was then keen to develop its corporate image and identity. By the mid-1990s, Costcutter operated some 500 outlets throughout the United Kingdom, the majority of them franchise-owned. In 2004, Costcutter merged 50 of its outlets with the MURCO fuel distribution group. Thereafter, the Costcutter convenience store found its way onto the forecourts of an increasing number of MURCO petrol filling stations. In addition to their grocery lines, these stores stock car care products and accessories. Exponential growth followed. By 2007, largely driven by a successful franchise recruitment campaign, the total number of outlets under its corporate banner, grew to 1500. Sales turnover exceeded  £600m in 2010, making the company one of the most significant players in the grocery retail sector. For all that, Costcutter is not unlike the other key players in the convenience store market. Costcutter stores occupy prominent high street positions with a typical catchment area covering a radius of a quarter mile. The company continues to enjoy solid growth, though recently its development strategy increasingly promotes direct ownership of outlets. At present, more than 1200 stores in the chain are independently owned by franchisees.5 Business models, concepts and tools in business strategy and planning of costcutter At an early stage in its corporate history, Costcutter put growth at the centre of its retail development strategy. Indeed, the company conducts an aggressive retail recruitment drive to enlist new franchise owners. Ideally, the company seeks existing operations which engage high footfall volumes and occupy floor space of between 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. By contrast, the typical Sainsburys Local or Tesco Express occupies a floor space of between 2,000 to 6,000 square feet. Costcutter does not regard the absence of car parking as an issue. There are a number of advantages which Costcutter offers its franchise owners: an association with a well-established high profile retailer continuous retail training and technical support generous profit margins a loyalty scheme which rewards franchise owners for centralised purchasing improved credit terms both within the group and externally the cost benefits of group purchasing power fast and cost-effective Epos accounting and inventory control an efficient and reliable supply chain cycle a robust business development strategy deploying the services of a range manager to maximise profits and sales turnover extensive national, local and in store advertising6 As an adjunct to this, each franchised outlet is indelibly stamped with the Costcutter corporate identity. All newly franchised premises are refurbished to the Costcutter specification, though refits are tailored to a range of budgets. The process of nurturing company image is achieved through: a conspicuous company logo which largely resembles a banner distinctive company fascia advertising the use of a thematic colour palette to harmonise the in-store ambience the use of a standardised in-store lighting format in-store radio providing a continuous voice for product promotion the shelving of Costcutter branded products extensive advertising The cost of a Costcutter franchise is between  £70,000 to  £100,000. Annual management fees amount to  £1880. Projected first year net profit for a typical outlet is in the region of  £100,000.7 THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY At the heart of Costcutters retail development strategy is growth itself. It improves market share and even allows new products to be sold. Above all, growth promotes economies of scale. Such economies are reflected in the companys burgeoning purchasing power and presence in the wholesale distribution markets. From its inception, Costcutter has enjoyed continuous year-on-year growth, despite predatory competition from the huge multiples. Growth has been achieved through: the setting of annual expansion targets a vigorous franchise recruitment program, as noted above the defection of other franchisees from the ranks of competitors notably, from the SPAR group the direct acquisition of small groceries the purchase of other outlets under administration8 Continuous expansion of the Costcutter chain remains a development priority. Not surprisingly, Costcutter has devised an ambitious overseas expansion drive, which at present has targeted such emerging powerhouse economies as India and Pakistan. But such proposed international development is to be accompanied by further consolidation of its core business in the United Kingdom.9 In recent years, Costcutter established a close relationship with Nisa Today, the leading independent wholesale distributor of groceries throughout the UK. Critical to the companys development is the vertical integration of wholesale grocery distribution. Costcutters affiliation with Nisa Today partly achieves this objective. But in 2007, the Bibby Line group, a direct competitor to Nisa Today, acquired a 51% shareholding in Costcutter. In the event, Nisa Today has retaliated by establishing its own retail outlets.10 Despite this, the growth strategy of Costcutter remains the same. That approach incorporates a number of other marketing facets: the development of new lines, especially fresh, locally sourced products promotion of the concept of value for money a narrowing of the cost profile between its outlets and those of the huge multiples promotion of the concept that Costcutter can deliver quality food as needed, thereby avoiding the arduous weekly shopping event an increasing investment in technology, especially as its relates to online marketing the promulgation of a company ethos, culture and set of values, as noted below11 Appraise processes of Costcutter to identify their goals and values THE COSTCUTTER ETHOS Not unlike Tesco, Costcutter espouses a human relations approach that values its customers and staff. The company prides itself in the marketing of fresh, quality products. But unlike Tesco employees and management, Costcutters staff are versatile individuals, well versed in product knowledge across its full range. In addition, all staff together with franchise owners, benefit from continuous retail training. All franchise owners undergo a rigorous induction course. Furthermore, the company has established its own academy to equip store managers and their staff with cutting edge retail techniques. The development of customer loyalty through harmonious relations and rapport is central to the company ethos.12 ANALYSIS OF THE COSTCUTTER GROUP Central to the development strategy of the Costcutter group is its continuing growth. Using the convenience store model it has developed for the UK market, Costcutter is poised to make significant inroads into the emerging markets of Asia. But it is here in the United Kingdom, that Costcutter has reached a mature stage in its evolution. At the top end of the grocery retail sector, leviathans such as Tesco and Asda compete for market share, in what is overwhelmingly an oligopolistic market. Retaliatory marketing techniques are a conspicuous feature of such markets, as these companies clearly demonstrate. Yet, as companies like Costcutter continue to expand, even the bottom end of the retail grocery sector is beginning to display oligopolistic behaviour. Second guessing the competitors next move is par for the course. Nevertheless, Costcutter seems well positioned to fare better than most of its competitors, as it signs up an increasing number of franchisees, attracted by its generous profit margins and reduced overheads. 4.0 CONCLUSION The convenience store has endured as a potent force in the retail grocery sector, despite increasing competition from the huge multiples, such as Tesco and Sainsburys. Indeed, the blue print for the convenience store has largely remained the same since the Romans articulated its role in everyday life. Costcutter remains a robust example of the convenience store concept. The floor space of the typical Costcutter outlet is less than one quarter that of its major rivals notably, Sainsburys Local and Tesco Express. In this way, the typical Costcutter outlet manages to reduce its overhead costs, and at the same time, benefit from the substantial purchasing power of the Costcutter group itself. As a convenience store chain, Costcutter lacks the bureaucratic structure of the huge multiples. Instead, it fosters a more flexible and independent approach to its management. Such flexibility enables its local outlets to purchase outside the central distribution arm of the organization. In recent times, this has allowed the company to stock more local fresh produce. Thus, Costcutter can be perceived as a highly evolved and adaptable form of enterprise, and one which is not just sensitive to the tastes and preferences of the local market, but in some instances, equally sensitive to its ethnic composition.

The Odyssey Essay -- Homer, Odyssey Essays

The Odyssey details Odysseus’ arduous return to his homeland. Ten years have passed since the end of the Trojan war and Odysseus, the â€Å"most cursed man alive†, has been missing and presumed dead by many. (10.79). Throughout the novel, gods play a significant role in the fate of Odysseus and other characters. The extent of the gods’ role though is not unqualified, contrary to Telemachus’ suggestion that, â€Å"Zeus is to blame./He deals to each and every/ laborer on this earth whatever doom he pleases† (1.401-403). While Zeus does have this power, his description of how humans meet their fate is more accurately depicted throughout the novel. As he aptly points out, â€Å"from us alone, the say, come all their miseries, yes,/ but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,/ compound their pain beyond their proper share† (1.38-52). While the gods do doom certain mortals, many of these mortals exacerbate their ill fate by making ras h decisions and ignoring the gods’ warnings. The gods are also not always disrupting mortals lives; they often aid mortals in need. In fact, mortals who effectively court the favor of the gods often benefit greatly. While the gods’ powers are unquestionable, no one god’s power is insurmountable. Gods can be outsmarted and their wrath escaped. The Odyssey, in congruence with Zeus’ statement, ultimately, portrays human freedom as existent, but limited. While mortals do not unjustly complain about their fates, they fail to acknowledge that they are also responsible for their ill fate, as mortals themselves, possess a sizable degree of control. There is little doubt that Odysseus and his crew are unlucky, but had it not been for their brash decisions they would have reached Ithaca much sooner. After Od... ...st have some level of freedom, even if it is limited. Telemachus is valid in complaining of how Zeus dooms mortals. Zeus, unequivocally, causes many mortals pain and suffering. Zeus, though, aptly points out that mortals magnify their own pain and suffering. Zeus’ ability to acknowledge that gods are the root of mortals’ pain strengthens his credibility. Mortals’ abilities to successfully navigate their circumstances will lead to an easier life. If mortals are able to avoid the ill will of the gods, by securing the favor of the gods and making intelligent decisions, they will not â€Å"compound their pain beyond their proper share† (1.52). The final position of The Odyssey supports Zeus’ belief in regard to mortals’ misery, since he acknowledges his own role in their suffering, which is clearly evident, while also recognizing how mortals increase their own pain.

Preschool Assessment Essay

This paper addresses the many questions the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation has received about testing four-year-olds. Our reasons for sharing this paper with early childhood practitioners, policymakers, and parents is three-fold: (a) to provide basic information about the terms and issues surrounding assessment; (b) to add an empirical and pragmatic perspective to what can sometimes be an impassioned debate; and (c) to affirm our commitment to doing what is best for young children and supporting those who develop the programs and policies that serve them. High/Scope believes child assessment is a vital and necessary component of all high quality early childhood programs. Assessment is important to understand and support young children’s development. It is also essential to document and evaluate how effectively programs are meeting their educational needs, in the broadest sense of this term. For assessment to occur, it must be feasible. That is, it must meet reasonable criteria regarding its efficiency, cost, and so on. If assessment places an undue burden on programs or evaluators, it will not be undertaken at all and the lack of data will hurt all concerned. In addition to feasibility, however, assessment must also meet the demands of ecological validity. The assessment must addresses the criteria outlined below for informing us about what children in real programs are learning and doing every day. Efficiency and ecological validity are not mutually exclusive, but must sometimes be balanced against one another. Our challenge is to find the best balance under the conditions given and, when necessary, to work toward altering those conditions. Practically speaking, this means we must continue to serve children using research-based practices, fulfill mandates to secure program resources, and improve assessment procedures to better realize our ideal. This paper sets forth the criteria to be considered in striving to make early childhood assessment adhere to these highest standards. Background The concern with assessment in the early childhood field is not new. Decades of debate are summarized in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) publication Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1992). This position statement has just been expanded in a new document titled Early Childhood Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation: Building an Effective, Accountable System in Programs for Children Birth through Age 8 (www. naeyc. org/resources/position_statements/pscape. asp). 1  What is new in this ongoing debate is the heightened attention to testing young children as a means of holding programs accountable for their learning. Assessment in the Classroom (Airasian, 2002) offers the following definitions: Assessment is the process of collecting, synthesizing, and interpreting information to aid classroom decision-making. It includes information gathered about pupils, instruction, and classroom climate. Testing is a formal, systematic procedure for gathering a sample of pupils’ behavior. The results of a test are used to make generalizations about how pupils would have performed in similar but untested behaviors. Testing is one form of assessment. It usually involves a series of direct requests to children to perform, within a set period of time, specific tasks designed and administered by adults, with predetermined correct answers. By contrast, alternative forms of assessment may be completed either by adults or children, are more open-ended, and often look at performance over an extended period of time. Examples include objective observations, portfolio analyses of individual and collaborative work, and teacher and parent ratings of children’s behavior. The current testing initiative focuses primarily on literacy and to a lesser extent numeracy. The rationale for this initiative, advanced in the No Child Left Behind Act and supported by the report of the National Reading Panel (2000), is that young children should acquire a prescribed body of knowledge and academic skills to be ready for school. Social domains of school readiness, while also touted as essential in a series of National Research Council reports (notably Eager to Learn, 2000a and Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000b), are admittedly neither as widely mandated nor as â€Å"testable† as their academic counterparts. Hence, whether justified or not, they do not figure as prominently in the testing and accountability debate. This information paper responds to questions being asked of early childhood leaders about the use and misuse of testing for preschoolers 3 to 5 years old. This response is not merely a reactive gesture nor an attempt to advance and defend a specific position. Rather, the paper is intended as a resource to provide information about when and how preschool assessment in general, and testing and other forms of assessment in particular, can be appropriately used to inform policy decisions about early childhood programming. As a framework for providing this information, High/Scope accepts two realities. First, testing is, will be, and in fact always has been, used to answer questions about the effectiveness of early childhood interventions. Since early childhood programs attempt to increase children’s knowledge and skills in specific content areas, evaluators have traditionally used testing, along with other assessment strategies, to determine whether these educational objectives have been achieved. Second, program accountability is essential, and testing is one efficient means of measuring it. Numerous research studies show that high quality programs can enhance the academic and lifetime achievement of children at risk of school failure. This conclusion has 2 resulted in an infusion of public and private dollars in early education. It is reasonable to ask whether this investment is achieving its goal. Testing can play a role in answering this accountability question. With this reality as a background, this information paper proceeds to address two questions. First, given the current pervasive use of testing and its  probably expansion, when and under what conditions can this type of assessment be used appropriately with preschool-age children? That is, what characteristics of tests and their administration will guarantee that we â€Å"do no harm† to children and that we â€Å"do help† adults acquire valid information? Second, given that even the most well-designed tests can provide only limited data, how can we maximize the use of non-test assessments so they too add valuable information over and above that obtained through standardized testing procedures? General Issues in Assessment Uses of Child Assessment  Assessment can provide four types of information for and about children, and their parents, teachers, and programs. Child assessment can: 1. Identify children who may be in need of specialized services. Screening children to determine whether they would benefit from specific interventions is appropriate when parents, teachers, or other professionals suspect a problem. In these cases, assessments in several related domains are then usually administered to the child. In addition, data from parents and other adults involved with the child are considered in determining a diagnosis and course of treatment. 2. Plan instruction for individuals and groups of children. Assessment data can be used by teachers to support the development of individual children, as well as to plan instructional activities for the class as a whole. In addition, information on developmental progress can and should be shared with parents to help them understand what and how their children are learning in the classroom and how they can extend this learning at home. 3. Identify program improvement and staff development needs. Child assessments can provide formative evaluation data that benefit program and staff development. Findings can point to areas of the curriculum that need further articulation or resources, or areas where staff need professional development. If children in the classroom as a whole are not making progress in certain developmental domains, it is possible that the curriculum needs revision or that teachers need some additional training. In conducting formative evaluations, child data are best combined with program data that measure overall quality, fidelity to curriculum implementation standards, and specific teaching practices. 4. Evaluate how well a program is meeting goals for children. It is this fourth purpose, sometimes called outcome or summative evaluation, that is the primary focus of this paper. 3 Note that it is the program, not the child, who should be held accountable. Although data may be collected on individual children, data should be aggregated to determine whether the program is achieving its desired outcomes. These outcomes may be defined by the program itself and/or by national, state, or district standards. How the outcomes are measured is determined by the inextricable link between curriculum and assessment. Ideally, if a curriculum has clear learning objectives, those will drive the form and content of the measures. Conversely, thoughtful design of an appropriate assessment tool can encourage program developers to consider what and how adults should be teaching young children. Reliability and Validity Any formal assessment tool or method should meet established criteria for validity and reliability (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council of Measurement in Education, 1999). Reliability is defined as how well various measurements of something agree with each other, for example, whether a group of similar test items or two observers completing the same items have similar results. Validity has several dimensions. Content or face validity refers to how well an instrument measures what it claims to measure; ecological validity refers to the authenticity of the measurement context; and construct validity deals with the measure’s conceptual integrity. In assessing young children, two aspects of validity have special importance—developmental validity and predictive validity. Developmental validity means that the performance items being measured are developmentally suitable for the children being assessed. Predictive validity means the measure can predict children’s later school success or failure, as defined by achievement test scores or academic placements (on-grade, retained in grade, or placed in special education) during the elementary grades. Over the longer term, predictive validity can even refer to such outcomes as adult literacy, employment, or avoiding criminal activity. In Principles and Recommendations for Early Childhood Assessments, the National Education Goals Panel (1998) noted that â€Å"the younger the child, the more difficult it is to obtain reliable and valid assessment data. It is particularly difficult to assess children’s cognitive abilities accurately before age 6† (p. 5). Meisels (2003) claims â€Å"research demonstrates that no more than 25 per cent of early academic or cognitive performance is predicted from information obtained from preschool or kindergarten tests† (p. 29). Growth in the early years is rapid, episodic, and highly influenced by environmental supports. Performance is influenced by children’s emotional and motivational states, and by the assessment conditions themselves. Because these individual and situational factors affect reliability and validity, the Panel recommended that assessment of young children be pursued with the necessary safeguards and caveats about the accuracy of the decisions that can be drawn from the results. These procedures and cautions are explored below. 4 Testing. Appropriate Uses of Testing Standardized tests are used to obtain information on whether a program is achieving its desired outcomes. They are considered objective, time- and cost-efficient, and suitable for making quantitative comparisons. Testing can provide valid data when used appropriately and matched to developmental levels. Moreover, tests can act as teaching tools by providing a window into what children already know and where they need more time, practice, and/or help to improve. Creating a valid assessment for young children is a difficult task. It must be meaningful and authentic, evaluate a valid sample of information learned, be based on performance standards that are genuine benchmarks, avoid arbitrary cut-off scores or norms, and have authentic scoring. The context for the test should be rich, realistic, and enticing (Wiggins, 1992). It is therefore incumbent upon the creators of assessment tools to design instruments that—unlike artificial drills— resemble natural performance. If these conditions are met, young children are more likely to recognize what is being asked of them, thus increasing the reliability and validity of the results. Criteria of Reliable and Valid Preschool Tests Both the content and administration of tests must respect young children’s developmental characteristics. Otherwise the resulting data will be neither reliable nor valid. Worse, the testing experience may be negative for the child and perhaps the tester as well. Further, the knowledge and skills measured in the testing situation must be transferable and applicable in real-world settings. Otherwise the information gathered has no practical value. To produce meaningful data and minimize the risk of creating a harmful situation, tests for preschool-age children should satisfy the following criteria: 1. Tests should not make children feel anxious or scared. They should not threaten their selfesteem or make them feel they have failed. Tests should acknowledge what children know—or have the potential to learn—rather than penalizing them for what they do not know. 2. Testing should take place in, or simulate, the natural environment of the classroom. It should avoid placing the child in an artificial situation. Otherwise, the test may measure the child’s response to the test setting rather than the child’s ability to perform on the test content. 3. Tests should measure real knowledge in the context of real activities. In other words, the test activities as well as the test setting should not be contrived. They should resemble children’s ordinary activities as closely as possible, for example, discussing a book as the adult reads it. Furthermore, tests should measure broad concepts rather than narrow skills, for example, alphabetic and letter knowledge sampled from this domain rather than familiarity with specific letters chosen by the adult. 5 4. The tester should be someone familiar to the child. Ideally, the person administering the test would be a teacher or another adult who interacts regularly with the child. When an outside researcher or evaluator must administer the test, it is best if the individual(s) spend time in the classroom beforehand, becoming a familiar and friendly figure to the children. If this is not feasible, the appearance and demeanor of the tester(s) should be as similar as possible to adults with whom the child regularly comes in contact. 5. To the extent possible, testing should be conducted as a natural part of daily activities rather than as a time-added or pullout activity. Meeting this criterion helps to satisfy the earlier standards of a familiar place and tester, especially if the test can be administered in the context of a normal part of the daily routine (for example, assessing book knowledge during a regular reading period). In addition, testing that is integrated into standard routines avoids placing an additional burden on teachers or detracting from children’s instructional time. 6. The information should be obtained over time. A single encounter, especially if brief, can produce inaccurate or distorted data. For example, a child may be ill, hungry, or distracted at the moment of testing. The test is then measuring the child’s interest or willingness to respond rather than the child’s knowledge or ability with respect to the question(s) being asked. If timedistributed measurements are not feasible, then testers should note unusual circumstances in the situation (e. g. , noise) or child (e. g. , fatigue) that could render single-encounter results invalid and should either schedule a re-assessment or discount the results in such cases. 7. When repeated instances of data gathering are not feasible (e.g. , due to time or budgetary constraints), an attempt should be made to obtain information on the same content area from multiple and diverse sources. Just as young children have different styles of learning, so they will differentially demonstrate their knowledge and skills under varying modes of assessment. For example, a complete and accurate measure of letter knowledge may involve tests that employ both generative and recognition strategies. 8. The length of the test should be sensitive to young children’s interests and attention spans. If a test is conducted during a regular program activity (e. g. , small-group time), the test should last no longer than is typical for that activity. If it is necessary to conduct testing outside regular activities, the assessment period should last 10–20 minutes. Further, testers should be sensitive to children’s comfort and engagement levels, and take a break or continue the test at another day and time if the child cannot or does not want to proceed. 9. Testing for purposes of program accountability should employ appropriate sampling methods whenever feasible. Testing a representative sample of the children who participate in a program avoids the need to test every child and/or to administer all tests to any one child. Sampling strategies reduce the overall time spent in testing, and minimize the chances for placing undue stress on individual children or burdening individual teachers and classrooms. 6 Alternative Child Assessment Methods Alternative forms of assessment may be used by those who have reservations about, or want to supplement, standardized tests. These other methods often fall under the banner of â€Å"authentic† assessments. They engage children in tasks that are personally meaningful, take place in real life contexts, and are grounded in naturally occurring instructional activities. They offer multiple ways of evaluating students’ learning, as well as their motivation, achievement, and attitudes. This type of assessment is consistent with the goals, curriculum, and instructional practices of the classroom or program with which it is associated (McLaughlin & Vogt, 1997; Paris & Ayres, 1994). Authentic assessments do not rely on unrealistic or arbitrary time constraints, nor do they emphasize instant recall or depend on lucky guesses. Progress toward mastery is the key, and content is mastered as a means, not as an end (Wiggins, 1989). To document accomplishments, assessments must be designed to be longitudinal, to sample the baseline, the increment, and the preserved levels of change that follow from instruction (Wolf, Bixby, Glenn & Gardener, 1991). Alternative assessment can be more expensive than testing. Like their counterparts in testing, authentic measures must meet psychometric standards of demonstrated reliability and validity. Their use, especially on a widespread scale, requires adequate resources. Assessors must be trained to acceptable levels of reliability. Data collection, coding, entry, and analysis are also time- and cost-intensive. This investment can be seen as reasonable and necessary, however, if the goal is to produce valid information. Alternative child assessment procedures that can meet the criteria of reliability and validity include observations, portfolios, and ratings of children by teachers and parents. These are described below. Observations In assessing young children, the principal alternative to testing is systematic observation of children’s activities in their day-to-day settings. Observation fits an interactive style of curriculum, in which give-and-take between teacher and child is the norm. Although careful observation requires effort, the approach has high ecological validity and intrudes minimally into what children are doing. Children’s activities naturally integrate all dimensions of their development—intellectual, motivational, social, physical, aesthetic, and so on. Anecdotal notes alone, however, are not sufficient for good assessment. They do not offer criteria against which to judge the developmental value of children’s activities or provide evidence of reliability and validity. Instead, anecdotal notes should be used to complete developmental scales of proven reliability and validity. Such an approach permits children to engage in activities any time and anywhere that teachers can see them. It defines categories of acceptable answers rather than single right answers. It expects the teacher to set the framework for children to initiate their own activities. It embraces a broad definition of child development that includes not only language and mathematics, but also initiative, social relations, physical skills, and the arts. It is culturally sensitive when teachers are trained observers who focus on objective, culturally neutral descriptions of behavior (for example, â€Å"Pat hit Bob†) rather than subjective, culturally loaded 7 interpretations (for example, â€Å"Pat was very angry with Bob†). Finally, it empowers teachers by recognizing their judgment as essential to accurate assessment. Portfolios One of the most fitting ways to undertake authentic, meaningful evaluation is through the use of a well-constructed portfolio system. Arter and Spandel (1991) define a portfolio as a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of the student’s efforts, progress, or achievement in (a) given area(s). This collection must include student participation in selection of portfolio content, the guidelines for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection (p. 36). Portfolios describe both a place (the physical space where they are stored) and a process. The process provides richer information than standardized tests, involves multiple sources and methods of data collection, and occurs over a representative period of time (Shaklee, Barbour, Ambrose, & Hansford, 1997). Portfolios have additional value. They encourage two- and three-way collaboration between students, teachers, and parents; promote ownership and motivation; integrate assessment with instruction and learning; and establish a quantitative and qualitative record of progress over time (Paris & Ayres, 1994; Paulson, Paulson, & Meyer, 1991; Wolf & Siu-Runyan, 1996; Valencia, 1990). â€Å"Portfolios encourage teachers and students to focus on important student outcomes, provide parents and the community with credible evidence of student achievement, and inform policy and practice at every level of the educational system† (Herman & Winters, 1994, p. 48). The purposes for which portfolios are used are as variable as the programs that use them (Graves & Sunstein, 1993; Valencia, 1990; Wolf & Siu-Runyan, 1996). In some programs, they are simply a place to store best work that has been graded in a traditional manner. In others, they are used to create longitudinal systems to demonstrate the process leading to the products and to design evaluative rubrics for program accountability. There are also programs that merely have students collect work that is important to them as a personal, non-evaluative record of their achievements. When portfolios are not used to judge ability in some agreed-upon fashion, they are usually not highly structured and may not even include reflective pieces that demonstrate student growth and understanding. Portfolios are most commonly thought of as alternative assessments in  elementary and secondary schools. Yet they have long been used in preschools to document and share children’s progress with parents, administrators, and others. For portfolios to be used for program accountability, as well as student learning and reflection, the evaluated outcomes must be aligned with curriculum and instruction. Children must have some choice about what to include in order to feel ownership and pride. Portfolios should document the creative or problem-solving process as they display the product, encouraging children to reflect on their actions. Conversations with children about their portfolios engages them in the evaluation process and escalates their desire to demonstrate their 8 increasing knowledge and skills. Sharing portfolios with parents can help teachers connect school activities to the home and involve parents in their children’s education. Teacher Ratings Teacher ratings are a way to organize teacher perceptions of children’s development into scales for which reliability and validity can be assessed. Children’s grades on report cards are the most common type of teacher rating system. When completed objectively, report-card grades are tied to students’ performance on indicators with delineated scoring criteria, such as examinations or projects evaluated according to explicitly defined criteria. In these ways, teacher ratings can be specifically related to other types of child assessments including scores on standardized tests or other validated assessment tools, concrete and specific behavioral descriptions (e. g. , frequency of participation in group activities, ability to recognize the letters in one’s name), or global assessments of children’s traits (e. g. , cooperative, sociable, hard-working). Research shows that teacher ratings can have considerable short- and long-term predictive validity throughout later school years and even into adulthood (Schweinhart, Barnes, & Weikart, 1993). Parent Ratings Parent ratings are a way to organize parent perceptions of children’s development into scales for which reliability and validity can be assessed. Soliciting parent ratings is an excellent way for teachers to involve them as partners in the assessment of their children’s performance. The very process of completing scales can inform parents about the kinds of behaviors and milestones that are important in young children’s development. It also encourages parents to observe and listen to their children as they gather the data needed to rate their performance. An example of the use of parent ratings is the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) study, in which parents’ ratings of their children’s abilities and progress were related to measures of classroom quality and child outcomes (Zill, Connell, McKey, O’Brien et al. , 2001). Conclusion Recent years have seen a growing public interest in early childhood education. Along with that support has come the use of â€Å"high stakes† assessment to justify the expense and apportion the dollars. With so much at stake—the future of our nation’s children—it is imperative that we proceed correctly. Above all, we must guarantee that assessment reflects our highest educational goals for young children and neither restricts nor distorts the substance of their early learning. This paper sets forth the criteria for a comprehensive and balanced assessment system that meets the need for accountability while respecting the welfare and development of young children. Such a system can include testing, provided it measures applicable knowledge and skills in a safe and child-affirming situation. It can also include alternative assessments, provided they too meet psychometric standards of reliability and validity. Developing and implementing a balanced approach to assessment is not an easy or inexpensive undertaking. But because we value our children and respect those charged with their care, it is an investment worth making. 9 References Airasian, P. (2 002). A ssessment in the classroom. New Y ork: Mc Graw-H ill. American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council of Measu rement in E ducation. (1 999). S tanda rds for edu cationa l and psy cholog ical testing. W ashington, DC: American Psychological Association. Arter, J. A. , & Spande l, V. (199 2). Using p ortfolios of stud ent work in instru ction and a ssessment. E ducational Measurement Issues and Practice, 36–44. Brede kamp, S. , & Rosegra nt, T. (Ed s. ) (1992 ). R eaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children . Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Graves, D . H. , & Sun stein, B. S. (19 92). P ortfolio p ortraits . New Hampshire: Heinemann. Herma n, J. L. , & W inters, L. (199 4). Portfo lio research: A slim collection . E duca tional Lea dership , 5 2 (2), 48–55. McLa ughlin, M. , & Vogt, M . (1997) . P ortfolios in teacher education . Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association. 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(20 00a). E ager to learn : Educating our preschoo lers. W ashington, DC: National Academy P ress. National R esearch C ouncil. (20 00b). N eurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, D C: National Acad emy Press. Paris, S. G . , & Ayers, L. R . (1994) . B ecom ing reflective s tudents a nd teach ers with po rtfolios and authen tic assessment. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Paulson, F. L. , Paulson, P. R. , & Meyer, C. A. (1991). What makes a portfolio a portfolio? E duca tional Lea dership , 48 (5), 60–63. Schweinha rt, L. J. , Barne s, H. V. , & Weika rt, D. P. (19 93). S ignificant benefits: The High/Scope Perry Preschool study through age 27 . Ypsilanti, MI: High/Sco pe Press. Shaklee, B . D. , Barb our, N. E ., Ambros e, R. , & H ansford, S. J . (1997) . D esigning and using portfolios. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Valencia , S. W. (1 990). A portfolio ap proach to classroom reading asse ssment: Th e whys, whats an d hows. T he Reading Teacher , 4 3 (4), 338–340. Wiggins, G . (1992) . Creating tests wo rth taking. E duca tional Lea dership , 4 9 (8), 26–33. Wolf, D. , Bixby, J. , Glenn, J. , & Gardner, H. (1991). To use their minds well: Investigating new forms of student assessment. In G. Gran t (Ed. ), R eview of research in education, V ol 17 ( pp. 31–74). Washington D. C. : American Educational Research Association. Wolf, K . , & Siu-Run yan, Y.(19 96). Po rtfolio purpo ses and po ssibilities. J ournal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 40 (1), 30–37. Zill, N. , Conn ell, D. , Mc Key, R. H . , O’Brien, R . et al. (2001 , January). H ead Start FACES: Longitudinal Findings on Pro gram P erforma nce, Third Progres s Report. W ashington, DC: Administration on Children, Youth and Families, U. S. Depa rtment of Health and H uman Services. 10 High/Scope Assessment Resources High/Scope has developed and validated three preschool assessment instruments. Two are for children, one focusing specifically on literacy and the other more broadly on multiple domains of development. The third measure is used to assess and improve the quality of all aspects of early childhood programs. These alternative assessments are described below. Early Literacy Assessment In the Fall of 2004, High/Scope will release the Early Literacy Assessment (ELA), which will evaluate the four key principles of early literacy documented in the Early Reading First Grants and the No Child Left Behind legislation: phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, comprehension, and concepts about print. Evaluation will take place in a meaningful context that is familiar to children.