Environmental Forces Affecting B&Q In The UK Essay

Environmental Forces Affecting B&Q In The UK - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the performance of a major competitor of UK’s home improvement retail industry: B&Q. The particular organization has achieved to acquire a large share of the particular market, as analyzed below. Still, concerns exist in regard to the firm’s ability to keep its profitability high in the long term. The firm’s macro environment has been reviewed and evaluated using an appropriate strategic management tool, the PESTEL analysis. At the same time, an internal micro analysis has taken place for checking the potentials of the organization to manage risks related to its daily operations and to stabilize its profitability. It has been made clear that the power of B&Q to achieve a long term growth cannot be guaranteed, especially since the UK economy is not stabilized. A strategy is proposed for helping the organization to face the external forces related to the particular market and to respond to the needs of its changing environment.In order to u nderstand the environmental forces that affect B&Q it would be necessary to understand the characteristics of these forces, as they are related to the operations of the particular organization. In general, the term macro-environment is used for describing a firm’s â€Å"external forces and agencies† (Reynolds and Lancaste 2012, p.32). The most popular strategic tool for evaluating a firm’s macro environment is PESTEL analysis (Cunningham and Harney 2012). ... The most popular strategic tool for evaluating a firm’s macro environment is PESTEL analysis (Cunningham and Harney 2012). When using PESTEL analysis for explaining a firm’s macro environment it should be necessary to take into consideration the following fact: not all parts of this framework will equally influence the relationship between the firm and its external environment (Cunningham and Harney 2012). Reference can be made to the following example: for pharmaceutical firms patents will have a key importance for measuring these firms’ potentials to face their external forces (Cunningham and Harney 2012). In the case of firms operating in the services industry emphasis should be given on demographics, as a factor that will influence the relationship between these firms and their external environment (Cunningham and Harney 2012). The PESTEL analysis refers to the macro environment of organizations. It should be noted that the particular framework helps to ident ify the factors that affect â€Å"the whole economy and not only a particular organization† (Bowhill 2008, p.331). In the context of the PESTEL analysis the macro environment of B&Q could be analyzed as follows: a) Political; the political environment of UK is quite stable. The current government has tried to enhance the stability of the economy by keeping inflation low, at least compared to other countries (Wood 2011). It should be noted that no threats seem to exist for potential turbulences in the UK political sector (Wood 2011). As a result, B&Q would not be threatened by the specific element, i.e. the political framework, of its macro environment. Still, the challenges that the

Mersey Side Case Essay Example for Free

Mersey Side Case Essay Background Problem Statement Diamond chemicals is a leading propylene producer and a major player in the chemicals industry worldwide. However the share of the company had fallen from  £60 at the end of 1999 to  £30 in 2000 on account of worldwide economic slowdown and poor financial performance. Given the prevalent scenario, it was time to obtain funds from corporate headquarters for a modernization program for Merseyside project. This project will not only renovate and rationalize a production line but also make up for deferred maintenance and increase production efficiency. Lucy Morris is the Plant Manager at Merseyside and by nature she is a high achiever and a Notre dame MBA. Frank Greystock is the Controller, President of Diamond Chemicals. To make a compelling case, Frank and Lucy try to make a financial model to calculate the NPV, IRR and Payback period for this project but are challenged on several aspects. To pursue their endeavor, they need to correct the model as per the feedback from the shareholders and management. Thus the problem statement is to suggest corrections to the existing model and thus calculate the NPV, IRR and payback period which would not be challenged further and the project could be approved. Methodology and Results In addition to the baseline model presented in Exhibit 2 of the case study, four cash flow models were built considering the following criteria: * Cannibalization: This model was directly taken from the case study and was used as a starting point for reference. This model presents the information that Greystock included on the analysis that was submitted to Morris. Cannibalization of demand: This model reflects a reduced output at Rotterdam. The cannibalization aspect is obtained by shifting the added volume from the plant in Holland (Rotterdam) to the plant England (Merseyside) regardless of the fact that both plants operate under the same company. * Excess transport needed: This model accounts for a  £2 million  for the purchase of rolling stock to support the anticipated growth of the firm. The funds would be used to purchase tank cars to be used at Merseyside. * Including EPC project: This model includes the recommendation provided by Griffin Tewitt, assistant plant manager at Merseyside. This model reflects the detrimental effects of including a project that adds no value, to the original model. By itself, the EPC project does not stand a chance of approval, thus the only effect that it has, by bundling with the polypropylene project, is to increase the paylack period, lower NPV and reduce the IRR of the overall project. * Recommended model which consists all the right variables’ values: This model contains all the adjusted variable with the recommendations that our team would follow, if placed in the position of Morris. This accounts for The Results from these were as follows: | Baseline| Cannibalized| Excess Transport| EPC| Recommended| IRR| 25.9%| 21%| 22%| 21.43%| 31.47%| NPV (MM)|  £ 8.95 |  £ 5.75 |  £ 6.16 |  £ 5.00 |  £ 13.37 | PBP (Yrs)| 3.61| 4.09| 3.95| 4.08| 3.20| Thus we can see for the recommended model as the NPV is  £ 13.4 Million and the investment required it  £ 9 Million, it is a lucrative project. The recommended model above considers a 3% inflation which varies from 1.2 – 5.1% in UK. Considering this variation the following graph shows how the NPV and IRR would change with inflation The company charges a 3.5% for overhead investments. However, as the project is expected to reduce overhead costs, increase efficiency, output and reduce the power consumption, this overhead investment fee should be waived. If this waiver is implemented, the NPV increases to  £15.0 Million. The Purchase Cost of Rolling Stock is currently considered as  £ 2 Million. This would be used for transportation needs arising due to the anticipated excessive demand. However this investment would be made regardless of the project and hence only a part of the investment should be considered for the modeling purposes. What proportion of the investment would be used  specifically for this project will determine the value of the Purchase Cost of Rolling Stock that would be definitely lesser than  £2 Million. Currently, the model is based on the assumption that the production will run on full capacity and the sales team will be able to sell all of the throughput. This assumption should be tested and, if not valid, the variation should be accounted in the model. Conclusions and Recommendations * Using the recommended model as a basis for comparison, against the original model, Merseyside is a promising project because the NPV is  £ 13.4 Million and the investment cost is  £ 9 Million with a payback period of 3.2 years and IRR of 31.47%. . * Greystock’s model did not account for inflation. The inflation rate of 3% should be considered in the final analysis. This changes the NPV from  £9.7 Million to  £13.4 Million, a  £3.7 Million difference. * The sunk costs  £0.5 Million should not be considered * In case the overhead investment cost can be waived as the project itself aims at reducing overhead investments; the NPV would be  £ 15.0 Million * The Purchase Cost of Rolling Stock is considered  £ 2 Million which can be lowered considering the actual increase in transportation * The Customer retention can vary and depending on the anticipated demand the NPV, IRR and Payback period might change References: i. Darden Business Publishing: Diamond Chemicals PLC (A): The Merseyside Project ii. http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/inflationreport/infrep.aspx iii. Class 1 2 Presentations from Operations Cost and Risk Management

Narrators in Faulkner’s Barn Burning and The Unvanquished Essay

Narrators in Faulkner’s Barn Burning and The Unvanquished â€Å"Barn Burning† and The Unvanquished present very different ways to tell a story. In â€Å"Barn Burning,† Faulkner uses a third person, limited omniscient point of view that allows him to enter the mind of the story’s protagonist, Colonel Sartoris Snopes. In this point of view, the narrator establishes that the story took place in the past by commenting that â€Å"Later, twenty years later, he was too tell himself, ‘If I had said they wanted only truth, justice, he would have it me again.’ But now he said nothing† (8). The narrator of â€Å"Barn Burning† develops Colonel Sartoris as a child by describing his relationship with his father; no matter how many times Ab Snopes burns a barn or strikes his son, Colonel Sartoris wants to believe in his father’s goodness and potential for change. In the first half of The Unvanquished, Bayard Sartoris’s character often reflects innocence and naivetà ©, but Faulkner develops the character in an entirely different way. Rather than using a third-person limited omniscient narrator to describe Bayar... Narrators in Faulkner’s Barn Burning and The Unvanquished Essay Narrators in Faulkner’s Barn Burning and The Unvanquished â€Å"Barn Burning† and The Unvanquished present very different ways to tell a story. In â€Å"Barn Burning,† Faulkner uses a third person, limited omniscient point of view that allows him to enter the mind of the story’s protagonist, Colonel Sartoris Snopes. In this point of view, the narrator establishes that the story took place in the past by commenting that â€Å"Later, twenty years later, he was too tell himself, ‘If I had said they wanted only truth, justice, he would have it me again.’ But now he said nothing† (8). The narrator of â€Å"Barn Burning† develops Colonel Sartoris as a child by describing his relationship with his father; no matter how many times Ab Snopes burns a barn or strikes his son, Colonel Sartoris wants to believe in his father’s goodness and potential for change. In the first half of The Unvanquished, Bayard Sartoris’s character often reflects innocence and naivetà ©, but Faulkner develops the character in an entirely different way. Rather than using a third-person limited omniscient narrator to describe Bayar...

Is Macbeth truly an evil-tyrant, or is he a tragic hero? Essay

The first thing that we must take into account when analysing Macbeths character is that he is a normal human being, and like normal human beings, he has moments of weakness which when played upon can result in huge mistakes. The story of Macbeth is an example of power at the expense of everything else. He begins the play as a strong character, much admired and respected, and we witness his personality and actions become more and more deceitful which eventually leads to his destruction. The first thing we hear of Macbeth is people singing his praises. We hear the Captain say ‘For Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and Duncan greeting him, ‘O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman.’ Surely somebody so highly praised could not be an evil person†¦? Macbeth was an honourable gentleman with no criminal tendencies. With so many people praising his courageous fighting, he returns from a victorious battle, puffed-up with self-love that demands ever-increasing recognition of his greatness. The first flaw in his personality is that he takes the praise too much to heart and begins to believe that he deserves great rewards. When he then meets the weird sisters, they prey upon his new-found egotism, predicting his greatest dreams to be reachable. They greet him, ‘Thane of Glamis†¦Thane of Cawdor†¦King hereafter.’ After this initial meeting, he pushes aside their prediction until it arises that he has been given the post, Thane of Cawdor. This seems too coincidental to him to be able to brush off. There are two main driving forces behind Macbeth’s own self-destruction. The first being the witches involvement in encouraging his ambition, and the second, his wife, Lady Macbeth’s clever emotional manipulation and her blackmailing him into his first evil deed. The witches have basically hit his vulnerable spot by telling him that he shall become King. Macbeth is a true and manly war hero, but deep down he harbours insecurities of his manliness and the power he possesses over others; it is his wife that hits these insecurities†¦ In Act 1, Scene 3 – lines 126 onwards, we see that Macbeth plays with the idea of taking things into his own hands in order to become King. I believe, however, that had he not consulted Lady Macbeth over the matter, he would have let it drop as he would not have had the strength in him to perform such an evil deed. When she receives the letter telling her of his meeting with the witches, it is as if she takes it upon herself to make it her duty to ensure he goes ahead and kills Duncan. I gathered this from her soliloquy at the beginning of Act 1, Scene 5, where she says ‘†¦That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ – in other words, she is saying that by what ever means she will persuade him to carry out the act of murder. Lady Macbeth analyses her husband’s nature, and talks about him being ‘too full o’th’milk of human kindness’ to act without pity, which shows us that Macbeth can’t naturally be an evil character – circumstances and the equivalent of ‘peer pressure’ lead him to become the character he is at the end. The Macbeth’s have a very good relationship and in the letter he writes her, he calls her ‘my dearest partner of greatness’, showing just how devoted and close to her he is. No man who is that devoted to their wife is likely just to brush off what they say. In Act 1, scene 7, we see how dead-set against the murder Macbeth really is. In a soliloquy we hear him sum up the pro’s vs. the con’s – and he comes to the conclusion that there is only one motivation for him to go ahead with it challenging half a dozen con’s. We hear him talk of vengeance, kinship, loyalty, hospitality and religion, among others, persuading him away from committing the ultimate act of evil. I don’t believe that a man who is that morally challenged about committing a crime could possibly be a truly evil tyrant, later described as bloody, treacherous, false, deceitful and malicious. He was not born evil and until this point in his life, has never been evil. However, Lady Macbeth is a clever woman and knows what effect her words will have upon her husband. She deliberately hits him where she knows it will hurt him – questioning his manliness. When he tells her his decision to not kill him, she immediately uses every tactic she can think of to lure him into changing his mind. She uses descriptions such as ‘green and pale’ – e.g. sickly and weak to accuse him of cowardice and lack of manliness. She also bribes him with emotional blackmail, claiming that if he loved her he would do it and that she would rather kill her own baby than break a promise she had made to him. Using vicious imagery describing how she would rather ‘†¦have plucked her nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out’, she convinces him to continue with the murder. I don’t know about you, but if I had my true love using phrases like that to blackmail me into doing something, it is likely that I would buckle and give in. Macbeth is trying to keep his partner happy, rather than do it for his own benefit, which is another reason I believe that he is not an out-and-out villain, as we all possess the desire to please people. The first place in the play where I begin to doubt Macbeths innocence is the beginning of Act 2, Scene 1.Banquo and he have always been best friends and incredibly close, but in this scene we see Macbeth deceive his friend and deny that he has thought about the witches prediction. Only a few short minutes after this, however, Macbeth beings to hallucinate of a dagger very vividly. This makes me question his control over the situation. His feelings and fears have already created false images in his mind, and he hasn’t even committed the deed yet. Surely an evil tyrant – strong and powerful, would not be open to such a display of various emotions†¦? Evil thoughts are now deceiving and beginning to take over his mind, every minute increasing as he begins to see large, drops of blood form on the dagger in his mind. This implies a guilt-ridden conscience. Somebody this racked with guilt, surely must not have been born with the capability of killing another†¦? What we do see, however, from his act of murder is his extreme greed and ambition and perhaps by the way Lady Macbeth can persuade him by threatening his manhood, an inferiority complex. Throughout the play he is trying to create a safe world for himself whereby he is completely in control of Scotland. After killing Duncan, he is absolutely tortured by his own mind punishing him for the deed and cannot sleep or see Amen due to his extreme guilt. Although he continues with his constant self-torture, he realises that there is no turning back and he may as well continue with his quest for his prefect rulership – even if it means being ruthless enough to kill his best friend and a whole family. We know that he tries to shut out his deed as he says ‘I am afraid to think what I have done’. In Act 2, while Macbeth is completely falling apart, it is Lady Macbeth who keeps them both calm and sane, using the same tactics of taunting him, calling him a coward. It seems to me that if Lady Macbeth wasn’t so pushy over his manliness, that he would not have so much prove to himself and therefor would not result in taking all the actions that follow. Macbeth later takes the same taunting tactics to pursuade the murderers into killing Banquo, so her words have obviously stuck in his sub-conscience, as if something is repeated and drummed into you enough, sooner or later you will start to say it too. Even through to Act 3, scene 2 where he has already arranged his second murder and is beginning to think of himself as a great dictator, he still succumbs to the power his wife has over him. Lady Macbeth dominance over him is demonstrated by her commands to a servant, â€Å"Say to the King, I would attend his leisure for a few words†. She says this as a command or a statement, showing her extreme bossiness over him. This shows us that his fantasy of being great and powerful is untrue, because he still basically is ruled and prepared to listen to her advice and is still not totally dismissive of her opinions. However much he wishes to believe that he is untouchable and brave, he is deeply fearful to the state of irrational, crazy behaviour when he witnesses Banquo’s ghost. By the end of the play, we see the old Macbeth coming back through, the fair fighting warrior who will battle to his death†¦ Even when he knows his time is up, he acts as a true soldier should – he fights to his death and refuses to kill Macduff saying ‘My soul is too charged with the blood of thine already.’ Does that sound like the words of a ruthless tyrant with no emotions†¦? It doesn’t to me. I would sum up Macbeth as an unfortunate character who was led into the path of evil, and continued it through knowing that he had already committed the ultimate evil and nothing could undo it, or make it any worse. He buckled into the power his wife had over him and let his own ambitions get the better of him. An unfortunate trail of fate that led him to his own death†¦

Essay on Foundation of Technology Essay

In this essay, there are components that differentiate an A paper and a B paper. The A Essay evaluates criteria or ideas in the forefront and subordinates the details to the ideas. If you read with descriptive detail, insights tend to be lost or insufficiently developed. It also focuses on the value added technology tool and the value added of what the teacher does with the technology. The same technology can be used in different ways by teachers. However; the teacher remains the most important element in maximizing student’s learning. For example, if a teacher shows a video, a strong paper addresses the value of the video and the effectiveness of the integration of the video before and after the video is shown. Strengths and suggestions for improvements are also addressed. Generally the strongest essay takes a critical perspective and evaluates what works are done and how they can be improved. It also goes beyond motivation. These two are critical aspects of any learning and should not be undervalued. However, the strong essays should go beyond motivation, in order to answer why a technology was motivating to students. Much of the true insight comes from asking the why question and sometimes asking the questions more than once. For instance an essay that argues that the students were motivated by the technology and were engaged the whole period, and that the students were captivated by technology and they explored different sites. The questions asked should be why the technology was motivating to the students and what engaged them and what made the technology captivating and how different soft wares advance learning apart from motivating (Bayne, 1998, p. 38). The essay also explores readings in depth and also exploring conferences in depth too. I chose to discuss how I will use my new website to improve my teaching methods. A website is very rewarding. It is fun and a great way keep in touch with your family and students. The website has made impact on my image and also given me identity and global presence. I use my presentation skills, without the presence of the internet. I can also download content and have them in cd’s for classroom presentation. Students can get information of upcoming events and changes from the web site. Teachers can now visit my website and download information for our thematic units. I can also help them design theirs. It has also been useful in situations where I have to update it with my students work for parents to see and assist in their studies back home. It’s necessary for teachers to have their own websites in the modern age in order to create sites that can help their students. The fact that students need computer education to help them access the net should not be overlooked. This makes it easier for them to access information whenever they need it. The No Child Left Behind mandates that students should be competent enough when it comes to technology since almost everything is technology based nowadays. They will have to know how to think critically, to be creative, analyze information, understand new ideas, communicate effectively, collaborate, solve problems, and make decisions (Bayne, 1998, p. 66). In my analysis, of my second lesson, I will design a lesson plan to guide me through the teaching process. The topic is about the importance of integrating technology, applying the standards of education and the use of assessments. I’ve realized that integrating technology enhances learning through encouraging and simplifying the seeking and grasping of the meaning of the content being taught. Application of new technology in classroom environment by students has helped to improve learning outcomes which involved deeper understanding. From the peer review conducted, I realized that the students enjoyed the integration of technology in the classroom and retained content in their minds. Introducing standards of education in the classroom will enhance the learning experience by pointing students to available design and marketing tools, and best industry practices. Knowledge of these standards makes the students align the educational concept with real-world applications and market issues. If students don’t learn about educational standards, they may need elementary instruction in their first jobs, have a higher propensity for operating outside of best or accepted industry practices, waste resources and fail in duties to align their products or services with desired markets. Without a guide line component in their education, students may graduate without knowing the barriers presented by using incorrect standards, and without realizing the importance of standards in marketing and product acceptance. If the regulatory standards in reference are not met it results into product non-conformance, or higher development or other costs. Students have to understand the need to design, from inception, to the standards required to achieve marks. When creating a lesson plan, the teacher should tell the students the objective of the lesson, teach the objective, and evaluate the objective. This means that the lesson plan should contain the key concept of the topic, objectives, pre-planning, learning materials, Anticipatory Set (How I will simulate the children so that they will learn what I want to teach. It will also have the procedure I will take when teaching and duration of my teaching process. Closure is also needed. This is the summary of the topic and finally evaluation (Bayne, 1998, p. 113). Assessment can be formal or informal when integrating technology. Most software packages have assessments or built in criteria in it. I have learned that incorporating electronic portfolio is another way to enhance teaching with technology or a teacher can design their own rubrics. However, innovative activities require a reliable and valid mean of measuring students’ progress along with student journals and designing projects. In conclusion, the lesson planning was great and I thank God I had the opportunity to integrate technology in my class and enhance learning for my students. Reference Bayne, J. N. (1998). Strategic plans for technology. New York: Hill crest.

Discuss the themes of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger.

Discuss the themes of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. "The Catcher in the Rye" is an example of a modern day classic. The term 'modern day classic can be defined as a novel with universal appeal which has withstood the test of time and is relevant to today's society. This novel could be classed as social realism, as the issues addressed are real and present in our world today. "The Catcher in the Rye" addresses a number of important themes present in today's society, namely isolation, growing up and the "phoniness" of adulthood.Throughout the novel, it seems as though Holden Caulfield is excluded from and a victim of the world around him. He strongly feels that he doesn't belong to the world and is continuously attempting to find his way around. He is fairly cynical, and he blames this on the fact that he is exposed to a "phony" world. As the novel progresses, it is quite obvious that Holden isolates himself from the world in order to remain protected.S. D. Holden"I was the only one left in the tomb then. I sort of liked it, in a way. I t was so nice and peaceful". This demonstrates his need for isolation. Holden uses his isolation as proof that he is better than everyone else, and therefore believes that he doesn't need to interact with them. In actual fact, his interactions with other people usually confuse and overwhelm him, and he uses his cynical sense of superiority as a protective device.The theme of growing up is an important theme of "The Catcher in the Rye". Holden Caulfield is an adolescent boy who is struggling to cope with yet another expulsion from a school. He leaves a few days before term ends to "take a vacation", and the novel is a recap of the...

Sting of the Tale

Sting of the Tale Devyani Borade is the creator, and real-life version, of Debora. Her fiction, nonfiction and art have been accepted/published NOTE FROM HOPE: I fell in love with Devora, so dont be surprised to see her appear in her writing escapades every once in a while. Thought youd appreciate relating to her writing issues.  Visit her website Verbolatry at http://devyaniborade.blogspot.com to contact her, and enjoy more of Deboras adventures.

The Anonymous Author

The Anonymous Author I read an interesting essay recently, fully expecting to gloss it over and move on to my next email. But the theme grabbed my mind and wouldnt let go, and when that happens, when I see it matters to the writers I love, I usually convert the message into a FundsforWriters post. While fame impedes and constricts, obscurity wraps about a man like a mist; obscurity is dark, ample, and free; obscurity lets the mind take its way unimpeded. Over the obscure man is poured the merciful suffusion of darkness. None knows where he goes or comes. He may seek the truth and speak it; he alone is free; he alone is truthful; he alone is at peace. ~Virginia Woolfe Imagine being able to write without worry as to what the world thought of you? Imagine writing not caring how many books sold? Imagine just focusing on leaving your deepest thoughts on paper with no ramifications or backlash from family and friends? Virginia Woolfe said it best when she stated, the delight of having no name, but being like a wave which returns to the deep body of the sea. Oh my goodness, I could envision and embrace that feeling. Isnt that what we crave as writers? To write without repercussions? To write from our most inside place and let it loose into the world then retreat back to our inner self and write again? When we write solely for profit, our writing often suffers a bit, because we write knowing that it has to be accepted When we write solely to release our candid, sincere thoughts, and yes, Im including with fiction, we feel a sense of relief, release, and self-sustaining integrity. But we risk not making many sales. My suggestion is this . . . if you are writing as a career, then you must write somewhat for the public. However, somewhere along the way, write something that is yours. Write something that reconnects with your true being. Feel honorable and principled writing for one person, yourself. You never know . . . that might be your best work.

Quality Management Assignment on the ISO9001 Essay

Quality Management Assignment on the ISO9001 - Essay Example In a nutshell, it can be described as a system that facilitates the setting of rules to maximize opportunity while at the same time minimizing the risks for organizations or businesses. The standards are universally relevant and can potentially be applied to any business irrespective of size, scope or the field in which it operates. Background/Origins Contrary to popular assumption, ISO is not an acronym for international standards organization but a Greek word for equality signifying that all the standardized services and products are equal. ISO was initially formed in 1926 as the, International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations and by then it’s purpose was to provide, regulate and maintain standards in mechanical engineering. It disintegrated because of the World War 2, but regrouped in 1946 and assumed the name ISO, the origin of the ISO 9000 series is presumed to have been the US Navy Polaris Admiral, Hymen Rickover. He came up with the idea of investig ating and analyzing the operations of perspective subcontractors and tabulating the data to get a list of the most suitable candidates as well as collectively considering their weakness. Initially the standards were used exclusively for military supplies, however they later came to be used by NASA as well as the first NATO AQAP (1968) and the DEF British standards of the early 1970’s. However it became apparent that a similar civil standard were needed and the BS5750 was developed, this was replaced by the ISO 9000 series which has been continually upgrades to ensure it remains dynamic and relevant. Requirements When a firm decides to get an ISO certification, it needs to fulfill certain requirements in order to satisfy the standards body of their eligibility; on average, ISO certification for most firms takes anything between 3 to six months depending on size and complexity. For successful application and auditing it is important for the organization to have an insider who i s aware of what it takes to achieve the accreditation so they may work closely with management and lias with internal and external auditors to help carry out the groundwork (9001 Counsil, nd). The ISO 9001 manual provides a set of clauses that companies need to follow if they are desirous of attaining the certification by the accreditation body; the following are some of the major requirements: The organizations management system must be robust and effective such that the managers, employees and auditors can easily tell what parts of the overall system relate to specific clauses in the ISO- 9001 manual. This in not however to say that it should use the exact wording or structures as the manual, the firm is free to employ any format it choses as long as it can be clearly be understood in reference to ISO manuals. The firm needs to have a quality policy, which should be clearly documented, and detailing a commitment by the firm to comply with ISO through the operations of its manageme nt systems and a further commitment to quality service provision for its clients (Valeria and Waldomiro 2006, p.524). The ISO auditors will expect that key areas such as quality service provision, personnel training and methods of dealing with non-conformity should explicitly translate into measurable goals and objectives and be closely monitored. The ISO 9001 standards requires that organizations comply with 6 mandatory procedures, to this end,

Growing Importance of India For Investors (ie, India is the next Essay

Growing Importance of India For Investors (ie, India is the next China) - Essay Example The economic reforms introduced in early 1990s have boosted the economy’s growth. Tariff barriers were brought down. Foreign players could enter and thus the private firms had to compete with the best. Exports rose up. Indian firms are rapidly becoming global like Bharti Airtel has entered African market. Unlike China, India’s growth cannot be attributed to just the public sector. There are about 45m entrepreneurs in India. India’s informal sector is also doing well. Indian businesses majorly cater to the need of their domestic consumers and also export various services. Indian firms successfully satisfy the needs of money conscious customers in India who love low priced goods. Tata Filters for example manufactures a water filter that can provide safe drinking water at a meager charge of rupees 30 a month. Indian firms are coming up with new products as well as new business models. HCL technologies improve the IT system of their clients on the condition that they will charge only if their clients gain. Moon B. Shin of LG electronics sees immense opportunity in the Indian market. They are manufacturing low priced goods and goods suited to the liking of Indians. The infrastructure in India is poor. Roads are bad and traffic conditions do not depict a rosy picture either. Power shortage is another problem. McKinsey predicts that Indian growth will be five fold in the next 20 years. India will have to spend $1.2trillion on infrastructure in future. India lacks in skilled workforce. There are only 16 Indian Institute of technology in India. Universities do not impart useful knowledge and companies have to spend a lot for their training. India’s adult literacy rate is 66% compared to 99% of China. Corruption exists everywhere. Instability in the form of Naxalite movement is affecting mining and logging firms. Populism whereby politicians discourage businesses for their own interests is a major obstruction to growth. The government is making

The Reinvention of Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Reinvention of Marriage - Essay Example Marano wrote about marital therapist Liberty Kovacs' research and findings, based on theoretical bravado from group dynamics, theories of adult development, and family systems, of the six stages that marriages go through. Kovacs developed a system which tracks the paths of marital relationships as they evolve in intimacy and mutuality and finds that these paths are predictable in marriages. The six stages are highly distinct and marriages do not necessarily move from one stage to the next in an orderly fashion. A marriage may be stuck in one stage for years or it may go back to another stage. Instead of progressing in a linear pattern, the stages move in a circular pattern. The six stages include: Stage One-Romance (Honeymoon) Fusion; Stage Two-Expectations Compromise; Stage Three-Power Struggle; Stage Four-Seven-Year Itch Competition; Stage Five-Reconciliation Cooperation; Stage Six-Acceptance Collaboration. Being able to look at marriage as a predictable pattern, which involves phases that couples go through, helps couples to be aware of what they are going through and how to deal with them. The knowledge that these phases are part of what marriages go through helps couples to know that this is a natural cyclic process and that they are not alone as all marriages go through these stages in time, as research has discovered. ... Being aware of the stages of marriage allows a couple to customize and design a marriage that will help them work through the six stages then instead of trial and error attempts at a guessing game, there is a more tried and true approach. Couples are able to view the blueprint as they are aware of the stages and can customize the path/solution to take. A strong marriage does not happen overnight and instant gratification should not be what one looks for. Poor conflict management is the key in developing a healthy marriage as it moves through the stages. The art of arguing, as Kovacs calls it, is learning how to communicate effectively and to learn the skills of problem solving. It is important that men and women understand their differences in how they handle conflict and experience pain. By understanding each other's points of view and natural way of responding, conflict management and problem solving can be more easily accomplished. Along with better conflict management methods "th e positive affect", or the expression of affection, must also be incorporated. A sense of humor, empathy, agreement, and other positive actions are aspects of "the positive affect" which shows expressions of affection. This article is relevant to psychology because as the "Elmer" Social Science Dictionary (2003) defines the word psychology, it deals with the "Scientific study of human behavior, mental processes, and how they are affected and/or affect an individuals or group's physical state, mental state, and external environment. Its goal is to describe, understand, predict, and modify behavior." The findings of this article and the research that was conducted can be applied toward not only marriages but basically, any

Art Apprecition IP Week Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Apprecition IP Week Four - Essay Example This essay compares and contrasts three artworks from famous Baroque artists: Peter Paul Rubens’ â€Å"The Crucified Christ,† Michelangelo Merisi de Caravaggio’s â€Å"Flagellation of Christ,† and Rembrandt van Rijn’s â€Å"The Raising of the Cross.† These paintings are works of realism, where painters focused on using light, shadows, neutral colors, spatial composition, and vivid themes to depict dynamic spiritual actions in a religious event through somber dramatic effects. The artworks are similar in form because of the use of light, neutral colors, and shadows to interpret different aspects of the Crucifixion. Rembrandt painted images of mythology, religion and landscapes, using generally broad brushstrokes. He maximizes light, shadows, and spatial layout to portray his images and characters, enriching their emotions and personalities (Durham, 2004, p.115). â€Å"The Raising of the Cross† uses luminous light to focus on Christ†™s body. The whiteness of the light symbolizes his purity. The darkness around him conceals the people. Their shadows depict the heaviness of their sins, either as active or passive participants. The direction of the painting is slanting, and most of the lines slanting as well. The same slanting lines are seen in Caravaggio’s â€Å"Flagellation of Christ.† Caravaggio’s style of painting is known for his realism, intense chiaroscuro and the importance placed on co-extensive space. His portrayal of religious themes tends to be somber and dark, and his peers criticized his work for being too realistic, showing the grimmest of human features. In â€Å"Flagellation of Christ,† Christ’s body looks perfectly white, but the people who are crucifying him look like demons with their veined faces, arms, and legs. It seems that they are in extreme pain, when Jesus is the one being flagellated. They are concealed in dark shadows too, like in â€Å"The Raisin g of the Cross.† Aside from having the same light and shadow techniques, these paintings share the same neutral colors- white, black, and brown in different shades. â€Å"The Raising of the Cross† has some cool colors because of the color found in the dress of the white turbaned man and the man in blue beret. Rubens’ â€Å"The Crucified Christ† shows Christ in a vertical position, but his arms and legs are slanted too. Rubens is arguably one of the most central Flemish painters of the 17th century. His style defined the sensual and dynamic techniques of baroque painting. Rubens mixes bold brushwork, glowing colors, and play of light to depict vibrant energies (Spielvogel, 2012, p.480). In â€Å"The Crucified Christ,† the slanted lines connote human pain and misery. There are no people at the background, but the shadows of the clouds and faraway buildings are evident. Sunset presents itself in orange hues at the lower part of Christ’s body too . Like the other two paintings, the light is casted on Christ’s body in â€Å"The Crucified Christ.† His purity is highlighted against the darkness of the world. The luminous light highlights the humanity of Jesus and the pain on his face marks his human anguish. Aside from the same style used on light, color, and shadows, these three paintings maximize spatial layout for dramatic effects. In â€Å"The Crucified Christ,† Christ is put in the middle of swirling dark clouds. Beneath him are dark human structures. The main impact is that Christ is the

Critiquing and Evaluating a Rheumatoid Arthritis qualitative research Essay

Critiquing and Evaluating a Rheumatoid Arthritis qualitative research paper - Essay Example The domain is chosen because in the process of treatment, patients are questioned about their condition and expert in healthcare are able to study the condition and prescribe care for them. The domain aims to make steady the state of patients (Mason-Whitehead, 2008, p14). This is the data acquired after researches done on patients (Nestor and Schutt, 2012, p24). Although the means to collect the data may not assure 100% credibility, it informs the kind of issues that happen to realise high quality of life. To obtain the qualitative data, a researcher interviews large group of people with the condition, only rheumatic arthritic victims were considered (Creswell, 2012, p.73). Main Body Evidence based practise is an approach in clinical care that is interdisciplinary and which is involved in assessing a condition of health from different angles before recommending the steps to be taken. Evidence based practise entails integration of the available evidence to practitioners and other reso urces to give the required care and promote health with the consideration of the affected (Lewenson and Truglio-Londrigan, 2008, p.18). This implies that circumstances should be looked at to establish the various factors that influence them. From the research evidence, that person will be able to make decisions. In health and social care, evidence based practice helps practitioners to choose the most appropriate care programme to implement on a patient. Through this, the sick are get quality care (Ellis, 2010 p43; Cashin and Cook, 2011 p33). The principles of evidence based practice are that the validity of a decision can only be verified only when research has been conducted in order to inform the situation. In enhancing the life of patient faced by rheumatic arthritis (RA), it is necessary to assess different means to provide care so that a person may be able to understand the issues that are related to provision of care (Madison, Sadowski and Savard, 2009, p87). In caring for pat ients with RA, evidence based practice provided a broad perspective in the information of the processes that work and those that do not assure good results. The domain for enhancing life for patients with long-term conditions is necessary to assess different care programmes that prevail in the process of health care (Eizenberg, 2011, p35). The research paper on the RA was used because choices of steps that are taken to mitigate the condition of the patients take some time to be carried out. The qualitative research evidence it provides can be used to understand the perspective through which people look at the medication they receive. In assessing the research paper on the RA patients, it is important to consider the various aspects of the research framework, which inform the whole paper. For example, it is important to consider the various areas of interest like the statement of goals, objectives as well as present the different issues that are important to the research. The stateme nt of goals of study in a research paper was not done clearly. However, from inference, a reader is able to deduce the objective of the study, objective of the research was stated as a way to examine prescription for patients infected with RA. This step was inevitable to specify activities that can be carried out in order to come up with the evidence, the

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights With Information Assurance Research Paper

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights With Information Assurance - Research Paper Example Thus, information assurance was given birth as a response to the threat of hacking and stealing vital information, especially data from particular high-profile government or institution. The definitions and practices pertaining to information assurance, on the other hand, are multifaceted and multifarious. Like the complicated Web and its laws, if there are any, the information assurance is an intricate field of human knowledge. This paper discusses the numerous and various definitions of the concept called information assurance (hereinafter IA). It also examines the security services prominent in the information assurance. Of Definitions There are numerous definitions or categorization to the concept of â€Å"information assurance.† Most of these definitions are defined or categorized by various U.S. government institutions such as the U.S. Air Force, the National Defense University, the Pentagon, among other institutions. The U.S. Air Force, for one, categorizes the term inf ormation assurance as a representation of â€Å"measures to protect friendly information systems by preserving the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the systems and the information contained within the systems† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, pp. 1-2). What is peculiar in this definition of IA is the description of the information systems as something friendly. ... (The emphasis of Curts and Campbell’s IA is on the protection through preservation.) On the one hand, the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense categorizes IA in this fashion: â€Å"Informational assurance is the component of information operations that assures the Department of Defense’s operational readiness by providing for the continuous availability and reliability of information systems and networks† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, p. 2). Here, the definition of the phrase â€Å"information assurance† centers on, as the phrase implies, the assurance of readiness via the provision of availability and reliability of information systems or networks. In contrast to the U.S. Air Force’s, the Pentagon views IA as an assurance -- not as a protection of authenticity -- for availability and reliability of the systems and/or networks. Further, Pentagon’s concept of information assurance is contextualized -- that is, the praxis of IA largely belongs to certain operational activities or transactions by its Department of Defense. The National Defense University (NDU), on the other hand, describes IA as â€Å"information operations (IO) that protect and defend information systems by ensuring their integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, p. 2). Like the Pentagon’s IA, NDU’s information assurance is synonymous or attributed to the information operations. This similarity is grounded on the fact that both institutions, by nature of their office or function, are military in orientation. But unlike the Pentagon’s, IA as outlined by the National Defense University is perceived in terms of protecting and defending the systems or networks through ensuring or ascertaining not only their CIA but

Critiquing and Evaluating a Rheumatoid Arthritis qualitative research Essay

Critiquing and Evaluating a Rheumatoid Arthritis qualitative research paper - Essay Example The domain is chosen because in the process of treatment, patients are questioned about their condition and expert in healthcare are able to study the condition and prescribe care for them. The domain aims to make steady the state of patients (Mason-Whitehead, 2008, p14). This is the data acquired after researches done on patients (Nestor and Schutt, 2012, p24). Although the means to collect the data may not assure 100% credibility, it informs the kind of issues that happen to realise high quality of life. To obtain the qualitative data, a researcher interviews large group of people with the condition, only rheumatic arthritic victims were considered (Creswell, 2012, p.73). Main Body Evidence based practise is an approach in clinical care that is interdisciplinary and which is involved in assessing a condition of health from different angles before recommending the steps to be taken. Evidence based practise entails integration of the available evidence to practitioners and other reso urces to give the required care and promote health with the consideration of the affected (Lewenson and Truglio-Londrigan, 2008, p.18). This implies that circumstances should be looked at to establish the various factors that influence them. From the research evidence, that person will be able to make decisions. In health and social care, evidence based practice helps practitioners to choose the most appropriate care programme to implement on a patient. Through this, the sick are get quality care (Ellis, 2010 p43; Cashin and Cook, 2011 p33). The principles of evidence based practice are that the validity of a decision can only be verified only when research has been conducted in order to inform the situation. In enhancing the life of patient faced by rheumatic arthritis (RA), it is necessary to assess different means to provide care so that a person may be able to understand the issues that are related to provision of care (Madison, Sadowski and Savard, 2009, p87). In caring for pat ients with RA, evidence based practice provided a broad perspective in the information of the processes that work and those that do not assure good results. The domain for enhancing life for patients with long-term conditions is necessary to assess different care programmes that prevail in the process of health care (Eizenberg, 2011, p35). The research paper on the RA was used because choices of steps that are taken to mitigate the condition of the patients take some time to be carried out. The qualitative research evidence it provides can be used to understand the perspective through which people look at the medication they receive. In assessing the research paper on the RA patients, it is important to consider the various aspects of the research framework, which inform the whole paper. For example, it is important to consider the various areas of interest like the statement of goals, objectives as well as present the different issues that are important to the research. The stateme nt of goals of study in a research paper was not done clearly. However, from inference, a reader is able to deduce the objective of the study, objective of the research was stated as a way to examine prescription for patients infected with RA. This step was inevitable to specify activities that can be carried out in order to come up with the evidence, the

Movie The Marriage of Maria Braun Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Marriage of Maria Braun - Movie Review Example Maria's former life is non-existent. Her virginal entrance into marriage is an assumption. She is perceived as America unexplored. Where did she learn her "tricks of the trade" As Germany struggles to recapture some semblance of power in the late 1940's the film "The Marriage of Maria Braun" by Fassbinder, depicts the stages of war and a relationship that begs the question of her marriage; is it legitimate or indeed a farce Maria Braun played by a bountiful Hannah Shygulla represents a virginal America. Remember that America is pulled into the war predominantly by the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. America, in all reality, played the role of maiden well, forgetting its previous conquests and meddlings all for the sake of democracy. In the first scene, the audience is asked to grapple with the destruction of the world around the young couple. There is destruction amidst babies crying, armory sounds, guns sounding and fires. Maria loses her husband to the war and America loses its oil. Both come out in bad shape. Maria gives away her most sentimental possessions to save her marriage as to America fighting for oil under the guise of democracy. Recalling once the olden days of George Washington, when the policy of neutrality was upheld, oil was an all encompassing monster of a thing to deal with considering embargos and such. Maria gives away her wedding dress to get a few potatoes literally, as she did in the movie, and ultimately the Germans end up "French fried". All this occurs in the second scene where she implies that rations during the war were as rare as the men. The nurse questions the validity of her marriage. Japan drops the bomb on Pearle Harbor. Is the America we know as strong as they boast How far will America go for oil and democracy. Mrs. Braun gives away everything to save her marriage until which point she resorts to giving away herself. The peddling and the hustling begins with a dress. She walks to a dark vestibule and negotiates for the purchase of a new fancy dress. Her German peddler is also selling books. She buys the dress. Is this dame sincere in her purchase. What is a dress to the viewer To the keen intellectual eye it is a treaty that works itself as the Allied Forces. She seals the purchase by bringing all her longtime friends and aquaintences along in her world who are not sure whether or not to believe that her husband will return. What is profound about Wildenhahn was that he tried to capture the "truth of the everyday" by using stereotypes as central characters. Where or what would America be without the element of racial division and the element of prostitution. These issues are touchy in Western Culture but still warrant delving into in conversations at forums, colleges and universities where change can start in America. Filmmakers such as he, rallied for the right to address sensitive issues and boldly at that. Wildehahn knew when pushing the envelope how far to go. His movie, set in post WWII Germany had not the censorship issues that others had. Such as was the case with Group 47 formed in protest to the liberal-left literary journal Der Ruf in 1947. And to boot he pursued the audiences point of view and not necessarily his own. In the movie "Who needs Whom," (1972) the filmmaker, struggling with issues of audience and participation devised a strategy of a cabaret show to propel the audience

Bending of an Aluminum beam Essay Example for Free

Bending of an Aluminum beam Essay â€Å"Beams are long straight members that are subjected to loads perpendicular to their longitudinal axis and are classified according to the way they are supported†[1]. When a beam is subjected to an external load there are unseen internal forces within the beam that one must be aware of when implementing it into any design or structure. These internal forces create stress and strain that could result in failure or deformation. This lab looked at how an aluminum cantilevered beam performed under symmetric and unsymmetrical bending as well as the stresses and strains developed as a result. Objective â€Å"To study the stress and strain induced in an I-beam under symmetric and unsymmetrical bending† [2]. Theory: ? – Normal stress (Mpa) ? – Strain (mm/mm) M – Moment (kN†¢m) I – Moment of inertia (mm^6) E – Modulus of elasticity (Mpa) G – Modulus of elasticity (Mpa) v – Poisson’s ratio. L – Length (m) *Subscripts x, y, z indicate plane of reference. The strain rosettes are orientated so that ? b = 0, ? c = -45, and ? a = 45. The strain gauge equations then simplify to ?x = ? b, ? y= ? c+ ? a- ? b, and ? xy = ? c- ? a Using Hooke’s Law: ?x= ? xE, ? y= -v ? x, ? xy=? xyG This Experiment consisted of symmetric and unsymmetrical bending. For symmetric bending the relevant theory is as follows: Because the moment about the z-axis here is zero the equation equates to: Where: My = PLA. When rotated 45 degrees: My = PLA Cos(45) and Mz = PLA Sin(45) there is compressive stress along the y-x axis The moment of inertia about the y-axis is found by determining the inertia of the shape and subtracting the imaginary parts as shown: The max normal stress with be at the furthest distance from the neutral axis which is h/2 therefore: (? x)max = The strains can be found by implementing Hooke’s Law: Since ? y and ? z are zero in symmetric loading, the two equations simplify to: Because the there is no shear stress in the x-y plane when the normal stress is at maximum the shear strain will also be zero. The vertical displacement of the end of the beam is determined by multiplying the area under the moment diagram and the distance between the end and the centroid of the diagram. This equates to: For unsymmetrical bending the theory is the same however there is a moment about the y-axis and z-axis. This will affect the calculation of the normal stress and the strain in the x and y plane. Also the moment of inertia in the z-direction will need to be determined. Procedure (a) *Mount the I-beam on to the support frame. Make sure the mounting screws are tight. (b) Measure the dimensions of the I-beam including its components. (c) Mount the magnet bases of the dial gauges at appropriate positions to permit the measurements of the deflections at the free end of the beam in the vertical and the horizontal directions. (d) *Connect properly the wires from the strain gauges to the readout unit. (e) Place weights to the hanger in increments: 4, 6, 10, 26, and 42 kg. (f) Unload the hanger in increments in the reversed order as for loading. (g) For each increment, measured the strain readings at the given locations and the vertical and horizontal deflections at the free end of the beam. (h) Repeat steps (a) to (g) by rotating the beam with the following angles: 45 °. [3] Results *Refer to appendix for sample calculation and calculated results. Part 1: I-beam at 0o Loading Loading (Kg) 4 6 10 26 42 Strain Gauge 1 (? ) 1 2 4 12 20 Strain Gauge 2 (? ) 6 10 16 43 69 Strain Gauge 3 (? ) 3 4 7 18 29 Displacement 1 (mm) 0. 09 0. 15 0. 23 0. 44 0. 5 Displacement 2 (mm) -0. 19 -0. 34 -0. 55 -1. 4 -2. 25 Load (N) 39. 2 58. 5 97. 9 255. 5 413. 1 Unloading Loading (kg) 42 26 10 6 4 Strain Gauge 1 (? ) 20 10 -3 -5 -7 Strain Gauge 2 (? ) 69 42 19 11 9 Strain Gauge 3 (? ) 29 18 6 3 2 Displacement 1 (mm) 0. 5 0. 49 0. 25 0. 16 0. 07 Displacement 2 (mm) -2. 25 -1. 46 -0. 59 -0. 37 -0. 23 Load (N) 413. 1 255. 6 96. 4 58. 7 39. 2 Part 2: I-Beam at 45o Loading Loading (kg) 4 6 10 26 42 Strain Gauge 1(? ) 1 2 2 7 13 Strain Gauge 2 (? ) 5 9 14 36 54 Strain Gauge 3 (? ) 1 1 2 8 13 Displacement 1 (mm) -0. 33 -0. 50 -0. 79 -1. 88 -2. 75 Displacement 2 (mm) -0. 66 -1. 02 -1. 69 -4. 23 -6. 40 Load (N) 39. 4 58. 7 98. 2 256. 5 413. 6 Unloading Loading (kg) 42 26 10 6 4 Strain Gauge 1 (? ) 13 4 -22 -25 -26 Strain Gauge 2 (? ) 54 38 22 20 17 Strain Gauge 3 (? ) 13 6 2 0 0 Displacement 1 (mm) -2. 75 -1. 95 -0. 92 -0. 62 0. 46 Displacement 2 (mm) -6. 40 -4. 46 -2. 17 -1. 51 -1. 15 Load (N) 413. 6 256. 3 98. 1 58. 7 39. 4 Discussion For both the symmetric and unsymmetrical bending the theoretical stresses and strains were greater than experimentally determined ones. However the experimental displacement was much higher than the theoretical displacement. These two factors can lead one to believe the I-beam has undergone this procedure many times before. Another interesting point to note is that the stresses and strains are higher at equivalent loads when unloading demonstrating that there is residual stress in the I-beam even after it has been fully unloaded. For the most part however the measured and theoretical values are very close. It is to be expected that the theoretical stresses would be higher than the experimental values. The theoretical calculations rely on a ‘perfect’ material. The modulus of elasticity and cross-sectional are said to remain the same through the length of the beam which is rarely the case. Minor imperfections in the beam would result in a weaker beam and less stress is required to deflect the beam. This is exactly what has been observed in this experiment. For the symmetric and bending theoretically there would be no horizontal displacement however some horizontal displacement was shown on the readouts. This is most likely due to the slight swaying of the weights. Since the scale of this experiment was relatively small a lot of the sources of error are pretty large. Just by not having the readout computer not calibrated properly or zeroed all the way would cause pretty large discrepancies. Even the measuring or millimeters by eye caused some error. Rounding errors would be relatively small for this experiment. Conclusion In conclusion theoretical and experimental values for stress and strain are very similar to the values observed in experimental conditions. The theoretical and experimental displacements were pretty far off and at larger scales the theoretical values would not be of much use. Closer results could have been obtained by collecting more accurate measurements or by collecting multiple sets of data using a series of strain rosettes. APPENDIX I Sample Calculations Iy= = (Mz)a =(4kg)(9. 81m/s2)(0. 77m) =30. 215 Nm (Mz)b =(4kg)(9. 81m/s2)(0. 33m) =12. 95 Nm (? x)a = = = 1. 259 Mpa (? x)b = 0. 5397 Mpa (? b)v = = = -0. 0902 mm ?xy = = = 0. 0398mm (? x)a = = =17. 22*10^-6 (? y)a = -0. 35*(? x)a = 6. 027*10^-6 Experimental Symmetric Mass (Kg) 4 6 10 26 42 26 10 6 4 ?x (E-6) 6 10 16 43 69 42 19 11 9 ?y (E-6) -2 -4 -5 -13 -20 -14 -16 -13 -14 ?xy (Mpa) 2 2 3 6 9 8 9 8 9 (? x) (Mpa) 0. 438 0. 731 1. 17 3. 14 5. 04 3. 07 1. 39 0. 804 0. 657 (? y) (Mpa) -0. 146 -0. 292 -0. 365 -0. 950 -1. 46 -1. 02 -1. 17 -0. 950 -1. 02 ?xy (Mpa) 0. 054 0. 054 0. 081 0. 162 0. 243 0. 216 0. 243 0. 216 0. 243 Theoretical – Symmetric Mass(Kg) 4 6 10 26 42 (Mz)a (N†¢m) 30. 2 45. 3 75. 5 196 317 (Mb)b (N†¢m) 12. 9 19. 4 32. 3 84. 1 135 (? x)a (Mpa) 1. 25 1. 88 3. 12 8. 13 13. 1 (? x)b (Mpa) 0. 536 0. 804 1. 34 3. 48 5. 62 ?xy (Mpa) 0. 0398 0. 0598 0. 0996 0. 258 0. 418 (? x)a (E-6) 17. 1 25. 7 42. 8 111 179 (? x)b (E-6) 7. 33 11. 0 18. 3 47. 6 77. 0 (? y)a (E-6) -5. 99 -8. 98 -14. 9 -38. 9 -62. 8 (? y)b (E-6) -2. 57 -3. 85 -6. 41 -16. 6 -26. 9 ?a (mm) 0. 0902 0. 135 0. 225 0. 586 0. 947 ?b (mm) 0. 00710 0. 0106 0. 0177 0. 0461 0. 0745 Experimental –Unsymmetrical Bending Mass (Kg) 4 6 10 26 42 26 10 6 4 (? x) (E-6) 5 9 14 36 54 38 22 20 17 (? y) (E-6) -3 -6 -10 -21 -28 -28 -42 -45 -43 ?xy (E-6) 0 -1 0 1 0 2 24 25 26 (? x) (Mpa) 0. 366 0. 658 1. 02 2. 63 3. 95 2. 78 1. 61 1. 46 1. 24 (? y) (Mpa) -0. 219 -0. 439 -0. 731 -1. 54 -2. 05 -2. 05 -3. 07 -3. 29 -3. 14 Theoretical – Unsymmetrical Bending Mass (Kg) 4 6 10 26 42 (Mz,y)a (N†¢m) 21. 3 32. 0 53. 4 138 224 (Mz,y)b (N†¢m) 9. 15 13. 7 22. 9 59. 5 96. 1 (? x) (Mpa) 0. 381 0. 572 0. 954 2. 48 4. 00 (? y) (Mpa) -1. 40 -2. 10 -3. 51 -9. 12 -14. 7 (? x) (E-6) 5. 22 7. 83 13. 1 33. 9 54. 8 (? y) (E-6) 1. 83 2. 74 4. 57 11. 9 19. 2 ?x-y (mm) 0. 0902 0. 135 0. 225 0. 586 0. 946 ?x-z (mm) 0. 391 0. 587 0. 978 2. 54 4. 11

The merits and shortcomings of quantitative and qualitative research

The merits and shortcomings of quantitative and qualitative research Research methods are technique(s) for gathering data (Harding, 1986) and are generally dichotomized into being either quantitative or qualitative. It has been argued that methodology has been gendered (Oakley, 1998), with quantitative methods traditionally being associated with words such as positivism, scientific, objectivity, statistics and masculinity. In contrast, qualitative methods have generally been associated with interpretive, non-scientific, subjectivity and femininity. Quantitative Research Techniques and Procedures Qualitative analysis is a process that is often the precursor to quantitative, statistical work; a process to make the tacit underpinnings of an issue explicit; a process you can use to deepen your understanding of complex social and human factors that cannot be understood with numbers; a process that helps you figure out what to count and what to measure (Kerlin, 1999, p. 1). A common way of conducting quantitative research is using a survey. Surveys usually involve filling in a questionnaire. There are, of course, many different kinds of quantitative research besides the survey. Observational research involves watching or observing various behaviors and patterns. More complicated forms of quantitative research are experimental research or mathematical modelling research (Peter J.P. Donnelly J.H, 2000). In the social sciences, quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Quantitative research is used widely in social sciences such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science. Research in mathematical sciences such as physics is also quantitative by definition, though this use of the term differs in context. In the social sciences, the term relates to empirical methods, originating in both philosophical positivism and the history of statistics, which contrast qualitative research methods. Qualitative methods produce information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses. Quantitative methods can be used to verify, which of such hypotheses are true. Qualitative Research Techniques and Procedures Qualitative research is a generic term for investigative methodologies described as ethnographic, naturalistic, anthropological, field, or participant observer research. It emphasizes the importance of looking at variables in the natural setting in which they are found. Interaction between variables is important. Detailed data is gathered through open ended questions that provide direct quotations. The interviewer is an integral part of the investigation (Jacob, 1988). This differs from quantitative research which attempts to gather data by objective methods to provide information about relations, comparisons, and predictions and attempts to remove the investigator from the investigation (Smith, 1983). According to Andrew (2007), qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, when. Hence, smaller but focused samples are more often needed, rather than large samples. According to Andrew (2007), qualitative research is used to denote approaches which are supported by a set of hypotheses concerning the way the social world functions. It deduces many of its basic principles from the perspective that there are fundamental differences between the science of human world and science of natural world and consequently needs to use distinctive methods. Here, attention is focused upon looking at the world through the eyes of studied objects and upon evolving concepts and theories which are grounded in the collecting data. So, qualitative research connected with own accounts of the individuals of their attitudes and behavior. The significance of qualitative research consists in setting stress on describing, understanding complex phenomena. It investigates, for instance, the relationships and patterns among factors or the context in which the activity happens. It is concentrated on understanding the full many-dimensional picture of the subject of investigatio n. Qualitative methods produce information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses (informative guesses). The aim of qualitative research is to deepen our understanding about something, and usually this means going beyond the numbers and the statistics. Qualitative research helps us to give reasons why the numbers tell us what they do. It is often contrasted to quantitative research and they are very often used together to get the bigger picture of what we are trying to find out. Qualitative research helps us flesh out the story. Face-to-Face Interviews and Focus Groups The most common forms of qualitative research are face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Face-to-face interviews are just that: Meeting someone in person and discussing various issues. The informant or person you are interviewing may be an expert in a particular field (e.g. the editor of a newspaper) or they may be someone who is affected by the issues you are researching (e.g. someone who is HIV positive or who reads the media). Focus groups involve discussions with two or more participants. While questions for focus groups need to be prepared to guide and focus the discussions, the responses are often free-ranging, as the participants are encouraged to explore the issues at hand in an in-depth way. While focus groups and interviews will help you develop explanations for quantitative data, sometimes they can provide you with quantitative data themselves Basic Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Techniques Quantitative and qualitative research methods differ primarily in: their analytical objectives the types of questions they pose the types of data collection instruments they use the forms of data they produce the degree of flexibility built into study design The key difference between quantitative and qualitative methods is their flexibility. Generally, quantitative methods are fairly inflexible. With quantitative methods such as surveys and questionnaires, for example, researchers ask all participants identical questions in the same order. The response categories from which participants may choose are closed-ended or fixed. The advantage of this inflexibility is that it allows for meaningful comparison of responses across participants and study sites. However, it requires a thorough understanding of the important questions to ask, the best way to ask them, and the range of possible responses. Qualitative methods are typically more flexible that is, they allow greater spontaneity and adaptation of the interaction between the researcher and the study participant. For example, qualitative methods ask mostly open-ended questions that are not necessarily worded in exactly the same way with each participant. With open-ended questions, participants are free to respond in their own words, and these responses tend to be more complex than simply yes or no. In addition, with qualitative methods, the relationship between the researcher and the participant is often less formal than in quantitative research. Participants have the opportunity to respond more elaborately and in greater detail than is typically the case with quantitative methods. In turn, researchers have the opportunity to respond immediately to what participants say by tailoring subsequent questions to information the participant has provided. Merriam (1988) provided a basis for differentiating qualitative and quantitative research techniques based on their characteristics. Characteristics of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Point of Comparisons Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Focus of research Quality (nature, essence) Quantity (how much, how many) Philosophical roots Phenomenology, symbolic interaction Positivism, logical empiricism Associated phrases Fieldwork, ethnographic, naturalistic, grounded, subjective Experimental, empirical, statistical Goal of investigation Understanding, description, discovery, hypothesis generating Prediction, control, description, confirmation, hypothesis testing Design characteristics Flexible, evolving, emergent Predetermined, structured Setting Natural, familiar Unfamiliar, artificial Sample Small, non-random, theoretical Large, random, representative Data collection Researcher as primary instrument, interviews, observations Inanimate instruments (scales, tests, surveys, questionnaires, computers) Mode of analysis Inductive (by researcher) Deductive (by statistical methods) Findings Comprehensive, holistic, expansive Precise, narrow, reductionist However, there is a range of flexibility among methods used in both quantitative and qualitative research and that flexibility is not an indication of how scientifically rigorous a method is. Rather, the degree of flexibility reflects the kind of understanding of the problem that is being pursued using the method. Merits of Quantitative Analysis The use of surveys permit a researcher to study more variables at one time than is typically possible in laboratory or field experiments, whilst data can be collected about real world environments. The usefulness of a survey is that the information you get is standardized because each respondent the person who fills out the questionnaire is answering the exact same questions. Once you have enough responses to your questionnaire, you can then put the data together and analyze it in a way that answers your research question or what it is you want to know. Since case studies follow a structured format, different situations can be compared or analyzed comparatively. Case studies are typically short (often no more than 5 pages long) and usually only contain the essential information needed to present a situation and, if necessary, to describe and properly analyze a problem. Quantitative data can determine when students have achieved or failed a task, and they can provide national ranking, percentiles, and allow researchers to conduct comparison analyses. Nevertheless, they cannot provide the total picture of why a particular student has either succeeded or failed (Burnaford et al., 2001; Gall et al., 1996 and Mc Bride Schostak, 2000). In quantitative research, the researcher neither participates in nor influences what is being studied; thus, he/she examines the circumstances objectively. In some qualitative research, the researcher may play a more subjective role and participate by being immersed in his/her research. That is, the observer may be the teacher or the facilitator. This role is often the case with when action research, case studies, and focus groups are used in educational research. Advantages of surveys Good for comparative analysis. Can get lots of data in a relatively short space of time. Can be cost-effective (if you use the Internet, for example). Can take less time for respondents to complete (compared to an interview or focus group) Specific concrete example; Can help with problem solving; Are often interesting to read. Demerits of Quantitative Analysis A key weakness of quantitative analysis is that it is very difficult to realise insights relating to the causes of or processes involved in the phenomena measured. There are, in addition, several sources of bias such as the possibly self-selecting nature of respondents, the point in time when the survey is conducted and in the researcher him/herself through the design of the survey itself. It could be argued that the quantitative researcher is more precise, but the response would be that with people it is not possible to be so precise, people change and the social situation is too complex for numerical description. Quantitative research has a tendency to clarify where clarification is not appropriate. (Mc Bride Schostak, 2000, pp. 1-2) Disadvantages of Surveys Responses may not be specific. Questions may be misinterpreted. May not get as many responses as you need. Dont get full story. Can take time to develop; Depending on format, may need some level of good writing skills; Do not usually give broad overview of issue at hand. Merits of Qualitative Techniques The approaches of the qualitative research differ from the methods of the quantitative research. Quantitative methods have their aim in dividing into clearly defined parts, or variables. When we research an issue which we know how to quantify, for example, what can be quantified for sure, we may leave out the factors which are crucial to the real understanding of the phenomena under study (Andrew, 2007). Qualitative methods are helpful not only in giving rich explanations of complex phenomena, but in creating or evolving theories or conceptual bases, and in proposing hypotheses to clarify the phenomena. Besides, value of the qualitative research consists in validity of the information received; people are minutely interviewed so as the obtained data would be taken as correct and believable reports of their opinions and experiences. Its major disadvantage is that small group of interviewed individuals can not be taken as representative (Andrew, 2007). Case studies involve an attempt to describe relationships that exist in reality, very often in a single organization. Case studies may be positivist or interpretivist in nature, depending on the approach of the researcher, the data collected and the analytical techniques employed. Reality can be captured in greater detail by an observer-researcher, with the analysis of more variables than is typically possible in experimental and survey research. Another type of qualitative analysis is site visits. Site visits help you understand your research better; site visits (e.g. when you visit an organization, a manufacturing plant, a clinic or a housing project) are very useful and sometimes even necessary ways of gaining additional insight and making your theoretical information concrete in your mind. They allow you to observe what is going on, and to ask questions you may not have thought about. Qualitative research has a phenomenological focus that can provide an enriched and detailed description of the participants actions and/or viewpoints (Veronesi, 1997). Advantages of Face-to-Face Interviews Can allow for in-depth knowledge sharing; Helps to develop the bigger picture; Helps with analysis of results; Good for networking (e.g. you may be referred to other people to interview). Advantages of Focus Groups Good for community participation (grassroots input); Helpful in developing ideas and sharing latent, or hidden, knowledge spontaneously; Enables you to get information from a number of individuals simultaneously. Advantages of Site Visits and Observation Demerits of Qualitative Analysis Case studies can be considered weak as they are typically restricted to a single organization and it is difficult to generalize findings since it is hard to find similar cases with similar data that can be analyzed in a statistically meaningful way. Disadvantages of Face-to-Face Interviews Can be time consuming; May be difficult to arrange an interview time; Can be difficult to compare and analyze information. Disadvantages of Focus Groups Can be difficult to set up; Participants may need to be paid; Need to be sensitive to who the facilitator is; May need a translator; Sometimes difficult to organize and analyze information. Disadvantages of Site Visits and Observation Take time; Can be expensive (depending how far you need to travel); With observation in particular, you need to be careful how you interpret what you see. With site visits, you may want to make sure you have a guide so that you can ask questions However, the disadvantage of the quantitative as well as qualitative research is that they do not always underpin understanding of multi-dimensional pictures (Andrew, 2007).

Carpe Diem Theme in the Work of Ronsard and Edmund Waller :: essays papers

Carpe Diem Theme in the Work of Ronsard and Edmund Waller â€Å"Seize the Day.† This is most commonly known as the Latin phrase â€Å"Carpe Diem†. For some this is just a phrase, but in classic literature, it is a way of living and writing. This theme was revived during the Renaissance period and it made its influence in Italian, English, and French poetry. The simplest way to describe the theory of â€Å"carpe diem† is to say, â€Å"eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you shall die.† It means that life should be lived to the fullest everyday, just like it was going to be the last. The rose is a very important symbol used in literary work containing â€Å"carpe diem.† It is because the poet can use imagery to describe the youth and beauty of the rose, along with the death and suffering. Ronsard was one of the many poets to use this theme. An example of one of his poems is â€Å"Roses.† In this poem he uses allegory, which is like an extended metaphor, to create the imagery of roses and to compare them to the beauty of the women he is in love with. He wants to tell her that he appreciates her beauty and that he will love her forever. In Edmund Waller’s poem, â€Å"Go, Lovely Rose,† he compares the love of his life to a gorgeous rose. He tells her to come forth and be thankful for her great beauty. He tells her in the poem, â€Å"Bid her come forth, suffer herself to be desired, and blush not so to be admired.† He is trying to tell her to enjoy her beauty now, because tomorrow may be her last. He is using the rose as a metaphor for his lover’s beauty. Ronsard also uses â€Å"carpe diem† in the poem â€Å"When You are Old.† The speaker of this poem is a scored, self-pitying lover. The speaker is longing for his lover to reciprocate his love. He is trying to convey to them to appreciate him now because, when he is† thin and ghost beneath the earth,† then they will be mourning, because they didn’t take the chance while they had it.

Field Study 2

LOOKING THROUGH THE MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE Name of Fs student: Xysha Mae M. Roldriguez Course: Bachelor in Elementary Education Year: III Resource Teacher: Josephine G. Paulin Signature: ______________ Cooperating School: Monkayo Central Elementary School Name of School Observed: Monkayo Central Elementary School School Address: Monkayo, Compostela Valley Province Date of Visit: September – October 2012 1. What principles in teaching – learning were commonly applied? – the principles in teaching – learning commonly applied were the learning environment is supportive and productive.And that learning is an active process which begins and ends in their cognitive aspects. 2. What are the instructional materials used in teaching? – The instructional materials used are picture flash cards, charts, visual aids, and books. 3. Which of the principles in teaching facilitate the cognitive, metacognitive and positive motivational process of learning? â €“ Promote assessment as part of the learning process. Students (and sometimes teachers) typically see assessments as purely summative: something that teachers do to students at the end of a topic.Building the perception that (most) assessment tasks are part of the learning process includes encouraging students learning from what they did and did not do well as well as having students taking some ownership of and responsibility for aspects of assessment. It also includes teachers ensuring that they are assessing for a range of aspects of quality learning wider range of skills than is often the case. Scribble a brief reflection of your feelings and insights from your observation experience. * The teacher is responsible in aiming the development of creative and critical skills. Creative thinking involves reating something new or original. It involves the skills of flexibility, originality, fluency, elaboration, brainstorming, modification, imagery, associative thinking, attribute listing, metaphorical thinking, and forced relationships. The aim of creative thinking is to stimulate curiosity and promote divergence. While critical thinking can be thought of as more left-brain and creative thinking more right brain, they both involve â€Å"thinking. † When we talk about HOTS â€Å"higher-order thinking skills† we're concentrating on the top three levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.The teacher must not only ask questions that begins with what, who, where and when because these are low – level questions. In order to develop the thinking skills the teacher should exercise questions like how and why, this is one way to develop their critical and creative thinking skills. Learners’ Characteristics and Needs Name of Fs student: Xysha Mae M. Roldriguez Course: Bachelor in Elementary Education Year: III Resource Teacher: Josephine G. Paulin Signature: ______________ Cooperating School: Monkayo Central Elementary SchoolDescription of Teaching Strategies * Classroom strategies used by the teachers are collaborative/ creative learning in which students work together in small groups to accomplish a common learning goal. They carefully planned and executed the activity given. Next, is the discussion strategies were in the students are engage in discussion that deepens their learning and motivation by developing their own views and hear their own voices. A good environment for interaction is the first step in encouraging students to talk. Description of learning activities The learning activities done by the students and teacher were successful. Wherein the students were able to participate in the given activity and cooperate with each other. They actively participated even though some students got the wrong answers. The learning activity given gave the students impact in their cognitive and psychomotor skills. It helps them think ideas by answering the activity. Their personalities were develope d because the teacher integrated values in her lessons. Description of learners’ participation (proportion of learners who participated and quality of participation) There was a high percentage of participation in class. There were only few students who did not participate in class. There is a good quality of participation in class since majority participated in the activities. They learn to participate wherein they can develop their self confidence and communication skills. Scribble a brief reflection of your feelings and insights from your observation experience. -learning is an active process. The teacher should actively engage the learners in learning activities.For we all know that no one can learn for us, in the same way that nobody can eat and sleep for us. So, teachers should give opportunities for students to actively participate in classroom activities. There should be â€Å" hands-on-minds- on â€Å" learning. Yet, the most effective approaches according to the r esearchers are learning by doing and learning by teaching others. Assisting a Teacher with a Teacher’s Toolbox Name of Fs student: Xysha Mae M. Roldriguez Course: Bachelor in Elementary Education Year: III Resource Teacher: Josephine G.Paulin Signature: ______________ Cooperating School: Monkayo Central Elementary School Subject Observed: English School: Monkayo Central Elementary SchoolYear: IV Matrix| Subject Matter| Objectives| Instructional Materials| Learning Activities| Assessment Tools Used| Parts of Speech & Figures of Speech| – To prepare the students for the coming finals- Mastery of the Parts of speech and Figures of speech | – Visual Aids- Textbooks| – Review- Discussion- Recitation| – Drills- Graded Recitation- Board Work- Quiz| ————————————————- Observation ReportThe first objective of the lesson is preparing the students fo r the finals, next is the Mastery of the Parts of Speech and Figures of Speech and the third objective is to make the students realize how important the lessons are in the next level and how they can use it in daily life. Learning activities such as discussion, review, recitation was facilitated by the teacher and she used drills, board work and a quiz as her assessment tools. The students were all participating, and knew most of the answers and were even able to give examples of any figure of speech asked for them to define.They also know how to analyze the sentences given on the board on how sentence patterns are used such as S-LV-C pattern and S-TV-DO pattern. The teacher knew that the students will learn better with enough practice and she encourages all of them to speak to build their confidence to recite in class. All of the activities she engages the students in are all a part of her lesson plan so she can reach her objectives for that day. If I were the teacher I would use a ctivities that will cover the learning process holistically and a plan that will be utilized to obtain the objectives that I set for the students to reach.I will also use other activities that will enhance their social skills and language competency such as role playing. Analysis: 1. What are the objectives of the lesson, the subject matter, learning activities and assessment tools used by the teacher? The first objective is to prepare the students for the coming finals. The teacher was able to clear this part of her objectives because I’ve seen how the students perform during the class activity and I can say that most of them are ready for finals despite the fact that belong to section 5. Next is the Mastery of the 8 Parts of speech and Figures of speech.This objective was achieved around 80-85 percent of the class. The discussion was very effective because it gives the students a sense of familiarity because they learn better using this kind of activity. The board work and drills were also effective in making the students apply everything they studied for the upcoming finals. They were not only ready for the exam but they also carry the life lessons that the teacher has instilled in their hearts. The teacher wanted the students to realize how important the lessons are in the next level and how they can use it in daily life.The integration of values in the lessons is always practiced by the teacher in any class she handles and I admire her for doing that. We as future teachers must know that we are not only mind enhancers but also heart and spirit molders. 2. How do the learners participate in the activities? I must admit that I don’t know if I should be impressed with the teacher or with the students. Why? Because the students were active participants of the class when most people would expect that these kids are no good at all because when asked they answer, when requested to give an example they perform. They even recite in.The question is do they perform this well in other subjects? If this is the same scenario I would see with other teachers, then they are without a doubt a very good class. But I’ve observed other teachers too and I must say the teacher is someone who has an aura that makes the students well-behaved. The moment they see her coming students go to their seats it’s not because she is a terror teacher but she already reached the classroom climate which is a business-like but non-threatening atmosphere. The students participated actively, with very good answers and listened attentively to everything that the teacher has to say.So I think it’s in the teacher if the students would act out or be unruly on how she will handle these things. The students can smell fear and they can take advantage of that if they wanted to. These students are more impressive than the 3-4. This was the second time I observed them and I was still impressed as if I was observing 3-1 students. 3. What reasons doe s the teacher give in having such learning activities? The teacher first decides on which objectives to work on by using the needs of the students as basis.In this case, it is the needs of the 3-5 that the teacher decides to do a review before the final exam comes. She chose discussion because the students are more adept in learning when it comes to reviewing if she uses this kind of approach in teaching them. To satisfy my curiosity, I interviewed a few students in 3-5 and they admitted that they learn better when the teacher discuss the lesson instead of doing other styles. Since it is almost the end of the school year, the teacher obviously knows how to design her lesson plan and she already knows the best way for the 3-5 students to learn.The teacher knows that the board work enhances the writing skills and grammar skills while the recitation covers mostly speaking skills, social skills and building one’s self-confidence. Quizzes also help the teacher evaluate how far the students have reached in terms of the lesson. So we can’t do away with any of these things when it comes to teaching. We can’t leave out anything because they are all important. The plan must be complete or the system would fall apart. We have to consider everything because all these things are a part of the teaching-learning process. . If you were the teacher, what activities, materials and assessment tools will you use? Why? I can’t say I would only focus on a single activity but I have to utilize all the learning activities I have learned on my major subjects especially this semester I have learned a lot of activities and studied on how to use materials that can be utilized to encourage speaking and enhance grammar in class such as maps, graphic organizers, role playing, group projects, group games, interactive discussion, cooperative learning and many more.I also learned about the different types of assessment tools such as rubrics, exams, portfolios and ot hers. Of course it is not only the students who are being considered here but also the lesson and how it relates to a certain material, activity and evaluation. Activities, materials and assessment tools must be in sync with the objectives so it will be a smooth flow all throughout the period. I plan to use a variety of techniques to know what is suitable for the students. To find out what is their special skills are or what kind of learner they are.And which activities they are weak in and make that weakness disappear or if not help them cope with it. What they lack in something must be compensated by another skill. Through using these things as tools in the correct way, the success rate of teaching-learning process is in very good hands. Reflections: 1. What insights/learning & new understandings have you gained from your experience? I have really learned a lot from this semester. All the observing experiences made me see all the important facts in being a teacher. They made me re alize about a lot of things not just in teaching but also about life.These experiences are by far the most fruitful of all in my school life. I learned to manage my time, worry about important things in life and see the teacher in me. Good teachers are full of passion, well prepared for their lesson, have anticipatory skills and of course live with integrity. Aside from knowledge, teachers must possess positive attitudes and admirable work ethics. One sees these qualities through the way activities are facilitated by the teacher, how the materials are organized and prepared, and another thing is how the assessment tools are used.The assessment must never be used to punish the student. This is where positive attitude comes in. Dedication, hard work and punctuality are also important. We should demonstrate not just the lesson but also the process by which we learn. All teachers must realize that part of their job is to teach their students how to learn. I’ve learned that metaco gnition comes in when we focus on learning how to learn. Teachers must also learn from their mistakes, and experiment continually with ways to improve their strategies and teaching methods.GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THE SELECTION AND USE OF TEACHING STRATEGIES Name of FS Student______________________________________________________________ Course_______________________________________ Year & Section _____________________ Resource Teacher 1_____________Signature ______________Date______________ Resource Teacher 2_____________ Signature ______________Date______________ Resource Teacher 3_____________Signature______________ Date______________ Cooperating School_______________________________________________________________My Target In this Episode, I must be able to: * Write evidence of application of some guiding principles in the selection use of teaching strategies My Tool As I observe a class, I will use the Observation Sheet for a more focused observation. OBSERVATION SHEET| Name of th e Resource Teachers Observed:________________,__________________,________________School Address:_________________________________________________Date:___________________Grade/ Year Level: _________________________________ Subject Area: _________________________|Guiding Principles in the Selection and Use of Strategies| Teaching Behavior/s of the Resource Teacher that Applies the Principles| 1. Learning is an active process. | 1. | 2. The more senses are involve, the more and the better the learning. | 2. | 3. A non – threatening environment enhances learning. | 3. | 4. Emotion has the power to increase retention and learning. | 4. | 5. Good teaching goes beyond recall of information. | 5. | 6. Learning is meaningful when it is connected to the students’ everyday life. | | 7. An integrated teaching approach is far more effective than teaching isolated bits of information. | |