Comparative Politics: Uk and Us

At base, a congress and a parliament seem to be very similar things the legislative branches of the majority of the world's democracies which are filled with popularly elected men and women who come together to decide the legislative issues of their home nation. However, despite the initial impression of sameness, the two are very different in two key areas: how one is elected to the body and what one does once elected. The difference can begin to be seen in the origins of the words. Congress is based on an ancient Latin word meaning â€Å"a coming together,† which is precisely what happens in a congress representatives from all the parts of a nation coming together to discuss matters of state. Parliament, however, has its roots in a French word meaning â€Å"To talk,† and there certainly is a great deal of talking going on in any parliament. In fact, this simple linguistic difference leads one to the chief difference in the election process. A congress is based upon primary elections in which the general populace selects their candidates more based upon their personalities and individual plans for office, while in a parliament, the delegates are chosen to run by their own political parties based almost entirely on their willingness to follow party standards. While party certainly comes into play in any congress, the individual really does mean more in elections to that body. And it is that sense of individuality that leads to the second main difference between the two. In a parliamentary government, the Prime Minister and his cabinet (The leaders of the nation) are chosen from the majority party in the country's parliament. Thus, if the members of that party begin voting against their party's ideals in the body, the entire government can come apart, forcing an election of a new Prime Minister. With this in place, many parties very carefully restrict the freedoms of their delegates to ensure the safety of their Prime Ministers. In a congress, however, the executive branch is entirely separate from the legislative, allowing the members to vote freely based on the wishes of their constituents and own consciences, with no fear of doing permanent harm to government itself. Their increased individual power leads to many interesting phenomena, not the least of which being that they receive a much larger salary than parliamentary delegates individual congressmen are simply more important. And thus do the two differ from one another in many ways, making each a great deal more than a simple collection of delegates arguing about issues of state.

Building the team Essay

2.1 Explain what behaviours you have developed in order to maintain trust in your detachment. In order to main trust at the detachment I aim is to set aim example in the way I present myself and behave. . A good leader should possess characteristics that encourage the formation of a close knit, solid team. Many of these are my own natural and personal characteristics, but to some have to be learnt. I have been told that I have an approachable demeanour and I am genuinely a caring person. I am also trustworthy and loyal, with a deep sense of integrity and fairness, and high, but not narrow, moral values. I am enthusiastic and encouraging to others, showing my upbeat, positive nature. As a firm believer in self discipline and hard work, I am reliable and punctual. My natural tact, diplomacy and understanding mean that my team are happy to discuss any matters freely. Communication and listening are essential for building a good team, ensuring that time is allocated for them Having been supplied with knowledge, through training with the Cadet Force, and gained qualifications I have become more confident and decisive, not afraid of using my own judgement to address issues which are causing problems. By ensuring that I have up to date information I can plan ahead, be forward thinking, but maintain a degree of flexibility. Committed to the detachment I am willing to take responsibility and stand up for the team, supporting them as necessary. I have learnt to deal with issues in a calm and straight forward manner. 2.2 Explain why confidentiality is important in building and maintaining trust within the team. To earn a reputation of reliability you need to earn the trust of the other  team members. Respecting, and keeping confidences, is paramount as team leaders need to be able to be trusted with private and confidential information. You should never share information that you have been asked to keep confidential and use your judgment when it comes to matters of implied confidentiality. You must keep things confidential that are intended to be so even if a there are problems within the team. There are exceptions to keeping rule, such as when someone’s health or well-being is at risk, or if there is a likelihood of someone being endangered. It’s not an easy commitment to vow never share anything that must be kept confidential, but you should remember that their decision to share or not to divulge information that may affect how others view that person. When consider sharing information you should ask yourself if there is any chance that the person who imparted the information would like it kept confidential. If that is the case, you should not share it. When things are kept confidential that should be confidential, a reputation as a person who can be trusted will be gained. Trust and confidence in leadership is one of the most reliable indicators of satisfaction in an organization, encouraging openness. Maintaining trust avoids conflict within the group. Many issues are resolved by team members trusting their leader sufficiently to approach him with any problem they may have, however large or small it may be. 2.3 Give one example of a group and one example of a team within the Cadet Force. Justify the classification of examples given. An example of a team within the Cadet Force is the Detachment staff i.e. the adult instructors. They have individual and mutual responsibilities but they work together in decision making, discussion, planning, problem solving, focusing on team goals. Defined individual roles, responsibilities and tasks help the team to  do its work. These are often shared and rotated. Each member of the team is concerned with results achieved and challenges they face. The team’s purpose, goals and organisation is shaped by team leader along with other team members. An example of a group within the Cadet Force is the cadets who attend the detachment. The cadets are not involved in the planning the aims and objectives. They have each have their own accountability and work to achieve individual results and goals. They come together to train and learn but are responsible for their own outcome and challenges. The cadets each have individual roles but work as a group to attain results. The group is lead by the team and its leader, the detachment staff and commander, and guided in its aim, goals and approach to training. 2.4 Describe the stages of an established model group formation using examples from your experience to illustrate these if possible. In 1965 Bruce Tuckman developed a 5 stage model of group development, focusing on the way a task is approached and completed from the start to the end. Stage 1 – Forming: The group comes together and gets to know one other and form into a group. Stage 2 – Storming: Differing ideas are raised on how to complete the task and trialling of theories. Stage 3 – Norming: Agreement is reached on how the group will operate. Stage 4 – Performing: The group practices its processes and plans. It becomes effective in meeting its objectives. 10 years later an additional stage was added. Stage 5 – Adjourning and Transforming: The process of ending the project, letting go of the group structure and moving on. The group can reform at any phase to review their goals or change members of the team. This can meaning  reverting to the first stage, but it will progress rapidly as the new member is included in the group. In the Cadet Force an example the group is seen during field craft training. The cadets are formed into groups of up to eight, to create a ‘section’. They need establish the leader, 1IC, second in command, 2IC, and the duties of the remaining members of the group. They need to discuss and plan how they are complete the task, perform the section attack and review how they feel they performed. 2.5 Explain how a Commanding officer could benefit from knowing team member’s preferred team roles. Most cadet detachment teams are made up of people with a varied range of experience, abilities, knowledge, confidence and commitment. Each and every one of them has their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Knowing the team member’s preferred role enables the team leader to allocate roles that are most suited them and were they will produce the best results. For instance someone who is expert in First Aid should be allocated responsibility for that training. Likewise a person who has a lot of experience in a field craft role can be utilised to co-ordinate that training. In 1985, Margerison and McCann produced a classification list for members of a team. They identified these roles in terms of those who were most happily suited to innovating, promoting, developing, organising, producing, inspecting, maintaining and advising. This forms an excellent basis on creating an efficient, confident team that is able to produce results. Different personalities require different styles of leadership and guidance. Knowing an individuals personality will enable the commander to adapt the style of leadership for that person. For instance a new team member, with little knowledge of the Cadet Force, will need direction, tutoring and demonstration of the tasks he will be undertaking. A member who has several years of experience may need refresher training or be required on take on new responsibilities. These can make them feel insecure and unsure. This situation may require coaching from the commander, reaffirming their abilities. Someone who has sufficient experience, knowledge and skills will only need support and guidance to achieve results. An experienced instructor who is confident in his abilities would resent close supervision and would prefer to be left to deal with a given task on his own. The commander would be able to delegate responsibilities to this person freeing him to pay closer attention to those who need it. Knowing the detachment staffs’s preferred roles and leadership requirements would enable the team leader arrange tasks and training in an efficient way creating a well balanced, team with good morale.

Changing the Reputation of Nursing Homes

According to Sampsell (2003), In the next 25 years, 76 million baby boomers are preparing to enter the nursing home (LTC) (p. 41). For elderly people who need to strengthen medical care, special nursing home for seniors is a major provider of elderly people who usually have long-term health problems related to disability and dysfunction (Luskey and Ingman, 1994 , P. 265). Due to the anticipated increase in service demand, industry leaders will be able to understand households, consumers, and employees about nursing care facilities by implementing non-traditional principles for attracting new residents I am trying to change. The special nursing home for the elderly has made tremendous changes in the past few decades. Government regulation and pressure from consumers are driving these changes. Today's sanatorium is a highly regulated quality institution for care and treatment of elderly with severe and / or mental disorders. There is no similar rule to aid living facilities to take car e of special nursing home for the elderly. Almost half of the people living in the nursing home for the elderly are over 85 years old. Relatively small resident is under 65 years old. Most are women (72%), many of them do not have spouses (about 70% have been widows, divorced or never married), only a few families and friends are seeking support. The shortage of nursing for nurses in special nursing home for the elderly has been a problem in the medical field for many years. This shortage has a serious impact on today's social welfare facilities and special nursing home for the aged. Because 8.1% of nurses became missing in 2008, it is important to understand the situation of nurses (solving the lack of care, 2010). In order to help people understand more about the shortage of nurses, this article will discuss resource shortages, stakeholders, economic flows, changes in supply and demand, pricing. Moral care and care in a special nursing home for the elderly are essential. There are many unethical practices in special nursing home for the elderly. Since it is doubtful whether the special nursing home for the elderly is safe or not, the special nursing home for the elderly needs to take care of the elderly and those who can no longer manage it at home. Many residents believe that nursing homes are their home. - In the beginning of the 20th century, there is no sanatoria we are talking about now. If the elderly can not go anywhere, they will be sent to a devastated poor farm. On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act to provide appropriate subsidies to each state 's old aid (OAA). This in turn starts opening up private houses, allowing people to live in nursing homes and request old age allowances.

Time Management and Refreshing Classes Tools for Educational Retention Essay

Time Management and Refreshing Classes Tools for Educational Retention - Essay Example To get the most from everything we do, we must be in control of time (Convey, 1994). Or else, decisions that affect how well we play the game, when we play the game and the position we play will be decided for us by others. On the side of a student, which is what this paper will emphasis on, time management, skills and discipline are very essential in life. The biggest problem they have is time management (Laikein, 1973). Failure to manage their time well has led to poor performance, indiscipline cases, and lack of respect for others. Some students have gone to a point of dropping from schools when they realize that it is too late to accomplish what they are supposed to do. What they normally forget is that school represents a period in their lives that will change their future. They should keep this perspective in their minds so that the daily decisions they make turn out to be wise (Mante & O'Brien, 2002). All students including high school, colleges, and university students should have one goal; to help themselves become aware of how they use their time as a resource in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in their studies in the context of activities of people living together with them (Boje, 1991). Analyzing the problem of time management will create avenues for teachers and lecturers to understand the reasons why their students do not do their assignments as expected and in the right time. It will also help the students to comprehend the importance of adhering to teacher’s rules, regulations, and advices. This problem will be solved when schools, colleges and universities amalgamate time management programs in their classes to help students handle time management problems. This can be done by fixing time management classes or doing orientation to new arrivals. Poor performance is a major problem that is brought by poor time management (Morgenstern, 2004). The largest per centages of students fail in classes or drop from schools due to poor performance after they are unable to manage their time properly. To curb these problems, there are many methods that can be adapted especially in universities. Mental tools that teach them to incorporate new tactics in their time management skills can be useful. The simple and practical techniques will benefit the students in their classes and their entire lives. They should put the most essential things first. After accomplishing them, they should reward themselves (Berge & Oliver, 2003). This will greatly boosts their morale and make them inspired to do better than that. Every student should find his or her right time to do things. They should figure out the most efficient time to do their best. If one is more comfortable in reading at the middle of the night, then he or she must know that the brain works well at that time. They should not wait for any other time to do it. They should also determine their priori ties and set realistic goals that can be attained. We cannot do everything at the same time and these calls for us to set up the importance of each item. Application of Appreciative Inquiry principles can help solve these problems and bring a significance impact to lives of students. This is the learning of what brings existence to human beings operation when they are at their most excellent. It is a methodology of organization development based on the assumption that dialogue on strengths, achievements, wishes, importance, and dreams are transformational. It is used for strategic planning within organizations, boards in schools, and school districts (Barrett, 1998). It is also very useful in intensification of ties among administrators, staffs, and

Toyota Brand Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Toyota Brand Management - Essay Example Market analyst’s claim that if a company has a strong brands it has low employee turnover and a lower likelihood of losing its customers. The greatest strength of integrated branding is aligning the actions of the company with its strengths. This implies that the brand should reflect the company’s capabilities (Roll 2006, p.56). A second aspect of integrated branding that is beneficial to Toyota is customer preference. A brand driven company has the mechanisms to acquire knowledge about the customers needs. This information enables to produce in regards to the needs of the customer thus making them satisfied. Satisfied customers are loyal to a company, and this leads to significant sales. Brand environmental audit is essential in the branding process is various ways. The company intending to market a product will know the strengths and weaknesses of the target market. The company is also in a position to know the preferences of a market. With this knowledge, the brandin g manager strategizes on the branding process (Aggarwal 2008, p.129). The following is an analysis of the Asian Markets. The strength and the weakness of the Yen can produce strong implications on Toyota’s abilities to make sales. If the yen is strong, it gives citizens purchasing power in foreign commodities. This aspect is crippling to Toyota’s branding strategies as they experience reduced local demand. This is to show that the economic status of the region plays a critical role in determining market specificity. The brand a company intends to market, therefore, must pay attention to the economic situation. In this regard, a marketing manager will be careful not to launch an â€Å"expensive† product during an economic recession. The Economic situation in Asia is as a result of the political instabilities in the region. However, in recent times, the region has stabilized and there is a marked improvement in the economic sector (Bradley 2005, 71). Another impli cation on the Asian markets is the media. The positive or negative light shed by the media can make or build a brand. The Media has immense influence because most youth depend on the media for access to information. Globalization of the Media has wide spread roots in the Asian region. Chinese television programmes are a favourite in the region with more and more Asian countries paying attention to Cantonese pop music. There is also the internet whose advancement in the Asian region is rapid. People share information in chat rooms and social networking. The fun Vii is targets the youth, and Toyota has to ensure that the media gives positive criticism to this regard (Aaker 2011, p.33). The other aspect of the asian markets to consider is regionality. This can work for or against toyota in the sense that people can either prefer local brands or foreign brands. However, in the case of asia, locals, especially men prefer local brands to foreign brands. In comparison to U.S brands, Asia b rands indicate the mother company of a product and the place of the assembly to his effect. Regionality may indicate the popularity of a product peoples acceptance of the product and the priority they give it. Toyota has already established itself in the region, so this is not a likely huddle for them to jump over (Cayla & Eckhardt 2007, p.217). Consumer attitudes are extremely influential in determining trends in the Asian markets. The asian markets are particularly keen on technological advancements. The deep rooted culture of innovation plays a prominent role in the branding techniques and the design of the product. The Asian markets, in view of embracing globalisation, focus on the future prospects and not on the current events. Asian innovations

Assessment of English Language Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assessment of English Language Learners - Essay Example 11). Analysis of our data, for example, showed that elementary children were instructed during the week for an average of twenty-two and a half hours. Student involved classroom assessment is an alternative tool of assessment based on: "student involvement in the assessment process, student-involved record keeping, and student-involved communication" (Stiggins and Chappuis 2005, p. 12). Student-involved classroom assessment ensures that student's achievements are objectively assessed and analyzed by a teacher. Students can be guided toward a real, active respect for an interest in education, extending from secondary education through college and beyond. Apart from narrow educational norms and emphases, other personal characteristics are important for the growth of such a positive outlook. These include a real feeling of self-discipline, understanding of and respect for art and other intellectual achievements of human society, an interest in physical and mental health, and in sound relationships with others, and a sensible perspective on the value and use of leisure. Student-involved record keeping allows students to monitor their achievements and improve them immediately. This assessment tool motivates students to pay more attention to their educational achievements. "As they chart progress, they gain a sense of control over their own learning." (Stiggins and Chappuis 2005, p. 13). It yields an immense variety of designs, characterized not only by self-adaptiveness and a very sparing use of natural resources in their realization but also by two other most significant factors of flexibility: the acceptance of imperfections and the mass production of individuality. Both of these characteristics need to be viewed not as an involution but as an evolution, indeed a revolution, in ability to design flexibly. Student-involved communication is effective tools of assessment because it allows parents to monitor achievements of their children and communicate with teachers and other parents. This techniques motivates students to have "a positive story" and to be responsible for their achievements. If effective and stern judgments cannot always be made, then let us at least use the accreditation process to improve things where possible--this seems to be the conclusion that many have drawn. But this conclusion does not fulfill the objective of accreditation, and, of equal importance, it does not have accreditation doing what the public thinks it should be doing. If the process is to survive, therefore, and if the rapid advance of government in the process of educational evaluation is to be halted, steps must be taken to restore accreditation to the role it is assumed to have--that of evaluating educational institutions, honestly, rigorously, and openly, so that when a person obtains a degree fro m an accredited institution, reality will match expectation (Kyriacon, 2000). The other alternative assessment tools are concentrated on reductions in score gaps and low achievements. Classroom Assessment to Reduce Achievement Gaps helps educators to concentrate on problems appeared during education programs: " (a) focus on clear purposes, (b) provide accurate reflections of achievement, (c) provide students with continuous access to descriptive feedback on improvement in their work (versus infrequent

Tyrrells Crisp Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tyrrells Crisp Business - Essay Example And for there to be success with customers or Market, there has to be a clear competitive advantage. A competitive advantage is an advantage over competitors gained by offering consumers greater value, either by means of lower prices or by providing greater benefits and service that justifies higher prices.2 What are the strategies which provide this competitive advantage Following on from his work analyzing the competitive forces in an industry, Michael Porter suggested four "generic" business strategies that could be adopted in order to gain competitive advantage. The four strategies relate to the extent to which the scope of a businesses activities are narrow versus broad and the extent to which a business seeks to differentiate its products The differentiation and cost leadership strategies seek competitive advantage in a broad range of market or industry segments. By contrast, the differentiation focus and cost focus strategies are adopted in a narrow market or industry. We will analyze in this case study how Tyrrells utilized each of these business strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Strategy 1, Differentiation: This strategy involves selecting one or more criteria used by buyers in a market - and then positioning the business uniquely to meet those criteria. This strategy is usually associated with charging a premium price for the product - often to reflect the higher production costs and extra value-added features provided for the consumer. Differentiation is about charging a premium price that more than covers the additional production costs, and about giving customers clear reasons to prefer the product over other, less differentiated products. Now how are Tyrrell's Chips different. In Will Chase's own words "It's not rocket science. We're only chopping up spuds." But there a few differentiating factors which have made a very strong impact in the customer mind. They are called "chips" to differentiate between the thick-sliced, hand-fried delicacies and the cheap as, crisps alternative. But it is more than that It's not just the quality, the packaging, or the story. It is all of them combined .The Tyrrells story - from field to fryer in the same day - has found an audience in the small but growing number of consumers who want to know the provenance of their food and are willing to pay 85p for a packet for the freshness. Tyrrells uses its own produce and bans additives or pesticides. Rather than rinsing out the starch, the company fries fat slices in sunflower oil for an "all natural" snack. Its 12 flavors - from the no-salt Naked Chips to Smoked Salmon Horseradish and Capers - do not contain GM ingredients. Tyrrells aims to be certified organic in 20 months' time. All of these things create a Niche market of Customers who want fresh environmentally friendly and healthy snack. Strategy2 - Cost Leadership: With this strategy, the objective is to become the lowest-cost producer in the industry. Many market segments in the industry are supplied with the emphasis placed minimizing costs. If the achieved selling price can at least equal the average for the market, then the lowest-cost producer will enjoy the best profits. This strategy is usually associated with large-scale businesses offering "standard" products with relatively little differentiation that are

EU Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

EU Law - Essay Example The first elections of the European parliament â€Å"by direct universal suffrage† took place in June 1979 (Europa, 2007). Since then these elections take place every five years giving more strength and responsibility to the Parliament. In European Union, EP is the only directly elected body. Every five year, 27 member states select 736 Members, which represent 500 million people of EU (EuroParl, 2011a). It covers every sphere of EU’s citizens life; civil, social, political, economical and environmental. Its domain of control is huge. Gradually EU’s parliament has gained a position of â€Å"co legislator† for all the new laws and amendments. Few people say that it has given increased powers and it can exercise it anywhere it wants. It has given supervisory powers in law making; even the Central bank cannot select its president without EU’s Parliaments assent. EuroParl (2011a) writes, â€Å"The European Parliament and the Council must adhere to the annual spending limits laid down in the multiannual financial perspective.† It has all the controlling power in monetary matters. It can also set up inquiries over controversial matters. EuroParl (2011b) writes, â€Å"With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the Parliament became a true co-legislator for the EU's entire annual budget, deciding on it in close collaboration with the Council.† The whole document is repeatedly filled with such sentences. â€Å"The European Parliament and the Council may, by means of directives adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, establish†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ... In 1990, unification of Germany took place. On the other hand, Treaty of European Union, the new treaty was negotiated by the members of the EU, taking place at Maastricht in Dec 1991. It was put to force in Nov 1993. EP’s role under Maastricht Treaty stretched and each citizen regardless of its nationality was given the right to vote in the elections of the European Parliament. During March 2000, EU wore a new, modernized face enabling Europe to emerge as a giant business Union, concerning many other issues like, education, information, environment, unemployment etc. People, who were voters of EU were getting really restless demanding their Governments to find real solutions of their problems. EU has been evolving ever since it came into being along with its parliament’s powers and functions. This enhanced cooperation procedure, introduced firstly in Amsterdam treaty, has come a long way and literally plays a role in most of the EU matters. EU’s parliament eithe r has to give consent or has to be kept informed throughout. The main provision of Nice treaty was to change the decision-making process to make it more democratic. French and Dutch voters discarded the constitutional treaty and took 18 months to process the reforms. In December 2007 Lisbon treaty was signed by all the EU members and it is currently being endorsed. This treaty gave increased powers to European parliament at three fronts; Legislative, budgetary and supervisory powers. Witte, et al. (2010, pp.67) states, â€Å"Lisbon treaty has entrusted the EP with more active role in law making.† Enhanced co operation procedure was initiated in 1987, in which EP was free to give opinions and regulate directives proposed by the EC and

E-Commerce Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-Commerce Service - Essay Example Beyond the real world, the Internet has created the new world called as sixth continent or virtual network. In business, e-commerce has made prosperous circulation system. E-commerce has enabled to achieve the fast, reliable and better economical results as compared to traditional business. E-commerce permeates the every profile including media, logistics, finance, enterprises, governments and traditional agriculture.Aim behind this paper is to see the changes brought by adoption of E-commerce for enterprises. What advantages and disadvantages have been produced from E-commerce to business? What are factors involved in buying attention of customers from E-commerce as well as traditional buying?Introduction to E-commerce E-commerce is commonly used term in the era of Internet age. E-commerce simply means the putting up the website for service and product information along with the email contacts from where customers can place order for buying the products. E-commerce is a system to co nduct the business activities via the usage of internet and related technologies. This internet usage refers to computer network to conduct the business. In also includes the selling and buying online, transferring the electronic funds, business communication and associated activities with the selling and buying of services and goods online (Qin et al., 2014). Business to Consumers (B2C) as a category of e-commerce deals with the direct business between the business companies and consumers.

Ethics Paper Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Paper Management - Assignment Example The decisions concerning strategic planning and management are usually taken by the shareholders of the company or the top level executive unit (Board of Directors). These decisions are related to all resources and structure of the company. The strategic action plan has to be fundamental, stable and long lasting. For these reasons a company needs to involve in its strategy concepts like vision (where we go, what we want) and mission (who we are, what we do). Values and beliefs that are shared within the organization show additional consolidation and commitment of the unit and the staff. Different types of mission statements are issued and among all those of importance to us are the â€Å"product – service oriented† and â€Å"customer – market oriented† ones. In her â€Å"Ethics Awareness Inventory† Williams (2011) argues that to succeed in the long run a company or an individual needs to consider topics like Character (what is good to be rather than what is good to do), Obligation (duty or obligation of individuals), Results (the consequences of our actions, where good should prevail over evil) and Equity (issues related to justice, trust and honesty). Since strategic planning is done mostly by shareholders and Board of directors then â€Å"is it done for their sole benefit, only?† When being asked, managers make an interesting rating for the objectives of their business behavior placing customers and government at the top, followed by stockholders and employees. Clifton and Amran (2011) share that the â€Å"Stakeholder Approach† is supportive in corporate practices and this is a proper way to achieve a sustainable world. Freeman (1994) is even more straightforward by writing that â€Å"Corporation shall be managed in the interests of its stakeholders, defined as employees, financiers, customers, and communities†. In most strategic and business managing sources stakeholders are described as the individuals , groups and institutions most deeply interested in the business of the company and its results. The short list would include customers, competitors and suppliers, as well as administrative, social and political institutions. Ferrell (2004) considers that â€Å"customers are key stakeholders that help establish the firm’s reputation and identification† and later â€Å"Understanding customer needs and wants and providing customers with high-quality products are the key to the company’s success.† An interesting issue is to discuss one specific group of stakeholders – parents and family members. The Forbes columnist Scott Reeves (2005) cites M. Sophie Beckmann, a certified public accountant and certified financial planner at  A.G. Edwards  in St. Louis to have said that "Responsibility increases with children" and that "You're now responsible for your spouse and the children. That means planning."  And we add: â€Å"That means strategic plannin g.† A family with three children will spent not less than 15 to 20 years being engaged in college-related topics and thus behavioral, money and housing issues. Consider a possible student loan from the U.S. government Direct Loan Program with 10 years repayment period (U.S. Department of Education, 2011) and then it makes a period of nearly 30 years. People from that group of stakeholders would be delighted to learn and know about a company like the American Campus

How Luxury Brands Were Affected by Recession Essay Example for Free

How Luxury Brands Were Affected by Recession Essay Bovis homes group PLC, a leading UK house builder, had to review its corporate plans as a result of the recession and major cuts in government spending on building projects. Gives the high level of change in economic and political environments, is there any point in corporate planning? Justify your answer with reference to the house building industry and/or other organisations or industries you know that have been affected by such changes. (40 marks) Post 2007, global economy has been reeling under recession. Recessionary pressure began with United States economy slowing down; however it has spread globally affecting all countries in some way or the other. Income level, employment have been affected badly. Consumption levels have gone down drastically, which affected consumer dependant countries, such as the UK. Traditionally, luxury brands have not been affected by recession so much, since they have been catering to the higher end class, which is not so affected by the economic downturn. However, in recent past, the luxury has been catering to the inspirational customers, whose consumption patterns are affected due to economic recession. During times like these, companies usually dependant on corporate planning. Some of them in order to grow, others – to survive. Corporate planning is the process of drawing up detailed action plans to achieve an organizations goals and objectives, taking into account the resources of the organization and the environment within which it operates. Music and books retailer HMV Group became a company that was heavily affected by recession in 2008, as it had to close 60 UK stores in the next 12 months in response to declining sales. The 60 stores set to close represent roughly 10% of the groups UK High Street presence, which comprises 285 HMV shops and 312 Waterstones outlets. The massive store closure of outlets was an attempt to survive, as they has been hammered by competition from digital downloads as well as supermarkets and online retailers undercutting it on price. As well as the store closures, HMV said it would implement other cost-cutting measures that would save it a further ? 10m per year. However HMV’s corporate planning hasn’t proved to be successful, as it turns out HMVs share price has declined steadily throughout 2010, and the latest drop brings its cumulative fall to more than 75% over the last 13 months. Also the firms shares dropped 20% even further after it revealed the sales data, and admitted it was having trouble meeting the terms of a bank loan. As it turns out, HMV’s retail analyst didn’t expected music and DVD market falling that fast, despite their attempts to change their sales mix, offering iPods and live music in order to stay in the market. HMV is repeating Woolworths and Zavvi collapse during the recession. Fox described extremely difficult trading conditions with total sales of physical CDs and DVDs down 10% and 8% respectively against the same six-month period last year. Without a new console to fire the imagination the picture was even worse in video games where sales plunged 12%, a fall that was on top of the 30% slump seen in 2009. It is not that value is moving from physical to the digital sales – it is just that value is being lost, said Fox. Therefore the HMV is facing severe competition and tough times due to recession. Their corporate planning proved to be unsuccessful, they are trying to deal with already dead market, which don’t have any prerequisites to grow in the future. Poundland is complitely different business, with different approach and corporate plan, as they grow during the recession periods. They are aimed at consumer who requires value. Some of that is driven by the economy or the economic conditions, some of that is because the people have low disposable incomes and traditionally that’s been the case, and they have needed to seek value. During tough economic conditions, that was always the case. When US recession just took place, in 2008, poundland started to grow using external growth. At christmas 2008, when Woolworth post-administration 600 stores became available, poundland took 70 of those over three years. Big success from the very beginning was due to , very talented property team, who use a network of agents so they are are constantly searching for new opportunities of expansion. A number of other opportunities have arisen over the years as well and they have been able to convert those quite quickly because they had a new store opening team and a refurbishment programme, which really is about pie-cutting. So there’s a process. The average around 60 stores a year now, so over one a week, which I think is testament to the quality of the team, the sourcing of the stores and the continual improvement in the performance of the business, which of course helps finance those opportunities. In the recession – or difficult economic periods, all decisions needs to be discussed and implemented using professional team, which will make your business distinguish from arising competition. In the conclusion I would like to say that recession is not true for every business. As we have seen above, poundland did well during the recession period, as they targeting those on low-incomes and those, who willing to save, however a situation in a luxury industry differs: The wealthy are not much affected by economic downturn and to use luxury goods is a kind of addiction; it isnt easy to change the lifestyle even if personal income dropped. The Geneva motor show 2013 is happening right now. Rolls Royce is selling better than they did last year, as is Lamborghini. The Middle East, Russia do not seem to be feeling the crunch for the time being. The general feeling is that desire for the super luxury brands remains high but purchases are being delayed. Lamborghini always under produce and have enough orders to remain keep production going for a long time whilst mass to mid luxury car factories are laying off workers, that is the trend that works in the luxury sector. However, the middle-class luxury brands will be heavily affected due to concept that was stated above with an example of poundland. Surely some of them could be richer during the trouble times, but most are struggling and havent the mind to spend freely money for luxury items as before. The wealthy never stop spending, they just change what they spend their money on. For example companies like Hermes, Alfred Dunhill, Vacheron Constatine, and Botega Veneta are designed to be recession proof. Marc Jacobs and Chanel on the other hand will feel the pain. As stated above its all about client base and how corporate plan was developed and implemented.

Abridging Cultural Differences in Learning Essay Example for Free

Abridging Cultural Differences in Learning Essay The world is not only composed of different races that come from different countries but also comprised of innumerable cultures unique from each other. Races from all around the world are greatly diverse. The diversity includes differences in practices, traditions and other cultural manifestations. Culture is one of the distinguishable characteristics of a group of people living in society. Culture is embedded in the community and is illustrated in various forms. In fact, even architectural design depicts culture of people in a particular place. Culture shapes and reshapes a persons individuality. It is influenced by various factors including socio-political, sociological, religion, and historical. Culture continually conform and mold to provide the ever-changing needs of the people in the society. The difference in cultural identity of the people could be attributed to the inherent beliefs, traditions and practices they adhere or grew up with. It is also due to the geographical locations of where we live because culture should match or fit to the geographical and topographical characteristics of the place. For these characteristics greatly affects some aspects of the culture. Learning Styles Learning plays a big role in the lives of people for it is essential in acquiring knowledge that is utilized in understanding things. Learning is an inherent human ability that is honed by factors that affects this particular human process like parenting, formal schooling, experience etc. The process of learning is never-ending, as people reach old age they still acquire new things like information and knowledge they will be able to utilize in some way. Learning has biological and sociological aspects or dimensions. These aspects affect learning either in a positive or negative way. Students may have different processes in taking in information and different ways of learning. Teaching strategies and methods also vary among teachers. Whenever teacher-student education style methods and preference are the same, learning is more likely successful. When there is an existing discrepancy in the learning style preferred by both students and teachers, the students tend to get bored and become inattentive to the lessons (Felder). Every individual have their preferred way of learning things. They are often unaware of this particular preference, they are just aware that they learn more of things that way. People tend to learn more using certain activities and methods than others (Melkman Trotman, 2005). The learning style preferences determine how people learn and the comfortable way in which they were able to learn more. These preferences exert influence learning efficacy (Melkman Trotman, 2005). Some of the biological aspects of learning are sound and light (Shalaway Beech, 1998), some people could not digest the things they should learn in the presence of loud noise and dim light, while there are some people who understand more of the lesson under that certain circumstances. The perception of an individual also affects the learning process of an individual. State of mental health is also another aspect that affects the learning process in which we determine if a person could easily learn the things being taught to them. This is where we could separate fast, average and slow learners. Developmental and sociological aspects that affect the cognitive processes include motivation (Shalaway Beech, 1998), in which some persons need to be motivated in order to digest what is being taught. Being in the in-group also one of the factors that is mostly seen in the school setting where students are more eager to go to school when they are not ostracized by the cliques or social groups. In most classroom settings, noise is not tolerated. Teachers react negatively whenever students squirm or wriggle in their seats, whenever they tap their desks with their pencils or whenever they show restlessness. However, studies prove that some children need such activities for then to able to concentrate, think and learn (Shalaway Beech, 1998). Research shows that when the learning preference of the children, either their biological or sociological aspect, there is a notable increase in achievement and behavioral response. Teachers also have individualized learning styles that affect their way of teaching. When the learning styles of the teacher and students happen to be the same, the more the students will learn (Shalaway Beech, 1998). Various sources discussed many types of learning style preferences. The three main learning style preferences are the auditory, visual and kinesthetic. The auditory learning style explains that some students learn more using their sense of hearing. They tend to get oral instructions easily. The visual learning style, on the other hand, explains how some students tend to learn more using their sense of sight. They are the students who frantically take down notes and copy down keywords from visual aids in class. The kinesthetic learning style explains why some students opt to learn on their own. They tend to learn more through experience and discovery (Learning Styles, 2005). Cultural Differences and Learning Culture and learning are two inseparable things (Moore and Anderson, 2003). The innate cultural identity of a person tends to affect their learning capabilities through influencing their learning styles. Researches find out that cultural groups tend to have unique learning styles that are different from other ethnic groups. But there is also a contrasting finding that members of the family tend to have different learning styles. Instructors and learning facilitators should be aware of three important things. 1. There are existing universally accepted learning principles, 2. Culture greatly influences the learning styles of individuals, 3. Every person has their distinguishable learning style preferences that affect their potential achievement and acquired knowledge (Moore Anderson, 2003). Culture could be held responsible in the developed learning style of an individual. Culture determines the preferences and values a person holds. United States is a multiracial and multicultural society in which the normal classroom is composed of people coming from the different ethnic groups (Shalaway Beech, 1998). Oftentimes, we are having a difficult time understanding people who have dissimilar taste and preference, because we know that there is no commonality or common ground that that two person could talk about. We tend to be biased in some way. Cultural differences are persons strengths, knowing the cultural background of the student will greatly help us to facilitate and induce classroom learning (Shalaway Beech, 1998). The knowledge in the cultural diversity and how it influences the learning process is very important especially to the course designers because there is an inevitable possibility that a group of individuals have different learning styles preferences (Moore Anderson, 2003). The negative implication of the culturally diverse classroom setting is composed of individuals with various learning style preferences. The instructor or learning facilitator have no control over the heterogeneous mixture of learning styles for it is difficult to develop a mixture of training methods and teaching strategies for all the students to learn in class. Conclusion Learning is among the fundamental human process very essential in life. The process of learning occurs in every setting and outside the confines of school and we are unaware that it happens. Culture is the embedded characteristic deeply rooted in society. It somehow defines the social identity of a person. Culture shapes individuality and influences the different aspects of a person, including tastes and preferences. Variety is the spice of life. The global society is composed of different races and cultures. Cultural differences are reflected in learning style preferences. The negative implication of cultural diversity in a classroom and having too many learning styles is that the teachers do not know what teaching methods they should used in order the students to learn the subject. Knowledge in this particular matter is very important especially to learning facilitators and course designers to develop a comprehensive and efficient teaching method to be utilized in classrooms in which ever student’s learning style is utilized. In this way we will be able to abridge cultural differences in learning. References Felder, R. Learning Styles. Resources in Science and Engineering Education. Retrieved June 25, 2008 from http://www4. ncsu. edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Learning_Styles. html. Learning Styles. (2005). Student Development Services. University of Western Ohio. Retrieved June 25, 2008 from http://www. sdc. uwo. ca/learning/index. html? styles. Melkman, A. Trotman, J. (2005). Training International Managers: Designing, Deploying and Delivering Effective Training for Multi-Cultural Groups. England: Gower Publishing Ltd. Moore, M. G. Anderson, W. G. (2003). Handbook of Distance Education. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Shalaway, L. Beech, L. (1998). Learning to Teach: Not Just for Beginners: The Essential Guide for All Teachers. New York: Teaching Resources/ Scholastic Professional Books.

Analyzing The Theme Of Nature In Literary Devices English Literature Essay

Analyzing The Theme Of Nature In Literary Devices English Literature Essay The theme of nature is very important to each of the texts to be discussed in this essay: The Fat Black Womans Poems by Grace Nichols; Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. In a sense, the fact that each work is created within a different literary genre to some extent dictates the essential differences amongst them. However, this essay sets out to examine how, in addition to comparing literary devices, nature is used as a different imperative in each of the selected texts. Throughout the play, Willy escapes back into his memories and it is deeply significant, therefore, that the countryside is allied to this: I was driving along, you understand? And I was fine. I was even observing the scenery. You can imagine, me looking at scenery, on the road every week of my life. But its so beautiful up there, Linda, the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm  [3]  Loman both belongs in the country and out of it because he has simply used it, as he has used both things and people, to get ahead. The fact that he has been unsuccessful is therefore a betrayal of his own and a generic dream that is never fulfilled nor justified, just as the story he begins to tell Linda, his wife, ends not in reverie on the idyllic, as it started, but on loss of control: all of a sudden Im going off the road!  [4]  Miller uses nature, therefore, as an emblem of Willys displacement: Many of Willys activities can be seen as highly symbolic. He plants seeds just as he plants fal se hopes: both will die and never come to fruition, largely because the house has become too hemmed in by the city.  [5]  In addition, a further lost dream of Willys has been connected with nature, that of his brother, Bens, offer to join him and make his fortune beyond the suburban life Willy has lived: William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen. When I walked out I was twenty-one. And, by God, I was rich!  [6]  For Willy, therefore, nature has become a place of lost hope where the grass dont grow anymore  [7]  ; it does not belong and nor does he: A victim of both a heartless capitalist society and his own misguided dreams, Willys eventual suicide is presented with tragic dimensions. His beliefs may be misguided, but he stays true to them to the end. Although he has neither social nor intellectual stature, Willy has dignity, and he strives to maintain this as his life falls apart around him.  [8]   Displacement is also a major feature of Jean Rhyss novel, Wide Sargasso Sea. First published in 1966, it is a prequel to Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre, first published in 1847. The novel uses nature as a means of developing the narrative of Rochesters first wife, Bertha Mason, here known as Antoinette Cosway, a young woman who feels herself displaced following the freeing of the slaves who had worked on her familys plantation. The very word place occurs many times in the novel  [9]  and Antoinette seeks solace in what she sees as an Eden garden, her former home, from which she is cast out: A very important early set piece is Antoinettes description of the garden at Coulibri, where she was a child, a garden which was probably based on Rhyss memories of her mothers family estate at Geneva. It marks childhood as taking place in a damaged Eden.  [10]  The description of the garden is thus very important to an understanding of Antoinette and of the way Rhys uses her connection with nature to aid her character and thematic development: Our garden was large and beautiful as that garden in the Bible the tree of life grew there. But it had gone wild. The paths were overgrown and a smell of dead flowers mixed with the fresh living smell. Underneath the tree ferns, tall as forest tree ferns, the light was green. Orchids flourished out of reach or for some reason not to be touched. One was snaky looking, another like an octopus with long thin brown tentacles bare of leaves hanging from a twisted root. Twice a year the octopus orchid flowered then not an inch of tentacle showed. It was a bell-shaped mass of white, mauve, deep purples, wonderful to see. The scent was very sweet and strong. I never went near it.  [11]   The possessive pronoun with which this paragraph opens immediately establishes the dichotomy of Antoinettes situation. This is her home, it should feel like hers but it does not. The beauty she infers has a duplicitous lushness because it has gone wild, emblematic of a land which has lost control, albeit for a positive reason. The living and the dead mix and encroach upon one another, and there is a serpent in the garden in the snaky orchids. Moreover, the twisted root implies a distortion of what was meant to be, metaphorically echoing Antoinettes displacement. In addition, this is not the only example of places appearing resonant of disposition and/or situation: Places are extremely alive in this novel: the menacing, lush garden at Coulibri, the mysterious bathing pool at Coulibri, sunset by the huts of the plantation workers, the road from the village of Massacre up to Granbois, the sea and sky at sunset from the ajoupa or thatched shelter at Granbois, the bathing pools at Granboi s (the champagne pool and the nutmeg pool) the forest where Antoinettes husband wanders until he is lost, the road to Christophines home, the trees and bamboos around the house at Granbois.  [12]  Here, Antoinette appears simultaneously intoxicated and repelled by the sweet and strong of the garden, which perhaps says something about her similarly ambivalent attitude towards those around her and they to her: The picture we now have of Rhys and her heroines is that of a passive, impotent, self-victimized schizoid who, comfortable with failure, wields her helplessness like a weapon all as natural as being female.  [13]  The presentation of nature at the honeymoon house is similarly difficult to place, seeming to be one thing but actually being another, but her former home is a sacred space where Antoinette hugs to herself the secret hidden in Coulibri.  [14]  It is, indeed, these secrets in isolation, echoed in the descriptions of Antoinettes homeland that make the repres entation of nature in Wide Sargasso Sea so clearly an imperative of the text: As long as Antoinette can remember and order the events of her memories into a temporal or causal sequence, create even an illusion of sequence and maintain a measured sense of space and time, then she can hold her life and self together. Her act of narration becomes an act of affirmation and cohesion, a nod to the world and its conventions, an attempt to prevent herself from dissolving. When, in Part Three, Antoinette lies encaged in Thornfield Halls dark, cold attic, the threads that hold her to the reality that the world perceives as sanity finally break. These threads are the elements of conventional narrative: linear chronology, sequence, narratorial lucidity, distance. She herself admits at this point that time has no meaning; sequence disintegrates into a confusion of present and past and ultimately into a dream which narrates her future.  [15]   This has been quoted at length because it addresses many of the literary devices that the novelist, as opposed to the playwright or poet, can use to develop a theme. With regard to nature, it is used by Rhys, as suggested above, to create a temporal space for Antoinette that is emblematic of the identity she has lost. The wildness which is encroaching upon the Eden of the garden, later to be completely destroyed, is an example of the way in which the novelist can use one strong image to lead into another, both being resonant of the past. Indeed, again as stated above, the act of telling the tale creates the character in the mind of the reader and the locations in which she is placed are connected to that, as is the temporal dislocation which memory produces and which is often, as with Antoinette, indicative of her state of mind. The evocation of nature as a turbulent and emotive presence adds to this, with the sea as the ultimate semiotic of challenge, chaos and dislocation. Grace Nichols second collection of verse, The Fat Black Womans Poems, published in 1984, also uses nature to evoke a particular image. However, as this is poetry, the linguistic and literary devices used are very different from either those of the playwright and/or novelist. Nichols grew up in Guyana  [16]  but has made her life and career in England, she has lived and worked in Britain since 1977  [17]  , and this cross-cultural imperative is very much evident in her work: her poems frequently acknowledge the alien climate, geography, and culture of Englands cities  [18]  Within The Fat Black Womans Poems, Nichols seeks to evoke a different perception of beauty from that which is shown in white Western culture: Nichols also deploys the fat black woman as a powerful challenge to the tyranny of Western notions of female beauty  [19]  and thus engender a new heroine, a woman who revises the aesthetic of female beauty.  [20]  One of the techniques Nichols employs to do this is combining nature with an aspect of the physical self, as here in Thoughts drifting through the fat black womans head while having a full bubble bath: Steatopygous sky Steatopygous sea Steatopygous waves Steatopygous me  [21]   The unfamiliar word, steatopygous (meaning having fully rounded buttocks) is repeated for emphasis and juxtaposed with images of nature so as to produce an emblem of the black woman as close to nature, her body shaped like the sky, waves and sea. Nichols is empowering black women in image by doing this as she does by giving the black woman her own unique voice: In making the fat black woman the speaking subject of many of these poems, Nichols signals her refusal to occupy the subject(ed) position designated for the black woman by history and to insist on more complex subjectivities.  [22]  Nichols is also concerned that the voice should seem naturalistic and therefore the natural images perform yet another function: Like many Afro-Caribbean writers, Nichols infuses her poetry with the spiritual energy of the tradition of women before her, a tradition that has little written record.  [23]   In another poem from the collection, Beauty, this reproduction of a different image of physical appeal can also be seen to be connected with nature: Beauty is a fat black woman walking the fields pressing a breezed hibiscus to her cheek while the sun lights up her feet Beauty is a fat black woman riding the waves drifting in happy oblivion while the sea turns back to hug her shape  [24]   Again, the woman is juxtaposed with nature, providing a unity between the persona and her surroundings which is both literal and metaphorical. Repetition is used once more by the poet to emphasise the connection between the theme of the collection and beauty in abstract. Indeed, the word Beauty, the only capitalised word in the poem, is set alone on a line, as is hibiscus, as if to stress its importance as an emblem or iconic of what Nichols says is an imperative i.e. that this is what beauty unequivocally is. There is a mutual embrace between the woman and nature, she pressing the hibiscus/to her cheek and the sea turn[ing] back/to hug her shape. It is as if Nichols is suggesting that the fat black woman who is riding the waves/drifting in happy oblivion is in unison with nature and recognised by it as being so. All of nature, indeed, like the sun [that] lights up her feet is glorifying her and she it. There is no punctuation in the verses, emphasising the smooth, natural flow of th e descriptions and the way in which they are intended to imply all that is inherently natural. As Nichols writes in The Assertion, This is my birthright  [25]  and thus the investigation of beauty within the poems becomes a socio-political imperative, too. In conclusion, all three texts Millers Death of a Salesman, Rhyss Wide Sargasso Sea and Nichols The Fat Black Womans Poems all use nature as a way of enlarging upon and more effectively demonstrating their central concerns. An important element of this is the way in which pathetic fallacy is used by the authors, i.e. nature reflecting and/or suggesting a mood or theme. As the three texts discussed here are from different genres, they of course use nature in different ways, employing different literary devices, as has been shown. However, for each of the authors nature is singularly important and enriches the individual texts immeasurably. In the final analysis, therefore, it might be suggested, indeed, that nature itself becomes almost a communicative character within each of the very different works discussed within this essay, as its importance to the creation and communication of each cannot be overestimated.

Hostage Rescue :: essays research papers

Hostage Rescue As a terrorist, your role in a hostage rescue level is to prevent counter-terrorists (CTs) from leading the hostages from where they are being held to the hostage rescue zone. Terrorists win hostage rescue rounds by eliminating the counter-terrorist force while preventing them from rescuing hostages. CTs win a round by finding the hostages and leading more than half of them to freedom. CTs can get the attention of a hostage by moving near him then pressing their ‘Use’ key (see Controls, Use). The hostage will now follow the CT back to the rescue zone. If a CT wants the hostage to stop following, they need to press ‘Use’ again and the hostage will stay put. Sometimes when you have a group of hostages following you, they may block you into an area; you can push them out of the way by simply walking into them. CTs can also win a round by eliminating the terrorists. Bomb/Defuse In a bomb/defuse map, the goal of the terrorist is to plant a C4 bomb in the designated area then prevent the CTs from defusing the bomb. Players must remember to stay well clear of the bomb when it explodes, as it has a large and deadly blast radius. The bomb is randomly assigned to a terrorist at the start of the round. Team members can identify the bomb carrier by the backpack they are wearing and the player with the bomb will see an icon on their Heads Up Display (see HUD, bomb carrier). To plant the bomb, the carrier must be in the vicinity of the bombing target. While having the bomb as their currently selected item, the player must then press and hold their fire key (see Controls, Fire) for three seconds for the bomb to be planted. The bomb will go off after a set period of time has passed (45 seconds by default). The level is won by the terrorists when the bomb explodes (maximum payoff) or if the CT team is eliminated (smaller payoff). CTs can win a defuse map in two ways: by defusing the bomb or by eliminating the Terrorists (if the Terrorists managed to plant the bomb before being eliminated, CTs must still defuse the bomb to win the round). To defuse the bomb, CTs must stand near the bomb, target it then press and hold their ‘use’ key until the bomb is defused.

Distorted Perceptions in Fitzgeralds Tender is the Night Essay

Distorted Perceptions in F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night    Any visitor to the French Riviera in the mid-1920s, the setting of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night, would describe Dr. Richard Diver as a charming, respected, well-mannered physician. Dick is a noble man who has dedicated his life to the health and protection of his beloved wife without thought to himself. Furthermore, he gives wonderful parties and is a reliable source of help to any friend in need. In fact, "to be included in Dick Diver's world for a while was a remarkable experience" (Fitzgerald, Tender, 27). Under this faà §ade of composure, however, lies a tormented personality. The stresses in Dick's life are numerous, as he deals with Nicole's breakdowns and other aspects of his career and social relationships. He has no one to help him through these difficulties but he still manages to rescue his friends in countless instances. He does his best to play his role as husband, father, friend, and physician, but he is clearly not comfortable with his responsibilities, and his confusion manifests itself through his obsession with youthfulness. Not only does Dr. Diver try to appear young and vital to the outside world, he also has an unhealthy obsession with much younger women in his life. This paternal attitude toward females mingled with sensual desire is a sign of Dick's hidden instability which slowly becomes more visible. Several events point to Dick's desire to appear younger and as his immature attitude about life. He has a strong need for social approval and tries to ensure his social standing by being a gracious and charming host to a myriad of friends and acquaintances. He is very concerned with each guest's opinion of him, and i... ...cceeding experiences. A major component of the disintegration of Dick Diver, therefore, is his confusion and immaturity regarding relationships with younger women, as well as his own need to seem youthful. His reputation and well-liked persona are achieved despite his childlike attitudes, but as he slowly loses his ability to conceal his true personality, he is deserted by everyone. Just as the incestuous actions of Nicole's father led to her illness and his private torment, Dick Diver's distorted perceptions of appropriate relationships lead to his own fall into obscurity. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Tender is the Night. New York, NY.: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1982. Stanton, Robert. "'Daddy's Girl': Symbol and Theme in Tender is the Night." Critical Essays on Tender is the Night. Ed. Milton R. Stern. Boston, Ma.: G.K. Hall & Co., 1986. 118-124.

Time in Gatlinburg :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

Time in Gatlinburg Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a prime tourist destination that is filled with action packed adventures. Day or night there is never a dull and moment. You can visit the quaint little shops in the light of day or patrol the dark and somewhat wild street of the night. However, you plan to spend your time in Gatlinburg, you are guaranteed to have an awesome time. When you get to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, you will need a place to stay for the duration of your visit. The Howard Johnson Inn will accommodate your needs says Hojogatlinburg.com. The weekend price is seventy dollars for a room with two double beds and a spectacular view. This is a great place to stay. For dog lovers, consider leaving Rover at home because the Howard Johnson Inn doesn’t allow pet. The Howard Johnson Inn is located in downtown Gatlinburg on 200 East Parkway, and right around the corner from all the wonderful attractions Gatlinburg, Tennessee, has to offer. After unloading your luggage consider going down to the Peddler. The Peddler might be able to satisfy your wants and desires. The Peddler carries everything for fresh fish, to mouthwatering chicken and even marinated steaks. The Peddler is a classy restaurant so dress accordingly. Expect the cost for the meal to be a bit on the "pricey" side. The Peddler is located on the corner where River Road intersects with Ski Mountain Road. If unwilling to empty your wallet on one nights feast, take a stroll over to Pancake Pantry where excellent breakfast is served for a moderate price. The Pancake Pantry is located on the corner where Cherokee Orchard road meets Parkway. According to Gatlinburg.com, the Pancake Pantry has twenty-four different types of pancakes, an array of waffles, and they serve soup and sandwiches for lunch. The Pancakes Pantry serves lunch after eleven thirty and breakfast all day for those of you who eat bacon and eggs for supper. After you have had your fill at the Pancake Pantry, consider heading over to Camp Thunder Fun Center. Camp Thunder Fun Center is located right across the street from Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, where you can ride go-karts at speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour on an outdoor track. "Ride till your hearts content," says Camp Thunder Fun Center, but not in the rain as that is a recipe for certain disaster. There is no doubt that you will find all sorts of fun and thrilling adventures at Camp Thunder Fun Center.

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Approach Essay

Designed for students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) there are a numerous amount of intervention strategies and methods that can be used to implement and help students build their self-management skills. These intervention strategies are used with the intention of students ultimately learning how to control their behaviors in and out of school. Consequently, self-sufficient intervention approaches are a supported and efficient method of delivering pertinent and significant supports to students with EBD. Advocates of cognitive behavioral intervention (CBI) substantiate the communal correlation amid views and behaviors as a central credence of their method. Students engross in self-management methods when utilizing CBIs. Strategies included in CBIs are self-instruction, self-monitoring, self-reinforcement, self-control, and self-evaluation (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Procedures of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Cognitive behavioral interventions educate students on ways to govern their personal feelings and behaviors through reinforcing instruction strategies that encourage appropriate actions. Through the implementation of CBIs, students are engrossed in self-reflection, recounting and reinforcement. In most cases of behavioral management strategies, educators are made responsible for observing students, collecting data and reinforcing appropriate behaviors. During the course of CBI, students may accomplish three procedures, thus stimulating their independence, self-management, and an accountability for their actions (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). When CBI is introduced, students must document the frequency of the specific target behavior/s that are occurring. Researchers have found that self-monitoring behavior is an exceedingly sufficient way of endorsing constructive exchanges amid an assortment of learners (Stonecipher, 2012). Students must know how to identify the occurring behavior(s) in order to effectually record it on a data sheet, journal, or organizer. Often times, inappropriate behaviors will begin to decrease instantaneously once students become cognizant of the behavior and how often it occurs (Stonecipher, 2012). Students must first be capable of self-monitoring their behaviors before effectual self-evaluation may begin. In addition, educators must impart a rating scale; a criterion for students to measure their performance in contrast to. The rating scale should be used during all classroom related activities (Robinson, 2007). Using the rating scale as a rubric of sorts, students can compare the rate of their performance in contrast to the teacher’s criteria. Once comparisons are made, students should reflect upon their results. Students can successfully self-evaluate their behaviors in a myriad of ways, including through the use of evaluation charts that coincide with the student’s daily class schedule (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Self-reinforcement, similar to instructor directed reinforcement, is delivered succeeding the achievement of a goal, in this circumstance, fitting behavior. Likewise, self-reinforcement should be applied steadily and systematically (Smith, 2002). Self-reinforcement, can be either externally or internally given. In addition, through self-reinforcement, students are given the opportunity to choose their own reward. Through collaboration, educators and students work together to define the precise criterion that students must met before being reinforced. It is significant to observe that with self-reinforcement and all processes of self-management, the teacher is responsible for directing the student on how to effectually manage the stages, as well as monitor them throughout the preliminary steps of self-management to certify that efficient practices are being utilized (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Lastly, teachers and students need to effectively communicate with one another concerning the attainment of self-management and ultimately diminish or reduce self-reinforcement (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Emotions, Thoughts, and Behaviors Emotions, thoughts, and behaviors share a communal correlation; thoughts can produce emotional responses; emotional responses can then produce positive and negative behaviors. As a result, a student’s emotions and behaviors have a direct correlation to their thoughts and vice versa (Stonecipher, 2012).  In instances where a student is unable to self-manage their behaviors while presented with an issue, a probable outcome would be that the student will then act out inappropriately. As a result, cognitive behavioral interventions often encompass problem solving and anger management strategies (Robinson, 2007). Conducive to effectually self-managing behavior, students must be trained to exercise constructive thinking and reduce the pervasiveness of participating in destructive behavior acquired from an emotional response. Students may obtain this by acknowledging the problem, defining it, producing and assessing resolutions, applying a plan and lastly observing the resolution (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Students should also learn to recognize specific elements including triggers, reminders, and reducers, while trying to self-manage. Teachers must retain patience during this process as students must build these skills up before positive results transpire (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Effectiveness and Limitations of Cognitive Behavior Interventions CBI has been verified as an effective technique in behavior management for students with EBD. When accurately implemented, CBIs can aide students in decreasing inappropriate behaviors that interfere in their academic and personal lives and make students responsible for the management of their own behaviors within these areas as well. CBIs do not come without limitations as well. Students who are reluctant or apathetic to changing their behaviors would result in its ineffectiveness. It is equally significant for educators to contemplate the validity of student recorded behavioral data. During student behavioral data collection, there can be occurrences of students noting the specific behavior(s) at a reduced frequency than which they truly transpire (Smith, 2002). Social Skills Instruction Social skills and academic performance directly correlate with one another. Social skills instruction consists of educating students on what interactions are appropriate between both adults and peers and can be easily combined within the curriculum through projects, small group discussions, etc. (Smith, 2002). For students with EBD, social skills instruction is more accurate when directed as a fragment of an overall management plan. When students implement CBIs problem solving and self-controlling approaches,  students learn to identify issues and establish effective results that are considered socially adequate and are particularly pertinent to the management of EBD students (Smith, 2002). Developing Curriculum, Approaches, and Assessment As a means of being appropriately implemented, CBIs must transpire within the framework of a behavioral management plan or curriculum and should identify a student’s behavior, as well as what processes will used to implement the intervention and the assessment. Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) signifies a method for assembling information about problematic conduct in order to understand and identify the reasons behind them (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). The behavioral management curriculum cannot progress without the administration of an FBA, which explicitly classifies and labels specific behaviors of EBD students. Likewise, the FBA overtly specifies the underlying issues behind the behavior, which in turn aides in the development of preparing effective and pertinent interventions. The FBA will result in the behavioral intervention plan (BIP) where CBI strategies can be utilized. There are a varied amount of methods that can be utilized to implement CBI into the management curriculum including student kept data, self-evaluation, graphic organizers, observations, achievement tests, norm-referenced tests, and criterion tests (Yell, Meadows, Drasgow, & Shriner, 2009). Reflection on Cognitive Behavioral Approach CBI is a recognized and efficient approach to managing undesirable behaviors for students with EBD. As a means of effectively executing CBI, educators must design thorough strategies and intervention that can be incorporated within the behavior intervention plan. Additionally, in order to maintain validity, teachers must survey the student’s development to certify that proper self-management measures are being adhered to. References Smith, W. (2002). Applying Cognitive Behavioral Techniques to Social Skills Instruction. ERIC/OSEP Digest (#E630). Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutCEC/International/StepbyS

Performance of Sdssu in the Licensure Examination for Teachers Essay

Introduction High percentage of LET passers contributes greatly to the accreditation of education programs of a certain college or university. This, aside from adding zest within the vicinity of school academe, is the reason why schools offering education courses crave for high percentage of LET passers (Philippine Journal of Education, 2005). Today, prospective teachers must clear a series of hurdles to obtain and maintain a teaching certificate – one of which is to pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (Libman, 2009). States use licensing to ensure that the only qualified teachers can be hired. This builds anxiety not only among examinees but more so far schools who turn out prospective teachers with different majors. Obviously, the National examination for teachers stirs competitive against, since it augurs possible employment, salary or appointment upgrading ranking consideration, and acceptance to the halls of DECS. In addition, implications permeate school standards and pride for garnering honors from percentage passers (Philippine Journal of Education, 2005). The performance scores in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers reflect the abilities of the teacher examinees. Thus, having low percentage of LET passers indicates low quality pre-service teacher education in the country (Ramota, 2011). Palatino, who is a young education graduate from the University of the Philippines, feared that poor performance in LET may lead to further slide of the educational standards of the educational standards of our country. If this alarming trend will not be aided, he said, the country will be seeing more classrooms with no teachers in our schools despite an oversupply of teacher education graduates who end jobless or else volunteer teachers in remote areas (Ramota, 2011). Performance of education graduates in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers predetermine not only the competence of the graduates but so as the institutions where they have acquired their diplomas. This serves as the major key in accrediting education programs. Having low percentage of LET passers may lead to changing of educational programs or worse, closing of the educational programs. Hence, the researchers conduct this study to find the relationship between the students LET performance and standard and competence of the said institution. Moreover, to develop an intervention program that would help obtain standard results in the LET. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework This paper is anchored on Joe Wholey’s model of program evaluation (1987) and the Education Conceptual Model. Like systems and organizational theories, Wholey’s model of program evaluation describes the characteristics of faculty and students and the extent to which curricular activities and fiscal resources influence the educational process and subsequent effectiveness in goal attainment. Wholey defines a program as a set of resources and activities directed toward one or more goals. The linkage of resource expenditures, program activities, immediate outcomes, and ultimate goals directly relates to SDSSU and its program’s performance on the Licensure examination for Teachers. If SDSSU program resources are available, then qualified faculty will be recruited and retained to provide the necessary curricular instruction and learning activities. Given the appropriate faculty to develop and implement the curriculum and activities, students will be provided an opportu nity to develop the required knowledge, skills, and behaviors appropriate for entry-level practice as teacher practitioners. If the appropriate curriculum and activities are implemented, then graduates will demonstrate the desired outcomes expected at the entry level for Licensure tests. If these learning activities and outcomes occur, then progress will be made toward the SDSSU program goals and the ultimate goal of the teaching profession. The ultimate goal of College of Teacher Education programs is to provide competent teachers imbued with ethical values and ideals in a humane environment supportive to the national thrust for social transformation. Four teacher education program components with key predictor variables for each are identified. First, program resources (total program expenditures) must be adequate to ensure the achievement of the learning goals and outcomes. Second, there must be sufficient faculty (student-to-faculty ratio) with the necessary qualifications (degrees earned, teaching experience) to influence program processes and outcomes. Third, the curriculum (didactic, laboratory, and professional practice hours; comprehensive examination) must support the entry-level competencies of professional practice and the achievement of learning goals and outcomes. Fourth, in order to graduate and enter professional practice, students (mean cumulative college GPA on admission) must be evaluated on the ability to demonstrate competencies measured on the Licensure Examination for Teachers. Taking and passing the LET is the ticket to enter teaching profession which is the desire result of education students. Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) is the professional board examination given by Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to determine who are to be allowed to teach and who are not (http://eduphil.org/how-to-pass-the-licensure-examination-for-teachers-let.html).LET performances in terms of passing scores are often perceived as the scale in measuring the quality of education of schools offering teacher education. According to Daniel Goldhaber (2012) University of Washington researcher, â€Å"licensure test performance is clearly not a silver bullet. Licensing tests are usually paper and pencil tests of subject matter knowledge and on occasion, pedagogical knowledge.† Multiple researches having the same findings as his, argues for a much more comprehensive system for assessing teachers to determine their preparedness to enter the classroom as sole pract itioners (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2012). Schematic Diagram Basis for an intervention program. Basis for an intervention program. Level of accreditation of teacher education programs. Relationship of LET performance and level of accreditation in teacher education. Level of accreditation of teacher education programs. Relationship of LET performance and level of accreditation in teacher education. SDSSU performance in terms of passing percentage in Licensure Examination for Teachers SDSSU performance in terms of passing percentage in Licensure Examination for Teachers Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram of the study. The first table shows the profile of SDSSU in terms of their performance in LET. The second table shows the accredited education programs of SDSSU and their levels of accreditation. The third table shows the basis for an inspired LET performance. Statement of the Problem The researcher seeks to study the performance of SDSSU in the Licensure Examinations for Teachers. Specifically, the researcher would like to find out the following: 1. What is the performance of SDSSU in terms of passing percentage in Licensure Examination for Teachers? 2. What is the level of accreditation of teacher education programs in Surigao del Sur State University? 3. Is there a significant relationship between students LET performance and the level of accreditation of Surigao del Sur State University campuses? 4. What are the problems met in the teacher education programs to attain the better LET performance in pursuit for quality education? 5. What intervention program shall be crafted based on the findings of the study? Null Hypothesis Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the LET performance of the teacher education graduates and the level of accreditation in the teacher education programs. Significance of the study The following individuals are deemed to benefit largely on this study. School administrators. This paper would help the school administrators to become more motivated in administering better curriculum and courses that are relevant in achieving high passing percentage in LET. This would lead to the improvement of standards of the institutions. Faculty. This paper would remind them that their part as faculty is very crucial and relevant in moulding new generations of would-be-teachers. This would encourage them to always do their job honestly, sincerely, and passionately and to redesign their teaching strategies, if needed, in order for them to facilitate maximum learning effectiveness and produce highly competent and surely LET passer students. Students. This paper would help them realize their role as an important aspect in acquiring competence and standards of their institutions. Thus, would drive them to do well in their studies in order for them to bring pride and happiness to their college or universities. Community. If the individuals aforementioned would be able to realize the importance of their roles in developing a more equipped, qualified, and reliable who would benefit most. Scope and limitation This study focuses on the performance of teacher education graduates of SDSSU in the Licensure Examination for Teachers. It will be conducted at SDSSU during the second semester of school year 2012-2013. The monitoring is to be administered to the five campuses of SDSSU namely: Cantilan, Lianga, San Miguel, Tagbina, and Tandag campuses. Definition of terms The terminologies used in this study are defined operationally. Accreditation. Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented. Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies (such as PRC); hence they are sometimes known as â€Å"accredited certification bodies†. The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable, typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically and employ suitable quality assurance. Competence. Competence refers to the quality of being well qualified. It is the quality of having great facility and being able to perform and facilitate achievement or accomplishment. Education. Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people sustain from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts. It is the formal process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, customs and values from one generation to another, e.g. instruction in schools. Institution. An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behaviour of a set of individuals within a given human community. Institutions are identified with a social purpose, transcending individual human lives and intention by mediating the rules that govern cooperative human behaviour. The term â€Å"institution† is commonly applied to customs and behaviour patterns important to a society, as well as to particular formal organizations of government and public services. Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). Licensure Examination for Regulation Commission (PRC) to determine who should be allowed to teach schools in the Philippines. Performance. Refers to the accomplishment of a given task measured against present known standards of accuracy, completeness, cost, and speed. In a contract, performance is deemed to be the fulfilment of an obligation, in a manner that releases the performer from all liabilities under the contract. Profile. Is a brief description of the characteristics of something, where in my study, are the characteristics of Surigao Del Sur State University main campus in terms of their percentage of LET passers and the accreditation levels of the different education programs that they are offering. Student. A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In its widest use, student is used for anyone who is learning. Chapter II RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE Effective Teachers are what each classroom needs. But what makes a teacher effective? How can we identify effective teachers from those who are not? Are licensure examinations enough to assess the quality of teachers? Passing the licensure examination is often perceive as an indicator of qualified and effective teachers. But according to the researchers from the Southeast Centre for Teaching Quality (2003c), licensure examinations are not enough to measure the competence among teacher candidates. They concluded that in order to assess competence among teacher candidates, multiple methods should be used. This should include student work samples and the demonstration of new knowledge and skills known to reflect the core competences of highly qualified beginning teachers. This thoughts gained support from a study commissioned by the National Research Council (2001), the role of licensure tests in improving teacher quality, as cited in the study of Wilkerson and Lang (2004) concluding th at even a set of well-designed tests is inadequate to measure all of the prerequisites for a competent beginning teacher. The researcher of the National Research Council also recommended that states use multiple forms of evidence in making decisions about teacher candidates and use licensure tests only as a part of a coherent developmental system of preparation assessment, and support that reflects the many features of teacher competence. Addressing some of the issues on teacher effectiveness is through a voluntary certification process, which has been offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This is a certification process where teachers who are considered to be highly effective can demonstrate, and gain recognition for, their knowledge and teaching skills. And despite a lack of evidence on its efficacy in identifying effective teachers, there has been a continuous growing participation in the NBPTS. Many policymakers in various states and school districts also view this certification as a signal of teacher quality. In fact, NBPTS certified teachers receive recognitions and financial incentives (Goldhaber and Anthony 2004). Citing evidence, Goldhaber of the University of Washington and Urban Institute so with Anthony of Urban Institute describe the result of the first large-scale study, based on a unique data set from North Carolina, assessing the relationship between certification of teachers by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and Elementary-level student achievement. Findings indicated that NBPTS is successfully identifying the more effective teachers among applicants, and that NBPTS-certified teachers, prior to becoming certified, were more effective than their non-certified counterparts at increasing student achievement (Goldhaber and Anthony 2004). In the middle of these findings, the American Educational Research Association Panel concluded, based on the available evidences they have analyzed, that licensure in the field gained by university-based teacher preparation is an indicator of effective teaching and student achievement. Before getting to taking licensure exams and applying for certifications, teachers-to-be first have to finish education courses and undergo teacher preparation. Most of those who wanted to be effective teachers prefer to study at state colleges and universities having passed the National Accreditations since it is perceive that nationally accredited state colleges and universities caters teacher education programs that are capable of moulding and producing effective teachers. Many education graduates in the provinces are not passing the LET (Ramota 2011). Palatino, as cited in Ramota (2011), opined that LET examinees performance shows the low quality of pre-service Teacher Education in the country. He stated that many Teacher Education institutions are producing half-baked graduates who add up to the bulk of the LET non- passers and unemployed or under employed Teachers. He also stated that even these schools are being turn into mere for profit diploma mills rather than as training ground for future mentors. When Colleges of Education seek National Accreditation for their teacher education programs, there are a variety of obstacles to their success. But according to Adams (2004), not all of these obstacles are a reflection of program quality since accrediting bodies at the national or state level have different and at times conflicting requirements. This could even be more damaging. Evaluation systems may be scheduled to be phased in too rapidly, without clear guidelines. It is likely that the programs they are evaluating will be forced to suffer the consequences of this management. This situation is a contributing factor in the undeserved negative perceptions of teacher education programs. Though colleges of education should be accountable for the quality of the teachers they produce, the accrediting agencies should be accountable for the clarity and straightforwardness of the process. Whether a teacher candidate will be effectively teaching or not depends on the teacher preparations he or she had. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2012) stressed to components that are critically important in the teacher preparation: the teacher knowledge of the subject to be taught, and the knowledge and skills on how to teach that subject. Research and common sense tell us that subject matter knowledge is necessary for effective teaching. But there is a second part of the equation: knowledge and skills on how to teach is also a must. Effective teachers understand and are able to apply strategies to help students increase achievements. They understand and apply knowledge of child and adolescent development to motivate and engage students. They are able to diagnose individual learning needs. They know how to develop a positive climate in the classroom in order to make it a stimulating learning environment. The scholars of the National Academy of Education of America also supports that content knowledge does not adequately prepared teachers for the challenges they will faced in today’s classrooms, where teachers need to be prepared for learning differences and dis abilities that are prevalent (). Moreover, and American Educational Research Association Panel of nationally recognized scholars analyzed the empirical e vidence relevant to practices and policies in pre-service teacher Education in the US. Findings specific to education programs that produce successful teachers include: (1) collaborative arrangements between university programs and local school districts—known as professional development schools (PDSs)—have a positive impact on k-12 students in measurable ways such as increase in standardized test scores; (2) planned, guided and sustained interactions with pupils within early field and student teaching settings is important; (3) seven of eight studies reviewed found positive correlations between licensure and student achievement, especially in mathematics education (). These ideas stated above only proves that the quality of schools, the instructors of the teacher education programs, so with the educations programs, plays a very critical role in the education process since they are the one who mould the aspiring educators to be globally competitive and effective teachers. Gradual learning is very important for any student, be it in any field. But there are many more things in a student’s brain that we often forget, and herein appears the difficulty. There are students who faced learning problems and it’s not even their fault. For a school student, life is loaded with studies. Though it is not possible for each one of them to cope up with their studies, they often get nervous, frustrated and ends up mugging their lesson which is very harmful. There can be factors, as many as every student in this world, that affect student achievements. According to Shahin (2012), the student’s community is affected by lots of problems such us lack of quality of education, the threat of unemployment, absence of adequate opportunities, nepotism and a host of many such factors disheartening the students. She added that the lack of proper guidance by the parents and unawareness of the student in choosing the right career lead to their doom. Similarly, Suvajit (2009) believes that all these predicaments faced by students can only be resolve if every school and college recruits a qualified students councillor to guide the students in times of their problems. He cited recession as an example since it has caused huge dearth of jobs enabling the students to avail their desired job. And so, many of these students go on for further studies but are often puzzled about which course to study and from which college. And because of the lack of proper guidance, they often take hasty decisions for which they have to repent later. While Koski and Weis (2004) called on the state to analyse its own contents standards and curriculum frameworks to develop a complete basket of educational resources, ranging from laboratory equipment and sophisticated measuring instruments to well- stocked libraries and media centres, and conditions that all children should have an opportunity to achieve the state’s standards. But there have been a proposal cited by The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US (2012). The proposal stated that all (US) children should meet the same academic standards, essentially proposing a nationalized system of education. This issue gathered contrasting ideas of some influential educators in US including Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham institute and chairman of the Hoover Institution’s Koret Task Force on K to 12 Education, who argues in favour of national standards, and Jay Greene, head of the department of education reform at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark, who makes the case against natio nal standards. According to Finn Jr., as cited in a journal community The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US (2012), one way to ensure that young people would develop the skills they need to compete globally is to set clear standards about what schools should teach and students should learn—and make these standards uniform across the country. He stated that the issues plaguing American education—low achievement, poor technical skills, too many dropouts, etc.—are nationwide, and so is the challenge of economic competitiveness and that these were caused by the disorderly, dysfunctional way of handling academic standards for students. Though Finn Jr. believed that an effective education system also requires quality teachers, effective administrators and other vital elements, make them the same everywhere is important. A rigorous national standard is a need for a mobile society like theirs where a fourth-grader in Portland, Maine, may find herself a fifth grader in Portland, Ore. He also added that United States of America is no longer a country where children born in rural areas spend their entire lives there. They need and are expected to be ready for jobs in other parts of the land. And they won’t have any problem in adjusting to their lesson since every school is following a national standard (The Jou rnal Report: Big Issues in Education of US, 2012). On the other hand, Greene as also cited in a journal community The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US (2012) contended that different youngsters need to learn different things in different ways. He stated that such uniformity would only make sense if: 1) there was a single best way for all student to learn; 2) we knew what it was; 3) we could be sure the people running this nationalized education system would adapt that correct approach; and 4) they would remain in charge far into the future. But this isn’t how things are. He believed that there is no consensus on what all student need to know and that different students can best be taught and assessed in different ways. Greene then cited Canada and Australia as examples of large and diverse country like US with significantly stronger students’ performance as measured on international test. Yet neither have national standards, tests or curricula and added Greece and Thailand as examples of lower achieving countries though they have national standards and curricula (The Journal Report: Big Issues in Education of US, 2012). Libman (2006) also cited some negative consequences of standards-based testing such as narrowing the diversities in teacher education programs, homogenizing the characteristics of the teaching force, which hinder candidates from entering teaching and causing shortages in qualified teachers. Chapter III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY * This chapter presents research methods employed in this study. It contains the research designs, sampling techniques, research environment, validation of instruments and statistical tools used. * Research Design * This study will utilize the descriptive survey method using researcher made questionnaire as a main tool in gathering the data. It will also utilize documentary analysis to verify the data gathered from the survey. Sampling Technique This paper shall utilize the universality of Teacher Education graduates during the past three school years. It will also consider the total population for the faculty and administration under the education program. For the student respondents, a 30% student shall be utilized using Stratified Random Sampling. Instrumentation This study will utilize a researcher-made instrument which will be subjected through content validation. It shall be tried out in the private tertiary education offering teacher education program. The items which are vague need revision to suit to the levels of respondents. When the validated instruments are ready, it shall be administered to the SDSSU having Teacher Education programs offering. Data Gathering Procedure A permit to conduct the study shall be secured from the university president, and shall be furnished to the campus directors and concerned respondents and the campus offering Teacher Education programs. the pursuance of this study, the researcher will use researcher-made questionnaires that would show the relativity of the data subject to this study. The questionnaire shall be administered personally by the researchers to ensure the reliability of data of this study. After administration of questionnaire, it shall be retrieved, tallied, analyzed and interpreted and ready for writing the research report.