Biomedical engineering and IT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biomedical engineering and IT - Assignment Example Therefore, in the year 2004, homecare opted to approach biomedical repair segment in order to manage the homecare equipment so as to eliminate such enormous costs (Nestor, par. 4). The Biomedical formed for such tasks considered accepting the offer and took over the management of homecare equipments. Thus, the article focuses on all the relevant success that was achieved by its approach in managing the home care. Though, there being a number of challenges in the hospital environmental setting such as strict regulations and standards to be complied with as well as equipment safety, biomedical complied with all without compromise. Repair and maintenance cost were reduced to a greater extent and patients would receive better home care equipments that are well fit and structured for their requirements (Nestor, par. 5). The overall management services and reputation improved since the two entities were able to work hand in hand by offering efficient services to patients without constraini ng their financial position (Nestor, 60). The article focuses on the services offered by a military trained equipment technician who worked in the same position for over twenty years (Reginald, par. 2). The main objective of home care device as evidence by KDA’s new latest device home use initiative is to make sure that patients and caregivers safety are in a position to use complex medical services in their homes. Among the many provisions stated, the initiative has measures for an enhanced postmarked surveillance through subnet work of medical devices. This is an advance vent reporting program that merges over 350 healthcare facilities all over the country (Reginald, par. 5). The technician was able to lean about the home care professionals who work in that environmental setting and different equipments available. Some of the home care has a number of

Conceptions of crime Essay Example for Free

Conceptions of crime Essay Conceptions of crime are distorted by exposure to media coverage. Discuss. This cours from coursework. inf coga ga . r se . ga . ga . w or. ga . . ga . k inga foga . ga . ! The media constitutes a major part of modern society and plays a large role in our lives. It is the prime source of information and entertainment, and moreover acts as a strong influence on public belief and opinion. The media is highly influential in coae ae . r se . ae . ae . w or. ae . . ae . k inae foae . ae . . shaping our views upon the world in which we live. When it comes to crime, coae ae .r se . ae . ae . w or. ae . . ae . k inae foae . ae . . however, do the reports shown by the media present an accurate picture of the true This cours from coursework. inf events? The more horrific the report, the more likely it is to capture the attention of the public, which obviously secures plenty of profit for media barons. Is our increasing reliance on an institution that relies on sensationalism to create profit unwise, as this could well mean that the facts they report lack truth? The media reinforces social myths by selective reporting, and thus presents a distorted view ofreality. This could be leading to an increasingly misconstrued public view of certain crimes. The media is a very powerful influence on the way in which we behave and how we view the world, therefore it is important that it shows a realistic picture of what is taking place in our society, otherwise we will gain a false perception of aspects such as crime. Is the media really portraying crime as it truly is, or is it selectively reporting the most colourful events in order to secure audiences and therefore profit? It is important to understand that there are many crimes that are completely ignored by the media, as they are not seen as ? newsworthy?. Usually only those that will capture public attention are mentioned. This means that the crimes that fill our screens and pages are usually violent or shocking in nature. From a functionalist perspective this can serve a positive function, as the deviant behaviour makes ordinary people feel safe in the knowledge that they are morally better than the criminal, and reporting of crimes and subsequent punishments can also serve as a deterrent to others and a good method of reinforcing the social order. However, there is also a certain degree of bias present in all reporting that stems from the integrated norms and moral background of the journalist involved. It is almost impossible to be completely objective when reporting, and most journalists will slant their stories to appeal to the widest possible audience. This is theorized in the hegemonic model, and works on the basis that the majority of journalists are likely to be white, male and middle-class and will therefore bring with them to their stories their own similar set of norms and values, be this unconsciously or otherwise. The editors will also carry out a selection process on the stories before they hit the public view; therefore it is highly unlikely that any crime report reaches the news in an unbiased state.? Journalists also tend to use a set of stereotypes, which serve to easily identify ? types? of people and reduce complexities of character to a series of ? bad guys? and ? good guys?. These can lead the public to make quick judgments, which may not be based on true fact.? The media? s presentation of stereotypical images can change the public opinion on certain groups in society, and may create a false picture of them that may be harmful. The groups most often portrayed as criminal are the less privileged and minority groups such as those from ethnic minorities. Because our lives are so deeply influenced by the media we begin to see the portrayal of these groups as a reality, and this may cause crimes committed by other groups or individuals (such as corporate crime in the middle class) to be overlooked or seen as less serious.? In addition, the police can make use of the media to help maintain social order by choosing what to tell reporters, as many news stories use police accounts as a major source for their information. A good example of the media distorting aspects of crime is shown with the reporting of women involved in criminal activity. The common media portrayal of women is more passive and much less inclined to commit crime, and when they do it is seen as less violent or shocking in nature, or as influenced by a stronger male personality, for example Myra Hindley was commonly said to have been under the influence of Ian Brady when the horrific Moors murders were committed. Media coverage usually concentrates on the most violent and shocking aspects of crime. This can often be far from the truth, and puts the public in fear when in reality there is a tiny chance of them falling victim. Listening to the news, it appears that the country is riddled with serial killers and rapists however official crime statistics would show that this is not the case. Reporting like this can lead to mass panic and fear across the country, and this aspect was investigated further by Stanley Cohen in his book ? Folk Devils and Moral Panics? where he studied the 1960s mods and rockers conflicts. The media? s handling of the fights between the rivals groups made it sound as if Brighton was full of riots and was a very dangerous place, when in reality this was a false picture of events. However, these stories grabbed the headlines, and as a result appealed to a large audience and gained lots of attention with the public. At the moment there is lots of media coverage about murders in Cornwall, and about the girl who was kidnapped and murdered on Dartmoor. The way these are reported makes people fearful that there is a serial killer on the loose, when in reality there is probably little chance of this happening to them and they should be more concerned with the more common but less ? colourful? crimes that threaten society, most of which would be much more obvious if the public were able to look at official crime statistics. This viewpoint fits in well with the idea of the media as a manipulative entity that is ideologically biased and therefore bases its selection of news on this fundamental bias. This manipulation theory is Marxist in origin and works on the idea that the public are passive and absorb the information that the media presents them with without question, and that the media consist of the ruling class who use media channels to perpetuate their views and opinions in society. Official statistics paint an interesting picture of the true nature of crime levels in society. It is a fact that crime rates have actually remained stable over the last year, after experiencing a period of decline. This challenges the constant media message that crime is everywhere and on the increase. When people were interviewed about crime rates many of them believed that crime was well on the increase, as result of a ? heightened degree of press coverage which particularly focused on a claimed rise in crime.? (Jon Simmons in the Home Office Report 2002).? It is a well-known fact that the media tend to emphasise aspects and types of crime that are violent or shocking, such as murder and rape, which affects the general population by creating huge worry about occurrences of violent crime when it is a statistical fact that one is over four times more likely to fall victim to burglary. Another form of media that can, and often does, present distorted representations of crime are television shows such as The Bill, Merseybeat or reality shows such as Crimewatch. For example Crimewatch focuses on catching criminals who have carried out violent crime and places little or no emphasis on occurrences of burglary or more ? normal? crimes, even though this type of crime is much more frequent. The Bill shows many incidents of violent crime, however also tends to show other less ? newsworthy? forms of crime such as theft which is a more realistic approach. coac ac . r se . ac . ac . w or. ac . . ac .k inac foac . ac . . There are a number of media influence models that attempt to explain the extent and nature of media influence. The manipulation theory presented earlier is one of these theories; however there are others that attempt to explain the media? s effect on society in different ways. The pluralist model argues that the public are not passive receptors but active participants with the ability to choose and form their own opinions from the vast variety of information presented by the media, whether about crime or about other social issues. The media only serve to reinforce the existing values that people possess. Tversky and Kahneman suggest that the easier it is to recall or imagine an event, the more likely we are to see it as risky or as frequent in occurrence (Tversky and Kahneman cit. 1994: 303). Therefore if this is correct then constant media coverage of violent crimes could lead us to believe that such crimes are the ones most likely to affect us. Mass media reporting can also serve as a substitute for direct experience, however research into this supports the pluralist model by showing that people are usually active consumers and interpreters rather than passive recipients. The issue at hand seems to be the growing difference between the way the public perceive crime and the reality as shown by official statistics. For some reason, society has a far greater fear of murder and other violent crime than is justified by the actual number of occurrence, when in reality there is far greater likelihood of incidences of burglary or car crime. So where do these fears stem from? The answer appears to be that they come from the way in which the media report crimes and how they select the most newsworthy aspects so that more papers will get sold and so viewing figures will increase. In conclusion it is an unavoidable fact that our society is so immersed in the media that its influence is hard to get away from. To a large extent, media does form our social world, however it is also true that people are active interpreters of information, and are able to utilize their own opinions on events and stories shown by the media. We are only taking in what the media offer to us not the real truth about what is happening. It is very easy for our conceptions of crime to be distorted by the way that the media portray it, as the only information we are receiving on the events is that which comes from the media. However if people really are actively interpreting and thinking about the true nature of crime levels, while attempting to broaden their horizons of information, then they will be more aware of the reality of the situation and our conceptions will be far less influenced by media constructed images and opinions. Bibliography Maguire, M, R. Reiner and R. Morgan. 2002 The Oxford Handbook Of Criminology New York: Oxford University Press Haralambos, M. 2000? Themes and Perspectives in Sociology? 4th edition Cohen, S and Young, J. 1973? The Manufacture Of News: Deviance, Social Problems and the Mass Media, London: Constable and Co Ltd.

Fairy Tale :: essays research papers

June Essay Fairy Tale There are so many different fairly tales to pick from, so I decided to make up my own version of ABobby and Steven Up The Bean Stock@. Once upon a time there was a 15 year old boy name Bobby who was extremely bored. Bobby was out building his motocross track and a bean fell from the sky right in front of him. He didn=t think anything of it, so he just kept building his jump, and he buried it over the jump. Bobby was getting thirsty so he went in the house to get a drink of gatorade. When he came back out to the jump he saw a weed sprouting out of the jump. But as usual he thought nothing of it and kept building. When he was done, he watered the whole track, and then got ready to ride. When he got geared up and ready to go he started going towards the hill and noticed a huge bean stock shooting out of his jump. He went into shock, he=d never seen such a thing. Since Bobby is a very curious person he hopped off his bike and called his friend Steven to tell him. But of course he didn=t believe Bobby. Steven came over anyway expecting to ride, but when he got there he was in for a surprise. After they both calmed down they got exited. Both of them loved to go on journeys, so they started climbing, and after 2 hours of climbing they reached the top. When they got there they took some time to look around. After that they found a huge castle, to big to imagine. So as usual they snooped around and went inside. There was a room full of gold, so they each carried small hunks out as fast as they could. Half way to the bean stock the clouds started to shake viciously. They both looked far into the clouds (good thing Bobby had his contacts on) and saw a huge ugly man running toward them. Bobby and Steven ran as fast as there feet could carry them. When they got to the bean stock, they threw the gold down then both started climbing down very fast, almo st sliding down. They cut there time down to 30 minutes instead of two hours.

Comparison of Moses and Odysseus Essay

The stories of heroes have been at the axis of nearly all cultures throughout history. Each different type of religion or culture has their own heroes or legends, each one of them having their differences to go along with the beliefs at hand. On the other hand, each and every hero also has their similarities, which therefore makes them the hero. The setting, events, and characters in each and every story may change, but the characteristics of the hero remain basically the same. Each person is usually made into a hero in a somewhat similar fashion. For example, many heroes begin as imperfect characters, and then begin some sort of quest which leads to them becoming a leader of what they are doing, and then the character goes through a personal transformation into a legendary hero of their people. Therefore, both Odysseus of the Greeks and Moses of the Jewish can both be considered as heroes to their people. In both cases, the person does not decide to be a hero, but they are instead chosen by a greater force, such as a god, to become the one. Both Moses and Odysseus perform three similar tasks. These are for the person to fulfill a destiny handed down to them by a greater power, undertake a journey where great sacrifices are made on his part to overcome difficult obstacles, and finally complete their legacy through the sharing of their stories for the greater good of the people that believe in the hero. Both Moses and Odysseus can be compared in that neither were perfect heroes, they both experienced some sort of quest, and they both experienced personal limitations along with a transformation. The major differences between Odysseus and Moses are mostly relative. They both share practically the same qualities. They are universal heroes who could exist in any culture, context or time. Just like Odysseus and Moses, many heroes are made from the same qualities and have similar stories about how they came to be heroes. As a young man, Moses murdered an Egyptian who was harassing a Jew. A savior who kills someone seems contradictory, but the action served as a metaphor for Moses’ freeing of the Jews from Egypt. Odysseus had a habit of raping, burning and looting villages, which is hardly appropriate conduct for someone who is supposed to bring peace to a civilization. However, his cunning proved useful in both defeating monsters and killing the suitors that had taken over his palace. The reality that each hero was and device of God or the Greek gods was important in both  cultures. Moses was picked by God to be the one who would free the Jews and take them across the desert and into the Promised Land. He spoke directly with God in the burning bush and through various angels. Information was given to Moses from God when instruction was needed. Similarly, Athena visited Odysseus frequently with Zeus’ consent through different disguises to help him along his journey. Though Greek and Hebrew culture varies, their heroes are considerably similar. Both Odysseus and Moses could represent model heroes in any culture at any time. But these universal heroes are not perfect as nobody on Earth is. Many heroes do something of questionable moral action at some point in their early life. As mentioned earlier, Odysseus was constant to raping, burning and pillaging villages, and continually had affairs though his wife Penelope always remained faithful. As also stated earlier, when Moses was young, he killed an Egyptian who was harassing a Jew. But these actions do not abolish they hero, they are instead necessary for the development of his character. Moses spoke directly with the Lord and was given specific instructions to embrace his destiny. He did not choose to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, but God chose that destiny for him. Faced with many different challenges of his own, Odysseus also received a divine message, but it was from the goddess, Athena. The theme of being chosen by a higher power is a recurring theme that is seen in most hero stories of every culture. No matter when or where these heroes were destined for greatness, they each were a part of a quest or journey where they had to overcome many obstacles, trials, and tribulations. Odysseus’s voyage had to be completed before saving his people, while Moses’ exodus and his people’s salvation were simultaneous. In either case, the journey is vital to the hero in order for him to undergo a personal transformation into the legendary hero they became. Moses fought a Pharaoh, the desert, his own people, and himself during his long journey to the Promised Land. Odysseus also had a long journey home and while on that journey battled Poseidon, the sea, his men, and himself. Not only are the stories of The Odyssey and Exodus the similar, but the heroes, Odysseus and Moses, share many of the same attributes and behaviors. Both,  despite having murderous pasts, were chosen by their God or gods to be the savior of their people. Each had a specific limitation that directly interfered with the completion of their mission. And since they were helped by God or the Greek gods along the way, Moses and Odysseus ultimately had faith that they would be successful, regardless of the obstacles ahead. Their similarities exist on a personal level as well. Both heroes had to make great sacrifices for the good of the whole. They each underwent a personal transformation as a result of the trials they faced. And each learned a lesson that they passed on as a message for their people. The hero’s journey is also determined by how each story originated. The Hebrews passed down Moses and the Exodus orally, in the form of a linear story with a beginning, middle and end. Moses’ linear journey took the Jews out of Egypt, through the desert and to the Promised Land. In contrast, Homer’s poetic writing of the Odyssey is circular in that the ending is a new beginning. It begins and ends in Odysseus’ palace in Ithaca. Like the story, his journey back home is a circular one. In spite of all the divine intervention, Moses and Odysseus both had to overcome a personal limitation in order to become successful in their endeavors. The limitation itself was directly in contrast with their main task at hand. Moses was given the job of spokesman for all Jews, yet had poor public speaking skills. â€Å"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue (Exodus 4:10).† Odysseus was sent home to save his people from a civil war, but his lust for conquest and adventure took him on many detours and prolonged his eminent return. Both were able to rise above these limitations. Perhaps the most shared attribute these heroes had been their faith that they would make it through the journey and complete their mission. Moses struggled with the Egyptians, the desert, God, his people and himself yet still believed that he would accomplish his goals set for him. Odysseus lost all his men, more than one ship, and continually battled monsters, weather, and captors but still succeeded due to his faith in Athena’s word that he would persevere. The way the hero acts towards outside events only tells half the story but the thoughts in his mind and soul makes up the rest. Odysseus and Moses both had to make sacrifices for the good of their people and both experienced a personal transformation during their quest for significance. The transformation of Moses was found in his lack of public speaking, which held him back from fully becoming a leader of the people. As he confronted the Pharaoh and commanded the Hebrew people, he eventually gained confidence in himself and his ability. Moses went from being a timid servant to an authoritative leader of a nation of God. He was responsible for constructing the ways of their new civilization. Likewise, Odysseus transformed from a restless adventurer to dependable husband and king. Both experienced an epic journey that altered them from within. In conclusion, both Odysseus of the Greeks and Moses of the Hebrews can be compared because they perform three similar tasks: to fulfill a destiny handed down by divine inspiration, undertake a journey where great sacrifices are made on his part to overcome difficult obstacles; like Odysseus traveling home after the Trojan War or Moses Leading his people out of Egypt, and finally, the mission is not complete until the message learned throughout is shared for the greater good of the people whom the hero represents. Neither Odysseus nor Moses was perfect, but they both experienced some sort of quest and overcame personal limitations, which led to their personal transformation into heroes. Because of all the parallels between Odysseus and Moses, there is not much surprise that they both exemplified the same message. Even though the messengers were different, whether it was Athena, a burning bush, or angels sent by God, the message is still the same: listen to and obey the words of one’s God/gods. This is the message they both brought back for their people to live by and led to their legacy as heroes of their culture.

Dystopian Short Story- Year 11

He stood looking down, staring. Like every other morning there was a paper crane lying on the ground. He picked it up and looked around hoping to catch the person who put it there, but there was no one else on the street. The paper crane was on his mind all day. The next morning he left early. He planned on waiting for the person who leaves the paper cranes. He hid at the corner of the street, three houses down from where the paper cranes always were. He had been standing then for twenty minutes and so far nothing had happened, so he stood to leave, but he stopped when he saw a girl emerge from the house that the paper cranes were always in front of. The girl looked around, then she lifted her hand and in her hand she held a paper crane. She lightly threw the paper crane and it landed in the exact same spot I find the cranes everyday. She smiled and retreated back into the house. He watched the girl retreat back inside the house, then he walked over and picked up the paper crane. Girl The next morning she got out of bed and got dressed. She went over to her desk and selected a piece of paper with hearts all over it. She was halfway through making a paper crane when she heard music outside. She stood and walked out onto her balcony and looked down over the edge. The boy who took her paper cranes everyday stood on the sidewalk surrounded by all the paper cranes she had made. He was playing a soft melodic song on a guitar. He looked up and smiled. He handed the girl a rose. â€Å"How was it did you like it? † He asked. She smiled at him and replied â€Å"Yes†. The girl started coughing, he frowned â€Å"Are you sick? † She looked down â€Å"Yes just a little.. † she said quietly. She said later that she was so sick she couldn’t go to school for six months. â€Å"I was wondering, why did you leave a paper crane out there every morning? † He asked. â€Å"Because I saw you walking by every morning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The smiled â€Å"You did that because you missed me, didn’t you? † . He smiled. â€Å"This popularity of mine† he laughed. â€Å"By the way, I’m Max. What’s your name? † . â€Å"Summer† she replied. Summer? That’s so pretty† He grinned â€Å"Hmm†¦Then you sibling’s names would be Spring, Autumn and Winter? † She smiled â€Å"No I’m an only child† He looked thoughtful â€Å"How old are you? † â€Å"Seventeen† she replied. â€Å"What month birthday? â⠂¬  He asked â€Å"June†. â€Å"Since I am an April birthday, I guess that makes you the oldest† He smiled. Sunny began to cough badly. â€Å"Sunny† she continued to cough â€Å"Sunny? † he said again â€Å"Sunny! † Max was worried now â€Å" What’s wrong sunny? † he put his arms on her shoulders. â€Å"Are you okay Sunny? Sunny?! † The doctor walked out into the waiting room, and Max rushed to him. â€Å"What happened? † He asked. †Her condition has gotten worse†¦there’s no more hope† . Summer’s parent, who were seated in the waiting room, got up from their seats. â€Å"What? † Summer’s mother said. The doctor turned to the parents, â€Å"Didn’t I say she should have gotten hospital treatment earlier? † Summer’s father looked sad, â€Å"Our daughter, she wanted to stay home so badly. † Summers mother was crying, â€Å"What are we going to do? What are we going to do about our Summer? The doctor looked at them, â€Å"I think it’s time for you to prepare yourselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Max grabbed the doctor, â€Å"What does that mean?! † â€Å"There’s no month† He said. Tears rolled down Max’s cheeks, â€Å"Excuse me? Doctor. Save her, pease? Doctor, Doctor! † He fell to the floor and cried. †Å"Please save her he cried, please†. Max walked into the room where sunny lay in a bed within an enclosed glass area, he put his hand against the glass and looked down. Summer opens her eyes, and looks at him, â€Å"I didn’t want to show myself like this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Max smiled kindly at her, â€Å"There’s nothing wrong with it. You’ll get better soon anyway. They said in about two weeks you’ll be fine. † Max pulled out his ipod, â€Å" I brought this so that you wouldn’t be bored. † He went to enter into the little room, â€Å"You can’t, You can’t come in† Summer said. Max pulled back â€Å" Then†¦what should I do? I really wanted you to hear this song, it’s my favourite lately. â€Å" He looked at Summer’s sad face and thought for a moment, then he put his ipod down, â€Å"Listen carefully it’s called I just want you† Max began to sing †¦ â€Å"There's something I gotta say to you, but I'm so afraid of what you'll do. Ooh ooh ooh ooh. I'll just admit this to you now, that I'm stuck on you like glue somehow. Ooh ooh ooh ooh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As he sang tears rolled down Summer’s cheeks. And that’s how Max’s love hurt as soon as it started†¦ Max pushed Summer around the hospital garden in a wheelchair, â€Å"Man, it’s already spring. Summer, is there anywhere you want to go visit? † Summer looked sad â€Å"There is, but remember, I can’t go† Max looks down, â€Å"Hey, what do you mean you can’t go? Where is it? Tell me. I’ll bring a private jet and take you wherever you want to go† Summer smiles â€Å"Really? â€Å"Yes, really. So where is it? † â€Å"In my hometown there’s a hill with a tree. It’s the tree my dad planted the day I was born† Max looked down in surprise, â€Å"A tree? † â€Å"Yeah. I want to see how big it’s gotten†¦before I die† Max stopped pushing â€Å"Hey , why would you die?! If you say that one more time, I’m just going to kiss you. † Summer smiles. â€Å"In any case, don’t worry. I promise to take you there† That night, Max wraps a blanket around Summer and they sneak out of the hospital. They get on a bus, and Summer sits with her head against Max and rests. After a while Sunny opens her eyes and without looking up she says â€Å"I want to hear that song†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Max looks down at her â€Å" I just want you† she whispers. â€Å"Really? Hold on. â€Å" Max grabs his ipod and places the headphones in her ears, and presses play. He smiles and slides his hand through her hair†¦ lock of hair comes away with his hand, and he looks at. Max leans his head against the window of the bus†¦and silently cries. Max is carrying Summer on his back as they walk down a tree lined road. â€Å"Aren’t I heavy? † She asks. â€Å"No† he smiles, â€Å"Wow, my Summer is so light. You need to gain some weight. I’m going to feed you chicken, hamburgers, and lots of vegetables† Summer hates vegetables â€Å"I can’t eat vegetables† she says. â€Å"Fine, Then I’ll eat them and get strong, so I can piggy back you every day. † â€Å"What if I get so fat you can’t carry me? † she asks. Max stops â€Å"Hmm†¦then I can get just as fat, and we can roll around together† Summer laughs â€Å"You’re crazy† she stops laughing and begins to cough. She puts a handkerchief against her mouth so she doesn’t cough on Max and when she pulls it away its covered in blood. Max sees it and his eyes widen in shock.

Albert Gallatin Inspired the Age of Canals in America

Albert Gallatin Inspired the Age of Canals in America An era of canal building in the United States began in the early 1800s, helped along to a considerable degree by a report written by Thomas Jefferson’s secretary of the treasury, Albert Gallatin. The young country was hobbled by a horrendous transportation system which made it difficult, or even impossible, for farmers and small manufacturers to move goods to market. American roads at the time were rough and unreliable, often little more than obstacle courses hacked out of the wilderness. And reliable transportation by water was often out of the question due to rivers that were impassable at points of waterfalls and rapids. In 1807 the U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling upon the treasury department to compile a report proposing ways that the federal government could address the transportation problems in the nation. The report by Gallatin drew upon the experience of Europeans, and helped inspire Americans to begin building canals. Ultimately the railroads made canals less useful, if not entirely obsolete. But Americans canals were successful enough that when the Marquis de Lafayette returned to America  in 1824, one of the sights Americans wanted to show him were new canals that made commerce possible. Gallatin Was Assigned to Study Transportation Albert Gallatin, a brilliant man serving in Thomas Jefferson’s cabinet, was thus handed a task he apparently approached with great eagerness. Gallatin, who was born in Switzerland in 1761, had held a variety of governmental posts. And before entering the political world, he had a varied career, at one point running a rural trading post and later teaching French at Harvard. With his experience in commerce, not to mention his European background, Gallatin fully understood that for the United States to become a major nation, it needed to have efficient transportation arteries. Gallatin was familiar with the canal systems which had been built in Europe in the late 1600s and 1700s. France had built canals which made it possible to transport wine, lumber, farm goods, lumber, and other essential products throughout the country. The British had followed Frances lead, and by 1800 English entrepreneurs were busy constructing what would become a thriving network of canals. Gallatins Report Was Startling His 1808 landmark Report on Roads, Canals, Harbors, and Rivers was astounding in its scope. In more than 100 pages, Gallatin detailed a vast array of what today would be called infrastructure projects. Some of the projects Gallatin proposed were: A series of canals parallel to the Atlantic coast from New York City to South CarolinaA major turnpike from Maine to GeorgiaA series of inland canals heading to OhioA canal crossing New York stateImprovements to make rivers, including the Potomac, Susquehanna, James, and Santee, passable to major river navigation The entire projected expense for all the construction work proposed by Gallatin was $20 million, an astronomical sum at the time. Gallatin suggested spending $2 million a year for ten years, and also selling stock in the various turnpikes and canals to finance their eventual upkeep and improvements. Gallatins Report Was Far Ahead of Its Time Gallatin’s plan was a marvel, but very little of it was actually implemented. In fact, Gallatins plan was widely criticized as folly, as it would require a vast outlay of government funds. Thomas Jefferson, although an admirer of Gallatins intellect, thought his treasury secretarys plan might be unconstitutional. In Jeffersons view, such vast spending by the federal government on public works would only be possible after amending the Constitution to allow for it. While Gallatins plan was seen as wildly impractical when it was submitted in 1808, it became the inspiration for many later projects. For instance, the Erie Canal was eventually built across New York state and opened in 1825, but it was built with state, not federal funds. Gallatins idea of a series of canals running along the Atlantic coast was never implemented, but the eventual creation of the intra-coastal waterway essentially made Gallatins idea a reality. The Father of The National Road Albert Gallatin’s vision of a great national turnpike running from Maine to Georgia may have seem utopian in 1808, but it was an early vision of the interstate highway system. And Gallatin did get to implement one major road building project, the National Road which was started in 1811. Work began in western Maryland, at the town of Cumberland, with construction crews moving both eastward, toward Washington, DC, and westward, toward Indiana. The National Road, which was also called the Cumberland Road, was finished, and became a major artery. Wagons of farm products could be brought east. And many settlers and emigrants headed west along its route. The National Road lives on today. It is now the route of US 40 (which was eventually extended to reach the west coast). Later Career and Legacy of Albert Gallatin After serving as treasury secretary for Thomas Jefferson, Gallatin held ambassadorial posts under presidents Madison and Monroe. He was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. Following decades of government service, Gallatin moved to New York City where he became a banker and also served as president of the the New York Historical Society. He died in 1849, having lived long enough to see some of his visionary ideas become reality. Albert Gallatin is regarded as one of the most influential treasury secretaries in American history. A statue of Gallatin stands today in Washington, D.C., before the U.S. Treasury building.

How to Create Great Images for Your Blog Posts

How to Create Great Images for Your Blog Posts Images for your blog posts  are important for many reasons. They illustrate important points to your readers, make social shares of your posts stand out in the newsfeed, break up text to make the content easier to read, and encourage people to share your post for no other reason than they like the main image. While there are many sources of ready to use images available, you should consider creating unique images on your own. In this post, were going to look at the reasons why you should create your own great images for content and the ways you can do it. Why You Need to Create Your Own Images You might be wondering, since I mentioned that there are many sources of ready to use images already available, why you would want to spend the time creating your own. Here are just a few good reasons. Stock photos are generic and widely used. Anyone can buy and use a stock photo for less than a dollar, which means many images appear on the Internet hundreds, or even thousands of times. If youre goal is to create unique content, why top it off with a generic image? Creative Commons image use can backfire. Many Creative Commons images are licensed specifically for non-commercial use. Non-commercial is open to interpretation by the owner of the image, therefore, if you use their image on a blog owned by a business or a blog that generates revenue, it may be considered commercial usage. People are more like to share images theyve never seen. People who love sharing images on sites like Pinterest are more likely to share yours if its something theyve never seen before that is either useful or simply visually appealing. People are more like to share images theyve never seen. #visualcontent #contentmarketing @kikolaniNow that you know why you should create your own images, lets take a look at how to create them. How to Create Effective Screenshots For those who enjoy creating how-to and tutorial content, screenshots are essential. Free tools like Jing will allow you to not only capture screenshots, but also easily annotate them. Annotations help make your points or instructions crystal clear to readers who need a little visual supplementation. People will not only appreciate your ability to illustrate your points clearly, but youll also get requests from others who want to share your annotated screenshots. Use those requests to get your name in front of new audiences without any additional work. Another great tool for screenshots is FooCapture. You install the extension on Google Chrome and use it to capture screenshots, annotate them, and have them automatically added to your WordPress (WordPress.com or WordPress.org) media library. Premium service plans for this tool is only $6 per month for unlimited connections / WordPress connections. How to Customize Images on Canva For graphically challenged individuals like myself, Canva is a tool that helps you quickly create graphics for your blog content, social media, and presentations. They have templates with built-in images and overlay text that you customize to fit your content. All of the work is done online, and what you create is free, unless you pick a template that uses a stock photo in the background. If youve browsed the blog graphic templates, you might have noticed they all come in one size (800px x 1200px). The key to using Canva is to not limit yourself to the blog graphic templates, even if thats what you are using them for. There is a total of twenty categories of template types, with square and rectangular designs. You might find that the Facebook cover templates are better suited to your posts than the actual blog graphic templates. To further customize your images, use your own background photos, or find stock imagery from other sources. This will easily differentiate your blog graphics from someone elses. When you do choose your own background photo, aim for a similar color pattern and blurring effect, the latter of which you can do using tools mentioned in the upcoming section about using your own photographs. This will ensure the text overlay provided in the template still stands out. How to Generate Infographics Infographics have gotten a bad reputation in the last year due to the influx of low-quality infographics created in order to build links for SEO purposes. They are still some of the most popular types of images to share. So how do you create infographics? First, youll need to start with some interesting data that relates to your products, services, or industry. ShareThis, a popular social sharing plugin, regularly publishes infographics about the social sharing statistics around music festivals, sporting events, holidays, and other trending topics. If you dont have data from your products, you can use public data sources or conduct surveys on your own. Once you have your data, you will want to share it in a visually appealing image, aka the infographic. Tools like Piktochart allow you to create infographics based on pre-built templates or using their drag and drop editor, removing the need for you to be a graphic designer. Similar tools include Infogr.am, Visual.ly, and Easel.ly. How to Use Your Own Photographs If you enjoy photography, then creating your own photos for content is a great way to incorporate your hobby into your marketing. Take your camera everywhere you go to capture images that could be used for future pieces of content. For example, if you write about local marketing, then photos of local businesses would be great literal options. If you like to inject some humor into your content, take photos of things that would be funny. Any opportunity to photograph a scene with words can also come in handy for content. The best part about using your own photography is that you dont have to be a professional photographer with expensive equipment and software to create great photos. You can simply use your smartphone and free apps like Aviary to edit the photos you create, right on your device. You dont have to be a professional photographer to create great photos. @kikolaniFor those who do have a digital camera, you can do simple editing work (such as cropping your images) in free programs like Gimp. For those who want to do more advanced editing, such as adjusting brightness, contrast, color balance, saturation, clarity, and built-in presets, there is Adobe Lightroom. It has lots of great features for photo editing without the complexity of Photoshop. Best of all, thanks to the Adobe Creative Cloud, if you do want Photoshop, you pay a monthly access fee as opposed to hundreds of dollars up front. For example, you can take Photoshop and Lightroom for a 30-day free trial, and then pay for $9.99 per month. How to Create Memes Speaking of using your own photography, if youre a fan of memes, you can create your own with your photographs. Start by going to the all famous Cheezburger site and click on the Create link at the top right. To add a simple caption, choose the Add a caption option. Upload your photo, and then select it to add some captions. The result? Your own meme! Captions can help you turn almost any image into one that is relevant to the piece of content you are writing. The best part is people love them! I created one for a post a while back using a photo of my newest adopted family member a sweet little black and white kitten. It resulted in a lot of pins.

pH, pKa, and the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation

pH, pKa, and the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation The  pH  is  a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution. pKa (acid dissociation constant) is related, but more specific, in that it helps you predict what a molecule will do at a specific pH. Essentially, pKa tells you what the pH needs to be in order for a chemical species to donate or accept a proton. The  Henderson-Hasselbalch equation describes the relationship between pH and pKa. pH and pKa Once you have pH or pKa values, you know certain things about a solution and how it compares with other solutions: The lower the pH, the higher the concentration of hydrogen ions, [H]. The lower the pKa, the stronger the acid and the greater its ability to donate protons.pH depends on the concentration of the solution. This is important because it means a weak acid could actually have a lower pH than a diluted strong acid. For example, concentrated vinegar (acetic acid, which is a weak acid) could have a lower pH than a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid (a strong acid). On the other hand, the pKa value is a constant for each type of molecule. It is unaffected by concentration.Even a chemical ordinarily considered a base can have a pKa value because the terms acids and bases simply refer to whether a species will give up protons (acid) or remove them (base). For example, if you have a base Y with a pKa of 13, it will accept protons and form YH, but when the pH exceeds 13, YH will be deprotonated and become Y. Because Y removes protons at a pH greater than the pH of neutral water (7), it is cons idered a base. Relating pH and pKa With the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation If you know either pH or pKa you can solve for the other value using an approximation called the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation: pH pKa   log ([conjugate base]/[weak acid])pH pkalog ([A-]/[HA]) pH is the sum of the pKa value and the log of the concentration of the conjugate base divided by the concentration of the weak acid. At half the equivalence point: pH pKa Its worth noting sometimes this equation is written for the Ka value rather than pKa, so you should know the relationship:   pKa -logKa Assumptions That Are Made for the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation The reason the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation is an approximation is because it takes water chemistry out of the equation. This works when water is the solvent and is present in a very large proportion to the [H] and acid/conjugate base. You shouldnt try to apply the approximation for concentrated solutions. Use the approximation only when the following conditions are met: −1  Ã‚  log ([A−]/[HA])  Ã‚  1Molarity of buffers should be 100x greater than that of the acid ionization constant Ka.Only use strong acids or strong bases if the pKa values fall between 5 and 9. Example pKa and pH Problem Find [H] for a solution of 0.225 M NaNO2 and 1.0 M HNO2. The Ka value (from a table) of HNO2 is 5.6 x 10-4. pKa  Ã‚  Ã¢Ë†â€™log  Ka  Ã‚  Ã¢Ë†â€™log(7.4Ãâ€"10−4)  Ã‚  3.14 pH pka log ([A-]/[HA]) pH  Ã‚  pKa  Ã‚  log([NO2-]/[HNO2]) pH  Ã‚  3.14  Ã‚  log(1/0.225) pH  Ã‚  3.14  Ã‚  0.648  Ã‚  3.788 [H]  Ã‚  10−pH  Ã‚  10−3.788  Ã‚  1.6Ãâ€"10−4 pH, pKa, and Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation Key Takeaways The pka is the pH value at which a chemical species will accept or donate a proton.The lower the pKa, the stronger the acid and the greater the ability to donate a proton in aqueous solution.The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation relates pKa and pH. However, it is only an approximation and should not be used for concentrated solutions or for extremely low pH acids or high pH bases. Sources de Levie, Robert. (2003). The Henderson–Hasselbalch Equation: Its History and Limitations. J. Chem. Educ. 80 (2): 146. doi:10.1021/ed080p146Hasselbalch, K. A. (1917). Die Berechnung der Wasserstoffzahl des Blutes aus der freien und gebundenen Kohlensure desselben, und die Sauerstoffbindung des Blutes als Funktion der Wasserstoffzahl. Biochemische Zeitschrift. 78: 112–144.Lawrence J. Henderson (1 May 1908). Concerning the relationship between the strength of acids and their capacity to preserve neutrality (Abstract). Am. J. Physiol. 21 (4): 173–179.Po, Henry N.; Senozan, N. M. (2001). Henderson–Hasselbalch Equation: Its History and Limitations. J. Chem. Educ. 78 (11): 1499–1503. doi:10.1021/ed078p1499

The Propper Sexual Relationship Between Members of the Hebrew Society Essay

The Propper Sexual Relationship Between Members of the Hebrew Society - Essay Example The Shulamite woman goes out into the city to look for her lover and it is not indicated anywhere that the two of them could be married. There is openness about sexual relations that are in the Song of Songs that seem to be forbidden in the Deuteronomy (International Version, 2011). First, in Deuteronomy, the man is given so much importance rather than the female. The female expresses her desires openly while this is almost forbidden in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy advocates for sexual modesty. Deuteronomy 25;11-12 says that "if two men fight and a wife belonging to one party come to the rescue her beloved husband from the wrath of his assailant. She then reaches out and, unfortunately, seizes him by his private parts then her hand should be cut off and be shown no pity. In songs of songs, the stalagmite expresses her desires openly without any shame. The man is of more importance while sexual encounters in Deuterostome and the woman is considered as an object who must obey the man and do as he wishes without any regard for her feelings or desires. Avoiding mentioning the woman opinion is made. In the Song of Songs, however, the woman is very open about her feelings and might be considered very wild and probably unsuitable for marriage in the traditional Hebrew comm unity. The Shula mite goes in search of her lover when he disappears.

Strategic finance and accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic finance and accounting - Essay Example For one reason, mergers are undertaken so as to increase the growth rate of the organization. For this case, the chairman’s statement means that, through the merger, a stronger organization with a stronger financial base to acquire more and better assets and improve the management condition will be formed. In this light, with good management, when a new team of management personnel will be put in place, the chairman is visionary that the newly formed organization will be able to provide better services to the passengers at affordable prices as well as make better profits. Through the merger, there is reduction in competition that was there before between the two firms, and this can make the shareholders now run a more profitable business. The staff will also enjoy since new management comes with new management systems so that, the former problems that were being experienced earlier, must be sorted before the merger takes place. For instance, there has been a cabin crew dispute and strike in the airlines, which will be solved by the merger (TheGuardian, 2010). Therefore, the merger is compelling since it has several advantages, strategic in terms of tax benefits and reduction of competition and financial logic as it brings finances together for investing and improving the face of the new organization to result to better management, customer service and good profits. Considering a recent example of a merger between two cement companies; Lafarge and Holcim, the two companies had an intention of coming together to create the world’s biggest cement maker with combined sales of 32 billion pounds. The merger was aimed also at reducing competition which has made the two firms become the biggest rivals in the

Project Scope Management , Individual Assignment

Project Scope Management , Individual - Assignment Example More importantly, the significance of following an incorporated change control procedure on projects lays in making effective decisions and also dealing with project constraints in an effective manner. The team roles of Belbin and the conception of team role mapping facilitate in making better interaction with the individuals, resulting in better utilisation of available resources and attain predetermined project targets among others. These notions are deemed to play an indispensable role in the phase of project execution. Burj Khalifa within Dubai, UAE is acknowledged as the tallest sky scraper in this contemporary world. The building has a height of approximately 829.8 meters and is used for commercial business purpose. The staring phase of this skyscraper began during the end of the year 2004 and continued until the year 2009 (Baker, 2009). The engineering structure of this building has been designed in a sophistic manner with the prime intention of encompassing the surrounding gulf locality of Dubai, which itself gets categorised as an attractive sightseeing. Apart from just being concentrated on its design and niceness, Burj Khalifa also projects itself as a reference model of Islamic architecture, which is highly tended towards environmental safeguard and sustainability aspects (Baker, 2009). The scope planning of Burj Khalifa specifically focuses upon the project deliverables that can be achieved from smooth completion of the project. However, the project witnessed high level of distortion within the Project Scope planning phase that eventually destabilized the overall accomplishment of this massive project. For instance, specific amount of deviation occurred within the project scope planning stage such as ‘project cost planning’, ‘risk management planning’, ‘clear problem description’, ‘project milestone planning’ and ‘root cause components’ that eventually caused a huge increase in the cost factor associated with

Strategy Methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategy Methodology - Essay Example Another area of functionality involves the organization i.e. the structure of the organization, budget and human resources. Other functional areas include operations, logistics and projects. Overall the IT strategy is composed of the infrastructure, applications and services to be supported by IT in the organization. As such the strategy is bound to be affected by many factors and more especially economic ones which are to be considered with a lot of care at the management levels. It can be costly and budget intensive but in the ultimate deployment of information technologies enhances communication both internally and externally. It also enhances management and coordination of departments in the organization at a reduced cost. It is therefore very important to note that there exists a positive relationship between use of internet & intranets in organizations and profitability. IT encourages innovation and a decision making model which is more autonomous hence positively impacting on the profitability of the organization. Economic factors therefore surely have a profound impact on IT strategy decisions at organizational levels and no organization will afford to ignore IT going forward in the business world. 1. Torben Juul Anderson. (2001). Information Technology, Strategic Decision Making Approaches and Organizational Performance in Different Industrial Settings. Journal of Strategic Information Systems 10 (2001)

Short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short answers - Essay Example An economist would advice a firm making accounting profits to close down because accounting profits is arrived at by subtracting only explicit costs from the total revenue. This rejects implicit costs hence inaccuracy of the profits (Aspers, 2011). (b) Why normal profit is the long run outcome for a firm under perfect competition When a firm is making economic profits, other firms will find the markets competitive hence mass entry into the market. This causes the supply curve to shift to the right, which results into a drop of the prices hence profits, are cancelled. The firm will in the end exhibit normal profits as an outcome under perfect competition (Aspers, 2011). (c) Characteristics of both monopolistic and monopoly competition, their advantages and disadvantages Characteristics of monopolistic competition are; there exist a large number of buyers and sellers, they exhibit price differentiation, free entry and exit of firms and high selling costs are incurred. Monopoly on the o ther hand exhibits characteristics such as the existence of only one firm in the market; they are price takers since they are the only producers. They have the advantage of controlling the whole market and therefore dictate the prices. The only disadvantage is that they are constrained by their own demand curves. Monopolistic case has several advantages; the most peculiar is that they are able to command a large market base. The market is disadvantaged in that stiff competition may threaten its operations in the market (Aspers, 2011). 4. (a) Graph of Fiscal policy and deflationary gap Deflationary gap happens when the actual output (Y) is below the natural output (Yn); this is as shown in the figure above. To correct the deflationary gap expansionary fiscal policy has to be used. The government does this through increasing government spending; alongside this, the government taxation has to be reduced. The result of employing the expansionary fiscal policy acts to shift the aggregate demand curve to coincide with the natural output and therefore real GDP is increased. Deflationary gap is caused when the investment spending goes down hence it is simply solved when the government increases it investment spending such as spending on infrastructure (Buti, 2003). (b) How fiscal and monetary used to address deflationary gap affects balance of payment Fiscal policy tools used to such as increased taxation will make the costs of local goods to be expensive. When the local goods become expensive balance shifts from favoring importation. When imports are more than exports, there is unfavorable balance of payment, which is harmful to the economy. In addition, monetary policies to correct deflationary gap is that aimed at increasing money supply, which leads to an increase in prices. Increase in prices causes local goods to be equally expensive leading to increased importation hence unfavorable balance of payment. Such negative impacts of balance of payment occur when the economy is at the helm of growth (Buti, 2003). 6. (a) Reasons for holding money There are three major reasons for holding money; transactionery motive, precautionary motive and speculative motive. For transactionery motive, money is held to undertake daily transactions mostly on basics. Money is also held to handle any future unfortunate occurrences anticipated in the future. Speculators are investors who anticipate that assets will be attractive in the near future hence hold money to take advantage of such (Dobeck, MF &

An experiential Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An experiential - Essay Example tood and in this manner, we build trust as well as compassion with each other and people spontaneously look up to my leadership with gratitude and respect, voluntarily taking part in becoming a developed community that can be well-sustained in different aspects of living. Community, in our common knowledge and as the term implies, makes typical reference to that local spot or group in which find and sense belongingness in a unified body with common goals, interests, or deeds. In it we realize the natural process of a give-and-take mechanism when it comes to allocation of social influences that correspondingly affect an individual’s response and social behavior toward the rest of community members. We may go beyond such usual notion and perceive how else a community may be defined or characterized by the emerging social attitudes which are essentially patterned after a particular origin or structure. Normally, we find ourselves bound to care with one another in a community not only because we readily understand the necessity of survival through interactive relationship but even for the natural truth in historicity where there emerges discernment of historical background that enables one person to gauge the other in terms of a continuing culture they have both lived with though at separate places and time. The mutual respect or concern established toward a cultural or religious tradition, for instance, may hold us within a sensible definition of community in which while we distinguish individual selves with unique identity to develop for personal growth, we know somewhere from the inner core that our mutuality in beliefs and principles sets us apart from certain degree of plural indifference. As a community leader, I personally advocate the aforementioned findings and believe that I can significantly contribute on promoting the essence of communication by allowing more educational and recreational programs to be conducted in order to discover potentials of each

Short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short answers - Essay Example An economist would advice a firm making accounting profits to close down because accounting profits is arrived at by subtracting only explicit costs from the total revenue. This rejects implicit costs hence inaccuracy of the profits (Aspers, 2011). (b) Why normal profit is the long run outcome for a firm under perfect competition When a firm is making economic profits, other firms will find the markets competitive hence mass entry into the market. This causes the supply curve to shift to the right, which results into a drop of the prices hence profits, are cancelled. The firm will in the end exhibit normal profits as an outcome under perfect competition (Aspers, 2011). (c) Characteristics of both monopolistic and monopoly competition, their advantages and disadvantages Characteristics of monopolistic competition are; there exist a large number of buyers and sellers, they exhibit price differentiation, free entry and exit of firms and high selling costs are incurred. Monopoly on the o ther hand exhibits characteristics such as the existence of only one firm in the market; they are price takers since they are the only producers. They have the advantage of controlling the whole market and therefore dictate the prices. The only disadvantage is that they are constrained by their own demand curves. Monopolistic case has several advantages; the most peculiar is that they are able to command a large market base. The market is disadvantaged in that stiff competition may threaten its operations in the market (Aspers, 2011). 4. (a) Graph of Fiscal policy and deflationary gap Deflationary gap happens when the actual output (Y) is below the natural output (Yn); this is as shown in the figure above. To correct the deflationary gap expansionary fiscal policy has to be used. The government does this through increasing government spending; alongside this, the government taxation has to be reduced. The result of employing the expansionary fiscal policy acts to shift the aggregate demand curve to coincide with the natural output and therefore real GDP is increased. Deflationary gap is caused when the investment spending goes down hence it is simply solved when the government increases it investment spending such as spending on infrastructure (Buti, 2003). (b) How fiscal and monetary used to address deflationary gap affects balance of payment Fiscal policy tools used to such as increased taxation will make the costs of local goods to be expensive. When the local goods become expensive balance shifts from favoring importation. When imports are more than exports, there is unfavorable balance of payment, which is harmful to the economy. In addition, monetary policies to correct deflationary gap is that aimed at increasing money supply, which leads to an increase in prices. Increase in prices causes local goods to be equally expensive leading to increased importation hence unfavorable balance of payment. Such negative impacts of balance of payment occur when the economy is at the helm of growth (Buti, 2003). 6. (a) Reasons for holding money There are three major reasons for holding money; transactionery motive, precautionary motive and speculative motive. For transactionery motive, money is held to undertake daily transactions mostly on basics. Money is also held to handle any future unfortunate occurrences anticipated in the future. Speculators are investors who anticipate that assets will be attractive in the near future hence hold money to take advantage of such (Dobeck, MF &

Crucible Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crucible Experience - Assignment Example How do you become a good leader? That question is one of the mysteries of the world. No one knows the answer to that; however, people can try and be good leaders. Actually, there are studies that people undertook to determine what it takes to be a good leader. Robert J. Thomas’ The Crucible of Leadership is just that. A crucible is a vessel in which metals like gold are melted. It is another term for certain incidents in life that would make people change, just because the incident is so intense that change is inevitable. Basically, like the object, crucible incidents in life are instruments that would melt – transform – you into a better object. For Robert J. Thomas, crucibles in life are important, since these make us (leaders) aware of our weaknesses by gaining insights to ourselves. It is extremely helpful, however difficult, that we have crucibles in our lives as they teach us important life lessons and the ways to be strong. For Thomas, the â€Å"combinati on of hardiness and the ability to grasp that concept that, above all, allows a person to not only survive an ordeal but to learn from it, and to emerge stronger, more engaged, and committed than ever†; that is what it takes to be a good leader, and one could get that by getting such challenges in a crucible. Basically, Thomas echoes the maxim, â€Å"What does not kill you will make you stronger†. In this case, it makes you a better leader too. These ordeals, therefore, are important to us. Back in 2005, I was in Iraq. Being a single, female soldier in Iraq is not very easy. I’m not complaining, but I had my share of difficulties. I was a commander; a leader. I know that sexual inequality is not as strong as compared to, say, the 60s, but it still exists. As a female commander, I had to endure rumors about my leadership. Worse, I had to endure rumors about myself, on a daily basis. Everyone was talking behind my back; everyone was lying to me; everyone was preten ding to be with me, but actually was not. It was a pretty difficult experience, especially since I am a commander and I have to be in control of the subordinates. I tried to confront everyone who’s involved but I decided against it since I know that it would only add friction and create tension among the people involved. I knew that they disliked me but I decided to let it all go. There was no point of taking things personally. We were in a war and adding more stress to that is not just worth it. I have to lead my soldiers through that war. I do not have to let the rumors get the best out of me. I decided to focus and deliver my duties as an effective commander. So, I dropped it and refused to acknowledge their taunts and rumors. They can’t do anything to hurt me because I was their commander, only rumors. In the end, they stopped because they could not get a reaction from me; and I led them through battles, unscathed. Although the relations between me and them are not as fraternal and jovial as people would imagine, we became a good unit out in the field. If I chose to bicker with them and engaged them with their taunts and rumors, it would have then been an awkward time out there in the field. There might be a chance that they might rebel against me, because personal feelings can always get in the way. Keeping things professional is the best way out of this problem, as well as keeping quiet. This crucible of mine taught me how to see things on a basic perspective; without letting emotions getting the best out of me. It also taught me to be more calculating, and this is proving to be more useful in these times. A leader is supposed to inspire and motivate. Can I do that when I am acting emotionally, when I am retaliating to their immature behavior? The answer is â€Å"No†. A good organizational leader is someone who develops plans and strategies that make soldiers into better players of such teams. Experience is the best teacher when it c omes to these types of leadership. My crucible experience will

Expansion Opportunities Abroad Essay Example for Free

Expansion Opportunities Abroad Essay With the proposed expansion of CPI in other countries like Brazil and the some European states, we need to consider three things: 1) the market share of giant corporations in the same business, 2) the company’s capital size, and 3) the price elasticity of the products to be sold (in those countries). While all these factors are of salience in the company’s operations, it is assumed that the relative complexity of the market is an avenue of uncertainty. Other factors like political stability may influence considerably the company’s operations as much as the presence of giant corporations in the business. The presence of giant corporations in the same business can be staved-off by setting commercial offices in places that are without the presence of these corporations. For example, if giant corporations are well concentrated in a particular city, the company should establish subsidiaries in semi-urban areas. This would stave off competition as well as maximizing the limited consumer base (semi-urban areas have a considerable consumer size). The company’s capital size should also be considered. Capital provides a firm the working materials to produce goods and services to the public. Capital and labor make up the so-called â€Å"inputs of production† of a firm. Therefore, if the company is going to expand overseas, it must first negotiate on the volume of capital that is needed for expansion (and of course, the associated risk). In this case, 5 to 20 % of the company’s capital will be used for expansion. This is a fair evaluation of risks involved in the venture as well as the proposed distribution of capital in â€Å"host† countries. The real problem though lies in determining the price elasticities of products to be sold in the market. Although the company fared well by concentrating its sale to regional places, this would not be the same when it goes international. Price elasticities generally become stable and somewhat inflexible once prices also become inflexible. The implication: those companies with large capital bases will tend to survive; those with small capital bases will either merge to survive or exit in the market. Even if the company set-up subsidiaries in semi-urban places to prevent competition, there is no assurance of success. Below we shall discuss nature and definition of price elasticities. There are two primary types of elasticities: price elasticity of demand and price elasticity of supply. Here we are concerned only with the former since the company’s expansion abroad depends on the sensitivity of consumer demand to price changes. Price elasticity is defined as â€Å"the measure of responsiveness of a factor or variable to another factor or variable† (Buchholz, 1996). Price elasticity of demand is defined as â€Å"the measure of responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price, all other things held constant (ceteris paribus)† (Price Elasticity of Demand, 2007). General relations of price elasticity of demand: †¢ If PED 1 then Demand is Price Elastic †¢ If PED = 1 then Demand is Unit Elastic (equal response) †¢ If PED 1 then Demand is Price Inelastic In the case of products manufactured by CPI, specifically Super Clean, it generally experiences the third relation. If Super Clean raises the prices of its product by 5%, percentage change in quantity demanded would be less. The implication: by setting subsidiaries in places where there is the minimal presence of giant corporations, Super Clean would be able to control minimally the prices of its product due perhaps to the relative inflexibility of consumer demand. This would maximize profit. Even if giant corporations enter, revenues would tend to be stable because consumer demand is stable. This would generally reduce the overall risk of the company.

The Body as Teacher: From Source of Knowledge to Object of Knowledge :: Philosophy

The Body as Teacher: From Source of Knowledge to Object of Knowledge ABSTRACT: I look at two ways of seeing the body during the Renaissance: the first, illustrated in the Essais of Montaigne, focuses on the body as a source of knowledge about the self; the second, illustrated in the developing science of anatomy, focuses on the body as an object of knowledge that is increasingly available only to specialists. In looking at the science of anatomy as it developed in the Renaissance, I show that the transformation of the body from a source of knowledge of both body and soul to an object of a mechanical science did not happen easily and reflects contradictory approaches to the self that continue to this day. In his book The Mirage of Health, Renà © Dubos refers to the never-ending oscillation between two different points of view in medicine: those who believe that health results from living in harmony with nature (and thus take it upon themselves to know themselves and live in harmony with their environment) and those who believe that health is the responsibility of a medical expert who brings specialized knowledge and the surgeon's knife to conquer disease). He points out that in ancient Greece, doctors worked under the patronage of Asklepios, the god of medicine while healers served Asklepios's daughter Hygeia, goddess of health: For the worshippers of Hygeia, health is the natural order of things, a positive attribute to which men are entitled if they govern their lives wisely. According to them, the most important function of medicine is to discover and teach the natural laws which will ensure a man a healthy mind in a healthy body. More skeptical, or wiser in the ways of the world, the followers of Asklepios believe that the chief role of the physician is to treat disease, to restore health by correcting any imperfections caused by accidents of birth or life. (1) The modern debate between the followers of Hygeia and the followers of Asklepios is more than a debate about the relative merits of medical science; it reflects a more fundamental debate about the nature of the self and about the ways in which one can have knowledge of the self. It is a debate about the nature of the body and how we learn about it or from it. It is about the body as teacher. This paper focusses on one

National Basketball Championship Essay examples -- Sports Basketball

The ball soaring towards the basket; flying all the way from half-court. Bang! The ball slams off the backboard and plunges onto the rim as 70,930 people fall into shock. Will the impossible happen? Unfortunately for the upstart Butler Bulldogs, Gordan Hayward's desperation heave at the buzzer of the 2010 NCAA National Championship game was 3 inches off the mark, allowing perennial power Duke to walk away with their fourht National Championship. However, Butler's magical run shows why the NCAA Tournament is such a great event and why it does its job as a fair way to decide the National Champion. Meanwhile, three months earlier, Boise State is stuck at home, wondering what could have been as they watch Alabama and Texas get the opportunity to play for the National Championship. Boise State was undefeated. The BCS system, which decides the two teams who get to play for the title in college football, is considered by many to be iniquitous and believe the sport should switch to a playoff format similarly to what is used in college basketball. The two championships are set up quite differently. The obvious difference is that the basketball format is a playoff, while in football only two teams get the chance to play. A committee of people come together and set up the basketball tournament by seeding the teams into four â€Å"brackets†, seeding the teams 1-17 in each bracket. The decision making process can be quite complicated. First of all, 30 teams automatically play their way into the tournament by winning their conference tournament. This means no matter how terrible a team played in the regular season, they still get the chance to play their way into the National Championship game. The only exception to this is the Ivy League. They do ... ... truth is the reason that the college football universe is being prevented from getting a playoff. Even though in many ways a playoff is a fairer, more efficient, and more entertaining way of deciding the National Champion, money and power end up smothering this idea. Until the people with the power decide to finally do the right thing, there will always be teams such as Boise State or TCU on the outside looking in, wondering what could have been. Works Cited Eisenburg, Jeff. â€Å"How college hoops would look if the BCS replaced the NCAA tourney.† rivals.yahoo.com. 11 November 2010. Web. 22 November 2010. Murphy, Austin. â€Å"BCS supporters don’t get it: current system isn’t better than playoff.† www.si.com. 12 November 2010. Web. 22 November 2010. Murphy, Austin and Dan Wetzel. â€Å"Does it Matter?† Sports Illustrated. 15 November 2010: 42-48. National Basketball Championship Essay examples -- Sports Basketball The ball soaring towards the basket; flying all the way from half-court. Bang! The ball slams off the backboard and plunges onto the rim as 70,930 people fall into shock. Will the impossible happen? Unfortunately for the upstart Butler Bulldogs, Gordan Hayward's desperation heave at the buzzer of the 2010 NCAA National Championship game was 3 inches off the mark, allowing perennial power Duke to walk away with their fourht National Championship. However, Butler's magical run shows why the NCAA Tournament is such a great event and why it does its job as a fair way to decide the National Champion. Meanwhile, three months earlier, Boise State is stuck at home, wondering what could have been as they watch Alabama and Texas get the opportunity to play for the National Championship. Boise State was undefeated. The BCS system, which decides the two teams who get to play for the title in college football, is considered by many to be iniquitous and believe the sport should switch to a playoff format similarly to what is used in college basketball. The two championships are set up quite differently. The obvious difference is that the basketball format is a playoff, while in football only two teams get the chance to play. A committee of people come together and set up the basketball tournament by seeding the teams into four â€Å"brackets†, seeding the teams 1-17 in each bracket. The decision making process can be quite complicated. First of all, 30 teams automatically play their way into the tournament by winning their conference tournament. This means no matter how terrible a team played in the regular season, they still get the chance to play their way into the National Championship game. The only exception to this is the Ivy League. They do ... ... truth is the reason that the college football universe is being prevented from getting a playoff. Even though in many ways a playoff is a fairer, more efficient, and more entertaining way of deciding the National Champion, money and power end up smothering this idea. Until the people with the power decide to finally do the right thing, there will always be teams such as Boise State or TCU on the outside looking in, wondering what could have been. Works Cited Eisenburg, Jeff. â€Å"How college hoops would look if the BCS replaced the NCAA tourney.† rivals.yahoo.com. 11 November 2010. Web. 22 November 2010. Murphy, Austin. â€Å"BCS supporters don’t get it: current system isn’t better than playoff.† www.si.com. 12 November 2010. Web. 22 November 2010. Murphy, Austin and Dan Wetzel. â€Å"Does it Matter?† Sports Illustrated. 15 November 2010: 42-48.

Mother- Tongue based Multilingual Education Essay

Transfer to the other languages once Filipino or English has been acquired to use these skills in thinking and articulating thought and Be used in the process of acquiring English and Filipino more effectively Social Development Maintains local language and culture while providing national/ international language acquisition and instruction Promotes learners’ integration into the national society without forcing them to sacrifice their linguistic and cultural heritage. Using the culture the child knows enabling immediate comprehension from which new concepts can be built- going form the known to the unknown. Academic Development Meaning based education that enables students to learn well with the understanding of what the teacher is saying. Be well prepared to enter and achieve well in the mainstream education system. Source: Gazette of the Philippines The WHY’s In an article by Cruz (2011) under grading P-Noy the country’s president Pres. â€Å"Noy Noy† Aquino said, â€Å"My view on this is larger than just the classroom. We should become tri- lingual as a country; Learn English well and connect to the world; Learn Filipino well and connect to our country; retain your mother tongue and connect to your heritage†. In light to the Legal basis in the 1987 Constitution (Article XIV Sec 7), For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English. The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein, and as supported by the  1987 Philippine Constitution (Article XXVII Sec 30) which states that the child has the right to an education and to learn and use the language of his family, and as strengthened by RA 8780 EECD Law (Sec 5a) which states that schools a nd institutions shall use the child’s first language as the medium of instruction and Education for all should enable everyone to speak in the vernacular, Filipino and English, RA 9155 or EFA/MDG. Under BESRA KRT 3, all persons beyond school- age regardless of their level of schooling should acquire the essential competence to be considered functionally literate in their mother tongue in Filipino or in English. Theories of Language and Cognition This new approach in education in the Philippines under the Mother- Tongue based education in the newly implemented K-12 program has so much promise when it comes to having a solid foundation in literacy with children and thus this would create a ripple effect as they progress in their succeeding years not only academically but also in life itself. There had been several studies and researches done showing the efficacy of using the majority’s mother tongue language in learning a minority language, and in the case of the Philippines it is a country that embraces several mother tongue languages according to Lewis, Simons, Fenig (2013) the country includes around 120- 170 identified mother tongues spoken in different parts of the country; the Department of Education in the Philippines has somehow introduced and currently approved 12 mother tongues to be used in each respective areas that use such mother tongue languages, the 12 identified major language or lingua are as follow: a ) Tagalog b) Kapampangan c) Pangasinense d) Iloko e) Bikol f) Cebuano g) Hiligaynon h) Waray i) Tausug j) Maguindanaoan k) Maranao; l) Chabacano. Even with the studies and researches done to prove that having a good foundation of the understanding of the mother- tongue language of the child, there is still a whole lot of questions that rose with regards to parents’ aspirations for their children to learn English as early as Kindergarten since most have the mentality that learning the English language and being able to use the language in daily basis not only in school but also in social gatherings, homes and play area would make their children more appealing and would excel academically. To answer those questions, enlighten peoples’ mentalities and  to clearly understand the underlying effect of the benefits mother tongue based education offers; let us first see the theories that would explain the scientific workings of language in several context. Under the theories of Language and Cognition as described by Cummin (1981) he clearly illustrated under the Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP) that the basis for st udents to further learn a new language or L2 is the cognition and language fundamentals that student’s learned from their primary language or L1. In other words, if a student has a strong foundation and is competent in their L1, they are most likely to be competent in the acquisition of a second language, the L2. The Common Underlying Proficiency or CUP serves as the central operation system of both languages L1 and L2, Cummin (1981). In short, if there is comprehension on the water cycle in their L1, that formulated knowledge transfers to the comprehension of water cycle in another language or L2. In the Philippines’ case let us say that the water cycle as discussed in Bisaya (mother tongue used in Cebu) is learned it is of close certainty that learning the same context discussed in English (students’ L2) would also be learned by the students. Linguistic knowledge, as well as skills such as summarizing chapters, can also transfer between languages, Freeman & Freeman (2004). The results of many recent studies suggest that bilingualism can positively affect both intellectual and linguistic progress. These studies have reported that bilingual children exhibit a greater sensitivity to linguistic meanings and may be more flexible in their thinking than are monolingual children (Cumm ins and Swain, 1986; Diaz, 1986; Hakuta and Diaz, 1985; Ricciardelli, 1989). Most of these studies have investigated aspects of children’s metalinguistic development; in other words, children’s explicit knowledge about the structure and functions of language itself. Another concept under Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and consisting of the language skills that enables students to communicate in everyday social contexts at home or in group, Diaz- Rico & Weed (2006) and consists of more social cues, such as wave or a smile when a friend or acquaintance is seen, or a nod from a teacher or parent to affirm that the child is doing a good job. Since it is context embedded, L2 learners tend to develop it within 2 years; much more quickly than Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). CALP can be seen of as academic, or school language and requires more complex thought  process such as categorizing and analyzing. It focuses more on â€Å"abstract and decontextualized† Diaz- Rico & Weed (2010), higher- order thinking skills are required from students in this aspect, since the lack of context clues that CALP provides, it can take up to five years for English Language Learners or L2 to develop. An important characteristic of the bilingual children in the more recent studies (conducted since the early 1960’s) is that, for the most part, they were developing what has been termed an additive form of bilingualism (Lambert, 1975); in other words, they were adding another language which is English as their second language to their repertory skills at no cost or disadvantage of their first language but instead these children were in the process of attaining high level of fluency and literacy in both of their two languages. To further develop such skills what teachers could do is to encourage students to keep reading stories, articles or animations in their native language for fun, or even talk about their day in school with their parents, guardians, friends and/ or social circle in their native language, and in order to allow for the development of BICS, teachers need to give students time to socialize throughout the school day. This time could be during a work time or even just at lunch and on the playground. Without many opportunities to communicate socially, English Language Learners will struggle with basic language development. In the aspect of the development of CALP in an English Language Learner is one that will take more time and thought on the part of the teacher. When introducing content-specific language in the classroom, it is helpful to provide student with visuals and realia as much as possible. Giving students the opportunity to visually picture the concept will aid their understanding. When the concept is more abstract, as is the case with more upper-leveled grades, resources such as charts, graphs and graphic organizers may be particularly helpful in the development of CALP. Cummins himself says that â€Å"not only does maintenance of L1 helps students to communicate with parents and grandparents in their families, and increase the collective linguistic competence of the entire society, it enhances the intellectual and academic resources of individual bilingual students†Ã‚  Cummins (2000). Children use language in social context, especially in building relationships, exchanging information, thinking and with the play of words and in communicating while learning. We know today that the ability to communicate is prior to linguistic development: before producing words to communicate, babies start to babble or show signs in order to communicate to their caregivers or family; then they start to name people and things around them to exchange information and make sense and meaning of the world they are in. As they continue to develop, their language develops and they become more sophisticated communicators; from then on their personality develops and when they go to school they start playing with other children and cooperating and use their language(s) to interact with peers and adults and to learn. Therefore, children need language to socialize, to communicate, to understand the world and to learn. As Harding and Riley (1986) write: â€Å"A child learning a language is learning about the world, about how it is organised and how it works. This is very different from the adult learning a second language who tends to work the other way round: he brings his world with him and uses the language to try to express it.† When placed in a bilingual or multilingual setting, children are going to learn in that context through their first language or L1 and that it is important to acknowledge several facts around L1: that is the language acquired from home and from birth to their social cir cle and it does not stop by the time children enter school. And that the additional language would not develop and progress similarly with L1 since L1 is already pre- existing. As a teacher, one should always remember that just because a student speaks English well on the playground, does not mean their CALP language is fluent. A teacher should encourage students to continue to read regularly in their native language, so that they can transfer these skills into English. As Cummins (2000) states: â€Å"Conceptual knowledge developed in one language helps to make input in the other language comprehensible. If a child already understands the concepts of â€Å"justice† or â€Å"honesty† in her own language, all she has to do is acquire the label for these terms in English. She has a far more difficult task, however, if she has to acquire both the label and the concept in her second language† Shoebottom (1996- 2012). Another tactic teachers can use is to allow students to work in groups with other who speak the same native language. Teachers could allow students to talk among  themselves, use pictures or dictionaries if they don’t understand something. Teach all students the vocabulary before starting an new unit, this can benefit the entire class. Never judge a student for not unde rstanding something taught to them in their L2. It had been noticeable that almost anywhere the minorities are taken for granted. They are expected, if not required to assimilate to the socio- political edifices, social practices, and the social standards which are mostly built by the majority. Even then the majority still treats them less than equal, if not less than human. And with regards to the minority in the aspect of language in the Philippines, this particular learning initiative is ideal to the schools who caters to disabled students and also to students who have special needs. And with this new program which is the MTB- MLE it is most likely to enhance and help them make meaning to the concepts and topics that are being introduced, it would eliminate one aspect of understanding the word, their only concern by then is understanding the concept since they already understand the language use in the introduction of the content, thus making it easier for them and making it personal and relatable. Since the aim of mainstreaming is to let students with special needs learn at par with regular students, this learning initiative would enhance that aim and would fully immerse students with special needs in the â€Å"regular world† it would also put them at par with the reality that regular students are in. This learning initiative would help these marginalized minorities through supporting the use of their mother tongue and helping them make sense of the words and the world they are in. In line with the salient features of this MTB- MLE learning initiative, this would be powerful in the development of their language literacy, thus providing them with a strong educational foundation on their first language and bridging it in learning another language either the Filipino language or the English language and also, enabling them to use both or all languages in their own discretion, and given that students with special needs find it challenging in transferring concepts and instantly making meaning on concepts compared to regular students, this learning initiative would put their mother tongue as their solid foundation in figuring out the meaning of  each topic and the concept introduced, making it less stressful and difficult. Another feature that was presented focused on Cognitive development of students and learners, and with MTB- MLE learning initiative it is based on the child or students’ own known environment and bridges their world to the wider world so as the concept of â€Å"Known to Unknown† and the build- up of higher order thinking skills as to where they are capable of doing, may it be figuring out money change, or deciding as to where the safest part of the road to cross; and the understanding concepts learned through their mother tongue would then be transferred in another language, and making it less confusing since there is already prior knowledge and familiarity o the concept. In the aspect of social development, since these minorities have difficulty with regards to their social skills, this learning initiative would enable them to make it less threatening and intimidating for them to engage themselves in social circles, practices and activities, may it be joining a person or two in the playground and engaging in a simple play or social gathering. MTB- MLE enables these students to use their known culture and enabling them to immediately comprehend social practices, activities and realities based on their known world outside those in school—their known world at home, encouraging them to interact and share what they usually do at home since the language used at home, is the same language used in school, activities and social practices in their learning environment. And the last salient feature discussed in this learning initiative is academic development, through MTB- MLE learning initiative, students with special needs are able to make meaning of what the teacher is saying since the language used is their mother tongue, the language most likely they use at home and are familiar to them. And also, it would allow this minority to be well prepared to achieve well in the mainstream education system as what most parents aspire their children to achieve. The learning experience of students with special needs would most likely be enhanced with this learning initiative since it is basing the acquisition of concepts, topics, context and ideas in their known language and allowing immediate acceptance to these concepts since the language used is already an experienced everyday activity. It would limit special needs students’ intimidation, threat and hesitation in engaging themselves socially, academically and emotionally, since they could clearly see that their fellow  students, as well as teachers are using the same known language with regards to teaching and learning, and putting them on the same standard as of the other regular students, also allowing the minimal feel on the difference of regular students and special needs students. This learning initiative would most likely encourage students to achieve more are would not make big concepts in different subjects intimidating since the language used are non- threatening to them, this would allow them to relate their everyday reality to the reality nationally, internationally and globally. Upon having a solid foundation on their mother tongue, students are also able to retain their local identity and national identity at the same time being able to find their global identity thus giving them a key to fully experience the world outside their known world through the help of worldwide web, media, and global activities. Though this learning initiative is very ideal to the marginalized minority which is towards students with special needs under mainstream program; this learning initiative poses a challenge to its proponents, especially the teachers, since being the product of the old education system which uses English as the medium of instruction and mother tongue was not in the picture in the whole education process, teachers would find it a constant challenge to cultivate their known mother tongue and use it in their teaching practices, learning once again how to write in their mother tongue at the same time being critical with the syntax and technicalities when it comes to the grammar in their mother tongue, since one could not directly translate English sentences to one’s mother tongue due to its arrangement and syntax. Teachers have to shift to what they have known, used and practiced in their education as well as their profession, it is a shift to learning and entertaining their mother tongue and incorporating it to their instruction; it would mean relearning terminologies and changes in outlines, instructional materials, resources, references, educational strategies and practices; these challenges are to be faced head on and demands consistency and result from stakeholders such as schools, parents, students and the government. This learning initiative is properly introduced and practiced, it would make a difference not only to the marginalized minority but also to the other students especially those who are struggling academically, and since theories involving L2 acquisition shows that having a solid foundation on L1 does not hinder any academic  performance rather than it supports and enhances the students understanding of concepts since the language used is their home language, the language that they have been familiar since birth, the language that they have learned to make meaning on this outside their academic world. The successful practice of this learning initiative would bring about better comprehending students, better learners, enhancement of higher order thinking skills, life skills and whole rounded learners. It would also promote unity in different localities in the same region, unity in schools and not having that glaring difference on status basing on the language spoken, unity in public a nd private school sectors, unity and uniformity in concepts taught. And as a teacher, I am moved to respond to this learning initiative by furthering and widening my skills and knowledge on my mother tongue since I personally am not confident to teach my mother tongue, since I grew up in an English speaking environment and in a family that used English in almost always at home. I am challenged to relearn my mother tongue and to have full command of my local language, and since the country is already adapting to MTB- MLE it is my responsibility as a future teacher to make into reality the aims and features of this learning initiative, making the learning experience personal to my future students and learners even if there are more than 30 students in a class, it is my responsibility to make sure that my future students would confidently be able to make sense and meaning to what I am conveying and saying with regards to teaching concepts, and also carry with it the encouragement for unity, uniformity and decrease the fear of being different in terms of understanding the language. Since this learning initiative is fairly a new concept to some, it is also my responsibility to share the beauty and its advantages, in the whole educational experience of a learner, it is my responsibility to make it known to others of the weight of such learning initiative in the enhancement and development of whole rounded learners and life- long learners. References Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA), 2010. BESRA Key Reform Thrust 3: Influential social institutions and key social processes are engaged by DepED to support national scale attainment of desired learning outcomes. Retrieved from http://www.fnf.org.ph/downloadables/Basic%20Education%20Sector%20Reform%20Agenda.pdf Cruz, Isagani 2011. Grading P- Noy. PhilSTAR.com the Filipino Global Community. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/education-and-home/708011/grading-p-noy Cummins, J. & Swain, M. (1986). Bilingualism in education: Aspects of theory, research and practice. London: Longman. Cummins, J. (1981) Bilingualism and minority language children. Ontario; Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Cummins, J. (2000) Language, Power and Pedgogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Diaz, R. M. (1986). Bilingual cognitive development: Addressing three gaps in current research. Child Development, 56, 1376-1388. Dà ­az-Rico, L. T. & Weed, K. Z. (2006). The cross-cultural, language, and academic development handbook, fourth edition. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Diaz-Rico, L. T. & Weed, K. Z. (2010). The crosscultural language, and academic development handbook: A complete K-12 reference guide(4th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Freeman, D. E. & Freeman, Y. S. (2004). Essential linguistics: What you need to know to teach reading, ESL, spelling, phonics, and grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Hakuta, K. & Diaz, R. M. (1985). The relationship between degree of bilingualism and cognitive ability: A critical discussion and some new longitudinal data. In K. E. Nelson (Ed.), Children’s language, Vol. 5. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum. Harding, E. & Ri ley, P. 1986. The bilingual family: a handbook for parents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lambert, W. E. (1975). Culture and language as factors in learning and education. In A. Wolfgang (Ed.), Education of immigrant students. Toronto: O.I.S.E. Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.) 2013. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Retrieved from http://www.ethnologue.com Official Gazette of the Philippines (n.d). K-12 Basic Education Program: Salient Features. Retrieved from http://www.gov.ph/k-12/#Features Philippine Constitution 1987, Article XIV Sec 7: Education, Science and Technology, Arts , Culture and Sports. Retrieved from http://www.lawphil.net/consti/cons1987.html Ricciardelli, L. (1989). Childhood bilingualism: Metalinguistic awareness