The Student Loan Debt Crisis - 1247 Words

The Student Loan Debt Crisis Student loan debt has overtime become an unpleasant part of life for millions of Americans and especially borrowers. It is possible to identify the types of people who went through college and borrowed financial loans from those that went through college and did not go to college or those that went but did not borrow. The debt crisis directly affects the families of the borrowers, those with high debt burdens and advanced degrees. Despite the increased length in loan payment, the average monthly payment has barely increased (Hansend, 2010) .This essay focuses on the problem of student loan debt and offers a number of viable solutions towards the subject. The emphasis in addressing the issue intendeds to suggest policies that focus on the immediate needs of the students According to the report on Household Debt and Credit Developments released by New York Federal Reserve Bank, trouble seems to have been brewing for students. America owes nearly US $ 1.2 trillion, which is more than three times the amount of debt a decade ago (Roots,2012).The increase in amount of debt is partly as a result of increased student attendance in college whiles the other part maybe due to the borrower who is the individual student, holding more debt (Roots,2012). The department of Education in New York has released a nationally representative data showing that college senior students took loans between the academic years 2007-2008 and 2011-2012, have a median debtShow MoreRelatedThe Student Loan Debt Crisis1873 Words   |  8 Pagesguaranteed employment, financial stability, and an indicator of success, has been declared in jeopardy. Topping the credit card debt and many household debts, the student loan debt has been pronounced the next potential financial disaster in t he U.S. With 2014’s numbers currently exceeding $1.2 trillion, the debt figures have reached about twice of 2007’s remaining debt (Akers, 2014). Gone are the days when a parent could send a child to the state university to study their interests and finish offRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Is A Financial Crisis1700 Words   |  7 Pagesincreases the pile of debt students may graduate with gets bigger and bigger. This problem is America’s next sizeable financial crisis, but this crisis however is avoidable. Student loan debt is a financial bubble waiting to blow up just as the housing market collapse did in 2007, which the country is only just now starting to see signs of recovery from. The cost of a four-year degree has seen increases that surpass inflation and health care costs. Likewise, the amount of student loan debt is now greaterRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Crisis Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesStudent Loan Debt Crisis What do you think of when you hear the words college graduate? Well, in most scenarios, these words would be exciting to someone that just graduated college who have put in years of hard work and dedication to better educate and promote themselves for their future careers. Sadly enough, this is too far common not the case. In today’s society, students are graduating college with piles of debt at an alarming rate. With a troubled economy that is recovering from a recessionRead MoreShould Student Loan Debt Be A National Crisis?865 Words   |  4 PagesAlthough many people are considering student loan debt to be a national crisis, we must understand the reality behind it. Unfortunately not everyone is fortunate enough to make it through college without accumulating debt. In Robin Wilson’s essay, â€Å"A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely†, she makes a compelling argument that shows how students get involved with really high debt. She claims, â€Å"†¦the pr oblem among students who go heavily into debt is that they are determined to attend their dream collegeRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Is The Biggest Economic Crisis Or Threat?1755 Words   |  8 PagesBureau, student loan debt has reached a new milestone, crossing the $1.2 trillion mark — $1 trillion of that in federal student loan debt. Since 1993, the trend keeps getting higher and higher every year. Student loan debts has been showing a crippling effect on the economy as the debt gets deeper. Student loan debt is known to be the biggest economic crisis or threat. Although you might have not have any student loans, his huge debt could still impact your financial well being. This debt of studentRead MoreHow The Student Loan Debt Crisis Is Undermining Economic And Social Progress Of American Graduates1635 Words   |  7 PagesHow the Student Loan Debt Crisis Is Undermining the Economic and Social progress of American Graduates Currently, higher education is highly valued as a step in achieving success and earnings potential, but attaining a degree comes at a high cost. Although a very valued asset, the cost to attain a college degree for most students includes getting loans, grants from the government, and sometimes even private loans. Most of these loans come at a high price for students as the interest structure forRead MoreStudent Loan Crisis Is A Crisis870 Words   |  4 Pagesthousand dollars in student loans. (Johnson, â€Å"Student Loans†) There is currently a debate about whether or not student loans are a crisis or if this crisis is just a myth. In the article, â€Å"Here’s Your Crisis: Student Loan Debt Isn’t A Myth,† it describes how student loans are a huge crisis, and the article, â€Å"The Myth of the Student Loan Crisis† is about how college students’ loans do not amount to a crisis. The student loan crisis is a legitimate problem, not a myth. College students do not realize theRead MoreStudent Loans For Education Equal Success997 Words   |  4 PagesStudent Loans Assisting For Education Equal Success After reading the articles on, â€Å"The Myth of the Student Loan Crisis† it was stated that student loans are the crisis because of the hundred dollars worth of debt. The second article, â€Å"Here’s Your Crisis: Student Loans Debt Isn’t a Myth† explains that student loan crisis is not a myth but the fear of debts are preventing students from attending college. These articles provided information to prove my beliefs that the government has a responsibilityRead MoreStudent Loan Debt Is A Burden1467 Words   |  6 PagesHave you ever heard of debt? Most people in today’s society have, but what about student loan debt? For too many Americans, student loan debt is a burden; there may be too much interest, not enough income, and a struggle to handle previous bills while staying on time with college payments. According to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau in the United States, the total amount of student debt amounts to over $1 trillion. In the art icle â€Å"Here’s Your Crisis: Student Loan Debt Isn’t a Myth† (2013) ChrisRead MoreThe Financial Crisis Of 20081326 Words   |  6 Pagesslowly incorporating direct federal loans but still keeping guarantees in place for the banks. After the financial crisis of 2008, President Obama completely eliminated the middleman and fully implemented direct student loans (Kingkade). Although this stopped large banks from profiting off of government backed loans, it still didn’t reduce the supply of loans or the ease of obtaining them. Availability of Credit As tuition has been on the steady rise, student debt to finance the education has been

Medication Errors in Clinical Settings - Detection and...

Introduction Medications are used as one of the interventional strategies in the prevention and management of various ailments. Although medications are useful to patients, when used inappropriately, they are not only harmful to patients but also impair the reputation of physicians. Medication Errors (MEs) are known to occur in the healthcare setting. According to National Coordination Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP) medication errors are defined as â€Å"Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of a healthcare professional, patient or consumer†. Medication errors occur when a healthcare professional performs an act that†¦show more content†¦Worldwide billions of dollars are being spent in managing the medication errors. It is reported that MEs cost Americans $37.6 billion each year and about $17 billion is associated with preventable errors. In India, there are very few published studies relating to medication errors. Several well designed and planned studies related to medication errors are required to be conducted in India to understand the depth of the problems and to develop strategies to overcome such problems in the future. This is important in the pretext of several reasons including (i) India is a country with large population with high percentage of illiteracy (ii) No nationwide system exist to document the prescribing and dispensing practices (iii) No system to report and monitor errors and hazardous situation (iv) No mandatory system for the accreditation and monitoring of the hospital (v) Flaws in the healthcare system including inadequate facilities. Moreover, India lacks many of the resources that are available in developed countries like computerised physician order entry system, bar code based medicine administration system, Unit dose dispensing etc. All these issues make the practice settings more vulnerable to commit medication related injuries. Levels and types of medications errors In the healthcare settings, medication errors do occur at various levels. It may be prescription centred, dispensing cantered and /or administration cantered (nurse /patientShow MoreRelatedParental Monitoring Of Blood Glucose1443 Words   |  6 Pagestype 2 diabetes. The invention of Glucose Meter has changed the diabetes care by enabling patients to monitor their blood glucose level according to their diet, medications and activity. control of glycaemia within the established recommended values is a major therapeutic goal for diabetic patients both in the hospital and outpatient setting. Using of self monitoring of blood glucose 9SMBG0 devices will help diabetic patients detect, prevent or manage of hypo- and hyper glycemic episodes. This reportRead MoreRelationship between Healthcare and Information Technology5035 Words   |  20 Pagesinformation technology for better communication and efficiency. The purpose of including technology in clinical nursing is to provide better facil ities to patients, which is cost effective. Medical Health Institute surveys regarding the usage of EHR in Canada and USA, indicate that information technology is primarily used by nurses and physicians to improve workflow efficiency, quicken clinical processes, and improve patient care. The major hindrance in implementing such infrastructure is the lackRead MoreCompetencies Between Nurses Prepared At The Associate Degree Level Versus Baccalaureate Degrees Level Essay1438 Words   |  6 Pagesbaccuralate dgree provide nurses with critical skills for complex patients , good communication and leadership skills. Quality patient care hinges on having a well educated nursing workforce. Research has shown that lower mortality rates, fewer medication errors, and positive outcomes are all linked to nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate degree levels. One of the study published in the October 2014 issue of Medical Care, researcher Olga Yakusheva from the University of Michigan andRead MoreThe Electronic Medical Records ( Emr )1366 Words   |  6 Pagesinformation field where clinical, demographic, and management information is entered in a electronic record. EMR information can be accessed such as patient history, billing or insurance data, allergies, immunizations, medications, orders, laboratory tests, diagnostic results, and images with just pushing a few keystrokes. It is an application technology that has enormous potential to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of health care through decreased medical errors, increased preventativeRead MoreEssay Computerized Management in Healthcare3755 Words   |  16 PagesComputerized Management in Healthcare Western Governors University Nursing Informatics NUT 1 August 22, 2012 Computerized Management in Healthcare In the past, physicians and healthcare organizations have been slow to embrace the advantages of using information technology but this is gradually changing. In the July 2012 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data brief, NCHS stated that by 2011, 55% of physicians had adopted an electronic health record (Jamoom et al., 2012). TheRead MoreManaging Multiple Morbidities On Older People3276 Words   |  14 Pagescomplex conditions due to the interactions between conditions and higher risks associated with polypharmacy. Clinical trials tend to exclude older people with multiple morbidities which generates difficulty when it comes to managing their conditions. Furthermore, clinical practice guidelines generally are not age-specific in nature nor do they focus on the complexity of medicines in older adults who are multi morbid. Self-management of conditions is a very important aspect when managing older peopleRead MoreObesity Is An Increasing Problem All Over The World And Its Prevalence1379 Words   |  6 Pagesmass index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 or more.1 It was reported that the proportion of obesity in surgical patients is greater than general population.2 This means that anesthesiologists are going to deal with increased number of obese patients whose airway management is one of their own responsibilities. Endotracheal intubation is more difficult in obese than in lean patients.3 Difficult tracheal intubation is defined by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) as tracheal intubation requiring multipleRead MoreRTT2 Organizational Systems3992 Words   |  16 Pagesï » ¿RTT Task Two: Case Study Western Governors University Sentinel Event Case Study Human interaction between individuals and systems does not occur in a vacuum, rather it occurs in a dynamic and multidimensional setting. From a structural and procedural system performance perspective, the nursing care environment â€Å"is perfectly designed to get the results it gets† (LLoyd, Murray, Provost, 2015). When mistakes happen in healthcare, all Joint Commission accredited healthcare organizations are obligatedRead MoreElectronic Case Report Form ( Ecrf )2347 Words   |  10 Pagesrecords can be stored and serve as a case report form of patients in clinical trials (1). eCRF helps individuals access, manage, and share their health information with others who are authorized, in a private, secure, and confidential environment (2). eCRF integrates many different aspects of clinical trials such as data mining, data cleaning, and data capture into one system and contributes greatly in clinical trial management. eCRFs offer an enormous amount of advantages such as improved dataRead MoreRoot Cause Analysis, Change Theory, FMEA, and Nursing Root Cause Analysis (RCA)3232 Words   |  13 Pagesin the system. Based on the case study presented, it would be important to have a nurse present from the unit/department where Nurse J and the LPN work, a respiratory therapist, a doctor that works for this hospital in the same capacity as Dr. T, a risk manager and a member of the quality improvement team. After the team is formed, the first step in the process is to identify what happened. In this particular case study, Mr. B was over sedated, not correctly monitored, was dismissed inappropriately

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Free Essays

Through his work entitled â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,† Hemingway tries to demonstrate how people have different opinions regarding aging and experience, and he does this through the eyes of the two waiters and an old man. Today, a large percentage of people assume things about other individuals they do not know based only on how they look. Hemingway seems to hold the hand of the reader as he expresses why people should have an open mind and make an attempt to look through the eyes of each person because there is so much more to know than just by looking at a person’s physical appearance. We will write a custom essay sample on A Clean, Well-Lighted Place or any similar topic only for you Order Now At the start of our lives when we are not yet fully aware of the things happening in our surroundings, everything seems to be beautiful and innocent. However, by the time we get older, we realize that things are not as easy as they once seemed. Along with the joys and happiness we experience, there is also pain, sadness, and loneliness. This short story is about an old man who sits in a bar a few times a week. He preferred this particular club from the others because it is clean and has a calm ambiance, which relaxes him. He drinks away until two o’clock in the morning and is the last person to leave the bar. On the side are two waiters who serve the old man. One is a young man while the other is a middle-aged waiter. While serving the old man, these two waiters converse and argue about the old man and it is evident that they see the old man in different perspectives due to their age difference. In the beginning of the story, an old, deaf man was described and how he was enjoying the bar and getting drunk almost every night. He feels comfortable in the bar because it is calm, clean, well-lighted, and quiet unlike the other bars in the area. He stays here until the wee hours of the morning and it can be seen that he does not fit well into the society at the time because he is well over his time already. It was mentioned that â€Å"last week, he tried to commit suicide† (Kennedy Gioia 148). This gives the reader the impression that the man was in despair even though he is well-endowed in terms of financial resources. The young waiter was in a rush to close the bar an hour earlier because there was only one customer, the old man, who was present at that time. The young waiter also wanted to go home early because his wife was waiting for him at home. It is shown that he disrespects the old man by throwing the old man out of the bar insisting that they were already closing. The younger waiter seems to be flat and static. He is somewhat intolerant and self-centered for he has his own social life and does not depend on the bar to seek refuge. He does not understand what the old man was feeling and why he spends his time in the bar drinking the night away. The fact that he is young and has very limited experience in life contributes to this attitude. He has no idea that the old man has spent his life and believes that he has no use to anyone because of his age, which is why he tried to commit suicide. He is lonely and loneliness is very hard to cure, especially when people around you do not understand what you are going through, just like the old man in the story. The young waiter also sees the loneliness and despair of the old man as largely a fault of his own because the old man chooses to see the darkness instead of the light. The young man feels that the old man dwells in his misery too much and that there are better things to do than sit inside a bar and drink. He yelled at the old man saying â€Å"you should have killed yourself last week† (Kennedy Gioia 148). He treats the old man like an obstacle as if the old man was slowing down the young man’s life. The older waiter, on the other hand, shows a different attitude towards the situation, and this might be because of his age. He is more sensitive to the old man because he knows what it is like to be old and lonely. This waiter says â€Å"I am one of those who like to stay late at the cafe with all those who do not want to go to bed† (Kennedy Gioia 150). He knows what it is like to go home at night without anything or anyone to expect and how it is better to spend the night in a bar instead of experiencing the loneliness that the night can bring. He knows that the bar is a very nice and clean place for people at night, especially the older ones. He says â€Å"each night, I am reluctant to close up because there may be someone who needs the cafe† (Kennedy Gioia 150). He is not only referring to the old man but to himself as well. Personally, I think that this is why he most likely works at the bar at night himself. Just like the old man, he does not want to be alone at night. He is becoming older as time goes on and he also has an insomnia, which makes it hard for him to sleep at night. How to cite A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, Papers

Italy free essay sample

The music of Italy ranges across a broad spectrum of opera and Instrumental classical music and a body of popular music drawn from both native and Imported sources. Music has traditionally been one of the cultural markers of Italian national and ethnic identity and holds an important position in society and in politics. Instrumental and vocal classical music is an iconic part of Italian identity, spanning experimental art music and international fusions to symphonic music and opera. Opera is integral to Italian musical culture, and has become a major segment of popular music.The Neapolitan song, cannoned Napoleon, and the contractor singer- songwriter traditions are also popular domestic styles that form an important part of the Italian music industry, alongside imported genres Like jazz, rock and hip hop. Italian folk music Is an Important part of the countrys musical heritage, and spans a diverse array of regional styles, instruments and dances. We will write a custom essay sample on Italy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Http://www. Lafayette. Com/ music I would delve Italian popular music Into four different categories (that overlap to some extent). Melodic music Italian Rock Singer-songwriters (Known as contractor )Their own styles http://www. Quintessential. Co. Articles/Italy/Laotian-Culture-Guide-Music-in-loyalty/295 Italy is the home of opera music. Opera music was created In Italy in the 17th century by Italian music composer Claudio Monteverdi. He wrote his first opera In 1607 named LOreal which was composed to commemorate the annual festival of Mantra. Since then opera music has become an Institution In the world of Italian music and widely appreciated around the world. Italy has produced a consistent stream of some of the worlds best opera singers, conductors and composers up to the present day.The most prevalent form of popular music in Italy during the past few decades has been rock music. Although no Italian rock music bands have ever had much success in the English speaking countries, there are several very popular Italian rock music bands inside Italy. Popular 1 sass rock singers and songwriters include Giant Annie, Coherer and Vases Rossi. There has also been quite a significant punk music scene in Italy since the sasss and there even seems to be a resurgent new punk music scene developing in Italy today. Popular music In Italy often takes Its cues from the USA and this appears to be how rap music has developed in Italy.There Is today a significant rap music scene In Italy with accompanying fashions and lifestyles that mirror those of rap musicians In America. While the beats of Italian rap music may seem to be a close copy of rap music in the US, the lyrics often found in Italian produced a few very significant names in the world of classical music over the past few hundred years. One of Italys major contributors to classical music is Antonio Vivaldi who is the musical composer widely credited as having created concerto music. This music which has its roots in 17th century Italy, is best characterized by its highly complex and intricate melodies. Http://www. ]staidly. Org/Italy/Italy- architecture. Asp Italian architecture has a wide and diverse number of styles which have evolved through the political, cultural and economical changes from ancient times. And now amazes people from every corner of the world, places such as The Tower of Pisa, The Coliseum, The Circus and more are part of the architecture of the country once considered as the capital of culture Classical: The Classical architecture comes from Greeks, who influenced The Roman Empire; they began to construct buildings using strict mathematical principles.The Classical Style had two periods: Greek characterized by the use of Doric columns; Hellenic characterized by the use of Ionic columns the period finished when Greece was conquered by the Roman Empire; Roman used the styles mentioned before but added more ornamentation, and invented concrete. After the Classical style, the Neoclassical Style, which influenced in construction worldwide due to the ideas that were scattered in publication, takes place.Early Medieval: Style developed after the fall of the Roman Empire, influenced by Byzantine Style and characterized by the building of Churches with round arches not only in principal cities but in villages around the country. Gothic: The difference with Early Medieval Style is the use of pointed arches instead of the round ones; the use of more elaborated Sculptures such as Gargoyles, more and bigger windows, and other influences from Moorish architecture.Renaissance: Italian architects looked for new ideas and discovered some principles that helped them construct buildings with symmetrical arrangements, use of columns and pilasters, domes, niches with sculptures and painting in the ceiling of Chapels, the most famous in SST. Pewters Basilica by the famous Italian painter Michelangelo Buoyant. Baroque: Commonly known as Bizarre, because is one of the most extravagant styles, which elements had been spread around the world; in Italy the cause of this style was the aim of Popes to give special ornamentation to Churches and express holy splendor; and it influenced non-Christian buildings also. Ancient buildings in the whole of Italy are related to one of these styles, with famous artists such as Andrea Palladian, Giaconda Avignon, Michelangelo Buoyant, Ghetto did Bonded, Raphael Sansei, Fillips Brucellosis and others.

The Link Between Heart Disease and Cancer Explorat Essay Example For Students

The Link Between Heart Disease and Cancer Explorat Essay ory Essays Research PapersThe Link Between Heart Disease and Cancer Recently, on a visit to my mothers house, I pulled out my parents wedding album. As I flipped through the pages of the wedding album, it was exciting to see pictures of my parents and our family members. Everyone seemed to be joyous except my grandmothers. They both had sad and angry expressions on their faces as their children made their vows to each other. I, too, was saddened as I noticed my paternal grandmothers figure because one of her breasts was wider, flatter and higher than her other breast. It appears that she had attempted to fill her bra cup with some type of soft cloth. I did not know that she had succumbed to breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy so early in her life. Although my maternal grandmother is still alive today, she has had advanced heart disease most of her life. We called my grandmother GM (grandmother). Although GM is a kind and gentle woman, she is quite temperamental. I believe th ese emotions and worry spike her towering blood pressure. As I continued to go through my parents wedding album, I noticed that mostly everyone in my family has died of heart disease or cancer. Although my father had diabetes, he died of a massive heart attack. My great uncle died of prostate cancer and his wife died after having a massive heart attack. According to the 1995 Monthly Vital Statistics Report, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States; in fact, heart disease and cancer have been linked to diet and exercise. I believe that 80 and 90 percent of cancers can be prevented because they are caused by environmental, dietary or nutritional factors, according to Dan Colbert, M.D. and author of Walking in Divine Health. The most common cancers in the United States colorectal cancer and breast cancer and prostate cancerare linked to consumption of red meat, fats, and toxins in diet. In Leviticus 3:17, it is written, This shall be a perpetual statue through out your generations in all your dwellings: you shall eat neither fat nor blood (The New King James Bible). As a minister, I believe that the Bible is referring to fat and blood derived from animal meat which increases the total and LDL cholesterol. Ironically, many people are unfamiliar with this severe perpetual warning not to consume fat or blood, and traditional and denominational Christians tend reject this statute. They foolishly rationalize that Christians are under grace; therefore, they simply ignore the statute. Today, millions of American die of heart and blood vessel diseases. These diseases are responsible for one out of two deaths. Think of it-more people die of heart disease than are killed by cancer, infectious disease, AIDS, homicide and accidents combined. Im convinced we are dying of coronary disease because of the fat we eat, Dr. Colbert expressed. Still, the RDA recommends 30 percent of the total diet should come from fat. Fat must be present in the diet to maintain good health. The body stores energy in the form of fat, and it provides the energy needed to perform muscular work. Fat provides similar benefits for animals, i.e., cows, pigs, and lambs, etc. Animals store very large amounts of toxins, pesticides and industrial wastes in their fatty tissues. The Fattier the piece of meat, the greater the potential for the storage of pesticides. Many thousands of pesticides are being sprayed on our land each year, and the cattle that graze on the land are ingesting them. These harmful substances are not only ingested by these animals, but are immediately stored in their fat. So, if you are fond of fatty pieces of meat, such as T-bone steaks or ribs, youre eating more than protein. You are transferring loads of pesticides into your body. The fattier the cut of meat, the more carcinogens it can contain, Dr. Cobert stated. Fats saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturatedprovide the same number of calories9 grams. The 1993 Journal of the American Medical Association recommends eating no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. One should eat no more than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats (all animal meats, beef tallow, butter, cheese, chocolate, cocoa butter, coconut oil, cream, hydrogenated oils, lard, palm oil, stick margarine, shortening, whole milk). One should eat no more than10 percent of calories as polyunsaturated fats (almonds, corn oil, cashews, cottonseed oil, filberts, fish, liquid/soft margarine, mayonnaise, pecans, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and walnuts). And, one should eat 10-15 percent of calories from monounsaturated fats (avocados, canola oil, cashews, olive oil, olives, peanut butter, peanut oil, peanuts, and poultry). Moreover, one should replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fats. At one time, polyunsaturated fats were recommended to replace saturated fats until evidence suggested that polyunsaturated fats help in the oxidation of LDL-choles terol, according to 1994 article in The Lancet. Unfortunately, cancers attack the fattiest portions of the human body because toxins are stored in fat. For example, in men cancer attacks the prostate, and in women it attacks the breasts. Breast cancer and prostate cancer has been linked to elevated consumption animal fats and whole milk products. Not only do animals graze on toxic soil but also they are subjected to be injected with DES, which is a form of estrogen. Thus, small amounts of estrogen can be found in the body and womens breast. Additionally, whole milk contains fat and cholesterol, which provides the building block for manufacturing more estrogen. A womens body makes more estrogen using the fat which contains pesticides and other carcinogens. Additionally, when too much fat is consumed, it affects ones entire blood volume, and can trigger a blockage resulting in a heart attack or stroke. For example, after consuming a fatty meal, the blood-all of it-gets thicker than u sual. It has been described as being thick as toothpaste or resembling sludge. Fat and oils in the blood increase its density . . .Ive checked the blood of patients after they have eaten lunch and it is amazing how much fat is present. It rises to the top of the venipuncture tube, and you can actually see it. It is yellow and thick. Just imagine what that fat is doing to your blood vessels when the heart is attempting to pump it through your system, Dr. Colbert described. No wonder God, in His divine guidance, commanded that we do not consume animal fat. Further, cancer of the colon is caused by consumption of toxins that stay too long in the gastrointestinal tracts. According to the 1999 Edition of the PDR Family Guide to Nutrition Health, Food takes three days or more to pass through the bowel. Eating even fewer fibers allows food to remain in the body even longer. With a high fiber diets, food is eliminated in a day or two. Although fruits and vegetables are sprayed with herbici des and pesticides, low fat is key. The higher the fiber content of the foods, the more toxins they will bind, which are then eliminated from your system, Colbert said. Additionally, exercise reduces the risk of colon cancer. Increasing physical activity levels may be an effective approach for reducing the burden of colon in our society, a Harvard research wrote in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Ironically, simply walking at a normal or brisk pace for an hour a day reduces the risk of this type of cancer. Researchers are not certain how exercise reduces the risk, but one theory is that it increases the speed at which materials move through the bowel. Today, I can still look through my parents wedding album and see photographs of our family; I thank God that we now have the knowledge to prevent most cancers and heart disease through prayer, diet, and exercise. .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 , .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .postImageUrl , .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 , .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:hover , .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:visited , .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:active { border:0!important; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:active , .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9 .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u49be88cea2e483b79ed6bf4f3126c1f9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Pornography - Its Place In Our Society Essay We will write a custom essay on The Link Between Heart Disease and Cancer Explorat specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

Cold War Timeline

Cold War Timeline The Cold War was fought in the aftermath of World War Two, from the collapse of the wartime alliance between the Anglo-American led Allies and the USSR to the collapse of the USSR itself, with the most common dates for these identified as 1945 to 1991. Of course, like most historical events, the seeds from which the war grew were planted much earlier, and this timeline starts with the creation of the world’s first Soviet nation in 1917. Pre-World War Two 1917   October: Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. 1918-1920   Unsuccessful Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War. 1919   March 15: Lenin creates the Communist International (Comintern) to promote international revolution. 1922   December 30: Creation of the USSR. 1933   United States begins diplomatic relations with USSR for the first time. World War Two 1939   August 23: Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact (‘Non-Aggression Pact): Germany and Russia agree to divide Poland.   September: Germany and Russia invade Poland. 1940   June 15 – 16: USSR occupies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania citing security concerns. 1941   June 22: Operation Barbarossa begins: the German invasion of Russia.   November: US begins lend-lease to USSR.   December 7: Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor causing the US to enter the war.   December 15 – 18: Diplomatic mission to Russia reveals Stalin hopes to recover gains made in the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. 1942   December 12: Soviet-Czech alliance agreed; Czechs agree to co-operate with the USSR after the war. 1943   February 1: Siege of Stalingrad by Germany ends with Soviet victory.   April 27: USSR breaks off relations with Polish government-in-exile over arguments about the Katyn Massacre.   May 15: Comintern is closed to appease Soviet allies.   July: Battle of Kursk ends with Soviet victory, arguably the turning point of the war in Europe.   November 28 – December 1: Tehran Conference: Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill meet. 1944   June 6: D-Day: Allied forces land successfully in France, opening a second front which liberates Western Europe before Russia needs to.   July 21: Having ‘liberated’ east Poland, Russia sets up the Committee of National Liberation in Lublin to govern it.   August 1 – October 2: Warsaw Uprising; Polish rebels attempt to overthrow Nazi rule in Warsaw; Red Army sits back and allows it to be crushed to destroy the rebels.   August 23: Romania signs armistice with Russia following their invasion; a coalition government is formed.   September 9: Communist coup in Bulgaria.   October 9 - 18: Moscow Conference. Churchill and Stalin agree percentage ‘spheres of influence’ in Eastern Europe.   December 3: Conflict between British and pro-Communist Greek forces in Greece. 1945   January 1: USSR ‘recognises’ their communist puppet government in Poland as the provisional government; US and UK refuse to do so, preferring the exiles in London.   February 4-12: Yalta summit between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin; promises are given to support democratically elected governments.   April 21: Agreements signed between newly ‘liberated’ communist Eastern nations and USSR to work together.   May 8: Germany surrenders; end of World War Two in Europe. Late 1940s 1945   March: Communist-dominated coup in Romania.   July-August: Potsdam Conference between US, UK, and USSR.   July 5: US and UK recognize communist-dominated Polish government after it allows some members of the Government-in-exile to join.   August 6: The US drops the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima. 1946   February 22: George Kennan sends the Long Telegram advocating Containment.   March 5: Churchill gives his Iron Curtain Speech.   April 21: Social Unity Party formed in Germany on Stalin’s orders. 1947   January 1: Anglo-American Bizone formed in Berlin, angers USSR.   March 12: Truman Doctrine announced.   June 5: Marshall Plan aid program Announced.   October 5: Cominform Founded to organize international communism.   December 15: London Foreign Ministers’ Conference breaks up without agreement. 1948   February 22: Communist Coup in Czechoslovakia.   March 17: Brussels Pact Signed between UK, France, Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg to organize a mutual defense.   June 7: Six Power Conference recommends a West German Constituent Assembly.   June 18: New currency introduced in the Western Zones of Germany.   June 24: Berlin Blockade Begins. 1949   January 25: Comecon, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, created to organize Eastern bloc economies.   April 4: North Atlantic Treaty signed: NATO formed.   May 12: Berlin Blockade lifted.   May 23: ‘Basic Law’ approved for Federal Republic of Germany (FRG): Bizone merges with French zone to form a new state.   May 30: People’s Congress approves German Democratic Republic Constitution in East Germany.   August 29: USSR detonates the first atomic bomb.   September 15: Adenauer becomes first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.   October: The Communist People’s Republic of China proclaimed.   October 12: German Democratic Republic (GDR) formed in East Germany. 1950s 1950   April 7: NSC-68 finalized in the US: advocates a more active, military, policy of containment and causes a large increase in defense spending.   June 25: Korean War begins.   October 24: Pleven Plan approved by France: rearmed West German soldiers to be part of a European Defence Community (EDC). 1951   April 18: European Coal and Steel Community Treaty signed (The Schuman Plan). 1952   March 10: Stalin proposes a united, but neutral, Germany; rejected by the West.   May 27: European Defence Community (EDC) treaty signed by Western nations. 1953   March 5: Stalin dies.   June 16-18: Unrest in the GDR, suppressed by Soviet troops.   July: Korean War ends. 1954   August 31: France rejects the EDC. 1955   May 5: FRG becomes a sovereign state; joins NATO.   May 14: Eastern Communist nations sign the  Warsaw Pact, a military alliance.   May 15: State Treaty between forces occupying Austria: they withdraw and make it a neutral state.   September 20: GDR recognized as a sovereign state by USSR. FRG announces the  Hallstein Doctrine  in response. 1956   February 25: Khrushchev begins  De-Stalinization  by attacking Stalin in a speech at 20th Party Congress.   June: Unrest in Poland.   October 23 – November 4: Hungarian Uprising crushed. 1957   March 25: Treaty of Rome signed, creating the European Economic Community with the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. 1958   November 10: Start of Second Berlin crisis: Khrushchev calls for a peace treaty with the two German states to settle borders and for Western nations to leave Berlin.   November 27: The Berlin Ultimatum issued by Khrushchev: Russia gives West six months to solve Berlin situation and withdraw their troops or it will hand East Berlin over to East Germany. 1959   January: Communist government under Fidel Castro set up in Cuba. 1960s 1960   May 1: USSR shoots down US U-2 spy plane over Russian territory.   May 16-17: Paris Summit closes after Russia pulls out over U-2 affair. 1961   August 12/13:  Berlin Wall  built as east-west borders closed in Berlin and GDR. 1962   October – November: The Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink of nuclear war. 1963   August 5: Test Ban treaty between UK, USSR, and US limits nuclear testing. France and China reject it and develop their own weapons. 1964   October 15: Khrushchev removed from power. 1965   February 15: The US begins bombing of Vietnam; by 1966 400,000 US troops are in the country. 1968   August 21-27: Crushing of Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia.   July 1: Non-Proliferation Treaty signed by UK, USSR, and US: agree not to assist non-signatories in gaining nuclear weapons. This treaty is the first evidence of  dà ©tente-era cooperation  during the Cold War.     November:  Brezhnev Doctrine  Outlined. 1969   September 28: Brandt becomes Chancellor of FRG, continues the policy of  Ostpolitik  developed from his position as Foreign Minister. 1970s 1970   Start of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) between US and USSR.   August 12: USSR-FRG Moscow Treaty: both recognize each others territories and agree to only peaceful methods of border change.   December 7: Warsaw Treaty between FRG and Poland: both recognize each others territories, agree to only peaceful methods of border change and increased trade. 1971   September 3: Four Power Treaty on Berlin between US, UK, France and USSR over access from West Berlin to FRG and relation of West Berlin to FRG. 1972   May 1: SALT I treaty signed (Strategic Arms Limitations Talks).   December 21: Basic Treaty between FRG and GDR: FRG gives up Hallstein Doctrine, recognizes GDR as a sovereign state, both to have seats at UN. 1973   June: Prague Treaty between FRG and Czechoslovakia. 1974   July: SALT II negotiations begin. 1975   August 1: Helsinki Agreement/Accord/’Final Act’ signed between US, Canada and 33 European States including Russia: states the ‘inviolability’ of frontiers, gives principles for state peaceful interaction, co-operation in economics and science as well as humanitarian issues. 1976   Soviet SS-20 medium-range missiles stationed in Eastern Europe. 1979   June: SALT II treaty signed; never ratified by the US Senate.   December 27: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 1980s 1980   December 13: Martial law in Poland to crush the Solidarity movement. 1981   January 20: Ronald Reagan becomes US President. 1982   June: Start of START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) in Geneva. 1983   Pershing and Cruise missiles placed in West Europe.   March 23: Announcement of the US ‘Strategic Defense Initiative’ or ‘Star Wars’. 1985   March 12: Gorbachev becomes the leader of USSR. 1986   October 2: USSR-USA summit at Reykjavik. 1987   December: USSR-US summit as Washington: US and USSR agree to remove medium-range missiles from Europe. 1988   February: Soviet troops begin to pull out of Afghanistan.   July 6: In a speech to the UN, Gorbachev repudiates the  Brezhnev Doctrine, encourages free elections and ends the Arms Race, in practice ending the Cold War; democracies emerge across Eastern Europe.   December 8: INF Treaty, includes removal of medium-range missiles from Europe. 1989   March: Multi-candidate elections in the USSR.   June: Elections in Poland.   September: Hungary allows GDR ‘holidaymakers’ through the border with West.   November 9: Berlin Wall falls. 1990s 1990   August 12: GDR announces a desire to merge with FRG.   September 12: Two Plus Four treaty signed by FRG, GDR. US, UK, Russia, and France cancels remaining rights of former occupying powers in FRG.   October 3: German Reunification. 1991   July 1: START Treaty signed by US and USSR reducing nuclear weapons.   December 26: USSR dissolved.

English and Vocational Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English and Vocational Training - Essay Example The importance of English as the medium of education is on a steady rise and is being incorporated into countries which are non-English in their linguistic backgrounds. Today, we have a wide range of careers options, that are inclusive of stereotypic career options like English Literature, Arts, Sciences, etc. and also the newly emerging vocational careers like engineering, electronics, electrical communication and the like, which depend more towards the technicalities, rather than linguistic prowess. However, communication is an important aspect of life and good communication skills set apart a good employee from a bad one. Mere command over technicalities is not the only criteria in the process of selecting employees. Good language skills count and since English is the common language across the world, good command over the English language is a must to come across as a candidate with great fluency and proficiency. Vocational training given to candidates in the fields of telecommunications, electricals and electronics need training in the English language, as well.

Ecosystem structure and function lecture (Kindly follow the Essay

Ecosystem structure and function lecture (Kindly follow the instructions) not an - Essay Example The energy as a result of cellular respiration is called net primary productivity. Decomposers feed on the waste product. As one moves up the next energy level, only 10% of the energy moves to the next level with the rest been lost as heat (Boag, 1- 7). The net primary productivity of ecosystems such as marine ecosystems is limited by certain nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Pyramids of biomass and energy change between ecosystems. Some pyramids of biomass are inverted. Biomagnification is as a result of the concentration of pollutants as they move from lower to higher trophic levels. The nutrients in an ecosystem are transferred from organism to organism through assimilation, consumption and decomposition. Factors that influence the rate of nutrient cycling in an ecosystem include decomposition of detritus limits the rate of movement of the nutrients through an ecosystem and the abundance of decomposers in terms of biomass. The carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon among terrestrial ecosystems, oceans and atmosphere. Photosynthesis and respiration are the main movers of carbon. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat on earth (Boag, 8 – 14). The lecture was full of intensity and concentration was required throughout without which vital concepts were missed. The reason why I chose to attend this lecture was because the topic on ecology is related to my field of study which is Microbiology and I have an interest in knowing the nature of the courses I shall attend during my graduate program. This lecture is related to my field of study through the study of the nature of organisms, how they coexist and relate to their environment. In this lecture, I already knew about the four components of the ecosystem. I learnt a new concept termed as biomagnifications. I learnt that my ability to follow take notes in a typical academic lecture was excellent at the beginning, but as the lecture went on, the

Social Work Approaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Work Approaches - Essay Example Significantly, this type of therapy concentrates on how the individual thinks and behaves at present rather than in the patient’s early childhood experiences that could have brought about the typical behaviour. The approach entails weekly therapy sessions that is coupled with daily practice exercises designed to help patients apply the cognitive behavioural therapy skills which they have learned into their own personal settings or environment. Treatment is short and does not last longer than 16 weeks or 4 months (University of Michigan \depression Centre, 2006). Cognitive behavioural therapy employs three (3) essential features, which are (University of Michigan Depression Centre, 2006): 1) Cognitive restructuring, 2) behavioural activation, and 3) enhancing problem solving skills. Cognitive restructuring focuses on the identification of the maladaptive or erroneous thoughts that makes the patient feel depressed. Usually, the depression is about themselves, their environment and their future. Maladaptive thoughts about themselves include feelings of being worthless or stupid because they cannot get jobs or because they commit mistakes – which in reality are considered petty or small problems. In connection with this, they tend to lose interest and cut back on their customary activities, which an ordinary and normal individual get pleasure from as part of his or her daily existence. Thus, the person concern spends more idle time to focus on distorted thoughts that would eventually pave way for negative emotions. In relation to the foregoing, home settings and the environment in general makes a person feel depressed because he or she perceives being a social outcast. This is why social interactions with the family and with the community become deficient and limited. This makes the person withdrawn and resentful due to the wrong notion that nobody likes him or her. As a consequence, typical home life is disrupted because the

Method Of Language Teaching: The Silent Way

Method Of Language Teaching: The Silent Way The Silent Way is the name of a method of language teaching devised by Caleb Gattegno. Gattegnos name is well known for his revival of interest in the use of coloured wooden sticks called cuisenaire rods and for his series Words in Colour, an approach to the teaching of initial reading in which sounds are coded by specific colours. His materials are copyrighted and marketed through an organization he operates called Educational Solutions Inc., in New York. The Silent Way represents Gattegnos venture into the field of foreign language teaching. It is based on the premise that the teacher should be silent as much as possible in the classroom and the learner should be encouraged to produce as much language as possible. Elements of the Silent Way, particularly the use of colour charts and the coloured cuisenaire rods, grew out of Gattegnos previous experience as an educational designer of reading and mathematics programs. (Cuisenaire rods were first developed by Georges Cuis ­enaire, a European educator who used them for the teaching of math. Gattegno had observed Cuisenaire and this gave him the idea for their use in language teaching.) The Silent Way shares a great deal with other learning theories and educational philosophies. Very broadly put, the learning hypotheses underlying Gattegnos work could be stated as follows: 1) Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned. 2) Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical objects. 3) Learning is facilitated by problem solving involving the material to be learned. Let us consider each of these issues in turn. 1. The educational psychologist and philosopher Jerome Bruner distinguishes two traditions of teaching that which takes place in the expository mode and that which takes place in the hypothetical mode. In the expository mode decisions covering the mode and pace and style of exposition are principally determined by the teacher as expositor; the student is the listener. In the hypothetical mode the teacher and the student are in a more cooperative position. The student is not a bench-bound listener, but is taking part in the play the principal role in it (Bruner 1966: 83), The Silent Way belongs to the latter tradition, which views learning as a problem-solving, creative, discovering activity, in which the learner is a principal actor rather than a bench-bound listener. Bruner discusses the benefits derived from discovery learning under four headings: (a) the increase in intellectual potency, (b) the shift from extrinsic to intrinsic rewards, (c) the learning of heuristics by discovering, and (d) the aid to conserving memory (Bruner 1966: 83). As we shall see, Gattegno claims similar benefits from learners taught via the Silent Way. 2. The rods and the coded-coded pronunciation charts (called Fidel charts) provide physical foci for student learning and also create mem ­orable images to facilitate student recall. In psychological terms, these visual devices serve as associative mediators for student learning and recall. The psychological literature on mediation in learning and recall is voluminous but, for our purposes, can be briefly summarized in a quote from Earl Stevick: If the use of associative mediators produces better retention than repetition does, it seems to be the case that the quality of the mediators and the stu ­dents personal investment in them may also have a powerful effect on mem ­ory. (Stevick 1976: 25) 3. The Silent Way is also related to a set of premises that we have called problem-solving approaches to learning. These premises are succinctly represented in the words of Benjamin Franklin: Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn. In the language of experimental psychology, the kind of subject involve ­ment that promotes greatest learning and recall involves processing of material to be learned at the greatest cognitive depth (Craik 1973) or, for our purposes, involving the greatest amount of problem-solving activity. Memory research has demonstrated that the learners memory benefits from creatively searching out, discovering and depicting (Bower and Winzenz 1970). In the Silent Way, the teachers strict avoidance of repetition forces alertness and concentration on the part of the learners (Gattegno 1972: 80). Similarly, the learners grappling with the problem of forming an appropriate and meaningful utterance in a new language leads the learner to realization of the language through his own perceptual and analytical powers (Selman 1977). The Silent Way student is expected to become independent, autonomous and responsible (Gattegno 1976) in other words, a good problem solver in language. Approach Theory of language Gattegno takes an openly sceptical view of the role of linguistic theory in language teaching methodology. He feels that linguistic studies may be a specialization, [that] carry with them a narrow opening of ones sensitivity and perhaps serve very little towards the broad end in mind (Gattegno 1972: 84). Gattegno views language itself as a substitute for experience, so experience is what gives meaning to language (Gattegno 1972: 8). We are not surprised then to see simulated experiences using tokens and picture charts as central elements in Silent Way teaching. Considerable discussion is devoted to the importance of grasping the spirit of the language and not just its component forms. By the spirit of the language Gattegno is referring to the way each language is composed of phonological and suprasegmental elements that combine to give the language its unique sound system and melody. The learner must gain a feel for this aspect of the target language as soon as possible, though how the learner is to do this is not altogether clear. By looking at the material chosen and the sequence in which it is presented in a Silent Way classroom, it is clear that the Silent Way takes a structural approach to the organization of language to be taught. Language is seen as groups of sounds arbitrarily associated with specific meanings and organized into sentences or strings of meaningful units by grammar rules. Language is separated from its social context and taught through artificial situations, usually represented by rods. Lessons follow a sequence based on grammatical complexity, and new lexical and structural material is meticulously broken down into its elements, with one element presented at a time. The sentence is the basic unit of teaching, and the teacher focuses on prepositional meaning, rather than communicative value. Students are presented with the structural patterns of the target language and learn the grammar rules of the language through largely inductive processes. Gattegno sees vocabulary as a central dimension of language learning and the choice of vocabulary as crucial. He distinguishes between several classes of vocabulary items. The semi-luxury vocabulary consists of expressions common in the daily life of the target language culture; this refers to food, clothing, travel, family life, and so on. Luxury vocabulary is used in communicating more specialized ideas, such as political or philosophical opinions. The most important vocabulary for the learner deals with the most functional and versatile words of the language, many of which may not have direct equivalents in the learners native tongue. This functional vocabulary provides a key, says Gattegno, to comprehending the spirit of the language. Theory of learning Like many other method proponents, Gattegno makes extensive use of his understanding of first language learning processes as a basis for deriving principles for teaching foreign languages to adults. Gattegno recommends, for example, that the learner needs to return to the state of mind that characterizes a babys learning surrender (Scott and Page 1982: 273). Having referred to these processes, however, Gattegno states that the processes of learning a second language are radically different from those involved in learning a first language. The second language learner is unlike the first language learner and cannot learn another language in the same way because of what he now knows (Gattegno 1972: 11). The natural or direct approaches to acquiring a second language are thus misguided, says Gattegno, and a successful second language approach will replace a natural approach by one that is very artificial and, for some purposes, strictly controlled (1972: 12). The artificial approach that Gattegno proposes is based on the principle that successful learning involves commitment of the self to language acquisition through the use of silent awareness and then active trial. Gattegnos repeated emphasis on the primacy of learning over teaching places a focus on the self of the learner, on the learners priorities and commitments. To speak requires the descent of the will into the voluntary speech organs and a clear grasp by ones linguistic self of what one is to do to produce definite sounds in definite ways. Only the self of the utterer can intervene to make objective what it holds in itself. Every student must be seen as a will capable of that work. (Gattegno 1976: 7) The self, we are told, consists of two systems a learning system and a retaining system. The learning system is activated only by way of intelligent awareness. The learner must constantly test his powers to abstract, analyse, synthesize and integrate (Scott and Page 1982: 273). Silence is considered the best vehicle for learning, because in silence students concentrate on the task to be accomplished and the potential means to its accomplishment. Repetition (as opposed to silence) con ­sumes time and encourages the scattered mind to remain scattered (Gattegno 1976: 80). Silence, as avoidance of repetition, is thus an aid to alertness, concentration, and mental organization. The retaining system allows us to remember and recall at will linguistic elements and their organizing principles and makes linguistic communication possible. Gattegno speaks of remembering as a matter of paying ogdens. An ogden is a unit of mental energy required to link permanently two mental elements, such as a shape and a sound or a label and an object. The forging of the link through active attention is the cost of remembering paid in ogdens. Retention by way of mental effort, awareness, and thoughtfulness is more efficient in terms of ogdens consumed than is retention attained through mechanical repetition. Again, silence is a key to triggering awareness and hence the preferred path to retention. Retention links are in fact formed in the most silent of periods, that of sleep: The mind does much of this work during sleep (Stevick 1980: 41). Awareness is educable. As one learns in awareness, ones powers of awareness and ones capacity to learn become greater. The Silent Way thus claims to facilitate what psychologists call learning to learn. Again, the process chain that develops awareness proceeds from attention, production, self-correction, and absorption. Silent Way learners acquire inner criteria, which play a central role in ones education throughout all of ones life (Gattegno 1976: 29). These inner criteria allow learners to monitor and self-correct their own production. It is in the activity of self-correction through self-awareness that the Silent Way claims to differ most notably from other ways of language learning. It is this capacity for self-awareness that the Silent Way calls upon, a capacity said to be little appreciated or exercised by first language learners. But the Silent Way is not merely a language teaching method. Gattegno sees language learning through the Silent Way as a recovery of innocence a return to our full powers and potentials. Gattegnos aim is not just second language learning; it is nothing less than the education of the spiritual powers and of the sensitivity of the individual. Mastery of linguistic skills are seen in the light of an emotional inner peace resulting from the sense of power and control brought about by new levels of awareness. Silent Way learning claims to consolidate the hu ­man dimensions of being, which include variety and individuality as essential factors for an acceptance of others as contributors to ones own life and even moves us towards better and more lasting solutions of present-day conflicts (Gattegno 1972: 84). Design Objectives The general objective of the Silent Way is to give beginning level students oral and aural facility in basic elements of the target language. The general goal set for language learning is near-native fluency in the target language, and correct pronunciation and mastery of the prosodic elements of the target language are emphasized. An immediate objective is to provide the learner with a basic practical knowledge of the grammar of the language. This forms the basis for independent learning on the learners part. Gattegno discusses the following kinds of objectives as appropriate for a language course at an elementary level (Gattegno 1972: 81-83). Students should be able to correctly and easily answer questions about themselves, their education, their family, travel, and daily events; speak with a good accent; give either a written or oral description of a picture, including the existing relationships that concern space, time and numbers; answer general questions about the culture and t he literature of the native speakers of the target language; perform adequately in the following areas: spelling, grammar (production rather than explanation), reading comprehension, and writing. Gattegno states that the Silent Way teaches learners how to learn a language, and the skills developed through the process of learning a foreign or second language can fee employed in dealing with unknowns of every type. The method, we are told, can also be used to teach reading and writing, and its usefulness is not restricted to beginning level stu ­dents. Most of the examples Gattegno describes, however, as well as the classes we have observed, deal primarily with a basic level of aural/ oral proficiency. The syllabus The Silent Way adopts a basically structural syllabus, with lessons planned around grammatical items and related vocabulary. Gattegno does not, however, provide details as to the precise selection and arrangement of grammatical and lexical items to be covered. There is no general Silent Way syllabus. But from observation of Silent Way programs developed by the Peace Corps to teach a variety of languages at a basic level of proficiency, it is clear that language items are introduced according to their grammatical complexity, their relationship to what has been taught previously, and the ease with which items can be presented visually. Typically, the imperative is the initial structure introduced, because of the ease with which action verbs may be demonstrated using Silent Way materials. New elements, such as the plural form of nouns, are taught within a structure already familiar. Numeration occurs early in a course, because of the importance of numbers in everyday life and the ease w ith which they can be demonstrated. Prepositions of location also appear early in the syllabus for similar reasons. Vocabulary is selected according to the degree to which it can be manipulated within a given structure and according to its productivity within the classroom setting. In addition to prepositions and numbers, pronouns, quantifiers, words dealing with temporal relations, and words of comparison are introduced early in the course, because they refer to oneself and to others in the numerous relations of everyday life (Stevick 1979). These kinds of words are referred to as the functional vocabulary of a language because of their high utility. The following is a section of a Peace Corps Silent Way Syllabus for the first ten hours of instruction in Thai. It is used to teach American Peace Corps volunteers being trained to teach in Thailand. At least 15 minutes of every hour of instruction would be spent on pronunciation. A word that is italicised can be substituted for by another word having the same function. Lesson Vocabulary 1. Wood colour red. wood, red, green, yellow, brown, pink, white, orange, black, colour 2. Using the numbers 1-10 one, two, ten 3. Wood colour red two pieces. take (pick up) 4. Take (pick up) wood colour red two pieces give, object pronouns 5. Take wood colour red two pieces hive him where, on, under, near, far, over, next to, here, there 6. Wood red where? Wood red on table. Question-forming rules. Yes. No. 7. Wood colour red on table, is it? Yes, on. Not on. adjectives of comparison 8. Wood colour red long. Wood colour green longer. Wood colour orange longest. 9. Wood colour green taller. Wood colour red is it? 10. Review. Students use structures taught in new situations, such as comparing the heights of stu ­dents in the class. (Joel Wiskin, personal communication) Types of learning and teaching activities Learning tasks and activities in the Silent Way have the function of encouraging and shaping student oral response without direct oral instruction from or unnecessary modelling by the teacher. Basic to the method are simple linguistic tasks in which the teacher models a word, phrase, or sentence and then elicits learner responses. Learners then go on create their own utterances by putting together old and new information. Charts, rods, and other aids may be used to elicit learner responses. Teacher modelling is minimal, although much of the activity may be teacher directed. Responses to commands, questions, and visual cues thus constitute the basis for classroom activities. Learner roles Gattegno sees language learning as a process of personal growth re ­sulting from growing Student awareness and self-challenge. The learner first experiences a random or almost random feeling of the area of activity in question until one finds one or more cornerstones to build on. Then starts a systematic analysis, first by trial and error, later by directed experiment with practice of the acquired sub areas until mastery follows (Gattegno 1972: 79). Learners are expected to develop independence, autonomy, and responsibility. Independent learners are those who are aware that they must depend on their own resources and realize that they can use the knowledge of their own language to open up some things in a new language or that they can take their knowledge of the first few words in the new language and figure out additional words by using that knowledge (Stevick 1980: 42). The autonomous learner chooses proper expressions in a given set of circumstances and situations. The teacher c ultivates the students autonomy by deliberately building choices into situations (Stevick 1980: 42). Responsible learners know that they have free will to choose among any set of linguistic choices. The ability to choose intelligently and carefully is said to be evidence of responsibility. The absence of correction and repeated modelling from the teacher requires the students to develop inner criteria and to correct themselves. The absence of explanations requires learners to make generalizations, come to their own conclusions, and formulate whatever rules they themselves feel they need. Learners exert a strong influence over each others learning and, to a lesser degree, over the linguistic content taught. They are expected to interact with each other and suggest alternatives to each other. Learners have only themselves as individuals and the group to rely on, and so must learn to work cooperatively rather than competitively. They need to feel comfortable both correcting each other and being corrected by each other. In order to be productive members of the learning group, learners-thus have to play varying roles. At times one is an independent individual, at other times a group member. A learner also must be a teacher, a student, part of a support system, a problem solver, and a self-evaluator. And it is the student who is usually expected to decide on what role is most appropriate to a given situation. Teacher roles Teacher silence is, perhaps, the unique and, for many traditionally trained language teachers, the most demanding aspect of the Silent Way. Teach ­ers are exhorted to resist their long standing commitment to model, remodel, assist, and direct desired student responses, and Silent Way teachers have remarked upon the arduousness of self-restraint to which early expedience of the Silent Way has subjected them. Gattegno talks of subordinating teaching to learning, but that is not to suggest that the teachers role in Silent Way is not critical and demanding. Gattegno anticipates that using the Silent Way would require most teachers to change their perception of their role. Stevick defines the Silent Way teachers tasks as (a) to teach, (b) to test, and (c) to get out of the way (Stevick 1980: 56). Although this may not seem to constitute a radical alternative to standard teaching practice, the details of the steps the teacher is expected to follow are unique to the Silent Way. By teaching is meant the presentation of an item once, typically using nonverbal clues to get across meanings. Testing follows immediately and might better be termed elicitation and shaping of student production, which, again, is done in as silent a way as possible. Finally, the teacher silently monitors learners interactions with each other and may even leave the room while learners struggle with their new linguistic tools and pay their ogdens. For the most part, Silent Way teachers manuals are unavailable (however, see Arnold 1981), and teachers are responsible for designing teaching sequences and creating individual lessons and lesson elements. Gattegno emphasizes the importance of teacher-defined learning goals that are clear and attainable. Sequence and timing in Silent Way classes are more important than in many kinds of language teaching classes, and the teachers sensitivity and man ­agement of them is critical. More generally, the teacher is responsible for creating an environment that encourages student risk taking and that facilitates learning. This is not to say that the Silent Way teacher becomes one of the group. In fact, observers have noted that Silent Way teachers often appear aloof or even gruff with their students. The teachers role is one of neutral observer, neither elated by correct performance nor discouraged by error. Students are expected to come to see supportive but emotionally uninvolved. The teacher uses gestures, charts, and manipulates in order to elicit and shape student responses and so must be both facile and creative as a pantomimist and puppeteer. In sum, the Silent way teacher, like the complete dramatist, writes the script, chooses the props, sets the mood, models the action, designates the players, and is critic for the performance. The role of instructional materials The Silent Way is perhaps as well known for the unique nature of its teaching materials as for the silence of its teachers. The materials consist mainly of a set of coloured rods, coded-coded pronunciation and vocabulary wall charts, a pointer, and reading/writing exercises, all of which are used to illustrate the relationships between sound and meaning in the target language. The materials are designed for manipulation by the students as well as by the teacher, independently and cooperatively, in promoting language learning by direct association. The number of languages and contain symbols in the target language for all of the vowel and consonant sounds of the language. The symbols are colour coded according to pronunciation; thus, if a language possesses two different symbols for the same sound, they will be coloured alike. Classes often begin by using Fidel charts in the native language, colour coded in an analogous manner, so that students learn to pair a sound with its associate d colour. There may be from one to eight of such charts, depending upon the language. The teacher uses the pointer to indicate a sound symbol for the students to produce. Where native-language Fidels are used, the teacher will point to a symbol on one chart and then to its analogue on the Fidel in the other language. In the absence of native-language charts, or when introducing a sound not present in the native language, the teacher will give one clear, audible model after indicating the proper Fidel symbol in the target language. The charts are hung on the wall and serve to aid in remembering pronunciation and in building new words by sounding out sequences of symbols as they are pointed to by the teacher or student. Just as the Fidel charts are used to visually illustrate pronunciation, the coloured cuisenaire rods are used to directly link words and structures with their meanings in the target language, thereby avoiding translation into the native language. The rods vary in length from one to ten centimetres, and each length has a specific colour. The rods may be used for naming colours, for size comparisons, to represent people build floor plans, constitute a road map, and so on. Use of the rods is intended to promote inventiveness, creativity, and interest in forming communicative utterances on the part of the students, as they move from simple to more complex structures. Gattegno and his proponents believe that the range of structures that can be illustrated and learned through skilful use of the rods is as limitless as the human imagination. When the teacher or student has difficulty expressing a desired word or concept, the rods can be supplemented by referring to the Fidel charts, or to t he third major visual aid used in the Silent Way, the vocabulary charts. The vocabulary or word charts are likewise colour coded, although the colours of the symbols will not correspond to the phonetics of the Fidels, but rather to conceptual groupings of words. There are typically twelve such charts containing 500 to 800 words in the native language and script. These words are selected according to their ease of application in teaching, their relative place in the functional or luxury vocab ­ulary, their flexibility in terms of generalization and use with other words, and their importance in illustrating basic grammatical structures. The content of word charts will vary from language to language, but the general content of the vocabulary charts (Gattegno 1972) is paraphrased below: Chart 1: the word rod, colours of the rods, plural markers, simple im ­perative verbs, personal pronouns, some adjectives and question words Charts 2, 3: remaining pronouns, words for here and there, of, for, and name Chart 4: numbers Charts 5, 6: words illustrating size, space, and temporal relationships, as well as some concepts difficult to illustrate with rods, such as order, causality, condition, similarity and difference Chart 7: words that qualify, such as adverbs Charts 8, 9: verbs, with cultural references where possible Chart 10: family relationships Charts 11, 12: words expressing time, calendar elements, seasons, days, week, month, year, etc. Other materials that may be used include books and worksheets for practicing reading and writing skills, picture books, tapes; videotapes, films, and other visual aids. Reading and writing are sometimes taught from the beginning; and students are given assignments to do outside the classroom at their own pace. These materials are of secondary im ­portance, and are used to supplement the classroom use of rods and charts. Choice and implementation depends upon need as assessed by teachers and/or students. Procedure A Silent way lesson typically follows a standard format. The first part of the lesson focuses on pronunciation. Depending on student level, the class might work on sounds, phrases, or even sentences designated on the Fidel chart. At the beginning stage, the teacher will model the appropriate sound after pointing to a symbol on the chart. Later, the teacher will silently point to individual symbols and combinations of symbols, and on monitor student utterances. The teacher may say a word and have a student guess what sequence of symbols compromised the word. The pointer is used to indicate stress, phrasing, and intonation. Stress can be shown by touching certain symbol more forcibly than others when pointing out a word. Intonation and phrasing can be demonstrated by tapping on the chart to the rhythm of the utterance. After practice with the sounds of the language, sentence patterns, structure, and vocabulary are practiced. The teacher models an utterance while creating a visual realization of it with the coloured rods. After modelling the utterance, the teacher will have a student attempt to produce the utterance and will indicate its acceptability. If a response is incorrect, the teacher will attempt to reshape the utterance or have another student present the correct model. After a structure is introduced and understood, the teacher will create a situation in which the students can practice the structure through the manipulation of the rods. Vari ­ations on the structural theme will be elicited from the class using the rods and charts. The sample lesson that follows illustrates a typical lesson format. The language being taught is Thai, for which this is the first lesson. 1. Teacher empties rods onto the table. . 2. Teacher picks up two or three rods of different colours, and after each rod is picked up says: [mai]. 3. Teacher holds up one rod of any colour and indicates to a student that a response is required. Student says: [mai]. If response is incorrect, teacher elicits response from another student, who then models for the first student. 4. Teacher next picks up a red rod and says: [mai sti daeng]. 5. Teacher picks up a green rod and says: [mai sii khiawj. 6. Teacher picks up either a red or green rod and elicits response from stu ­dent, If response is incorrect, procedure in step 3 is followed (student modeling). 7. Teacher introduces two or three other colors in the same manner. 8. Teacher shows any of the rods whose forms were taught previously and elicits student response. Correction technique is through student model ­ing, or the teacher may help student isolate error and self-correct. 9. When mastery is achieved, teacher puts one red rod in plain view and says: [mai sii daeng nung an]. 10. Teacher then puts two red rods in plain view and says: [mai sii daeng song an]. 11. Teacher places two green rods in view and says [mai sii khiaw song an]; 12. Teacher holds up two rods of a different color and elicits student response. 13. Teacher introduces additional numbers, based on what the class can comfortably retain. Other colors might also be introduced. 14. Rods are put in a pile. Teacher indicates, through his or her own ac ­tions, that rods should be picked up, and the correct utterance made. All die students in the group pick up rods and make correction is encouraged. 15. Teacher then says: [kep mai sii daeng

white fang :: essays research papers

White Fang By Jack London   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White Fang, by Jack London is an amazing tail of survival and the wild. White fang is a wolf born into a cruel life, but endures it and becomes stronger because of it. He finds hate, but then finds love in the epic tail of this amazing animal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Two men, Henry and Bill go sledding with six dogs. Each night they camp in the merciless wilderness, a dog is killed by a wolf pack. The wolves come closer to camp every night, until there are three dogs left. One of the wolves is different and bigger then the rest, a she-wolf, who’s use to people and afraid of guns. One day the men’s sled overturned and got caught up in trees. They had to untie the dogs to fix things. One of the dogs saw the she-wolf and took off after her, only to be ambushed by a dozen wolves. The dog ran for his life, while Bill went with his gun to save him. Bill and the dog both became a meal to the wolves. A couple of nights later, so did the rest of the dogs. The only thing that saved Henry was sheltering in the middle of a fire he’d made. By the time the fire had died, other men came with sled dogs to his rescue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The she-wolf had taken off with her pack, only to abandon them to be with her one-eyed mate. They traveled to an Indian camp and stayed a few nights, then found a cave where the she-wolf had her five puppies. The father loyally went out hunting for them and let them eat before he did. Sometimes food got scarce though and all but one pup died from hunger. The father also died from tangling with a sphinx. The last pup was curious one day, While his mother was hunting, he went out of the cave and got his first kill, baby birds. He also fought with the mother bird, but lost the battle from getting pecked. Later a hawk ate that bird. Then the pup walked up to a stream and accidentally fell in. he was quickly swept downstream. Downstream the cub swam to shore and was met by a weasel and her babies. The pup attacked and was nearly killed by the mother weasel, but his mother came to the rescue. She killed the weasel and they ate it.

Power and Inequality in a Cultural and Linguistic Anthropolistic View Essay

Centuries have passed and the different relationships of power and inequality are still present. Power and inequality have always been an issue and a topic of discussion among many different people in different cultures. Although much has changed throughout history, the struggle between power and inequality is still inevitable. There are many different types of power and inequalities ranging from gender to race and culture. Anthropologists can investigate issues surrounding power and inequality by submerging into different cultures and studying how power and inequality play a role in their society. Power and inequality still play a role in modern human cultures as seen by different struggles of cultures as well as the differentiation of linguistics. Cultural anthropologists can investigate issues surrounding power and inequality in modern human populations as they immerse themselves into understanding the different circumstances of different cultures of today and of the past as well. Throughout the years, there has been a struggle of power and inequality between many, including gender and race. Gender has been an issue in many different cultures, and continues to be a struggle even today. In the past, gender issues have resulted in many problems. For example, after China passed the one child law, many parents wanted to have sons rather than daughters because of the thought that sons were more worthy. This however, has resulted in an imbalance of the male and female ratio as it has reached 144:100, in the rural areas of China (Peters-Golden, 2012). In modern society, it is evident that in most cultures, the male is still the dominant gender. In some cultures, including some in the Middle East, women are looked down upon, mistreated and are not treated as equals. Even in the modern Western culture, there is still evidence that the women are at a disadvantage compared to the men (Feminist Economics, 2003). Along with gender, race has also been a reoccurring issue of as well. Previously, the Western worlds perceived themselves as having more power and were more superior to any other culture. Culture today, according to cultural anthropologists, is learned and is subject to modification meaning that the modern population can adapt to new races and cultures as well as their own. Different societies should be subject to his or her own culture rather than perceiving that one race or culture as superior to any other. Cultural anthropologists believe that â€Å"how people have been accepted and treated of a given society of culture has a direct impact on how they perform in that society† (American Anthropology Association, 1998). Thus concluding that not everybody can see themselves as superior, as it affects the society as a whole as well. The United States is an example of many different cultural prejudices, and its affects are apparent in their everyday lives including the media. Cultural anthropologists have been studying different cultures of the world, and many of them have different opinions of power and inequality as can be seen by the ways the cultures interact. In the modern world, there are many pieces of evidence that power and inequality are still present and is still an issue in modern human populations. Power and inequality have much to do with cultural studies, but can also be interpreted in a linguistic anthropological view as well. Linguistic anthropology studies how language influences social society in cultures. Although not necessarily seen as inequality, many different languages have different words categorising between gender, age, and status among others. Linguistics is also an important part of cultural anthropology as well. In many different languages, the use of words reflects the cultures status on both power and inequality (University of Washington, 2004). For example, in many languages, including French, Spanish, and Persian, noun classification is sorted by gender. In Thai, there are around 13 ways to say the pronoun â€Å"I† each one used in different circumstances, depending on who and what is being said. In both cases, the use of language is separated by power and could be thought of as a social inequality because different people are referred to by their gender or social status. As well as words that play a role in cultures, the different languages does as well. According to Mary Bucholtz and Kira Hall (1995), linguistic anthropologists, they say that power is linked with markedness. Markedness is a process where â€Å"some social categories gain a special, default status that contrasts with the identities of other groups, which are usually highly recognisable† and is evident in some countries (Bucholtz & Hall, 1995, p. 372). An example of this is in Zambia, a country that speaks a total of 73 languages, however, only around 7 are considered the ‘dominant’ language as they are positioned above the others, while English is the official language that is unmarked, and considered to be the most important (Spitulnik, 1998). Linguistic anthropology is an important part when studying the different power and inequalities of cultures. Linguistics can show how cultures can interact by languages and determine who is ‘dominant’ or can differentiate people by status or gender. In modern human populations, the existence of power and inequality is still present. Anthropologists, both linguistic and cultural, investigate the presence in struggle of balancing power and inequality. Different times represent different mindsets, however, both power and inequality have been present for basically all of human existence. Prejudice is inevitable in both the past and current human population, ranging from race, gender, different individuals, and cultures, among others. Anthropologists can investigate issues surrounding power and inequality by submerging into different cultures and studying how power and inequality play a role in their society. Studying the language of other cultures by linguistic anthropologists can also determine many aspects of power and inequality in not only the different cultures of today, but also of the past as well.

Managing Multiple Authors Or Blogs With Tools That Dont Integrate - CoSchedule Blog

Managing Multiple Authors Or Blogs With Tools That Dont Integrate Blog Being an editor or managing a team blog means you have to come up with some kind of system to make it work.  It doesnt matter how many blogs and authors and social media accounts there are. The problem of getting it to all work together has to be solved. So, you solve it as best you can. How do you solve the problem of managing multiple blogs or authors? Most of the solutions weve been hearing about are a bit ad hoc, and use different flavors of the following: Project management systems (e.g. Basecamp) Spreadsheets Cloud notes (e.g. Evernote) Email Calendars (e.g. Google) Were no stranger to this kind of setup ourselves.  Our system of managing multiple blogs and authors has a level of complexity that can be frustrating. The main issue is that while each of those listed components, on their own, are great tools, they dont work together. Used together, they are a solution that creates its own problem. They were meant to be for project management or for note-taking or sending messages or for some other specific purpose, but they were never meant to help you completely manage your team blog. Individual components dont make a whole, unfortunately. Project management systems seem very close to a solution, and thats why so many of you have told us how you try to make them work. They dont, however, have a necessary integration with your WordPress blog and social media accounts, so any data will have to be manually entered before it can be managed. Thats yet another time-consuming step, and another system to manage. Cloud  note-taking  services seem like a good place to brainstorm and jot down ideas, but if they arent shared with the whole team, its easy to forget whats in there. If youre not a careful organizer, its easy to end up with giant notes that serve as idea dumping grounds that are difficult to sift through. Your notes arent specifically connected with a WordPress blog post. Yep. Yet another system to manage. Spreadsheets are also a common tool used to keep data organized, but that data, once organized, doesnt do anything unless you actively revisit and push it around. And yes, again, no direct connection to the actual content in WordPress, so you now have spreadsheets to manage on top of everything else. Email allows you to communicate and share versions of drafts and documents, but the threads can get extremely confusing, especially if you have a large team. Its easy to miss a message in an active thread with people replying to everyone simultaneously. And unfortunately, youll need to manually pull tasks or data out of these email messages. Calendars are often read-only, unless in project management apps. A read-only calendar is great for getting an understanding of whats happening, but making quick changes based on that understanding wont be available. Team members are more likely to make necessary adjustments if it isnt a hassle, and a read-only calendar wont fit that bill. Through sheer force of will, you make these tools work. You become fairly quick and adept at using them, and think that they work. You get used to them, and actually prefer them even if a better option were available.

The state of the economy in a business sector

The state of the economy in a business sector Executive Summary The state of the economy is a vital aspect in a business sector since it contributes to the progress of an entity. Currently, the economy is stable and will expand marginally. This will be good for our business which has a contract to import raw materials from China. This deal will not be affected owing to the manner in which it was drafted as well as the prevailing economic conditions.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The state of the economy in a business sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Economic state The economy has been improving marginally after the recession. There are various factors that are contributing to this fact, such as interest rates, inflation and policies, adopted by nations globally to shield their economies (Itō 24). Nations have adopted policies which aim at cushioning their economy against stagnant international trade and the high cost of credit, making it chall enging for businesses. Business is triggered by consumption, however, consumption has contracted owing to the high credit cost. Credit is the key driver of consumption. Subsequently, high credit cost limits lending which reduces consumption. Owing to these factors, the international business being a key component of the economy is stagnating. Thus, the economy will improve marginally that will be characterized by a drop in unemployment, inflation rate and interest rates. The above developments will characterize short-term progress. However, it is difficult to predict the long-term economic trend although there seem to be minimal improvements. Policy makers in most countries aim at shielding their economies from the impacts of high cost of credit and inflation. This will improve the conditions in which we undertake business. Government will also want to boost consumption that can be accomplished by a deficit budget. On the flip side, such a budget may increase recurrent expenditure, depending on the nature of the borrowed funds (Jossa and Musella 58). Macroeconomic concerns In America, the unemployment extent will stagnate or reduce marginally to about 7.4% (Bureau of labour statistics). The marginal decrease will boost consumer confidence. Improvement in consumer confidence is vital since the American economy is highly dependent on speculation. he above progress will have minimal implications on the importation deal, which Blakleyovich Enterprise is undertaking. Nevertheless, such improvements will strengthen the American currency. Blakleyovich Enterprises revenues that are sensitive to an unemployment level will improve marginally.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The interest rate will be maintained at zero, owing to the unemployment rate. Consequently, there will be a minimal interest to pay for the credit acquired. The key objective o f zero-rating interest rates is to encourage borrowing. Blakleyovich Enterprise’s profitability will continue to improve. The gross domestic product (GDP) has been improving at rate of about 2% (Leondis). During this year, the GDP will expand at a rate close to 3% (US economic forecast). The expansion in this factor which denotes the gross national output will be indicative of an improving economy. This will further improve international trade. America’s imports from China by far surpass its exports to that nation. The trade deficit is about $300 billion (Yankovich 98). Accordingly, there should be a higher demand for the Yen, which would increase its value (Hufbauer, Yee and Ketki 216). Nonetheless, the Chinese government has hindered the upsurge in the Yen’s value to shield its manufacturers’ earnings. Devaluation of the Yen has ensured high returns for China based manufacturers exporting to America. The devaluation of the Yen will reduce the cost of Am erican imports from China. In the above case study, the Blakleyovich Enterprise will pay a reduced amount of dollars since they will yield more Yens owing to its devaluation. Overall, the devaluation of the Yen has reduced the cost of its commodities. Nonetheless, Chinese manufacturers have been the key beneficiary. The American economy has suffered significantly, owing to the poor trade balance. The trade balance has favoured China since there is a large market for its products, as such boosting its foreign currency reserves. The fixed price contract is a shrewd business move which will shield the company from the change in value of the currency involved. The dollar-yen exchange rate will change marginally, due to the policy adopted by China and the stabilizing value of the American currency (Mann,and Katharina 176). Assumptions and factors The above deal seems to be safe owing to the manner in which Blakleyovich Enterprise pursued it. Its cost will not change and the credit facili ty acquired have low interest rates. Therefore, the change in Blakleyovich Enterprise’s profitability level will be minimal. In the above analysis, there are several assumptions. The unemployment rate will not reduce past 6.5%, which would allow the government to increase interest rates. Increase in the above rates would increase Blakleyovich Enterprises overheads. Additionally, this analysis has assumed that the Chinese policy on its currency will remain the same for the foreseeable future. The policy adopted will have some repercussions on the trade between these two nations. However, this is unlikely since China wants to protect its manufacturers (Brooks and Warson 131).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The state of the economy in a business sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recommendations to the directors The decline in unemployment and rising GDP denotes the fact that the economy is improving. This is likely to translate into an increase in revenues for this entity. However, managers should be cautious in their policy adoption. The profitability of the Blakleyovich Enterprise will be stable or may experience a marginal surge. The entity’s policies have so far been shrewd, but the entity should capitalize on the zero-rating of then interest rate. The interest rate will not rise soon since the unemployment must fall below the 6.5% level for any increase in interest rate to occur. This will provide Blakleyovich Enterprise with an appropriate window to undertake projects which may require acquisition of credit facilities. Importation of raw materials from China will enable the entity to reduce its cost, however, it will contribute to the ever expanding trade deficit. Overall, the economic environment favours this organizations (Morrison, Marc, Jonathan,Wayne, Wayne and Jonathan 76). Brooks, Lucy, and Warson, Julie. Chinas Currency: Economic Issues and Background. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2011. Print. Bureau of labour statistics. Economy at a glance. April 12, 2013. Web. Hufbauer, Gary, Yee, Wong, and KetkiSheth. Us-china Trade Disputes: Rising Tide, Rising Stakes. Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics, 2006. print. Itō, Takatoshi. Exchange Rate Movements and Their Impact on Trade and Investment in the Apec Region. Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund, 1996. Print.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jossa, Bon, Musella, Mark. Inflation, unemployment, and money: Interpretations of the Phillips curve. Cheltenham, UK: E. Elgar, 1998. Print Leondis, Alexis. Gross Raises U.S. Economic Growth Forecast to 3% in 2013. March 8, 2013. Web. Mann, Catherine, and Katharina Plück. Us Trade Deficit: A Disaggregated Perspective. Washington, DC: Peterson Institute for International Economics, 2005. Print. Morrison, Wayne, Marc,Labonte, Jonathan,Sanford, Wayne, Morrison, Wayne Morrison, and Jonathan Sanford. Chinas Currency and Economic Issues. New York: Novinka Books, 2006. Print. US economic forecast. U.S. Quarterly Forecast of GDP and Key Indicators February 2013. March 31, 2013. Web. Yankovich, Carl. Us Trade Deficit Issues. New York, NY: Nova Science Publ, 2010. Print.