Saturday, November 30, 2019

Speeding, Death and Effects on the Family Essay Example

Speeding, Death and Effects on the Family Essay Speeding can cause instantaneous death and outright family kaput.   The result of speeding is so enormous that turns precious moments and valuable things into nothing.The invention of vehicles has brought things and situations better. But, does it really answers the original purpose or does it makes things and situations worst?This paper attempts to educate people especially drivers who are always involved with vehicular activities. The discussion will focus on the reasons why some drivers often commit over speeding and aggressive driving, the effects of negative impact of speeding towards the affected families, and how to control this unauthorized act that cause horrible adversities. The discussions include the reasons for over speeding and aggressive driving, hit and run, effects on the family, controlling the over speeding, etc.SpeedingThe Encarta Microsoft Encyclopedia (2006) defined Speeding as â€Å"driving vehicle above speed limit. It is an offense of driving a vehicle at a speed above the designated speed limit†.Angela Smith, a NIO Minister reveals in the BBC News (2003) that over the last 10 years, 358 people were killed and 3,471 were seriously injured because of speeding. Speeding kills or seriously injures one person every single day on Northern Ireland’s roads in which young men (age 17-24 years old) are held responsible for a staggering eight out of ten fatal crashes.Reasons for Over Speeding and Aggressive DrivingVehicular crashes are complex events that are a culmination of various driver, vehicle or environment-related factors.   According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driver-related factors that contribute to motor vehicle traffic crashes are mostly behavioral in nature which include impaired driving, aggressive driving including speeding and distracted driving, etc.NHTSA research has shown that crashes cost in $40.4 billion in 2000, which at least one driver was exceeding the legal speed lim it or driving too fast. This represents about 20 percent of the total economic cost of motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States.   Accordingly, about 32 percent (annually) of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes were speeding-related, i.e., at least one of the drivers involved in the crash exceeded the posted speed limit or was driving too fast for the prevailing conditions.Based on the Telephone survey made by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (1997) as posted in NHTSA website, the   reasons drivers most often gave for exceeding speeds that they consider to be unsafe were that they were late or behind schedule (44 percent). The next sets of reasons were: trying to keep up with traffic (12 percent), closely followed by good conditions (11 percent), or having an emergency (11 percent). Reasons for increased aggressively include: drivers being rushed or behind schedule (23 percent), increased traffic or congestion (22 percent), careless, inconside rate drivers (12 percent), and immature, young drivers (12 percent).Hit and RunThe Legal line (2007) defines hit and run as â€Å"a road accident where one of the parties involved fails to stop or leaves the scene without providing any detail†.Most of the victims die without justice. However there are also victims that survive in hit and run. Those survivors are still now looking for justice and in the state of phobia and disability status.The AAA Report stated that 1,557 killed by hit and run drivers in 2003 (.1778 per hour). This is 3.65% of the 42,643 total that NHTSA reported in were killed in US in 2003(Traffic Safety Facts). NHTSA report also states 2.889 million injured in crashes in 2003. Using 3.65% multiplier gives a total of 12.04 injured per hour†.According to Brad Heath of USA Today (2006), the number of pedestrians killed by hit-and-run drivers has jumped 20% since 2000 and is at its highest level in a decade, a USA TODAY analysis shows. The increasing occ urrence of this incidence compounds the problems of investigating hit-and-run cases, in which according to the investigators, are among the most difficult crimes to solve because they often happen at night with no witnesses.Of the 4,881 pedestrians killed last year, 974 died in hit-and-runs, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records show. The total number of pedestrians killed nationwide increased by about 2% since 2000, but hit-and-run deaths increased at almost 10 times that pace, the USA TODAY analysis found.Lt. Doug Dodson, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol said that in many investigations in which drivers are later found, drivers tell to the police that they fled out of fear or because they had been drinking and wanted to avoid legal trouble.Based on the statistic featured in the Missouri Sate Highway Patrol, which injuries appear to, be the most numbered but sad to say that there are also died as a result of over speeding.   It has also been revealed th at accidents often happen at the age of over speeding driver between 55 years old and above, maybe because this age has more experience in driving and they are confident to drive fast. Nevertheless, the survivor injured victims are facing psychological and financial problem. There are surviving victims that lost their career because of disability they get from hit and run accident. This causes the victims’ family to suffer.Effects on the FamilyOne aspect of the consequences of motor vehicle crashes is economic cost. The pain and anguish suffered by an injured person as well as the burden placed on families caring for a disabled member go beyond any economic remuneration. Particularly, devastating are the effects on family members when a crash leads to death. The sudden and unexpected sense of loss can affect a family member’s emotional state for years after the crash fatality occurred.A concrete example of the case of Hit and Run (as reported in Tuscaloosa News, 2005) is the situation of 23-year old Jaime Walker who was struck by a hit and run driver while riding his motorcycle in 2002. Since that date Jaime has been suffering from brain damage and has been in a vegetative state. Jaime receives nourishment through a feeding tube, doesnt respond to commands and is blind. As of March 2005, he resides at his mother’s home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His mother resigned from her job to take care of him full time.Controlling the Over speedingMany state or county have adopted different measures to control and lessen accident that killed thousand of people and injured millions of innocent. One of these measures is giving penalty to over speeding drivers.To be more effective in chasing offenders some City installed Red lights cameras to measure if the drivers are over speeding particularly in the cross section. This was manifested by the Albuquerque City plans to add red light cameras to 13 more intersections in an effort to cut down on accidents as r eported in the Associated Press, 2005. Accordingly, three people died in an accident that happened in an intersection when the drunk driver ran a red light. The City Mayor of Albuquerque, Mayor Martin Chavez said in Associated Press, that they are going to install red light cameras in places where accidents are observed between 2001 and 2003. Since the installation in 2004 from May to October, police officers have caught more than 9,000 violators and about 5,700 people have been issued with civil citations. Penalty is imposed wherein the first offense is $100, second $250, and $300 for the third time and the subsequent offenses.Stiff penalty to be imposed to motorists who violated over speeding is indispensable to control and minimize accidents caused by speeding vehicles.   Many states have already adopted strict and high penalties but unfortunately, in some instances, this does not solve the increasing occurrence of car accidents involving over speeding.The adoption of technolog ies and strict enforcement of traffic rules are the main reasons why car accidents often occurred though drivers and victims didn’t like it to happen.   It is however, the responsibility of every person to be cautious in driving but what really matters are the enforcement of laws and the strict adherence of these laws among the drivers.On the other hand, residents can be enlisted to help reduce speeding in their neighborhoods. The National Crime Prevention Council is encouraging the involvement of community residents so that speeding in residential areas could be easier to control or eradicate. It is true that residents do not want people speeding through their neighborhood, but there are simply not enough police officers to patrol every street.   By involving resiedents in speed control, police departments have a better idea of where to station officers.   It likewise acts as adult â€Å"peer pressure†.   Drivers or motorists will not speed if they know their neighbors are watching.ConclusionThe skill of vehicular driving has provided so many advantages to many individuals. It makes things possible and easy. In fact, in modern days, high-speed vehicles are made to cope with the urgency of traveling and getting off fast within precious times. However, this is being abused by many driver especially young men who are often encountering accidents because of speeding (over speeding). Until these days, this incident continues and even increasing.This is attributed by the following reasons which should be mitigated, to wit:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unauthorized driving or driving without license;2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Careless or reckless driving.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Driving for an urgent appoint or emergency situation;4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Driving for fun like highway racing; and5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Impaired or distracted driving.It has been proven that the effects of vehicular accidents caused by speeding are enormous; perish lives, damage properties, psychological stress, and defeats bright future (personal career, job opportunities, strong and happy family relationships, etc.).It is therefore imperative that more appropriate measures should be taken seriously which should include the following:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Formulation of realistic policies and traffic rules;2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Effective and efficient enforcement of policies and traffic rules;3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adoption and sustainable use of traffic devices and systems;4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Police Officers’ skills enhancement;5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Police visibility in accident prone areas;6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Extensive information and education for all drivers and the public; and7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Constant vehicular safety check.The consideration and implementation of the above mentioned measures is the best way of minimizing or eliminating vehicular accidents attributed by man. These should not be influence by personal interests of t he policy makers and law enforcements, and of course it should not be abused by the concern drivers who are the main recipients.The call for public awareness on safety and health should be strengthened.   This will enhance the public’s knowledge on traffic rules and driving precautions, and the health or condition of the drivers who should avoid driving if they are not on the normal state of mind (drunk while driving) or doing something while driving like having a call using mobile phones, talking with passengers,   reading newspaper or magazines, etc.This is everybody’s concern, drivers or non-drivers. Always remember, safety first before anything else.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Avon Business Plan

Avon Business Plan Executive Summary Avon library is a technology driven business project that offers library services to the Avon community. However, it relies on old technology and the need to integrate new technologies comes with a host of benefits. Among them is real time information access and retrieval, access to various collections that can be accessed freely, a flexible system that can be used by different people of different age groups, and provides the important link between the community and the global community.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Avon Business Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To achieve that, the business plan outlines a number of objectives to achieve among them being to facilitate thinking and integration of the community to meet the standards of evolving communications technology. These are achieved through the company’s current workforces who are bound to increase with the increasing n eeds and expanded services. Various action plans have been outlined on achieving all these. Through the provision of these services, Avon intends to create a wide market for selling a wide variety of software products, data services, and other data processing services. This will be done under the leadership of well qualified personnel. Objectives One of the objectives of this business plan is to provide library development technology guidelines for the Avon community for the next five years. Another objective is to facilitate thinking in the line of technological needs of the Avon community, provide a budget driven framework planning for the next five years, and provide a basis for the integration of technology and the expansion of services provision for the community in addition to meeting the set standards for discount offers in telecommunications. Mission statement The Avon library will become a state of the art information hub for the community and be a model project that can be modeled elsewhere. The library will exploit modern internet library technologies for efficient and real time access to services. To achieve this, the library intends to provide the following service: A variety of collections and free and flexible access to these collections. Well informed and skilled staff Different library services which target a people of all ages Technology that serves as a link between individuals and the global community. Summary about the company’s current technology The company has networked 45 desktop computers and a laptop which constitutes 25 public workstation and 20 staff workstations spread within the community. The purpose of the 20 staff workstations is to provide services for placing queries online and other information related to library services. A T-1 line provides telecommunication connections for all members who subscribe to these library services. On the other hand, the library has its own website besides the intranet services it offe rs the residents of Avon. A log management system provides services for mapping events that happen within the community and access to the library system. In addition to all these, telephone services are provided by the mid- interstate telecommunications company.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Strategic plan for expansion In the course of construction and expansion, various issues need to be addressed in the process. These issues include: Data transfer cable and network design and construction and an upgrade of the existing network cables. Deployment of wireless communication services in addition to wireless communication and telecommunication facilities. A well designed building that incorporates a security mechanism for tracking check -in and check-out activities. Upgrade of all wireless access points in addition to incorporation of new devices. Provisi on of print and photocopy services for public access and use. Provision of sufficient number of resources such as printers for an expanded library. A higher wage bill to be incorporated in the budget for newly expanded services. More check-out computers need to be incorporated. A library event registration system needs to be incorporated. The technology plan incorporates areas that could be influenced through the integration of technology into the library system. Such integration could see the system meet various goals identified and discussed below. Services to the public The goal is to reach a wider community in the usage of technology for accessing library services. The action plan includes taking the following steps: Establishing a framework for upgrading public computers and printers in an on-going basis An aggressive plan of upgrading the number of computers that can be accessed by the public. Install a check-in and check –out system for minors Investigate, evaluate, and install new and systems for network access. Install new presentation technologies to improve Get actively involved in IT meetings within the town Hire computer literate human resource persons Sponsor staff to various technology conferences that may be sponsored by various IT firms and Government agencies. Ensure participants have attended various IT workshops and viewed different IT vendor wares. Ensure at least each staff has attended an IT workshop at least once a year to keep abreast with the dynamic changes in the IT field Ensure staff are continuously updated and well trained in the use of relevant system applications and that they remain updated on new changes that come with those systems. Services offered through the network The goal is to maintain appropriate network infrastructure that provides real time services and to ensure the network provides prompt network connections once an individual has logged into the system. To achieve these, the following serves as the act ion plan for the business setting. Ensure appropriate budgetary allocations for technical support from different technology vendors Ensure a close cooperation with network consortiums to provide timely system and technology upgrades to keep with current changes in technologies. Provide an appropriate budget for hardware and software maintenance including telecommunication equipments and other software and hardware upgrades. Ensure system security software is updated frequently to provide up to date protection of the system hardware and software applications and user‘s files. Conduct a continuous assessment of technology needs in view of the mission statement and objectives of the business. Ensure telecommunication equipments remain upgraded and standardized and are compatible with different telecommunication technology upgrades. Evaluate the need for part time employees and hire them when necessary. Provision of wireless services The goal of the provision of wireless service s is to ensure the library integrates and enjoys the use of a wireless service to meet the digital communication needs for the community. To that end, the action plan entails the following. Ensure wireless devices are installed and those currently installed to and upgraded to meet the standard communication protocols, enabling these devices to be cross platform. Ensure and maintain active wireless access and communications Provide an incremental growth for wireless services to meet the needs of the library users. Telecommunication services The goal of these telecommunication services is to ensure real time communication services and improved data and information transfer rates.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Avon Business Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An evaluation of the status of the current telecommunication system reveals that only three phone lines currently operational provide library acces s services. Action plan consists of the following. Engaging telecommunications vendors in providing new and up to date equipments. These vendors also ensure regular servicing and maintain ace services for their equipments Ensure a two ways wireless phone is installed for use with the staff. Developing the website and maintaining it The goal is to ensure the developed website is user friendly, accepts regular postings, is interactive, and provides real time access to dynamically changing information. The action plan will consist of the following. Continuous maintenance of the website Continuous update of the web contents Ensure staff is well trained on the usage of the website. Market Analysis Market segmentation The Avon business plan targets all people of all ages. It also targets other market segments. In addition to that, once people have perceived value in the service offered by Avon, the management will target the market for data processing service, software sales, installa tions, and maintenance with their well trained personnel. Finally, the company will target the provision of financial services in the e-commerce industry. However, the strengths and weaknesses of Avon will have to be evaluated to identify areas that require improvements. A thorough investigation and evaluation revealed that Avon’s weaknesses include poorly trained personnel, devices that are not portable or cross platform, and lack of wireless devices and limited telecommunication lines. However the strengths about Avon include customizable software without limited capabilities, and a system that can seamlessly interface with different software. In addition to that, the management is well trained and skilled on marketing management and other business practices.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Management The management consists of qualified IT staff and well trained marketing and business executives. The CEO has an expertise of 25 years in the field of marketing. He has successfully implemented various IT projects at different companies with desirable results. The system development and implementation executive has well cultivated knowledge in different business environments. On the other hand, the finance manager has an MBA from one of the most prestigious universities and has won several awards for his excellent performance in steering companies from near financial collapse to financial success. The management staff is ready to work Avon to success. Finance Avon will earn its revenue from software installation services, computer hardware and software maintenance, training of other personnel from other companies, and data services. Library service will be used as a value addition service. Base on this revenue model, an extrapolation of capital expenses is illustrated bel ow. This is in addition to other expenses that may be incurred including operating costs. Computers Electronic equipments Telecommunications equipments $100,000 Office suite and other equipments $ 20,000 Utilities $5000 Floor space $50,000 Salary payments $750,000 Total costs $ 925,000 Evaluation A quarterly evaluation of the plan will be conducted to determine the degree of success in terms of system implementation in achieving the set business goals. Then the plan will be subjected to continuous evaluation and revisions to ensure it provides a guideline that keeps system implementation with the dynamic nature of business and technology.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Flowering Dogwood Care and Identification

Flowering Dogwood Care and Identification Flowering Dogwood grows 20 to 35 feet tall and spreads 25 to 30 feet. It can be trained with one central trunk or as a multi-trunked tree. The flowers consist of four bracts below the small head of yellow flowers. The bracts may be pink or red depending on cultivar but the species color is white. Fall leaf color on most sun grown plants will be red to maroon. The bright red fruits are often eaten by birds. Fall leaf color of Dogwood is more vivid in USDA hardiness zones: 5 through 8A. Specifics: Scientific name: Cornus floridaPronunciation: KOR-nus FLOR-ih-duhCommon name(s): Flowering DogwoodFamily: CornaceaeUSDA hardiness zones:: 5 through 9AOrigin: Native to North AmericaUses: Wide tree lawns; medium-sized tree lawns; near a deck or patio; screen; shade tree; narrow tree lawns; specimenAvailability: Generally available in many areas within its hardiness range. Popular Cultivars: Several of the cultivars listed are not readily available. Pink-flowering cultivars grow poorly in USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9. ‘Apple Blossom’ - pink bracts; ‘Cherokee Chief’ - red bracts; ‘Cherokee Princess’ - white bracts; ‘Cloud 9’ - white bracts, flowers young; ‘Fastigiata’ - upright growth while young, spreading with age; ‘First Lady’ - leaves variegated with yellow turning red and maroon in the fall; ‘Gigantea’ - bracts six inches from tip of one bract to tip of opposite bract. More Cultivars: Magnifica - bracts rounded, four-inch-diameter pairs of bracts; Multibracteata - double flowers; New Hampshire - flower buds cold hardy; Pendula - weeping or drooping branches; Plena - double flowers; var. rubra - pink bracts; Springtime - bracts white, large, blooms at an early age; Sunset - supposedly resistant to anthracnose; Sweetwater Red - bracts red; Weavers White - large white flowers, adapted to the south; Welchii - leaves variegated with yellow and red. Description: Height: 20 to 30 feetSpread: 25 to 30 feetCrown uniformity: Symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline, and individuals have more or less identical crown formsCrown shape: roundCrown density: moderate Trunk and Branches: Trunk/bark/branches: Droop as the tree grows, and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; routinely grown with, or trainable to be grown with, multiple trunks; not particularly showy; tree wants to grow with several trunks but can be trained to grow with a single trunk.Pruning requirement: Needs little pruning to develop a strong structureBreakage: resistantCurrent year twig color: greenCurrent year twig thickness: medium Foliage: Leaf arrangement: opposite/suboppositeLeaf type: simpleLeaf margin: entireLeaf shape: ovateLeaf venation: bowed; pinnateLeaf type and persistence: deciduousLeaf blade length: 4 to 8 inches; 2 to 4 inchesLeaf color: greenFall color: redFall characteristic: showy Flowers: Flower color: Bracts are white, actual flower is yellowFlower characteristics: Spring flowering; very showyThe showy flowers are, in fact, bracts that subtend a boss of 20 to 30 real flowers each of which are less than one-quarter inch in size. The actual flowers of Cornus florida are not white. Culture: Light requirement: Tree grows in part shade/part sun; tree grows in the shade; tree grows in full sunSoil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; slightly alkaline; acidic; well-drained.Drought tolerance: moderateAerosol salt tolerance: lowSoil salt tolerance: poor In Depth: Dogwood branches on the lower half of the crown grow horizontally, those in the upper half are more upright. In time, this can lend a strikingly horizontal impact to the landscape, particularly if some branches are thinned to open up the crown. Lower branches left on the trunk will droop to the ground, creating a wonderful landscape feature. Dogwood is not suited for parking lot planting but can be grown in a wide street median, if provided with less than full-day sun and irrigation. Dogwood is a standard tree in many gardens where it is used by the patio for light shade, in the shrub border to add spring and fall color or as a specimen in the lawn or groundcover bed. It can be grown in sun or shade but shaded trees will be less dense, grow more quickly and taller, have poor fall color, and less flowers. Trees prefer part shade (preferably in the afternoon) in the southern end of its range. Many nurseries grow the trees in full sun, but they are irrigated regularly. Flowering Dogwood prefers a deep, rich, well-drained, sandy or clay soil and has a moderately long life. It is not recommended in the New Orleans area and other heavy, wet soils unless it is grown on a raised bed to keep roots on the dry side. The roots will rot in soils without adequate drainage.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Studio Photography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Studio Photography - Research Paper Example This paper analyzes the steps or processes, which should be followed by photographers, in order to produce quality images that satisfy their clients’ desires. The process described in this article is consistent with Ray Parslow’s design process. Ray Parslow and his team design logos for companies, including other graphic works for companies and individual clients. Parslow suggests that, proper communication and understanding of the clients, is the most crucial step in studio photography (Galer 128). This always gives the photographers confidences for designing a process that will result in incredible results. The customers’ desires should not be satisfied only at the end of the design process, but it should be long-lived even after the creative process is terminated. The photographers should be capable of providing their clients with a variety of solutions, which are researched, to aid understanding of how the design process will be decided and executed to completion. After selecting a design process, the clients should constantly be involved in the process, so as to address any change that need to be made in the design process. This will give both the photographer and the client an opportunity to solve issues that were not taken into consideration at the onset of the process (Galer 128). Photographers must always ensure the final prod ucts delivered to their clients satisfy their needs, and reflects the level of their professionalism in this industry. This will also create a long term relationship between the artist and the client. The timing and service fee of the project should be agreed upon at the onset of the design process. This helps in determining the time and costs required to perform activities such as photography, editing, printing and writing. Other photographers such as Jacob of butterfield photography also agree with Parslow that the service fee and

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

What is meant by the 'Star System' illustrate the workings of the Essay

What is meant by the 'Star System' illustrate the workings of the system by analysing the image of one star from the period 1930-1960 - Essay Example The star system created and promoted film stars by creating personas for them. In the process new names and backgrounds were created. Cary Grant, Joan Crawford and Rock Hudson were film stars who were created by the Hollywood star system. The system expected men to be gentlemen and women to wear stylish clothes when leaving the house. There were special clauses within the actors’ contracts which called for strict moral regulations to be adhered to (de Cordova, 52, 2000). The star’s public image was fiercely guarded by the Hollywood executives. Any scandals or incidents that damaged the star’s image were covered up. Sham dates were introduced for actors who were homosexual. Actors and actresses were matched together in order to create a public image of a romantic couple. Money was given to witnesses to hide incidents of drugs, adultery, drinking and divorce. Some tabloid papers were on the Hollywood payroll which exclusively reported on the stars to update their public image. Celebrity scandals were hushed up by giving money to tabloid papers and journals (Walker, 57, 1970). During the initial years of the film industry, actors and actresses were reluctant to perform in films. They felt embarrassment in working for movies. The film industry was considered at the level of carnivals and freak shows. Only silent movies were considered to be acceptable. Producers also feared that by working for films actors would gain more fame and prestige. Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company forced companies to follow their rules and equipment during the design of films. The Motion Picture Patents Company did not promote stars. The star system eventually arose from the public desire to know the names of the actors. Film audiences gave their own nicknames to performers in movies they liked (McDonald, 77, 2000). Star promotion was first done by Carl Laemmle when he acquired Lawrence from Biograph. He promoted the star by spreading rumors of her being killed in

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Program Development and Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Program Development and Evaluation Essay Early Childhood Education focuses on the education, language, culture, development and care of young children. As a profession, Early Childhood Education has emerged as one of the major vehicles for child-advocacy in the provision of accessible, high-quality child care and pre-school education. Child care, in this society of increasingly busy working couples, is an important service in the community. Whether it is called child care, kindergarten, preschool, a developmental learning center, a child development center, or one of many other names, they are all providing the important service of caring for our precious children. The increased demand for early childhood education services is partly due to the increased recognition of the crucial importance of experiences during the earliest years of life. Children’s experiences during early childhood not only influence their later functioning in school but can have effects throughout life. For example, current research demonstrates the early and lasting effects of children’s environments and experiences on brain development and cognition (Chugani, Phelps, Mazziotta, 1987). Positive, supportive relationships, important during the earliest years of life, appear essential not only for cognitive development but also for healthy emotional development and social attachment (Stern, 1985). The preschool years are an optimum time for development of fundamental motor skills, language development (Dyson Genishi, 1993), and other key foundational aspects of development that have lifelong implications. In Australia, early childhood educational programs cover a 0-8 years age range. In the state of New South Wales, Kindergarten is the first year of compulsory schooling thus it is governed by the NSW Department of Education and Training and the curriculum content governed by the NSW Board of studies. Child care, on the other hand refers to the care of infants (ages 0-5) by other people during specific periods when the parents are at work. With this set-up, different programming methods are employed. The difference between child care and kindergarten is that kindergarten is an educational experience while child care tends to be care giving so that both parents can work. Good child care programs offer experienced, well-educated teachers who promote childrens cognitive and social development. Kindergarten programs, on the other hand, have set programming standards that are based on the curriculum content governed by the NSW Board of studies. However, in the light that infants and up to kindergarten age belong to the early childhood category, it is best that programming should be the same. It should be able to provide the necessary resources to ensure that every student is offered a high-quality learning environment that prepares a child for further schooling. The purpose of this paper is to present the basis that programming for all early childhood educational programs in NSW should, for the most part, be the same regardless of the setting in which the program exists. Main Body Programming is the process of setting an order and time for planned events or activities. It is the designing, scheduling, or planning of a program. In a formal education setting, syllabus is prepared to outline the set of activities or programs. In NSW schools, teaching and learning programs and the assessing and reporting of student achievement relate directly to the learning outcomes and curriculum content provided in the NSW Board of Studies K-6 syllabuses. As clearly stated in the K-6, programming for kindergarten falls under this curriculum. These syllabuses are grouped into six key learning areas (KLAs). Creative and Practical Arts English Human Society and Its Environment Mathematics Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Science and Technology (Retrived Aug. 31,2006 from http://www. curriculumsupport. education. nsw. gov. au/primary/index. htm) The Board of Studies develops a syllabus for each of the learning areas. Along with a defined aim, each syllabus has a set of objectives and outcomes, expressed in terms of knowledge and understandings, skills, values and attitudes. On the other hand, mostly day care in NSW are managed by community organizations, local councils or private operators. These day care and other childrens services are licensed by the Department of Community Services. NSW Department of Education and Training employs an early childhood trained teacher and a teachers aide in each preschool class. Teachers plan an educational program, which nurtures each childs self esteem, well being and development. The preschool or day care program is designed to stimulate childrens thinking, communicating, investigating, exploring and problem solving skills. Children are encouraged to join in physical activities and to develop good health and safety habits. The program includes play based activities that help children learn how to interact positively with other children and to recognize and accept their own feelings and those of others. The program also supports the development of early language, literacy and numerical skills. In terms of child upbringing however, it is always advocated that child care is inherently inferior to parental care. However, independent studies suggest that good child care for non-infants is not harmful. In some cases, good child care can provide different experiences than parental care does, especially when children reach two and are ready to interact with other children. A study appearing in Child Development in July/August 2003 found that the amount of time spent in child care before four-and-a-half tended to correspond with the childs tendency to be less likely to get along with others, to be disobedient, and to be aggressive, although still within the normal. On the other hand, bad child care puts the children at physical, emotional and attachment risk. As a matter of social policy, child care should also be regulated by the government so as to ensure quality early childhood education. A good early childhood education program should instruct children in different skill areas that they would need in further schooling. Such skill areas include learning to read, to do math, to progress in science, and to understand the world and how it works. Through early childhood education programs, children are able to become familiar with books, words, language use, numbers and problem solving, as well as important social skills (paying attention in class and peer relationships). Through all these activities, teachers should create positive relationships through warm, sensitive, and responsive care, which will help children feel valued and gain more from their learning experiences. Children need positive relationships so that they feel comfortable and learn how to cooperate with others. This is where skilled early childhood educators should come in. Early childhood care and kindergarten education need teachers who are educated enough to handle young children from infancy through age six. Relationships between teachers and families are also important, and help build environments that nurture childrens growth and development. Children observe the interactions between caregivers and their parents, and what they observe in these interactions is used to build their own relationship with these new adults in their lives. This is a process called social referencing (Hutchins Sims, 1999). There are many ways that quality early childhood programs build relationships with children and among teachers and adults. In visiting a program, how teachers interact with the children fostering positive relationships is clearly seen. Classrooms are welcoming to all children, and children are encouraged to join the group. Teachers communicate with children in a warm manner, including laughing and showing affection, and responding to their needs. Teachers use a gentle tone of voice with children, and bend down to speak with them at eye level. Teachers provide a balance of group activities and one-on-one activities, to encourage children to develop both group and individual relationships. Children in turn have opportunities to play and interact with other children, who help them build friendships and develop social skills, such as working together and taking turns. In good child care program, infants get individual attention from teachers, who communicate with smiles and other nonverbal behavior, and also talk with them, so that infants start to recognize and understand words. Quality early childhood programs foster positive relationships among the children, between children and adults, and among teachers and families to help children get a great start on learning. In view of the need to acquire good educators, the development of professional standards for teachers has grown in importance in the field of education in Australia and overseas. At the national level, development of the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching is a key initiative. The Competency Framework for Teachers was created and standards were developed by national teaching associations for English, Mathematics and Science. This Framework is the product of a comprehensive consultation process involving teachers, professional associations, tertiary institutions, the Australian Education Union and other key stakeholders. The Competency Framework for Teachers articulates the complex nature of teaching by describing three professional elements of teachers’ work: attributes, practice and knowledge. These elements work in an interrelated way as they are put into practice in classrooms. Early childhood professionals working in diverse situations and resources are responsible for implementing practices that are developmentally appropriate for the children they serve. These teachers have an ethical responsibility to practice, to the best of their ability, according to the standards of their profession. They are required to acquire the knowledge and practical skills needed to practice through college-level specialized preparation in early childhood education/child development. Moreover, aside from teachers, administrators of early childhood programs are also encouraged to acquire necessary skills in maintaining good practices in their field. In addition to management and supervision skills, administrators have appropriate professional qualifications, including training specific to the education and development of young children, and they provide teachers time and opportunities to work collaboratively with colleagues and parents. Providing appropriate curriculums or programs to meet the desires of individual children who learn at different rates and in different ways needs much skill and knowledge from the educator or teacher. In planning the everyday program a wide range of teaching strategies will be needed that involve individual, and large and small group activities. Not simply should the provision offer children opportunities for a broad range of creative and ingenious play activities, but there must be sufficient time and space to permit children to develop and extend their play, sometimes alone and at times in the company of other children or an adult. Programs have changed in response to social, economic, and political forces. However, these changes have not always taken into account the basic developmental needs of young children, which have remained constant. Programs should be tailored to meet the needs of children, rather than expecting children to adjust to the demands of a specific program. In the Hyson, Hirsh-Pasek, and Rescorla study (1990), pre-school children enrolled in child-initiated programs displayed lower levels of test anxiety than children enrolled in academic programs, regardless of parental preferences for classroom approaches. In the second study (Burts et al. , 1990), children in inappropriate classrooms exhibited more total stress behaviors throughout the day and more stress behaviors during group times and workbook/worksheet activities. Early childhood teaching is simply and completely about children and their well being. The tenet that each child is unique is basic in early childhood philosophy. It is very important therefore that early childhood educators should plan flexible programs that accommodate individual growth. Additionally, an early childhood perspective acknowledges the importance of providing children with opportunities to interact, understand and cooperate in groups (Day Drake, 1986). In view of these arguments, the principle of programming in the framework of the KLA and in the context of a formal academic education should not yet be employed in the early childhood education, in particular, kindergarten class. The Curriculum for early childhood education must be subjected to vigilant evaluation. The program should see children as active learners, supporting them to become self-determining, being problem solvers and decision makers. It should not be a stiff program but offers a framework for childrens learning. Though it has much in common with usual nursery practice, it places greater accountability upon children for planning and executing their own actions. Working on an idea of the plan, do and review, the environment is arranged so that it optimizes childrens learning, using key experiences to examine and plan for the individual needs of children, for instance adult-child communication strategies, partnership with parents, observation and record keeping. The key experiences embedded concept of active learning are: †¢ Using language such as depicting objects, events and relations; †¢ Active learning such as controlling, transforming and mixing materials; †¢ Characterizing ideas and experiences such as role playing, pretending; †¢ Developing rational reasoning such as learning to label, match and sort objects; †¢ Understanding time and space such as evoking and anticipating events, learning to get things in the classroom. (Curtis, A. , 1999) These key experiences not only offer the framework for planning and evaluating activities but also facilitate the staff to guide children from one learning incident to another. They suggest questions to put to the children and facilitate staff to assess childrens development and offer a basis for discussion with the parents. To achieve individually appropriate programs for young children, early childhood teachers must work in partnership with families and communicate regularly with the childrens parents. During early childhood, children are largely dependent on their families for identity, security, care, and a general sense of well being. Communication between families and teachers helps build mutual understanding and guidance, and provides greater consistency for children. Joint planning between families and teachers facilitates major socialization processes, such as toilet learning, developing peer relationships, and entering school. Mutual sharing of information and insights about the individual childs needs and developmental strides help both the family and the program. Regular communication and understanding about child development form a basis for mutual problem solving about concerns regarding behavior and growth. Teachers seek information from parents about individual children. Teachers promote mutual respect by recognizing and acknowledging different points of view to help minimize confusion for children. The positive attributes of parent/teacher relationships are relatively easy to develop when teachers and parents have the same backgrounds, speak the same languages, share values and goals for children, and, in general, like one another. Parents are also more likely to relate to their childrens caregivers and teachers in positive ways, and are aware of the conditions under which the staff is working. For both parents and teachers, continuity of the children’s educational experience is critical to their development. Such continuity results from communication both horizontally, as children change programs within a given year, and vertically, as children move on to other settings. As such, programming of early childhood education should be based more on creative learning and not on rigid academic programs and they should be the same from child care to kindergarten. Lastly, the community and the society at large also have a stake in the quality of early childhood programs. Early childhood education entails an informed community willing to act upon the idea that high quality early education is necessary for future generations (Pascall, C. and Bertram, T. , 1997). When early childhood programs succeed in getting children off to a good start, families, schools, and communities will be strengthened. Children will grow up to be responsible, law abiding and productive citizens who will contribute to the country’s progress. In this sense, posterity itself eventually reaps the benefits of high-quality early educational experiences. Conclusion Curriculums and programs are frequently viewed only in terms of the product or the content to be taught. It is far more encompassing than this, though. The curriculum should also be considered in terms of the processes linking to learning and teaching, the objectives that both teachers and learners hold, the contradictory social and cultural experiences’ learners and teachers bring, and the realities that occur from classroom interactions and situations. In early childhood education, set programming standards that are based on academic formal structure and being practiced in classrooms should not be employed. Teaching and learning programs and the assessing and reporting of student achievement that relates directly to the learning outcomes and curriculum content provided in the NSW Board of Studies K-6 syllabuses is not yet applicable and favorable for very young minds. Instead, programs and teaching practices in early childhood settings should be more responsive to the needs and interests of the children. Programs should include a plan of activities that matches the childrens needs and promotes their independence. The plan should contain activities and exercises that help children to develop social, motor, language, and thinking skills. Programs should also provide a variety of experiences designed to encourage exploration and problem-solving, and an awareness of how diverse the world is beyond the home. Daily morning schedule for kindergarten as well as child care should be very similar. The only difference between the two settings is that kindergarten school children tend to arrive all at once while children arrive at child care centers according to their parents work schedules. Early childhood education in both kindergarten and child care settings must actively work to provide learning in a nurturing environment that matches the needs of the children. Parents also have active role in this endeavor. Children learn much from the adults around them, not simply from the planned learning opportunities but also from the customs and routines of daily living. The attitudes of the adults and other children and the shared relationships that are formed are as vital to childrens development as the activities in which they are engaged. The goals of the entire child care community, then, must be to encourage and support early childhood professionals to raise standards in our young children’s education. In providing an effective and successful program for early childhood education, our society and our country will reap the rewards of raising disciplined and productive children who will contribute greatly in our communities. References: †¢ Burts, Diane C. ; Hart, Craig H. ; Charlesworth, Rosalind; DeWolf, D. Michele; Ray, Jeanette; Manuel, Karen; Fleege, Pamela O. (1993). Developmental appropriateness of kindergarten programs and academic outcomes in first grade. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. Vol 8(1), 23-31. †¢ Bredekamp, S. and Copple, S. (eds) (1997). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (revised edition). Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. †¢ Bredekamp, Sue (ed) (1998). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Retrieved from http://www. newhorizons. org/lifelong/childhood/naeyc. html. †¢ Chugani, H. , M. E. Phelps, J. C. Mazziotta. (1987). Positron emission tomography study of human brain functional development. Annals of Neurology 22 (4): 495 †¢ Curtis, A. (1998). Curriculum for the Pre-School Child, second edition, London and New York:Routledge. †¢ Curtis, A. (1999). Evaluating Early Childhood Programmes: Are we asking the right questions? Paper presented at Early Childhood Conference, Santiago, March 1999. †¢ Edwards, C. , Gandini, L. and Forman, G. (eds) (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children, second edition, London: Ablex Publishing Corporation. †¢ Glascot, Kathleen. (1994). A Problem Theory for Early Childhood Professional. Childhood Education. Proofquest Education Journal, Vol. 70,3,131. †¢ Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Hyson, Marion; Rescorla, Leslie. (1990). Academic environments in preschool: Do they pressure or challenge young children? Early Education and Development, Vol. 1(6), 401-423. †¢ Hutchins, T. Sims, M. (1999). Program Planning for Infants and Toddlers: An Ecological Approach. Sydney: Prentice Hall. †¢ University of Illinois, Children’s Research Center. DAP:What Does Research Tell Us?. Retrieved Aug 31 from http://ceep. crc. uiue. edu. †¢ Website of NSW Dept . of Education and Training. Retrieved Aug, 31, 2006 from http://www. curriculumsupport. education. nsw. gov. au/primary/index. html

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Essays --

The story begins in the year 1984 in the nation of Oceania. Winston Smith is a low ranking Outer Party member working for a government system called the Party. The Party and it’s omniscient leader known as Big Brother, control everything including language, history, and it’s citizens. Everywhere Winston goes, he is being monitored by the Party through telescreens and by the Thought Police. The most recent implementation of the Party’s control over the nation has been the creation of Newspeak, an attempt to prevent political rebellion by eliminating all words that relate to it. Rebellion is the ultimate crime a citizen can commit, and even thoughts about rebellion are illegal. While working in the Ministry of Truth, a branch of the Party that controls and alters history, Winston begins to question the validity of the Party and it’s doctrines. He wishes for privacy and freedom but cannot express these feelings without fear of the Thought Police, who patrol thoughts and punish people who think poorly of the Party or it’s leader. In order to escape the Party’s tyranny, at least in his...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Lack of Sleep Effects Student’s Gpa

Lack of Sleep Has a Direct Effect on a Student’s GPA Gilbert, S. P. , & Weaver, C. (2010). Sleep Quality and Academic Performance in University Students: A Wake-Up Call for College Psychologists. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 24(10), 295-306. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from the SocIndex database. Key Terms Defined GPA: Grade Point Average DWI: Dropped, Withdraw, Incomplete (Classes) GDI: Goldberg Depression Inventory PSQI: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index SummaryThis study was done to identify the relationship between sleep deprivation and a student’s academic performance in areas such as GPA, class attendance, and incomplete assignments. 557 people were used for this with 35. 7% being male and 64. 3% being female. And the average age of the subjects being 19. The participants of the study were asked to complete several surveys to determine if they qualified for the study. A demographic survey asked about their GPA and the courses they dropped, withdrew fro m, or failed to complete. This was done to judge the student’s previous academic levels.Next, they took what is called the GDI to determine the student’s levels of depression. Students who showed abnormally high levels of depression were removed from the study to be further analyzed. The students remaining had scores of average or below average levels of depression. The final test was the PSQI, which is a self-report survey to determine the subjects sleep patterns. Using these self-report surveys the conductors of the experiment were able to determine that there is a relationship between quality of sleep and academic performance. SignificanceThis study is the first known to have found a direct relationship between poor academic performance and poor sleep quality using a large sample size. Previous studies used smaller groups and had not accounted for depression as a factor in poor academic performance. This study also found that the quality of sleep many students exper ience is well below ideal and that this affects the GPAs of females more so than males although the reason behind this could not be determined. Socially this information can be used when counseling students experiencing poor academic performance, but show no signs of depression.Evaluation The authors presented the procedures and results of this study very effectively, and the materials were made extremely easy to understand. I believe the study could have been more in depth and accurate if actual sleep studies were conducted along with the self-report surveys. Along the same lines, a flaw in the study is that the researchers opened up the possibility of false reporting by only using the surveys and trusting the students to be completely honest. If I were to use two words to describe this article they would be â€Å"expected† and â€Å"well-planned†. Expected† is referring to the results of the study. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that there i s a connection between the quality of sleep and academic performance, however they expound upon that assumption and find more in depth results in the study. As for â€Å"well-planned† it is a word used to describe the procedures used to carry out the study. Eliminating depression as a variable was impressive foresight on the researchers part and is a large part of what makes this study so effective. ConclusionThis article has thoroughly increased my knowledge of the extent of sleep’s effect on academic performance. While I hypothesized in my own mind that there was a connection, I had no idea how strong. I also think this article has helped me to understand how to help students struggling with academic performance and how to try to figure out all the possible issues instead of issuing a stereotypical label such as laziness. I believe further research should investigate the causes of this decreased quality of sleep and possible cures if it is a medical or biological iss ue.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Work Experience

For this essay, my task is to produce an essay explaining what my work experience week was like. Even though I can't put every detail down, I will write about the most important parts of my week that will remain as good, and some also embarrassing memories. When I heard about work experience my first thoughts about it were, ‘what if Im not good enough. ‘ and ‘I wonder where I'll be put. ‘ To say the least, I was very nervous. We had forms to fill in about work experience. I had to tick off what I would prefer to do, so I chose to work in retail and fashion. So I was likely to work in a clothes shop, ironically that's where I got put. I was now officially working in Burtons. I wanted to work in retail because I was generally interested in fashion, as at the time I wanted to become a fashion designer. I soon realised working in retail had nothing to do with the fashion itself, it did however, have a lot to do with business. At first I was a bit worried because I thought only men worked there, so to calm my nerves, me and a few of my friends decided to go and have a little look in there and see what it's like. Luckily, I did see a couple of women in there so I realised that I wouldn't be the only one. Besides, working with young lads weren't going to be a bad thing was it? As the time got closer, I had to start thinking about travel and what I'd wear there. These small problems were soon easily solved. I decided that I would get the bus there, but because I was placed at the Burtons in Bracknell, I would have to leave about an hour before starting time, as buses took about 40-50 minutes at rush hour. What I was going to wear soon became no object as I went shopping the weekend before. New clothes- every girl's passion. So I was pretty much set; I had my clothes, my way of getting there, and everything I needed was organised. Monday finally came, as I sat on the bus at 8. 0am, the nerves soon reappeared. For the next 40 minutes, I sat there thinking about what it would be like, but soon acknowledged that the majority of my year was in the same position as I was. I also recognised that it wouldn't be as bad as I thought. So when the bus stopped I walked positively towards the shop, the funny thing was, I was slightly early, so I had to stand outside, I felt a bit out of place at that point, and im sure I looked quite stupid. It didn't matter too much to me though; I just concentrated on making a good impression. So I stood waiting patiently for the grey, shutter to slowly open. About ten minutes later, they eventually did. And the shop was up and ready for the day ahead. I stood up straight, and confidently walked towards the front desk where the employees were all gathered. I introduced myself and got fully acquainted with all the staff present. The manager, Andrea, gave me a brief introduction on what goes on at the store, and just small bits of necessary information id need to know to get me throughout the week like where my locker was based. She then sent me and another employee- Michael, down to the staff area to do my health and safety assessment, just to see what I knew about the process †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ but before I went to do the assessment Michael took me outside to see where I would have to go if a fire occurred. This didn't take long. After that I proceeded to do the assessment. It wasn't very interesting, in fact, I actually almost fell asleep! Putting that aside, it was quite an eventful morning. Throughout that day, I just got to know a bit more about the staff; I also asked a few questions about the shop as well, one that I asked was if they had cameras in the store itself, and Richard, another employee, said to me â€Å"Would you like people watching you whilst you're working all day? I don't think I'll ever forget that, in reply to his question, I said no. So Burtons didn't have security cameras? This led me onto thinking whether anyone stole from the shop. Surely they didn't otherwise they would put cameras in, but I found out a bit later on that people do steal. This isn't good for their inventory either. So throughout the week I'd hear one employee after another saying that they found a tag and coat hanger on the floor, this annoyed Andrea a lot. Another thing that annoyed Andrea was when a group of my friends all decided to come in and greet me on my first day. I knew that this wasn't very professional so I told them that they would have to leave. After that small incident, Andrea explained that I was to act like I was a real employee to Burton and my friends were not aloud to come in and distract me like they did. I understood that and carried on with what I was doing. My time at Burtons was fairly boring, with the work that is. I had to go around the shop making sure everything was in its rightful place; another thing I had to do was sort the delivery totes. I had to unwrap the products, tag them, cube them and then go and find where they were meant to go. It made the time go by, and I preferred doing this to walking around the shop organising the clothing. One thing I learnt from this was that in retail, the people don't call the boxes ‘boxes'. They call them ‘totes' I don't know why this is but it' just what they used. So that was what delivery was. This is all I tended to do during work experience. Id have a laugh with the other staff members, it helped because their ages ranged from 16 to 20. So I found it easy to get along with them. This helped me feel more comfortable there. Towards the end of the week, a couple of the staff decided to play a little joke on me, so when I got back off my 15 minute break, Richard told me to go downstairs to see Andrea. So I discontinued what I was going to get on with, and pondered down to see her. She and another employee gave me a task. This was to walk over to Topshop, and ask the manager for a ‘long weight' me being unaware of this joke, agreed to it and went to do what they had asked. I wasn't really thinking about what they had asked for, I was thinking more about not making any mistakes. So when I arrived, I went to the front desk and asked for the ‘long weight'. The lady at the till looked at me puzzled for a second, and then called for assistance. the manager came out and told me it was a joke, and that there was no such thing as a long weight, well apart from the long wait I had received from the ‘long weight'. Once I had understood what had happened, me and my extremely red face exited the store and remained back to Burtons. Only to come back to be laughed at more, I was not amused! I just continued back to my work and didn't say much after that. So that was my embarrassing moment; I guess it could have been worse, but I still didn't appreciate being humiliated in front of a shop full of strangers. But despite that incident, I found the week to be a big wake up call in all honesty. I never thought that working in a shop could ever be so tiring! I was on my feet for seven and a half hours. As I had an hour for lunch and two fifteen minute breaks. The thing was, when the shop had very few customers, that was the most tiring part, because there was nothing there to keep me occupied. For all five days, there was at least an hour where this occurred. I dreaded it! In conclusion, I found the week very productive, I learnt a lot more than I expected to, met new people, got an insight about what real work is, and my real accomplishment†¦ getting to work on time everyday. I was very proud of myself for this, and it still amazes me to this day. I would defiantly advise for the work experience programme to continue as it worked wonders for me, and to thank me for the work I did, Andrea gave me a box of maltesars for the hard work and dedication I put in there. She also said that I had a place there to work if I wanted it. I didn't take up the offer as I don't feel that's the best place for me.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Deconstruction of I, Robot Essays

Deconstruction of I, Robot Essays Deconstruction of I, Robot Essay Deconstruction of I, Robot Essay Study the film I, robot and deconstruct using the key concepts. Look closely at the character played by Will Smith, how does his blackness impact on the audiences understanding of his role? I, robot is an action sci-fi film which stars Will Smith as Del Spooner. It is a futuristic view of the world and is set in the year 2035. This is a very common genre of film for Will Smith, as he has been in many action/ action sci-fi films such as Independence Day (1996), Men in Black (1997) and Enemy of State (1998). However, more recently, he has branched out into different film genres such as Shark Tale (2004) for which he did the voice over for Oscar and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) which was a drama. He was born on the 25th September 1968 in Philadelphia. While at school he gained the nickname Prince because of his attitude and knack for getting out of trouble, he later added to this and became the Fresh Prince. Unusually this and the place he was born would later be the basis of an episodic comedy which he starred in called The Fresh Prince of Bel-air (1990) which ran for six years, and for which he also won an award for Top TV series, he was nominated twice for Best performance by an actor, twice for outstanding lead actor and many more. This was his first major break and lead to his acting career. Overall he has won 28 awards and has been nominated for 49. I, Robot is not a stereotypical futuristic film, although it was set 31 years in the future, it is still very realistic. There are many normal things which have just been upgraded to be futuristic. For example, the yellow police tape which section things off is still in this film, but now they are holograms instead, which subtly shows that this is the future, but it is not extremely advanced, so much so that the film would seem unreal. There is also a holographic projector which appears when Will Smith seems to be talking to an old man, but then the camera pans round so that the audience can see that it is simply a holographic image. These things slowly introduce the idea of the future to the audience. There are other objects in this film which do not fit in with the stereotypical view of the future, for example the cars do not hover and there is even a petrol fuelled motorbike. The clothes they wear in this film are very similar to the clothes we wear today. However some characters such as Calvin are wearing unusual clothes which do set them apart from people of today. For the start of the film she is wearing a shiny silver suit, which many people to associate with the future. However, the people are not outrageously different and advanced; they are still shown to be normal people by anyones standards, and although there are robots, a lot of them do normal everyday jobs, such as at the start of the film the audience can see two robots as dustmen, a dog walker and there is even a robot postman going door to door. The film opens with the audience viewing Del Spooner (Will Smith) at home, eating breakfast, having a shower, going through his normal chores and talking to his friend and going round his grandmas. This gives the audience an insight as to what he is like outside of work, it shows the audience that he is a normal person. This is when you first see his hatred for robots, when he tells his grandma, those robots arent going to do anyone any good which is then shortly followed by him chasing a robot with a handbag. This then introduces to the audience the fact that he is a police man. We then see him at work in the office, which shows the audience the two sides of his life. However it also soon becomes clear to the audience that he is suffering from survivors guilt which influences many of his actions. Will Smiths character is a police officer but, just like in Men in Black, he is not a stereotypical one. The stereotypical view of an American police officer is one who is always seen in his uniform, is overweight and is always seen to be drinking coffee and eating doughnuts rather than doing any actual work. However Will Smiths character does not conform to any of these stereotypes. He is also the only policeman who doesnt wear a uniform of some sort. In the whole film his character is a sort of black sheep, he is the only one without a uniform, the only one who believes the robots are no good, and even in his house he has a stereo which is controlled using a remote controller rather than voice recognition. The audience can tell this is obviously not normal for this time because when Calvin goes to his house and tries to figure out how to switch it on and off, she cant. It is clear that he is not comfortable with the amount of technology around him, as he says to Calvin I must be, l ike, a malfunction magnet, because your shit keeps malfunctioning around me. As with many of his films, Will Smith, rather than trying to hide it, draws attention to the fact he is black. For example, in Men in Black (in which he is also a police officer) he jumps down off a bridge onto an open top bus and he says its just raining black people in New York. It is obvious that the fact that Will Smith is black does not hinder his life or his acting and he is completely comfortable with it and it is obvious that he feels the same, in an interview about one of his previous movies he said its not a black movie or a white movie, its a movie1. I do not think that the fact he is black makes any difference to how the audience perceives his character, apart from the irony that he is so prejudice or racist to the robots. This is shown by the fact that he always makes reference to it in most of his films. In I, Robot he says at one point I mean, youre a cat, Im black and Im not going to be hurt again. The fact that he can make these comments in a film also implies that h is blackness does not really matter to the film and is not an important aspect of it. However there is one comment in I, Robot which is more serious than the others and is not said in a comic tone. Will Smith says to Calvin one look at the skin and we figure we know just whats underneath. This could just be referring to just seeing somebody and not really knowing them at all but it is more likely a reference to the fact that he is black and she is white. Will Smith does not stick to films which are primarily for coloured people, in many of his films, the lead could have been played by a person of any race, and in fact his role in Men in Black was originally cast for a white Caucasian male, which just emphasises the fact that the colour of his skin is not a major part of his role. This film is also very similar to Men in Black in many respects. For example to start with Will Smith is a police officer, and both he and his superior officer are black. In I, Robot Will Smith and Chi McBride (who plays Lt. John Bergin) are the only two black people in almost the entire film, and they are also the only people in authority. In the film the audience do see other police officers but they do not take a real role in the film, so these two men would be the highest ranking out of everyone else in the film. Everyone who is not in authority is white. This film also follows some of the theories such as Todorov and Propp. The state of equilibrium is that they all live happily with robots, which is disrupted when Dr Laninng dies and they find Sonny the robot. The recognition of the disruption is when Sonny is jailed and is suppose to be decommissioned and the attempts to repair the disruption are when Del Spooner, Calvin and Sonny kill Viki. A new equilibrium is reached when all of the robots are sent off to live away from the humans. It is also easy to see Propps theory in I, Robot. The Hero is Del Spooner, the Villain is Viki, the Donor is Sonny and the Helper is Calvin etc. however interestingly there is no romantic plot which does go against Propps theory.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Science Research Paper

Science Research Paper Science Research Paper Science Research Paper: Making a Discovery! As a rule, students who study sciences often write science research papers. What should you do if you get such an assignment? The purpose of writing of a science research paper in a certain scientific discipline is to express some new ideas in the sphere of research in this discipline. So, you should make some suggestions, put forward some theory or hypothesis, make some discovery or present some innovations. Besides, your ideas should be proved by some experiments, observations or calculations. Thus, your science research paper should have some practical application and, hence, make some contribution in the development of science. Science Research Paper Should Be Informative So, if you have something to say to the scientific community, get down to writing of a science research paper. But pay attention: such a paper should be written properly. So, if you have some questions, the following tips will be helpful for you. Become a real re searcher! You may reach success in paper scientific write only in such a way. What does it mean? You should have a look inside the studied issue; make the deep analysis of it. So, research your paper topic. In this situation the key element of your success is interest. You should be interested in the issue you are going to investigate. It goes without saying that your ideas (hypotheses, innovations and others) cannot appear from nowhere! They should be based on the previous investigations. So, you should provide the strong basis for your ideas. For that purpose you should study different scientific works on the topic. That will help you make your ideas sound convincing. All your ideas should be put in the logical order. So, make an outline before writing your science research paper. State the main points that will be highlighted in your paper. Point out the parts your science research paper will contain. Do not forget that each of them should be focused on a certai n point but all of them should be interrelated. Your science research paper should be written in a certain format. You should discuss all the requirements with your tutor. Of course, there should be no mistakes in your paper. Any of them will spoil the general impression that your research will make on your audience. So, you should re-read your paper for several times before submitting.So, this is the main information you should keep in mind if you need to write a science research paper. If you face any difficulty, you are welcome to contact us for help!

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Egonomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Egonomics - Assignment Example The nature and pattern of human consumption has evolved significantly over the years with a significant move away from goods produced under mass production (initiated by the car maker Henry Ford) towards specialized production and finally customized production. It is not surprising that the focus of many companies today is no longer just the provision of an exceptional quality product or service but one which caters to niches and has the capability of being adapted as per individual requirements of the customer. In other words, personalization and the creation of unique customer experiences has become the new source of gaining competitive advantage in the midst of largely undifferentiated products and services. To set themselves apart from the crowd, consumers are increasingly flocking towards products that others do not have. This is because, as humans, our behavior is more often â€Å"irrational† than rational and that various purchases cannot be explained in the light of ae sthetics, utility of performance. In other words, the fact that most of engage in building and sustaining our self-esteem and self-confidence means that we often pay a price much higher than the actual worth of the product just for the sake of its exclusivity or limited availability. One such example is that of the recent launch of limited number of exclusive Apple iPhone 24 carat gold handsets that cost a fortune ($2853) to consumers (Trivedi).The pricing reflects the exclusivity of the product which, most consumers may find as a cushion to their self-image. Similarly, the LeBron James Limited Edition watch by Audemars Pigue is designed to cater to enthusiasts who would like to own this $51,500 watch (Adams) as a status symbol and to set them apart from the crowd. The high price reflects the (monetary) worth of the owner/consumer which is consistent with psychology that suggests that human beings are prone to engaging in impression management or casting favorable impressions of one self in the society. Furthermore, considering that humans have imperfect knowledge about themselves, they constantly strive for feedback from others (through praise of appreciation) to boost their perception of themselves. An example is of a customer who is praised by his friend for wearing a $51,500 watch and who receives increased attention from others by virtue of this valuable possession. This can be referred to as â€Å"personal branding† or differentiating yourself from other brands or individuals. In other cases, the same may be considered as a â€Å"requirement† as per social benchmarks (Benabou and Tirole). For instance, an individual attending high profile dinner of delegates may consider it as a disgrace to his self-worth to wear anything less than a custom-made designer outfit or designer shoes. Keeping these trends in view, it is no wonder that companies are looking towards the personalization of their service offerings as well. This is commonly known as o ne-on-one marketing or micro-targeting whereby promotional tools such as the e-mail, internet, direct mail, special events and others are used to target customers with specific psychographic profiles or lifestyles. For instance, HSBC posted banner ads on its websites that were highly personalized meaning that the bank offered special â€Å"offers† depending on the account balance of the customer and the content