Professional Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional Article Review - Essay Example The present study aims to investigate the long term impacts of MPH on ADHD affected children and comparative affect of academic intervention along with other covariates age, sex, IQ etc. The study involved 85 children with ADHD and within the age group of 5-12 years. Baseline assessments included Wide range achievement test-revised (WRAT-R), parent and teacher rating of ADHD symptoms and academic achievement, estimated intellectual ability, OCHS academic and psychosocial ratings, duration of medication and academic support. Post baseline assessments, children were randomly assigned to MPH treatment and placebo group in a double blind trial, the treatment group administered with a gradually rising dose of 5mg/administration to reach a target dose of 0.7mg/Kg body weight. Treatment was followed for 12 months keeping other conditions uniform, and the assessments done at baseline were repeated after the 12 month treatment period. Regression analysis was done to estimate academic performa nce one for each subset of WRAT-R and for parent and teacher ratings with baseline covariates and total treatments as variables. The results indicated that neither medication nor academic interventions could be attributed to significant improvement in academic performance compared to baseline values. Critical Evaluation Studies on ADHD lack evidences of mechanism of associations between academic underachievement and ADHD and stimulants have been recommended based on short term trials showing positive impacts on symptoms in general. However, the authors rightly claim that data for long term and cumulative impact of MPH is unavailable. The procedure followed by the authors is exhaustive involving baseline and post treatment assessments which are both subjective as well as objective. The explanations to the assessments, their design are either complete or are properly referenced, so as to enable repeatability. Both WISC-R and Ontario Child Health Scale (OCHS) are established clinical t ool for IQ assessment of children with learning disabilities and ADHD. Objective ratings make the results easy to conduct and results specific. Crossing over among children from the placebo and treatment groups was allowed but records were maintained. These records helped in estimating the total time of medication which represented cumulative effects of MPH, and the medication status at end of trial was indicative of the current effect. The continuation of additional interventions in form of academic support in addition to randomization of parents to training or self help group along with cross design, ensured that the trial were highly naturalistic. While allowing for naturalistic design lead to lack of control on some important variables however the same was partially overcome by use of multiple regression analysis. The nature of academic support provided to the children was one very important variable. Regression analysis used also helped to overcome the loss in numbers due to cr ossing over during the study. Disparities in the results for objective and subjective assessments indicate that the efficacy of MPH is based on prejudices and is overrated. The author claims that medication does not have

D22 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

D22 - Essay Example Learning is individual in a group setting. The Kids’ Choice Academy (KCA) provides the children with ample opportunities to play outdoors where there is sunlight and fresh air. Outdoor activities nurturing the physique of the children is no less important than the indoor education and exercises of the mind, so there should be equal emphasis on both in an ideal school for children. The classrooms are capacious, well-lit with natural sunlight, and have plenty of practical exercises and activities that are very interesting, engaging, and constructive for the children. At Bambini Creativi, there is enough space to dedicate particular portions to specific activities; art studio, water exploration, and food investigation lab to name a few. Of the three institutions, Bambini Creativi is the best for children because it tends to provide children with insight into different sorts of professions at a very preliminary stage so that they start developing skills in the field of their inter est right from the start. The other two schools are also good but Bambini Creativi takes the

Technological Advancements On The Film Industry Media Essay

Technological Advancements On The Film Industry Media Essay Abstract There are mainly three parts when it comes to the impact of technology on the film industry. The first part is how the new tools has benefited or harmed the film industry. These tools include the camera technology, video editing software, adding special effects etc. The second part is how technology has affected the marketing and the audience of the film makers. How the rise of social networks and Web 2.0 world has affected the communication, advertising and distribution of their products with their audience. This will also include the new HD media distribution methods like Blu Ray and HD-DVD that provide better quality for their audience. The third part is about how technology has actually hurt the film industry. The main focus of this area will be about how different technologies have violated the copyright laws. Introduction The film industry has benefited a lot from the ever growing new technology. With the rise of digital filmmaking over the years motion pictures are once again going through a reinvention. One of the biggest benefits the film industry has had with technology is camera technology. With the cheap digital cameras available these days it has been relatively easier for small film companies to produce films. Also more films are produced these days because it is faster to produce films. Now it is also easier and less expensive these days to communicate and share media with the audience with the rise of multimedia mobile phones. Also the audience feedback is given faster and easier. Another biggest benefit of new technology is that it has saved a lot of time in making documentaries and movies. This is because of the new compact digital cameras with ample space. The internet has also had a very big effect on the film industry. Web 2.0 sites like YouTube and other video sites have enabled film makers to interact with their audience more easily. This has also enhanced the relationship with the audience. Article Cited From: (How Digital Technology has Changed) Plan of action My primary medium of research will be the internet. I think there is a plenty research material available on the internet that will be helpful in my research. There will be several case studies that will focus on how technology has helped the film industry. One of the leading case studies will be of recently released movie by James Cameron Avatar. This film is entirely based on animation and special effects. Next I plan on contacting some of the animation and small film businesses and find out their views on how new technology has affected how they produce films. Media Distribution Methods In the past media distribution methods were limited to video tapes and cassettes where the quality of the video was not as good as today and they used random access. This meant that it was not possible to skip directly to a scene. The most common media distribution method currently is the DVD. New technologies like Blu-ray and HD-DVD are also becoming famous. DVDs are one of the cheapest ways to distribute films and the this has been the standard distribution method for films for quite some time. Over the past year Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are becoming more famous and could soon replace the older method like DVD. The reason they are becoming more famous is because of the quality they offer. Users can now enjoy movies on very high definition which is upto 1080p, the highest definition available. The introduction to these new media distribution methods has had both, a good and a bad effect. The advantage the film industry had with this is that they were to charge a premium price for higher quality movies compared to standard quality DVDs and this, in many cases, resulted more profits for them. On the other hand, since people now have access to high quality movies from the comfort of their homes, visit the cinemas less often. Film Animation Tools Autodesk Maya And Film The leading animation software today comes from Autodesk. The two very famous softwares they make are Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max. These two have been used in numerous movies to edit and animate characters. Some animated movies like Monsters Vs Aliens and Avatar. The latest development in digital camera and computer graphics (CG), stereoscopy, is becoming more famous in films these days. Stereoscopic technology uses the characteristics of the human vision which can make characters or objects appear at the front or behind the cinema screen. This creates an illusion of depth. Autodesk Maya enables users to view, create and edit stereoscopic content and enables film makers to uses stereo as a powerful way to help in story telling. The advantage this has is that the audience were drawn more deeply into the movie experience because of the new standards it sets in stereoscopic 3D production using Autodesk tools. (Autodesk Film AVATAR) Fully Featured Animated Film Using Autodesk 9 On 9th September 2009, the movie 9 was released. This was a fully featured animated film with every frame featuring Computer generated inages and characters. All this was matched up with multilayered computer generated images and advanced 3D lighting and camera effects. This whole animated film was made using Autodesk Maya animation software and Autodesk mudbox a sculpting software. With these two tools, all the creative and technical demands this animated 3D film had were met. Autodesk To The Rescue During the making of this movie, animators faced quite a few challenges. The very first challenge faced by the animation team was the timeframe that the work had to be completed in. 14 months. This included everything from start to finish the way the characters looked, the storyline itself, how they would move and the animatics. For the team this seemed an impossible task within the timeframe given and the level of detail and complexity required. During the movie there were a lot of scenes where the characters that dynamically interacted with each other at the same time. There were a lot of virtual stunts done in the movie with characters that had very fine, stretchy burlap mesh with a rigid zipper in front and visible stitching. These mesh textures were really a challenge for the animation team, especially when the characters moved and the animation was difficult. It was a challenge but Autodesk Maya had the capability to accomplish these tasks although it did put Maya to test. All these challenges were met by both Autodesk Maya and Autodesk MudBox. Maya handled most of the challenges like the asset creation, virtual camera and the multilayered 3D animation and all the effects. MudBox helped alongside with Maya to make the highly detailed shapes and models and the ground texture. Animation software like Autodesk Maya has helped the film industry to create movies like these. Without the use of such software, making of such movies would have been impossible. One of the members of the team, Adams, said that Maya is a very robust, fast and it has enabled us to make highly complex 3D structures, a lot of camera moves, explosions and lighting effects. He also states that Autodesk Maya was the best solution that they could have used to make a movie such as 9. (Autodesk Starz Animation) Case Study: The Technology behind The Making Of Avatar Performance Capture While CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and motion capture is not very new to the film industry, performance capture is something that was just recently invented specially for this movie. As mentioned earlier that Motion Capture is done by placing reflecting markers all over an actors body and these are then interpreted by the computer and converted into CGI. However the difference between a real human expression and computer generated is quite noticeable. Performance capture is something different. In performance capture actors are supposed to wear special head gear which has a camera attached to it which records each and every muscle movement and converts them into digital media. Stereoscopic 3D Fusion Camera System After seven years of research and hard work James Cameron, the director of Avatar, along with his partner, Vince Pace, came up with the most advanced 3D lightweight camera that can shoot both in 2D and 3D mode. Before this invention 3D cameras were very big and weighed about 450 pounds. Digital Animation For this movie the digital animation was done by Peter Jacksons company, Weta Digital. Very professional artists turned the basic renderings into photo-real images using new breakthrough techniques in lighting and shading. Virtual Camera/Simul Camera For this movie two new kinds of cameras were also invented. The virtual camera and the simul camera which work together. The virtual camera isnt a real camera at all but it stimulates another camera that was transmitted computer generated images by super computers. What the simul camera did what fed real time computer generated images to the 3D fusion camera system. Use of Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation Tools For this movie, James Cameron and his team developed a new way to develop innovative visual effects using advanced virtual cinematography techniques. Using the software a virtual stage was created in which the performance of actors would be captured, applied to computer generated characters and also the ability to view the results in real time. The uncanny valley, which is the noticeable difference between real life human characters and computer generated characters, was overcome by using advanced performance capture and visual Source: (Avatar Behind The Scenes) Motion Capture Motion Capture has been used in the film industry very often. The most basic definition of motion capture is recording the movement and translating that movement into a digital model. To achieve this actors in movies wear reflective markers all over their body which are then interpreted by a computer and turned into digital 3D models. Advantages Of Motion Capture Very fast and it is possible to achieve real time results. Because of this the cost of keyframe animation can be reduced. Very complex movements can be recreated. The amount of animation data that can be gathered is very large. This saves a lot of time. Disadvantages Of Motion Capture Special hardware and software is needed to execute motion capture Movements that do not follow the law of physics can generally not be captured. (Motion Capture) Film Industry and Web 2.0 The amount of users using the Internet these days have grown dramatically over the past years. This has allowed the film industry to reach their audience more easily through online advertising and by the use of social networks such as Facebook, YouTube. Search Engines The internet revolves around Google. The term search online these days means using one of the major search engines. These are either Google, Yahoo or Bing. Search engines also have an impact on the film industry. New movies coming out have their own websites and these are found mostly by search engines showing the relevant results and showing the movie website when users search online for it through search engines. This is the way the relevant websites of movies are found and they reach wider audience. Facebook With over 500 million users on Facebook, this has become an enormous platform to advertise on for film makers of their latest upcoming movies. One of the main reasons Facebook is a huge marketing advantage for film makers is because of the ability for information to be spread virally on it. Facebook groups and fan pages are liked by thousands of Facebook users daily and these are very viral in nature. It is not very uncommon to see a Facebook Fan Page having liked by millions of Facebook users. The above mentioned marketing methods are in fact free and it doesnt cost anything for film makers to create a these pages and they eventually become viral. Facebook also has a paid advertising program that can be used to market just about anything. Fanpages are a great way to know your audience better. Facebook is all about conversation and interaction with people which is why film makers can interact with their audience more easily, ask for their opinions and get to know what they want. There is one main advantage to why paid advertising on Facebook is the best. The reason is because you one can get ultra-targeted audience from Facebook due to all the information that users put on their profile. (Facebook Stats) Above is a screen shot of information from a Facebook users profile. All the information put is put here by the user itself and it contains information about the users location, college/school, sex, martial status, their likes and interests and hobbies. Facebook uses this information to target the right audience through their advertising program. Whenever an advertiser wishes to create an advertising campaign with Facebook he/she is presented with a number of targeting options. These options include the following: Age Location Sex Marital Status Education And Work Likes And Interests Advertisers on Facebook can target their audience based on all of these above criteria which enables them to target only the kind of people that might be interested in what they are advertising, which in this case are movies. YouTube Now owned by Google, YouTube is the most famous video sharing site on the Internet. YouTube has both good and bad effects on the film industry. According to the stats from YouTube.com itself and other sites like website-monitoring.com YouTube exceeds 2 billion views per day. An estimated number of 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every single minute and an average person spends about 15 minutes per day on YouTube. Film Makers know this and have had an enormous marketing advantage and have reached a more wider audience because of this. YouTube has made a separate page especially for movie trailers where they can be uploaded and then made public. YouTube, like most other Web 2.0 sites engages conversation among the viewers and visitors that come and watch videos and movie trailers. This is yet another advantage to the film industry as they can know the opinions of their viewers and get their feedback. Another great feature of YouTube is its ability to share the video virally on other social network sites like Facebook MySpace and others. An estimated number of 46.2 years of video is watched a day from Facebook itself. One important aspect of these Web 2.0 sites is that most of them are interlinked. For example you can use your Facebook account of sign in to several Web 2.0 sites. This makes information on the internet very viral in nature which is a benefit for advertisers. The disadvantage of YouTube is that currently there are about 7,000 hours of movies and TV shows that are put up on YouTube for users to watch for free. Some of these videos uploaded do break the copyright law. These videos are continuously being uploaded on YouTube and there is little that can be done about this. This is just one of the several video sharing sites. There are also others like Vimeo also where copyrighted material are being uploaded every single day by users. (Youtube Facts) Social Bookmarking Social bookmarking is when users bookmark a certain website or web page that they have found interesting and this is then publically viewable to all the other users on that social bookmarking website. Two of the very famous social bookmarking websites online today are Digg and Delicious. These social bookmarking websites are again a great way for information on movies, film to go viral and reach a lot of people. It is again possible to sign into most of these social networks using your Facebook account. One such social bookmarking site is Digg. Disadvantages Of Web 2.0 Broadband Internet Ever since broadband internet was introduced, internet users have been able to enjoy higher speeds in downloads and uploads. This has given a rise in piracy. It is said that one inn four people have illegally downloaded a film. The film studios say that piracy on the net has cost them billions of dollars in losses. The estimated figure as of the year 2006 is $20 billion. It is said that film piracy is going to increase as more people shift to broadband and can download files at higher speeds. (Online Film Piracy Set To Rise) (Film Piracy Cost The Economy $20 billion) File Sharing Sites The main disadvantages when it comes to the internet and Web 2.0 are copyright issues. Since digital data can be easily copied it is very common to see movies being shared on File sharing sites and discussion boards. A lot of these file sharing sites have their servers off-shore, in some other countries where copyright laws dont apply to them. This means that it is possible for them to have lot of copyrighted material on them and users from anywhere in the world is able to download them simply with the click of a mouse button. Peer 2 Peer Networks P2P and torrent sites have become a very common way to share files on the internet. All that is needed is a small piece of software installed on a computer that allows a user to share files directly from their computer. This way millions of users can openly share whatever is on their hard drive with other users on the peer to peer network. This makes it very easy to share pirated movies across the internet. File Sharing Message Boards The term Warez refers to copyrighted material being shared for free and this term is very famous on the internet. A lot of forums and message boards are specially made for this purpose and millions of users download movies and tons of other copyrighted material for free which does a significant harm to the film industry. Portable Digital Cameras Recent portable digital cameras and camcorders have given a rise to piracy. It is now very easy for users to take a portable camcorder or camera into a cinema and record the movie during the runtime. This recording is then sold on DVDs and/or uploaded on file sharing sites and/or peer to peer networks. Conclusion And Evaluation The leap in Digital Animation software has helped the film industry in making more detailed, 3D animated films. Web 2.0 has played a major part in the success of the booming film industry that is present today. With the help of social networks and its viral features, the marketing of new movies have become very easy and also cost effective. Although film piracy is on the rise and more people are using camcorders in theatres and copying off DVDs and posting them on the internet, the film industry has shown a significant amount of growth. Film piracy has cost them millions of dollars but yet film revenues have tripled over the last 25 years. Newly developed CG techniques like performance capture have started a new era to the film industry which is going to lead them into making more better films. It is clear from the above information presented that the advantages of what then new technological advancements have done for the film industry clearly outweigh the disadvantages. 3D cameras and state of the art animation and editing have lead todays movies to be more enjoyable and fun to watch. (The Fact And Fiction Of Camcorder Piracy)

Hysteria Changes People Essay -- essays research papers

Hysteria is a mental disorder marked by excitability, anxiety, or imaginary disorders. It can play an important role in people’s lives. Hysteria supplants logic and enables people to believe that their neighbors, whom they have always considered highly respectable, do things they would never expect them of doing. In â€Å"The Crucible†, hysteria causes people to believe their friends are committing deplorable acts. The townsfolk accept and become active in the hysterical climate not only out of genuine religious piety but also because it gives them a chance to express repressed sentiments and to seek reparations from grudges. Hysteria suspends the rules of daily life and allows the acting out of every dark desire and hateful urge under the charade of righteousness. In â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, the hysteria due to the paranoia of witchcraft causes Abigail to lie in order to save herself, Danforth to ruin the community, and Proctor to be convicted of w itchery. The hysteria surrounding the witchtrials causes Abigail to lie in order to save herself. She is affected by the hysteria because she does not want to exposed as a liar. She forgets about the people that are close to her in order to protect her reputation and identity. Abigail abandons Tituba, and accuses her of "sending her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer" (41). Abigail also says Tituba "comes to me every night to go and drink blood (41). Abigail reacts like this only to save her fro...

Relationship between a model and Similitude

Relationship between a model and Similitude For a model, similitude is achieved when testing conditions are created such that the test results are applicable to the real design. There are some criteria that are required to achieve similitude; 1 . Geometric similarity – The model is the same shape as the application (they are usually scaled). 2. Kinematic similarity – Fluid flow of both the model and real application must undergo similar time rates of change motions. (Fluid streamlines are similar). 3.Dynamic similarity – Ratios of all forces acting on orresponding fluid particles and boundary surfaces in the two systems are constant.The application is analyzed in order to satisfy the conditions; 1 . All parameters required to describe the system are Identified using principles from continuum mechanics. 2. Dimensional analysis is used to express the system with as few Independent variables and as many dimensionless parameters as possible. 3. The values of the dime nsionless parameters are held to be the same for both the scale model and application.This can be done because they are dimensionless and will ensure dynamic similitude between the model and the application. The resulting equations are used to derive scaling laws which dictate model testing conditions. However, it is often impossible to achieve strict similitude during a model test. The greater the departure from the application's operating conditions, the more difficult achieving similitude is. Similitude is a term used widely in fracture mechanics relating to the strain life approach.Under given loading onditions the fatigue damage in an unnotched specimen is comparable to that of a notched specimen. Similitude suggests that the component fatigue life of the two objects will also be similar. One example that we can give here Is the. Pipe friction apparatus has been designed for students to measure pipe friction losses for laminar and turbulent flows. For laminar flow study, an ele vated head tank Is used for water supply, whilst for turbulent flow; the supply is from the Hydraulics Bench using oses with rapid action hose coupling.Students may control the flow rate of water by adjusting the flow regulator valve. The test section is connected to manometers via pressure tapplngs. The purpose (objectives) doing this experiment are; Measurement of the pressure loss for laminar flow Measurement of the pressure loss for turbulent flow Determination of the critical Reynolds' number Measurements using a tube manometer Measurements using a mercury U tube manometer Reynolds number in pipe frictionPressure drops seen for fully developed flow of fluids through pipes can be predicted 1 OF2 uslng tne Moody Olagram wnlcn plots tne Darcy-welsoacn Trlctlon Tactor T against Reynolds number Re and relative roughness. The diagram clearly shows the laminar, transition, and turbulent flow regimes as Reynolds number increases. The nature of pipe flow is strongly dependent on whether the flow is laminar or turbulent. using the Moody diagram which plots the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor f against Reynolds number Re and relative roughness . The diagram clearly shows the laminar,

Case Study in Curriculum Development

According to MEIJER In the year 1999 the benefits of electronic testing to the educators is to give Information on the accuracy in answer gathering, analysis of scoring results and the reduction of human error in test taking, as well as computation and analysis of the test results on the computer. The electronic online testing is worth the cost because it is easy to use like in business, training & educational assessment with tests and quizzes graded instantly. Electronic testing or testing for short, Just means that you will take the test using a computer r other electronic device Instead of pencil and paper. Testing has an ability to include novel types of questions which could potentially be graphical In nature or dynamic by using animations. In some cases test questions are drawn from question banks. If that is the case, everyone may receive a deferent version of the test. Depending on the option settings of the test, you may be able to see your score immediately upon completing the test. 2. How might Principal Harris deal with resistance from teachers who oppose the use of electronic testing and data analysis?Principal Harris wanted to have a good standards regarding in the processing of grade and he also want to have an organize grading system that will be use in the electronic testing and data analysis. It can be use by the teachers in school because it helps to develop their learning in computer and applying it in their teaching strategy. Principal Harris should first state the objectives to the teacher. He also need to know the ideas of other teachers and the stakeholder that has something to do with the curriculum and which strategy will fit the plan.The electronic learning (e- earning) literature has not addressed the measurement of learner satisfaction with asynchronous e-learning systems. Current models for measuring user satisfaction (US) and students' evaluation of teaching effectiveness (SET) are perceived as inapplicable as they are targeted pr imarily towards either organizational information systems or classroom education environment. My study developed a comprehensive model and instrument for measuring learner satisfaction with asynchronous e- learning systems.The procedures used in conceptualizing the survey, generating teems, collecting data, and validating the multiple-item scale are described. This study carefully examined evidence of reliability, content validity, criterion-related validity, convergent validity, discriminate validity, and homological validity by analyzing data from a sample of 116 adult respondents. The norms of the instrument were then developed, and the potential applications for practitioners and researchers explored. Finally, this paper discusses limitations of the work.As qualitative research methods become more refined, so there is an increasing need to teach data analysis methods. This paper offers a group method ? based on experiential learning principles ? for teaching the analysis of text ual data. Terms are defined, an outline for a preliminary theory input is offered and then the group method, itself, is described. Variants of the method are also described and various objections to the method are addressed. When using data analysis, the aim was to build a model to describe the phenomenon in a conceptual form.Both inductive and deductive analysis processes are represented as three main phases: preparation, organizing and reporting. The preparation phase is similar in both approaches. The concepts are derived from the data in inductive content analysis. Deductive content analysis is used when the structure of analysis is personalized on the basis of previous knowledge. Inductive data analysis is used in cases where there are no previous studies dealing with the aim was to test a previous theory in a different situation or to compare categories at different time periods.Data analysis is the most difficult and most crucial aspect of qualitative research. Coding is one of the significant steps taken during analysis to organize and make sense of textual data. Http://www. Indolence. Com/DOI/abs/ 10. 1080/0013188032000133548 The punctual should also rely on Hills Tabs approach because she used ideas to create four thinking strategies known as the Tab approach. This four strategies are concept development, interpretation of data, application of generalizations, and interpretations of feelings, attitudes and values.Using all four strategies, the goal is to facilitate student's thinking skills. Based on Tab's method, â€Å"to think† means â€Å"helping them [students] to formulate data into conceptual patterns, to verbalize relationships between discrete segments of data, to cake inferences from data, to make generalizations on the basis of data and to test these generalizations, and to become sensitive to such corollary relationships as cause and effect and similarities and differences. Http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ Hills Tab 4. What future role will online testing have in evaluating a field of study?The future role with online testing in evaluating a field of study is on how they will equip, reach and access students well performances. It shows the ability of the users to create a good concept that will be use in the field of study. To consider online earning key to advancing their mission, and placing advanced education. In the world of globalization advance technologies is the way to reach the higher quality in education. The important role is to develop the skill in computer and the proper use of it. Electronic testing tools also make mastery learning activities possible.Mastery learning, which is very similar to drill and practice, is when you study and complete assessments until a set goal is reached. Unlike drill and practice, mastery learning activities are completed for a grade. For example, you (or your instructor) might set a AOL of 90 percent correct responses when learning foreign language vocabulary. You then study the vocabulary and take the test as many times as you need to until you reach your goal. Prior to the availability of electronic testing, it was not practical for instructors to create large question banks and administer multiple testing sessions. Http://study. Us. Deed assess student achievement? Identify the strategies and explain why you think they might be effective. Principal Harris should use the correct implementation of education technology. It will demonstrate the need for the correct implementation and use of education genealogy. Some factors for successful technology implementation are: (1) Effective professional development for teachers in the integration of technology into instruction is necessary to support student learning. 2) Teachers' direct application of technology must be aligned to local and/or state curriculum standards. (3) Technology must be incorporated into the daily learning schedule (I. E. , not as a supplement or after-school tutorial). (4) Progra ms and applications must provide individualized feedback to students and teachers and must have the ability to tailor lessons to individual student needs. 5) Student collaboration in the use of technology is more effective in influencing student achievement than strictly individual use. 6) Project-based learning and real-world simulations are more effective in changing student motivation and achievement than drill-and-practice applications. (7) Effective technology integration requires leadership, support, and modeling from teachers, administrators, and the community/parents. (Using Technology to Personalize Learning and Assess Students in Real-Time, Darrell M. West) The uses of technology in assessment of students can be separated into: technology s a tool of assessment; technology to assess learning. Technology as a tool of assessment is found fairly commonly in UK universities.By this, is meant the use of a technological facility to aid the process of assessment. Asking students, for example, to make a short video film to illustrate the flow of people through various routes in a National Park, and then viewing and grading it, would be using video as a tool of assessment. This could have been undertaken by setting students an essay question or asking them to make an oral presentation. Technology is used as a tool of assessment for a variety of reasons – it may prove ore efficient to watch 15 ten-minute videos than 15 ten-minute oral presentations.It may be that students learn a new range of skills and gain valuable experience from making the video, or that certain skills can be assessed more effectively. Whatever the reason, it is becoming increasingly common to use a range of technologies to supplement or replace traditional paper and pencil tests. Using technology to assess involves the use of technology to assign marks to an essay, practical or project. (Using Technology to Assess Student Learning 1 Joanna Bull)

The Wendt Corporation Essay Example

The Wendt Corporation Essay Example The Wendt Corporation Essay The Wendt Corporation Essay Chapter 2 problem 2-8, p. 79 The Wendt Corporation had $10. 5 million of taxable income. a. What is the company’s federal income tax bill for the year? Answer: $10. 5 x 0. 35 = $525, 000. 00 b. Assume the firm receives an additional $1 million of interest from some bonds it owns. What is the tax on this interest income? Answer: $1,000,000. 00 x 0. 35 = $350,000. 00 c. Now assume that Wendt does not receive the interest income but does receive an additional $1 million as dividends on some stock it owns. What is the tax on this dividend income? Answer: $1. 000,000. 00 x 0. 105 = $105, 000. 00 Chapter 3 problem, 3-6 p. 112 (Du Pont Analysis) Donaldson Sons has a ROA of 10%, a 2% profit margin, and a return on equity equal to 15%. What is the company’s total assets turnover? Answer: ROA = 10%; PM = 2%; ROE = 15% PM = NI/Sales = ROA = NI/TA = NI/Sales x Sales/TA NI/TA = PM x TATO 10% = 2% x TATO = TATO = 5 What is the firm’s equity multiplier? Answer: ROE = PM x TATO x TA/E [Equity Multiplier] DU Pont= 15% = 2% x 5 x EM 15%/10% = EM = 1. 5 Complete the balance sheet and sales information in the table that follows for Hoffmeister Industries using the following financial datat. Debt Ratio: 50% Quick Ratio: 0. 80 Total Assets Turnover: 1. 5 Days Sales Outstanding: 36. 5 days (based upon 365 day year) Gross Profit margin on sales: (Sales – Cost of goods sold)/Sales = 25% Inventory turnover ratio: 5. 0 Balance Sheet Cash$27,000Accounts Payable$90,000 AR$45,000Long-term debt$60,000 Inventories$67,500Common Stock$52,500 Fixed assets$169,500Retained Earnings$97,500 Total assets$300,000Total liabilities $300,000 Equity Sales$450,000Cost of goods sold $337,500 Answer: Asset turnover = Revenue / Total Assets Total Assets = ($300,000 x 1. 5) (revenue) = $40,000 Debt Ratio = Total Liabilities / Total Assets Total Assets = ($300,000 x 0. 20) (debt ratio) = $150,000 Total Liabilities = $150. 000. 00 (accts payable unknown) Long Term debt = $60,000 Accounts Payable = ($150,000 $60,000) = $90,000 Days Sales outstanding = 36. 5 days = AR Balance/ Sales x 365 DSO = 36. 5 AR = 10% of $450,000 = $45,000 GPM = 25%; Cost of Goods Sold = (. 75 x $450,000) $337,500 QR = (Cash + AR)/CL. = $90,000 x . 80) $72,000 Cash = ($72,000 $45,000) $27,000 Debt Ratio = 5. 0, inventory balance = (337,500/5) $67,500 Fixed Assets = ($300,000 $27,000, $45,000, $67,500) $169,500 Balance of Common Stock = $300,000 $150,000 $97,500) $52,500

The False Moon by Shirley Golden Essay Example

The False Moon by Shirley Golden Essay Example The False Moon by Shirley Golden Paper The False Moon by Shirley Golden Paper Socialization is the procedure where a child slowly develops into an independent person. During the process, sociologists say that the main socialization happens at home. We reflect ourselves in our parents. It is therefore central for children to have stable homes, with good values and love, which is the essence of this short story. The False Moon is written by the American writer, Shirley Golden, in 2011. In this assignment I want to analyse the short story by looking at the narrator, the main character relationship to his mother, the title and the symbols. The short story is told by a first-person narrator, who is called Matt. On page 1, line 14, we get a physical description of the narrator, which helps us visualize how he looks: â€Å"I’m lanky, skinny, Im told, with large eyes and lashes more suited to a girl†. We also get the impression of him being lazy and tired of life. Page 1, line 26: â€Å"It was easy not to care, and I wasnt the sort to start a fight†. Here we can feel how tired the narrator is of his life conditions. Matt is very fervent about painting, and this is the only thing which drives him, which you can see on page 3, line 103: â€Å"Nothing else is important, not checking in at registration, not the fact Im covered in bruises from the gang down the road. This quote shows that nothing else than painting is important in his life. On page 2, line 42 the narrator says: â€Å"I didnt trust words, and that excluded me from most subjects; and I struggled with numbers, which barred me from the rest. But lines were reliable. I’d always liked lines. Here again, we get the impression that painting means everything to him, since it typically consists of lines. In contrast, he tells the reader that he does not trust words, which could have something to do with his relationship too his mother, because he thinks that the most things she says to him is bullshit. (Page 1, l. 12). The reason he likes lines so much, is becaus

17th Century Timeline, 1600 Through 1699

17th Century Timeline, 1600 Through 1699 Major changes in the fields of philosophy and science took place  during the 17th century. Prior to the beginning of the 1600s, scientific study  and scientists in the field were not truly recognized. In fact, important figures and pioneers such as the 17th-century physicist  Isaac Newton were initially called natural philosophers because there was no such thing as the word scientist throughout most of the 17th century. But it was during this period that the emergence of newly-invented machines became part of the daily and economic lives of many people. While people studied and relied upon the more or less unproven principles of  medieval alchemy, it was during the 17th century that a transition to the science of chemistry took place. Another important development during this time was the evolution  from astrology to astronomy.   So by the end of the 17th century, the scientific revolution had taken hold and this new field of study had established itself as the leading society-shaping force that encompassed mathematical, mechanical, and  empirical bodies of knowledge. Notable scientists of this  era include the astronomer  Galileo Galilei, philosopher Renà © Descartes, inventor and mathematician  Blaise Pascal,  and  Isaac Newton. Here is a brief  historical list of the greatest technology, science, and invention hits of the 17th century. 1608 German-Dutch spectacle-maker Hans Lippershey invents the first refracting telescope. 1620 Dutch builder Cornelis Drebbel invents the earliest human-powered submarine. 1624 English mathematician William Oughtred invents the  slide rule. 1625 French physician Jean-Baptiste Denys invents a method for blood transfusion. 1629 Italian engineer and architect Giovanni Branca invents a steam turbine. 1636 English astronomer and mathematician W. Gascoigne invents the micrometer. 1642 French mathematician  Blaise Pascal invents the adding machine. 1643 Italian mathematician and physicist Evangelista Torricelli invents the barometer. 1650 Scientist and inventor  Otto von Guericke invents an air pump. 1656 Dutch mathematician and scientist  Christian Huygens  invents a pendulum clock. 1660 Cuckoo clocks were made in Furtwangen, Germany, in the Black Forest region. 1663 Mathematician and astronomer James Gregory invents the first reflecting telescope. 1668 Mathematician and physicist  Isaac Newton  invents a reflecting telescope. 1670 The first reference to a  candy cane  is made. French Benedictine monk Dom Pà ©rignon invents  Champagne. 1671 German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz invents the calculating machine. 1674 Dutch Microbiologist  Anton Van Leeuwenhoek  was the first to see and describe bacteria with a microscope. 1675 Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and  physicist  Christian Huygens  patents the pocket watch. 1676 English architect and  natural philosopher  Robert Hooke  invents the universal joint. 1679 French physicist, mathematician, and inventor Denis Papin ​invents the pressure cooker. 1698 English inventor and engineer  Thomas Savery  invents a steam pump.

Nike Global Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 14

Nike Global Company - Essay Example It must be pointed out that these countries have cheap availability of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labor resources because of poverty, inconsistent economic growth rate, and sporadic employment generation. Obviously, Nike, being a multinational company, focuses on branding and charges relatively higher prices for its brands so it observed considerable costs saving when it produced and contracted in these nations. Also, the governments of these countries are unable to successfully implement labor reforms and policies thereby enabling Nike to manipulate labor resources of poor countries. Nike was allegedly involved in illicit practices such as paying low wages, work overload, inflexible working hours, discrepancies in recruitment and selection program, use of poisonous chemicals and inputs in production process, non-availability of fringe benefits and medical facilities to employees, workplace harassment, exploitation and induction of child labor within its production sites loc ated in the aforementioned Asian countries. This is where Nike was heavily criticized by media personnel, human rights and community welfare organizations for not fulfilling labor laws outside US market while making profits at the expense of poor labor. (Ferrell and Jackson, pp. 547 - 549) Nike had no other option but to rebuild its image in front of concerned actors thereby maintaining its reputation and goodwill in the marketplace. Its sales reduced substantially and public image shattered when private information was disclosed by renowned newspapers and electronic media channels. Nike, as a response, launched campaigns to provide clarifications and in turn strengthen its relationships with its potential customers. This strategy was although a move in the right direction as Nike visited the high school, college and university students that extol Nike’s quality and product range and make purchase decisions accordingly.

Analyze science lesson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze science lesson - Essay Example It is flexible so that it frees student to explore diverse possibility. Indirect instructions foster creativity and inter personal skills and abilities, the role of teacher shifts from lecturer to that of facilitator. Interactive Instructional strategy - Discussion and sharing among participants is involved. Experiential learning -Focuses on the participation in an activity. Reactions and observations are shared. Independent Study - Help students become self-sufficient and responsible citizens by enhancing individual potential. Independent study is very flexible, it can be used as the major instructional strategy with the whole class, in combination with other strategies, or it can be used with one or more individuals while another strategy is used with the rest of the class (Core Knowledge Foundation Staff, 2000). This preschool lesson plan deals with the life cycle of plants explaining their different parts. The children are instructed by their teachers to get seeds of different plants like Gram, Pea, Maize and Castor oil. They may take a piece of soil or a pot where sunlight should fall on them. Children are then asked to sow the seeds in soil, water them and observe them daily. They will observe that seeds give rise to two tiny structures one coming upwards in the sunlight, the future stem and the other going inside the soil away from sunlight, the future root. In all of this process direct instructional strategy is implemented. The preschool teacher instructs the students to uproot a small plant and observe the roots. Leaves of different sizes are shown to the children and vital importance of leaves should be told to them. Children are instructed to familiarize themselves with another important organ of the plant â€Å"the stem†. Plants of different heights are brought into observation of the students. Children are instructed to measure the heights with any tool of measurements. Oral language instructions like

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business law - Essay Example The reporting of the matter has nothing to do with the claim from the insurance company or the third party. As per the policy in vogue, all insurers will have to operate day in and day out. Further, even those cases where settlement arrived at with the driver or vice versa, the matter should be brought to the notices of the insurers (The Law Society of Singapore 2012). 25 passengers who were dancing on the tune of music in the bus were injured on the application of brakes by the driver to save the bus from head on collision with the lorry. Had those passengers paid heed to the warning of driver to not to dance, the injuries could be averted. Here, neither the transport company nor the driver is liable for action (The Law Society of Singapore 2012). Whether Lancung Transport is liable for the action of the driver? Answer: The Actus reus  requires a voluntary act or omission for evidence of fault. It also merits clear causation so as to fix the liability against the individual at fau lt and make him liable for action of his misdeeds. This is the only way to remove the legal blame and to absolve the innocent. In another scenario if the defendant commits an act, which falls under the category of voluntary criminal act, it means that there is strong evidence that he is at fault, and can be blamed for the crime he committed. If an act does not fall within the category of involuntary act, such an act not be termed as act of automatism or under duress. Under the mentioned circumstances, the defendant will not be at fault, and hence not liable for action. It is a matter of fact that once a point of law has been decided by the competent jurisdiction in a particular case of law it can be applicable in all similar future cases that contains the same substance of the facts. Under the mentioned circumstances, the driver of the transport company is not liable for action under the law since the passengers were at fault, not the driver. If Lancung Transport has any defense aga inst their claim Answer: The cited transport company in its defense may take the plea that since those who met with the minor or major injuries are themselves responsible for their misdeeds and not the transport company. If those injured persons acceded to the request of the driver, the situation would have been the other way round. If the passengers are not ready to accept the version of the driver, they may have the authority to proceed further in the matter under the Non Injury Motor Accident protocol to determine the liability (The Law Society of Singapore 2012). This is the general policy for the stakeholders. However, the ultimate prerogative and the final decision lie with the insurers. If the injured persons against the wishes of the insurer will go to the trial court, have to bear the cost of suits and other expenses incurred on litigation to be determined by the competent court of law. Under the mentioned circumstances, the insurer will not be responsible to satisfy the ex penses as the competent court may deem fit and appropriate (The Law Society of Singapore 2012). 2-Explanation a) According to the doctrine of promissory, a promise is binding in nature although it is not supported by money consideration.  As per the applicable doctrine, a party of a contract ensures an unequivocal promise by words or act that he or she will not force for his or her legal rights available to them under the contract. The deeds of

Property Law Asessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Property Law Asessment - Essay Example Private express trust which is governed by the precedent set by the case of Knight vs Knight of 1830. It sets out three certainties which need to be met in order for a trust to be met. These are certainty of matter, object and word. The followings are legal advise that Leo needs to know concerning the clauses in his draft will. 1. Under the law of trusts, for a disposition to be valid, three certainties must be met. Certaintyof matter, objects and words. Certainty of matter is Leos building shares, of intention is when he says that income from his building shares to go to Ben as long as he lives and of object is Ben himself2. This disposition is a fixed trust. In the case of Re Endacott 1959, a fixed trust is identified as the ability to identify the lists of beneficiaries. Here, Ben is a beneficiary therefore this trust is valid. 2. This disposition is a private express trust. In the case involving Knight vs. Knight3, three certainties must be present for a valid trust and Kassim be ing the only beneficiary, this trust is therefore a bare trust. The subject matter and intention of the testator is not clear in this situation since the word reasonable is vague. Leo has not given a precise value of what Kassim needs to earn from his blue chip companies.In the 1965 case of Golays Trust4, the word reasonable was extensively analyzed and it was allowed to stand in the legal principles of defining certainty of subject matter. The intention of Leo under this dispension is unclear and the case of Re Adams and the Kensington Vestry of 18845 analyzes if this disposition is valid. The case used the words in full confidence, and it failed because the words were not sufficientto create a trust. Another case, of Musoori Bank ltd andRaynor of 18826 used the words,In full confidence and the court ruled that words such as that cannot create a valid trust.Under the case Palmer vs. Simmonds 1854, the word bulk was used and it was considered insufficient in writing a will, since th e word itself is vague. Under similar circumstances, the word reasonable is vague and it requires more clarity from Leo. Therefore this trust is void. 3. Ben and Toby are the only beneficiaries of this disposition making this a fixed trust under the certainty of object law. However there is a possibility of Ben dying before making a choice and therefore this disposition is invalid under the principles set out in the Boyce and Boyce 1849 case. Where the testator gave one of his daughter, Maria a choice of taking one of his houses before his other daughter Charlotte. Maria died before choosing any house making the will void. Using this principles of this case, the trust will be void. 4. This is an example of a public express trust. Under the case of Knight vs. Knight, 1830, for a public express trust to be valid, there must be three certainties. Certainty of words, subject matter and objects. Under this case, there is certainty of subjects that are Sonya and Adaeze and certainty of ob jects that is the residuary estate. However, the word bulk is not certain. Under the case Palmer vs Simmonds 18547, the word bulk was found to be vague therefore using the same principles of Palmer and Simmonds, this trust is void. 5. This disposition is a purpose trust and under the law, it will not hold. The 1876 case of Musset vs Bingle 8prevented the erection of monuments for an individual and under the draft will; there are no beneficiaries for the monument. The case Morice vs. Bishop of

Wk 3 Several areas where trafficking has continued to flourish Essay

Wk 3 Several areas where trafficking has continued to flourish - Essay Example rengthened the All-China Women’s Federation to work in partnership with the International Labor Organization [ILO] to sustain the anti-trafficking awareness and prevention campaigns. The success of this move by the Beijing Administration is exemplified by the fact that three million people were reached (Yik-yi Chu, 40-42). Nigeria has also concerted a lot of effort to carry out awareness and educational campaigns through an array of awareness programs, by liaising with NGOs such as Action-Aid International Nigeria, Access to Education for Children, Alliances for Africa and The African Project Foundation. However, like its counterpart China, Nigeria has realized stunted success in this quest. This is partly because the awareness programs have failed to specifically target specific populations that are most vulnerable. To effectively fight human trafficking in China, it is important that the Beijing Administration empowers rural areas where poverty is more profound, yet poverty goes hand-in-hand with human trafficking. The government also needs to make legislation that clearly defines human trafficking and prescribes the legal penalty that an offender should serve. Nigeria needs to also make legislation which clearly defines human trafficking and the legal penalty that should accompany it. It is also expedient that Nigeria: fights at eradicating its poverty levels; strengthens its institutions [especially Nigeria’s criminal justice system]; and reconsiders its anti-trafficking awareness and educational campaigns so as to reach proper target

Chronic Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Chronic Illness - Essay Example With the fact that this is a serious problem in mind, it is important to take a critical look at some of the specific trend details, with particular attention to demographics and the state-by-state basis. This owes to the fact that different demographics is affected differently and states have diverse localized approaches to dealing with t problem, such as community health programs. Another important element to address includes the interventions that have been put in place in dealing with the problem as well as ways in which national and local policy impacts health care of individuals with chronic illness. This paper seeks to illuminate, among others necessary, the aforementioned issues and concepts. The basic definition of a chronic illness is one that cannot be cured, but can be treated. There is a wide range of them, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia and different mental health problems among many others. One would add that there are various ways in which chronic illnesses can be prevented because they are preventable. Apart from prevention, they can be managed effectively using frequent exercise, improvements in diet, therapy, and early detection (Chang & Johnson, 2014). Chronic illnesses occur throughout one’s life cycle, aggravating in old age. It has been noted that, over the last one decade, chronic diseases have replaced infectious diseases to become the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. In addition, their prevalence has been on the rise. In a report that was presented in 2011, based on a primary research study, it was noted that chronic illnesses have not only increased among older adults but has also led to an increase in disability and impairment cases (Hung et al, 2011). This study established that chronic diseases are increasingly affecting adults between

Wk 3 Several areas where trafficking has continued to flourish Essay

Wk 3 Several areas where trafficking has continued to flourish - Essay Example rengthened the All-China Women’s Federation to work in partnership with the International Labor Organization [ILO] to sustain the anti-trafficking awareness and prevention campaigns. The success of this move by the Beijing Administration is exemplified by the fact that three million people were reached (Yik-yi Chu, 40-42). Nigeria has also concerted a lot of effort to carry out awareness and educational campaigns through an array of awareness programs, by liaising with NGOs such as Action-Aid International Nigeria, Access to Education for Children, Alliances for Africa and The African Project Foundation. However, like its counterpart China, Nigeria has realized stunted success in this quest. This is partly because the awareness programs have failed to specifically target specific populations that are most vulnerable. To effectively fight human trafficking in China, it is important that the Beijing Administration empowers rural areas where poverty is more profound, yet poverty goes hand-in-hand with human trafficking. The government also needs to make legislation that clearly defines human trafficking and prescribes the legal penalty that an offender should serve. Nigeria needs to also make legislation which clearly defines human trafficking and the legal penalty that should accompany it. It is also expedient that Nigeria: fights at eradicating its poverty levels; strengthens its institutions [especially Nigeria’s criminal justice system]; and reconsiders its anti-trafficking awareness and educational campaigns so as to reach proper target

Education Reform Essay Example for Free

Education Reform Essay Introduction 1. How many of you had a senior class with a 100% graduation rate? 90%? 80%? 70%? Less than 70%? I graduated in 1985, tenth in my class. There were 500 kids in my senior class, and all but three of us graduated. That’s over a 99% graduation rate. Yet, we had been told just two years prior that our schools were not doing their jobs, and that we would be the first generation that would not exceed our parents’ generation educationally. What does that say about your generation? Is it your fault? Or your teachers or parents? Is it because of or in spite of education reform? 2. Today I will speak to you about education reform. First, I will discuss a bit of the history of reform, especially in the latter half of the 20th century. Next, I will speak about how the reform of today is actually hurting both students and teachers, and creating problems for future generations. Finally, I will talk about some possible solutions to give teachers more autonomy in teaching and children more joy and interest in learning. 3. I am qualified to speak about this topic because of my own experiences with education reform, the past ten years of extensive research I have done on this subject, and the papers I have written about it. (Transition: Let me begin by giving you a brief history of education reform. ) Body 1. Education reform is nothing new. A look at the history of public schools in the United States shows accountability standards have been around for nearly 200 years. Who is accountable to whom and for what have changed, but the basic premise has been in place a long time. In 1897, Dr. Joseph Mayer Rice began the push for standardized achievement tests to evaluate curriculum and instruction. While unsuccessful at first, by World War I school boards across the nation were using achievement tests in elementary and secondary schools. Accountability was placed on the administrators, superintendents, and the school boards. Until just after the Second World War, schools in modern buildings with sufficient rooms, desks, and textbooks for students, qualified teachers, and indoor plumbing were viewed as good schools. A. With the launch of Sputnik by the Soviets, education standards in America began to change. The upheaval of the 1950s and 1960s gave way to higher standards and the onus of accountability was beginning to shift to teachers. B. In The Schools our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and â€Å"Tougher Standards†, published in 1999, Alfie Kohn writes that by the end of the 1970s, two thirds of the states had mandated that high school students had to pass minimum competency tests to graduate. C. The 1983 report A Nation at Risk states â€Å"†¦the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur—others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments. â€Å" Reforms continued through the 1980s and 1990s, but it wasn’t until the much maligned No Child Left Behind was enacted in 2002 that education reform was once again at the forefront of our attention. (Transition: That brings me to my second point, which deals with the problems with education reform, most especially NCLB) 1. Teachers are being held to tougher and higher standards than ever before, and they are feeling the pressure. Many excellent teachers have either gone to teach at private schools or quit teaching altogether to avoid the demands made on them. Others have done their best to teach students in what has become a decidedly unfriendly environment. Decisions made by people who either have no experience in teaching children, or are so far removed from the public school setting are causing a rift in our educational process and a loss of respect for teachers. Teachers are now held accountable for the test scores and graduation rates of their students. Teachers are an easy target, and teacher bashing is all too common among policy makers. Some parents are also quick to blame the teacher instead of themselves or their child for poor test grades. It is little wonder that some teachers are seeking different jobs. The pressure of being a teacher is tremendous. To be held responsible for that over which they have little or no control is no way to keep current or attract new teachers to the profession. A. In their 2002 book High Stakes: Children, Testing, and Failure in American Schools, Dale and Bonnie Johnson make comparisons between jobs in education and other service-oriented jobs, saying â€Å" Dentists are not held accountable for patients who develop cavities. We do not blame social workers for clients that cannot get jobs. Lawyers are not accountable for clients who end up in prison. † B. A lack of autonomy and decision-making power over structures and procedures that affect their day-to-day work is one of the working conditions that teachers find intolerable. Elaine Garan, in her book In Defense of Our Children: When Politics, Profit, and Education Collide, published in 2004, says that â€Å"Teachers’ control over matters closest to them, such as pedagogy and curriculum content, has diminished because poor test scores lead to increased pressure to teach the standards and a tighter monitoring of teachers’ work. † C. It is not only the teachers who are affected by these standards. Children are also losers in this era of high stakes testing. An article titled High Stakes Testing Has a Negative Impact on Learning by David Berliner and Sharon Nichols in the 2008 book Has No Child Left Behind Been Good for Education? , states â€Å"By restricting the education of young people and substituting for it training to perform well on high stakes examinations, we are turning America into a nation of test-takers,  abandoning our heritage as a nation of thinkers, dreamers, and doers. † (Transition: Now that I’ve spoken about the problems with current education reforms, I’d like to talk about my third point: possible solutions that might allow teachers to be more autonomous and students to learn effectively. ) 1. In my research, I’ve come across a few interesting ideas for education reform. Two ideas that have some merit are learning community schools and child-centered schools. A. Charles Myers and Douglas Simpson write about learning community schools in their 1998 book Re-Creating Schools: Places Where Everyone Learns and Likes It. They say â€Å"When schools are thought of as learning communities, they are cultures rather than physical locations. As cultures, they have a moral purpose, a mission, and a shared set of core values. Their moral purpose is to educate students and their central goal is all students learning at the highest possible levels. † Obviously, these are common missions and goals of all schools, but the difference in learning community cultures, the mission and goal are used more consistently to create better learning for children and teachers alike. B. In his 1993 book, What are we trying to teach them anyway? A Father’s Focus on School Reform, Ronald Pierce advocates for child-centered schools. He writes, â€Å"Child-centered educators believe that each child needs to develop their own commitment to and style of learning, and that can only occur in an environment where the child largely directs his own learning. † In this setting, acquiring knowledge is still important, but not as much as the overall psychological and emotional development of the child. Conclusion 1. In conclusion, today I have spoken to you about the history of education reform, the problems with the current ideas, and some solutions that might make things better for teachers and students. 2. A teacher making $25,000 per year, buying their own classroom supplies, paying bills and possibly supporting a family is under a lot of strain. Add to that the stringent guidelines and the accountability standards of education today and it becomes obvious why so many young people are abandoning the profession or not entering it at all. Veteran teachers with a few years’ experience may make a bit more, but the same stresses are there. The mass firings of teachers, guidance counselors, principals and assistant principals in Rhode Island in February 2010 is an extreme example of the effects of high stakes education reforms. How are teachers supposed to do their jobs when the threat of being fired looms over their heads? We cannot expect our teachers to continue to work in conditions such as these, and we cannot expect our children to become automatons filled with facts that only glean the surface of what there is to learn. Bibliography Fisanick, Christina. Ed. Has No Child Left Behind Been Good for Education? Greenhaven Press. 2008. Print Garan, Elaine M. In Defense of Our Children: When Politics, Profit, and Education Collide. Heinemann, 2004. Print Johnson, Dale D and Bonnie. High Stakes: Children, Testing, and Failure in American Schools. Rowman Littlefield Publishers. 2002. Print Kohn, Alfie. The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and â€Å"Tougher Standards. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1999 Print Myers, Charles and Simpson, Douglas. Re-Creating Schools: Places Where Everyone Learns and Likes it. Corwin Press, Inc. 1998 National Commission on Excellence in Education. A Nation At Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. April 1993. Pierce, Ronald K. What are we trying to teach them anyway? A Father’s Focus on School Reform. ICS Press. 1993.

VitraHaus Construction Analysis

VitraHaus Construction Analysis The home of Vitra Home Collection, VitraHaus (2006-2010), is located on Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.1 It was designed by Basel-based architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron and opened in 2010.2 The purpose of the VitraHaus was to provide a space to present Vitra Home Collection furniture arrangements in different style genres and also provide inspirational ideas for visitors home and their own taste in design.3 In Charles Ray Eames Showroom, this was overcome by use of precedents which includes minimalism and the architects previous projects in Munich, Basel, and Paris.4 A) Historical Introduction: The VitraHaus(fig.1) was initiated as the home of the Vitra Home Collection that launched in January 2004.5 The company Vitra is a manufacturer and retailer of many leading furniture designers works.6 Vitra is also known for the Vitra Campus(fig.2) that make up its premises in Wil am Rhein.7 It is where company s widely acclaimed architecture of museum, atelier, showrooms, warehouse and manufacturing buildings are situated which make up its premises.8 These buildings are known for its internationally recognized architects such as like Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, Zaha Hadid, Nicholas Grimshaw, Alvaro Siza and Antonio Citterio as well as structures by Jean Prouv? and Richard Buckminster Fuller.9 Since its foundation in 1950, the company focused mainly on office furnishings and has targeted business clients until they launched its Home Collection in January 2004 with a new target group in mind: individual customers with an interest in design.10 It features collection of unique home product s including design classics, re-editions, as well as works by contemporary designers.11 The Vitra Home Collection was displayed in a former factory building on the main Vitra production site until the company decided to have a space solely serve for the Home Collection.12 To construct an additional space on the Vitra Campus, the company commissioned two Basel based architects Herzog and de Meuron in 2006 to design the home of Vitra Home Collection the VitraHause.13 The design development took place from 2006 to 2007 and the construction continued from 2007 to 2009 where the VitraHaus opened in Feburary 22nd 2010.14 The construction of VitraHaus was also a starting of a new chapter in the history of Vitra Campus since it was the newest addition in sixteen years since the last building the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry in1994.15 B) Spatial Organization and Planning: The VitraHaus is a five storey structure with twelve houses within the building.16 (fig.3) The Charles and Ray Eames showroom (fig.4) is located in the third floor of VitraHaus with dimension of approximately 90sq.meter.17 The visitors discovery on the path through the VitraHaus starts from fourth floor of the building towards the lower floors.18 As one starts their tour in fourth floor loft, they are introduced to a spectacular view of the Tullinger Hill and the history of Vitra and the VitraHaus.19 After one has been introduced to a brief knowledge of the Vitra and its history of furniture, The Vitra Classic awaits in the third floor (fig.5) where Charles and Ray Eames showroom is located.20 The Vitra Classic floor can be reached by three different paths throughout the building.21 First is to take the main stair which connects all the floors in the building.22 This main stair will introduce you directly to Charles and Ray Eames showroom which is located in the North East side of the floor.23 The second method is to take a lift which also connects all the floors in the building.24 However, the lift will lead you to the other collection of Vitra Classics which is located in the South West side of the floor.25 But one can easily walk to the other side of the floor.26 The third is a spiral stair which is accessible from the second floor.27 On the arrival of this spiral stair, one can choose to walk straight forward to the South West part of the floor or turn around to visit the Charles and Ray Eames collection.28 As you enter the showroom (fig.6), the front facade with glazed gable ends opens up the room to the view of landscape and the Vitra Campus.29 The daylight from the window also makes the room feel more spacious. On the East of the room is the display wall with wall mounted shelving and colour coded signage to categorize Charles and Ray Eames designs.30 To the West side of the space, chairs are displayed on the floor along the wall with different flooring that separates between the display area and circulation floor.31 The West side of the space also has the spiral stairs which opened up upper part of the wall which gives view of second floor which presents the Living, Eating, and Working at Home collections.32 C) Materials and Construction Method(s): The VitraHaus is a five storey structure of stacked volumes of the archetypal house which comprised of twelve houses.33 Five houses are set at the ground floor with seven more houses are stacked up, intersected and in support of one another.34 Stacked into a total of five storeys and breathtakingly cantilevered up to fifteen metres in some places, the twelve houses, whose floor slabs intersect the underlying gables, create a three-dimensional assemblage ? a pile of houses that, at first glance, has an almost chaotic appearance.35 The VitraHaus rises above the other buildings on the Vitra Campus with maximum dimensions of 57 metres in length, 54 metres in width and 21.3 metres in height.36(fig.7) The deliberate intention was to grant an overview of the surrounding landscape, the campus as well as an overview of the Home Collection by constructing a vertically oriented structure with a small footprint.37 The charcoal coloured stucco on the exterior of the building unifies the structure, and connects it to the surrounding landscape.38 (fig.8) A wooden plank floors made from the local larch wood defines an open central area, where five ground floor buildings are grouped.39 (fig.9) It performs as a conference area, Vitra Design Museum Shop, business lounge and a Vitrine exhibition space, the lobby with a reception area and a caf? with an outdoor terrace for summer use.40 As interior and exterior spaces interpenetrate, so do two types of forms: the orthogonal-polygonal, as perceived from the exterior, and the organic, which produces a series of spatial surprises in the interior. 41(fig.10) It is a secret world that is intended by Herzog de Meuron with a suggestive, almost labyrinthine character. 42 On the path through the five storeys, the complexity of the interior space arises not only from the angular intersection of the individual houses but also from the integration of a second geo metrical concept.43 All of the staircases are integrated into expansive, winding organic volumes that figuratively eat their way through the various levels of the building like a worm, sometimes revealing fascinating visual relationships between the various houses, at other times blocking the view.44 The individual houses, which have the general characteristics of a display space, are conceived as abstract elements.45 With just a few exceptions, only the gable ends are glazed, and the structural volumes seem to have been shaped with an extrusion press.46 An important feature of the VitraHaus is the glassed end gables(fig.11); a feature which gives the house two personalities.47 By day the surrounding countryside appears to be drawn into the interior and to become almost a part of the decoration; in contrast, however, when darkness falls, the illuminated interior of the building glows from within, while its physical structure seems to dissipate.48 The rooms open up; the glazed gable ends turn into display cases that shine across the Vitra Campus and into the surrounding countryside.49 D) Furnishings and Ornamentation: The philosophy of Vitra Home Collection is to provide inspirational ideas for individuals home and their own taste in design rather than an interior design system or a homogeneous product line.50 Vitra Home Collection wishes to inspire customers to furnish their home as a process of collage of products and objects according to one s individual preferences and circumstances.51 To allow one to be inspired, and encourage to explore and heighten their sense of design, the interior of the overall space is very simple and furnishings are used as minimal as possible.52 The interior walls are finished in white which gives priority to the furniture displays and allow the characteristics of furniture presents its fullest .53 Since the space is used to showcase the retail furniture, series of wall shelving and signage are used to display.54 The white shelves are mounted in different levels with colourful signage to categorize the types of Charles and Ray Eames chairs into plastic, wire, aluminu m, and ply wood groups.55 The rugs or different variety of floor furnishings are used to give the boundary to the additional furniture displayed on the floor.56 The spot lightings are mounted in the ceiling as ambient light as well as to emphasize the products.57 Since there are minimal use of ornamentations, the abstract structural volumes interacting through the space and the glazed gable ends adds rhythm to the space.58 The high ceiling, white finishes, light wood floors, and large windows give spacious feeling to the space.59 Each house has a touch screen catalogue(fig.12) where each visitor can insert their VitraHause keycard and browse through Vitra s catalogue, purchase a product on a spot or learn about particular design or designer.60 The Vitra Classic Collection also features the Photo me La Chaise Armchair which is set of a La Caise Armchair by Charles and Ray Eames with a camera that allows visitors to have memorable photo time upon their visit to the VitraHaus.61 The photo can be stored in a personal VitraHause keycard and can be emailed later.62 E) Functions and Signification: Since the company Vitra is a manufacturer and retailer company that acquired licenses for the designs of Charles and Ray Eames in 1951, it is not a surprise to see that one of the showrooms in VitraHaus was dedicated to the designs of Eames.63 The Charles and Ray Eames showroom functions as a space that showcases the works of Charles and Ray Eames in different range of groups.64 The groups are categorized by the materials used in the making of the chairs which includes but not limited to; plastic, wire, aluminum, and ply wood.65 As mentioned earlier, the deliberate intention of the building was to grant an overview of the surrounding landscape, the campus as well as an overview of the Home Collection by constructing a vertically oriented structure with a small footprint.66 This has been illustrated in the Charles and Ray Eames showroom with large window that has an overview of the campus and the opening for the spiral stair case allows an overview of the Home Collection on lower floors.67 The philosophy of the Vitra Home Collection also has been demonstrated successfully in the space.68 The Vitra Home Collection s intention was to provide inspirational ideas for individuals own taste in design so one can furnish their home as a process of collage of products and objects according to one s individual preferences and circumstances.69 This philosophy is successfully delivered through minimal interior design of the space.70 It allowed the unique characteristics of each chairs to be presented in its fullest with the contrast of the white wall.71 This contrast and display almost creates an imagery of pallets of colourfull paints on a white canvas which inspires visitors to explore and imagine their own design of space.72 The special photograph set and digital catalogue also adds excitement and convenience to the visit.73 The space that is solely dedicated in respect of the design classic, with the company s philosophy of provide a space that can inspire one to build and develop their own design world.74 This suggests that the space not only functions as a showroom, but it also functions as a space for an education, preservation of stories, personal knowledge and to be one s muse.75 F) Designer s Sources/Inspirations/Influences/Precedents: The concept of the VitraHaus contains two direct quotations of the themes that appear repeatedly in the oeuvre of Herzog de Meuron: the theme of the archetypal house and the theme of stacked volumes.76 Herzog de Meuron has aimed not for virtuosity but innovation, looking always to the broader culture and art for inspiration.77 Referring to Andy Warhol, Jacques Herzog has said, He used common Pop images to say something new. That is exactly what we are interested in: to use well known forms and materials in a new way so that they become alive again. 78 Their influences of the archetypal house and theme of stacked volumes can be seen in many of their work from precedents to future projects that are in progress.79 The Goetz Collection, in Munich 1989-1992 (fig.13), St. Jakob Turm in Basel 2005-2008 (fig.14), and Rue des Suisses in Paris 1996-2000 (fig.15) are one of the precedents that has been designed by Herzog and de Meuron.80 Another form of their precedents study can be found at the Herzog and de Meuron Exhibition at the Walker Art Centre in November 2000 to February 2001.81 The exhibition included from material studies to technical drawings and from initial models to full-scale prototypes(fig.16).82 Here, many prototypes of stack up of geometrical shapes can be found.83 In VitraHaus, it was especially appropriate since the primary purpose of the five-storey building is to present furnishings and objects for the home.84 Due to the proportions and dimensions of the interior spaces ? the architects use the term domestic scale ? the showrooms are reminiscent of familiar residential settings.85 Architect Jacques Herzog, naturally, sees the situation somewhat differently.86 For Herzog, the project was a chance to get away from development driven architecture and a rare opportunity to complete an author driven project.87 Through the stacking and interlacing you not only create a multitude of new forms and architectural spaces but achieve a wonderful paradox: a simple, familiar house design which appears complex on account of the numerous intersections.88 This perceived complexity is further enhanced by the combination of the external orthogonal-polygonal form and the more organic internal form which results, principally, from the spiral staircases and occa sional open spaces and small side windows.89 Principally the black exterior allows the effect of floating houses by allowing the structure to merge with the darkness.90 In addition the anthracite of the VitraHaus contrasts with the brilliant white of Frank Gehrys neighbouring Vitra Design Museum.91

Digital Divide in the US and Around the World Essay -- Technology Tech

Digital Divide in the US and Around the World Since the launch of the Internet as a global communication network and the boom in communication technologies, our world has been overwhelmed by a new phenomenon – digital divide. It has gradually turned into a major, constantly growing world issue, threatening to further increase the gap between advanced and developing countries. Yet, is digital divide really an unprecedented occurrence or a natural and unavoidable trend? â€Å"Divide† is certainly a word whose meaning could be traced back to the mere dawn of human history. It goes even deeper – to human nature itself: to sex and racial differentiation, to unequal physical and mental powers, to different location and social status. During the nineteenth century, though, theory of communism tried to defy the principles of naturally existing divide. However, Marx’s utopia, which contradicted basic economic principles – of scarcity and unbounded need – was unachievable. Indeed, through the failure of the communistic experiment, which became so flagrant after the fall of the Iron Curtain, history promoted the inevitability of divide as a symbol of individual uniqueness. As to â€Å"digital†, it is just one of the many attributes of â€Å"divide† that has assumed a global meaning. Therefore, although social and economic differences will undoubtedly continue to harass society in the 21st century, the bridging of the digital gap between those in the lead and those who lag behind should be a major issue for modern civilization. What is â€Å"digital divide†, however? We measure it in terms of penetration of communication services, Internet connectivity, and technological development, but what could possibly be... ...e. Journal of Housing and Community Development v. 58, no2 (Mar./Apr. 2001): 14-15, 17, 45 IMF staff. Globalization: Threat or Opportunity? IMF and World Bank staffs. 100 Percent Debt Cancellation? A response from the IMF and the World Bank. (July, 2001): 1-6 Irving, Larry. Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide. Kathimerini – Greece’s International English Language Newspaper; September 18, 2001 < http://www.ekathimerini.com/news/content.asp?id=100100 > Poster, Mark. What’s the Matter with the Internet. Wilson, Dwight. The World’s Poor need the Internet. (July 19,2001)

Differences Between the North and South that Led to the Civil War Essay

The Southern and Northern states varied on many issues, which eventually led them to the Civil War. There were deep economic, social, and political differences between the North and the South. These differences stemmed from the interpretation of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, all of these disagreements about the rights of states led to the Civil War. There were reasons other than slavery for the South?s secession. The manifestations of division in America were many: utopian communities, conflicts over public space, backlash against immigrants, urban riots, black protest, and Indian resistance (Norton 234). America was a divided land in need reform with the South in the most need. The South relied heavily on agriculture, as opposed to the North, which was highly populated and an industrialized society. The South grew cotton, which was its main cash crop and many Southerners knew that heavy reliance on slave labor would hurt the South eventually, but their warnings were not heeded. The South was based on a totalitarian system. Constitutionally the North favored a loose interpretation of the United States Constitution, and they wanted to grant the federal government increased powers. The South wanted to reserve all undefined powers to the individual states themselves. The South relied upon slave labor for their economic well being, and the economy of the North was not reliant on such labor or in need of this type of service. This main issue overshadowed all others. Southerners compared slavery to the wage-slave system of the North, and believed their slaves received better care than the northern factory workers received from their employers. Many Southern preachers proclaimed that slavery was sanctioned in the Bible. Southern leaders had constantly tried to seek new areas into which slavery might be extended (Oates 349). After the American Revolution, slavery began to decrease in the North, just as it was becoming more popular in the South. By the turn of the century, seven of the most Northern states had abolished slavery. During this time, a surge of democratic reform swept the North to the West, and there were demands for political equality, economic and social advances for all Americans. Northerners said that slavery revoked the human right of being a free person and when new territories became available i... ...in opinion. We should remember the great sacrifices our fellow citizens made during this time and appreciate their actions or endeavors. Especially that of Abraham Lincoln. The best way to assess the value of Lincoln is to think what the condition of American would be in today if he had never lived or never been President (Whitman 262). Yes, slavery was the cause of the Civil War, half of the country thought it was wrong, and the other half just could not let it go or continue. The war was fought overall in different places, and the monetary and property loss cannot be calculated. Arguments about the causes and consequences of the Civil War, as well as the reasons for Northern victory, will continue as long as there are historians to wield the pen ? which is, perhaps even for this bloody conflict, mightier than the sword (Oates 388). The Civil War was a great waste in terms of human life and possible accomplishment and should be considered shameful. Before its first centennial, tragedy struck a new country and altered it for an eternity. It will never be forgotten, but adversity builds strength and the United States of America is now a much stronger nation (Oates 388).

Essay Questions Essay

Need to reword the statement by taking a position and then showing in the thesis statement the focus of the paper. Include the focus of body paragraphs: A Topic of Paragraph B Topic of Paragraph C Topic of Paragraph Colonial Period 1. â€Å"The English founded colonies to escape oppression in England.† Assess the validity of this statement. The statement, â€Å"The English founded colonies to escape oppression in England.† Is not valid because the English colonies were founded for either (A) economic motivations, (B) religious idealism, and to (C) enlarge the British Empire. The statement â€Å"The English founded colonies to escape oppression in England† Is partly valid in regards to (A) middle and (B) southern colonies, (C) New England however, is and exception to this rule. 2. â€Å"The British colonies were so antagonistic to each other that they were unable to unite to face the attack of common enemies.† Assess the validity of this statement. 3. â€Å"Before 1763 British mercantilist policy, while restricting colonial economic development, allowed colonial political life to develop unhampered by the Mother Country.† Assess the validity of this statement. 4. â€Å"The colonial wars fought between the British and the French for domination of the North American continent created a sense of national spirit among the British colonies and created a basis for later unity.† Assess the validity of this statement. The colonial wars fought between the British and French did not bring unity to the American Colonies, in fact it brought rebellion to colonies due to the end of (A) salutary neglect which included the (B) quartering act, and (C) stamp acts. 5. Analyze the extent to which religious freedom existed in British North American colonies prior to 1700. 6. Though there where many differences in the development of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies, they had much in common. What conditions and experiences were common to American colonists regardless of their colony or region? 7. Analyze the relative importance of religious dissent and demographic change in undermining the Puritan dream of establishing a godly and orderly society in seventeenth century New England. 8. For the period before 1750, analyze the ways in which Britain’s policy of salutary neglect influenced the development of American society as illustrated in the following: a. Legislative assemblies b. Commerce c. Religion The British policy of salutary neglect supported colonial development in the period before 1750 of legislative assemblies, commerce and religious diversity. 9. Analyze the cultural and economic responses of TWO of the following groups to the Indians of North America before 1750. a. British b. French c. Spanish 10. How did economic, geographic, and social factors encourage the growth of  slavery as an important part of the economy of southern colonies between 1607 and 1775?

Postcolonial Language Debate

The postcolonial language debate about African culture has become a big issue in determining if the African culture is actually being taught to younger generations. Some African writers believe that the culture of the African people is disappearing because all of the history books and novels written about African history and culture are in the English language. Other African scholars believe that they can finally break free from the postcolonial era by using English as a weapon. Chinue Achebe and Ngugi Wa Thiongo are great examples of African writers who take different sides about the English language and the postcolonial writings of African culture. Ngugi is a firm believer that the English language is not how African culture should be viewed by outside countries and that the only way to know about African culture is to have it in its native language. He refuses to write any of his books in English and wants people to learn the native language because that is the only way African culture can really be learned. Language is very powerful and Ngugi believes was a way the English got rid of African culture. â€Å"By removing their native language from their education they are separated from their history which is replaced by European history in European languages â€Å". Ngugi can recall growing up that he learned his culture and heritage through oral story telling by elders and the children would retell the stories to others. By being forced to learn English and being punished for acting or speaking in their native way, language was used as spiritual subjugation. Language carries culture and culture carries the entire body of values by which we perceive ourselves and our place in the world†. If this is true how can the African culture be expressed in a different language? Chinue Achebe took a different approach to the English language and the postcolonial language debate. He chose to learn the English language as a way to â€Å"infultrate the ranks of the enemy and destroying him fro m within†. He feels there is no point in fighting a language but by using the language forced upon him he can show others how culture really is in different African cultures. Using abrogation, meant to change the English language to suit their needs, because people accept different forms of English. There are many different villages and languages in Africa, an example he gives is his people the Igbo who have many different dialects about different things. He states that the standardized Igbo is due to Christian missionaries desire to translate the bible into indigenous tongues. Therefore he does not believe there is one Igbo language that all Igbo can understand so he refuses to write translate his book about the Igbo culture and people in its native language, but has translated it to over thirty different languages. By having thirty different languages able to read about the Igbo Achebe believes the African culture can be spread and shared with the world around it. The language debate in Africa has become a problem because people do not know whether or not they are learning the African culture or reading the African experience. Both Ngugi and Achebe present different ways the African people can begin to identify themselves and regain their culture that was taken from them by the colonizing European nations. Both stand at different ends of the spectrum by either using the English language as a way to inform others of the real African culture, or refuse to write in English so the reader is forced to learn the native language, because that is the only way to really understand and see the way African culture is.

Effectiveness of 4p’s in Terms of Mch and Education Essay

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are among the most popular social protection schemes today. Promoted by multilateral institutions, notably the World Bank, CCTs have been adopted in at least 30 countries as of 2008, with further ones expected to follow suit in the coming years (WB‘s CCT Webpage). The map below shows these country-adopters. CCTs are grounded on the principle that human capital accumulation is a development vehicle which can be achieved by providing money to poor households, often to women, on conditions that they ensure children‘s regular attendance in school, accompany them to health clinics, and participate in classes and workshops on topics related to health, nutrition, and sanitation (St. Claire 2009: 177; Bradshaw 2008: 188; Hall 2006: 691). Citing the experiences of Latin American countries, particularly Mexico and Brazil, advocates have repeatedly claimed that CCTs are an effective and efficient means of reducing poverty and hunger, keeping childre n in school, enhancing the use of preventive healthcare, empowering women, and increasing the freedom of poor households to invest in their varied needs (WB‘s CCT Webpage; ECLAC 2004). No wonder, with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline getting near, CCTs have been in vogue in a number of countries, including that archipelagic country in the east—the Philippines. In view of the worsening poverty situation and the MDG targets, the Philippine government ran a pilot CCT project in 2007, targeting 6,000 poor households in two provinces and two cities. It proceeded to implementing a full-scale program in 2008, calling it Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and targeting 320,000 additional households. When Benigno Aquino III was elected president in 2010, he decided to sustain his predecessor‘s 4Ps, and further expand its coverage so that when he bows out of the presidency in 2016, it will have reached a total of 4.3 million households (PCIJ 2011). Quoting the Philippine Development Plan 2011–2016, CCTs are the ―cornerstoneâ€â€" upon which the government ―has anchored [the] epic battle against poverty in the landâ€â€" (ibid.). This research has avoided the usual route of scrutinizing the implementation and (non)impact of CCTs in particular, and of development programs in general. It has taken one step back, and examined the factors that influenced or helped shape the government‘s decision to adopt CCTs in a country marked by a long history of poverty and inequality, and was once described as the Latin America in Asia1. The interest on this topic grew out of the observation of the government‘s continued adherence to the so-called residual type of social policy and social provision despite the lessons learned from and the criticisms hurled at past and on-going initiatives. It is in fact worth noting that the 4Ps which of late is called Pantawid Pamilya, is just one of the targeted and pallia tive poverty reduction measures pursued in the country. An earlier one, and internationally acclaimed at that, is the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Linking Arms Against Poverty) or KALAHI which has been the flagship poverty reduction program since 2003. A critical review of the KALAHI program reveals that its overall intervention does not offer a more permanent and effective way out of poverty because it lacks coherent plans and mutually supporting projects; and that its social protection component is neither broadly implemented nor viewed to provide permanent economic opportunities for the poor to accumulate assets and to engage in permanent income generating activities (Lim 2009: 29). An assessment of the Philippines‘ performance vis-à  -vis the MDGs supports this analysis. It stresses that†¦ Social protection in the Philippines is not universal; it is simply a bundle of safety net measures targeted at the poorest of the poor. It is [neither] a rights-based entitlement for all citizens†¦[nor a determined effort to] address the structural causes of poverty†¦Since it only targets the ―poorest of the poorâ€â€", many poor remained excluded from the government‘s anti-poverty programs. (Serrano in S ocial Watch Philippines 2010: 23) The analytical position adopted here is that ―policy choices are very politicalâ€â€" no matter how they are couched in technocratic jargon and touted as neutral (Fischer 2010: 40). As further explained, ―social policies are the outcomes of political bargains and conflicts since they touch upon power in society—its distribution and accessibility to different political actorsâ€â€" (Mkandawire 2004: 11 and 12). It is therefore imperative to unravel the interplay of different political processes, institutions, and actors, along with their diverse agenda and ideological persuasions in order to gain a better understanding of social policy choices. This research posits that the Philippine government‘s decision to adopt CCTs reflects the unchanged social policy trajectory marked by the tendency towards targeted, palliative, and supposedly apolitical social provision, not to mention externally-influenced, drawing ―encouragementâ€â€" and support from multilateral institutions, all at the expense of structural reform and redistribution (i.e., asset reform, employment creation, recall of unfair international trade rules and agreements). This trajectory has been defined by the interaction of various political institutions, also called ―the rules of the gameâ€â€", as well as actors, notably the elites whose longstanding dominance in the political and economic arenas has compelled and enabled them to suppress or overturn reform efforts that threaten their position and hold of power. That being said, CCTs paint a bleak picture for the long-term solution to poverty and inequality in the country mainly because like many other World Bank/multilateral donor-backed initiatives, they preclude rationalizing and confronting the structural roots of these problems. Framed in a way that appeals to the elites, middle class, masses, policymakers, bureaucrats, academics, and even a number of progressives—a program that addresses the laziness of the poor by requiring them to do something in exchange for some amount; a program that invests in the well-being of children; a program that efficiently uses the limited resources of government; a program that is supposedly ―apoliticalâ€â€", ―neutralâ€â€", or ―non-partisanâ€â€" and thus effectively reduces the likelihood of manipulation by politicos—a broad agreement of outright support for Pantawid Pamilya has been created despite warnings that it may only serve the Washington Consensus agenda of limiting the state, leaving the market to take care of income and welfare distribution, and granting mere safety nets to people who lose out in the process. Pantawid Pamilya is nothing but a continuation of the purportedly apolitical social policy of the country, and as such, runs the risk of obstructing government and society from going beyond palliatives and undertaking the untidy process of structural reform and distribution. With a situation like this, it is not to be expected that the program will catalyze the shift towards a redistributive and/or universal social provision. UNDP‘s Human Development Reports Webpage The Philippines is a country in the Southeast Asia in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Its population based on the 2007 census is 88.5 million, of which 44.8 are males and 43.8 are females. Its average population growth rate as of that same year is 2.04 which registers a .32 decrease from 2000‘s 2.36. (NSO Website) Based on World Bank records, the growth in the country has been averaging around five percent over the last 10 years, except in 2010, where it has reached 7.6 percent, the highest in 30 years. Despite this positive picture, however, poverty continues to plague the country, while inequality remains a huge obstacle in achieving major strides in poverty reduction. The 2009 Official Poverty Statistics, the latest poverty report of the National Statistical Coordination Board, reveals that poverty incidence among the population has declined from 33.1 percent in 1991 to 24.9 percent in 2003, 26.4 in 2006, and 26.5 in 2009. Nevertheless, there still remains more than a quarter of the population, or roughly 23.14 million Filipinos livening in poverty. As for subsistence incidence among the population, the figures have decreased from 16.5 percent in 1991 to 11.1 in 2003, 11.7 in 2006, and 10.8 in 2006. As often the case, the official report differs from the unofficial report, especially if the bases are the perceptions of the poor themselves. Based on the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, self-rated poverty has ranged from 46 to 72 percent between 1991 and 2009. These numbers are obviously way about the official estimates. Within that period, overall self-rated hunger has averaged at 13.3 percent, of which moderate hunger has roughly been 9.8 percent, and severe hunger, 3.4 percent. Moderate hunger is when a family went hungry at least once in the last three months, while severe hunger is when a family often went hungry in the last three months. (SWS‘ Social Weather Indicators Webpage ) Inequality has shown a downward trend, but despite this decreasing gini ratio—from 0.4605 in 2003 to 0.4580 in 2006 to 0.4484 in 2009—it is still highest among the members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (UNDP as cited in NSCB 2011: 8). For instance, for the year 2009, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam recorded a gini ratio of 0.394, 0.425, and 0.378, respectively (ibid.). In terms of the Human Development Indicators, on one hand, the country‘s performance has been promising. Its score has consistently increased from 0.550 in 1980 to 0.571 in 1990, 0.602 in 2000, 0.641 in 2010, and 0.644 in 2011, although these are still below the global and the East Asia and the Pacific averages (UNDP‘s Human Development Reports Webpage). – 5 – It is also important to take into account the spatial dimension of poverty. The regions with highest poverty incidence by families are the Caraga Region (39.8%) and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (38.1%), while those with highest number of poor families are Central Visayas (415,303) and Bicol (385,338). The regions with highest subsistence incidence are the Zamboanga Peninsula (18.6%) and Northern Mindanao (15.6%), while those with the highest number of subsistence poor families are Central Visayas (181,649) and Bicol (137,527). Almost 40% of the income poor families are in Luzon, and 40% of the subsistence poor families are in Mindanao. (NSCB‘s 2009 Poverty Statistics Webpage) Moreover, majority of the poor are still located in the rural area with figures that have remained in the 70-percent-mark since 1985 based on the estimates of Balisacan (2006). (Emma_s_RP_Final_Draft_Nov_2011)