Distributed Computer System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Distributed Computer System - Essay Example The paper tells that the role of computer systems continues to evolve with businesses adopting it to execute various business operations. In business, computer systems have made significant inroad that have allowed business to achieve leverage on the use of data to support businesses transaction, as well as making strategic decisions. In particular, distribute computer systems have found use in business in areas such as business commerce where these systems have enabled business to achieve high levels of business performance. There are varied definitions of distributed systems, but most of them tend to have some commonalities. A distributed system is one that is made up of independent computer systems that work together and appear to those using it as a unified system. The core of a distribute computer systems is the interconnectedness between its components making users think of it as a single system. The development of distributed computer systems coincides with the increasing dema nd for distributed systems in business. For instance, businesses that require e-commerce applications are more likely to achieve greater benefits using a distributed computer system. The merits of deploying distributed computer systems have pushed for increased research that aims at refining how businesses deploy these systems. Research in the development of distributed computer systems reinforces the desire for computer professionals to overcome challenges in this field. Indeed, computer firms have made much progress in rolling out various types of distributed computer systems. ... 1.1 What are distributed computer systems? Distributed compute systems are an example of distributed system, which is a system that links heterogeneous systems through networks to offer users with a single system. Distribute computer systems bring together different components to create a unified system that can provide users with high performance (Mikkilineni, 2011). In a distributed computing environment, workstations connect to each other using networks enabling them to pool system resources. The use of distributed computer systems signals a shift from centralized systems because businesses and organizations are demanding re-centralization of the computing environment. The success of distributed systems rests in the interconnectedness of various components to achieve a unified system. Today, distributed computing environment, has made it possible because of different technologies that computer vendors develop. These technologies work together to create a coherent system that provi des transparency to users, successfully hiding non-critical features from users. Use of distributed computers systems provide users with resources, as well as improved performance. With more improvement on technologies, supporting distributed systems, business and organization continue to adopt distributed computing environment. 1.2 Goals of distributed computer systems There are several incentives for using distributed systems over centralised systems. The merits of using distributed computer systems underscore the push for businesses and other organizations into adopting the distributed environment. These goals are: 1.2.1 Access to resources The first reason for the adopting of distributed systems is the demand for resources accessibility. Despite the ease, of developing centralised

Compare shopping online with traditional shopping Essay - 1

Compare shopping online with traditional shopping - Essay Example Each of the items to be purchased are made physically visible to the buyers who are then able to make rational decisions based on their spending patterns. On the other hand, on-line shopping allows individuals to buy their favorite products without having to go the sellers to get the purchased items. Decisions are based on the images that can be seen on the internet which may not portray the actual nature of the products. This tends to limit the buyers as they are unable to accurately choose their actually taste and preferences. However, on-line shopping saves time since people do not have to visit the stores but can have the products delivered at the comfort of their homes (Belew & Elad, 2012) It has been established that online shopping provides a sense of ease and comfort as opposed to walking all through the streets and shops as they hunt for the things that they want. One is saved from the struggles such as going through crowds, waiting in long queues in order to make their purchases as in the case of traditional shopping (Wan, 2009). As a result, on-line shopping offers a sense of relief and peace of mind which many people are lacking in the current world. On-line shopping is marked by increased level of dishonest which is not a case in the traditional shopping trends. On-line shoppers experience a lot of disappointment during shipping and delivery of the goods ordered for. This is witnessed in the delay in the delivery of goods and services that have already been paid for. Fraudsters are likely to take advantage of on-line shoppers and steal from them. Many people have lost their money through on-line shopping by not carrying out all the safety measures that are rec ommended during on-line shopping. Traditional shopping is regarded to be very convenient for most people especially those who are rarely at home and lacks time to compare different prices of commodities. This is more appropriate for the people who work outside of their homes

Effects of gps on human life

Effects of gps on human life Effects of GPS on Human Life Part 1: Introduction and Background to issue or subject of discussion Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite guided navigational system. The system by itself allows user/ devices to calculate their latitude, longitude and altitude of their current location no matter where they are situated in the globe. To think back, before the GPS came into existence, dead reckoning and pilotage was utilized to get around and locate airports. Pilotage is the use of sectionals (air maps/charts) and physical landmarks along the route to keep you on course. An example would be following a highway or railroad track or pipeline. Additionally the Government began to simply paint names of towns on roofs of barns, buildings, water towers, gas storage tanks, and hangers. But all this technique lacked accuracy and were not considered reliable. A pilot can completely be off track as of a heavy weather change as his visibility can be negligible. The idea of GPS can be traced back to centuries where a person might have asked the question of Where am i. GPS came into existence on the year 1978, when Russia launched Sputnik into space. MIT researchers noticed that radio signals from sputnik could determine distinct positions on the ground as the radio signal was at its peak when satellite was over MIT and gradually weakened as it moved away. Thereby they were able to calculate the orbit of satellite which was the foremost important step towards GPS system. Between 1978 and 1985, eleven satellites were launched into space and put into position. In 1983, the GPS ceased being solely a military system and was made available for public use. To be able to locate position down to almost 30 metres of a GPS unit, at least 3 satellites will be required. More the number of satellites more are the accuracy. Each satellites revolving around earth has its own unique signal broadcast. All these signals are stored within a GPS unit. The signal has enough data for the unit to know the satellites current location and also it calculates the time that signal (radio wave) took to travel from satellite to the unit. By repeating this with minimum 2 more satellites, the unit is able to triangulate the position of GPS unit. By communicating with more satellites it can give much more accurate position, which can be as close as 1 or 2 metres. Hereafter I shall provide as much examples and incidents to bring out the positive effects of GPS technology into our life than rather a privacy killer of our society. Part 2: Identification of why you choose this issue/subject to study The reason for choosing GPS as my subject to study is as my final year project also involves GPS related technology. Therefore researching on for this subject will surely benefit my final year project as well. Additionally my friends experience with GPS also made me to finalize on the area of subject. He never left home country for anything and when he finally did leave for working to United States, upon returning back to home country after 4 years he was completely lost and not able to even get to his house. Initially i found it just as a funny story but later when thought on it i began to see future public depending blindly on GPS that they forget to think using their common sense. This was really disturbing on my behalf and decided i should take this opportunity to at least make my friends be aware of what is happening around them. Part3: What the implications may be for a post modern industrial society? Public Transport Only through the discovery of GPS technology has travelling feel safer to public. GPS made it easier for public and public transport. This is because before GPS, flights/ ships did lose their way and the world did witness such tragedies. It is very clear that without the invention of GPS, human technology as it is would not have been so easy and reliable. This is only as there is no other technology which is as reliable, accurate and cheap like that of GPS. In todays post modern society with computing flourishing and being a part of basic necessity, GPS has its own crucial role. For instance even though computers are used everywhere even in aircrafts, they would not be able to use autopilot if its not for the GPS satellite feeds. GPS as it is provides absolute convenience to humans since the world is becoming smaller and smaller as of technological advancement is made. Before GPS was open to the public for free usage, people were depending on rather non reliable and non accurate methods to travel around. As the famous quote goes, Necessity is the mother of invention, humans realised and needed a cheap and reliable alternative to the traditional methods of calculating latitude, longitude and altitude. There is no doubt when saying society benefits from this technology in many ways, including safer, more reliable travel and an increase in human safety. Control of GPS by U.S In todays advanced world GPS is one among the most relied technologies. Whether it is to locate/ track or find your way to a new place, it all requires satellites. GPS satellites which are always revolving around the earth in and around 12 hours are not replaceable as of today. At present almost all such satellites or rather artificial moon is owned by U.S military. Which means they have un-denied access to these technology. With the United States having such control over one of the most relied technology in todays world comes good and bad. This means that they have the capability to everything, from reducing the accuracy to shutting down GPS facility in areas around globe whenever they want. If there is to be another world war, United States clearly has a very powerful position over the world. They can not only keep track of their soldiers but get a complete overview of everything and thereby a tactical advantage. With the use of absolute accuracy of GPS satellites they can easily guide unmanned long range missiles to drop exactly where they want. This is only as the world is becoming increasingly reliant on GPS technology. Part4: What the implications may be for the IT industry? Tracking It is clear of the impact of GPS on our industry. It has changed the way people communicate and live. GPS has made our environment a safer and easier place to live. GPS has provided people with many solutions to their problems. Today different industries utilize GPS to develop new innovative solutions to human problems. It is currently being used to help parents find and keep track of their childrens. Devices are also on pet collars that can help you track your pets if they are stolen or lost. Additionally it is also used to keep track of dangerous criminals activities and thereby keep public safe from these criminals who could harm anyone. GPS device is available almost all new cell phones released which is able to provide assistance to people in mapping and getting directions. It can even help rescuers help you easily as they will know were exactly you are. Truck drivers in the UK are now being made aware of upcoming low bridges using GPS and digital maps. This combined with awareness of traffic jams, and suggestions of alternative routes allows for the cheaper delivery of goods. These are just some of the main things that GPS has added to our society by the industry. Warfare Technology GPS technologies accuracy and reliability has its own drawbacks too. With satellites being able to accurately target devices to as close as few inches, modern warfare has drastically changed around us. GPS greatly contributes to the effectiveness of warfare. With its endless applications such as being able to track a soldier, determine his used path to developing highly effective long/ short range missiles, GPS has a deadly side of its own too. In the case of missiles, GPS technology aids in an increased chance of hitting the desired target. GPS also allows for accurate tracking of military units which increases the effectiveness and level of tactical control during combat. Conclusion: Computers have been the most revolutionizing technology that humans developed to help in their tasks. Literally today there is no place or field that computers have not touched. The computers which are available and being used in transportation whether its an Airbus or a small car driving off road, without the GPS satellites feed the onboard computers will not be able to guide you through or prevent an accident. As Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Fords Chief Technical Officer and Vice President, Research and Advanced Engineering says A satellite orbiting the earth could someday prevent an auto accident. We applaud the Auburn team for these advancements and look forward to working together on the next phase of this research, including developing prototype vehicles. GPS has become an integral part of our society, affecting our lives in many ways. The great range of applications of this technology has an impact on many aspects of society. GPS is becoming more widely used and more important in society. The importance of GPS is further stressed by the absence of a successful alternative. Even though few might point out that dependency on GPS is going to lead to unbalanced levels of political power, which if abused could lead to adverse effects on society. I strongly believe that GPS is a marvellous technology, revolutionizing navigation in virtually every industry that it touches from large corporate mass transportation to a family on a road trip. It is very safe to conclude that GPS has done well to human race than drawbacks. The drawback as it is seen can easily be overcome if the humans are taught to utilize GPS for their good and not in any way to harm them.

moralhod Relative Morality in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

Relative Morality in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   It has been well documented by critics that modernist literature departs from the blind acceptance of beliefs, religious beliefs in particular, evident in literature of prior periods (Abrams 1).   As Jump notes "[...] the modern western world is less sure of its values than most previous cultures with which we are familiar; relativism and subjectivity are facts of everyday experience" (15).   Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is no exception.   The novel does explore the place of the individual in an increasingly complex society, but Conrad's presentation specifically focuses on the moral dilemma of man in a godless world.   The lack of Christianity or any other stable moral system to underpin moral decisions is evident in Heart of Darkness not only to the reader, but to Conrad's characters as well.   Marlow's narrative presents both the human drive to have a stable conception of reality - a center - and the precedence this drive can take over basi c moral decisions.  Ã‚      Conrad alludes to the forms of religious faith through the infusion of religiously connotative language into the speech of both Marlow and the narrator.   The narrator describes Marlow as having "[...] the pose of a Buddha preaching [...]" (1, 11).   This characterization is strengthened by Marlow himself when describing his activity before he leaves for the Congo:   "[...] I was loafing about, hindering you fellows in your working and invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you"(1, 16).   The trip itself is then described as both a "glorious idea" and "the noble cause" (1, 20-21).   The references to faith, Christianity in particular, set up a context in wh... ...re to seek out meaning while accepting that an absolute meaning may never be found.       Works Cited    Abrams, M.H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 1993. 1080-1125.    Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness I. 26 July 2002. < http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/section1.html>.    ---. Heart of Darkness II. 26 July 2002. < http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/section2.html>    ---. Heart of Darkness III. 26 July 2002. < http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/section3.html>    Jump, John D., ed. The Critical Idiom. London: Methuen & Co., 1977.    Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York: Page, 1966.    Ed. Marvin. Conrad: Collection of Critical Essays. Mudrick. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972.    moralhod Relative Morality in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Essay Relative Morality in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   It has been well documented by critics that modernist literature departs from the blind acceptance of beliefs, religious beliefs in particular, evident in literature of prior periods (Abrams 1).   As Jump notes "[...] the modern western world is less sure of its values than most previous cultures with which we are familiar; relativism and subjectivity are facts of everyday experience" (15).   Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is no exception.   The novel does explore the place of the individual in an increasingly complex society, but Conrad's presentation specifically focuses on the moral dilemma of man in a godless world.   The lack of Christianity or any other stable moral system to underpin moral decisions is evident in Heart of Darkness not only to the reader, but to Conrad's characters as well.   Marlow's narrative presents both the human drive to have a stable conception of reality - a center - and the precedence this drive can take over basi c moral decisions.  Ã‚      Conrad alludes to the forms of religious faith through the infusion of religiously connotative language into the speech of both Marlow and the narrator.   The narrator describes Marlow as having "[...] the pose of a Buddha preaching [...]" (1, 11).   This characterization is strengthened by Marlow himself when describing his activity before he leaves for the Congo:   "[...] I was loafing about, hindering you fellows in your working and invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you"(1, 16).   The trip itself is then described as both a "glorious idea" and "the noble cause" (1, 20-21).   The references to faith, Christianity in particular, set up a context in wh... ...re to seek out meaning while accepting that an absolute meaning may never be found.       Works Cited    Abrams, M.H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 1993. 1080-1125.    Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness I. 26 July 2002. < http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/section1.html>.    ---. Heart of Darkness II. 26 July 2002. < http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/section2.html>    ---. Heart of Darkness III. 26 July 2002. < http://pd.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/section3.html>    Jump, John D., ed. The Critical Idiom. London: Methuen & Co., 1977.    Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York: Page, 1966.    Ed. Marvin. Conrad: Collection of Critical Essays. Mudrick. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972.   

Importance of distinctive qualities of texts

Texts are written in a way for it to appeal to the responders. The Author uses many different techniques, themes and chooses a writing style so that it can appeal to the audience. This is evident In the novel We All Fall Down' In which the author, Robert Cornier, tries to appeal to the audience. This can be achieved also by making the text relatable for responders and certain concepts wealth the book. Crosier's use of themes In the book Is one of the things which appeals to readers. He focuses on relationships and especially family relationships.It is obvious that Cornier believes hat family and family values are very important and this theme is frequent throughout the novel. The theme of family defines the book as Cornier shows that holds together can withstand anything such as with the Jerome family, however with the Walker family, the members have fallen apart and have deteriorated. This is meant to appeal to responders as they can relate to the sense of family within the book, wh ether theirs has fallen apart or clung together as there are examples of both within the novel.The theme of relationships also can help the novel appeal to spenders as they can associate it with the relationships they share with others. The novel explores many examples of both barnacles and relationships between people and this appeals to responders and they can associate the novel with their own lives. The opening of a book Is an Important part of making a text appeal to responders. The first scene hooks the reader with suspense as we read of the trashing and makes them aware of the violence of the text. Violent verbs are used to reinforce this theme and begin the idea of trashing and violence.This theme reoccurs throughout the evolve. The theme is brought up again when the details of the trashing come up again and again and the trashing becomes a large part of the text and the actions of the characters as it is not only the house that has been trashed but the characters themselves . The way the text hooks the readers from the start is one of the ways it appeals to the readers and what keeps them reading on. The appearance of certain characters can help texts appear to more people. Without the addition of ‘The Avenger' or Mackey ‘Loony' as he Is later known, the novel would be more of a mantic novel than the thriller It became.The Avenger adds a sense of mystery and thrills to the book as we learn of his murderous way. This transition caused the book to not only appeal to those seeking a book with romance, but one with action too. Without the addition of several minor characters the story would be completely different and wouldn't appeal to as many responders or to such a variety of responders as it does. The use of language can change how a text appeals to readers or responders. Cornier does an excellent Job of using the right kind of language wrought the text We All Fall Down. The use of colloquial language as well as having the occasional use of vulgar language helps his novels appeal to responders, especially youths as they can relate the language used throughout the text. The text doesn't specify separate chapters, keeping text flowing between characters as It changes the first person. Narration and the use of the right language helps the book to be better understood by responders and the different points of view provide enough variety to keep the book interesting which in turn helps the text to be moreWe All Fall Down' Imagery is used to assist the reader in being able to picture everything in the book, proving to be a delightful experience for the responder. Rhetorical questions such as ‘but I didn't help the girl did l? Are used to make the reader think about situations and similes help further describe concepts and feelings in the text for example, when the way Buddy feels is ‘like a giant mallet hitting a gong inside him' and repetition provides emphasis, e. G. ‘l don't want you in the house, don't want you in my life'.And so in conclusion, qualities such as themes of family and relationships, addition of characters, techniques and language as well as a relatable text helps the text to appeal to responders. Cornier acknowledges this fact and integrates these into his works and so his works appeal to responders of many types. This is what makes the text We All Fall Down' appealing to responders as they feel a connection with the text and understand it and the motives behind the actions of the characters. These distinctive qualities of this text are what make it so appealing to responders.

Monsoons: Monsoon and Southern Hemisphere

MONSOONS Topic sentence-â€Å"This essay will focus upon the both the beneficial and the detrimental impacts of monsoonal weather systems in the Asia pacific region. † INTRODUCTION: paragraph 0 * Monsoons are an annually recurring weather phenomenon, triggered by the earth’s tilt in relation to the sun. Although they return every year, it is still impossible to tell the timing, duration, and quantity of rain each season, a fact that leaves impacted areas without accurate storm information * The major monsoon systems of the world consist of the West African and Asia-Australian monsoons. The wind generally blows for six months from the northeast and six months from the southwest. * A major wind system that seasonally reverses its direction—such as one that blows for approximately six months from the northeast and six months from the southwest. The most prominent monsoons occur in South Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific coast of Central America. Monsoonal ten dencies also are apparent along the Gulf Coast of the United States and in central Europe; however, true monsoons do not occur in those regions. ORIGINS: paragraph 1 Strengthening of the Asian monsoon has been linked to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau after the collision of the Indian sub-continent and Asia around 50 million years ago. [9] Many geologists believe the monsoon first became strong around 8 million years ago based on records from the Arabian Sea and the record of wind-blown dust in the Loess Plateau of China. More recently, plant fossils in China and new long-duration sediment records from the South China Sea led to a timing of the monsoon starting 15-20 million years ago and linked to early Tibetan uplift. 10] Testing of this hypothesis awaits deep ocean sampling by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program STRUCTURE: paragraph 1 CAUSES/PROCESS: paragraph 2 * SUMMER MONSOONS: When the Sun rays fall on the Earth, they get reflected by the land and cause heating of the air present above it. The water sources like oceans, rivers, etc. , absorb this heat from the air, due to which the air present above these water sources is relatively cool. * Example is the zone of Asia, where major part of the northern hemisphere is land and southern hemisphere is ocean.During summers, the Earth makes a perfect angle with the Sun; as a result, the Sun rays directly strike on the northern hemisphere landmass. These Sun rays get reflected and cause warming of the air. This hot air rises up into the atmosphere and the cooler air of the southern hemisphere from the ocean rush to fill the gap. This cool air contains moisture which is the main source of summer rains in Asia. This process is known as summer monsoon or southwest monsoon. * WINTER MONSOONS: Sun rays are more dominant at the southern hemisphere. They are completely reverse of summer monsoons as the lands are cooler than the oceans.The air circulation is completely opposite as the warm air moves from ocean to l and and cold air move from land to ocean. This cold air entraps the moisture when they pass over the tropical waters and releases the moisture over northern Australia, Sri Lanka, the Indian coast and Indonesia. They are also known as north-east monsoons. IMPACTS: paragraph3 * Over 60% of the world’s population depend on monsoon rains, but despite their regularity, there are year-to-year variations which place enormous strain on food and water resources. * Food production in seasonally arid areas is inherently risky.By the end of the dry season, the soil is parched and planting cannot begin until the rains arrive. A late or weak monsoon can lead to a short r poor growing season and hence low yields, as happened during the drought of 1987. An excessively strong monsoon can be just as detrimental. For example, in Pakistan, heavy rain during September 1992 flooded cotton plantations and caused the crop to fail. Agricultural failure has a profound effect on the economy of monsoon- affected countries, such as India, where farming accounts for 30% of the gross domestic product and 67% of the workforce.BENEFITS: paragraph3 * The benefits of monsoon rain are immense – they provide water for a country whose dry, arid climate destroys and dries out the water supply. In the hotter and drier months of the year in India, people are sometimes forced to travel by foot for miles just to get clean water for their families. Some just collapse from heat stroke and lack of energy. The monsoons change this – the water from the monsoon rain saves lives. DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL: paragraph3 * Monsoons can put communities in danger.The winds can knock down trees and even do some damage to people's houses or buildings – windows may be broken and trees may fall on houses. The floods also cause people serious problems. People may be walking down the street, wading through waist-deep water. The floods from the extreme rain can spread bacteria as well. The dirty wat er that hundreds of other people have been wading through can be a good breeding ground for harmful bacteria and it helps spread deadly diseases. Mosquitoes breed in water, so there might be an over-population of mosquitoes that can carry diseases, as well.EXAMPLES: paragraph 4 STATISTICS: paragraph 5 ————————————————- Monsoon Statistics| | No. | Year | Average rain in millimeter in Bharuch headquarter| Average rain in millimeter in districts| 1| 1998 | 1089 | 910 | 2 | 1999 | 523 | 397. 37 | 3 | 2000 | 533 | 389. 25 | 4 | 2001 | 857 | 614. 87 | 5 | 2002 | 1023 | 714. 37 | 6 | 2003 | 872 | 806 | 7 | 2004 | 1062 | 783 | 8 | 2005 | 826 | 889 | 9 | 2006 | 963 | 914. 8 | 10 | 2007 | 1487 | 900 | | | | http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Monsoon http://school. eb. com. au/all/eb/article-9053445? query=monsoons&ct=null http://www. uzzle. com/articles/what-causes-monsoons. html http:/ /library. thinkquest. org/C003603/english/monsoons/causesofmonsoons. shtml http://ugamp. nerc. ac. uk/promise/brochure/brochure. pdf http://indiasmonsoons. blogspot. com/ http://bharuchdp. gujarat. gov. in/bharuch/english/branches/revenue-branch/monsoon-statistic. htm STRUCTURE * INTRODUCTION * Origins (paragraph1) * Structure (Paragraph 1) * Causes/Process (paragraph2) * Impacts(paragraph3) * Benefits (paragraph3) * Destructive potential (paragraph3) * Example (paragraph 4) * Statistics (paragraph 4) * CONCLUSION

Aurochs essays

Aurochs essays The buffalo-like Aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius) once roamed over European plains with might and dignity, before its extinction at the hands of human hunters. Also known as the wild ox, the Aurochs grazed the fields of Central Europe and the Baltic coast, although most recently it was restricted to Poland, Lithuania and Prussia. In appearance, the male Aurochs was described as a fearsome animal. Measuring over 180 cm (710 in) at the withers, the bull Aurochs would stand taller than almost any hunter, and the species was not a pacific one. Fiercely territorial, bull Aurochs would attack almost any predator who entered their domicile, and despite its massive size, an Aurochs can move very quickly. (1) The Aurochs was covered in thick dark hair, usually black or brown in color, with a lighter colored ridge or ruff running the length of the spine. The facial structure of the Aurochs was most like that of the present day Spanish bull, with dark, tear shaped eyes, small tufted ears, a cro wn of hair on the scalp and a rather short snout. Aurochs also had a very impressive set of horns, which swept forward and spread out away from the face. These horns could often reach the length of 81 cm (32 in), and were used as decorative ornaments by hunters. (2) The thick neck of the Aurochs was also protected by a layer of fat, to better prevent and deter goring during the mating season. Like modern bulls, the Aurochs had a tufted tail, however, unlike modern day descendants, the Aurochs had more muscular and larger legs. This enabled it to cover ground easily. Males weighed up to 1000 kg (approx. 2200 pounds), while females were much lighter, approximately 700 kg (approx. 1500 lbs). In comparison, modern day cows measure at 141 cm (56 in) and weight in at 770 kg (1700 lb). (3) Although the Aurochs massive size ensured that very few predators would be willing to attack it, even in packs, size only made the species more appealing to man. ...

Free Essays on My September 11th

On September ninth I celebrated my twenty-third birthday, which wasn’t much as I had just moved into my new one bedroom apartment the week before. My new place was in D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn, a very unique and eclectic neighborhood located at the base of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, right down underneath the Manhattan bridge overpass (hence the acronym). One of the reasons that I loved this neighborhood so much (besides my fabulous new loft pad in an undercover community of amazing artists), was it’s prime location on the water front of the East River. A quick two block walk along the quiet cobble stone streets, then squeezing through the hole in the tattered fence that guards the empty lot over grown with weeds, and I was in heaven: my very own private spot on the water, where the most amazing pink, orange and blue sunsets occurred over the Brooklyn Bridge, the borough of Manhattan, and the Twin Towers. Little did I know that my semi-private sanctuary was about to become a constant visual reminder of the most dreadful day of my life. The events of September eleventh were about to unfold in front of everyone’s eyes, changing life as we knew it. I woke up that morning thinking it would be like any other. It was a sunny and beautiful yet unusually warm September day. I was running late, as usual, straining to hear the morning news in the living room while in the bath room preparing myself for the day. Not only was this one of the first mornings spent in my new apartment, but this Tuesday in particular marked the first week I had spent on my new job managing the business affairs for a photo stylist. As I had spent the past few years in dot com land, I was quite enthusiastic about my new endeavor. Tuesday, the eleventh, we were scheduled to be shooting a print ad for David’s Bridal. Suddenly, in the other room, I heard the news anchor say that a plane had hit one of the towers. Curious to see what was going on, I c... Free Essays on My September 11th Free Essays on My September 11th On September ninth I celebrated my twenty-third birthday, which wasn’t much as I had just moved into my new one bedroom apartment the week before. My new place was in D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn, a very unique and eclectic neighborhood located at the base of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, right down underneath the Manhattan bridge overpass (hence the acronym). One of the reasons that I loved this neighborhood so much (besides my fabulous new loft pad in an undercover community of amazing artists), was it’s prime location on the water front of the East River. A quick two block walk along the quiet cobble stone streets, then squeezing through the hole in the tattered fence that guards the empty lot over grown with weeds, and I was in heaven: my very own private spot on the water, where the most amazing pink, orange and blue sunsets occurred over the Brooklyn Bridge, the borough of Manhattan, and the Twin Towers. Little did I know that my semi-private sanctuary was about to become a constant visual reminder of the most dreadful day of my life. The events of September eleventh were about to unfold in front of everyone’s eyes, changing life as we knew it. I woke up that morning thinking it would be like any other. It was a sunny and beautiful yet unusually warm September day. I was running late, as usual, straining to hear the morning news in the living room while in the bath room preparing myself for the day. Not only was this one of the first mornings spent in my new apartment, but this Tuesday in particular marked the first week I had spent on my new job managing the business affairs for a photo stylist. As I had spent the past few years in dot com land, I was quite enthusiastic about my new endeavor. Tuesday, the eleventh, we were scheduled to be shooting a print ad for David’s Bridal. Suddenly, in the other room, I heard the news anchor say that a plane had hit one of the towers. Curious to see what was going on, I c...

Ancestry of Barack Obama Family Tree and Genealogy

Ancestry of Barack Obama Family Tree and Genealogy Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Kenyan father and an American mother. According to the U.S. Senate Historical Office, he was the fifth African American Senator in U.S. history and the first African American President. First Generation: 1. Barack Hussein OBAMA was born on 4 August 1961 at the Kapiolani Maternity Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein OBAMA, Sr. of Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya, and Stanley Ann DUNHAM of Wichita, Kansas. His parents met while both were attending the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a foreign student. When Barack Obama was two years old, his parents divorced and his father moved to Massachusetts to continue his education before returning to Kenya. In 1964, Barack Obamas mother married Lolo Soetoro, a tennis-playing graduate student, and later an oil manager, from the Indonesian island of Java. Soetoros student visa was revoked in 1966 because of political unrest in Indonesia, breaking up the new family. After graduating with a degree in anthropology the following year, Ann and her young son, Barack, joined her husband in Jakarta, Indonesia. Obamas half-sister, Maya Soetoro was born after the family moved to Indonesia. Four years later, Ann sent Barack back to the United States to live with his maternal grandmother. Barack Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he met his future wife, Michelle Robinson. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Second Generation (Parents): 2. Barack Hussein OBAMA Sr. was born in 1936 in Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya and died in a car crash in Nairobi, Kenya in 1982, leaving three wives, six sons​,  and a daughter. All but one of his children live in Britain or the United States. One of the brothers died in 1984. He is buried in the village of Nyangoma-Kogelo, Siaya District, Kenya. 3. Stanley Ann DUNHAM was born on 27 November 1942 in Wichita, Kansas and died 7 November 1995 of ovarian cancer. Barack Hussein OBAMA Sr. and Stanley Ann DUNHAM were married in 1960 in Hawaii and had the following children: 1 i. Barack Hussein OBAMA, Jr. Third Generation (Grandparents): 4. Hussein Onyango OBAMA was born about 1895 and died in 1979. Before settling down to work as a cook for missionaries in Nairobi he was a traveler. Recruited to fight for colonial power England in World War I, he visited Europe and India, and afterward lived for a time in Zanzibar, where he converted from Christianity to Islam, family members said. 5. Akumu Hussein Onyango OBAMA had several wives. His first wife was Helima, with whom he had no children. Second, he married Akuma and they had the following children: i. Sarah OBAMA1. ii. Barack Hussein OBAMA, Sr.iii. Auma OBAMA Onyangos third wife was Sarah, the one often referred to by Barack as his grandmother. She was the primary caregiver for Barack OBAMA Sr. after his mother, Akuma, left the family when her children were still young. 6. Stanley Armour DUNHAM was born on 23 March 1918 in Kansas and died 8 February 1992 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is buried in Punchbowl National Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii. 7. Madelyn Lee PAYNE was born in 1922 in Wichita, Kansas and died 3 November 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Stanley Armour DUNHAM and Madelyn Lee PAYNE were married on 5 May 1940, and had the following children: 3. i. Stanley Ann DUNHAM

Freedom writers Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Freedom writers - Movie Review Example one of the reasons why the class performed badly in school and even the faculty did not want to lend school to the class on the grounds that the books might get destroyed or might get lost (Berardinelli). Despite all the challenges Erin never gave up, at the course of 1992-1995, she had some extra work just so she could buy books for the students to use. However, the book was a small problem compared to the real issue that the class has. Students were dividing themselves according to race. The African Americans were excluding themselves from the rest of the group, as well as other races. And these factions even spark chaos from time to time. Once in a convenience store, April Lee Hernà ¡ndez playing Eva in the movie was coincidentally with a Cambodian refugee Sindy played by Jaclyn Ngan. Although they did not have much problem with the co-existence of one another, their boyfriends did. Sindy’s boyfriend got shot by Eva’s and the long dispute between the factions elevated to another level. Eva was not going to testify in the court that her boyfriend, a race of her own shot someone from another racial division. Justice was being delayed. When Erin heard of it, she thought it would be bet to intervene and let the children know about the bad things regarding racial segregation. She told them about the holocaust, on how because of the racial hatred of the Germans attempted to kill all the Jews – an act which the Germans almost succeeded. Erin told them that because of the Holocaust, more or less four million people died in a very short period of time. She eventually realized that she was starting to gain the sympathy of the children through her stories to them. Then Erin encouraged the students to make diaries of their own where they will write their fears, hatred, dreams and aspirations. Miep Gies, the one who sheltered the Ann Frank was invited by the class through their fundraising activity. Gies told them everything about the Holocaust that she knows of.

Deciding what is wrong and Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Deciding what is wrong and Right - Essay Example The moral sense pertains individual particular emotional act. An act is right if the agent during the moment of action feels emotional approval towards an action. In this sense, one tends to perform an act that he or she approves. One abstains from an action that the person disapproves. Some emotions are called approval and others disapproval. In most instances, there must be some level of truth in the choice one take. Another judgment of approval may or may not be right. Scholars like Aristotle, Plato, Kant, and Mill touches on the right or the wrong act as understood in ethics. Aristotle, Plato, Kant and Mill in their works talk at different levels of making the right decision. Aristotle represents virtue ethics. Kant talks about duty ethics. Mill discusses utilitarianism. The four writers dwell on morality in their search for the right actions or highest good. Aristotle’s view is in self-sufficiency in the fulfillment of the ultimate desire. He emphasizes the conformity with the personal virtues. He regards happiness as an activity of the soul in accord with the perfect virtue. To him, people have to behave right to achieve happiness. As Plato’s student, he loved to categorized things. Aristotle argues that for our actions to be moral or immoral, right or wrong, we must have a certain level of health and wealth. He adopted a scientific and empirical approach to the problems resulted from ethics. Happiness to Aristotle is achieved by acting moderately. What is good for one person may not be right for another person. The use of reason alone may not define what is best for him. Plato, Aristotle’s teacher, states that the good or right is of the knowledge, and the evil or wrong is from the lack of knowledge. Therefore, a question of a good act is purely intellectual. He argues that there is only one right course of action.

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN - Compare & contrast humanitarian & Essay

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN - Compare & contrast humanitarian & business supply chains. Provide anD analysis of similarities & d - Essay Example Though the supply chain strategies in both the cases aim at efficiency, there are differences arising due to the objectives, nature and goals of the operations, the management structure and management style. Blecken, A. (2010, p. 8) states â€Å"Thomas and Kopezak (2006) see the lack of recognition of importance of supply chain management and logistics in humanitarian organizations as a challenge to efficient and effective logistics and supply chain management†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This observation is in contrast to the recognition of its importance given by the private businesses, though an encouraging trend is evolving in humanitarian supply chain. I Factors differentiating humanitarian and business supply chains Factors differentiating humanitarian and business supply chains are discussed in this section. Though the operational strategy in the case of both humanitarian and business supply chain basically involves procurement, storage, transportation and distribution, similarities and dif ferences relative to these functions in respect of humanitarian and business supply chains are discussed separately under section II for understanding of the operational issues in proper perspective. Stakeholders The primary stakeholders in the humanitarian supply chain are the people affected by earth quakes, floods and other natural calamities; afflicted by epidemics, poverty or other events. Unlike the customers or suppliers of a business organization who comes to do business with the corporations or associate with them as employees, the humanitarian organizations are involved in the rescue or rehabilitation operations of unknown people from different parts of the world in need of assistance and support. These people are not related to other stakeholders like donors, service providers, NGOs or other agencies and the service to humanity is the cornerstone of these humanitarian organizations. Management structure The management structure of humanitarian organizations is not uniform as in the case of private corporations with a defined hierarchy and chain of command. Lack of accountability is a systematic problem in the charitable organizations. However, Tomasini & Wassenhove (2004, p. 446) noted that in the case of humanitarian supply management system (SUMA) developed by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in El Salvador a public-private commission was set up, including Price Waterhouse and KPMG Peat Marwick to audit the reception and distribution of goods as well as the management of funds. SUMA has successfully overcome the inherent weakness in the management structure of the humanitarian supply chain. Coordination with the Stakeholders Humanitarian operations are complex with different stakeholders such as government agencies, local authorities, private sector corporations, service providers, goods suppliers, large and small aid agencies and NGOs apart from the communities involved. Adherence to the humanitarian principles in the activities at all lev els and ensuring relief without partiality or discrimination is very important for sustaining the confidence level and trust of the donors and other stakeholders for their continued assistance and support. Infrastructure facilities Problems faced by a typical humanitarian orga

Becoming Influential , Nursing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Becoming Influential , Nursing Paper - Essay Example Because of this insensitive attitude, the atrocities against nurses in work places are increasing day by day. As a responsible citizen of the state, I feel this issue is to be brought under public scrutiny on a wider extend. Usually we get alerted only when some inhuman incident strikes the headlines. Rather than waiting for casualties let us take vigilant steps to prevent them. Implementing stringent laws, enhancing more efficient surveillance techniques, conducting awareness programs for nurses and policy makers etc has to be given serious thought to avoid such incidents in future. It is my humble request that these heinous acts need to be highlighted in your newspaper. Collaborative effort of the media and public can bring about positive changes I believe. Looking forward to hearing from you, Yours sincerely, (Name) Introduction Nursing is not just taking care of patients but a big social responsibility which most of us fail to realize. Working beyond the hospital conditions, like a poverty stricken area or a war field, a factory etc demonstrates the social commitment shouldered by a nurse which often goes unnoticed. Likewise a nurse has his/her say in every socially relevant issue. In this context, it is relevant to invite public attention to a very serious threat a nurse experience on a day to day basis. It is ‘physical workplace violence’. Why this Topic? In the present scenario, this is a topic that is worth mentioning as there are increasing number of reports of nurses being physically assaulted in and around Canada in the recent times. Because of such dreadful news coming up from every corner of the country the glory of the profession has come down of late. This can be attributed as one reason for the international shortage of nurses. As reported by Duncan, Estabrooks & Reimer (2000), verbal and physical abuse happen on a routine basis and the most unhappy fact is that 70 percent of the cases go unreported. So what we see or hear is just t he tip of the iceberg. Despite zero tolerance policies, violence at work place is not being reported and this leads to the increasing number of such incidents. Most of the time the administration takes up the role of a silent spectator and sometimes they discourage such incidents to be reported. This inadequate and irresponsible attitude of the administration worsens the issue. Nurses should realize the fact that getting assaulted is not a part of their job. They should unite and rise against not only the atrocities against them but also the deaf attitude many hospital managements take on such issues. So it is high time to raise our voice against such an injustice. How I determined the content for the message The alarming rise of atrocities against nurses in work places, both verbal and physical has become a major social menace which has been ignored by authorities. Addressing this problem was the need of the hour. According to the fifth annual report of National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and practice (NACNEP) nurses are the most assaulted workers among America’s workforce. They are exposed to violence not only from patients but from the patient’s family members and visitors. Violence can be in the form of intimidation, bullying, sexual harassment, shooting, stabbing or stalking. The report says that the psychological consequences of such assaults are shocking.

Dimensions of Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dimensions of Health - Essay Example Even with ongoing debate for and against the definition proposed by WHO, it is clear from this definition that health is an entity with multiple dimensions. This definition envisages three specific dimensions, the physical, mental, and social. These dimensions appear separate, but in reality, they are dynamic and interact with each other. Human behaviour is a common theme in human health. Human behaviour is the resultant of physical and mental factors interacting in complicated ways. The broad categories of factors that may influence individual health behaviour include knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, skills, finance, time, and many others. It is important to give serious considerations to the social context, a particular behaviour occurs. Health behaviour refers to those activities that an individual undertakes to avoid disease. These behaviours are dependent on the environmental contexts as well as on emotions and feelings. Most importantly, health behaviour depends on the he alth needs (Hawks et al., 2008, 319-324). Attitudes are acquired characteristics of an individual that are considered to be more or less permanent ways of behaving. An attitude contains three components, a cognitive or knowledge element, an affective or feeling element, and a tendency to action. Thus attitude can be defined as a relatively enduring organization of beliefs around an object, subject, or concept that predisposes to a response in a preferential manner. Most human beings learn attitudes from social interactions, and once they are formed, it is very difficult to change. In the recent time, attitudes are being recognized as very important determinants of health behaviours, and consequently, psychologists and health care professionals are increasingly dwelling on attitude surveys and attitude measurements, since it is becoming clear that healthy attitudes gravitate from parents, teachers, religious leaders, and elders (Nielsen et al., 2004, 28-32). The beliefs and attributions that people hold can influence their health. This can influence health by affecting their behaviour such as food habits and by a direct influence on the physiological system. Although these two modes are not mutually exclusive for the patient, and there is another set of health beliefs and attributions from the health professionals that can affect the health of individuals. These beliefs may influence health decisions and also influence patients' cognitions. Healthcare professionals may influence the beliefs and attributions, hence behaviour of patients by giving them information and through expression of their beliefs about the patient's health and the best way to overcome a particular health problem. Hence health professionals' beliefs about a disease and its management are large factors in influencing the values of the patients and their approaches to the management of illness (O'hea et al., 2005, 705-717). Values are traits such as honesty, loyalty, intelligence, or talent. This is a set of instrumental values. The other conceptions of values as traits include instrumental and expressive tendencies. Values have also been defined as need strengths including achievement, affiliation, and dominance. The contemporary values point towards a person's value-directed preference for quality rather than quantity of life. The values ascertain the strength of

Analyse the economic objectives of the United States government and Essay

Analyse the economic objectives of the United States government and the effectiveness of its macroeconoic policies over the las three years - Essay Example Stagflation was once witnessed in the economic turmoil of the 1970s due to which economic imbalance was experienced. However despite the economic consequences of policies, we explore in this paper to what extent macroeconomic policies have remained successful or unsuccessful over the last three years in the light of economic objectives to cover unemployment, inflation, expenditure and balance of economic growth. Unemployment is the foremost macroeconomic indicator that within any economy irrespective of per capita GDP is responsible for deriving income from labor market earnings. With falling living standards and rising unemployment, the macroeconomic policies have failed to lower down the rate of unemployment as the rate of unemployment in 2007 was 6 million which in 2008 has risen to 9 million and is still keep on increasing during this economic recession. Avila & Usabiaga (2007) points out that macroeconomic policies have permanent or long-lasting effects on the unemployment rates of various US states (Avila & Usabiaga, 2007). However the impact of such policies and their persistence to our economy indicates that a high degree rise in unemployment is due to the restrictive demand policies that have become permanent component of the economy, thus leading to a higher natural rate of unemployment. This way the macroeconomic results have suggested that the prevailing tendency of U.S. state unemployment rates to fall from the high level was only witnessed after the first oil shock which also gives an indication that labor market reforms and stabilization policies have been implemented in the right direction (ibid). Policies regarding public finance claims that only the most central, national government can successfully manage US economys macro-economic swings and the resulting unemployment of labour and economic resources. The macroeconomics in this case does not held itself responsible for the inability to

Dimensions of Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dimensions of Health - Essay Example Even with ongoing debate for and against the definition proposed by WHO, it is clear from this definition that health is an entity with multiple dimensions. This definition envisages three specific dimensions, the physical, mental, and social. These dimensions appear separate, but in reality, they are dynamic and interact with each other. Human behaviour is a common theme in human health. Human behaviour is the resultant of physical and mental factors interacting in complicated ways. The broad categories of factors that may influence individual health behaviour include knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, skills, finance, time, and many others. It is important to give serious considerations to the social context, a particular behaviour occurs. Health behaviour refers to those activities that an individual undertakes to avoid disease. These behaviours are dependent on the environmental contexts as well as on emotions and feelings. Most importantly, health behaviour depends on the he alth needs (Hawks et al., 2008, 319-324). Attitudes are acquired characteristics of an individual that are considered to be more or less permanent ways of behaving. An attitude contains three components, a cognitive or knowledge element, an affective or feeling element, and a tendency to action. Thus attitude can be defined as a relatively enduring organization of beliefs around an object, subject, or concept that predisposes to a response in a preferential manner. Most human beings learn attitudes from social interactions, and once they are formed, it is very difficult to change. In the recent time, attitudes are being recognized as very important determinants of health behaviours, and consequently, psychologists and health care professionals are increasingly dwelling on attitude surveys and attitude measurements, since it is becoming clear that healthy attitudes gravitate from parents, teachers, religious leaders, and elders (Nielsen et al., 2004, 28-32). The beliefs and attributions that people hold can influence their health. This can influence health by affecting their behaviour such as food habits and by a direct influence on the physiological system. Although these two modes are not mutually exclusive for the patient, and there is another set of health beliefs and attributions from the health professionals that can affect the health of individuals. These beliefs may influence health decisions and also influence patients' cognitions. Healthcare professionals may influence the beliefs and attributions, hence behaviour of patients by giving them information and through expression of their beliefs about the patient's health and the best way to overcome a particular health problem. Hence health professionals' beliefs about a disease and its management are large factors in influencing the values of the patients and their approaches to the management of illness (O'hea et al., 2005, 705-717). Values are traits such as honesty, loyalty, intelligence, or talent. This is a set of instrumental values. The other conceptions of values as traits include instrumental and expressive tendencies. Values have also been defined as need strengths including achievement, affiliation, and dominance. The contemporary values point towards a person's value-directed preference for quality rather than quantity of life. The values ascertain the strength of

Student Assessment Essay Example for Free

Student Assessment Essay A current policy issue that is plaguing our educational system is the emphasis put on student assessments. Teachers are at odds in their classrooms on whether to teach the necessities that students will need to be productive in our society, to simply teach what will be tested on state and federally mandated assessments, or both. Teachers are forced to find a balance within their instructions due to the time restraints that stand in their way. When teachers are able to find this balance and present all the concepts that are included in assessment, plus all other concepts, the results from the assessments can be very beneficial to their classrooms. Assessment results have important implications for instruction. The primary aim of assessment is to foster learning of worthwhile academic content for all students (Wolf, Bixby, Glenn, Gardner, 1991). School communities use assessment results in a formative way to determine how well they are meeting instructional goals and how to alter curriculum and instruction so that goals can be better met. But if what schools assess and how schools assess do not match what is taught and how it is taught, then the results are meaningless, if not potentially harmful. Theres also potential for harm when decisions affecting students futures are being made based on results of assessments made with tools that are not appropriate for the purpose. Some schools are attempting to change assessment to match the content and format of instruction, and are therefore relying more upon alternative assessment. Alternative assessments include performance-based assessment, portfolios, student-designed assessments, etc. , and are considered by many educators to be more reflective of new curricular goals and methods of instruction. Some educators view alternative assessment as a better way to determine how well students are learning traditional forms of assessment like multiple choice tests. Alternative forms of assessment might best serve some of these purposes while more traditional forms could still serve others. Regardless of the purpose, however, the form of assessment used must reflect a teacher’s instructional goals and must be of high technical quality. (White Fredericksen, 1994) Alternative forms of assessment require knowledge and skills that most teachers have not had the opportunity to learn, which in fact poses another issue with these types of classroom assessments. Without the knowledge and skills, teachers will be doing their students a disservice by conducting faulty assessments. Providing teachers with the time that is essential for learning is necessary to making changes in assessment practices. Teachers need time to produce and implement the assessments. Teachers also need time to work with one another to share ideas and reach consensus because integrating instruction and assessment requires coordination. Alternative assessment will not be effective if it is added to the list of responsibilities for teachers. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991) When assessment results are used to make important decisions, there is a danger that instruction will narrowly focus on what is assessed while other important curricular goals and content are neglected (Romberg, Zarinnia, Williams, 1989). All assessments include only a sample of the total content contained within a curriculum. Critics of multiple-choice tests, for example, suggest that the skills usually assessed by multiple-choice testing become the focus of instruction at the expense of more substantial content. Alternative assessment presents a solution to this situation by ensuring that the content of the assessment matches the most important content in the curriculum. However, regardless of how much the content of an assessment is improved, when teachers narrowly focus on what is tested, the assessment results will only reveal the students learning of the test content, not whether they could perform a related task in a different environment. For example, if instruction is focused on a skill that is a test requirement, the results of the test will reflect only the students performance in a testing environment, not his/her general ability to perform that skill in everyday settings. This limitation is primarily a concern in large-scale districts or state testing situations where important decisions are based on a limited sample of student performances. The most important factors in determining the technical quality of assessments are the assessments’ reliability, validity, and fairness. If the quality of an assessment is not ensured, grouping practices, and coverage and pacing decisions may be based on invalid estimates of students capabilities. Sometimes grouping decisions can reflect or reinforce racial and socioeconomic inequities, or the decisions might be based on prior achievement that was artificially low due to past limited opportunities to learn. If all students have not had an equal opportunity to learn, then grouping and pacing decisions based on test results are unfair. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991) Good assessment requires minimizing factors that could lead to misinterpretation of results. The criteria for meeting this requirement are reliability, validity, and fairness. Reliability is defined as an indication of the consistency of scores across evaluators or over time. An assessment is considered reliable when the same results occur regardless of when the assessment occurs or who does the scoring. There should be compelling evidence to show that results are consistent across raters and across scoring occasions. (Elliott, 1994) Validity is defined as an indication of how well an assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure. Three aspects of an assessment that must be evaluated for validity are tasks, extraneous interference, and consequences. Every assessment requires students to complete some task or activity. A valid task should reflect actual knowledge or performance, engage and motivate students to perform to the best of their ability, be consistent with current educational theory and practice, be reviewed by experts to judge content quality and authenticity. Extraneous interference occurs when there is something in the assessment that might get in the way of students being able to demonstrate what they know and can do. A valid assessment does not require knowledge or skills that are irrelevant to what is actually being assessed. Some examples of these might include students’ ability to read, write, role-play, or understand the context, personality, physical limitations, or knowledge of irrelevant background information. Valid assessments also minimize unintended negative consequences. Negative effects of assessments might include restricting curricula to what can be easily assessed, communicating unintended messages about power, control, or social status, and fostering narrow images of the nature of a particular discipline. (Elliott, 1994) Fairness means that an assessment should allow for students of both genders and all backgrounds to do equally well. All students should have equal opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge being assessed. The fairness of the assessment is jeopardized if bias exists either in the task or in the rater. (Elliott, 1994) In this atmosphere of reform, student assessment is the centerpiece of many educational improvement efforts. Policymakers hope that changes in assessment will cause teachers and schools to do things differently. Assessment reform is viewed as a means of setting more appropriate targets for students, focusing staff development efforts for teachers, encouraging curriculum reform, and improving instruction and instructional materials. (Fuchs, 1994) Many educators and policymakers believe that what gets assessed is what gets taught and that the format of assessment influences the format of instruction. Contrary to our understanding of how students learn, many assessments test facts and skills in isolation, seldom requiring students to apply what they know and can do in real-life situations. Standardized tests do not match the emerging content standards, and over-reliance on this type of assessment often leads to instruction that stresses basic knowledge and skills. Rather than encouraging changes in instruction toward the engaged learning that will prepare students for the 21st century, these tests encourage instruction of less important skills and passive learning. (Fuchs, 1994) Since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only national representative and continuing assessment of what Americas students know and can do in various subject areas, it seemed to be the most obvious choice for exploration. In exploration of this policy, research will be conducted to find out how affective it is within our country. The terms of this policy requires that assessments be conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U. S. history. Because of the issues of assessment, NAEP’s assessment will be probed to find if they are reliable, valid, and fair being that it serves as a type models for all other assessment practices. Under the current structure, the Commissioner of Education Statistics, who heads the National Center for Education Statistics in the U. S. Department of Education, is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), appointed by the Secretary of Education but independent of the Department, sets policy for NAEP and is responsible for developing the framework and test specifications that serve as the blueprint for the assessments. The National Assessment Governing Board develops the frameworks that provide the theoretical basis for the assessment and specific direction for what kinds of knowledge and skills should be assessed, how the exercises should be designed, and how student responses should be scored. These frameworks are the result of comprehensive efforts in which teachers, curriculum experts, policymakers, and members of the general public worked to create a unified vision of how a particular subject ought to be assessed. This vision is based on current educational research on achievement and its measurement, and good educational practices. (National Center for Education Statistics) References Berk, R. A. (1993). National Trends in Student and Teacher Assessment: Issues in Performance Assessment. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from http://nesonline. com/PDFs/1993_05Berk. pdf Elliott, S. N. (1994). Creating meaningful performance assessments: Fundamental concepts. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Fuchs, L. S. (1994). Connecting performance assessment to instruction. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. National Center for Education Statistics. NEAP Overview. Retrieved on January 20, 2008 from http://www. nces. ed. gov/nationsreportcard/about/ North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, PBS Elementary/Secondary Service, in partnership with the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (UCLA/CRESST) (1991). Schools That Work: The Research Advantage. Part IV: Alternatives for Measuring Performance. Oak Brook, IL: Authors. Romberg, T. , Zarinnia, A. Williams, S. (1989). The Influence of Mandated Testing on Mathematics Instruction: Grade Eight Teachers Perceptions. In Romberg, T. Wilson, L. (1992, September), Alignment of Tests with the Standards, Arithmetic Teacher, 40 (1), 18-22. White, B. Y. Fredericksen, J. R. (1994, Fall). Using Assessment to Foster a Classroom Research Community. Educator, 19-24. Wolf, D. , Bixby, J. , Glenn, J. , III, Gardner, H. (1991). To use their minds well: Investigating new forms of student assessment. Review of Research in Education, 17, 31-74.

Training, Development And MNC Performance

Training, Development And MNC Performance Abstract- Training and development is basically related with the Human resource management which is concerned with the activities of an organization aiming at betterment of the performance of an individual and groups in setting of organizations. The training and development is also well known with some of the other names which are employee development, learning and development and human resource development. When we observe the international training and development, then it encompasses basically three main types of activities which are education, training and development. Training is a type of activity which focuses upon and evaluated against the job that is currently held by an employee whereas education is the activity that focuses upon the job which may be potentially held by the employee in near future and is evaluated against these jobs. The last activity is development which mainly focuses upon the activities of an organization that employs an individual or the individual is the part of or may take part in the future and almost impossible to eliminate. The research is done on the methodology which shows us the relation between the international training and development and the performance of Multi-National Company. The process of training and development is applied on the employees to make sure that there is skilled and willful workforce present to work for an organization and in addition to that there are other four objectives which are also focused to meet the requirement which are Individual, Organizational, Functional and Societal objectives. Literature Review- A well known observer Harrison that the other names of the training and development were endlessly discussed by the chartered institute of personnel and development during the review of the professional standards in the year of 1999 or 2000. Employee development was seen as the evocative of the master slave relationship between the employee and employer which have given the names to their employees as associates or partners which they are comfortable with. If we review history then Human Resource Development was rejected by academics which was objected due to a reason that is the people were considered as resources. Eventually the CIPD decided on the process of learning and development which was either not free of problems where learning was considered as ambiguous and over general name where the field is also known by some other names. There are many conflicts which are the best part of the consequences of the career which take place between the employees and their bosses observing that there is a need of training and development which is a needed in the better performance of the Multi National companies. Research Aims and Objectives- Aim- Main aim behind performing the research on the topic is to understand the concept of the international training and development in the Multi National Companies and the performance which is affected by it. Objectives- The main objective behind the research is to find the use and benefit of international training and development which are performed by the Multi National Companies. There are many other objectives which are met from the international training and development such as individual objectives, organizational objectives, functional objectives and societal objectives. Research MethodologyÂÂ ­- There are two main type of doing research: Qualitative Quantitative In this particular research Qualitative research methodology is used. This research is based upon qualitative analysis of data. Secondary sources are used for this research. Analysis of secondary resources is included in this section. International training and development is one of the branches of the Human Resource management which is considered as the new term since 1930s. The international training and development is a sub system of the organization which ensures that the learning and behavioral change should be accepted in the structured format and the randomness should be reduced. There are two approaches towards the development of the international training and development which are Traditional Approach Modern Approach When we talk about the Traditional Approach then there was no term related to the training which was considered by the organizations applying the basic fundamentals like managers were born not made as it was running from decades. There were some views about the training that is it is too costly affair and not worth and some of an organization used to believe more on the executive pinching instead now the scenario has changed or seems to be changing. When we look at the modern approach towards the training and development then some Multinational Companies have realized about the importance of the corporate training which could immensely effect their reputation or status in the positive or negative manner. It is nowadays more considered as the retention tool instead of the cost. The training systems used in the multi-national companies are basically aimed at creating smarter workforce and yielding the best results in favor of organization. There are many objectives set by various MNCs which has principal objective of training and development division to make sure about the availability of the skilled and willing workforce to a Multi National company in addition with that there are four other objectives which are Organizations, Individual, Societal and functional objectives. Essentiality of International Training- Conventional training is basically required to cover up all the skills related to the work, techniques and knowledge and mostly sections deals with the positive approach to some sort of traditional approach of training. There are many ways to develop people or employees but the best way to make development in people is quite different from the traditional approach of training from the conventional skills training and it is the most effective way to allow personal development and learning with all that this implies. As soon as we have covered the basic work related skills training there are many other things which is described in this section which focus on the development and learning of the people as individuals which has extended the range of development apart from the traditional work and knowledge and make way for more creative work which creates opportunities like liberating, motivational and exciting for people. As we all know about the Profit which is achieved through approachable training and development of the skills of the people well with the development of the people enabling of profit take place. The Multi National Companies which approach international training and development with an aim of fostering people who have performed well and progress is seen in their progress card and should stay in the company for the long time to become perfect at what they do and also help others to become so. As we have many times used the term training for our daily purpose which is features heavily in the coming paragraphs but the term learning could be used as improved way to approach a subject as the term learning relates with the term learner whereas trainer generally belongs to the person who needs training that is trainer or the organization. When we observe the training from the realistic perspectives then corporate attitudes and expectations from the term training cannot be changed overnight a nd most of the organizations perform training so as to improve the work skills, classrooms and power point presentations. There are many other ways to develop people apart from the traditional skills of training for example (Green) Facilitating personal development Enable learning to become learner. It helps people to achieve and identify their potential Training ideas and Outline process- There is relatively simple overview present of the models, processes and tools which are found for the effective delivery or planning of the training required in the organization. Various points which are included in the above process for international training and development in the Multi National Companies are- Various training needs should be understood well and there should be some sort of training needs analysis process or DIF analysis conducted to improve the training process or the drawbacks which the company is facing could be retrieved through the analysis resulting in the improvement of those points which commonly happens in the appraisal process. This type of training analysis involves the people who identifies and agrees on the relevant aligned training and considers the values of company and ethics and spirituality at work. Some light should be thrown at the recruitment processes so that there are no point training people who are not capable of doing the job. There should be creation of training and development specifications which identifies about our training and in the development of the people which must be break down into the manageable elements and each element should be attached with standards, measures or some parameters. There are many tools which are useful in this kind of training purposes but the best tools which can be used are 360 degree process and template, training planner. The skill sets and the training needs analysis which we have learnt in the above point should be revisited which can help in organizing and training elements assessment on the large scale. There should be difference in the learning styles and personality which should be considered as peoples learning style greatly affect in the types of training which can be found to be most easiest and effective and sometimes personality types are also considered and it should be always remembered that we are dealing with the people instead of objects as they are filled with the feelings, skills and knowledge. Models like Erikson model and Johor Window is the wonderful mean to better understand this type of training and the team or their group also helps in the understanding the training needs which could be helped by the Adairs theory and Tuckman model. There should be better planning and evaluation which is to be performed that considers effectiveness of the evaluation training including before and after measurements. Various models are also included in this kind of training need such as Kirkpatrick model and that helps to structure training design. Blooms theory should also be considered that can help us to understand about what type of development we are addressing to with this theory there are other activities which should be considered which are team activities and exercises. The tips like self studying program design should be observed as they offer more opportunities than ever. Design materials, methods and deliver training are the tools which can be used to determine the needs of training and development in the company. The methods which are innovative should be considered such as business balls communities which have lots of providers and ideas. Running meetings, workshops and presentations should also be considered as an important aspect for delivery. The training providers selection template could be used on the sales training page which is adopted by the providers and services. There are many ways or methods of training and development such as Internal training courses Classroom training On the job training Skills training Behavioral training Technical training Training assignments The training is also available outside and beyond the classroom where most importantly training and learning are the topics which are indeed to look at from the trainees view where view refers to the offer is learning and developmental experience. There are various aspects which are included in the international training and development such as ethics and morality, leadership and determination and attitude and behavior in addition with the skills and knowledge. We have seen that many organizations face various challenges of developing answer findings, initiatives, self-belief and predicament solving capabilities within their people. There are certain requirements of organizations where they need self sufficient, creative, autonomous and resourceful staff at all the levels which can contribute to the overall performance of an organization. The behavior of the staff tells about the operations which they can perform at the higher strategic level which makes their company more productive and competitive in the market where peoples effort are more considered to produce bigger result. There are many types of training which we have studied in which conventional skills training provides people with the new methods and techniques which will not help in their courage, maturity and belief that are essential for the progress of the managerial capabilities which focus on developing the person instead of their skills. In the period of training there can be participative workshops which can be included in the beginning as it involves people right from the starting and focus on what they want. There could be also personal development questionnaire to set the scene and examples should be provided of alternative learning opportunities. General Training Tips- The tips which will be mentioned below is applicable to usual work related training for the transfer of necessary job and work related skills instead these tips do not apply automatically to the other forms of personal development and learning which can involve much wider development methods and experiences. During the planning of the training these are some of the points which should be kept in mind- Personal objectives Number of trainee Methodology and usage of format Time period of training Location of training Effectiveness of training Reaction or feedback of the trainees Whenever some Multi-national companies provides skills training to a trainee, they use these five step approach Prepare the trainee- they provide time to relax them as some of the employees could find learning new things stressful in the beginning. Explain the job, task- the methods, standards, necessary tools, equipments and system should be explained and discussed. Provide a demonstration- a step by step process is more complex as more and more steps could be difficult to learn so always show the correct way and accentuate the positive in addition with feedback and check understanding. The trainees should actually perform the job which would help in learning more by practical applications of the equipments and services. The progress is monitored which gives positive feedback and people should be encouraged, coach and adapt with the pace of development. These were the five steps which are provided to the trainee in their training period so as to make perfection in their actual work performed in the company. Creating charts and using them could be helpful as they are essential for complex work where we cannot measure it and it is essential to use the training tools for various purposes such as accessing, recording, planning, measuring and following up the persons training. Training Planning Factors- The guidelines which will be provided below will be dealing with the conventional work skills training and development beyond which the issues of personal development and learning will be the most noteworthy areas of the personal development which is to be focused on. There are various areas which should be included to plan the traditional training of work skills and capabilities which link the improvement of the organizational performance which needs to identify the needs, priorities and gaps in the organizational performance. It will not be possible to include so many aspects which determine the need of the training or there are various training drivers which will produce the results which is cost effective in terms of business performance which are- (rae) Surveys on customer satisfaction Financial reports and ratios. Statistics and reports on business performance Feedback on the training needs Legislative pressures Relevant qualification and certification program. Staff Assessment centre and training audits. Management feedback on the needs of the employee Competitor analysis and comparison which could be done by SWOT analysis. Strategic priorities and Director driven policy The indicators and results are picked from the chosen driver to produce the priority needs of the training as per the staff which will enable staff and management to accomplish improvements required by an organization. Development of Resources for Training- There is a need of resources to perform a fully fleshed training with all the facilities which can result in becoming independent in work and life. People who are having plenty of resources are tend to be well developed individuals, capable of teaching and leading others, enabling and assisting the change in groups and organizations, able to convey the enjoyment and advantages finding the answers. Resources help in answering questions that are considered as one of the indispensable needs of work and life. Resources are generally used for developing people or making improvement is something which could be small and realization for a single individual and if you build effective relevant resources then obviously it will become effective and more relevant. Discussion- Training is given to make sure the accessibility of both skilled and the workforce which is willing to work to an organization and this is the main objective of training and development union. Information that is shared through training is one of the most valuable tools for developing the most valuable asset which are employees. The main aim of all the training whether it is local or international is the empowerment of the employees and increment in the productivity. All the multinational companies give training to their employees for making the process more efficient also more effective and the main reason behind this is the satisfaction of the customer. For improving the overall performance of the organization is also related to the proper training of the employees of that organization. Nowadays international training is very important because it helps in maintaining the skill levels and the advance skill and knowledge given to the employees improves their performance which finally results in increasing the profitability which includes productivity and manpower. International training given to the employees by the multinational companies helps in establishing the standards for work practices. The frequent changes in the technology affects the requirements of jobs but the proper training can respond to the changes in technologies and also to the organizational restructuring. Development of the career is very important for a working person or an employee of multinational company; proper training supports the career development of the employees. For every successful employee training is very important because it fulfills all the needs of the employees which are required for their growth and development. These days the multinational companies give more emphasis on the international training of the employee rather than the local training because the international training give more ideas about the whole world and also develops the mind of the employee for facing a ll the bottlenecks that comes regularly in the path and this results in the all around performance of that employee. (Sims, 1998) Most of the multinational companies invest huge money for developing and purchasing of assets used in training and the main purpose behind this is to build and extend their capabilities. According to the survey of one of the multinational company it was found that in 2009 that company gave international training to their 3500 employees and also provided the self training courses. These companies also provides various types formal and also informal training programs for helping their employees to acquire the special skills. Formal training given to the employees by the company helps in building of their experience and also their practical knowledge in real life. Employees are given training for achieving various mission and goals of the company. Training and development gives knowledge to the employees about delivering of the quality solutions with the help of practical tools and methods. This development provides the further progress and gives various opportunities like to master a core-curriculum. This curriculum depends on certain factors and it changes with the level of the employee, deployment of growth platform and specialization but it involves the developing features like expertise of technology and industry, professional skills like leadership, management, business selling etc. These days multinational companies are also focusing on the online training for their employees. In this type of training employees of the company are trained on the computer and there is no need of going somewhere which means travelling is not required in this training by the employees. International training offers great advantage to the employers and the employees and its good effects are seen when an employee is send to an external program of training or in a seminar. This type of training increases the confidence and also the mental growth of the employees working in the multinational companies etc. Proper training and development of the training capabilities of the employees leads to increment in the advantages for organization. The employees should be made familiar with the goals, strengths and weakness of the company, environment culture etc. All these factors give a unique advantage to the employees over the trainer who has the responsibility to learn all these factors like company strengths and weaknesses, environment culture etc. The high performing multinational companies are recognizing the needs of using various practices for training and development for enhancing their competitive advantage. For every multinational company training and development is an essential tool if they want to harness and grows the potential of its employees. There is a clear link between the strategic training and development initiatives and the bottom line present in the company. The image of a multinational company and its employers are reflected by the quality and also the extent of training of staff and development. In todays business world all the multinational companies are facing the shortage of the experience and the skillful staff and because of this companies are facing the competition which includes both internal and external for quality employees. An employer who gives 100 percent with full seriousness in the field of training and development gets the entire benefits of a working environment which is enriched with the staff retention of the higher level and also the increased productivity and the performance of the employee in all fields of work. There are various key drivers of training initiatives and these three drivers are health and safety, changes in technique and the last one is the customer service. Now days multinational companies are using training and development as a gift for retaining and motivating the people and to be treated as the employer and also giving staff the skill and knowledge which is required for the technological change and services related to the customer. According to one of the survey most of the multinational companies gave support to the employees for perusing the outside educational programmers related to the work of their company. This support of the company for their employer consists of financial aid and also the time off for both study and the exam leave. The benefits of both these initiatives are very difficult to qualify but the fields like turnover of the staff and morale are main factors of the success in this field. The amount of money spend and the number of days spend on the training of the staff is very useful in getting an overview of the multinational companies which are committed to the development and the training. But the success of the multinational company is determined by the approach and the content of the initiatives of the training and by their assessment and follow up. The initiatives of the training requires the strategically alignment to the mission and goals of the company and they requires design and delivery for helping the staff for achieving their departmental and the personal goals also. The training initiatives become more targeted, measurable and effective when strategic approach is adopted for the training and development. Training delivery also requires assessment in terms of reaction, learning, change of behavior etc for the determination of the added value to the company. There are various things about training like some of the employees of the multinational companies are worried by the external training or it may also give them feeling that company is not doing fare job by sending them on the offered courses. This is the situation where the appraisal system helps greatly because training is directly linked to the job role and objectives. Most of the employees of the multinational companies welcome the opportunities for developing new skills and for gaining further qualifications. Training and development opportunities can be important factor in retaining staff only when it is offered to the staffs that are keen and interested in their progress. There are various types of trainings but the multinational company should choose that sort of training for their employees that suit both company and the employees. There are many benefits in having a training and development in multinational companies and they are: All the training and the development programmers are agreed between the employees and the company and they linked with each other for meeting the companys objective. Another benefit is that all the employees of the multinational company get equal access and equal opportunities for training and development. Because of international training and development employees can gain recognition for the knowledge and also the skills by achievement of qualifications which are vocationally relevant. The activity of training and development is evaluated for ensuring that it is meeting the identified needs. In order to help the individual to develop perfect curriculum vitae, records of the activities of training are kept. There are various methods of training and development: First is the on the job training and this training is related to the formal training on the job. Due to job over time worker becomes experienced due to the modification in the behaviors of the job at the point of acquisition of skills. Second is the orientation method which is carried out for entrants on the job for making them familiar with the overall requirements of corporate which includes various norms, ethics, values and all the rules and regulations. One method of training is apprenticeship and it is a method of training where a skilled person is understudied by the unskilled person. Another method of training and development is the demonstration and in this type of method the jobs are performed by the skilled workers and it is observed by the unskilled workers with the purpose of understanding the job. The last method of training and development is termed as the vestibule and this type of method is performed through industrial attachment for the objective of transfer of skills and technology. In this method training and development is achieved through the placement of an individual in another area of relevant work or another company. This process has effects on the individuals in acquiring the practical and the specialized skills. There is one more method of training and development that we have discussed above and that method is the formal training which includes the practical and the theoretical process of teaching. Trainings are often neglected by some of the companies because of urgency of need, time of the training, cost of the training, turnover of the employees, due to the diversification of the workers etc. But these should not be kept in mind by the companies for training and development. Training and development is very useful for many purposes but the significant importance of international training and development is the increase in sales. As training and development expands the business of the multinational company and it also provides the better customer service which in turn helps in increment of the sales of the company. Training and the development programmers helps employees a lot because these programs value employees to put some time into making them better and the best thing about training and development is that they value the thinking of the employees of the company and due to these programmers only the employees of the multinational company dont quit the companies. Training and development gives more time to the supervisor for management, standardized performance, less turnover, more customers and finally the better service. Training and development gives confidence to the workers for doing their jobs properly, reduces the tension of the workers, morale boosting, satisfaction of job to the employees and it also gives them the chance of advancing their skills, knowledge etc. For the multinational companies international training and development provides a good image which is most important for every company and which finally results in more profit for the multinational companies. After all the discussions it is concluded that training and development is very important for all the multinational companies. Conclusion- Training and Development which is also referred as learning and development are one of the most tactful aspects of our lives and work. As we observe our culture we have given more values to the training which is till now followed by various Multi-National Companies despite of attending so many years of schooling there are many amongst us who does not have knowledge about carefully designing an approach to training and development. The research of the training and developments performed shows us about various types of training which can be performed on the trainee and analysis of the development should be monitored timely so as to make decisions on the gaps coming in the performance of the trainee. (McNamara) There are explanations given on the basis of the performance of the Multi-National companies adopting some certain criteria to fulfill their needs of the training and to study the scenario which is changing day by day with the passage of time. There is a need of resources to fulfill the needs of training and development in the companies which are described above. There has been discussion performed on the training field of the multinational companies and development which can be seen in the performance of the trainee. The whole scenario describes about the benefits and the use of training which was not considered in the past.