Thursday, October 31, 2019

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

Intellectual property law - Essay Example With regards to a brief of this situation, it can be said that Trevor who was working as a laboratory assistant in the University of East shire’s Chemistry Department and his work involves assisting the PhD students in their experiments and also running the laboratory. Officially no project has been assigned to him, but the Head of the Department of Chemistry has permitted him to do research tasks if he intends to provided that they do not interfere with his routine tasks and responsibilities at the Department. An important fact of this case was that Trevor worked over the weekend beyond office hours with a PhD student into developing a cure for common cold. Since the student developed common cold, Trevor considers developing a cure for her problem. The student is working on a particular compound and Trevor decides to add the compound Millenniumium (Mil) to that compound. Mil is usually used to treat tropical diseases and in the past according to the author, the use of it for treating common cold has not been obvious to any body reasonably skilled in the art. Trevor immediately tests out the drug on his friend, and to his surprise the drug cures the common cold. Trevor immediately reports the invention to his boss the Head of the Department, who applies for a patent but does not put Trevor’s name in the application form. The head of the department does not offer credit Trevor. The facts of the other issues are that a professor from another rival university claims that Trevor’s invention may be obvious to a person skilled in the art and would not pass the non-obviousness test. The professor from the other university suggests that Trevor’s invention may have been found out by another person at some time as a lot of random testing had been going on with drugs. Trevor’s rights over the invention It may be difficult to ascertain the rights that Trevor would be having, but important facts of the case are that:- Trevor was the actual inventor of the drug combination containing Mil Trevor was using the resources of the university to test out the drug and develop the same Trevor was given permission by his HOD to carry out a research project he wanted provided that it did not interfere with his work in the organisation Trevor conducted the work beyond his work timings and hence it was not interfering with his work There were no efforts put by his HOD in developing the proposed combination of drugs that could be considered for the patent. Under Section 10(1), 10(2), 10(3) and 10(4) of the Patent Rules 2007, the Mention of the Inventor has been included. Under section 10(1), if the inventor has not been mentioned in the patent application, he/she has to be mentioned in the appendix or erratum. Under Section 10(2), if the inventor has not been mentioned, he can apply before the comptroller of Patents. Under Section 7(1) of the Patent Act 1997, there is a mention that any person can apply for a patent either alone or jointly. Under 7(2) it has been mentioned that person would include not only individuals but also corporate bodies including universities. The patent may be granted either to the inventor, joint inventor or to the successor/s of the inventor or inventors. Under section 7.06, the inventor has primarily the right to grant the invention to any person but this law may be overridden by legally enforceable

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Panera Bread Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Panera Bread Company - Essay Example In order to achieve this, business organizations have to implement certain strategies. Each and every product needs to be designed or made on the basis of customer’s needs and wants. Panera Bread Company has so many outlets in US and Canada and each outlet has its own varieties of customers. Thus, in order to maintain a steady flow of customers they have to follow certain marketing strategies tailor made to meet the requirements of each and every outlet, depending on the peculiar characteristics of the outlet. The franchisee business model is quite appropriate in the food and beverage industry. However, unlike it is competitors, Panera does not have many Franchisee units. So to increase the franchisees the company has to implement some new strategies. Because of the strict policies Panera does not have as many outlets as its competitors like Star Bucks and McDonald’s have. Not cashing in on the attractive concept of franchising is the main drawback of Panera. The issues however can be easily solved on the basis of franchises and the management professionals have to follow some kind of marketing activities such as market campaigns, Employees and customer’s awareness classes. . To get more in to franchising the rules should be cut down on the basis of this we can improve our business activities as well as our customers. It is needless to mention that every business operates on the basis of profitability and for Panera to

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Physiology of the Heart

Physiology of the Heart Anatomy 1. Illustrate and describe the gross anatomy of the heart. Include the layers of the heart wall, chambers, valves, structures and major blood vessels connected to the heart. Indicate direction of flow. Include your own diagram. The heart is a complex biological electrical pump. It is found in mediastinum of the thorax. Surrounding the heart is the pericardium, which contains serous fluid, allowing the heart to move freely within the membrane. (1) The outside surface of the heart is known as the epicardium, the inner surface of the heart muscle; the myocardium and the innermost surface; the endocardium. The heart itself can be separated into 4 chambers which are filled with blood when the heart is relaxed, and pumped out of when the heart contracts. (1) They are separated into the left and right side, which are distinct, and into atria (singular atrium) and ventricles. The atria and ventricles are separated by the coronary sinus or AV groove. Between the right atrium and right ventricle is the Tricuspid Valve which is made up of 3 leaflets. Deoxygenated blood feeds into the right atrium from the Vena Cava (which is separated into the superior and inferior vena cava – superior from the head, neck and arms and the inferior from the lower limbs and the abdomen). (1) The right ventricle feeds into the pulmonary artery which carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs. Blood is then oxygenated and fed back to the heart through the pulmonary vein. This fills the left atrium and subsequently, flows through the Mitral Valve into the left ventricle.. (1) As the heart contracts, this pushe s the blood into the aorta, which feeds through to the major arteries in the body. Within the base of the aorta lies some very small arteries known as the coronary arteries. These feed the heart tissue with oxygenated blood and drain into the right atrium, with the systemic deoxygenated blood. (1) 2. Briefly describe the function of the pericardial cavity As mentioned before, the heart and roots of the great vessels (aorta, vena cava, pulmonary vein and artery) is surrounded with a very strong membrane known as the pericardium. It is a double walled structure, made up of the fibrous pericardium on the outermost surface of the heart, and an inner serous pericardium. (1)The fibrous pericardium is made of very dense connective tissue, and contains many collagen fibres. It prevents overfilling of the heart and anchors it to the surrounding walls of the thoracic cavity.(2) The serous pericardium can be differentiated into two layers, the parietal layer, which is fused and continuous with the fibrous pericardium, and the visceral pericardium which can also be known as the epicardium. Between these layers is a potential space known as the pericardial cavity, filled with about 50mls of serous fluid. (2) This potential space is extremely important as it allows the heart to move freely within the space by keeping the transmural cardiac pressure s very low, as well as facilitating atrial filling during ventricular systole by maintaining a negative pericardial pressure. It also prevents hypertrophy of the heart under strenuous exercise, keeping the heart muscle a relatively constant size. (2) The membranes completely isolate the heart from the thoracic cavity which prevents spread of disease or infection. Its importance is particularly obvious when there are cases of pericardial tamponade – build-up of fluid in the pericardial cavity which causes compression of the heart. (2) Without the pericardial cavity, the heart would not be able to pump as efficiently as it would have to overcome the pressures exerted on it by the surroundings, which would just add to the work of the cardiac muscle.(2) 3. Illustrate and describe the anatomy of the electrical conduction system of the heart. Briefly describe the blood supply to the electrical conduction system. The electrical impulse originates at the Sino Atrial Node in the right atrium. This impulse travels through the cardiac muscle – through the many gap junctions, as well as through the intermodal pathways or Bachman’s bundle. (1) At the level of the atrio-ventricular valves, there is another node called the Atrio-Ventricular Node (AV Node) that has properties that delay the stimulus. Following this, the impulse travels down the left and right bundle branch fibres in the ventricular septum, into the bundles of His which travel up the ventricular walls and branch into Purkinje fibres. The stimulus reaches the apex of the heart first, and then travels up towards the outflow tracts resulting in coordinated depolarisation and contraction. (1) This coordination is a result of both the coordination of the stimulus as well as the layout of the myocytes, as well as the ease at which the electrical signal is able to propagate through cardiac muscle.(3) Sino Atrial Node is usually supplied oxygenated blood by the Right Coronary Artery (RCA) or the Left Coronary Artery (LCA) though this is variable. In most people, the AV Node is supplied by the AV Node Artery branch of the Posterior Descending Artery which is a branch off the RCA, though in some it will be supplied by the same artery, just as a branch of the left Circumflex Artery. (3) All of the fibres downstream from this point are supplied by the Left Anterior Descending artery with exception of the His fibres, which are also supplied by the AV Node Artery. (3) Conduction 1. Illustrate and describe the propagation of a single beat through the electrical conduction system and the relationship to the surface ECG. Include in your answer a discussion on conduction velocity through the various components and list the normal ECG intervals. An ECG works by detecting the electrical change in the heart through sensors that are put on the surface of the skin. Direction is determined through the use of electrical vectors generated by many hundreds of individual cells. (4) The P wave is the first small wave in the ECG. It reflects the spread of depolarisation through the atria from the SA node. The normal range is  ¬0.08-0.1seconds. After the P wave there is a brief isoelectric stage when the current is flowing through the AV node, and the conduction is slowed. This is known as the PR interval and it is usually 0.12-0.2seconds. (4) The QRS complex shows the very strong electrical signal and resulting contraction that forces blood into the aorta and pulmonary artery. It is about 0.06-1seconds, which shows just how fast depolarisation spreads through the ventricles (its shape has been idealised on the schematic below). (1) After the QRS complex there is another isoelectric period which indicates plateau phase of depolarisation. The T wave is the repolarisation of the ventricles – in preparation for the next beat the duration between the P and T waves usually approximately 0.2-0.4seconds, though this is dependent on heart rate.(4) The U wave is a very rarely seen artefact and is thought to reflect the repolarisation of the papillary muscles that control the valves. (1) Figure 3: Electrocardiogram schematic. Based on the diagram from Bruce Shade: Fast and Easy ECGs (4) 2. Briefly describe the ionic movement that occurs during each phase of the myocardial and SA node action potential. Include a labelled illustration of both action potentials in your answer. The myocardial action potential is quite complex with influxes and effluxes of 3 different ions, changing the membrane potential as contraction occurs. There are 5 distinct phases of the myocardial action potential. (1) These are shown in the figure 4 below. Between phase 0 and 2 there is an absolute refractory period where it is impossible to invoke another action potential. This allows even more coordination of the spread of a stimulus.(1) The ECG trace shown below the action potential shows where the stages of contraction occur that can be extrapolated out into the ventricular depolarisation (QRS complex) and the ventricular repolarisation (T wave) Depolarisation Repolarisation ECG Cells in the SA node are pacemaker cells and have a property which is known as automaticity. They do not need activation to fire an action potential.(1) They are very similar to myocytes but have several key differences in their action potentials (see figure 5). Phase 0 is significantly slower in the pacemaker cells of the SA node as it is dependent on the activation of L-type calcium channels instead of Sodium channels, which makes the depolarisation significantly slower at this phase.(1) During Phase 1, repolarisation of the membrane occurs leading to a period of pacemaker potential, where the membrane potential gradually depolarises through constant Na2+ leakage into the cell. When the action potential is triggered automatically, Phase 0 commences. Pacemaker cells do not have phase 1 and 2. (1) Figure 5: SA Node Action Potential 3. Describe the role of escape pacemakers in the conduction system. The SA node is entirely autonomous which means that it does not need external innervation or activation to fire. Other areas of the heart are heteronomous which means they need an external source of action potential to stimulate them to produce one. (1) Some specific cells along the conduction fibres possess both of these properties. This is so that if the SA Node fails for some reason, they can activate themselves and this allows the heart to beat, even without a functional SA Node. (1) Each area will have a slower rate of autonomy as it gets further downstream from the SA Node to prevent competition between the different areas. (5) This is very useful when the SA Node fails, and the AV Node takes over as the AV Node can maintain a BPM of about 40-60 BPM which is still slow but can maintain life for a reasonable amount of time. Further downstream the Bundles of His can maintain about 25-40 BPM and the Purkinje fibers about 15-30BPM which cannot maintain life for any reasonable perio d of time, though it can help during some forms of arrhythmias which prevent the signal reaching the Purkinje fibers/Bundles of His. (6) This is also where Escape beats originate, and this is seen on the ECG as a widened QRS Complex. 4. Discuss the role of decremental conduction in the AV node. Decremental conduction means the more the AV node is stimulated, the slower it conducts the stimulus. This allows a control over how fast the blood is pumped out. The faster the contractions, the less time between them for filling of the heart and therefore less blood is pumped out. (1) The AV Node slows down the stimulus so that there is an element of control of how fast the signal reaches the apex of the heart and prevents the ventricles from contracting so fast that the cardiac output drops too low.(7) It is extremely important that the AV node is able to slow down the conduction velocity, even as it gets activated more and more frequently. It is even able to block out some signals. This is clearly seen in patients with atrial fibrillation. (7) The only way for the signal to travel to the ventricles is through the AV node (due to the insulating fibrous skeleton that prevents atrial cell – ventricular cell depolarisation spread). (7) If the AV node allowed conduction of ever y single depolarisation, an atrial fibrillation would be fatal as the cardiac output would become too low, and the ventricle would go into ventricular fibrillation, which is fatal without intervention. It is the decremental properties of the AV node that prevent this from occurring. (7) 5. Explain the term ‘functional syncytium’ and its significance in the cardiac muscle contraction. A functional syncytium by definition is a group of cells that are both mechanically and electrically bound to one another, so they are able to function as one. This is extremely important in cardiac muscle contraction.(1) One of the main reasons that the heart is able to work so effectively is that the contractions and depolarisations are always coordinated. (8) There is no coordination without communication, which are the electrical signals that are passed between the myocytes. (1) This extremely effective communication is completely useless unless the cardiac myocytes are mechanically bound, so that when they do contract, it is as a whole. The specialization, which is unique to cardiac muscle, that allows it to be a functional syncytium is a structure called intercalated discs. (8) They contain three types of intercellular junctions; many fascia adherens and desmosomes, for mechanical connection, and many gap junctions allowing for direct communication between neighbouring cells. ( 1) Another interesting property that contributes to the functional syncytium is the fact that cardiac muscle has an innate rhythmicity. This means that at the level of the muscle, the myocytes will exhibit the rhythm of the cell with the fastest rhythm. This makes regulating and coordinating the speed of the heart beat very easy and effective. (8) References 1. Boron WF, Boulpaep EL. Medical Physiology [Internet]. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2008 [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://books.google.com/books?id=HlMJRw08ihgCpgis=1 2. Watkins MW, LeWinter MM. Physiologic role of the normal pericardium. Annu Rev Med [Internet]. 1993 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 9];44:171–80. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8476238 3. Futami C, Tanuma K, Tanuma Y, Saito T. The arterial blood supply of the conducting system in normal human hearts. Surg Radiol Anat [Internet]. 2003 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 9];25(1):42–9. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12819949 4. Shade BR, Wesley K. Fast and Easy ECGs [Internet]. McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 2007 [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://books.google.com/books?id=hibqIAAACAAJpgis=1 5. Adams MG, Pelter MM. Ventricular escape rhythms. Am J Crit Care [Internet]. 2003 Sep [cited 2014 Apr 9];12(5):477–8. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14503433 6. Vassalle M. On the mechanisms underlying cardiac standstill: Factors determining success or failure of escape pacemakers in the heart. J Am Coll Cardiol [Internet]. Journal of the American College of Cardiology; 1985 Jun 1 [cited 2014 Apr 9];5(6):35B–42B. Available from: http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1111307 7. Cardiac Electrophysiology: From Cell to Bedside 5th edition ISBN: 9781416059738| US Elsevier Health Bookshop [Internet]. [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/cardiology/cardiac-electrophysiology-from-cell-to-bedside-expert-consult/9781416059738/ 8. Cardiac Muscle | histologyolm.stevegallik.org [Internet]. [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://histologyolm.stevegallik.org/node/146

Friday, October 25, 2019

Kerry Group Case Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

The Kerry Group began over thirty years ago in the south west region of Ireland. Beginning as a dairy and ingredients plant the company has now flourished into a global leader in the food ingredients and flavor products area. Kerry Group is headquartered in Tralee, Ireland and through its manufacturing, sales, and technical centers around the world, employs over 20,000 people. The company supplies over 10,000 food, food ingredients and other flavor products to customers in over 140 countries. Kerry Group also has manufacturing and sales facilities in over 20 countries. When Ireland joined the EEC or European Economic Community in 1973 many small dairies began to merge in order to compete with the larger dairy producing companies. Kerry also participated in the mergers with help from the milk suppliers of the County. Kerry acquired the State owned milk processing company along with its creameries. The Group also held a 42.5% stake in the NKMP Company for a total of 1.5 million Euros. At the same time, six of the eight independent Co-ops, which owned the other 42.5% stake, were acquired and became a new subsidiary of the Kerry Co-operative Creameries Ltd, which began trading in 1974. Kerry began as the smallest of six agricultural co-ops, a position that was soon to change. As Kerry began growing they developed some key values in the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis that are the backbone for the success of the Kerry Group. The major strength of the Kerry Group is procurement. Procurement allows Kerry to use available global resources in specialty ingredients, seasonings, coating systems, sweet ingredients, nutritional systems, and specialty proteins; by doing this they are able to acquire the highest-quality raw materials. Another strength of Kerry is technological development. Through technological development Kerry is able to develop flavors and gain an advantage over the competition. Kerry gains this technological advantage through research and development and acquisitions. The weaknesses of Kerry Group include the firm infrastructure. The Group’s debt-to-equity ratio is inordinately high for a company of Kerry’s size. Another weakness is in Kerry’s Human Resource Management division. Management e ncourages the employees to think â€Å"Kerry† or in sense be â€Å"Kerryized,† if employees do not follow this style of thinking they are ... ...leader in its selected markets through creativity and superior customer service. The Group is continuing to focus many efforts to expand its presence in global food and ingredients markets and its consumer foods businesses in Europe and abroad. The Kerry Group has recently put into action plans to purchase a specialty foods company in China that is expected to reach an additional 1.3 billion new customers. This venture will be a huge step for Kerry Group because it will be completely localized (a multi-domestic strategy), in that all business operations are expected to be turned over to the new facilities in China by the end of 2006.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, Kerry has emerged into a leader in the food processing and ingredients business, reaching its goal set in the early 1980’s. The group has five basic areas of business; which include Kerry Ingredients, Kerry Bio-Science, Kerry Foods, Kerry Agribusiness, and Mastertaste. If Kerry group continues to build from their corporate and business level strategies and continues to evaluate their SWOT analysis they will stay ahead of the competition and continue to remain a leader in the food ingredients and processing sector.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Assisted Suicide-Rebuttal

Rebuttal: Physician Assisted Suicide Rebuttal: Physician Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide has been a controversial topic since long before this past election. Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is when a physician gives a patient, usually terminally ill, the means to end their life by self-administered lethal injection or an overdose of drugs (Marker). PAS should not be confused with euthanasia, which is when a person other than the patient causes the death. Ben Mattlin’s article, â€Å"Suicide by Choice?Not So Fast,† argues that the Massachusetts measure to make physician assisted suicide legal in cases for those who have six months or less to live, should not be supported. Mattlin contends that passing the â€Å"right to die,† will lead to abuse and coercion of patients that feel forced to end their lives (Mattlin, 2012). Mattlin’s article cites that in Oregon, Washington, and Montana, where physician assisted suicides have been made legal, there has been scant evidence of abuse and in Massachusetts alone there were over 200,000 cases of elder abuse in 2010 (Mattlin, 2012).He uses two seemingly similar points to support his own rationalization and applies a scare tactic to substitute fear for reason (Moore, 2009). Mattlin bases his claim on comparing the abuse of physician assisted death in other states to elder abuse in Massachusetts, committing a rhetorical analogy. This is also an example of the slippery slope fallacy (Moore, 2009). Since elderly abuse is already so prominent, â€Å"how will assisted suicide be abused if it becomes legal? † While the context of abuse is similar, Mattlin states nothing to support that elder abuse leads to assisted death abuse but implies that PAS abuse will rise if legalized.The Massachusetts measure would apply to those having terminal illnesses with six month or less to live, however, Mattlin uses his own experience as a sufferer of disbilitating spinal muscular atrophy to argue his opini on. This is an example of the straw man fallacy (Moore, 2009) because Mattlin’s initial prognosis of not living past the age of two (Mattlin, 2012), is a misinterpretaton of legalizing PAS for terminally ill patients with less than six month to live. In the article, it is evident that Mattlin concedes his situation is atypical, but he uses his anomoly to support the validity of his point.Now nearly 50 years old, a husband and father with a career, Mattlin points out that doctors’ needs to render judgement and opinion is a source of coercion that limits patients’ alternatives to continue living. He argues that if not for his family’s support for continued medical intervention to keep him alive, his seeming diagnosis and prognosis left doctors questioning whether to extend his life. To have survived his affliction for this long and been able to have a fulfilling life does not make him an authority on the options for those suffering from terminal illnesses.U sing his own illness as a credible source is an appeal to authority even though he is not a medical expert nor has he claimed any other reputable sources for his opinion other than experience. Mattlin leads the reader to conclude that physican assisted suicide is not really a voluntary, free choice, decision made by the patient to end their pain and suffering, but a limited decision that does not take into account depression and coercion. He makes emotional arguments on why the right to die should not be legalized, but the opinions are not based on reliable, credible, or valid data to logically support his argument.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Lady Macbeth Essay

Explore how the narrator in ‘The Laborarory’, ‘Porhyria’s lover’ and Lady Macbeth and ‘Macbeth’ express their desire for power and control? Both Shakespeare and Browning are renowned writers from the world of English literature. The audience were forced to explore the choices made by the characters in both Macbeth and a selection of Browning’s poems to find out the different strategies they use to express their power and control. In Act one scene five, Lady Macbeth’s powerful character, having control over her husband is clearly expressed through her decisive language. ‘Thou must do, if thou have it.’ Lady Macbeth uses a forceful tone to convey her view on Macbeth murdering Duncan in order for him to achieve his ultimate goal of taking Duncan’s place. It’s clear on the control and power Lady Macbeth establishes on her husband and is a great contrast to how in the Elizabethan times women were worthl ess and didn’t have any say. Here, Lady Macbeth has reversed her gender role from being a kind loving hostess into a more affirmative, strong minded commander. This will be a rebellious character in the eyes of the society. Moreover Lady Macbeth begins to sharpen her plans but isn’t too sure as she thinks her feminity would become a weakness. She proclaims towards supernatural substances (spirits), which were seemed to be believed in the Victorian era. ‘Unsex me here’. This was a vivid way asking spirits to strip her of feminity weakness. She imagines herself as a vessel which h maybe emitted out and refilled with evilness. Also by risking her chance of having a baby for power shows her urgency toward power and control. This is odd as in the Elizabethan times it was the women’s duty to have children and look after them. Lady Macbeth wanted to get rid of her feminity for power which is quite odd and different to others like the speaker in the Laboratory, where feminity is threatened. Mo reover when she says ‘and take my milk for gall’, its suggesting that she no longer wants to be a female. ‘Gall’ comes from an excess of yellow bile. An imbalance of yellow bile can make one ruthless and insolent. If Lady Macbeth is internally poisoned, it would gain her control over the King. Moreover, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a very strong character, compared to Shakespeare’s other female protagonists where they are timid and weak. She uses this strength to fulfil her dream of Macbeth becoming the future monarch. This is further demonstrated through the use of alliteration of the letter ‘T’ at the beginning of each sentence in Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy  presenting the fact that Lady Macbeth is organised in a sense that she has planned every detail precisely. Similarly ‘In The Laboratory’, the female speaker uses language which comes across as forceful. ‘Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste.’ Here we are seeing a female person giving out demands to a professional poison maker. This behaviour can be seen as unconventional, meaning that in the Victorian era women were not supposed to be demanding or forceful towards other individuals especially men. This decision the speaker had made is showing the audience that the speaker is strong-minded yet not too insane over her decisions. The speaker in ‘The Laboratory’ is being enthusiastic and decisive about creating an evil plan which in the audiences mind will come across as intriguing. Normally women of the Victorian era would most likely to be enthusiastic about hosting a dinner party and not preparing to kill a human. Both Lady Macbeth and the speaker in the laboratory wanted to kill but Lady Macbeth doesn’t actually want to fulfil the deed herself. Moreover the speaker in The Laboratory is very unsympathetic towards her victims, as she is very eager to get revenge. ‘the exquisite blue’. This indicates that she wants the potion to be strong so it should be a bright blue so that the revenge will be successful whereas if it is a grim colour then the potion won’t be strong and will look weak and old when it should be powerful. Her keenness for this to be successful is further demonstrated through the use of rhyme scheme, AABB, quickening the pace of the poem. It also indicat es that she is almost cursing the mistress and most of the lines are similar in length showing that she knows exactly what she is doing to acquire power. Also within the poem there are twelve stanzas with the rhyme scheme. This also reinforces the fact of the poem being quickened. Iambic pentameter is also being used due to her passion within her planning for the disgrace. ‘Brand, burn up, bite into its grace.’ This is an example of alliteration in the ‘B’ sound which is very harsh. This language shows her desire to inflict pain on her victims, cause their sufferings and disturb their beauty. On the other hand Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy is written in a logical order showing that she wants to get rid of her feminity slowly and slowly. The speaker in the laboratory similar to Lady Macbeth makes significant references to her religion. ‘empty church, to pray God in, for them! – I am here.’ This gives us an impression that for the speaker, it is more essential to create a potion to kill rather  than pray to God in a holy Church. This phrase can indicate that the speaker has chosen to take a negative route within her life therefore disobeying her religion. ‘for them’. This illustrates that she is referring to both her lover and his mistress; as if she is doing them a favour by praying to God. Her decision to make poison in the laboratory shows her as immoral and rebellious. From this it’s clear that the speaker gives no value to the views of her society as she is seen very disrespectful towards her society’s views on being religious. Similarly Lady Macbeth is shown to be making numerous references to religion which have great influences on her decision makings. â€Å"And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell† This emphasises on how she wants to hide her evil deeds from heaven and from herself. The actions and words portrayed through both these characters show great personality of the two women. These two dominant females are seen opposing their religion, reversing their role s in the society as well as becoming involved in sinful behaviour to gain either pleasure or status. However Lady Macbeth wanted to kill for her own gain to receive royalty, whereas the speaker in the Lab wanted to kill for revenge. Moreover the laboratory has been written in the style of a dramatic monologue. This form can reveal a lot about the speakers inner thoughts and can create a strong relationship with the audience as well. ‘and Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live.’ This portrays the power and control the speaker has over Pauline’s life and also emphasises on the fact that she now has the choice of killing whoever she likes. As she is the only speaker the audience can only look through her viewpoint. This perhaps can make the audience feel quite uneasy to trust a person who is making a potion as there are no other characters involved within the evil plot. On the contrary, Macbeth, is seen to have less courage and power while standing up against Lady Macbeth, who according to that society should be lower in hierarchy than Macbeth in terms of power and control. Macbeth wants peace of mind and wants the process to end once and for all ‘the be all and the end all.â€⠄¢ Macbeth speaks of an action not a personal thing; he wonders if the action will be all that is required and end all of all that he must go through to be the king. Macbeth would like his deed to be limited. As Macbeth is about to kill Duncan he says ‘it is the bloody business which informs. Thus to mine eyes’. This illustrates that Lady Macbeth has been able to gain full control of her timid husband as  he is been forced to kill. His words show that he is afraid to kill the highly respected king who is believed to be selected by God. Macbeth’s use of alliteration in Act 2 Scene 1 ‘bloody business’ presents the fact that Macbeth knows of this kind of business and hates it but yet is forced in to it. This is very ironic that Macbeth is scared to kill as he has just fought a war which involves mass killing. During Macbeth’s time killing a king was a great sin against God as kings were appointed by God. Also during that era men controlled the women whereas in Macbeth’s situation his wife controlled him. However on the other hand, in Porphyria’s lover the speaker sets positivity about his lover. This can show him as a higher classed person and he has gained a female follower. This makes himself immortal and feels like he is p laying the role of God. Thus going on to killing Porphyria and witnessing ‘God’s silence’. Unlike Macbeth, Porphyria’s lover felt no guilt after he slaughtered his lover as he felt ’no pain felt she’. He may even believe that she enjoyed the pain because he, her lover inflicted it. This implies that he’s an unsympathetic speaker. The language of the speaker in Porphyria’s lover shows how the narrator is ignorant to God ‘And yet God has not spoken.’ This implies the speaker is acting humorous in saying God didn’t speak and thinks it is acceptable to murder a female. ‘has not’ portrays the speakers choice of murder. He is seen as criticising his own faith of not directing him in the correct pathway of not committing evil. In the Victorian era men showed more sexuality towards women and most of the people believed in god. ‘and yet god hasn’t said a word’ this shows although they believed in faith they still sinned. ‘no pain felt she; im quiet sure she felt no pain’ the speaker comforts himself that porphyria felt no pain when he killed her. This may not be true. He does not feel sympathy for the fact that he killed her and in this statement he is justifying his actions. Lady Macbeth and porphyria aren’t similar to the average women in their times -they urge for power; porphyria’s lover is being controlled by porphyria. ‘she put my arm around her waist’ this implies porphyria is commanding and gives her lover no choice about what he wants to do. Similarly Macbeth is in control by a female, and this female being his wife, Lady Macbeth. ‘thou Marshall’st’ me the way that I was going.’ Lady Macbeth and porphyria are both in control. Porphyria’s lover has a simple structure; ABABB. This structure shows the madness in the eyes of porphyria’s lover. It  is laid out in one long stanza as Browning wants to preserve the moment. The structure of Macbeth and Porphyria’s lover are different. Porphyria’s lover’s structure was in one long stanza because he wanted to stop time, whereas Macbeth wanted to commit the scene as soon as possible.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Teaching English Language Learners

Teaching English Language Learners Teaching English to English language Learners (ELL) can be a very challenging task especially when dealing with a diversified society. However, teachers are often required to be willing to learn and develop new strategies that can help such students to succeed in the classroom. In addition, it is important to implement these strategies in order to motivate students from non-English speaking countries learn the English language.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching English Language Learners specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is a necessary move as students who are new to the English language can feel unsuccessful, frustrated and demoralized if there is no attempt to motivate them. According to Miller and Endo (2004), the major challenges faced by ELS students emanate from cultural and linguistic problems. This is contrary to a widely held assumption that English language teachers are the problem. However, there is need for English teachers to determine the root cause of these problems and devise appropriate strategies to assist students. As an ESL teacher, I often look forward to ensuring that my students feel comfortable in the classroom and I am also required to learn new strategies to realize this goal. The paper explores the weaknesses and strengths often realized while exploring various challenges experienced while teaching a multicultural student population and how these challenges can be overcome based on my new learning. As a Bengali, Hispanic, and Arabic teacher, it is not an easy task teaching the English language. Therefore, new strategies such as questioning the students have to be adopted. Based on the practicum plan information, Socratic questioning is a good strategy that can enhance the reading, pronunciation, and the understanding capabilities of ESL students. In his research findings, Van Gorder (2003) has noted that questioning helps students to move forward, understand meaning and new vocabulary. Thereafter students are able to read fluently. In addition, questions assist students to understand new vocabularies, solve language problems and also assist them to move forward in learning the language (Van Gorder, 2003). This is useful in promoting students’ understanding, thereby enabling them to make meaning out of different texts. In addition, Socratic questioning activates students’ prior knowledge achieved through demonstration of learning.  Learning new vocabulary and writing paragraphs also enables ELL and ESL students to improve their proficiency in the English language. However, this strategy is challenged by what Pellino (2007) refers to as ‘language load’. While an English teacher lists English words or asks students to write them down, on the other hand, an English leaner is faced with language load. Language load means the â€Å"number of unfamiliar words encountered as an English learner reads a text or list ens to teacher or peer academic talk† (Pellino, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To counter this challenge, the teacher should break down sentences into comprehensible sections. In addition, he/she should explain the text material or write down sentences that of the same level as students’ level of understanding. Moreover, presentation of academic vocabulary can be carried out at the beginning of each lesson. Information from personal relationships can be used to develop activities and lessons that can assist students to improve their learning abilities. Engaging ESL and ELL students in oral reading is important as it improves their reading abilities in addition to enabling them master words pronunciation. This shows that merely showing students how to use vocabularies learned is not adequate. Oral reading according to Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons and McKe nzie (2003), improves the confidence levels of students, develops vocabulary, and pronunciation of words. Reading is important as it not only improves the reading abilities of a student but also improves their prowess in English language. However, ESL students should not be exposed to limited reading materials. Instead, they have to be exposed to different reading materials. According to Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons and McKenzie (2006), by exposing children to different reading materials and texts, their prior knowledge is activated, thereby improving their ability to derive meaning. Some of the reading materials and resources as suggested by Scott (2010) include magazines, books, use of tapes with stories and songs, poems, dual language textbooks, story props, tourist brochures, postcards, newspapers, and catalogues among others. To determine the reading and writing abilities of students, students should be encouraged to take English tests more often. In addition, students should b e encouraged to use their native language more often because according to Miller and Endo (2004), â€Å"students who continue to speak their native language have greater success in learning English† (p. 790).  Based on my new learning, one major challenge often encountered by ESL students is language shock as they try to adjust to a new culture in their quest to learn the English language. Assuming that students have been integrated into a community where every student speaks English fluently, language load and shock could prove to be a challenge. Therefore, I must be prepared to assist the students to adjust and avoid mockery by the other English speaking students. This particular challenge can be handled by motivating the students, evaluating the teaching approaches and strategies used so as to make the students more confident (Miller Endo, 2004). In addition, the efforts of the students should not be limited to the use of certain strategies and approaches. Moreover, stu dents can be introduced to literacy centers which comprise of small groups that allow students improve their reading abilities. Various reading strategies such as shared-reading, guided-reading, small group shared-reading and modeled reading may be used (Harris et al., 2003).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching English Language Learners specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These strategies enable the teacher to model and guide children, thereby making them English independent readers. Words or English sentence structures that meets the ESL students learning abilities could be adopted to assist students improve their learning, reading, and pronunciation abilities rather than curtailing their success in the English language classroom (Miller Endo, 2004). According to Vaughn (2010), a major challenge faced by teachers teaching multicultural students is determining the students’ skills and knowledge in first la nguage as well as understanding the level of performance in the student’s second language. This can be addressed through assessments, vocabulary and language tests (New Teacher Center, 2005). In addition, authentic and metacognition maybe applied. In other words, students should not be left to memorize information but be encouraged to understand meaning and be tested to determine their learning abilities and capabilities. Moreover, building personal relationships with the parents can assist in gaining a positive experience and gain trust and improve students’ confidence. One of the main resources that can be used to further my professional development is welcoming student’s parents into the classroom (Miller Endo, 2004). This would create a closer relationship that is ideal for improving the students learning abilities. Another resource is investing in reading with a view to exploring the currently available ESL and ELL teaching approaches and strategies. In ad dition, going back to school could be an appropriate resource as it increases the skills and the knowledge on how to appropriately and effectively instruct ELLs (Vaughn, 2010).  In addition, learning the native language of my students would be important as it enhances better communication skills between me and the students (Goldenberg, 2008). By enhancing academic achievement, it becomes easier for English teachers to create an English language-rich classroom. Moreover, by recognizing the sameness and diversity of the students, teachers are better able to integrate the existing curriculum with multicultural literature to boost the students’ language learning capabilities. Proper pronunciation of students’ names and gathering background information such as the parents level of education, the language they speak back at home, the time they come to the U.S, and whether their parents speak English, would be important.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To sum it up, teachers are faced with numerous challenges when teaching a multicultural student population. Some of these challenges include language shock, determining the performance of second language, understanding the level of second language, and determining the best teaching approaches for each student. Some of the methods useful with ESLs students include Socratic questioning, demonstration on language, oral reading, writing essays, learning new English words, and shared learning. The aforementioned challenges can be reduced by understanding each students background, creating personal relationships, and metacognition and authentic assessments. Oral reading improves students’ confidence levels, develops vocabulary, and pronunciation abilities. ESL children should have special attention from the teachers to aid boost their learning reading abilities which can be achieved through the use of literacy centers. Reference List Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: What the research does- and does not- say. American Educator, 8-43. Harris, P., Turbill, J., Fitzsimmons, P., McKenzie, B. (2006). Reading in the primary year (2 nd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning. Harris, P., Turbill, J., Fitzsimmons, P., McKenzie, B. (2003). Writing in the primary years. Melbourne, Australia: Social Science Press. Miller, C M., Endo, H. (2004). Understanding and meeting the needs of ESL students. PHI Delta Kappan, 786-791. New Teacher Center. (2005). Six key strategies for teachers of English-Language learners. Web. Pellino, K. (2007). Effective strategies for teaching English Language learners. Web. Scot, C. (2010). The challenges of teaching ESL students in international schools. Web. Van Gorder, B. L. (2003). When less is more: Questioning the text as a strategy for reading success. Voices from the Middle, 11(1), 35-37. Vaughn, S. (2010). Response to intervention in reading for English language learners. Texas: University of Texas and Alba Ortiz.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Mount Sandel - Mesolithic Settlement in Ireland

Mount Sandel - Mesolithic Settlement in Ireland Mount Sandel lies on a high bluff overlooking the River Bann and it is the remains of a small collection of huts provide evidence of the first people who lived in what is now Ireland. The County Derry site of Mount Sandel is named for its Iron Age fort site, believed by some to be Kill Santain or Kilsandel, famous in Irish history as the residence of the marauding Norman king John de Courcy in the 12th century AD. But the small archaeological site east of the remains of the fort is of far greater importance to the prehistory of western Europe. The Mesolithic site at Mount Sandel was excavated during the 1970s by Peter Woodman of University College Cork. Woodman found evidence of up to seven structures, at least four of which may represent rebuildings. Six of the structures are circular huts of six meters (about 19 feet) across, with a central interior hearth. The seventh structure is smaller, only three meters in diameter (about six feet), with an exterior hearth. The huts were made of bent sapling, inserted into the ground in a circle, and then covered over, probably with deer hide. Dates and Site Assemblage Radiocarbon dates at the site indicate that Mount Sandel is among the earliest human occupations in Ireland, first occupied around 7000 BC. Stone tools recovered from the site include a huge variety of microliths, which as you can tell from the word, are tiny stone flakes and tools. Tools found at the site include flint axes, needles, scalene triangle-shaped microliths, pick-like tools, backed blades, and a few hide scrapers. Although preservation at the site was not very good, one hearth included some bone fragments and hazelnuts. A series of marks on the ground are interpreted as a fish-drying rack, and other diet items may have been eel, mackerel, red deer, game birds, wild pig, shellfish, and an occasional seal. The site may have been occupied year-round, but if so, the settlement was tiny, including no more than fifteen people at a time, which is quite small for a group subsisting on hunting and gathering. By 6000 BC, Mount Sandel was abandoned to the later generations. Red Deer and the Mesolithic in Ireland Irish Mesolithic specialist Michael Kimball (University of Maine at Machias) writes: Recent research (1997) suggests that red deer may not have been present in Ireland until the Neolithic (earliest solid evidence dates to around 4000 bp). This is significant because it implies that the largest terrestrial mammal available for exploitation during Irelands Mesolithic may have been the wild pig. This is a very different resource pattern than that which characterizes most of Mesolithic Europe, including Irelands next door neighbor, Britain (which was chock full of deer, e.g., Star Carr, etc.). One other point unlike Britain and the Continent, Ireland has NO Paleolithic (at least none has yet been discovered). This means that the Early Mesolithic as seen via Mt. Sandel likely represents Irelands first human inhabitants. If the pre-Clovis folks are right, North America was discovered before Ireland! Sources Cunliffe, Barry. 1998. Prehistoric Europe: An Illustrated History. Oxford University Press, Oxford.Flanagan, Laurence. 1998. Ancient Ireland: Life before the Celts. St. Martins Press, New York.Woodman, Peter. 1986. Why not an Irish Upper Paleolithic? Studies in the Upper Paleolithic of Britain and Northwest Europe. British Archaeological Reports, International Series 296:43-54.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Essay on Public Opinion

Essay on Public Opinion Essay on Public Opinion This is a free sample essay on Public Opinion: Public opinion, which can be swayed by the manipulation of the media and to some degree by the President’s persuasion, greatly impacts the policies made by public officials. George Bush promised tax cuts if elected as President of the United States of America. He was able to convince the public that they should be able to spend their money rather than the government. According to the Gallup Poll of September 11-13, 2000 , 74% of the public was in favor of tax cuts. The media’s support of tax cuts was divided; therefore it was not as effective in swaying public opinion as when all media are united in their opinions. Even the Democratic leaders, who were generally against the tax cuts, were unable to prevent the tax cuts. This was due to Democratic leaders like Max Baucus, John Breaux, Blanche Lincoln, and Robert Torricelli who voted in favor of the tax cuts which was guided by the wishes of their constituents. Policies made dealing with Afghanistan cannot be compared to typical policies made by our government officials. These polices are a result of terrorist attacks on America. Because of the nature of the attacks, most everyone agrees on the same policies, which are in the best interests of our country. The ability of President Bush to set specific goals and a unifying cause, has been a major affect in gathering the support of both the people and the media. The Gallup Poll shows that about 90% of the people are in favor of President Bush’s policies at this time . If public opinion should start to change, President Bush would probably reconsider his policies involving Afghanistan, as would any public official when trying to appeal to their constituents. ______________ is a professional essay writing service which can provide high school, college and university students with 100% original custom written essays, research papers, term papers, dissertations, courseworks, homeworks, book reviews, book reports, lab reports, projects, presentations and other assignments of top quality. More than 700 professional Ph.D. and Master’s academic writers. Feel free to order a custom written essay on Public Opinion from our professional essay writing service.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Public Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Public Law - Essay Example She places a notification about the forthcoming meeting (to be held on  April 7th) in the Jesmond Times newspaper on  April 4th. At the meeting, Joanna is told about the Wilton rabbit that lives in the forest, and so she decides to designate it as a protected area.   (a) The Access to the Countryside Association (ACA), who claim that they should have been consulted and were not; that the consultation process was, more generally, inadequate; and that the Wilton rabbit is found throughout the North East and is not rare. Pursuant to the Protection of Rare Animals Act, the Secretary of State is under no obligation to consult any particular group of people when it comes to decision making. The Act gives her discretionary powers regarding who to consult with prior. However, it is important that ACA looks at the provisions of the Act and consider what it says with regard to the required period of notice and if the proceedings are governed by strict rules of presentation of evidence. If the legislation is silent on those matters, the rules of natural justice require that adequate notice be given and person(s) with special interest in the decision be given an opportunity to be heard. According to American Iron & Steel Institute v. Environmental Protection Agency1, adequacy of notice can be determined by the fact that it fairly notifies any interested parties so that they can have an opportunity to air their views. However, inadequacy of the notice given does not automatically invalidate the final rule on grounds that the final rule adopted is different from the original proposal. This was as held in the above mentioned American Iron and Steel case. If it happens that the decision maker adopts a final rule that substantially differs from the original proposal, the courts will take it upon itself to analyze the adequacy of the original notice in a two part test. The first is whether the final rule can be considered a logical outgrowth

Friday, October 18, 2019

E business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

E business - Essay Example Esure was launched in 2000 offering insurance cover using the internet as the primary sales channel. Using technologically advanced systems they became the fastest growing insurers ever. They are known for their quality cover, their online services and their innovative marketing. They aimed to harness the efficiency of the internet to give a better deal to responsible drivers and the careful home owners. They clubbed together several factors and ensured that esure was exceptionally well placed to harness the benefit of the internet as the major distribution channel for insurance (BBC News, 2000). These factors included the strength of the Hallifax brand, the vast potential of the internet, and the founder’s experience of launching mould breaking companies offering best prices and best services to the customers. They were confident that e-commerce would transform the insurance sector and they wanted to be at the heart of the revolution with esure. Esure uses the internet and the phone as the channels and they kept the premia low. They then launched the Sheilas Wheels brand in 2005 initially offering only car insurance. Sheilas’ Wheels is now one of the most recognized female insurance brands in the UK. Today they offer insurance cover for anything that a person could think of – home, vehicles – such as car, motorbikes and vans, pet insurance, and not to forget travel insurance. They offer online quotes, they accept online payments and they also allow online renewal of insurance. They keep the customers updated on insurance news through their website. They also have abundance of guidance provided to the insurance buyers so that they can take an informed decision. They offer special rats for those who opt for more than one insurance cover. Esure, a part of the HBOS, adopted a slick marketing campaign, a brand awareness that soon became the envy of many and a service that delivered what they promised (Net

The Cost of My Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Cost of My Education - Essay Example On a monthly basis, I have to cover expenses related to my car, food and snacks not included in the meal plan, as well as all extracurricular activity and entertainment costs. Step two. Having established my expense categories, I am now positioned to estimate the actual dollar amounts for each and obtain an estimate for one year. By using a spreadsheet, I am able to view this information by category and obtain an accurate calculation. My annual tuition is $15,000 and the insurance for my car is $4,200. Accordingly, my annual expenses add up to $19,200. Every semester my residency fees cost me $3,500 and the meal plan is $1,250. I expect my books to cost $300, my student activity and parking fees to be $100, and my lab fees to be $75. This means that my semester fees equal $5,225. Because I will be able to walk to class, I don't expect to spend much money on gas every month, about $50. The rest of my monthly expenses should not be more than $250, making my monthly total while in school about $300. During the summer, I'll be living at home and will not have monthly expenses. I can now accumulate this information into a one-year estimate by adding my annual expenses ($19,200) to my semester expenses for two semesters ($5,225*2 = $10,450) and my monthly expenses for the eight months I will be at s

My Quest for Self Actualization Personal Statement

My Quest for Self Actualization - Personal Statement Example One other important thing about my personality is that I am a very social person. I think that it is impossible to pursue a successful and meaningful search for self-actualization without engaging in sincere social service and communication. If it were not for society, every person would reduce to nothing but a grave. So it has always been my endeavor to be socially active and relevant, wherever I am and whatever I am doing. Surprisingly, I find sports to be the most suitable avenue for individual achievement in a societal context. My panache for sports has certainly contributed to my innate sense of fair play and ambition. Perhaps that is why the people who know me find me very outgoing and cordial.  I am committed to pursuing my search for self-actualization, achievement and social relevance with a mindset that is quintessentially optimist and positive. I believe that if I am daring in my academic and career choices, doors will open up where earlier were walls.  

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Philosophy of Small Groups Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Philosophy of Small Groups - Research Paper Example In the recent times, increased diversity in the workplace has perpetuated the desire for workers to work cooperatively and collective in groups in pursuit for accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Even so, not all groups that are formed in an organization become effective. Apparently, group effectiveness has become integral in most organizations today. This has bolstered the significance of group effectiveness skills which include proper interpersonal communication skills, ability to diffuse conflicts, teamwork, appreciation for diversity and negotiation skills, among others (Campion, Medsker & Higgs, 2001). There is increased prevalence of organizations to adopt work groups or teams aimed at curbing a full gamut of challenges that have marred today’s business environments. As much as most groups work, a good number of them are not usually effective. The may be attributed to a plethora of reasons. Indeed, some groups lack or posses a low unity of purpose. So to speak, a group that is not committed to a common objective or a group whose objectives are not meaningful to each and every member of the group may not be effective at all. According to Argris (2010), such a group may be characterized by low performance as the members have no collective obligations towards achievement of common objectives. More often than not, Poor relationships among a group may also render the group ineffective. In this regards, a group whose members maintain poor relationships with each other within and outside the group, may not effectively achieve their goals. Such a group may be prone to conflicts and this may lower the commitment of members to the group and have adverse effects on ultimate performance. Lack of proper delegation of responsibility may also cost a group’s effectiveness. As such, if the members to a certain group are not assigned to specific responsibilities with the aim of

Financial Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Manager - Essay Example All the operations of the business are initiated and supported by the financial manager's evaluations and judgments. The cost/benefit analysis, the timings of the cash flows, the sources of finance and provision for liquidity are pivotal to the decision-making process of financial management. In the context of the above, a financial manager's role is three fold. He has to perform the functions of capital budgeting, capital structuring and working capital management simultaneously, providing effective risk management. Thus a financial manager best serves the owners of the business (shareholders) by identifying goods and services that add value to the firm because they are desired and valued in the free marketplace. Every business enters into long-term investments in anticipation of promising returns and higher growth. Such investments call for efficient assessments and effective decisions by the financial manager. This process of planning and managing a firm's long-term investments is better known as capital budgeting. In capital budgeting, the financial manager tries to identify investment opportunities that are worth more to the firm than they cost to acquire. This means that the value of the cash flow from generated by an asset exceeds the cost of that asset. Evaluating the size, timing, and risk of future cash flows is the essence of capital budgeting. ... In this area two main issues face the financial manager. One is that how much should the firm borrow and two is that what are least expensive sources of funds for the firm. The capital structure (or financial structure) refers to the specific mixture of long-term debt and equity the firm must use to finance its operations. In addition to deciding on the financing mix, the financial manager has to decide exactly how and where to raise the money. The expenses associated with raising long-term financing is a considerable factor. Therefore different possibilities have to be carefully evaluated. Businesses borrow money from a variety of lenders in a number of different ways. Choosing among lenders and among loan types is another job handled by the financial manager. A financial manager is also responsible for everyday financial activities and for the working capital management. Managing the firm's working capital is a day-to-day activity that ensures the firm has sufficient resources to continue its operations and avoid costly interruptions. The term working capital refers to a firm's short-term assets, such as inventory, and its short-term liabilities, such as money owed to suppliers. The working capital management involves a number of activities related to a firm's receipt and disbursement of cash. The financial manager must plan for and respond to matters as to the amount of cash and quantity of inventory to be kept on hand, should credit be allowed on sales to customers and which sources should be used for short-term financing as and when the need arises. The above three functions of financial management are very broad and only a brief overview of each category is given. By

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Philosophy of Small Groups Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Philosophy of Small Groups - Research Paper Example In the recent times, increased diversity in the workplace has perpetuated the desire for workers to work cooperatively and collective in groups in pursuit for accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Even so, not all groups that are formed in an organization become effective. Apparently, group effectiveness has become integral in most organizations today. This has bolstered the significance of group effectiveness skills which include proper interpersonal communication skills, ability to diffuse conflicts, teamwork, appreciation for diversity and negotiation skills, among others (Campion, Medsker & Higgs, 2001). There is increased prevalence of organizations to adopt work groups or teams aimed at curbing a full gamut of challenges that have marred today’s business environments. As much as most groups work, a good number of them are not usually effective. The may be attributed to a plethora of reasons. Indeed, some groups lack or posses a low unity of purpose. So to speak, a group that is not committed to a common objective or a group whose objectives are not meaningful to each and every member of the group may not be effective at all. According to Argris (2010), such a group may be characterized by low performance as the members have no collective obligations towards achievement of common objectives. More often than not, Poor relationships among a group may also render the group ineffective. In this regards, a group whose members maintain poor relationships with each other within and outside the group, may not effectively achieve their goals. Such a group may be prone to conflicts and this may lower the commitment of members to the group and have adverse effects on ultimate performance. Lack of proper delegation of responsibility may also cost a group’s effectiveness. As such, if the members to a certain group are not assigned to specific responsibilities with the aim of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Green Design Essay Example for Free

Green Design Essay The notion of a responsible architecture design is something that flourished way back in 1970s. However, green designs during that time were only developed on a domestic or small scale basis (Papanek 4). It is only in the late 1980s that green commercial developments are done as an effect not only of the 1980 economic boom but also of various social, political and design factors (Beaufoy 199). At the present age, the author argues that the attempts of modern architecture to merge new trends in office design and environmental friendly features are primarily commercial in nature and not really fully environmental. Having such premise in mind, the author formulated the research question: Should interior designers encourage clients to go with green design? In order to sufficiently answer this question, the author have provided a comparative analysis of the pros and cons of the green design and then significantly deduce based from the said arguments the writer’s stance weather he will respond to the question on the affirmative or the negative manner. Arguments on the affirmative side claims that: (1) The green design will help reduce the environmental burdens that the present society brings to the aforementioned and also help man conserve energy (Winter 8); and (2) The green design will help to minimize or to an extent prevent sickness that are acquired within a particular building or house. On the other hand, the arguments on the negative side are the following: (1) The green design raises the costs in erecting buildings or houses; (2) The green design is difficult to implement on certain states, depending on the statutory laws governing a particular state. Body The body of the research elaborates on the positive and the downsides of implementing green design. Reducing Environmental Burdens and Energy Conservation The relevance of green buildings on a global level and its effect to the environment and energy conservation is one of the major arguments in terms of promoting green designs. Buildings or houses that are tailored to be such are expected to reduce carbon dioxide and CFC emissions that are brought about by airconditioning (Beaufoy 203). For instance, IBM has been creating buildings that are completely asbestos free and avoids the use of hardwoods unless the latter came from a sustainable source. They are also using low ozone-depleting chemicals and has been controlling the ozone emission of their airconditioning, and even planning in the near future to eliminate aircondition altogether. In some instances, where green buildings use glass on the exterior, such helps to lessen the need for heating, and the small amount of heat that is needed could be gas-fired. Corollary with this, one can also help to reduce the use of light bulbs of fluorescent lights, hence conserving energy (Beaufoy 203). The use of energy efficient devices such as those of modern HVAC devices helps buildings to save operating costs and could even make the former eligible for rebates offered by local energy companies. In addition with this, through designing building facilities that make use of energy through natural ventilation and daylight also reduces operating costs (Meyerson 47). Health Benefits One of the major premises why green buildings are favorable is due to the health benefits that it could bring to people. For instance if a building is designed to draw air at a high level, cooled and the filtered, the air conditioning or water system of the aforementioned could help eliminate the risk of Legionnaires Disease (Beaufoy 203). The Greenpeace building in Islington, London are also geared towards creating a more environmentally sustained building in their inclination to reduce the risks of office illnesses that result due to the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) emissions of airconditions (Beaufoy 204). Increased Construction and Soft Costs The actual costs of building green architecture are something that is too expensive that a lot of green features can not be really accommodated by most marginalized companies (Johnston 1). As such it is often argued that green buildings are only for wealthy people (Wilson 1). The problem of first costs or the initial expenses that has to be paid prior to building a house is something that is of a growing concern for customers. For instance, the use of uncommon trades and materials could increase costs in addition to LEED commissioning (Syphers et al 8). In addition with this, higher soft costs are also most likely to be incurred in green buildings. The use of additional design analysis, computer modeling, commissioning, product research and lifecycle costs analysis for materials that could be substituted could also paved the way for up-front costs (Syphers et al 8). Legal Considerations Local conditions that are unique to every country and state cold also be one of the problems in terms of attempting to erect green buildings, for some state regulations could pose certain problems on the aforementioned. For instance, the state of California prohibits the use of water-free urinals that could have saved certain buildings a significant amount of water (Syphers et al 6). In relation with this, the use of solar panels that could have help buildings to save electricity, though highly encouraged within various states regulations; also poses some problems as the law requires buildings to locate these panels somewhere that could not be seen on public roads due to the risk of accidents. Also, local building codes have given limitations on the height windmills including its zone restrictions (Syphers et al 7). As generally known, windmills are also one of the most environmentally friendly way of generating electricity. Analysis After presenting the abovementioned arguments of the positive and the downsides of the use of the green design, it is also noteworthy to tell that amidst all of these most basic issues, the author perceived that the advocacy for the adaptation of green buildings is something that is primarily commercial in nature rather than really environmental in focus. Although it could be significantly noted that green buildings indeed helps the environment due to cutting the use of certain machines that could have harmed for instance the ozone layer, it could be implied that the primary motivation of customers is indeed on cost cutting and juxtaposed with that of course is a relatively healthy lifestyle. In this respect, it could be said that although the positive side of green architecture is emphasized most specially its environmental underpinnings, the fact couldn’t be hidden that such an endeavor is not really one hundred percent pro nature as one could see a compromise between capitalism and protecting the environment. It is with this respect that the author remembered that capitalism is indeed a necessary evil. There are a number of human endeavors that will not proceed without its aid, and such includes even the environment. In addition to these issues, the notion of the difficulty of implementing the architectural design of green buildings is something that should also be taken into consideration. The initial construction costs and soft costs could be really expensive; however, experts still argue that the life cycle costs of the building in the long run could be very cost effective (California Integrated Waste Management Board 1). The legal considerations of course are something that is imperative in order to assure order and efficiency to the society. Albeit it should be noted that the process of adopting green design is something that is still in the process of development; hence it is theoretically possible that the future technology could bring about changes that could fully actualize the fullest utility of the program. Conclusion Given the abovementioned factors, the author wishes to answer the research question: â€Å"Should interior designers encourage clients to go with green design? † in the affirmative. It could be seen that although the green design has a number of short comings, it could not be denied that these flaws are only minute in comparison to the overall utility that it could bring to man and to the environment. The short comings of green design could be solved through active collaboration of various stakeholders that are concerned to such like customers, contractors, architects, interior designers, engineers, the government, non government organizations, private corporations and the likes. Literature Cited Beaufoy, Helena. â€Å"Case Study: The Green Office in Britain A Critical Analysis†. Journal of Design History 6,3 (1993) 206. California Integrated Waste Management Board. January 2007. Sustainable (Green) Building: Project Design Cost Issues. 23 October 2007 http://www. ciwmb. ca. gov/GreenBuilding/Design/CostIssues. htm#Primers Johnston, Ritchey. Actual Costs Is Building Green Too Expensive? January 2000. Housing Zone. 23 October 2007 http://www. housingzone. com/topics/nahb/green/nhb00ca029. asp Meyerson, Andrew. â€Å"The Dollars and Cents of Green Construction: Being Environmentally Friendly Brings Financial as Well as Social Benefits†. Journal of Accountancy 199,5 (2005) 47. Papanek, Victor. Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change. London: Thames Hudson, 1985. Syphers, Geof et al. October 2003 Managing the Cost of Green Buildings K-12 Public Schools Research Laboratories Public Libraries Multi-family Affordable Housing. State of California and Almeda COunty Waste Management Authority. 23 October 2007 http://www. ciwmb. ca. gov/GreenBuilding/Design/ManagingCost. pdf Winter, Metta, â€Å"The Greening of Design: Jack Elliott Believes Interior Designers Can and Should Play a Major Role in Preventing Environmental Degradation, That Sustainability Should Be Central to All Design Decisions†. Human Ecology 30,1 (2002) 8. Wilson, Alex. Building Green on a Budget. May 1999. Building Green. com. 23 October 2007 http://www. buildinggreen. com/auth/article. cfm? fileName=080501a. xmla

Monday, October 14, 2019

REMEDIAL WRITING PROGRAMME FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

REMEDIAL WRITING PROGRAMME FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS The purpose of this study programme is to determine if students from the elementary level of Hin Hua High School (Chinese Independent School) improved in their ability to write in English after having studied specifically developed curriculum. The 7-hour remedial programme is to be conducted once the academic department releases the final assessment grades. Fifteen students with the lowest score were selected using the criterion method to undergo the remedial programme. the importance of all six major aspects of writing measured in the English Test which comprises mainly punctuation, grammar and usage, sentence structure, strategy, organization, and style. It is believed by attending the remedial programme selected students would be able to show the ability to make and articulate judgments by taking position on an issue or problem. Besides sustaining a position by focusing on the topic throughout the writing. They are alson expected to develop a position by presenting support or evidence using specific details and make inferences based on support or evidence. Most importantly, they should be able to organize and present ideas in a logical way by logically grouping and sequencing ideas. Hence communicate clearly by using language effectively and by observing the conventions of standard written English INTRODUCTION As a language teacher, I often select writing tasks from language textbooks to help students improve their writing ability. Behaviorists, communicative, cognitive, and discourse theories could influence writing approaches in language textbooks. Each theoretical framework has provided us with a better understanding of the multiple dimensions and purposes of teaching writing. A review of the developments in writing pedagogy leads us to conclude that we could teach writing as a means to improve linguistic, rhetorical and communicative competence or as a discovery and cognitive process. The writing tasks that we select from language textbooks and assign to students could reflect one or some of these pedagogical purposes. As teachers, we need to question and understand the pedagogical assumptions of textbook writing tasks so that we can select tasks that will help our students become confident writers and independent thinkers. Primary students entering the secondary school level (high School) are challenged not only to learn new content in the disciplines but also to communicate this. A significant number of students will not have adequate academic literacy levels to be able to do this successfully (Jones and Bonanno, 1995 (1). Atlhough traditionally students were expected to develop academic literacy skills without any explicit teaching of these skills, schools now recognize the increasingly diverse backgrounds of their student populations and have put in place mechanisms for helping students develop their academic literacy. These have included the establishment of literacy and learning units as well as the requirement for school curricula to address the teaching of writing skills including communication skills. English Learning Centre of Hin Hua High School Klang, like other literacy and learning units, has been involved in a number of collaborative projects with teachers involved in teaching Junior One to integrate the teaching of communication skills into the curriculum (Webb et al, 1995, Taylor and Drury, 1996). These initiatives have resulted in the development of new teaching materials and approaches as well as new practices of assessment and feedback. However, as subject area curricula are being adapted to computer-based forms of learning, it is also necessary to consider how the teaching of communication skills can be integrated into these programs or how the teaching of communication skills can be contextualized within the learning of subject area knowledge. With the current demand for propheciuency in English Language great importance has been given to developing programs to instill good writing modes to the elementary learners which aims to help students become successful editors of their own writing. 1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW Writing skills have been identified as to improve students thinking. Moffett and a few others have developed cognitively sequenced curricula for elementary and secondary writing, college composition, when it is sequenced at all, tends to rely on structural or rhetorical arrangements, which are neither sequential nor cumulative. Progressions from word to sentence to paragraph to theme confuse quantitative with qualitative growth, while rhetorical sequences confront students with cognitive problems of different but equal complexity. In short, from a cognitive perspective, most writing instruction in higher education is consistent with that in secondary education: what Stephen Judy described as Advanced Hodgepodge in high school gives way to Arrogant Hodgepodge in college. A large and growing body of research, however, shows that cognitive development follows a hierarchical sequence of stages and suggests that a curriculum can be sequentially organized to promote cognitive development. Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives provides some essential connections between the cognitive abilities we expect of college students and a curriculum that can stimulate those abilities Blooms Taxonomy is one solution to the cognitive hodgepodge of the writing curriculum. It allows us to sequence instruction and assignments in ways that speak directly to students developmental needs. From least to most complex, For writing instruction the taxonomy provides a flexible model of what happens cognitively in the learning process Bloom described a six stage sequence: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation. (See Figure 1) Figure 1.0 The flow chart of Blooms Taxonomy At each new level, thought processes build on and encompass previous levels. Implicit in this structure is the assumption of an ascending scale of difficulty and comprehensiveness. Thinking at the comprehension level is more demanding than at the knowledge level; cognitive problems requiring synthesis or evaluation encompass all the preceding levels. A review of Blooms definitions for each taxonomic level suggests what such a cognitively-based writing course might entail. Although the focus of each level is cognitive, rhetorical issues of audience and purpose are equally appropriate and can be specified for any assignment. Most of all, the taxonomy allows us to contemplate the value and feasibility of a cognition-based curriculum in writing. Such a curriculum would reflect the hierarchical relations of the various thought processes and would help to control for cognitive complexity in writing and thinking about distorting natural discourse. In this form, writing or writing-intensive courses would systematically develop students thinking skills rather than leaving them to chance or, worse, blunting the writers still-developing ability to explore and express ideas. In short, a cognition-based curriculum ensures that students participate fully in using writing as a mode of learning. 2.0 INTENDED PURPOSE The remedial programme is targeted for the elementary learners who are in the process of upgrading their writing skills to the pre -intermediate level. A total of 15 students are selected from the age group of 13 years old based on the final semester examination results. The examination basically structured in accordance to the textbook currently used in the school curriculum ,New Opportunities (Pearson Longman-Cambridge). Basically the (Stiggins to highlight achievement differences between and among students to produce a , 1994). School systems might want to classify students in this way so that they can be enhance their competency level even further. The major reason for using a norm-referenced test (NRT) is to classify students. NRTs are designed on dependable rank order of students across a continuum of achievement from high achievers to low achievers be properly placed in remedial or gifted programs. These types of tests are also used to help teachers select students for differe nt ability level reading or mathematics instructional groups. As the selected students fall under the below average group in Paper 1(Writing Assessment) whereby there are two parts that the had to complete here: SECTION A Notes Expansion and SECTION B Continuous Writing (Choose one topic out of five given) From the academic analysis it was found that majority students failed in Section B where it consists of 25% of the total marks of 40% of the Writing paper. Thus they are required to attend a 7 hour remedial programme to improve their writing skills by at least 85%. 3.0 PURPOSE OF REMEDIAL WRITING PROGRAMME The reasons for the remedial program to be initiated is to better the learners in their writing skills and strengthen it so that they have all capabilities to be promoted to the next level but due to certain minute factors they fail to adhere to the standards of the pre-intermediate level. Thus these students are carefully selected using the criterion method to undergo the 7 hour remedial programme. In order to drill and motivate these students in the remedial programme an enriching lesson plan is formulated to create a positive outcome at the end of the the 7 hour remedial programme. The purposes for emphasizing writing skills are to produce who can comprehend teaching and learning in a positive mental attributes. There is a wide body of research suggesting that assessing students written performance is a valuable undertaking. Not only is an instructor able to help a students progress, but also the instructor can facilitate the learning process and the learning outcomes by being aware of student performance throughout the academic session. Figure 2.0: The Purpose for Teaching Writing Undeniably, 3R skills are important and necessary in daily living. They are also needed to support the development of a knowledge-based economy. Recognizing these needs, the school has initiated and implemented programmes to identify students who have not mastered the 3Rs. These programmes are designed to specifically address and overcome the inability of students to master the 3Rs. This is in line with the essentialism which instills students with academic knowledge and character development. Among the programmes that have been implemented in schools are the Early Inter ­vention Reading and Writing Class, Basic Skills for Reading, Writing and Counting Programme and the Literacy and Numeracy Programme at Level One. 3.1 Sub-skills of Writing Besides drilling and enriching the remedial learners with the core writing skills , there are also exposed to the importance of sub-skills in their learning such as: I Manipulating the script of the language: handwriting, spelling and punctuation. II Expressing grammatical [syntactic and morphological] relationships at the sentence level III Expressing information or knowledge in writing: explicitly implicitly IV Enrichment of Vocabulary PART B 4.0 Objectives of the 7-hour remedial programme The main aim in introducing and implementing the remedial programme particularly in the aspect of writing skills is to mainly: to develop competencies in writing skills among learners to move from a teacher-centered didactic model to a student-centered constructivist model to acquire the ability to write in a more clear, concise and acceptable manner 5.0 Instructional Design : Using the ADDIE Model to Build Writing Competency Among Remedial Learners Table 2.0 ADDIEs Model 5.1 Framework The generic term for the five-phase instructional design model consisting of Analysis,Design,Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Each step has an outcome that feeds into the next step in the sequence. There are probably over 100+ different variations of the generic ADDIE model. Instructional design aim for a learner -centered rather than a traditional teacher-centered approach to instruction, so that effective learning can take place. This means that every component of the instruction is governed by the learning outcomes, which have been determined after a thorough analysis of the learners needs. This phases sometimes overlap and can be interrelated; however they provide a dynamic, flexible guideline for developing effective and efficient instruction. Figure 3.0 Instructional Design: Using the ADDIE Model 5.2 ADDIES Theory The ADDIE instruction model for this desin is outlined by Smith and Ragan(1995) in their book entitiled Instructional design. The focus is n 5 points Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation. From this theory the analysis has proved that there was a need to conduct remedial programme for the elementary low scorers where an opportunty was given to learn and develop basic essay writing skills. 6.0 Remedial Education Programme In Malaysia, the importance of remedial education gained attention in the 1960s. Results of a pilot project in nine schools between 1967 and 1970 showed a need for remedial education, especially for pupils in rural areas. This paved the way for remedial education programmes in primary schools. The pioneers in the field attended a two-year intensive course on remedial education in the United Kingdom. Subsequently, a national series of seminars and workshops on remedial teaching were organized. With the exception of small schools or under-enrolled schools, every school is allocated one remedial education teacher. At the school level, a Remedial Education Committee is formed, comprising the headmaster, remedial education teacher, class teacher, subject teacher, resource centre coordinator, and other teachers as members. The introduction of a new curriculum for primary schools in 1983 implied a return to the basics in education. The ultimate goal was to ensure that no pupil is illiterate by the year 2000. The implementation of the remedial education programme for children in Primary 1-3 is to ensure that they master the 3Rs. Children who have been recommended for remedial education are required to attend remedial classes. As of 1999, 54,000 primary school children have undergone the intervention programme. In addition to improving and enhancing teacher development, the Malaysian government also works towards improving the curriculum at school to meet the changing needs of the economy. During the Fourth Malaysia Plan, the primary school curriculum was revised with the aim of providing and establishing a firm education in reading, writing, and arithmetic. This led to the development of a new curriculum emphasizing the 3Rs. Studies looking at the returns to education in Malaysia have found positive results in those who have had some form of formal education, thereby providing support to the government guidelines on the primary curriculum which emphasizes the acquisition of basic skills.Education in Malaysia , changing very rapidly responding to the emerging focus of lifelong learning; the growing emphasis on learning; as opposed to reaching and the development of the new delivery systems 6.1 The Educational, Philosophical and Psychological foundation Elementary education shall aim to develop the spiritual, moral, mental and physical capabilities of the child, provide him with experiences in the democratic way of life, and inculcate ideas and attitude necessary for enlightened, patriotic, upright and useful citizenship. To achieve these objectives, elementary education curriculum shall provide for the: inculcation of spiritual and civic values and the development of a good citizen based on an abiding faith in God and genuine love of country; training of the young citizen in his rights, duties and responsibilities in a democratic society for active participation, in a progressive and productive home and community life; development of basic understanding about Malaysian culture, the desirable tradition and virtues of our people as essential requisites in attaining national consciousness and solidarity; teaching of basic health knowledge and the formation of desirable health habits and practices; development of functional literacy in English as basic tools for further learning; and acquisition of fundamental knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills in science, civics, culture, history, geography, mathematics, arts, and home economics and livelihood education and their intelligent application in appropriate life situations. The Elementary Basic Education Curriculum focuses on the tool learning areas for an adequate development of competencies for learning how to learn. The goal of Instructional design is to support the cognitive processes that result in learning (McGriff). The expected outcome of instructional design is to provide knowledge and skills to people. The three major learning theories are Constructivism, Behaviorism, and Cognitive. Instructional Design is based on constructivist principles. Instructional design is associated with instructional systems development (Leshin et al, 1992). An Instructional System is the arrangement of resources and procedures to promote learning (Berger and Kam). 6.2 Programme Design: ADDIE Model ADDIE is a general-purpose model, which can be used to create instructional products and program design. ADDIE is the acronym for Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate and summarizes the five steps in the Instructional Design process. The instructional designer makes decisions critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the educational experience in each phase of the process. In accordance with the process improvement model, the five phases are a loop, with the improvement of learning outcomes as the goal. Dick and Carey and Kemp (Kemp, et .al, 1998) expanded the ADDIE Model into nine elements. The Dick and Carey Model uses a Reductionist approach in breaking instruction down into smaller segments targeting sub skills. The learner is required to master of sub skills, which are aggregated to achieve overall skill mastery and learned behavior. It provides a systematic approach to curriculum and program design. Teaching is essentially a philosophical endeavor and therefore educational activity can be conceived within the context of a philosophy or worldview. The curricukum refelects the art and craft of teaching. Educational technology can provide diversity of thinking regarding curriculum and instruction which would be curriculum theorizing. 6.2.1 Analysis Basically the nature of the students whom the remedial programme to be conducted are students who learn English Language as a second language. They are originally from Chinese speaking families with a minimum exposure to English Language. Due to the expectation of the school and the educational needs in adhering English as one of the core subjects in school these students are required to have in depth knowledge and skill in it. All of them have been educated in the Chinese primary school education system. Based on the final semester examination results 15 students are selected to undergo remedial programme as they fall in the border line cases .The students acquire poor writing skills, while being able to construct sentences fairly well, they seem to have great difficulty in organizing and developing their ideas into the form of an essay that has an introduction, body and conclusion. In order to promote these students to the next level that is the pre-intermediate phase from their origin elementary level the English Language Department found it vital for them to attend a 7-hour remedial programme in order to find solution to this situation. All of them need to further develop their writing skills in term of cohesion and coherence; time and practice. 6.2.2 Design The main design goal for our programme would be on the cognitive strategies of being able to develop an idea for writing since all of them com e from a very similar background and have basic sentence writing skills. Besides the development of language in the mechanics of sentence construction such as syntax, grammar, structure, etc given priority. R.Gagne(1965) divided learning into 5 categories: Verbal or declarative knowledge, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, attitudes and psychomotor skills. The learning goals are also in connection to these categories to try to put educational value behind our goals. At the same time the goal also reflects competences outlines by Benjamin Bloom (Bloom,1956). These include: Knowledge, Conprehension , Application, Analysis, Synthesis an Evaluation. These give our goals validity whereby competencies are incorporated in bringing about concrete task for learners that we assign in order to achieve their goals. Hence in the evaluation phase, we can use this aspect to find out the validity and the accomplishment of the learners in implementing the programme. Learning Goals and Type of Learning OBJECTIVE STANDARD GAGNES DOMAIN BLOOMS TAXANOMY Learners will identify an essay topic and 3 sub-topics Criteria established by Hin Hua High School, English Language Department Cognitive strategies Synthesis Learners will be able to write a 3 paragraph essay with an introduction, 2 sub topics to include their opinions, ideas and conclusion Criteria established by Hin Hua High School, English Language Department Declaration Knowledge Intellectual Skills Synthesis Evaluation Application Learners will be able to use the library and Handouts to research printed information on their topics Criteria established by Hin Hua High School, English Language Department Procedural knowledge (declaration knowledge) Knowledge Learners will be able to use proper mechanics of grammar syntax Criteria established by Hin Hua High School, English Language Department Intellectual Skills Application Learners will be able to present their topics in class Criteria established by Hin Hua High School, English Language Department Declaration knowledge Comprehension Table 3.0 Learning Goals and Type of Learning 6.2.3 Development In order to establish a approachable remedial programme for the elementary learners , we English teachers have developed a remedial programme which will undertake a 7 hour learning process. The teachers from the same level have brainstormed and come up with a course content for the 7-hour teaching and learning programme. The teachers from the same teaching level are the best person to create the lesson as they deal with the same competency level of students all the time and are considered experts in their area. Besides this, they will be able to make he printed and computer materials and added step of getting the right content for the level. On top of that since they have already been teaching in the same scope so they will be undoubtedly familiar in the process of teaching and guiding the learners in order to make the remedial programme a success. 6.2.3.(1) Procedure The remedial programme would be in the English medium since the main objective is to improve writing skills among elementary learners. The programme consists of 6 regular sessions and followed by a review and a test day. Each hour is scheduled to be conducted for 60 minutes ***Details on the whole programme given on Part D 6.2.4 Implementation Further to the development to the development the teachers would be equipped with intact course content for he programme. The module would be prepared in balance with the time frame allotted for the programme. Any teacher who is selected for this task should be ready to undertake the teaching process based on the scheme that has been prepared. Al l 15 students will be instructed to attend the programme for 7 hours. These are the various aspect of implementation emphasized in the learning process: Table 4.0 Learning Process Implementation 6.2.5 Evaluation The evaluation phase consists of two parts: formative and summative. Formative evaluation is present in each stage of the ADDIE process. Summative evaluation consists of tests designed for domain specific criterion-related referenced items and providing opportunities for feedback from the users. Primarily the evaluation is done in two parts. The first phase will be the evaluation of student work based on the objectives in the Learning goals and type of learning listed above. Students will be rated by their teacher based on the A,B,C,F criteria set by the English Department. An A is excellent work, B is average, and C will mean student needs improvement. An F would mean that student failed the writing assessment with below 60% of mark. Students will be evaluated at each stage of the course. The department will use this evaluation in order to find out how they might need to modify the programme in the future. A summative evaluation will be conducted as outlined by Smith and Ragan(1999,p.352). Those authors explain that in order to evaluate the effectiveness, appeal, and efficiency of instruction, a collection, analysis and summary of data on students ia essential. In our designed programme an exam is built to access students of their mastery on the abilities taught during the programme.Students are to show their capabilities in their understanding and knowledge taught to them by completing the set of homework targeted to them. Students will be graded on from 1 to 5 for their abilities in each of the following sections: Student name Student able to choose a topic n sub-topics Student able to use handouts information Student able to complete the essay Score dated from 1 to 5 1 : poor 2 : Able to understand the writing concept with some guidance 3 : Able to complete the task with help and support 4 : Able to understand the concept and complete the task individually A pre-test and post-test can measure how well learners achieved the learning objectives. However, it usually takes more time and effort to measure things such as whether the learners will use their training. This evaluation phase can extend for months. Upon completion of the programme the students feedback will be collected to further gauge the success of the programme. Questions are also answered on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is low and 5 is high. The standard questions constructed are as below: Were you satisfied with the content of this course? Were you able to understand the teachers explanation? Were you able to put into practice elements that you learnt? Did you fond the course interesting? On a scale of 1 to 5, what is your general feeling about the course? PART C 7.0 REVIEWERS COMMENTS Below is the summary of the feedback received from two of the Senior Teachers from the English Language Department of Hin Hua High School regarding the 7hour remedial programme on writing skills. Reviewer 1: Mdm Annaletchumy Reviewer 2: Ms Sastina The strengths and weaknesses of the newly developed Remedial Programme for Elementary Students Strengths 1. Learning by actively participating in group discussion 2. Encouraging students to construct their own ideas and knowledge of the topic 3. Student-centered rather than teacher or subject-centered 4. Teaching aid contributed to students visualization on the topic given 5. Suitable to students development level 6. Group work enables students to self express, to be self-confident and self- awareness 7. Encourage teacher to develop students creative thinking abilities 8. Emphasizing the concept of group work and peer evaluation where no student Is left behind 9. Encouraging the co-operation among students and teacher positively 10. Enables student to have a positive mindset in creative writing Weaknesses 1. Unsuitability of activities for crowded room 2. Lack of materials used as aid for pre-writing task 3. Lack of teachers evaluation on the first phase of writing 4. Certain task may take more time than the planned time 5. Peer evaluation on writing inappropriate approach for elementary learners 8.0 Summary of Review Summarized below are some of the accomplishments and challenges I personally went through in construction the remedial programme: 8.1 Strengths 8.1.1 Improved students attitude and motivation Students are mentally prepared to participate in the programme because students agree to a particular pace, workload, and learning environment from the beginning. 8.1.2 Creating Learning Communities: Classes function as teach communities both teacher and their students benefit in both social and academic areas from working with each other over a entire programme. 8.1.3 Eliminating Stigma of Dependency: The concept group work and peer evaluation removed the stigma of being too dependent on the teacher Writing materials. 8.2 Weaknesses 8.2.1 Students participation Some learners will not contribute in due to the lack of interest or proficiency 8.2.2 Stipulated Time The period allotted might not be sufficient for certain task. Thus this will delay or sometimes interrupt the whole programme structure. 8.2.3 Genuinely in peer marking Some learners will not adhere by the rules set in peer marking when it comes to assessment. Favoritisms and self -centered will influence the observation 9.0 Conclusion It is expected that by attending this model of English remedial instruction it will be beneficial to low English achievers. Students will gain substantially in grammar and vocabulary and they will also gradually improve in their overall English competence. Based on the comments from the reviewers it can be concluded that learners will be effectively improve their English writing skills through the prepared course module for the remedial programme. A well-designed course will definitely give them encouragement and support to elevate their English proficiency and be prepared for the next level , pre=intermediate. 10.0 PART D 7 HOUR LESSON PLAN REMEDIAL PROGRAMME ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEVEL: ELEMENTARY LENGTH:420m LESSON TYPE: WRITING SKILLS Aim: by the end of my lesson, students will be able to write a full-length essay on Endangered Species and improve their approach of writing strategies. Subsidiary aim: students will be able to improve their use of linking words in controlled and less controlled writing activities on Endangered Species Evidence: (How will I know I have achieved the aim?) Students will be able to complete gist and short writing strat