A.J. Hackett Swott Analysis free essay sample

ThStrengthsLeveragesConcerns †¢Sole bungy operator within New Zealand since 1988. †¢Unparalleled safety record and reputation: 0 serious injuries. †¢Locations amidst NZ’s best natural landmarks protected by the Department of Conversation = $175,000 of government funding spent on nearby landscape upkeep and improvements. †¢Ability to gain worldwide public/media attention through the use of unique marketing strategies e. g. Eiffel Tower bungy stunt, free naked bungy campaign etc. †¢Unique corporate culture and charismatic leader: employee turnover rate in 2006 = 7. 4%, half the industry average. Actual jumpers account for only half of all visitors to Hackett jump sites. There is clearly an underlying interest in the surroundings as well as the jump process and history. †¢Use reputation as a way of leveraging better competitor relations and take advantage of mass marketing, promotion and package deals. †¢Target ‘green’ markets: buil d bungy awareness and attract new segments to the jump sites. †¢With such a unique corporate culture and well established reputation there is potential for safety standards to drop. We will write a custom essay sample on A.J. Hackett Swott Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page †¢With declining tourist numbers there is potential for DOC to remove a portion of its funding WeaknessesConstraintsProblems Newly appointed marketing team of six, all of which have never worked for the company at a corporate level = lack of internal experience and knowledge. †¢Heavy reliance upon international tourists: 78% of sales in 2006. †¢No evidence of product innovation and evolvement since inception = old and outdated formula. †¢Poor publicly accessible Hackett transportation combined with a low proximity to central city and lodgings: No jump sites within a 20 minute commute of downtown Queenstown. †¢Irregularly updated and complex website: the international face of the business is impaired. Limited accessibility and convenience for potential jumpers. †¢Increasing profit margins and external funding should have resulted in a strong business foundation, yet with a poor website and small inexperienced marketing team there is clearly some poor decision making being undertaken at a management level. †¢As successful industry leaders there is a tendency to become too comfortable and set in your ways as demonstrated by the lack of innovation. Hackett is heavily targeted, without change, their position as bungy leaders will be eclipsed. †¢The heavy reliance upon international ourists and the recent and expected future decline in their growth may force Hackett to explore other markets. Bibliography: â€Å"Bungee Jumping.

School Term Paper Topics

School Term Paper Topics A school term paper belongs to the family of long research papers which students write over an academic term or a semester. A school term paper is an important part of a student’s academic life as it accounts a large part of a grade and covers up much of the course. Term papers are usually written about some events, detailed description of concepts or arguments on a specific point. There are some important points which must be taken into consideration while starting to write a school term paper. It is very important to choose the right topic for a student as a large amount of knowledge and information is needed to write a term paper. One of the most important things is to make your term paper interesting to read. As there are many students writing the term paper at the same time it is very important to prove your term paper to be unique and interesting for the reader to read. Much attention should be paid to the format of the term paper. In school term papers the format doesn’t mean only structure and technique but it also refers to the approach and style of paper. A term paper can be argumentative or persuasive. Many students get confused while choosing their topics. There are a lot of interesting school term paper topics to choose but as told before a student must know how to choose a right topic, considering the amount of knowledge and information they have on the specific topic and how much interesting facts they can incorporate into the term paper topic. Usually school term paper topics are very wide, so, students should make their topic specific in order to provide better impression and coverage. For example, violence is a broad topic so, in order to give your term paper a complete and fascinating coverage students can choose violence on television, gang wars, school violence or racism depending on their interests. Similarly you can choose drug addiction, universe, human development, science, history, political issues and many more. If you have a lack of topics for your school term paper or you don’t have enough information about topics, you can contact our professional term paper writing service. We offer you the best school term papers written because we have over 735 professional writers always ready to help you out with your problems.

INDIGENOUS CULTURE IN THE RAINFOREST BIODIVERSITY Essay

INDIGENOUS CULTURE IN THE RAINFOREST BIODIVERSITY - Essay Example These beliefs combined to create a complex system of farming and recycling of the rainforest's products they used in their daily life. This sustainable agriculture has been in use for several thousand years (Hartmann 2005). It is believed that the Kayapo are an ecologically evolved population and are an example of living in balance with the ecosystem. They are generally non-aggressive and have a rich tradition of rituals. They are an ancient culture that has its foundations in seasonal farming and gathering. Beliefs and ideals surrounding the issue of using the rainforest, and the purpose of the rainforest, are passed from generation to generation through socialization. Socialization is the process where people learn the customs and acceptable behaviors of the community in which they live. Customs are the traditionally accepted norms, standards, and ways of doing things. Often these customs are passed through rituals, a formal ceremony that is usually symbolic. The symbolism represents a belief and this is shared by a group such as a family or community. By socialization, a culture passes its customs and norms to the next generation and they develop a set of values based on these beliefs, customs, and norms. Values are the abstract belief in a system of right, wrong, fair, and decent.

Explain & discuss the stages of the online buying process from a Essay

Explain & discuss the stages of the online buying process from a consumer & site owner perspective - Essay Example As a result, the first thing a consumer looks for when he or she wants to buy a product through the internet is whether their money will be safe if they use the site. Due to this, the company should ensure that the providing security indicators that will make the consumer confident that his or her money is secure if they use the site. After a customer is contented about the security of the online buying website, they then try to establish that their privacy is protected. Another issue that customers determine during this stage is if the site has measures to ensure that their identity is safe from identity thieves. Hence, the company should ensure that customer information is treated with at most privacy ensuring that it cannot be stolen by either hackers or even the company’s staff. People are always very cautious in order not to become victims of internet scams. After the second stage, customers usually try to find out if the website facilitating online buying is a fraud or it is real deal. Due to this, the company should provide the customers with sufficient information for them to ensure that the company’s site is not a scam. Due to the issues of security, online buyers mostly use the best means of online payment. This is because it is through this that they feel their money will not be lost. This being so, the company should ensure that it accepts all the best methods of payment. It should use all the best because customer opinions on best payment methods often differ from each other. Customers try to make sure that they have all the details of the transaction that they took part. They tend to require sellers address, billings, mode of delivery among others. The company should ensure that its website provide all these details to customers to ensure that customers are satisfied with the site All these five steps will guide the company in creating a good site for online buying. However, it is

MOD 5 FIN 301 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MOD 5 FIN 301 CA - Essay Example This paper aims to analyze the advantages and disadvantages for AMSC to forgo their debt financing and take on equity financing. AMSC can use its cash from equity financing to invest in the project or business without carrying the burden of debt on its back. In a period of financial turmoil, where businesses are faced with a credit crisis, equity financing helps in providing the necessary cash and reduces the risk of bankruptcy. By forgoing debt financing, AMSC is gaining a major advantage by using the cash to grow its business rather than paying a bank loan. Equity financing also brings new resources with itself such as valuable human capital which can provide necessary skills, contacts and experience to run the business. In addition to that, as the business grows over the period of time the investors are often willing to provide additional funding in case if it is needed so AMSC can have access to future sources of funding with the current owners. The owners of the equity can control the business without any interference from the creditors since the company will have no debt obligations. The biggest advanta ge lies in the fact that the business will be free from any interest costs thus it can boost its profits. Furthermore, during a recessionary period where there is a lack of credit in the economy, AMSC can have a chance to obtain funding through debt financing since it will have a lower Debt-to-Equity ratio. Financial institutions often extend credits to those corporations who have a lower Debt-to-Equity ratio in their balance sheets thus AMSC’s ability to borrow will be improved. Too much debt financing can tarnish the reputation of AMSC if they have already huge liabilities on their books. Finally, Corporations also collateralize their important assets due to debt financing and creditors impose certain stringent rules and regulations on the use of those collateralized assets which limits the ability of the organizations to use those assets

Developing Competent Reader In Classroom

Developing Competent Reader In Classroom The definitions of read and reading from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English are: Read means to look at the written words and understand what they are mean. Reading means the activity of understanding the written words. There is a vast literature on the definition of reading. According to Spache and Spache (1969) there were a variety of definitions of reading due to the complexity and successive stages of reading development. Reading can also be described in a variety of headings such as reading for skill development, as a visual act, as a perceptual act as a reflection of cultural background and a thinking process. On the other hand, Williams (1984) defined reading as a process in which a reader looks at a text and understands what has been written. He further stated that reading does not mean a person needs to understand everything he reads because people read for different reasons and purposes. Reading by itself seems easy and simple but many studies have been carried out to show with scientific evidence that the act of reading is actually a very complicated process. According to Ponnusamy (1997), the first important description of reading and its process can be traced back as early as 1917 by Thorndike, a psychologist who coined reading as reasoning. The process of reading can best be described in an analogy written by Thorndike (1917) as cited in Ponnusamy (1997: 21) in which he described the reading process as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦understanding a paragraph is like solving mathematics. It consists of selecting the right element of situation and putting them together in the right relations, and also within the right amount of weight or influence or force for each. The mind is assailed as it was bothered by every word in the paragraph. It must select, repress, soften, emphasize, correlate organize all under the influence of the right mental shape or purpose or demand. Thus, it appears that reading an explanatory or argumentative paragraph involves the same sort of organization and analytic action of ideas as those that occur in thinking supposedly higher sorts. ii) Definition of Competent Reader: In response to this question is how the term competent can technically have slightly different meanings for different individuals and families. The basic definition is that not only reading on a regular basis, but picking up at least some of the underlying message of what youre reading. If youre reading more for pleasure than work or school, then the key for competency is that youre enjoying the story and feeling like youre truly diving into the universe of the story when reading it. But as I just said, this term is one of those that is a fluid scale of meanings, so this is all just one point of view. In the English progression maps, the competent reader is briefly characterized as being able to read between the lines, seeing meaning that isnt stated directly and to deploy a wide range of active strategies to find and read texts for different purposes. Pupils who are becoming competent readers have secured sufficient reading strategies, such as phonics, contextual cues, word attack skills and sense of grammar, to tackle new and unfamiliar texts, with confidence, on their own. While they may still read hesitantly on occasions, they possess sufficient self-help strategies to hear their errors and self correct when necessary. They not only scan ahead to tackle longer, complex sentences; they are beginning to look beyond the sentence to paragraphs, chapters and whole text layout. Pupils at this stage read for meaning and are willing participants in the imaginative world of the text, visualizing, empathizing, and making judgements about what they read. 1. The Importance of Developing Competent Reader in Classroom Reading is a habit to be developed by oneself and it cannot be taught by teachers. Reading is an interactive process between the readers and the text. Knowledge means a deep understanding of topics and the language that the reader has acquired. The more the student reads the more are the chances of becoming a good reader. Teachers should implement various strategies in schools to bring individuals with good reading skills, for which he proposed extensive reading of easy and interesting books that would create interest in students to read and simultaneously improve vocabulary. In countries such as Malaysia, the challenges for any student writers of English are indeed great. In addition to having to learn to write (and write to learn) to meet the conventions and requirements of writing in the target language, they are expected to demonstrate a high level of linguistic competence to convey the intended message in their writing. In other words, to become competent writers, not only do they need to have a clear idea of the macro or top-down features that make the text cohere with other texts of the same discourse genre, they also need to be able to draw upon the relevant linguistic resources at the micro or bottom-up level to make the particular piece of writing cohesive (Celce-Murcia Olshtain, 2000). Within the literacy community, there are two distinct but complementary perspectives on reading development. The first perspective, prevalent in several well publicized documents and federal legislation (e.g., Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998), deals almost exclusively with the early period of reading development, what might be described as emergent literacy. This early period is unquestionably a critical time in reading development, and there are virtually libraries devoted to basic dimensions of reading acquisition, including phonological awareness, vocabulary, and fluency (Adams, 1990) Yet, there is another view of reading development that extends well beyond the initial period of basic skill and process acquisition. This perspective looks at reading as a long-term developmental process, at the end of which the proficient adult reader can read a variety of materials with ease and interest, can read for varying purposes, and can read with comprehension even when the material is neither easy to understand nor intrinsically interesting. This particular orientation does not discount the emergent literacy view, but subsumes it as a first step in lifespan development. It is this second perspective of reading development-one less addressed in public and political rhetoric, legislation, and educational policies-that we examine here. Specifically, it is the goal to investigate how reading develops across the lifespan by building on the vast literatures in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, expertise, motivation, and domain-specific learning, as well as reading research. There are important educational benefits accrued by viewing reading within such a lifespan developmental framework. For one, it helps us to consider the changes and challenges students and adults face once they journey beyond the early elementary grades. Currently, there is an increased awareness that more must be done to understand the nature of adolescent literacy (Alvermann et al., 1996; Moje, 2000) and adult literacy (Kruidenier, 2002; Nist Holschuh, 2000). The more we understand about adolescents and adults continued development as readers, the better we can provide for them. The approaches and interventions suitable for young readers taking their first steps toward reading competence are not likely to work for older children, adolescents, or adults, even if they still struggle to make sense of print (Alvermann, 2001). Not only have these adolescents and adults changed cognitively, physically, and socially, but the in-classroom or at-work literacy demands they face have changed as well (Nist Simpson, 2000). A lifespan developmental perspective would not stop in the early years or attend only to those who have yet to acquire the most basic skills or processes. Rather, it would consider reading from womb to tomb; that is, for all populations and for all phases of reading growth. If teachers understood the nature of changes that should occur in readers as they progress toward competence, and if teachers had some idea of the problems that might arise during that journey, then they could better formulate interventions or craft educational materials that might circumvent problems or ameliorate their effects (Pressley, 2001). For example, students motivations for reading are critical forces in sustaining their continued growth and development in the domain of reading (Guthrie Wigfield, 2000). Thus, educational programs intent on supporting students long-term reading development should give ample consideration to such motivational variables, including students interests and goals. 2. The Competent Reading Framework This reading framework is designed to emphasize on the active and interactive nature of reading. The aim of the COMPETENT reading framework is to develop COMPETENT, independent readers. The content and utility of two models of reading comprehension tests, the basic skills assessment model and the multiple choice cloze (MCC) model, are discussed. The basic reading competency model assesses the ability to read or infer basic meanings from a range of written or symbolic communication, as is necessary for daily living in this society. This limited analysis of the basic competency model suggests some degree of positive practical impact of the test; applications of this model are illustrated. Criticisms of this model state that such a test is not theoretically based, nor objectively reproducible, nor does it yield scores that provide detailed diagnostic guidance in the instructional process. The multiple choice cloze (MCC) technique was developed as one expression of the literal comprehension construct, viewed as the basic skill underlying the readers ability to infer explicit meanings from written language. Items in the test are objectively developed and derived from a theoretical framework, thus providing guidelines for interpreting the resulting test scores. Current developments suggest that these test results can be used to identify the kinds of materials that readers can comprehend at the literal level for specific purposes. The test also appears to offer a diagnostic capability with fairly clear-cut instructional implications 3. The Benefits of Competent Reading Framework. There are several key aspects of the Competent Reading Framework made it so effective in helping students to improve their own selves. Such as: Comprehensive Schools come to establish two to three hours of daily literacy instruction across all content areas Schools utilize a framework for addressing four important learning components: comprehension, fluency, word knowledge, and writing Professional development includes instruction, lesson planning, and evaluation and assessment of students Capacity Building Teachers become better prepared to plan and implement instruction that addresses students strengths and needs Teachers learn to choose research-based strategies that lead to increased student achievement Professional development extends to the administration to assure support of teachers efforts to improve literacy instruction Flexible The Framework is not a scripted program or commercial product, so it can be shaped to local contexts to better meet the needs of students School personnel can match their own styles, curricula, and materials to Framework guidelines All activities and staff development are designed collaboratively with each school Effective Adoption of the Framework has helped many schools accomplish remarkable gains in school reading achievement (Preliminary Analysis of an Innovative Framework for School Reading, National Science Foundation, 2001) This project was adopted system-wide in 2001 by the Chicago Board of Education and is now implemented in 600 Chicago schools, with 26,000 teachers, serving 437,000 students annually The Framework principles are consistent with recent finding of the National Reading Panel, and has been so effective that it is now used by hundreds of schools across the nation Services for Helping Schools The Chicago Reading Framework Project offers schools a wide range of possibilities to choose from when deciding on services. Schools can customize their professional development services by selecting from the following options: Ongoing Support School-wide support to implement the Reading Framework, focusing instruction on comprehension, fluency, word knowledge, and writing Consultations to assist teachers in developing more opportunities for reading and writing within language arts/reading and across the content areas Support for teachers in differentiating their instruction to meet the needs of heterogeneous classrooms Follow-up coaching to teachers that includes classroom observations, support within the classroom, in-class modeling of instructional strategies that support Framework guidelines, oral and/or written feedback, and co-planning to meet the needs of students Analysis of available student data to identify focused, measurable objectives, as well as appropriate instructional strategies to meet those objectives Participation in grade level meetings to present additional, grade-appropriate strategies and information Workshops Professional development that addresses the following key reading elements: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension, and writing Workshops on a variety of topics such as assessment and evaluation, motivation, standards-based curricula, content area literacy, classroom management, among others Full day or half day workshops, developed in conjunction with reading specialists to address school needs, are available for the whole faculty Combine sound theory and practical classroom application to help teachers understand why and how to effectively utilize suggested ideas and strategies Include modeling, guided practice, and comprehensive materials to help teachers fully grasp what they learned during workshops and apply it in their own classrooms Leadership Consulting with administrators, reading specialists, and teachers to analyze school wide literacy efforts and determine long- and short-term goals Advising the principal and administrative team to assure consistent implementation of the Reading Framework across grade levels Assisting school leadership with monitoring and support of teachers efforts Encouraging teachers to support one another and take more of a leadership role themselves Collaborating with Reading Specialist and administrative team regarding techniques to address literacy improvement across the school Assessment and Evaluation Evaluation of all aspects of reading instruction and make recommendations for change when necessary Analysis of standardized test and other assessment data to guide plans for school improvement Periodic surveys and checklists for teachers and administrators to both assess the progress made toward goals and to determine future techniques to meet school and classroom objectives Training to assist teachers in interpreting multiple assessments to better address the instructional needs of students Regular classroom visits to collaborate with teachers to analyze their use of instructional time and strategies for reading instruction across the curriculum. 4. The Challenges and Potential Problems in Developing Competent Reader Reading is a very important skill as it is recognized as a necessary part of obtaining a better job and access to literature and knowledge. However, reading in a foreign language such as English might be a problem for some people. Snow, Burns and Griffin (2006) claim that there are three potential stumbling blocks in reading namely the difficulty in understanding and using the alphabetic principle, the failure to transfer the comprehension skills of spoken language to reading and the lack of motivation and appreciation for reading. They further add that children who face early reading problem lack prior knowledge and relevant skills such as the ability to produce words, the ability to distinguish sounds, the ability to master the mechanics of reading and the ability to identify letters. This difficulty leads to low motivation and can be problematic for language teachers as the motivation of needing to read is powerful (Nuttal, C, 1996 : 3). Nevertheless in order to help children to read it is important to get them to read extensively. Nuttal further adds that the latter is the easiest and most effective way of improving the reading skills. During reading, students may have difficulty decoding, and so have difficulty reading the words of their texts accurately. In addition, these students read too slowly, or lack fluency. As a result of their slow, la ­bored reading, they often do not comprehend much of what they read, and the attention they have to give to figuring out the words keeps them from understanding the text. All too often these students lack sufficient background knowledge about the topic of a text. They may have trouble connecting the ideas of a text. They often are not familiar with the vocabulary they encounter, and have trouble determining word meanings. Further, even when the students pos ­sess relevant background knowledge, they frequently are not able to acti ­vate it to help them understand what they read. Some readers also are unaware of text organization. They do not know enough about the organizational structure of narratives or the vari ­ous organizational structures of expository texts to help them read and un ­derstand. After reading, these students typically do not think about or reflect upon what they have read. They almost never seek out additional information about a topic. The cumulative effect of these difficulties is that they often lose confidence in their ability to read. Because reading is difficult for them and they cannot and do not read widely. As a result, they are exposed too much less text and so receive much less practice reading. Further, the practice they do receive is often frustrating, because many of the texts they are asked to read are too difficult for them. 5. The Ways to Instil More Interest in Reading among the Learners Theorists, psycholinguists and linguists have given many opinions pertaining to reading and the process of reading. Many agree that reading is a complex area (Ehri, 2001; Snow, Burns and Griffin, 2006). In the process of reading, the reader constructs meaning from written texts. In reading, readers go through certain processes. These processes are explained through the three reading models namely bottom-up, top-down and interactive models of reading. The bottom-up model emphasizes on print, wherein the readers decode the print in the form of letters and words into text, into phonological representations before constructing meaning (Nooreiny Maarof, 1998). The top-down model suggests that the readers guess the meaning in the text by making predictions about the print and construction of meaning with the guidance of prior knowledge (Ibid, 1998). The interactive model, on the other hand, combines both the reading models mentioned earlier. According to this model, our reading is said to occur at various levels through the interaction of physical texts on the page and our mental concepts. This model of reading reflects the underlying theory that supports it, namely the schema theory. Schema Theory is actually our background knowledge at work in the process of language comprehension (Hadley, 2000). ESL teachers can create a reading habit among learners by selecting books which are enjoyable to read. The criteria for selecting texts must be readability (ie . suiting the linguistic level of the reader) and suitability of content (ie . suiting the intellectual needs of the reader) . When books are appealing in colour and illustrations with little intimidation in language and content, there will be sufficient motivation to met any novice readers appetite to read. Besides this the teacher could also have a set of class library books which students can borrow. Some learners, once provided with reading materials will read quite happily with no further encouragement from the teacher, others will require further incentives . One way the ESL teacher can help is by setting tasks after reading a book. This provides a useful feedback to the teacher as to who is reading the most books and which books are most popular. Tasks include providing a guided book review format that the reader has to fill upon completion of a book and a class reading chart listing all the titles of books read on the horizontal axis of the grid with names of students on the vertical axis ofthe grid. By plotting, the chart will indicate the general progress ofreading in the class . It will be a good idea to ask the readers to relate a little ofwhat they read and perhaps hold class discussions on the more popular books read. The texts that are given to students are simple and interesting and help them in adapting in literary texts. In the classroom we might have a class of mix ability students and not always all the students find the texts simple per say. Teachers have to do their extra homework to make the texts either simpler for the weaker students or more difficult for the good students. Just to make the texts interesting and stimulating arent enough. Teachers need to be a good role model in promoting healthy reading habits. When students see for themselves that the teachers read and are knowledgeable automatically students would want to be like them. In short, being a good role model is very vital in teachers profession. The texts also must suitable for each level but we cant say that the language or vocabulary is not too difficult. Private reading can be a rewarding and self-sustaining activity for them, worthy of the time and energy they invest in it. They see what reading has to offer them. Pupils who are securely established as competent readers read with understanding at a literal level and can also read beyond the text and between the lines. They infer and deduce both hidden and implied meanings and, even though their inferences may not always be securely rooted in the text, they generally make sense. Pupils at this level deploy a range of imaginative responses to text, such as empathy, prediction and speculation. They may compare the world of the text to their own experiences and are able to make simple comments about a writers viewpoint as well as the effect of the text on the reader. In both fiction and non-fiction texts, pupils are able to pick out relevant points, supporting them by some generally relevant textual reference or quotation as well as identifying and making simple comments about the writers use of language and organizational features. 6. The Strategies to Nurture the Reading Habit among Malaysian Learners In view of this, something has to be done to reduce and if possible, to totally eradicate illiteracy among students. Therefore, to start with, teachers must be seen as role models for the students to emulate. Teachers must read a lot in order to keep abreast with the fast-changing information age. Teachers should involve themselves in reading because according to Eskey (1986. p.21, cited in Renandya Jacobs, 2002): Readingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦must be developed, and can only be developed, by means of extensive and continued practice. People learn to read, and read better by reading. This view on extensive reading as a reading habit is also shared by Krashen (1993, p. 23, cited in Renandya Jacobs, 2002) that through reading we develop a good writing style, an adequate vocabulary, advanced grammar and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ becomes good spellers. Finnochiaro (1989) also suggests that teachers need to read to help facilitate their teaching-learning activity in the classroom as information obtained through their reading will help them keep in touch with current issues and to apply them in their classroom discussion. An effective teacher is a teacher who always keeps abreast with changes be it in teaching or learning aspects. In view of the above mentioned problems, the researcher would like to investigate the reading habits of teachers in the four schools. The poor reading habits among Malaysians can be seen in surveys conducted by the Ministry of Education on National Literacy in 1982 and 1996 (Kaur and Thiyagarajah, 1999). In the earlier survey, an average Malaysian citizen read a mere page or two a year whilst the later revealed an average of two books a year. In view of this, the research looked into the reading habits of teachers in four government-aided secondary schools (Mission Schools) in Kuching district. The study focused on the types of reading materials that they read, whether their teaching loads inhibit their reading habits, factors that influence their reading habits, time spent on reading and reasons for reading. Every one of us knows how to read, but how often we read and what kind of material we read? We cannot deny that reading is a very good habit, We can acquire the general knowledge by reading. That is why we are inculcated the reading habit by our parent and teachers since we are young. But, Malaysians have poor reading habit. Well, if you dont believe that, just check out the survey done by the National Library in 2005 to determine the profile of Malaysian readers. More than half of the 65,000 respondents answered that they read less than seven pages a day and those 10 years and above only read about two books a year. Now, it is the time to make the Malaysians realize the important of reading and make it as their habit. There are many reading materials around us, for example, newspapers, magazines and all kind of books. Maybe people feel that reading the words on the paper is a boring job in this technology century, therefore, a new kind of book is being created, that is, electronic book. The words are not lie on the papers anymore, but on the screen of computer and you can bring along it wherever you go. It is very convenience to the people nowadays, you just save the book you want to read in the computer, no matter how many of book you want to read, there is no the thick and heavy of the papers. Other than that, the government has already put effort into the programs that encourage the people to read more. Many programs have been organized, such as reading festival, reading campaign and so on. Although the efforts did not gain many supports from the public, we cannot deny the efforts were actually make an effect. Many of the people who were take part in those programs know the important of reading and make reading as their new habit now. Besides, the reading habit should be inculcated among kids. To do that, the role of parents and early education is very important. The parents must tell the children about the benefits of reading and make reading more interesting to draw their attention toward reading. Parents may read them a story before sleep and ask the child read the story in turn on the next day. In view of this problem, Malaysian Ministry of Education (MoE) attempts to implement more effective and efficient reading programs which are executed systematically and continuously via a long term program known as NILAM Program NP (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca) or loosely translated as reading is the pulse of knowledge . Government schools or schools under MoE in Malaysia instructed to execute NP commencing from January 1999 in accordance to Circular Num.13/1998 dated 22 May 1998. NILAM: Concept Guide Book and Implementation in School published by Technology of Education Division, Ministry of Education of Malaysia (1998). The Education Ministry is widening the scope of the Nilam or Award to encourage more students from primary schools as well as secondary schools nationwide to read. The Nilam Award is a reading programme initiated by the Education Ministry in 1999 to inculcate the reading habit. Students are recognized at primary and secondary school levels according to the number of books they have read. To be awarded the Nilam Award at primary school level, students must read 360 books or more, while at secondary school level, they have to read 288 books and above. To qualify, students are required to record their reading activities in reading records. In turn, teachers must certify these records. Recognition is subsequently given to students based on the number of books they have read and reading activities, such as storytelling, that they have carried out. Other extensive reading programmes have also been implemented over the years such as Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR), Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) and the Book Flood Approach (Elley and Mangubahi, 1983 as cited in Renandya and Jacobs, 2002). The purpose of the programme is that readers read large quantities of books and other materials in an environment that nurtures a lifelong reading habit. While much effort has been put into reading campaigns and programmes, indication is that more and more Malaysians are not interested in picking up the habit. Malaysian students at the tertiary level have indeed shown our students poor regards for reading (Mohd Sallehudin 1994, as cited in Normah 2004). The recent, Read-a-thon Read2009 was to inculcate a love for reading and charity among the young. For the second year running, students throughout the country recently participated in Malaysias biggest reading marathon. This event was organized by Scholastic, the worlds largest publisher and distributor of childrens books. This years read-a-thon, titled Read2009: One Nation Reading Together, was supported by the Education Ministry and held in conjunction with its 1Malaysia Reading Camp. Read2009 was a simple name with a big message. Students read recreationally for 2009 seconds (33 minutes 29 seconds). Reading recreationally means that students choose a book of their choice, instead of regular school text. Students can read independently or together with their classmates and teachers. The objective of Read2009 is to inculcate students with a love of reading. The programme emphasizes recreation reading because students must be able to associate good feelings and pleasant memories with their reading experience; otherwise, it becomes a chore. Reading provides a valuable reinforcement of language and structures presented in the classroom. It also provides learners the opportunity to practice inferring meanings from the context where structures and vocabulary are unfamiliar. In addition, it enables the learner to reproduce mentally and vocally expressions and words present in any written form. Thus, consciously or unconsciously the learner begins to communicate effectively, using the knowledge acquired through reading. Extensive reading also provides the learner an opportunity to increase his reading speed, a skill rarely touched upon in the ESL classroom. As the student is reading for pleasure, chances are he will be eager to see what happens next and will therefore try to read faster. Moreover, as the learner is reading on topics that interests him, it increases his motivation and gives him a more positive attitude towards the target language. To acquire the habit of reading is to const

Gary Nash Essay -- essays research papers

In the essay written by Gary Nash, he argues that the reason for the American Revolution was not caused by the defense of constitutional rights and liberties, but that of â€Å"material conditions of life in America† were not very favorable and that social and economic factors should be considered as the driving factor that pushed many colonists to revolt. The popular ideology which can be defined as resonating â€Å"most strongly within the middle and lower strata of society and went far beyond constitutional rights to a discussion of the proper distribution of wealth and power in the social system† had a dynamic role in the decisions of many people to revolt. The masses ideas were not of constitutional rights, but the equal distribution of wealth in the colonies that many felt that the wealth was concentrated in a small percentage of the population in the colonies. The Whig ideology that was long established in English society had a main appeal towards the upper clas s citizens and â€Å"had little to say about changing social and economic conditions in America or the need for change in the future.† The popular ideologies consisted of new ways of changing the distribution of wealth. Nash in his essay continued to give good evidence to prove his point that the American Revolution was not caused by the defense of constitutional rights and liberties, but by improper distribution of wealth. During the pre-American Revolutionary times, the â€Å"top five percent of Boston’s taxpayers controlled 49 ...

Nurse Practice Act Essay

The Nursing Practice Act (NPA) is the body of California law that mandates the Board to set out the scope of practice and responsibilities for RNs. The Practice Act is located in the California Business and Professions Code starting with Section 2700. Regulations that specify the implementation of the law appear in the California Code of Regulations (â€Å"Board Of Nursing†, n.d.). What is the NPA? How does it affect nurses? What are the requirements for getting a nursing license from the Board of Nursing? All of these are important questions for someone to ponder when considering joining the nursing profession. Let us explore the ins and outs of becoming and being and registered nurse in California. What Is The Nurse Practice Act The Nurse Practice Act (NPA) is laws in each state that are instrumental in defining the scope of nursing practice. NPAs protect public health, safety, and welfare. This protection includes shielding the public from unqualified and unsafe nurses. In each state, statutory law directs entry into nursing practice, defines the scope of practice, and establishes disciplinary procedures. State boards of nursing oversee this statutory law. They have the responsibility and authority to protect the public by determining who is competent to practice nursing (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). Nursing Chapter Six â€Å"This chapter of the Business and Professions Code constitutes the chapter on professional nursing and shall be construed as revisory and amendatory of the laws heretofore enacted. It may be cited as the Nursing Practice Act† (Chapter 6 Nursing). Article one administration. This is the Board of Nursing and this section remains in effect until January 2012 unless it is voted to extend the authority. The nursing board consists of nine members. Four represent the public at large and have no license and no ties to the healthcare industry. The board also has two registered nurses, one advanced practice nurse, one nurse educator, and one registered nurse that is an administrator of a nursing service (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). All members must be a citizen of the United States and a Resident of the State of California. All appointments shall be for a term of four years and vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms. Board positions appointed by the Governor, the senate rules Committee and the Speaker of the Assembly. The board elects from its members a president, vice president, and any other officers as it may deem necessary. The officers of the board shall hold their respective positions during their four-year term (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). The Governor has the power to remove any member of the board from office for neglect of any duty required by law, or for incompetency, or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct. The board for the purpose of transacting its business must meet at least once every three months, at times and places it designates by resolution (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). â€Å"Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the Board of Registered Nursing in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount† (Chapter 6 Nursing). Article two scope of regulations. According to â€Å"Board Of Nursing† (n.d.), the practice of nursing within the meaning of this chapter means those functions, including basic health care. Helping people cope with difficulties in daily living that are associated with their actual or potential health or illness problems or the treatment thereof, and that require a substantial amount of scientific knowledge or technical skill† (Chapter 6 Nursing). Direct and indirect patient care services that ensure the safety, comfort, personal hygiene, and protection of patients; and the performance of disease prevention and restorative measures (Busi ness And Professions Code, n.d.). Direct and indirect patient care services, including, but not limited to, the administration of medications and therapeutic agents, necessary to implement a treatment, disease prevention, or rehabilitative regimen ordered by and within the scope of licensure of a physician, dentist, podiatrist, or clinical psychologist (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). The performance of skin tests, immunization techniques, and the withdrawal of human blood from veins and arteries (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). Observation of signs and symptoms of illness, reactions to treatment, general behavior, or general physical condition, and determination of whether the signs, symptoms, reactions, behavior, or general appearance exhibit abnormal characteristics, and implementation, based on observed abnormalities, of appropriate reporting, or referral, or standardized procedures, or changes in treatment regimen in accordance with standardized procedures, or the initiation of emergency procedures ( Business And Professions Code, n.d.). There are standardized policies and procedures developed through collaboration with the Division of Licensing of the Medical Board of California and the Board of Registered Nursing may jointly approve or design new policy and procedures. If put into effect by official proclamation, the guidelines shall be administered by the Board of Registered Nursing (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). A registered nurse can dispense drugs or devices when ordered by a licensed physician or surgeon. A registered nurse cannot be employed to perform dispensing exclusively. A registered nurse cannot dispense medication in a pharmacy; keep a pharmacy, open shop or a drugstore for retailing drugs or poisons. No registered nurse shall compound drugs (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). The Business and Professional Code, n.d. also includes how to get a license to be a registered nurse. â€Å"An applicant must have completed such general preliminary education requirements as shall be determined by the board. Have successfully completed the courses of instruction prescribed by the board for licensure, in a program in this state accredited by the board for training registered nurses, or have successfully completed courses of instruction in a school of nursing outside of this state which, in the opinion of the board at the time the application is filed with the Board of Registered Nursing, are equivalent to the minimum requirements of the board for licensure established for an accredited program in this state† (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). The board shall issue a license to each applicant who passes the examination and meets all other licensing requirements. The board shall discipline the holder of any license, whose default has been entered or who has been heard by the board and found guilty, by any of the following methods: (a) Suspending judgment. (b) Placing him upon probation. (c) Suspending his right to practice nursing for a period not exceeding one year. (d) Revoking his license. (e) Taking such other action in relation to disciplining him as the board in its discretion may deem proper (Business And Professions Code, n.d.). Chapter Six of the Business and Professional Code not only covers registered nurses but the following articles are also included: a) Article 2.5. Nurse-Midwives b) Article 3. Disciplinary Proceedings c) Article 3.1 Diversion Program d) Article 3.5 Nursing Corporations e) Article 4. Nursing Schools f) Article 5. Penal Provisions g) Article 6. Revenue h) Article 6.5. Public Health Nurse Certification i) Article 7. Nurse Anesthetists j) Article 8. Nurse Practitioners k) Article 9. Clinical Nurse Specialists The Nurse Practice Act as it is written in the Business and Professional Code defines and lays out a scope of practice to direct a nurse at any level to provide the best possible care while staying within their scope of practice. By following the Nurse Practice Act and providing professional skilled nursing, I will be able to provide care and help my patients to the best of my ability while staying in the confines that my license allows. References Business and professions code. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.rn.ca.gov/regulations/bpc.shtml Board of nursing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.rn.ca.gov/regulations/npa.shtml

Design For Manufacturer Example

Design For Manufacturer Example Design For Manufacturer – Coursework Example First Sur Process of Manufacturing of Acrylic Signage Acrylic signage refers to a group of artificial plastic signsthat contain derivatives of acrylic acid molded into various commercial and public signs. Acrylic signage is manufactured by reacting a monomer such as methyl methacrylate in the presence of a catalyst. In this process, the suitable catalysts would be an organic peroxide.1 Various acrylic signs are then molded out of the acrylic mass to form signs used for public or commercial purposes. Discussion of Advantages and Disadvantages of the Manufacturing MethodManufacturers usually use bulk polymerization in the process of producing acrylic sheets. The method proves to be the best among others due to its effectiveness. It involves the introduction of the catalyst and the monomer into a mold where the reaction takes place. In this circumstance, two methods may be used; continuous and batch cell. Batch cell is commonly used as it is simple and easily adapted for production. The batch cell technique may also be used to produce tubes and cones. However, the common batch method is costly as it involves extensive loss of material. Additionally, the labor cost is relatively high as there is heavy manpower engaged in introducing the raw materials and in offloading the finished product after the processing of each batch. It is time consuming as much time is spent on-loading raw materials and off-loading finished products. Additionally, it also requires highly skilled labor and highly proficient equipment design and maintenance services. Manufacturers also use the continuous method in the production of acrylic. The continuous process also bears advantages and disadvantages. It has the benefit of utilizing minimal labor. The production cost per unit is relatively lower. There is minimal loss of material in the course of production. The duration of production is lesser than the duration of production in the batch process. The production process requires less-skill ed manpower as compared to the batch process. Use of Acrylic in Signage Manufacturers find acrylic to be one of the best material for manufacturing signs. Acrylic are very versatile plastic sheets that have a glossy finish known as Plexiglas. Acrylic is appropriate for making highly sophisticated signs with high-tech looks.2 Additionally, acrylic is best for use because it is highly durable. It is also available in varied colors. Besides, manufacturers are able to increase the visual effectiveness of acrylic signs and make use of its many ways of displaying it. Therefore, as the best material for use in the manufacture of signage, it has a wide range of usage from purchase signs and the illuminated signs, architectural signs and trade show signs. ReferencesDorman, E, & C Cavette, How acrylic plastic is made - material, making, used, processing, parts, Raw Materials, The Manufacturing Process of acrylic plastic, Quality Control. inMadehow.com, 2015, [accessed 19 February 2015].FASTSI GNS, Acrylic Signs. in  Fastsigns.com, , 2015, [accessed 23 February 2015].

How to Write and Create YouTube Videos Like a Pro

How to Write and Create YouTube Videos Like a Pro With more than 1.5 billion users, YouTube is second only to Facebook in its worldwide reach and appeal. In fact, according to this Hootsuite article, Seventy percent of viewers use YouTube to help solve a problem with work, school, or hobbies, and 86 percent said they regularly use YouTube to learn new things. Among millennials, the numbers for self-directed learning are even higher: 93 percent of them use YouTube to find out how to do things.Marketing on YouTubeWhat these numbers mean for marketers is that YouTube is the perfect platform to attract and engage potential clients and audiences for their brand or business. This graphic from Emarketer.com shows how YouTube trails only Facebook for acquiring views, engagement and purchases:Views, engagement and purchases for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and InstagramGetting startedWhether you are a self-published writer or small business owner, its easy to see how YouTube is an excellent platform for building and engaging an audience on you r social media accounts, blog, and website. With the rate of online sales consistently growing, reaching a wider audience on YouTube could be just what you need to gain more exposure and success in your entrepreneurial efforts. So how do you get started? Well, you start just like Hollywood does before it films videos- with an idea and a script.Think of something helpful that you can provideSince we know that audiences are coming to YouTube primarily for self-directed learning, the first questions you should consider are these: What content can I provide that would be helpful to someone? What is my area of expertise? What knowledge do I have that someone might want to learn?For example, a self-published writer would know about the process of self-publishing and could provide insider tips to others who have not done it yet. A business offering cleaning services would know about environmentally friendly cleaning products and how to find them. An artist would know about color theory and elements of design and could easily share that expert knowledge with a larger audience interested in it for their own projects.When creating content for YouTube, its important to consider why most audiences use the platform and how you can become a part of that to advertise your book, business, services, or brand. Keep in mind that these audiences arent coming to YouTube to hear advertisements or sales pitches. They are coming to learn something from someone who has more expertise in the topic than they have. So, dont give them a sales pitch- that wont work to attract and engage. Rather, teach them something. Its really that simple.Determine your roleDepending on your advertising or marketing budget and the resources you have access to, your role might be limited or all-encompassing. Its really up to you to decide, based on your knowledge and equipment.To create content for YouTube, youll need the following:A script writerAn actor/speakerSomeone to operate the camera (or a tripod)A setting that will be optimal for uninterrupted recordingSomeone to edit the raw footage into a seamless video (if there are cuts) in post-productionIn many cases, particularly for those who are familiar with video recording technology and software, you could be performing every role in the process. However, if you are not familiar with the software, youll likely need someone who is, especially if you have the budget for it. The more professional the video looks, the more it will engage and attract an audience.Writing the scriptWhile movie screenplays note things like fade ins, transitions, voice overs and dialogue, the script youll need for your YouTube content will likely be much less specific. This is especially true if you will be both the writer and the actor or speaker. Movie screenplays note what characters should be doing and film editing instructions, so much of what youll include on the script depends on how much of the acting, recording and editing youll be doing for the content, and how organized you want to be in the process.The purpose of the script is to set the scene, give direction to whomever is shooting the movie or video (along with any technical crew involved), and provide the dialogue for the speaker(s). In a movie script, if there is a voiceover, that would be noted. In the same sense, when writing a YouTube script, youll want to include anything that might be written as text beside you later in the video editing process- especially if someone other than you will be editing it.Here are some tips to consider as you write:A script is a creative work and should be treated like one. Expect to fine-tune it as you would any piece of writing, and expect to go through multiple drafts and edits before its right.Depending on how you format the script, a three to five-minute video could be seven to ten pages of writing (or more). Its important to consider how fast the speaker(s) will be speaking and the length of the video you wish to make as you a re writing.In the post-production process, consider using images, photos, and other graphic elements, in addition to music.Use a word processor for shorter videos, since no special formatting is needed to create a script. For more advanced scripts, you can download software such as Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter.If someone else will be operating the camera and/or completing post-production editing, include as many details as you can about camera angles, shooting location, speakers movement and when sound effects or music should be played.Finding the right settingWhen you begin the initial stages of planning your video and writing your script, youll need to consider the right setting for recording it. If you are an author and have a desk in a well-lit room, the perfect setting to record might be there. If youre creating YouTube content for a business or service and will need to add graphics or text as visual, you might want to consider buying a professional green-screen setu p (also known as a Chromakey screen).This video is an excellent introduction to why green screens are used, how to set one up correctly, how to light the backdrop and actor for both indoor and outdoor shooting, as well as the optimal camera settings to use when recording. The more knowledge you gain about how the professionals do it, the more professional your video will look. And whats more- its information youre learning by watching YouTube videos! See why theyre so important in marketing right now?Performing the scriptIf you will be the speaker or actor of your video, you should also be the one to write the script. The main reason for this is youll want to write it in your own voice. Otherwise, your performance will look stilted and forced.There are two different approaches to performing the script and youll want to choose on or the other based on how comfortable you are on camera. If youre not very comfortable on camera or feel nervous being on that side of the lens, youll want to memorize your script as much as possible- just as any actor would do when given a script in Hollywood.The point of memorizing a script is to become comfortable enough with the words to speak them on camera. Rod Rowling, a professional actor and acting coach, suggests spending at least 15 hours per five to seven-minute scene memorizing the script. If youve written the content and are an expert in the topic, you might not need this long, but its a good estimate of the time professional actors spend in order to perform their role convincingly and confidently on screen.A quick note on post-productionSince this article focuses on the writing part of creating a video, we wont go into the detailed work that is needed in the editing process. Much of the final look of the video will be obtained during post-production, so this is one part where youll want to make sure you have the right equipment and knowledge before attempting to do on your own. However, there are many freelancers online willing to help with this kind of video editing work, and it would be worth the money to hire one if you are unable to do it correctly yourself.

Encompass Technologies Inc International Venture Research Paper

Encompass Technologies Inc International Venture - Research Paper Example Market research and analysis shows that in order to increase profits in general, Encompasses Technologies Inc needs to venture into international markets. Focused groups have found that we need to go global in order to expand our target audience and broaden our market share. Going beyond Mexico will allow Encompass Technologies Inc to expand its expertise in its technological area. A global venture will keep us from losing our customers who are looking online for computer services. The venture is meant to offset domestic markets reliance that sometimes limits the company’s profit margin due to an increase in target consumers willing to purchase the products. A venture like this will lead to greater prospects for absence of seasonal fluctuation. The decision to venture into new markets must be taken with caution considering the many hurdles of setting up in a new environment. But because Encompass has reached a phase of growth it can start the development of international business. Good communication will help us plan and come up with ideal strategies on how to enter new markets. Market globalization is to our advantage because more and more people internationally are demanding for computer products and services. The environmental analysis will assist us identify the opportunities our organization has and we can use our main strength product quality and fair pricing to acquire a broad market share. While our competitors may be ahead of us in penetrating the market out selection criteria chosen will assist us identify the gap-an untapped market niche -whatever the country. Thanks to our R&D team and technology we have adequate information on our target market and we can start planning our marketing strategy. The marketing mix will rely heavily on how much we are ready to put in foreign markets. The monitoring team that will follow performance tests before actually venturing into the markets can cover uncertainties. If Encompass focuses its energy now in venturing into international markets it will acquire rapid response because there is ready market in the developing countries. These countries are embracing technology at a high rate creating high demand for computer services. The creativity of this company has placed it to the top and by venturing into international markets Encompass will increase its profit margin as it broadens its market share.

The role of Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The role of Intellectual Property - Essay Example A copyright establishes ownership f original works f authorship "fixed" in any actual medium f expression. A copyright applies to the expression f an idea, whether published or not. Once an original work is created and fixed, copyright exists. The idea f the author is not protected when it is just "in his or her head." The author's work must be "fixed" in a tangible medium f expression. For example, it can be handwritten or typed; dictated into a tape recorder; acted out in front f a video recorder; carved into clay, wax or stone; stored on a computer chip; or even woven into fabric. Once the author's original work is created and fixed, only the author or those the author permit may create other works based on the original. The author alone may authorize distribution, display or performance f his or her work. In order to make money by allowing others to use their work, the author should first consider obtaining copyright registration. The following examples are items that can be copyright. Examples include: books, poetry, plays, short stories, articles, comic books, musical compositions (words and/or music), audio and video recordings, choreographic works, pantomimes, motion pictures, filmstrips, TV programs, photographs, paintings, drawings, prints, maps, architectural plans, scale models, sculpture, craft works, jewellery designs, fabric designs, computer programs and data-bases. Firstly, copyrights protect ... Their works are protected for a minimum period f 50 years after their death (The WTO, 2004). The main purposes f copyrights are to encourage and reward creative work. This brings us to Industrial Property Law, which as we have said, is divided into 2 categories. The first are is described as the protection f distinctive signs, i.e. Trademarks. This type f protection is aimed at ensuring fair completion, but it also protects the consumer by enabling him to choose between various products. This type f protection differ form copyrights in that it lasts indefinitely (The WTO, 2004). The second type f industrial property protection can be basically being called patents. This type f protection is used to stimulate the innovation and design f new technology. It basically protects the investments made to develop new technology. Patent protection is usually given in finite terms, mainly about 20 years (The WTO, 2004). This then brings us to the reason why IPRS are so important in GPE. IPRS protect the investments that firms and nations make in the development f knowledge and technology. This means that if nations and firms can keep others form just using their inventions it can generate enormous wealth for them. Intellectual property rights have thus become a major international issue enjoying much attention form bodies like the WTO and nations owning major patents. In GPE, one can as always use the three main perspectives f GPE, Liberal, Mercantilist and Structural, to view the IPRS issue. If we look at the Liberal perspective, we can see that they see property rights as essential to a market economy (Balaam, D.N. & Veseth, M. 2001, p.214). It establishes a link between effort and reward. They believe that