Organisation Analysis & Change TOYOTA MOTORS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION Research Paper

Organisation Analysis & Change TOYOTA MOTORS MANUFACTURING CORPORATION - Research Paper Example However, on January 26, 2010, Toyota, suspended the sales of eight vehicles that was recalled for various problem which would include accelerator pedals (Welch, 2011). Having developed the Lean production concept as derived from the Toyota Production System, a question that begs to be answered is how these defects made it to the customers. These kinds of production issues were not the first but only the culmination of a declining culture of quality that is slowly creeping into the once formidable framework. The Lean manufacturing runs along the concept of making sure that all aspect of production takes into consideration the cost of production. Thus, optimization and efficiency are not only high priority but they are ultimate goal of every process. Lean manufacturing concept has learned from the mistakes of Taylorism and Fordism in terms of production processes. The Toyota Production System on the other hand was developed by Kiichiro Tayoda and Taichi Ohno from the foundation of the manufacturing concept built by the founder of Toyota Motors, Sakichi Toyoda. Learning and improving the works of Demmings and Ford, the Toyota Production System or simply TPS relies heavily on the â€Å"Just in Time Concept† of Toyota’s founder (Womack, Jones, & Roos, 2007). ... The above figure in a nutshell depicts the linkages of each framework with each other. I shall use this model in analysing Toyota Motors Corporation. It would be interesting to note how the LEAN and Toyota Production System will project against the Burke-Litwin organization causal modelling. Key Issues and Improvement The Toyota Lean system has been known all over the world as one of the best if not the best production frameworks in the world. It is very successful in some countries when implemented however, it fails miserably in some. With these manufacturing concepts and principles at play in manufacturing its automobiles, recall should not only be improbable it is nearly impossible. Using Burke-Litwin causal model, I shall attempt to determine what went wrong and I shall also provide some solutions on how to prevent the recalls from happening again. Although details may not be able to fit within this essay, a summary if not a short description of each concept shall be provided in relation to Toyota. Problem Analysis In analysing the problem, I shall use the Burke-Litwin Causal Model. External Environment: For Toyota, external environment are the vendors or suppliers although the Toyota Production System recognizes vendors and suppliers as partners, they are still considered as part of the external environment due in part to the lack of control of Toyota over these organizations. Toyota’s external environment similarly includes the government regulators and other certification organizations that guarantees and certifies the compliance of every Toyota products to the standard of every country and industry. Both external factors drive the quality requirement and manufacturing standards of

What Is the Best Motivational Package for Philadelphia Co. to Enhance Research Paper

What Is the Best Motivational Package for Philadelphia Co. to Enhance Employee Productivity - Research Paper Example The present study would analyze the case of Philadelphia Company with regards t addressing the issue of lack of motivation among the employees of the organization. The study would mainly be based on a primary research that would try to collect primary data from the customers, employee as well as the managers of the organization in order to understand the underlying reasons behind the lack of motivation among the employees of the organization. The results of the survey would be used to suggest plausible recommendations for the organization. Implication of strategies like a 360 degree appraisal and initiating free and fair appraisal apart from career development programs like training and development can help in restoring and enhancing the motivation levels of the employees of the organization. Introduction The age of competition has necessitated an urgent need for business organizations to go beyond analyzing the sales figures and business strategies but also ensure organization excel lence. In this regard the role of human resource management becomes utmost important as human resources are the most valuable assets for any organization. It has also been stated in numerous researches that an efficient human resource base should be essentially motivated so as to ensure job satisfaction.These aspects involve considerable importance as de-motivated and unsatisfied employees’ leads to high turnover rates and also lead to inefficiencies in the organization. In order to ensure greater productivity it is necessary to ensure that workers and employees are consistently rewarded. It is also very necessary to ensure that there is career development of the employees. The present study would analyze the reasons behind the de-motivation of the employees of Philadelphia Co that is a housekeeping company and has a small employee base of which most of the workers are from other nations like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Philippines. The study would try to analyze the reasons beh ind their de-motivation and would also suggest plausible recommendations in order to ensure better productivity and increased motivation among the workers. Research Question The research question for the present study is stated below: To analyze the effects of motivation of workers on organization’s productivity To analyze the reasons behind the de motivation of workers at Philadelphia Co To find possible solutions towards ensuring motivation of employees at Philadelphia Co The three research questions would try to first analyze the effects of employee motivation on the levels of productivity of the employees. It would also try to analyze the possible reasons for the de-motivation of the employees by conducting an in depth analysis of the research question and finally the research would also try to find possible solutions for imparting greater motivation among the employees of the organization so as to help generate competitive advantage. Procedure and Methodology The researc h methodology would be a mix of primary and secondary research techniques that would help in analyzing the research questions and also enable in the formulation of plausible recommendations that would help in ensuring organizational excellence. The secondary research would try to analyze the research question as to the effects of employee de-motivation on the job satisfaction levels and the impact on the overall

Speech Acts Politeness And Turn Taking

Speech Acts Politeness And Turn Taking Introduction When we communicate, we give a number of verbal and non verbal cues to the audience that we are referring or targeting to. These verbal or non verbal cues have a lot of impact on the way we keep the listener engaged in the dialogue that we are trying to put up for him and keeping the interest of the listener to actually understand our message the way we want it to be delivered. Until and unless the receiver or the audience gets the message in the way we want it to be delivered, the communication process will mostly fail unless there is a coincidence that the receiver understands what the message meant. Otherwise the receiver or listener of the message will not be able to understand what the important point or points in the whole message were, which part did the sender emphasize more upon, how polite the sender of the message was in the whole communication process and how much room did he give to the receiver to come up with any arguments, additions or suggestions to the message of th e sender as a feed back. Thus, with this introductory not, this paper will actually come up with a discussion in which three important elements of communication that are speech acts, politeness and turn taking will be discussed in order to see how they have an influence on the receiver and what problems do those people face with these concepts being second language English speakers. The paper will first explain all the three elements and then conduct an interview in which a second language English student and a native English speaker will have dialogue and will be observed and analyzed on the basis of the above mention elements. After the observations, the communication process of the second language English speakers and their behavior will be compared to the native English speaker and then recommendations will be advised accordingly. Speech Acts Starting with the discussion about speech acts, we need to take an aerial view of the communication process and the words we use for communicating our message to the target audience. The first question is that how are words related to the world? What is the process and what is the logic behind the entire communication process in which a speaker tries to explain something to a hearer by using a set of words and then delivering these words to the hearer and the hearer actually understands what the speaker wanted to say. For example, if a speaker makes a statement that Alan went home. What is it in the sentence which will distinguish it from being a question or from being a piece of information? The statement is very simple to understand if it is said in a simple monotonous tone. But, if we relate speech acts with the punctuation marks, we see that when we put a question mark at the end of the same question, the question mark transforms the statement into a question and if an exclamatio n mark is used, it transforms the same statement into a piece of information that is given in great surprise. Therefore, when understanding speech acts, we see that speech acts are more or less like punctuations. They are not written but, the way the words are uttered, the tone that has been used, the pause that is given between sentences and the feelings that have been added through specific emphasis actually add meaning to these set words and can change the meaning of a simple statement as well as it is described in the earlier discussion. According to Austins theory, speech acts can take over three different meanings Propositional Meaning Illocutionary meaning Perlocutionary meaning The propositional meaning is the literal meaning of what is being said. For example if one says it is hot in here, then in literal meaning the speaker wants to say that the temperature is high or hot at a certain place. But, the illocutionary meaning relates to the social function of what is being said or the actual meaning of the statement. Taking into consideration the same example, we see that the same sentence or statement can be used as a request so that someone might help to open a window, it can be an indirect refusal so as to expect the receiver to close the window as someone might be feeling cold and it can also serve as a complaint in which a speaker may try to register that the hearer should know it better then to keep the window shut. However, as far as Perlocutionary meaning is concerned, it is related to the understanding of the receiver to understand what does it means when someone something like that. Using the same example, we can see that the desired outcome could be of opening of windows. According to the same theory, speech acts have been classified into 5 categories according to the functions that are assigned to each category. Co missives Expressive Directives Representatives Declaratives Promises Apologies Requests Claims Declarations Threats/ offers Complaint/thanks Suggestions/commands Reports/assertions decrees Speech Act Theory The origins of speech acts theory can be extended to philosophy of language but now it is considered as a sub-discipline for cross cultural programmatic. This theory basically explains how human beings achieve and accomplish desired intentions and motives through the use of language by using words in a way that they actually highlight the meaning of the sentence in a manner that the hearer understands what they actually mean besides the literal meaning. Austin relates the performance of saying words with an act of locutionary and the study of how specific words are uttered and what impact does utterance have on the message that is being delivered  [1]  . According to the theory of Austin, every statement might be inferred in all the three meanings that have been discussed in the earlier part of the paper, but, it is up to the acts that make them specific in their meaning and how the hearer infers them. The speaker can use any of the meaning combined with proper speech act in orde r to give the same sentence a different meaning. A speaker can change the same question to a complaint by uttering in a specific manner that is associated with anger or with surprise  [2]  . There has been a lot of discussion going on relating to whether the speech acts are specific to certain languages or are they specific to different cultures. The reason of this discussion is quite relevant with the essence of our discussion on which the analysis will be framed. the paper will conduct an interview in which students will be observed that whether they use certain speech acts because they belong to different cultures or do they use the same speech acts as speaking the same language regardless of the fact that one of them is a native English speaking and the other one is second language English speaker  [3]  . As it is described in the theory many linguistic mechanisms that have been implemented are in lieu of the cultural differences which cause mis interpretation of messages that are sent from speakers of different cultures and thus they cause break downs and loop holes most of the times when ethnic communication is taking place. This will help us understand more why the two students who were observed behaved in a certain manner during the interview and how differently did the interpret each other  [4]  . As it is in phonology and morphology, we also see that the basic cultural instincts and traits also shape the way a person emphasizes on words and gets his message across to the other person. The fact is that in different culture, the level of emphasis that is put in different situations is different and the way a message is transformed from a question to a complaint is also different. Therefore, on the part of the speaker and the listener, misconception or misinterpretation can result in noise ultimately leading to the distortion of the message that has to be actually delivered. Politeness Politeness can be simply defined as implementing good manners and reasonably good etiquettes via verbal communication. However, the concept of politeness is a subjective term. The level of politeness in one culture might differ from the level of politeness in another culture. Although politeness, being a positive phenomenon means to impart good manners and make others feel relaxed and comfortable with whatever the speaker is saying, however, in different cultures and specific to situations, politeness can also be used as a tool to make the other person feel ashamed of some acts that may not be appreciated by others around him or her  [5]  . According to British Social anthropologists, politeness can also be categorized into two segments. Negative politeness Positive Politeness In negative politeness we basically try to make a request in a way that it minimizes all chances in which the other person might be hurt due to a certain act. For example, rather than going to colleague and ordering to return the pen, we can go and add a sentence which says if you dont mind or if it is not too much trouble can I take the pen back  [6]  . However, the positive politeness is when a speaker tries to come into a relationship with the hearer by highlighting and safeguarding his interests, ego and personality traits and manipulating sentences in such a way that the hearer feels good about it and tries to conform to what the speaker is saying. This is just like talking to a child where a parent or guardian does not uses negative politeness with the child but by showing the child and the importance that he deserves, the parent or guardian tries to make the child understand certain manners and etiquettes that he should show towards elders. When the child gets the polite behavior, he actually starts trusting the parent or guardian more and understands that whatever they have to say is for the childs own benefit and interest in the future so he automatically conforms to it  [7]  . There are several techniques to show politeness: When one has to express a situation of ambiguity or uncertainty, one can use politeness by making the point clear indirectly that he does not know about what is going to happen or by hedging the situation with ifs and buts to make the situation look less negative. Taking the example of a child once again, we see that when parents do not know about something, they do not clearly say no to the child to scare the child away, but, they try to explain the matter to the child in an indirect way and make a hypothetical situation in which the child understands that there is a lot that no one knows. This way the child is not discouraging for asking questions in the future and at the same time the parents show their politeness to the child as well. People also tend to lie politely in order to make it less hurting for the listener. For example, a stock broker may not leak his information to another competitor but he can actually use polite behavior to indirectly change the topic. Using questions instead of revealing the truth. For example, if a group member knows that the other group member has not started work, rather than simply saying you have not started work, the group member can also ask did you check the information that I mailed you for your part. Turn-Taking A study of ten major languages reveals that the concept of turn taking is basically guided by two simple rules. Avoid speaking when someone else is speaking Avoid silence and long pauses between discussion and communication process As it is meant by turn taking, every speaker must pause after he or she has made her message clear in one go and then give a chance to the other person to add value to the discussion. The reason why we call it adding value is the fact that when the hearer starts speaking, it is actually related to the statements that the speaker has made and it is more like a feedback rather than a literally giving a turn. Every speaker should expect a feed back and also give time for the feedback or response to the other person in order to see whether the hearer has got the message in the right context or not or what more information needs to be provided . A communication process cannot be complete if only one of the persons is constantly speaking unless it is a Debating competition where a speaker has to address a large audience, Moreover, it is also not advised to actually overlap anothers turn because of the fact that the concept of noise in the communication process comes into play at this point   [8]  . Furthermore, the research made it clear that every language follows the same rules of turn taking and a variation of just milliseconds was seen in some languages which were also influenced by the types of syllables that the other speaker had to utter. Otherwise, whether it is the second language English speaker or the native English speaker, both of the participants clearly know how to wait for their turn and then take turn automatically from where the other person leaves it. Interview Coming to the interview in which all the three elements of the communication process that have been discussed above will be integrated upon the observation, we see that all of them have some effect or the other in making communication slightly difficult or biased when a native English speaking boy and a second language English speaking boy communicate. The basic reason that was seen in politeness and the speech acts was actually the cultural difference that made it difficult for both the participants to get to the desired point of view off the other. however, as far as taking turn is concerned, it has more to do with the thinking process that both of the participants had to go through in their minds to actually give it a though to understand what the other person said especially in the case of the second language English speaker and then elaborate words to reply. This practice used to take a bit longer in which the native English speaking boy used to carry on the discussion or nod th e other boy for his thoughts and ideas about the situation. Starting with speech acts, following is a conversation that will serve as a good example how both the participants graded each other as rude. (Scarcely, 1990) Now in the above discussion, speaker A is the Second Language English Speaker and Speaker B is the native English language speaker. Speaker B, though incorrect in his conclusion, claimed that speaker B showed a rude behavior because in B culture, interruptions are looked upon as impolite. B thinks that any sort of an interruption in a communication process is rude, as an interrupted, thus, A is rude. However, if we say A is from Iran, and that in his society, interrupting can also be seen as a sign of friendliness, casualness and comfort between two speakers, then according to a he is not wrong. So this is one of the biggest problems that Second language English speakers face with Native English speakers. When speaking English they do not realize that they have to blend into the culture as well and try not to blend in their own culture in the second language that they are trying to learn. Moreover, it was obvious from the tones and speech acts of the second language English speaker that he had a company of people who also spoke English as a second language. The reason was the same that their style of communication could not blend it to the natives and thus they divided into their own groups. Resulting in communication gap and distances which did not enable the second language speakers to develop their language the way natives speak it. They seldom got a chance to infer and subconsciously grasp the rules of how the natives spoke their language. As far as turn taking is concerned, we can see the fact that the non native speaker often took some more time rather than interrupting all the time. the fact is that he used to take some time to actually think what was he had just heard, what is his response, translate into English and then select the suitable words to get the message across. In the mean time the native English speaking boy often nudged him to remind that he it was his turn to carry on the discussion or to ask if there is everything alright. This is not actually related to any culture or linguistic mechanism, but, it is actually related to the thought process through which this specific participant had to go through. It is not the case with all non native English speakers as there might be many who have a faster though process still, the problem is not that rare as well. Recommendations and Conclusions Here are a few recommendations that the non-native speakers may use in-order to come out of the linguistic deficiencies that often cost them decreasing self confidence and fear of competition. The first thing that teachers need to do with non-native speakers is to highlight the advantages of native English language. The advantages may not be only restricted to the way they will converse, but social advantages as well so as to enable them to mingle in the natives more easily and conversing on their level  [9]  . Moreover, the teachers should tell these students what difficulties they might be facing in using the second language and what are the general difficulties that everyone faces. These students might not be able to identify their difficulties on their own as better as the teacher can. Thus, the responsibility lies on the teacher to make them identify their difficulties and make them work on them only rather than perfecting the language by conversing more amongst them. Also, feedback is another way to keep the student in line with the learning process. Good or bad, it will serve as an asset for the student in the long run because of the fact that he would trust the teachers advice and feedback more then what his peers have to say about his communication skills. The more the teacher gives feedback, the better the student will show response and try to overcome the difficulties by developing interest and maintain the enthusiasm with which the student joined the English language class.

Black Rain :: essays research papers

BLACK RAIN by Masuji Ibuse The main character in the novel is in some ways like myself. Mr. Shizuma is a person that is intrigued by many things and likes to see what reaction people have from any action. Throughout the novel he feels the need to go to different parts of the city and surrounding communities in order to see the effects of the unknown bomb. Mr. Shizuma was not only interested in what happened to the people of the community but he was also interested in finding out what the weapon used was called and made out of. There were different names given to the bomb throughout the book and he sums up the names in one paragraph, The name of the bomb had already undergone a number of changes, from the initial â€Å"new weapon† through â€Å"new-type bomb,† â€Å"secret weapon,† â€Å"special new-type bomb,† to â€Å"special high-capacity bomb.† That day, I learned for the first time to call it an â€Å"atomic bomb.† (Black Rain 282) The importance of the name of the bomb may seem ineffectual, but he seems to dwell on finding out what caused this type of destruction. Something else that Mr. Shizuma wants to do is remember every little detail about what happens to everything from what angle the house was on after the bomb to what his wife cooked for dinner with the food rationing. He even likes to write how people cured themselves of radiation sickness and what the burns and other injuries look and act like. These things are like myself in the fact that he does not like to forget what things are like, wants to see first hand what the effects are, and is very interested in finding information about new things that he has never seen before. He also likes to help people greatly such as his constant wanderings looking for coal for his community. If you were depended on would you help your community? I think so. The theme that is very meaningful to me is that war hurts two different parts of a country. The first is the military, which was not really talked about, and then there is the civilians. The civilians must ration food so that the military can eat, and then they must also suffer because the bomb that was dropped was not meant for any military base but to destroy and kill a city. The theme is clear in meaning that it hurts the civilians much more than it hurts the military and that war is very, very cruel. The people that were rationing had very little to eat and that amount

Origin of Eukaryotes

* The origin of eukaryotes is important to understand the origin of modern complex cells. There are three main separate theories that hypothesize the origins: the three-domain system, eocyte theory, and endosymbiosis. Each one have there own merits and evidence supporting. These theories suggest the evolution of cells from the most primitive prokaryotes, unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei, to the most complex eukaryotes, single or multicellular organisms with a membrane enclosed nucleolus and organelles. The Three Domain Hypothesis refers to the proposal by Carl Woese in 1990 that; archaebacteria form a monophyletic group, this clade is sufficiently different from all other prokaryotes to deserve elevation to a separate Domain called Archaea (the other two Domains are Bacteria and Eukarya each arising from a progenote), eukaryotes are more closely related to archaebacteria than to other prokaryotes, and the root of the universal tree of life lies in the branch leading to Bacteria. The three-domain system met with some opposition on the differences between archaea and bacteria. Research of large subunits of RNA polymerase, some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aspartyl, leucyl, tryptophanyl, and tyrosyl), and outer membrane molecules distinctions indicated that Woese was right in the classification and that these organisms were so genetically distinct (in the 165rRNA genes and differences in cell structures) that they needed their own domains. * In the 1984 James Lake theorized eukaryotes evolved from a specific group of ancestrial archea, the eocyte. The idea that eukaryotes could have arisen from a lineage of prokaryotes, using expanded molecular sequence datasets and phylogenetic approaches. Using a matrix of amino acid sites, traditional methods such as maximum parsimony resulted in the 3-domains topology, but an eocyte tree was obtained when maximum-likelihood and Bayesian analyses were performed. In sum this analyses provide support for the eocyte tree, rather than the 3-domains tree. This is supported by the concept that eukaryotic nucleo-cytoplasm evolved from within archaebacteria. Eukaryotes would have had to replace their old lipid synthesis with a eubacterial-type system since the operational genes of eukaryotes are primarily eubacterial, not archaebacterial (National Academy of Science of the United states 2008). Eukaryotes are seen as an evolutionary marvel for they can pack hundreds of energy-generating mitochondria into a single cell. Hundreds of millions of years ago, eukaryotes formed permanent colonies in which certain cells dedicated themselves to different tasks, such as nutrition or excretion, and whose behavior was well coordinated. This specialization allows them to grow, and evolving into new elaborate purposes. These cells have a true nucleus, bound by a double membrane. Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus. The purpose of the nucleus is to sequester the DNA- functions of the eukaryotic cell into chamber for increased efficiency. This function is unnecessary for the prokaryotic cell, because it is much smaller in size; materials within the cell are close together. There is an area of nuclear DNA unbound by a membrane called a nucleoid. Eukaryotic cells are larger, more advanced and have a higher output of energy in comparison to Prokaryotes. Lynn Margulis (1970) defined the hypothesis of Endosymbiosis as the engulfment of one cell by another larger cell, with the engulfed cell evolving into an organelle. Margulis claimed that as a result of communal and parasitic lives, bacterial cells turned into plants and animals through endosymbiosis. In this theory, plant cells developed when a cyanobacteria (chloroplast) was swallowed by another bacterial cell and animal cells were formed through mitochondria being engulfed by host cell. Another example is between a termite and microorganisms in its gut. The termite consumes wood, but it cannot digest it, the protozoan’s in the termite's gut break down the cellulose into simple sugars which both organisms can digest. When the protozoa digest the wood cellulose, they release acetic acid and other acids that the host termite is able to metabolize. Thus, the termite and the protozoan uniquely supply food for each other (Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2005). The origin of the eukaryotic cell was important, since they include all complex cells and almost all multi-cellular organisms. The timing these events is hard to determine, each hypothesis have there own evidence that support itself. Until further evidence can be found scientists can only speculate on the origins of Eukaryotes.

How Your Personal Learning Style Enhanced Your Learning

When my University grade class began in September I had really few of the accomplishments necessary to finish it successfully. In the November of that twelvemonth an initial assignment was completed which outlined the strengths and failings present at the clip, and suggested a program for developing those which were missing. It is now March and the terminal of the first twelvemonth is fast nearing. So looking back, how have I improved? Have I managed to derive any new accomplishments, or polish my older accomplishments? This assignment focuses on those inquiries. However, it must be pointed out that in order to reply these inquiries fundamental alterations to my apprehension of the construct of survey accomplishments had to alter. As a consequence, farther development to my thought manners, larning environment, ability to debate and concise clip direction besides occurred. Using these freshly refined accomplishments I will travel back and analyze my first twelvemonth at university and determine whether or non the program I created to heighten my acquisition was effectual. As is widely reputed â€Å" all accomplishments improve through pattern, feedback and monitoring † ( Cottrell, 1999:30 ) . I hope to demo how I have capitalised on this construct, foregrounding how this twelvemonth has made me more cognizant of my preferable learning manner and what I need to make to better further still. Becoming a more effectual scholar is non something I was able to sit down and larn by reading a book on survey accomplishments, I had to larn to read my work objectively and be able to knock constructively. I will besides explicate subsequently on in this assignment why depicting a personal acquisition manner utilizing merely those theoretical accounts presently available is non ever good to a scholar. That alternatively, cognition should be used to make a individualized and adaptative model which you are in control of ; enabling you to â€Å" aˆÂ ¦learn about yourself and how you perform to your possible under any circumstancesaˆÂ ¦ † ( Cott rell, 1999:44 ) . By composing this assignment chronologically I hope to demo that development has both taken topographic point since September, and is still taking topographic point now. This assignment will get down with a brief reappraisal of the survey accomplishments already present at the start of the class, upon which an initial assignment was completed. The work of Stella Cottrell proved to be an priceless plus while researching for that assignment. Trusting chiefly upon her Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ( SWOT ) analysis to assist with the designation of my survey accomplishments, it has since become apparent that this showed a deficiency of ability to be able to objectively analyze myself. The personal strengths her analysis brought to visible radiation included puting mini-goals, believing logically, debating with a friend, and organizing a physical workspace. Since so, nevertheless, it has become clear that these were non skills in themselves, but instead subskills. Thes e are all properties that a individual learns to develop in order to heighten a chief survey accomplishment ; such as assignment authorship, or general apprehension of a subject. I shall return to analyze these findings, and the importance they played in my hereafter development subsequently on in this assignment. Having reviewed the accomplishments present at the start of the class, this subdivision of the assignment will concentrate on those which have been developed since. Using the programs I created to attach to the initial assignment three key survey accomplishments have now been enhanced. These include reading ability, administration and the ability to debate. As mentioned earlier, accomplishments are made up of subskills, and it is the subskills which are developed to heighten the survey accomplishment. Reading ability and thought manners are frequently found manus in manus as a combined survey accomplishment. Last semester I lacked the ability to expeditiously pick out the salient points in a text, due in portion to my inflexibleness when reading. The program designed to keep fluidness and flexibleness when researching and reading helped heighten this accomplishment ( Appendix One ) . In bend, this helped to develop the next subskills of concentration, its lastingness and attending ; every bit good as memory capacity. However, the ability to debate a subject with a broader circle of people was non enhanced straight by utilizing either of the programs proposed last semester. Alternatively, this accomplishment came as an indirect consequence of an improved concentration, and wider reading and believing abilities. Attending regular categories and seminars, every bit good as take parting in group work, has seen the circle of people with whom I am able to debate class content addition. In bend, nevertheless, heightening the accomplishment of debating has encouraged farther development in all the survey skills antecedently mentioned ; there are now extra grounds to read widely and understand what I am larning. Finally, when heightening the survey accomplishment of administration, changeless appraisal of how my clip could be best spent was needed, turn outing Cottrell ‘s diagrammatic representation of a twenty-four hours, divided by activity, to be important ( Appendix Two ) . Every clip I referred back to it I reminded myself of merely how much clip I could potentially blow, and how much clip I could liberate up if I merely re-prioritised my day-to-day undertakings. By default this helped to develop the subskills of maintaining an organized physical workspace ; invariably puting come-at-able mini-goals ; and, when combined with the program to keep fluidness, my concentration. The importance of these survey accomplishments, every bit good as an account of how they have led me to look at other more advanced accomplishments, will be discussed in more item in a ulterior subdivision of this assignment. Having identified the accomplishments with which I began this class and contrasted them against those accomplishments which I have since learned, it is logical to turn to next the controversial topic of acquisition manners. For the intent of this assignment, I narrowed the available acquisition typologies down to the three most popular among instructors and pupils: the Gregorc Style Delineator ( GSD ) ; the Dunn ‘s Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic theoretical account ( VAK ) ; and the Honey and Mumford Scale. Upon finishing the GSD, of the four classs available, I placed myself most strongly into the ‘Abstract Sequential ‘ group. The given standards for this group is the understanding that such a scholar is at their optimal if they can â€Å" analyze a state of affairs before doing a determination † , but that they would happen it hard to follow â€Å" specific regulations and ordinances † and to be â€Å" sentimental † in idea. It is apparent from such stiff classification that this peculiar acquisition theoretical account Acts of the Apostless against developing accomplishments and more in favor of placing accomplishments. Sing each strength and failing in bend, it became clear that I really span all four of Gregorc ‘s classs. A categorization which he suggests is non healthy for a scholar to hold ; this averment straight opposes the political orientation of the Honey and Mumford Scale. When sing the VAK theoretical account it transpired that I am non a strong scholar in any one class ; being every bit able to larn in all Fieldss they propose. Again, they would propose that a scholar in such a place would endure troubles as it is non favorable to cross multiple classs. While this agrees with the GSD in its political orientation, it has a much heavier focal point on practical acquisition. Learning can take topographic point outside of the context of a book or other likewise formatted text, information learned through drama or music, for illustration, is besides valid. Finally, of the three theoretical accounts evaluated, it was the Honey and Mumford Scale that was most broad in its attack and actively encouraged a spanning of classs. Although this is the most clip devouring theoretical account to finish, it is more thorough for being so. I pulled in front strongly in two of the four classs, with a 3rd non far behind. Their advice upon such a categorization is to work to better the classs which score most ill. This last typology, as I have stated, seems the most utile to any scholar in detecting failings and strengths in larning and taking to develop those failings. The theories underlying the political orientation of the Honey and Mumford theoretical account will be explained in more item within a farther subdivision of this assignment, alongside which will be my ain ideas on how the acquisition typologies presently available can be combined to make a more personal acquisition manner. To analyze in more item the first subdivision of this assignment, in which the accomplishments present at the clip of composing the initial assignment are reviewed, the construct of soul-searching will be farther discussed. Although it can be said now that the trust upon Cottrell ‘s SWOT analysis showed an inability to objectively analyze myself, it must besides be pointed out that my apprehension of what a survey accomplishment is has besides changed. In the initial assignment such strengths as ‘setting mini-goals ‘ were identified without associating them to the overall accomplishments they helped to heighten. Following this illustration, the subskill of puting mini-goals improves administration, as does holding a designated physical workspace. Given that the initial assignment focused to a great extent on all the subskills linked to administration I will seek and broaden the focal point with this assignment. While it is true to state that my administration has im proved over the last twelvemonth, it is no longer a subject that requires such an extended analysis. Herne, Jessel and Griffiths ( 2000 ) explain that presuming active control of larning ensures that mental constructions will develop to help apprehension. Over the continuance of the last two semesters I have managed to develop one of their suggested productive survey schemes based on doing connexions: the construct map, or head map. This has proved to be utile in organizing non merely my ideas, but besides my essays and instance surveies. Deriving a better criterion of administration has helped me see that there were other countries of my personality that needed to better in order to profit more successfully from a university class. Once the significance of ‘study accomplishments ‘ had been adjusted and applied objectively, I was able to expeditiously utilize the programs developed with the initial assignment to develop those accomplishments which were missing. An inability to be flexible when reading – to merely pick out the salient points – was identified as a failing. In trying to heighten this accomplishment the program to keep fluidness and flexibleness was the more effectual of the two programs created. As Dominic Wyse ( 2006 ) , among others, has said â€Å" The individual most of import thing you can make to better the opportunities of success on your class is to read widely † . This cognition made it even more important to be able to utilize any clip exhausted reading more efficaciously. I followed the practical advice written by Herne, Jessel and Griffiths ( 2000 ) to enable me to read with purpose. They advise that text should be scanned foremost, paying peculiar atten ding to any headers every bit good as looking for familiar constructs. This plays on the theory that â€Å" understanding can be helped if relevant constructions are ‘activated ‘ by anterior cognition † ( Herne, Jessel, Griffiths, 2000:4 ) . I have besides increased the sum of H2O I drink during a twenty-four hours as Cottrell ( 1990 ) suggested that this may assist my organic structure relax ; when relaxed I will hold better reading comprehension. Reading widely is besides a subskill that helps to heighten other survey accomplishments, such as the ability to take part in argument ; a accomplishment I said was of most importance to me to be able to get the hang in the initial assignment. When reading both widely and on a regular basis a larger vocabulary is established, as written text uses a different signifier of the linguistic communication to talk text. To be able to expeditiously utilize a deeply larger cognition base when connection in treatments besides requires the ability to follow different values and individualities ( californium. Baynham and Maybin, 1996 ) . As is a common characteristic when working hand in glove, the sharing of such values and cognition is increased as each individual contributes a alone position to a treatment ( after Cottrell, 1999 ) . In bend, this development enhances the survey accomplishment of critical thought, something Edward Glaser defined as â€Å" aˆÂ ¦a relentless attempt to ana lyze any belief or supposed signifier of cognition in the visible radiation of the grounds that supports it and the farther decisions to which it tends † ( Cottrell, 1999:221 ) . Whilst it has already explained why this assignment will non concentrate intently on the survey accomplishment of administration, it is necessary to explicate whether the program created last semester to assist prioritize how I spend my clip was of any usage. Rather than follow the representation of my most efficient twenty-four hours ( Appendix Two ) as if it were a regulation, I was able to understand the political orientation behind it. This meant I invariably assessed my twenty-four hours and the undertakings I had to finish to see if I could do better usage of the clip available. It is as a consequence of these appraisals that I now feel confident to non hold to pay excessively much attending to how I spend my clip. Associating all these subskills and freshly enhanced survey accomplishments together is the metacognitive attack of changeless self-reflection and rating, for which â€Å" aˆÂ ¦you need some apprehension of the procedures of survey † ( Northedge, 1990:17 ) . This is an attack which I have taken chiefly from this faculty, hence a natural patterned advance from self-evaluation and contemplation would be to see the ‘habitual ‘ . Can I acquire to the phase, where at the terminal of my 2nd twelvemonth, I do non hold to measure myself so consciously, but instead that it becomes a wont? To be able to develop any survey accomplishment to the degree of ‘habit ‘ will necessitate a enormous sum of difficult work and dedication, it will besides demand a natural boundary ; my personal acquisition manner. Once I have an thought about how I learn, and in what conditions I learn best I will hold, in consequence, produced a model in which to concentrate the farther development of my survey accomplishments. Since the innovation of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging ( MRI ) machine in the 1980s the Fieldss of neuroscience and psychological science have progressively overlapped. In the last 20 old ages many scientists and psychologists have combined the consequences of MRI scans with psychological development theories to bring forth learning manners. In one study over 71 such typologies were identified ( Revell, 2005 ) . However controversial the outward visual aspect of a learning manner may be, there seems to be a common consensus that a individual develops best when their acquisition is structured and everyday. The dissensions begin over merely what the best modus operandi is, and how to learn within its model. Earlier in this assignment three typologies were focused on ; the Gregorc Style Delineator ( GSD ) ; the Dunn ‘s Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic theoretical account ( VAK ) ; and the Honey and Mumford Scale. Each of these theoretical accounts returned rather different consequences about my personal learning strengths and failings. Upon reading legion independent studies on these larning typologies it has been highlighted that they still require a monolithic sum of independent rating, and that without more conclusive grounds, they should non be entirely embraced and utilized. In one such study, my ain ideas about the GSD theoretical account were supported by statements like: â€Å" aˆÂ ¦the GSD is flawed in its constructionaˆÂ ¦ [ and ] does non hold equal psychometric belongingss for usage in single assessmentaˆÂ ¦ † or in mention to the VAK theoretical account an even more damnatory statement: â€Å" aˆÂ ¦this instrument is a psychometric disaster aˆÂ ¦ † ( Learning Skills and Development Agency, 2004 ) . However, despite the discouraging studies on both of these theoretical accounts, the Honey and Mumford Scale seems to follow with traditionally accepted and trusted educational teaching methods. The theory of constructivist larning developed from knowledge theory, and it describes larning as a construct which can be continuously built upon and developed ( Herne, Jessel and Griffiths, 2000 ) . There besides seems to be a close nexus between larning in this manner and utilizing both left and right hemispheres of the encephalon, the logical and Gestalt facets ( californium. Cottrell, 2000 ) , in unison to supply the scholar with the best opportunity at their topic. It has been suggested that if anterior cognition of a capable exists, so the scholar will make better in understanding it. Likewise, the more adept the leaner at utilizing both sides of the encephalon, the more memory pathways they have available to them when accessing a subject ( after Herne, Jessel and Griffiths, 2000 ) . T herefore, a much more effectual usage of the current acquisition typologies would be to utilize their political orientation as a usher, to detect which accomplishments and subskills I can develop and heighten to assist me go capable of both wide and balanced acquisition. This is something I will take to hold achieved by the terminal of my grade. To reason so, this assignment has shown the patterned advance I have made throughout the first academic twelvemonth. It opened with an analysis of the accomplishments present at the start of the class discoursing how, six months subsequently on, they had helped to develop more advanced survey accomplishments. This assignment so offered a brief account of how learning typologies can impact the development of survey accomplishments ; they define how a individual understands a subject and besides define the position the scholar has of himself, a position which is non ever good when trying to better survey accomplishments. By mixing the findings of all the typologies available I have been able to nail farther failings that can be worked on throughout my future old ages at University. I have greatly enjoyed the chance to return to reflect on my personal acquisition manner within the parametric quantity of a pronounced faculty. It has become clear to me, through the reading I have undertaken as portion of this class and the unfavorable judgment I have had returned through this faculty, that I have now become more cognizant of myself and how I express what I have learned to others. It has besides given me the opportunity to reflect upon a acquisition and development scheme which was imposed instead hurriedly in the first few months of a class ; when I was still comparatively diffident as to what was expected of me. Mike Metcalfe ( 2006 ) summarises this whole procedure neatly when he explains how: Philosophers, research workers and experient direction theoreticians seem to hold noticed that worlds, when faced with a job, leap to a probationary solution and so take to move to rationalize that speculation utilizing more critical thought such as observation, concluding and experimentation. ( Pg123 ) If this construct is applied to the attack I used to turn to this faculty it would explicate how the initial program proposed in November was adopted over the two semesters. The initial assignment was designed to enable me to develop and heighten failings in survey accomplishments. However, without giving much idea to my existent apprehension of how such failings related to my acquisition, it has non been until this contemplation, some six months subsequently, that I have been able to to the full understand the importance of how I learn and integrate a stronger nucleus of advantageous survey accomplishments. I am now confident that any future development of survey accomplishments will organize a lasting foundation for acquisition. Appendix One Appendix Two

Roosevelt essays

Roosevelt essays He first tried the law profession by enrolling in Columbia University. He did not enjoy it and soon left school. He published his first book in 1882 it was entitled The Naval War of 1812. He had begun work on it while still at Harvard. Then Teddy decided that he would try a career in politics. His first position was on the state assembly in the state of New York. He ran as a republican and won the position easily. At this position he did two major things: first he exposed a corrupt judge and secondly he learned to work with men from both parties. Instead of going for a second term of legislature he decided that he would go to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. He went as the chairman for the New York delegation. While Roosevelts professional life was flourishing his personal life was not in very good shape. In 1884 both his wife and mother died. His wife died while giving birth to their daughter, Alice. Roosevelt would take a break from politics and form the Elkhorn ranch on the Little Missouri River in the Dakota Territory. On his ranch he led the life of a cowboy. He would round up cattle and ride horses all day. It was a good break for Roosevelt. One story tells of Roosevelt capturing three thieves and holding them at gun point for 6 days until they reached the proper authorities. Also during this time Roosevelt wrote 2 more books (Hunting Trips of a Ranch Man and Thomas Hart Benton) and fell in love with Edith Kermit Carow. On December 2, 1886 Roosevelt and Carow went to London to be married. When they returned to the United States Roosevelt set his mind back on politics. He was very active in the presidential campaign of 1888 when Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland. Roosevelt believed in hiring government workers on their skills not based on their party affiliation. At the time the winner of the race would hire ...

Giant Bison Facts and Figures

Giant Bison Facts and Figures Name: Bison latifrons; also known as the Giant Bison Habitat: Plains and woodlands of North America Historical Epoch: Late Pleistocene (300,000-15,000 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to eight feet high and two tons Diet: Grass Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; shaggy front legs; giant horns   About Bison Latifrons (the Giant Bison) Although they were certainly the best-known megafauna mammals of late Pleistocene North America, the Woolly Mammoth and American Mastodon werent the only giant plant-eaters of their day. There was also Bison latifrons, aka the Giant Bison, a direct ancestor of the modern bison, the males of which attained weights of close to two tons (the females were much smaller). The Giant Bison had equally giant horns - some preserved specimens span over six feet from end to end - though this grazer apparently didnt congregate in the giant herds characteristic of modern bison, preferring to roam the plains and woodlands in smaller family units. Why did the Giant Bison vanish from the scene at the cusp of the last Ice Age, about 15,000 years ago? The most likely explanation is that climate change impacted the availability of vegetation, and there simply wasnt enough food to sustain an extended population of one- and two-ton mammals. That theory is lent weight by subsequent events: the Giant Bison is believed to have evolved into the smaller Bison antiquus, which itself evolved into the even smaller Bison bison, which blackened the plains of North America until it was hunted to extinction by Native Americans and European colonists by the end of the 19th century.

Analysis of How to Tame a Wild Tongue

How to tame a wild tongue is an article by Gloria Anzar Dua. This article focuses on different types of Spanish speaking, in that case Anzaldua focuses on losing an accent to fit the environment she lives in. The problem applied in this article is that Spanish said that Spanish articles were divided into various parts and not fully considered. . How to tame the summary and analysis of the wild tongue reveals the experience of American poet, critic, novelist and essayist Gloria Anzarduwa. The way to tame the wild tongue is the book Borderlands / La Frontera published in 1987. This is one of the major works that she believes is an important person in Cicano literature. This book is largely divided into two parts. The first part consists of seven papers, the second part has several poems. Our focus is on how to tame the wild tongue. In general, Borderlands / La Frontera emphasizes her experience as a woman living in a border with various countries and cultures. A woman like herself is c alled Mixed Blood as it explains it in a book. How to adjust the summary and analysis of wild tongue will focus on the view of Gloria  · Anzardua's language and identity. In this article I will explain the people of Chicano living on the border between the United States and Mexico. It also makes it clear that the conquest of Europe has political, spiritual and socio-economic impacts on indigenous peoples in the border areas. Most people think that language and identity are synonyms of each other? How to familiarize yourself with wild tongue analysis reveals to us that this may not be the case. Ethnic identity should be the basis of self-validation. Regardless of the negative reaction of others to diversity, anyone can self-verify. For a long time, Gloria Anzaldua caused others to make a negative reaction to her identity, as Chicano influences her self esteem. A general argument about tying her wild tongue Gloria Anzardua in her work How to tame a wild tongue is that barbarous word s can not be tamed, but can only be truncated is. More specifically, she believes that each of the different accents causes serious confusion in the great culture. In this article, I write as follows. We squeeze each other, talking like a tikanos, trying to meet Chikano trying to become a real ticanos. Finally, Anzaldua's idea is that this separation led to an internal struggle between Spanish cultures. In our opinion, Anzaldua is correct as well. Because one culture is suppressed by another culture. More specifically, each accent in Spanish tries to transcend other accent to gain control. Some people may object to the fact that it is still just a language, but we believe that having different accent may lead to understanding problems. This argument is

Stakeholders in strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Stakeholders in strategic management - Essay Example In fact any commercial organization can blueprint a very wide constituency of its stakeholders. It's not a misnomer to call such interests as stakeholders- a connotation which is far superior to that of a lender. In fact the term stakeholders itself indicates that the organization concerned functions with such stakes in mind. Therefore no organization can afford to function ignoring its stakeholders. In fact it consciously builds within its policies, obectives and reporting systems accountability to such stakeholders and often takes up structured reporting to communicate the extent to which such interests are protected. On the obverse side of the coin, strategic management is scientific practice of ensuring that any organization not only functions remaining on course to achievement of its vision and long term objectives but also that such objectives and visions can be broadened, widened and deepened according to changing environmental realities. While stakeholders are also scattered in its environment generally most organizations view the essence of strategy formulation as coping with competition (Porter, 1979) and they formulate a strategic structure accordingly (Chandler, 1962). This is rather a narrow view of strategy making which only reckons with competition. In fact both management strategies and business strategies should coalesce to form one unique strategy that addresses and monitors the interests of all stakeholders as the organization competes and grows. Strategic Construct Any strategic action plan has to be supported on the constructional skeleton of strategies, tactics and structure. Several strategic constructs have been put forward; however very few are exhaustive enough to ensure a complete environmental scan so as to consciously build stakeholders' concerns. Stephen Haines' Centre for Strategic Management has built a new strategic planning system based on systems thinking and calls it the 21st Century Yearly Strategic Management System and Cycle. This system moves beyond planning into implementation. It includes a Plan-to Plan phase and a Plan-to-Implement phase. The steps include team building and leadership skill building as part of the planning. It also includes a parallel process whereby all key stakeholders are involved based on the premise that 'People support what they help create'. This process starts with a Futuristic Environmental Scan and defines the ideal vision in terms of mission, values and end outcomes that the organization wishe s to set for itself. Only after the statement of such Ideal Future a Current State assessment based on SWOT(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is taken up to identify the gaps and make strategies to close the gap(s).As a result of their clients adopting this model it was found that clients began developing competitive edge and the organization was much clearer on what their competitive "positioning" in market place was and found themselves moving positively in that direction, to the delight of their customers(Haines,2004).Thus this process leans directly into the process of competitive strategy making as it includes

Week five questions Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week five questions - Speech or Presentation Example Hence, Greene was right to have acquired Heartland stock. The site can be used for 20 years before it reaches capacity. Bedford, which shares a facility in Bath Township with other municipalities, estimates that the new location will save $40,000 in annual operating costs. All operating costs, except depreciation, require cash outlays. On the basis of similar operations in other parts of the country, management anticipates that each trip will be sold out and that 120,000 passengers will be carried each season. Ignore income taxes. Columbia Enterprises is studying the replacement of some equipment that originally cost $74,000. The equipment is expected to provide six more years of service if $8,700 of major repairs are performed in two years. Annual cash operating costs total $27,200. Columbia can sell the equipment now for $36,000; the estimated residual value in six years is $5,000. New equipment is available that will reduce annual cash operating costs to $21,000. The equipment costs $103,000, has a service life of six years, and has an estimated residual value of $13,000. Company sales will total $430,000 per year with either the existing or the new equipment. Columbia has a minimum desired return of 12% and depreciates all equipment by the straight-line method. a. By using the net-present-value method, determine whether Columbia should keep its present equipment or acquire the new equipment. Round all calculations to the nearest dollar, and ignore income

Financial Analysis BMW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis BMW - Essay Example For example the 2011 and 2012 financial reports shows that the company had a toatl of â‚ ¬27,038 million and â‚ ¬30,295 million respectively for the equity attributed to shareholders of BMW. In the year 2011, 28.9% of the shareholders equity contributede to the company toatal capiatl while in the year 2012 , 30.4% of the shareholders equity contributed to the company total capital contribution. The debt of the company is managed through a fixed debt ratio of capital . Therefore, the company debt ratios for the year 2011 and 2012 are maintaind at a fixed rate of a bout 70% or 0.70 The BMW debt ratios are effective since they are bellow 100% which is the maximum limit the ratio , the company debt ratio further fall bellow 80% that is set by many companies hence this is a positive figure for the BMW company. the debt ratio is relative lower compared to TVS motors company that has debt –equity ratios of 0.79 for the year 2011. This is shows that the BMW company ismore competive in the market and cannot under go recervership or liquadation. BMW company uses both operating and financial lease.the lease arrangement policy enables the customers of the company to iether have an option of buying the vehicle or lease it for a fixed pertiod of time as stated in the company leasing policy. Customers are given the oportunities under lease programe to drive a BMW vehicle of his or her choice for a fixed period of time in return for a pre-determined lease rental where the customers have the oportunities to iether retain the vehicle at a pre-determine price or return it to the BMW company. Under finance lease; the customer has a flexible chance of choosing a new BMW that best suits their driving interest and lifestyle needs. The contract tenure can range from 12 months to 48 months with an option to buy at the end of the lease or return thec vehicle. During the finance leasing period, the payment can be

Companys annual report and accounts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Companys annual report and accounts - Assignment Example The strong cultural values make their identity as well as it is the integral part of their success (J Sainbury Plc, 2013, p.1). David Tyler is the chairman of the company. In real fair price, they are offering the best food for health. Profit making is not only the main of the company. They respect the environment. Their aim is to be the greenest grocer of UK. As well as they are funding for different charitable causes. From being a retail shop it is now diversifying its business by going online, opening own brand bank, they also doing property related business. All of these help them to acquire the whole market. In every aspect of need and demand Sainsbury can stand with their product as well as services. As a super market it is the first sponsor of the London 2012 Paralympics Games. The company has a market share of 16.5% in the UK super market (Mirza, 2012, pp.34-87). When an investor wants to invest in any company he needs to analyse the financial information of that company. The huge amount of numbers in the financial statement may confuse the investors. So financial ratio is a simpler and more organised way by which the investor can easily make his judgement about the financial position of the company. So we can say that Ratio analysis is a tool which is mainly used for different quantitative analysis of one company’s financial statement (Friedlob and  Schleifer, 2003, pp.45-67). The company’s liquidity, solvency, efficiency and capital structure of the company can be understood by using ratio analysis. Some of the ratio discussed below. Comparing with the expenses and relevant costs of the company, what is the ability of the business to generate earnings is measured by this type of ratios. Profit margin and return on assets are the two basic profitability ratios to measure the earnings capability of the companies (J Sainsbury plc, 2012, pp.2-5). The above table shows the yearly amount of profit and revenue. We can see that it is continuously

Analysis of the poem Acquainted with the Night Essay

Analysis of the poem Acquainted with the Night - Essay Example The setting of the poem is in the urban area; obviously it is crowed since it houses a big population, generally more than what the city infrastructure can accommodate; He writes, â€Å"I have looked down the saddest city lane.† He is familiar with the geography of the city; the second theme is loneliness; the third theme is the speaker’s sadness. The surroundings and situations make the poet sad. It is to be noted that the poem was written in 1928, when the world economy (especially that of U.S.) was at the threshold the Great Depression (which commenced in 1930) But the year 1928 relates to plenty and prosperity. Why then the poet should be sad? The poets have generally nothing to get elated about the materialistic prosperity. Their domain is spirituality, where such attachments have no relevance. â€Å"Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right- I have been one acquainted with the night.† -the poet has perfectly mastered the nature of the dualities of lif e, and came to the conclusion that everything happens in life, as it should! Time is a great healer, and one can never complain about Time-the nature of its functioning! It is always perfect; it is benevolent, provided an individual has the patience to understand. The wise saying goes, ‘Go placidly amidst the noise and din†¦.everything is happening as it should!’ The poet uses paradox like, â€Å"the time was neither wrong nor right.† He uses a common syntax of word order in most of the lines in his poem. This poem is a sonnet. The overall tone of the poem is sad and apathetic. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night,† means he has come to terms with the night. He is able to cope up with the night; he has mastered the art of living. The sapling of silence is steadily growing in his heart. The image of the moon as a clock and timekeeper is perfect because, the moon is one of the perfect agents of nature, unfailing as for the

Financial Analysis BMW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Analysis BMW - Essay Example For example the 2011 and 2012 financial reports shows that the company had a toatl of â‚ ¬27,038 million and â‚ ¬30,295 million respectively for the equity attributed to shareholders of BMW. In the year 2011, 28.9% of the shareholders equity contributede to the company toatal capiatl while in the year 2012 , 30.4% of the shareholders equity contributed to the company total capital contribution. The debt of the company is managed through a fixed debt ratio of capital . Therefore, the company debt ratios for the year 2011 and 2012 are maintaind at a fixed rate of a bout 70% or 0.70 The BMW debt ratios are effective since they are bellow 100% which is the maximum limit the ratio , the company debt ratio further fall bellow 80% that is set by many companies hence this is a positive figure for the BMW company. the debt ratio is relative lower compared to TVS motors company that has debt –equity ratios of 0.79 for the year 2011. This is shows that the BMW company ismore competive in the market and cannot under go recervership or liquadation. BMW company uses both operating and financial lease.the lease arrangement policy enables the customers of the company to iether have an option of buying the vehicle or lease it for a fixed pertiod of time as stated in the company leasing policy. Customers are given the oportunities under lease programe to drive a BMW vehicle of his or her choice for a fixed period of time in return for a pre-determined lease rental where the customers have the oportunities to iether retain the vehicle at a pre-determine price or return it to the BMW company. Under finance lease; the customer has a flexible chance of choosing a new BMW that best suits their driving interest and lifestyle needs. The contract tenure can range from 12 months to 48 months with an option to buy at the end of the lease or return thec vehicle. During the finance leasing period, the payment can be

Analysis of the poem Acquainted with the Night Essay

Analysis of the poem Acquainted with the Night - Essay Example The setting of the poem is in the urban area; obviously it is crowed since it houses a big population, generally more than what the city infrastructure can accommodate; He writes, â€Å"I have looked down the saddest city lane.† He is familiar with the geography of the city; the second theme is loneliness; the third theme is the speaker’s sadness. The surroundings and situations make the poet sad. It is to be noted that the poem was written in 1928, when the world economy (especially that of U.S.) was at the threshold the Great Depression (which commenced in 1930) But the year 1928 relates to plenty and prosperity. Why then the poet should be sad? The poets have generally nothing to get elated about the materialistic prosperity. Their domain is spirituality, where such attachments have no relevance. â€Å"Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right- I have been one acquainted with the night.† -the poet has perfectly mastered the nature of the dualities of lif e, and came to the conclusion that everything happens in life, as it should! Time is a great healer, and one can never complain about Time-the nature of its functioning! It is always perfect; it is benevolent, provided an individual has the patience to understand. The wise saying goes, ‘Go placidly amidst the noise and din†¦.everything is happening as it should!’ The poet uses paradox like, â€Å"the time was neither wrong nor right.† He uses a common syntax of word order in most of the lines in his poem. This poem is a sonnet. The overall tone of the poem is sad and apathetic. â€Å"Acquainted with the Night,† means he has come to terms with the night. He is able to cope up with the night; he has mastered the art of living. The sapling of silence is steadily growing in his heart. The image of the moon as a clock and timekeeper is perfect because, the moon is one of the perfect agents of nature, unfailing as for the

Contemporary cars Essay Example for Free

Contemporary cars Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of System Testing

Advantages and Disadvantages of System Testing Assessment and reporting are the means by which learning can be monitored and stakeholders can be informed of achievement. Its educational aspect sees results used to identify strengths and weaknesses and improve future learning, and its instrumental aspect involves grouping of students according to achievement . Parents, teachers and students are interested in its educational function, whereas external stakeholders such as governments are concerned with the instrumental aspect. Movement towards a global and digital economy has necessitated skilled and knowledgeable school leavers, crucial for Australias social and economic prosperity. Governments therefore require schools to demonstrate student achievement at acceptable levels to justify their economic support . This accountability also ensures the community understands provision of funding and services to schools . To provide this information, assessment must be undertaken on a national scale. As the information required differs to that required in the classroom, strategies for assessment differ in design, implementation and reporting. National assessment must be inexpensive, rapid and externally mandated, and results must be transparent and accessible . Herein lie the issues with national testing. Authentic assessment is becoming popular in the classroom, testing real-life experiences and practical knowledge over numerous assessment tasks. In contrast, national tests assess students on one occasion and rely on a pen-and-paper mode of deliver, leading to debate over validity. Benefits of system-wide testing Over the past 40 years, international and national testing has increased substantially. While early implementation assisted selection of students for higher education, more recent national assessment is used to evaluate curriculum implementation . As different curricula operate throughout Australia and internationally, benchmarking has been developed to facilitate comparisons between countries or students and identify strengths and weaknesses . In Australia, the National Assessment Program (NAP) incorporates annual NAP literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN), and three yearly sample assessments in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology literacy. Most debate surrounds NAPLAN, hence it will be discussed further. NAPLAN proceeds under direction of the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA, previously MCEETYA) and is federally funded. It was developed to test skills essential for every child to progress through school and life . Each year, all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are assessed in reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy. NAPLAN endeavours to provide data enabling Government to: analyse how well schools are performing identify schools with particular needs determine where resources are most needed to lift attainment identify best practice and innovation conduct national and international comparisons of approaches and performance develop a substantive evidence base on what works . NAPLAN claims to achieve this by collecting a breadth of information that cannot be obtained from classroom assessment. Government benefits from analysis on such large data samples: outcomes for groups including males/females, Indigenous and low socio-economic status students provide an evidence-base to inform policy development and resource allocation . Comparing individual students to others in their state, and national benchmarks provides detailed information for teachers to inform future learning. Individual students can also be mapped over time, to identify areas of improvement or those requiring intervention. In addition, national testing assists students moving schools in that it allows immediate identification of their learning level by their new school . Strict guidelines surround reporting of results to ensure benefits are gained. The Government have committed to ensuring that public reporting: focuses on improving performance and student outcomes is both locally and nationally relevant is timely, consistent and comparable . If NAPLANs implementation follows these guidelines, it will provide great benefit to Australia. However in these early stages of implementation, it is important to consider the troubled experiences of other countries regarding national testing. Lessons to be learnt National assessment was introduced in England in 1992 to establish national targets for education. Students are assessed at ages 7 and 11 in English and mathematics, and at 14 also in science . The no child left behind legislation was implemented in the USA in 2001 to reduce the disparity between high and low ends of student achievement, focussing on literacy and numeracy. Students are assessed yearly between Year 3 and 8, and once between Year 9 and 12. Results are analysed on the basis of socioeconomic and ethnic background, and published as school league tables by the media. Federal funding is linked to school performance . The common issues with both cases will be discussed below. Being a topical issue, the majority of literature on national testing is highly biased towards the authors opinion. However if or when these effects occur, they have the capacity to negatively impact on students. As such, they also need to be considered within the Australian context. Narrowing of the curriculum With funding linked to success, teachers are obliged to ensure students achieve the best result possible in assessed subjects, and can end up teaching to the test. Those teachers who produce successful students using this strategy are rewarded, deepening the problem . Within assessed subjects, increased class time is spent teaching students to take tests and increasing focus on tested areas, leading to reduced emphasis on skills such as creativity and higher order thinking . Furthermore, time spent on subjects not tested is reduced in preference for those that are. This type of teaching has been labelled defensive pedagogy and leads to narrowing of the curriculum . Excluding low-achieving students Reports suggest that some low-performing students are excluded from enrolment or suspended during testing to improve school performance . In one example, students with low scores were prevented from re-enrolling, but were officially labelled as having withdrawn . Compounding this effect, successful schools then have further power to choose students, leading to a widening gap between low and high performing schools; in direct opposition to the reasons for implementing national assessment . disregarding high-achieving students High-achieving students can also be adversely affected, as many results are reported only as percentage achieving benchmarks. Priority is therefore given to students just below benchmarks to ensure they reach them . This has been described as developing cookie-cutter students, all with similar skills . In doing this, students achieving above benchmarks are not challenged, reducing motivation and causing disengagement. Lowered self-esteem In one study, for the three years after national testing was implemented student self-esteem was significantly reduced compared to students the previous two years. Furthermore, attainment in national tests correlated with self-esteem, suggesting that both pressure of testing and the students achievement can influence self-esteem . Increased drop-out rates When compared to schools of similar socio-economic background but without national testing, a significant increase in Year 8-10 students dropping out of school was observed . This may be linked to pressure to suspend students or reduced self-esteem and motivation associated with high-stakes testing. Reporting of league tables National testing results are often reported as league tables, presenting average scores allowing direct comparison between schools. However, results tend to reflect socio-economic status rather than true achievement, and the depiction of schools as successes or failures leads to even further inequity between socio-economic groups . Importantly, the tables give no information as to the cause of low achievement or means for improvement , and therefore do not fulfil their intended purpose. Recent trends have seen publication of value-added data, adjusted for socio-economic status , however the methods of calculation are not explicit, hence their benefit is debatable. disparity from classroom assessment Classroom assessment has become increasingly authentic, with students being assessed on real-world tasks , giving them the best possible chance of demonstrating knowledge and skills. The use of national testing opposes this model, assessing students on one single occasion and leaving teachers uncertain as to appropriate pedagogy. Results obtained during classroom inspections of authentic styles of assessment have been shown to differ to those from national testing , leading to questioning over validity. Ensuring reliability and validity in Australia The issues described above need to be considered to ensure reliability and validity of national testing in the Australian context. Reliability Reliability refers to consistency of assessment, where results should be the same irrespective of when, where and how the assessment was taken and marked . The primary issue is marking consistency throughout Australia. Information technology facilitates accurate marking of simple answers, and Newton suggests computer-based scoring algorithms for constructed responses also improve reliability. Moderation ensures all assessors use the same strategies, and marking by more than one person may also improve reliability. Moderation also assists in maintaining threshold levels over time . Validity Validity refers to the assessment testing what it was designed to test. Construct validity: assessment is relevant, meaningful and fair and provides accurate information about student knowledge Content validity: assessment is linked to a specific curriculum outcome Consequential validity: assessment does not result in a specific group of students consistently performing poorly Concurrent validity: students receive similar results for similar tasks . Debate arises over the capacity of national assessment to demonstrate real-world tasks in meaningful contexts, or deep thinking and problem solving . With diverse cultural and language backgrounds, Australian students bring to school a variety of experiences and beliefs and demonstrate learning differently. The single occasion, pen and paper style delivery of national testing does not capture this diversity and can lead to anxiety . This is evident particularly for students from Indigenous and low socioeconomic backgrounds. One teacher suggested that the assessment is daunting, and skills valued in their culture are not seen as relevant . The concept of silent and individual examination is foreign due to their cultural value of collaboration, and the numeracy assessments are unfair because of their low English literacy (G. Guymer, personal communication, April 2011). Much time is spent teaching students how to complete forms, reducing teaching time already limited by low attendance . The aspiration for equality in Australian education is evident. However, this evidence suggests that rather than closing the gap national testing may actually be increasing it. Reporting of results In the past, rather than publishing league tables Australia has value-added to data by grouping schools with similar characteristics, to track individual students, and identify schools in need . However, this grouping has been challenged, as each school is essentially unique . To address this, the My School website was published in 2010 (http://www.myschool.edu.au), publishing a school profile including information on staffing, facilities and financial resources. The NAPLAN results are reported for each school against national averages as well as against 60 schools with similar socio-economic characteristics throughout Australia . Using results to improve learning Despite the overwhelming negative response to national testing, it is unlikely to disappear. As such, using results to improve student learning is the best response. Some methods used successfully are described below. Diagnostic application Although not designed for the purpose, results can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses for individuals or groups of students. By analysing specific questions, common errors can be identified and inadequacies in thinking inferred . In doing so, national assessment results can be used as a formative assessment to guide future teaching. As NAPLAN is undertaken every three years, results for individual students can also be analysed over time to identify improvement or decline. Consistency of schooling Together with the National Curriculum, results from NAPLAN will ensure students receive the same schooling across Australia. This will reduce difficulty associated with students changing schools, as their achievement level will be immediately accessible. Incorporation of content in the classroom NAP assessment tasks will be based on National Curriculum content once implemented. As students will be exposed to content during class, national testing should not pose an added burden for teachers. Teachers at Ramingining School ensure all worksheets incorporate question formats similar to those on NAPLAN tests, and in primary school tests are undertaken weekly in English or mathematics under test conditions (G. Guymer B. Thomson, personal communication, April 2011). The school therefore does explicitly teach students to take the test. Allocation of funding and resources Arguably the most important outcome of national testing is to identify schools with particular needs and determine where resources are most needed to lift attainment . Appropriate distribution of funding and resources will mean NAPLAN has delivered on these promises. In turn, there should be a closing of the gap between low and high achieving schools, and a reduction in many of the issues discussed. Hopefully, implementation of the National Curriculum will support the purposes of NAPLAN, together leading to equality for young Australians.

Personal Narrative - I Don’t Want to Cry :: Personal Narrative

I Don’t Want to Cry Tonight, I punched a child in the stomach. He gasped for air, his face grew red, and his eyes got watery. Granted, we were at Karate class and we were sparring. And, granted, I was 19 and he was likely 10. I hadn’t meant to hurt him; I had actually been â€Å"going light.† But I hurt him. The fact is, he knew it and didn’t care. He could have continued the night without a single tear. But when the Shihan came to try and make him feel better, the boy’s face got redder and his lip quivered as that single tear rolled down his cheek. The boy was perfectly fine until he was consoled. When I was younger, I wasn’t the most popular. I was known as a bookworm who frequently dazed off in class, all the while being admired by the teachers for my intelligence. I was short, wore glasses, didn’t talk much, and only had 2 friends in my grade. I was, expectedly, picked on by the bigger kids. I was hurt several times. However, I hid it from my teachers and parents. I didn’t want to cry. And I was fine without crying; I merely accepted the beating and went on, trying to avoid or get back at the bullies. Girls are taught at an early age that they can cry. The sight of a girl with tears running down her cheeks inspires compassion, while a boy’s tears bring mostly embarrassment. Girls are also ingrained with the fact that females are â€Å"there for each other,† and can therefore support one another emotionally. Women frequently talk of how refreshed a â€Å"good cry† is, as if it were a long bath or a cigarette. But guys don’t cry. Pop psychology tells us that this is because men see crying as negative. Because we can’t accept our feelings and are scared at the expression of them. So this boy was too scared to cry until the instructor let him know it was OK? Hogwash. A Karate instructor, like a coach, wants to keep little boys from crying whenever possible. It isn’t fair that a man’s dislike of being forced to cry makes others think he is â€Å"all bottled up inside. Personal Narrative - I Don’t Want to Cry :: Personal Narrative I Don’t Want to Cry Tonight, I punched a child in the stomach. He gasped for air, his face grew red, and his eyes got watery. Granted, we were at Karate class and we were sparring. And, granted, I was 19 and he was likely 10. I hadn’t meant to hurt him; I had actually been â€Å"going light.† But I hurt him. The fact is, he knew it and didn’t care. He could have continued the night without a single tear. But when the Shihan came to try and make him feel better, the boy’s face got redder and his lip quivered as that single tear rolled down his cheek. The boy was perfectly fine until he was consoled. When I was younger, I wasn’t the most popular. I was known as a bookworm who frequently dazed off in class, all the while being admired by the teachers for my intelligence. I was short, wore glasses, didn’t talk much, and only had 2 friends in my grade. I was, expectedly, picked on by the bigger kids. I was hurt several times. However, I hid it from my teachers and parents. I didn’t want to cry. And I was fine without crying; I merely accepted the beating and went on, trying to avoid or get back at the bullies. Girls are taught at an early age that they can cry. The sight of a girl with tears running down her cheeks inspires compassion, while a boy’s tears bring mostly embarrassment. Girls are also ingrained with the fact that females are â€Å"there for each other,† and can therefore support one another emotionally. Women frequently talk of how refreshed a â€Å"good cry† is, as if it were a long bath or a cigarette. But guys don’t cry. Pop psychology tells us that this is because men see crying as negative. Because we can’t accept our feelings and are scared at the expression of them. So this boy was too scared to cry until the instructor let him know it was OK? Hogwash. A Karate instructor, like a coach, wants to keep little boys from crying whenever possible. It isn’t fair that a man’s dislike of being forced to cry makes others think he is â€Å"all bottled up inside.

The Tragic Pride of Anowa Essay -- Character Analysis, Anowa, Kofi Ako

The tragic pride of Anowa In life there is place in between adolescents and adulthood where many decisions that are made will ultimately direct the path of life. There are times when a decisions is made it leads to a great life and other times it leads to a destructive path just not for one person but affects everyone around them. In the story of Anowa the main character Anowa is in the place where every decisions she makes leads to a turning point in her life that sets the trap for a great demise. Anowa’s pride leads to her fall and causes those around her great pain. First, Anowa being a strange woman who refuses to get married and when she finally does decide to get married the man whom she picks is not fitting of her mother’s expectations this is the rift that starts the fall of Anowa. In the Global Crossroads World Literature Badua tells Anowa that â€Å"Marriage is like a piece of cloth†¦ and like cloth; its beauty passes with wear and tear† (Iglesias, Mays, and Pierce103). The cloth signifies strength and beauty of a marriage but without the proper consideration and care it will not last. Badua tries to tell her daughter that what may look good today later on may not be so pleasant and may very well rip apart in time ; but because Anowa’s pride she replies to her mother â€Å"I like mine and it is none of your business. I do not care, Mother. Have I not told you that this is to be my marriage and not yours?†(Iglesias, Mays, and Pierce103). Anowa’s determination to follow through with her dec ision seems to be just like many young ladies today who refuse to adhere to the voice of their mother and although the decision they make may be wrong they would rather be stubborn than to admit that the truth of their m... ...ave children, but the whole time he was the reason they could not have children. Instead of leaving well enough alone she says, â€Å"Now I know. So that is it. My husband is woman now and she giggles† (Iglesias, Mays, and Pierce155). Anowa prideful attitude has lead to the death of her husband, herself and the sorrow of her mother and father. She not only killed his manhood but caused him to commit suicide. In conclusion, every decision Anowa made lead to her tragic demise and pride was the ruler of every decision she made. The life of Anowa showed how pride is selfish, stubborn, and disrespect. Anowa could not see how her attitude determined her altitude. Had she learn how to be temperate and showed concern for others she would have not cause herself and other s sorrow and death. Anowa life teaches a valuable lesson that pride will only lead to a destructive path.

Career Study: Dental Assistant

Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARYiv Introduction1 Facts and Findings2 Occupational Inventory2 Work environment2 Perks. 3 Market trends. 3 Personality Fit4 Stress level/mental strains. 4 Personality traits recommended/required. 4 Personal interests and passions. 5 Future Potential5 Continuing education requirements. 5 Advancement Opportunities. 5 Conclusion6 References7 List of Figures Figure 1 Gender of Dental Assistants3 Figure 2 Current Wages Earned for Dental Assistants3 Figure 3 Estimated Yearly Growth of Dental Assistant Jobs in Alberta4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe career area of dental assistant does, in many ways, relate directly to the skills and knowledge learnt in the Administrative Office Professional program (APRO). Skills such as computer knowledge, bookkeeping, customer service, human relations, reading and writing, verbal communication, and active listening are an essential part of being a dental assistant. APRO students already obtain these skills. This report shows how be coming a dental assistant is a great career choice for APRO students. With only an additional eight to ten months of training, an APRO student could become a ental assistant and earn a great wage, as well as acquire many sought after job perks. Job perks of a dental assistant include Monday to Friday daytime hours, free dental care, monthly or yearly bonuses, and medical benefits. Dental assistants primarily work in dental offices; however, there are jobs available in health care units and hospitals as well. The research that was conducted for this report consists of both primary and secondary sources. The primary research sources include an interview of a local dental assistant, as well as the researcher’s own experience and knowledge.Secondary sources of research include Google searches, ALIS website, STATS Canada, and APRO text books. The three main aspects covered in this report are as follows: 1) Occupational Inventory a. Work environment b. Perks c. Market trends 2) Per sonality Fit d. Stress level/mental strains e. Personality traits recommended/required 3) Future Potential f. Continuing education requirements g. Advancement opportunities Potential Career Choice: Dental Assistant Introduction Weekends off, daytime hours, decent wages, free dental care, medical benefits, and yearly bonuses! These, in many cases, are the perks that career seekers are looking for.Look no further. These, among others, are the perks the career of dental assistant has to offer. One might think that dental assisting has nothing to do with the tasks or skills learnt in the Administrative Office Professional program (APRO); however, there are many duties involved in dental assisting that relate directly to APRO knowledge. Skills such as computer knowledge, bookkeeping, customer service, human relations, reading and writing, verbal communication, and active listening are essential in a dental assisting career. As an APRO student, one obtains those skills.However, an APRO st udent would need to further their education. A dental assistant training program is needed to pursue a career in dental assisting. This training program would typically only be an additional eight to ten months over and above the APRO program. The APRO program is a good foundation as it gives students many of the basic skills needed to be successful in any program or career area. The dental assistant program differs by educational institution, but for the most part, prerequisites include a 30-level of English (which all APRO students already have), biology, and chemistry. Dental assisting is a very diverse career.One never knows what sort of situation or emergency may arise. For example, an appointment may be as simple as a routine check-up or a filling, and may be as complicated as a tooth breaking off at the gum line during an extraction which can lead to dental surgery. Duties of dental assistants are as diverse as the job itself. Duties will change from office to office, and day to day, but will include tasks such as: * Prepare patient, sterilize and disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, and assist dentist during dental procedures * Take and prepare dental diagnostic x-rays Record treatment information in patient records * Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patient * Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist * Assist dentist in management of medical and dental emergencies * Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs * Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth * Schedule appointments, prepare bills, and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records using computer or manually Because dental assisting does entail working in someone’s mouth, it may not be appealing to everyone.However, dental assistants are a vital part of the heath care profession. Most people have, at some point in time, experienced the excruciating pai n of a tooth ache. Without dentists and dental assistants, one would have to suffer through the pain, or extract the tooth one’s self. One might choose dental assisting as a career if one enjoys working in an office environment, prefer daytime hours, and the medical field is of interest to them. There are many perks associated with being a dental assistant such as wages and bonuses.Dentistry is a rapidly growing field, therefore leaving many new jobs available both now and in the future. One who enjoys helping others, and wants to make a difference in the lives of many, would be satisfied in the career of dental assisting. Dental assisting is a relatively low stress-level job. Because life-long learning is a required part of being a dental assistant, one must have a love of education and be committed to life-long learning. This report will look at the occupational inventory of dental assisting, including work environment, job perks, and market trends.It will also look at the personality fit for one interested in seeking a career in this area. The personality fit will include such information as the stress level of the job, personality traits required/recommended, and potential interests and passions one might have. Finally, this report will look at the future potential of this career choice for APRO students. The future potential will share information such as continuing education requirements and advancement opportunities. The facts and findings in this report are based on both primary and secondary sources.The primary sources include an interview with a dental assistant. I chose to interview a local dental assistant who works at Dr. Lo’s office here in Brooks, Alberta. The researcher will also be using her own experience and knowledge as primary research. The secondary research consists of Google searches, ALIS website, STATS Canada, and APRO textbooks. Facts and Findings Occupational Inventory Occupational inventory is an especially important aspect of a career because it looks at things such as work environment, career perks, and market trends.These specifics can help one decide if a certain career, in this case dental assisting, is right for them. Work environment. Dental assistants have a variety of different working environments to choose from. Dental assistants work as part of a dental health care team. Their duties can vary and can include working as chair-side assistants, intra-oral assistants, administrative assistants, community health assistants, sterilization assistants, research assistants, or treatment coordinators. Dental assistants can also work in dental sales and insurance or dental education.However, dental offices are the primary employer of dental assistants, with 97% of dental assistants working in dental offices. Typical hours of dental offices are Monday to Friday, 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. Some offices, however, are open during the evenings and weekends to accommodate a larger portion of the population. As shown in Figure 1, according to STATS Canada 2011, 99% of dental assistants are women. In larger offices, one can expect to work alongside many women. In smaller offices, on the other hand, one can expect to work closely with the dentist and a few other staff. Figure 1 Gender of Dental AssistantsPerks. There are several perks in the career of dental assistant. These perks may include good wages, good hours, free dental care for one’s family, yearly or monthly bonuses, and paid continuing education. As shown in Figure 2, according to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Dental Assistants’ occupational group earned between $15. 00 and $34. 00 per hour (2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survay, 2011). Therefore, the average wage of dental assistants in Alberta is around $26. 40 an hour. As stated previously, most dental office hours are Monday to Friday, with daytime hours.In many cases, dental offices provide their staff with free dental care for both the employee and the employee’s family. Many offices offer incentives in the form of either monthly or yearly bonuses. If the office is busy and makes over a certain amount of money in a month or year, a percentage of the excess money will be awarded to staff according to seniority and hours worked. Because dental assistants are required to keep up-to-date with their education and skills, most dental offices pay for continuing education. Figure 2 Current Wages Earned for Dental AssistantsCurrent Wages Earned for Dental Assistants| Wages| Low (5th percentile)| High (95th percentile)| Average| Median| Starting| $15. 00| $27. 00| $21. 82| $23. 00| Overall| $21. 00| $32. 57| $26. 40| $27. 00| Top| $25. 24| $34. 00| $30. 14| $30. 47| Figure 2 Figure 2 Market trends. Over 4,100 Albertans are employed in the Dental Assistants’ occupational group. It is expected to have an annual average growth of 3. 2%, which is above average. (Dental Assistant's Occupation Group, 2012) It is expected that about 131 new positions will be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boomer generation will be retiring over the next few years. Figure 3 shows the estimated yearly growth of dental assistant positions available in Alberta over the next few years. Figure 3 Estimated Yearly Growth of Dental Assistant Jobs in Alberta Personality Fit Being happy and comfortable at work is very important. One usually spends more time at work than they do anywhere else. Therefore, the personality fit of a given career, specifically dental assisting, is crucial.Personality fit for a career includes the stress level and mental strains, personality traits recommended, and personal interests and passions. Stress level/mental strains. Dental assistants can come across some stressful situations. Sometimes, a procedure does not go as planned, leaving it up to the dentist and dental assistan t to determine what to do next to ensure the safety and well-being of the patient. Although this may not be a regular occurrence, a dental assistant must have critical thinking ability and work well under pressure.When an appointment runs over time, this often leaves the next scheduled patient waiting longer than anticipated for his/her turn. This can sometimes lead to a stressful situation if the patient who is waiting does not understand the situation. Overall, most dental assistants have a low- to moderate-level of stress in their everyday work. Personality traits recommended/required. Dental assistants are required to work closely with their patients and co-workers. In order to communicate well with both patients and co-workers, one should be kind, patient, outgoing, an active listener, and organized.The ability to stay calm while under pressure and during emergencies is essential. Because dental assistants work side by side with dentists, one must be a team player and pay close attention to detail. It is the dental assistant’s job to know what the dentist needs next. Personal interests and passions. One who has a passion for helping others and for making a real difference in people’s lives may enjoy being a dental assistant. One should also have a general interest in the medical field. Dental assistants require continuing education; therefore, life-long learners would be satisfied in this career. Future PotentialIn many cases, employees want to be able to advance within their career area. Therefore, looking at the future potential of a career, in this case dental assistant, determines whether or not it is for him/her. Future potential information includes continuing education requirements and advancement opportunities. Continuing education requirements. Dental assistants must maintain their competency through the CADA Continuing Competence Program (CPP) (Dental Assistant Registration Process, 2012). This program assesses, maintains, and moni tors ongoing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and judgments of professional dental assistants.According to the Alberta Government, dental assistants must do the following activities each year in order to keep their Continuing Competence current: * Complete one hundred (100) hours in the dental field, or three hundred (300) in the past three (3) years * Review the Competency Profile * Complete the Competency Self-Assessment * Complete a Proposed Learning Plan by the renewal deadline * Undertake appropriate Learning Activities to complete your proposed Learning Objectives * Keep the proof of your completed Learning Activities.At least once in every five years you will be asked to send in Verification of Learning documents and Completed Learning Plans. CADA will want to see evidence of two completed Learning Objectives for each year Advancement Opportunities. Depending on the size of dental office, there are advancement opportunities for dental assistants. Although a dental assistant is a dental assistant, there are different skill sets and knowledge levels involved. If a dental assistant has furthered his/her education with advanced courses in specialty areas, for example, he/she would make a higher salary.Also, some dental assistants move on to be administrative managers of the dental offices where they work. Conclusion Based on the facts and findings in this report, dental assistant is a great career choice for APRO students. With only an additional eight months of training, an APRO student can have the opportunity to be a vital part of the health care system by becoming a dental assistant. Many of the skills already learnt in APRO are essential in the career area of dental assisting.If one loves to work with people, is outgoing, patient, and loves helping others, dental assisting may be for him/her. If one chooses this career path, one can look forward to good pay, hours, and benefits. References 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey. (2011). Retrieved February 25 , 2013, from ALIS: www. alis. ca Dental Assistant's Occupation Group. (2012). Retrieved February 25, 2013, from Statistics Canada: www. statcan. gc. ca Dental Assistant Registration Process. (2012, May). Retrieved February 25, 2013, from Government of Alberta: http://www. albertacanada. com/Dental_Assisant_May_2012. pdf