Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Midterm report ISTD Essay

This project is designed to make an in-depth study and critical analysis of HR aspects in MedTek.Net India Pvt Ltd. At this point in the project, it reports about the progress we made in analyzing theR training aspects and the progress it made towards its goals; describe obstacles (both internal& external) faced; detail work accomplished and actions to be taken in the future. During the process of project, we got to know and notice lot many interesting facts and points which are really important for the growth and success of the organization. It gave an opportunity for the HR department to  audit the entire HRD aspects of the organization there by adding more value to way we operate. At the end of this project, all parties of the organization; Management, employees, HR department are eager to know more about the findings and improvements that we can make to the organization from the HRD prospect which can bring an edge to the company when compared to our competitors in the market. Below pages of this report offers a brief description about the analysis and work we have done so far in this project. Introduction: Within every organization, there is a need to manage learning in accordance with business requirements. A systematic approach in training and development always adds an edge to the performance of the organization in all means. Objective: Objective of this project is to do complete analysis on the below training aspects, their performance impact and recommendations for betterment of the organization. a) Human Resource Planning, Training Policy, Training Budget. b) Training Needs Assessment System. c) Training & other Development Programmes and their evaluation. d) Strategies for improving HRD activities in the Organization. With our analysis, findings & recommendations, our attempt is to provide viable propositions for betterment in the applicable areas of organization. In this process, we have collected all recorded data like policies, questionnaires, processes followed etc and live data like interviews and one on one discussion with various employees of different departments and external data like market scenario, industry analysis etc. Project Design: We have designed the project in to four phases. 1. Collecting basic data and information related to all training aspects. 2.  Analyzing data, processes and drawing findings for their evaluation procedure. 3. Evaluating the information and processes of various data analyzed. 4. Recommending strategies for the improvement of HRD activities with the help of above in the organization. For any company, training and development is an important aspect which boosts continuous growth and success to the business. We have considered all external and internal components of the existing performance of the organization with respect to the targeted objectives set. Some of the components include absenteeism, work hours of the employee’s w.r.t their performance, performance of the software (IPAS – Integrated Performance Appraisal System) which was initiated recently, employee hiring and job enrichment strategies used for retaining the existing employees, HRD activities practiced for long term growth of the organization etc. Project Implementation We started implementing the project by collating data available from all sources. Simultaneously we started working with people as well by circulating questionnaires and by conducting one on one discussion. Below explanation will give us a brief of what we have studied and analyzed in this process with the help of both data and people. HRD System: Human Resource Planning, Training Policy, Training Budget. Human Resource Planning At MedTek.Net we measure the growth of business by the no of minutes and reports we process per year. Therefore our target of business growth lies in the same and accordingly we plan for resources to recruit per year, it includes both fresher’s and experienced resources. MedTek HR planning for the period of 2012-2013 is focused on the below points to achieve during this time. Below points are analyzed after a detailed discussion with people in the company and after going through the information/data which is all available. 1. Work closely with management to reinforce the need for competitive compensation for individuals MedTek wishes to attract and retain. 2. Invest  in professional development programs to improve leadership capabilities, job skills, and employee productivity. 3. Identifying and attracting right talent at campus level thereby training and employing them in the organization accordingly. 4. Develop comprehensive career management tools, job enrichment strategies, and mentoring programs to help employees prepare for new opportunities. 5. Leverage technology to streamline HR service processes and improve access to employee information. 6. Conduct regular organizational climate assessments and collaborate with senior managers to improve the campus work climate. Review of training policy & budget: As MedTek.Net is a mid sized company they do not really have a fixed annual budget for training. The budget varies as per the requirement and situation of the company although getting approved prior by management. But, with in the limitation HR department tried to encompass the training programs which align the company’s goals and objectives of employee development. Some of the cost effective measures which got imparted in the training budget are: 1. Finding trainers with in the organization wherever it is necessary and possible. 2. Imparting self learning techniques for the employees which not only reduces costs but also helps employees to work on their skills by focusing on their weaknesses and strengths. 3. Encouraging the technique of cross-train employees at work place. This technique really worked at MedTek as employees showed great interest to share their knowledge. It is happening in this way; 2nd level employees train 1st level employees and 2nd level employees will g et trained by their above level i.e. 3rd level employees and vice-versa. Keeping in view of budget constraints and business requirements training policy of Medtek for the year 2012-13 aims to ensure that 1. All new members of staff receive an induction training programme that achieves the common company induction standards. 2. Company invests in training that helps to meet its goals of providing a quality service, which are achieved by increasing the knowledge and skills and competencies of its staff to meet the needs of quality service standards set. 3. All staff has  an annual appraisal which, amongst other matters, reviews all training undertaken and sets goals for the coming year based on the individual training needs assessment. 4. All staff are provided with an annual personal training file, which they will keep. In the file they include details of all training sessions that they attend. The file should also contain a personal development plan filled in at the same time as the appraisal. The personal development plan contains details of any training opportunities that the member of staff seeks to pursue during the year. At MedTek, Training policy and Training budget got framed by keeping in view of companies annual HR planning and business growth. Keeping in view of companies strengths and weaknesses these three components got designed and in the continuous process slight deviation(more or less) is always there to align with industry and market changes and requirements. Analysis on Training needs Identification and Assessment process: Up on detailed analysis and review Training Identification & Assessment process at MedTek usually happens by following the below steps: 1. Data Gathering: One on One discussion with Managers/ Supervisors/ employees, performance Mgmt software, knowledge/ skill test to the employees, questionnaires etc. 2. Post assessing the need, HR department designs a module defining the purpose of the need, target group, resource person and the deliverables. 3. Defining the deliverables and methodology to measure the deliverables are very critical while identifying the need. 4. Training Need Validation: After identifying the list of training needs, the same will be listed and discussed with functional heads of all departments. During this exercise, the relevance of each training need with the forthcoming financial year and the business requirement to be validated. 5. Training Need Prioritization: The training needs identified will be then categorized as high impact and low impact / high cost and low cost. 6. The deliverables of the training needs which may likely to create High Impact on the business with Low Cost will be given fir st priority. The training needs with High Impact and High Cost will be given 2nd Priority and the training needs with Low Impact and Low Cost will be given 3rd Priority. Review and analysis of 2012-2013 annual Training programs planned & conducted: The training programs conducted on continuous basis for the year 2012-2013 at MedTek.Net are mentioned as below: 1. Induction for new joinees- Technical Training, Behavioral Training, HR induction. 2. Technical Training – To all employees designation wise for knowledge and skill improvement. 3. Management Development Sessions – Workshops for the existing managers and potential employees who are identified for promotions. 4. Soft skills and Personality Development Training programs – For the identified team members of different departments. 5. Sponsoring some training workshops for the identified team members which were conducted outside the company premises. T&D activities which left impact towards improvement & development of both the parties i.e. employees & the organization. Employees: Entry Level: Employees at entry level got highly benefited with induction training program as it includes both soft skills, technical and company policies related training. The best part of this training is each employee after training session will be associated with one senior employee as their mentor for 1 month and on-the job assistance/training will be given to them till they get accommodated with the work life at MedTek. It is the responsibility of the mentor to make the new employee comfortable and feedback from the new employee at the end of the mentorship will be taken and will be added to the performance points of the senior employee. This process got succeeded and is yielding some great results so far. Mid Level: Technical Training and personality development programs are popular in this segment of employees at MedTek. Providing mentorship to new employees is also popular as it inculcates self learning process and adds performance points. Proof Readers and Quality Controllers generally comes in to the segment of mid level employees at MedTek. They need high technical knowledge  and skill as they are responsible for the final delivery of report to the clients. Therefore self learning technique and technical training plays a great role for their knowledge and skill improvement. Supervisors and Managers: Management Development sessions which got conducted at both indoor and outdoor left a visible impact in their skill development. In the company where stress and pressure rules, these sessions helped a lot for the managers and supervisors to handle the team members and stress. Organization: As an organization MedTek is able to see advantages in various ways as below: Performance of new recruits got improved and are delivering their full capacity of performance. Quality standard got improved and are getting some good satisfaction mails from the clients about the quality and TAT (Turn Around Time). Management sessions helped the organization to polish and train the employees who are identified to elevate for the next level mgmt positions at different levels. Overall on a note of conclusion, training programs which got implemented are able to deliver clear return on investment for both employees and organization. The success rate is clearly visible and is encouraging for both HR department and management to continue the training programs in a more effective manner for the growth of organization Analysis of T&D evaluation techniques up on which the organization is relying in terms of measuring the outcomes of the T & D programs implemented & planned. At MedTek, training evaluation is done keeping in view of five main elements as mentioned below: Satisfaction and participant reaction, with the help of questionnaires and random one on one discussion. MedTek, also has internal portal where the participants can post their feedback wrt training sessions attended. Knowledge acquisition- This can be evaluated by the scores they get in the technical tests which are conducted very often in the office premises.  Behavioral application – This can be observed eventually and often immediate supervisors or mentors are responsible for recording any change in their behavioral aspects during the course of time. Return on investment (ROI) – Each individual performance in terms of increase in number of minutes they process can be considered to evaluate ROI. Measurable business improvement – Improvement in all four parameters collectively contribute towards business improvement. Keeping in view of the above five elements, below mentioned evaluation techniques are often used at MedTek. 1. Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model. 2. Robert O Brinkerhoff- The Success Case method 3. The IPO model (Input, Process, Output) 4. Jack Philips Return On Investment HR department pick a combination of one or two from the above models for evaluation process and the evaluation process happen in 3 phases; Pre Training, During the training and Post Training. Results of training evaluation are submitted to senior management and some points of evaluation are accessible to employees as well through portal. Project outputs Management of MedTek.Net is very keen about this project as it gives an opportunity to analyze the entire process of T & D processes we have been conducting every year. It gave an opportunity to observe, compare and study T&D processes and systems other competitors are practicing in the industry. Below are few outputs so far turned up in the project. 1. Because of budget constraints they have challenges in hiring the no’s they require and this could effect the effective HR planning. HR department need to come up with some new strategies to fulfill the requirement of manpower with in the budget. MedTeK HR department was able to succeed so far but, in order to survive for long term they have to plan some strong strategies which can help them for some good no of years. 2. Employees at MedTek are happy with the training programs going on in the company when compared to some of the fellow companies from the same industry. 3. The challenge for both  employees and HR dept is volume fluctuation. The amount of work that they get on any day is often fluctuating and this could really affect the training schedules planned. For HR dept it is a challenging task, as they need to make the employees still connect with the training programs and need to constantly motivate them on this regard. 4. Management wants cost effective hiring or less hiring with out increasing operational costs but operations team demands more head count. 5. So far during the project, we have observed that support departments of the organization like Finance & Accounts, Admin, IT help desk are not getting their fair share of training as the always got mobbed up with work and they are the most stressed out team members in the organization. 6. Post evaluation after evaluating employees performance periodically it is really becoming tough for the HR department to plan for successive training programs for the employees those who are in need of because of the tight work schedules. 7. Time and money are the game pla yers at MedTek when it comes to T&D activities. Both management and employees see the value addition of T&D activities but they want it to be done with in the time frame and budget so that these activities would not affect work and budget stretch. Key Issues addressed 1. As we have observed above both management and employees shows interest towards T&D activities but with in the time frame and budget. On this regard, HR department had a discussion with Management about the long term benefits of T&D activities and tried to enlighten them how and what kind of remarkable changes it can bring to the improvement of business in a more effective manner. 2. HR department also highlighted the importance of hiring few more team members for support teams like Accounts & Finance, admin, IT helpdesk etc and advantages of training them in them which can bring a spearhead change in the way they are operating so far. 3. As it is emergency the temporary or time being strategy for hiring after discussing with managers and senior level mgmt, HR dept gave the options as below. a. Providing more work from home options there by reducing operational costs and paying salary as per the performance i.e. no of minutes processed per month by a resource. b. Recruiting and training fresher’s and making them  ready by the time projects comes in as per the business forecast (In health care industry fresher’s usually get paid only after completing the training). c. Encouraging and motivating existing employees for processing more no of minutes and paying incentives for the extra minutes they process. 4. But, for many concerns at MedTek, hiring more team members is the single answer. But considering the concerns of budget, market conditions and business growth plans, MedTek has to consider the plan of hiring in slow pace (for experienced) and hiring fresher’s at good number and making them job ready with in the short period which really cuts the budget to a greater extent. Impact of the Project 1. The project did really give us enough reason to actually audit entire HRD aspects of the organization which we delayed because of some noted business reasons. 2. It throws light on many aspects which we need to work on for the betterment of both organization and employees success. 3. We are able to clearly figure out the strengths and weaknesses from HR point of view and started working on them in no time. Future Direction of the project We are in the final & crucial phase of completing this project. It will take couple of weeks to draw the final and more detailed analysis of the entire work we have done so far during this project tenure. We are left with Section D analysis which has been carrying out simultaneously and will be finished at the earliest. With the support of my guide we can submit the final version by the 3rd week of October.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Hazards of Unsafe Driving Essay

Driving in and of itself is unsafe in its nature. The only thing keeping you connected to the ground is just four small patches of rubber. That is exactly why we should not take more risks while driving. Sure it may seem like you have layer of steel protecting you, but when you look at it, there is really not a lot between you and the ground when your going 50 miles an hour. The hazards of not following the rules of the road can be devastating. Not only can unsafe driving cause you to get a ticket and points against your license but it can also cause serious injury and sadly death in some cases. Must accidents are preventable by doing a few small things to insure your safety? I believe I read somewhere that some 95% of all accidents are driver error, which means nearly every single accident that occurs can be prevented by driving safely. One of the must common hazards of the roads is letting you get distracted by small things that you probably do nearly every time you sit behind the wheel of a car. In some cases, even more so with teenagers than any other group of people, other passengers in the car can distract you, you can get in a heated debate and begin to stop paying attention to the road and only to a passenger, fiddling with the radio is also another big one, I remember reading a story of a guy who reached in his backseat to change his tape and got in an accident and got killed because of it. Another big one is people see an accident and watch it instead of the road, sometimes almost causing them to become another accident. My mom once got in an accident by turning around for only just a second or so to see what my brother complaining about, the light was green when she looked back but quickly turned yellow, the car in front of her stopped and boomed, she hit it. It can only take a second or two of looking awa y to cause a dangerous situation that can be easily avoided. It can wait until the next red light or better yet when your off the road. Driving while tired is an enormous risk, I remember a few years back when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and caused an enormous crash on a freeway killing a few people, why you ask? Because he failed to take the  required 15 minute rest break that he was required by law to. Now you do not even have to worry about taking back movies late anymore, they have it to where you can just bring it in the next morning! There is really no reason to drive while tired, just have someone else drive, or if you are on a long road trip with no hotel in sight for a long time, just pull over to the road and take a little nap for 15-30 minutes to help you make it the rest of the way. Must people think turning up the music or opening a window helps them stay awake, but the fact is studies show that it does not matter a bit if you blast the music as loud as it will go or open a window on a freezing night. The best thing to do is to just not drive or have someone else drive for you who awake eno ugh to be able to drive responsible. A even bigger and probably the easiest risk to avoid while driving is wearing your seatbelt. Thousands of people die each year because they break the law and don’t do one of the easiest things possible, buckling up. Some people say they believe seatbelts can kill people. That is true seatbelts have killed and injured people. But they help way more than they hurt. Without them many people would be dead or seriously injured, they allow people who should have died in an accident to come out of it without a scratch. My grandfather died before I was even born, he died in a car accident and was thrown through his windshield, they say if he wore his seatbelt he would have lived. He died before I ever got to meet him. Why some people take that risk every day, I will never know, even my dad (on his side was the side of my family on which my grandfather died) hardly if ever buckles up, you would think of all people he would always buckle up because that’s how he lost his father. Some people think the air bag will save them but it’s simply not true if you want to make sure that you minimize your risks as much as possible you’ll buckle up. Road rage, is another very important unsafe driving hazard. Road rage has seemed too spurred to new levels in recent years as before it was very uncommon to hear of someone beating up another person for cutting them off. It is a fact of life when you drive you will be cut off, tailgated and whatnot. You just have to learn how to make sure that you can handle the situations to where you do not allow yourself to get angry enough to where you do something violent like that to harm another person or the property. Also a simple way to help make sure you’re not the victim of someone else road rage, if you know you did something wrong and cut someone off sometimes a simple wave of the hand in showing an apology is enough to cool someone off. Speeding, it seems like everyone does it right? Well the majority of people do, from what I can tell from people I’ve asked, driving with other people, and just looking out at the roads, it seems like everyone is in a hurry to get there, and get there now. Some people are not even in a hurry they just speed because there use to it, sure its normally only five over, but that still speeding, some people do it because they get a rush from going fast, others because they are in a hurry to get where they want to go, or there late. Some people do it just out of habit their use to going 30 in 25’s or 50 in 45’s because they normally won’t get pulled over for only going five over so they decide they’ll do it. While others do it but don’t mean to, sometimes when you drive for a long time you don’t release that your going 5-10 miles over. Speeding is probably the biggest hazard of driving that must people do, and it’s also one of the must dangerous people can do. Speeding can cause deadly accidents and can turn cars into something for the junkyard. Avoiding traffic signs or signals is another big one. My mom has been hit twice, one by someone who ran a red light and another by someone who ran a stop sign. In small neighborhoods where not too many cars come by, or late at night when it seems like you’re the only one on the road some people think there can’t possible be any other cars coming and decide to run it. Or they’ll see the yellow light from a distance and say to themself’s ‘I can make it’ when in fact they’ll actually be going through it because the time they get there it will be red. Must of the accidents I have seen in my life are at intersections where I can only assume it was because someone has run a red light. Many people don’t even slow down for yellows they speed up when they shouldn’t. Normally there’s that few seconds where the lights are changing and they can make it, but every now and than someone misjudges their timing and gets hit. Drinking and driving, easily avoidable by everyone, people like to drink, sometimes they don’t know when they should stop and become impaired. Some of them even try to get behind the wheel of a car. Sometimes a friend will take them home or let them stay at their house until they sober up but other times there not so luckily in keeping them off the road and the driver can’t even tell which side of the road there supposes to be on. I saw an accident on T.V. a few years back where a guy had been drinking during his entire day of fishing out at the lake and decided to go home. He swerved over into another guy’s lane at 70 miles an hour the other guy was forced off the road where he’s jeep flipped over. Luckily because the man was wearing a seatbelt he lived with no serious injury’s but his car was totaled. Sadly some people can’t even tell they’re drunk and think they’re fine. Sadly many people die a year because of this, I read so mewhere that in one summer more people die from drinking and driving accidents than the amount of people who died during the entire Vietnam war. Now that is a lot of death’s the can be prevented if people just don’t drive impaired. A lot of people drive the exact same when its raining or snowing. When in fact they should be giving themself’s a extra few seconds of room between them and the car in front of them and break sooner. When its raining and there’s even a little water on the ground when you go fast enough the car no longer even has contact with the ground but only the water, now that’s unsafe! A lot of people loose control of there cars and crash when there is icy or wet roads out. Its also very easily avoidable, giving yourself a few extra seconds going maybe 5-10 miles slower than one would normally go would almost eliminate any risk of driving in bad weather. Also if its raining to hard to where its making it nearly impossible to see through the windshield, pull over! Normally when it rains that hard it will only last for a few minutes or so. Pulling over for that time helps make sure that you don’t ram a person in front of you because you can’t see them. Driving to close behind someone, it takes you longer than you think to release something is wrong and than to move your foot to the break, in that crucial amount of time it could be to late, giving yourself distance from  the car in front of you is the easiest thing to do, just let off the gas and be at least 3 seconds in normal weather and a little longer in bad weather behind someone and you’ll be a lot safer. Not only is driving at a distance safer the driver in front will appreciate it greatly. We all know there’s nothing worse than thinking the guy behind us is about to ram the back of our car. Driving with faulty equipment, sometimes not the easiest thing to recognize but certainly a easy one to fix. You may not notice your light is burnt out or your single is not working right away as soon as it happens, but when you do you should have it repaired as soon as possible. Having your lights not working makes you incredibly less visible at night, nearly impossible to see at times depending on how dark outside it is. It helps a bunch to be able to tell where your going to other cars, not being able to single correctly with a turn single can make it really hard and frustrating the driver who didn’t know you were going to be moving into his or her lane. There’s really no reason to let a flat be a flat, now you can buy a can to fix small leaks and pay a quarter to have it filled up again. Maybe not the must dangerous hazard out there but certainly one to keep a eye on. Being prepared for situations is also a great idea to help minimize the risks of you getting into trouble out on the road, knowing where your hazard lights are in a panic can be invaluable. My mom in one of her accidents in a panic forgot where her hazard lights were, in the evening other cars could not tell she was stopped and not only was she hit once she was also hit again from behind because a car could not see her stopped in the middle of the road. Knowing not to panic in accidents insures your safety while driving and makes your odds for survival greater when in accidents. A large majority of people panic when involved in accidents and only cause greater damage to themself’s or others because they do not know how to properly respond to a situation. Knowing the driving laws where you live or are going! Its probably one of the must easiest things to miss, when I went to Arizona for the summer the speed limits in the city I was in was normally 35, I was not used to it, because  around here the speed limits on must main roads are 45! Watching for the signs can help you not become a hazard. Also when my dad came up here a few months ago for my sisters graduation he was unfamiliar with the ‘Michigan right’ as we like to call it, and had no idea he had to go right to go left. Sometimes it can be hard just to know the speed limits and other odds and ends in driving in your own area, becoming familiar with your own area is a good example to, must people miss the fact that Middlebelt is 40 and normally go much faster! Knowing your roads, the speed limits, and any other posted sign can be an enormous help in driving safely. Knowing where the cars around you are can also be a big help to, knowing where that motorcycle is so you don’t cut him off is invaluable, motorcyclists have virtually no protection from cars and if one gets hit that’s pretty much it for him or her that’s on it. Checking your blind spots, probably the #1 thing must people forgot to do is a huge thing, we all know there’s spaces you can not see if you just look straight ahead and only at your mirror . You do not want to just check your mirror and than smack right into someone because you were to lazy to glance in the direction you were going in. Its also a safe idea to not be right next to a car, they say if the car see’s a immediate danger to going to swerve into the closest lane, which normally in a two lane road would be where you are, they say to try and space yourself to where your not next to a car beside you, because if you don’t, and they see a danger odds are there coming for you and t he only other option you have is to go right into oncoming traffic. Not knowing what to do in certain situations is another huge one, a few months back when we had the power outage that took out many stop lights, must people did not know that a down traffic light is suppose to be treated as a four way stop unless a officer is there controlling the situation. Some people do not follow the directions of officers to go other directions and become a hazard to other responsible people who are following the directions giving to them by the officer. Others can get in the way of a fire truck or ambulance as there passing because they do not release there suppose to get over and out of the way so that they can pass quickly and not have to work there way through traffic. With every single example above there is several things in common, they can all be incredibly dangerous, sometimes even deadly, and they are all incredibly easy to avoid doing for the must part. Driving in and of itself is a very dangerous thing to do, Doing the things above only makes something that’s dangerous even more dangerous. Taking dangerous risks like those above can cost you more than just a few bucks from your wallet, a point or two against your drivers license, or a small insurance increase, it can cost you your life. Not only that but now a days its more important than ever to have a clean driving record. It helps show your responsible to employers and that you follow rules accordingly. If a job requires driving and you have a clean record compared to someone who has a few tickets, odds are there going to choose you instead. Health insurance, life insurance, some of there premiums are based off your driving record believe it or not! Driving safely won’t cost you anything but it can save you a ton of money. Not only that but the time you have to take off work to go to court, the fines you’ll pay, the insurance increase, its all just not worth it. Not only will you save your wallet, you might just save your life or someone with you, you do not want to be held responsible for the death of a friend who is in the car with you because you did not prevent it from happening when you could have, it would truly be a horrible thing to live with for the rest of someone’s life, knowing there responsible for the death of the friend or a family member. Driving safely is probably the easiest thing a person can do and driving safely far outweighs the benefits of driving carelessly.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Original Olympic Games Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Original Olympic Games - Research Paper Example Although, the spirit by which this festival was revived again in this present world involves replicating that same concept on which ancient Olympics originated. But unfortunately the cloning was not successful due to insufficient data and absence of actual essence of the festival. The fact that Olympics in ancient Greece, originated as a result of social, emotional and religious needs rather than a commercialized value is a major factor in the distinguished grade among two societies. The original Olympic festival in the time when Zeus was worshipped as god had an abundant social value as compared to today’s modern world Olympics. The Call: Let us look at the history of Olympics before we extend our debate on the above agenda. It was named after ‘Olympia’ a city in Greece located near the western coast of the Peloponnese, where these events started. According to many researchers and literature available it is estimated that these events started around 776 BC and re mained until 395 AD (Swaddling 1984). The festival was announced once every four year and on hearing the call, Greek citizens from all over the world poured in for celebrations. By land all the spectators from the neighboring areas used to flood in Olympia, the venue for all these spectacular events. Olympia was situated along the river Alpheios mainly the northern bank. It was a remote area with nice natural habitats at the foot of a famous hill called ‘Kronos’ a name given in the honor of Cronus, father of Zeus (Swaddling 1984). So one of the possible routes was over the waters and thousands of enthusiasts also joined the sea caravan from as far as Africa and Spain. Therefore, it was a call no one could reject or ignore. Despite the fact that this was not an easy journey about 40000 Greek citizens used to witness this outstanding event. This shows nothing but their commitment and respect of this enormous occasion. The distance they had to travel was huge and the means of transport not even comparable to the present world. The festival was held normally during summer in the mid august or mid September which was the hottest time of the year. Many would question the logic of keeping such a strenuous event in such an extreme weather. But in my view, the time was suitable and carefully chosen. Most of the people during that age relied on growing crops and were farmers, this time of the year was ideal as they had just finished with the hard work of harvesting their crops and were free to relax and enjoy the celebrations. There were no proper roads and the pathway was rough with many obstacles as Olympia was a far isolated place. Robbery and mugging was just few of many fears on the way to their destination (Crowther 2007). However, there was a universal Olympic truce that kept hostile forces under control. One of the best possible ways to reach Olympus was by boat but again pirates and shipwreck were a constant threat. Still, their spirits were mounta in high and they had only one common goal to be part of this auspicious event. Not Just a Sport: If we picture Olympics today, we think of a grand opening ceremony followed by hundreds of players participating in a sport contest. Representing their country they play for the honor of their homeland and for their own fame and pride. For the people of Greece, athletics was not only a sport it was a source of spiritual tranquility. As it is evident in many authentic literatures that in those ancient times athletic events were held at funerals as a ritual to gratify the spirit of the dead. In mainland Greece, when Mycenaean’

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Vietnam War Causes and Consequences Research Paper

Vietnam War Causes and Consequences - Research Paper Example The history of the Vietnam War can be traced to the fall of Japan at the end of the Second World War. French and the United States army tried to gain control over the region to defeat the communist forces but were stopped from doing so by two emerging constraints. The first one accounted for the peace accord signed in Geneva in 1956 and the second more crucial the division of the country in North and South Geneva. United States of America’s War forces lent a strong defense for the cause of saving South Vietnam from the fangs of communism. However, America’s forces were bound to retreat from the Vietnam soil owing to a treaty signed with North Vietnam in 1973. North Vietnam the communist regime that had earlier promised not to gain control over South Vietnam finally invaded it on December 1974. The North Vietnam forces surpassed South Vietnam’s efforts of defense as they gained control over Saigon and other parts of the South on April 1975.1 In this context, the p aper aims to trace the main reasons, which led to the Vietnam War and the effects generated by the prolonged war. During the period of the Second World War, the Japanese forces occupied a region owned by the French forces known as Indochina consisting of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In Vietnam Ho Chi Minh opposed the Japanese invasion through the formation of Viet Minh in 1941. Viet Minh later took the picture of a Nationalist Movement in the Vietnam soil. Ho Chi Minh sought America’s support in fighting against the Japanese, which later gave independence to Vietnam. However, after the end of the Second World War the French forces endeavored to gain their control over Vietnam. The Nationalist Party of Vietnam, Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh strongly opposed the French invasion. Agreements between the French forces and Viet Minh led to no results following which French invaded the capital of

New Product Development Accounting Project Math Problem

New Product Development Accounting Project - Math Problem Example Operating Profit $152,124,000 $2,112.83 *COMPUTATIONS FOR INCOME STATEMENT Sales = Total sales units * Total per unit sale = 72000 * 14,500 = $1,044,000,000 Total Variable Expenses = Variable cost per unit * Total sales units = 8,770.5* 72000 = $631,476,000 BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS Number of Sales Units for Break Even: Break Even Sales Units = Fixed Cost Price - Variable Cost per unit = 260,400,000 5729.5 = 45,449 units. Sales Volume In Dollars for Break Even Total Sales = Total break even units * Total sales units = 45,449 * 14,500 = $659,010,500 Profit if the Sales is 6000 Units Per Month Sales per year = 6000*12 = 72000 units Profit per month = $152,124,000 Sales per month = 6000 units Profit per month = 152,124,000 / 12 = $12,677,000 Required 3: Based on the contribution income statement, the operating leverage ratio and margin of safety are calculated below: OPERATING LEVERAGE RATIO: The formula to compute the operating leverage ratio is: Operating Leverage = Contribution Margin/Net Income = $412,524,000/152,124,000 = 2.71 Operating leverage indicates what change in net income can be expected from a change in sales volume. An operating leverage of 2.7 implies that the change in net income will be 2.7 times as large as the change in sales volume. Therefore, for the projected profitability of Water Play Inc. that if sales increased by 10%, net income should increase by 27%. The net income of Water Play Inc. would be 2.7 times greater than its sales volume. MARGIN OF SAFETY: The margin of safety is measured in either dollars or units. It measures... This would be a discretionary cost for the company as the cost on research and development arises form management decision to spend a particular amount and management can reduce it in the short term if it is needed. The management can minimize this cost by delaying for short term, the unnecessary maintenance and repair expenses in the office. Reduction in these costs does not cause an irreparable loss to the company's operations. Operating leverage indicates what change in net income can be expected from a change in sales volume. An operating leverage of 2.7 implies that the change in net income will be 2.7 times as large as the change in sales volume. Therefore, for the projected profitability of Water Play Inc. that if sales increased by 10%, net income should increase by 27%. The net income of Water Play Inc. would be 2.7 times greater than its sales volume. Margin of safety reveals the amount by which actual sales can drop before a firm will incur Loss. The larger the margin: the lesser the risk. (Sales can fall by a larger percentage before the company will show a loss.). The Margin of safety or Safety stock of Water Play Inc. is 26,551 units. It means that the company should maintain 26,551 units as safety stock in order to avoid the risk.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Portfolio project Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Portfolio project - Term Paper Example In 2012, the deficit in global budget narrowed down to approximately $2.7 trillion (a representation of 3.80% of the global GDP-Gross Domestic Product). However, the global economic growth shifted (dropped) to 3.10% in 2012 from 3.70% in 2011 and 5.10% in 2010 fiscal years. The global unemployment rate increased to 9.20% in 2012. Countries that used expansionary monetary and fiscal policies attained significantly increased growth rates, lower rates of unemployment, increased growth in tax revenues, and success in cutting down public debts. Countries that employment contractionary policies failed to achieve what the former countries realized. In 2012, over 85 countries with pro-growth strategy realized median Gross Domestic Product growth rates of 4.90%, compared to 0.80% realized 37 nations with restrictive monetary and fiscal policies. This represented a difference of 4%. Among the listed 85 countries with pro-growth strategy, Canada grew by 1.90%, 2.20% for the United States, 3.0% for Turkey, 3.40% for Russia, 4.0% for Mexico,, 6.0% for the Indonesia, and 7.80% for China. Among 37 countries that restricted their monetary and fiscal policies, Italy grew by -2.30%, -1.40% for Spain, -0.5% Netherlands, -0.20% Belgium, 0.10% France, 0.70% Germany, and 2.30% Brazil. These 37 countries reported unemployment rate s of 11.50%. The global financial crunch of 2008-2009 caused the first recession in international output similar to what was experienced in 1946. Thus, the globe was faced with a new challenge mainly defined by finding out what combination (mix) of monetary and fiscal policies to apply in restoring jobs and growth, while keeping debt and inflation under control. Monetary stimulus and stabilization programs initiated in 2009-2011 to lower revenues in taxes in 2009-2010; required a number of countries to employ large budget debits. New public debts were issued by treasuries – amounting to $7.6 trillion.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Proposal Argument Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Proposal Argument - Assignment Example Data in support of more bicycle lanes V. The Safety Aspect of Bicycling a. How street bike lanes make city biking safer for all concerned b. The â€Å"Safety Numbers† effect VI. Conclusion More Bicycle Lanes Will Make Street Biking Safer and Reduce Street Biking Accidents Bicycles have been a standard mode of transportation for people far longer than the cars have been in existence. These bone shakers were the preferred method of the early Americans when it came to getting around their neighborhood on errands and trips to visit friends. It has always been considered one of the most cost - effective, if not the most cost effective ways of transportation because of the method by which the mode of transport works, it does not require the use of gasoline. Health experts have argued and defended the positive effects of bicycling on the health of people. Environmentalists have pointed out the advantages of bicycling in terms of nature preservation and reduction of gas emissions into the atmosphere. Yet with all of these expert opinions abounding, it seems that the local governments have chosen to turn a deaf ear to the fact that our city would greatly benefit from the expansion of the current number of bicycle lanes in the city to a number that would actually have a positive impact on the traffic situation in the city, and address the growing concern for the safety of the increasing number of cyclists in our city streets. We have grown up in a â€Å"car culture† society. This means that we looks towards our automotive vehicles as our primary and only mode of transport. our culture saw bike riders as a danger to the â€Å"open door† situation of cars that were parked along the curb of sidewalks where bicycles were relegated to in the absence of actual bicycle lanes. There was a real fear that the cyclists would damage the car doors by slamming into them and causing a serious roadside accident. But, according to the Boston Cyclists Union (â€Å"Bi ke Lanes, The Reasoning Behind Them and a Bit of Boston History†) ; A typical argument from this anti-bike-lane crew is that bike lanes put riders closer to or inside the door zone. The city of Cambridge’s 2005 Hampshire Street Study has been called the â€Å"nail in the coffin† of that argument. Instead of moving into the door zone after a new bike lane was installed, people moved further away from it... The average distance away from the cars increased by only 2.4 inches. But the distribution of distances narrowed, so far fewer riders rode really close to the doors and about 8 percent of riders moved completely out of the door zone. Typical biking accidents include off-road riding, trick riding or racing. Due to the fact that there are only limited bike lanes available in the city, cyclists have to battle for street space with the cars. Due to the nature of the vehicle, not much protection is offered to the cyclist in the event of an accident. Gathered informat ion about biking accidents from 2008-2009 show that in the city of Toronto, There were 2, 335 injured cyclists admitted to their emergency rooms (Badger, Emily â€Å"Dedicated Bike Lanes Can Cut Cycling Injuries in Half†). The results of the study in Canada which were published in the American Journal of Public Health further explained that these injuries were sustained on 14 different types of streets lanes. These street paths included (Schmitt, Angie â€Å"Study: Protected Bike Lanes Reduce Injury Risk Up to 90 Percent†

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Fuel Price Increase in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fuel Price Increase in US - Essay Example The thrust at accomplishing set goals in pursuing the 'green world' philosophy and theory much based on the need to curtail the towering global climate upheavals has seen the emphasised shift in policy in various industry and agriculture fronts. The soaring fuel prices owing to the volatility of the oil prices have spurred government and energy as well as food industry stakeholders to consider alternative means of curtailing the predicament of escalating fuel prices. President George W. Bush has had the production of corn-based ethanol as part of the core of his energy policy. Hayashi Fumio (2007) notes, "This has brought in some merits on board. The resonating perspective is based on that the emphasis on corn based ethanol production has acute implications on the success of the attempts at throwing a holistic approach to the whole global 'green world' initiative". The scholar further notes that the emphasis of green solution even to the fuel predicament has thus put America society back in the lead in the efforts of making the world a better place. Despite the impact on the entirety of the national and international agriculture sectors the production of corn-based ethanol which has also been the part of the roo... Hayashi, Fumio (2008) notes that, '"This is a welcome policy reorientation given that this year alone over a million jobs were lost. The move will precipitate in the expansion of employment base for the American society". It is notable that the pressure from escalating fuel prices has necessitated the invention of feasible means of striking the balance between demand and consumption for fuel. Fig. 1 Ethanol Production Projections Source: national Agricultural Statistical Service [http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Agricultural_Prices/pricecn.asp] Fig 2 Corn Price Trends Source: Shurson G.C. (2008) It is evident from the two direct-relationship graphs that the growth of the ethanol production industry has a direct impact on the price of corn. What is particularly notable from the statistics is that during the 2002-2005 periods when 4 billon gallons of corn-based ethanol were produced the price of corn was peaking from below $2 a bushel to about $3. Although the price took a lunge in the 2004-2006 phases the rise afterwards has been significant with corn price escalating from just about $2 a bushel to over $5. This is the period when corn-based ethanol production capacity was at an average over 5 billion gallons. Statistical interferences drawn from the trends and patterns illustrated on the graph show that holding everything equal, the production of corn-based ethanol will hit phenomenal figures of over 11 billion gallons by the end of the 2009 which may propel the price of corn way over $9 a bushel. "The growth of corn-based ethanol industry in tandem with demand in the US wil l lead to the expansion of the export GDP and thus help boost the strained US economy

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Artificial Intelligence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Artificial Intelligence - Assignment Example Alternatively, the simulated mind could be assumed to reside in a computer or connected to a robot or a biological body, replacing its brain. The following paragraphs will discuss various characteristics of this concept: A human brain consists of about 100 billion nerve cells called neurons, each individually linked to other neurons by way of connection called axons and dendrites. The signals of these connections are transmitted by the release and detection of chemicals known as neurotransmitters. This is established by neuroscience that the human mind is an information processing network with the help of neurons (Kurzweil, 2000). Neuroscientists have also stated that essential functions performed by the mind, such as learning, memorizing, and consciousness, are due to purely physical and electrochemical processes in the brain which are governed by applicable laws. If the information and processes of the mind can be separated from the biological body, then there will be no individual limits and lifespan of that body. Other than that information within a brain could be partly or wholly copied or transferred to one or more other subjects, which includes digital storage or another brain, thereby minimizing or eliminating mortality risk (Tonnoni & Koch, 2008). A computer-based intelligence program could potentially think much faster than a human. Human neurons transfer’s electrochemical signals with a maximum speed of about 150 meters per second, whereas the speed of light is about 300 million meters per second, it is about two million times faster. Also, neurons can generate a maximum of about 200 to 1000 "spikes" per second, whereas the number of signals per second in modern computer chips is about 3 GHz (Matthew, 2005). This is almost two million times greater and expected to increase by at least a factor of 100. In theory it could run about 1 million times faster than a real brain, experiencing about a year of subjective time in only 31 seconds of real

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Exercise 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exercise 3 - Essay Example Google drive is a service where any type of document can be uploaded and composed. Files uploaded can only be edited after their conversion into Google Docs format. The name of the file remains the same both in the converted and the original format in the activity section, but the symbol on the left of the name helps determine whether the file is converted or not. It is recommendable not to check the box that asks for the conversion of image or pdf files because of the great possibility of occurrence of conversion issues. Once uploaded and clicked upon, files open in new tabs from where they can be read, edited, saved, and performed all other kinds of functions upon. The free version of Google Drive has established the limit of 5 GB for uploading documents. For storage beyond that, the account has to be purchased. Video 2 summary Part 2 of this video series is about creating documents within the Google Drive. Google Drive lets the users create documents that are similar to the format s they work with in the Microsoft Office. There are different programs that compare to different programs of the Microsoft Office e.g. Presentation in Google Drive is the equivalent of MS PowerPoint. Likewise, Spreadsheet in Google Docs has almost all of the features of MS Excel. The user can perform different sorts of functions on the data in Spreadsheet just like it is done in MS Excel. Google Docs have an Autosave feature that obviates the need to properly save the content written in the file all the time. Users must first title the documents to differentiate them from one another in the list. Most of the features of Google Docs are similar to those of Microsoft Office. Users can make a copy of the documents to be able to edit the documents even if the editing rights have not been granted to them by the sender of the documents. Users can revisit the older versions of the documents using the Revision History feature. This is a very powerful feature as a new revision history is cre ated every time a change is made to the document. The Form in the Google Docs is a very useful program to conduct surveys with. Everything ranging from making graphs to drawings, writing, and making presentations can be done using the programs of the Google Docs. Video 3 summary Part 3 of this video series is about sharing documents within the Google Drive. Sharing is of two types; sharing with a Google Docs’ user and sharing with a non-user of Google Docs. The way to share a document with a Google Docs’ user is to right-click anywhere on the row of the document, go to share, and then again share. The sender has the option of deciding whether the receiver can edit, comment, or just view the document. Once the document has been shared, its shared status is visible on the row next to where it is located. The powers given to the receiver to change the file in any way can be limited or increased anytime by the sender. To share a document with a non-user of Google Docs†™, the first step is to convert the document from Google Docs format to the original format. Once this is done, the rest of the process is the same as for the user of Google Docs’ except we go to â€Å"Email as attachment† instead of â€Å"share† in the third step. Any important updates about the document that the sender wants to share with the receivers can be sent as a message via â€Å"Email collaborators†. More than one file can also be shared with a group of people by creating a shared folder

Paired Reading Essay Example for Free

Paired Reading Essay Paired reading is a research-based fluency strategy used with readers who lack fluency. In this strategy, students read aloud to each other. When using partners, more fluent readers can be paired with less fluent readers, or children who read at the same level can be paired to reread a story they have already read. Paired reading can be used with any book, taking turns reading by sentence, paragraph, page or chapter. Share your examples! Why use paired reading? * It helps students work together. * It encourages cooperation and supports peer-assisted learning. When to use:| Before reading| During reading| After reading| How to use:| Individually| With small groups| Whole class setting| How to use paired reading How to pair students Pair students either by same reading ability or by high level readers with low level readers. Use the following steps to pair high-level readers with low-level readers: * List the students in order from highest to lowest according to reading ability * Divide the list in half. * Place the top student in the first list with the top student in the second list * Continue until all students have been partnered * Be sensitive to pairings of students with special needs, including learning or emotional needs. Adjust pairings as necessary * The reader from the first list should read first while the reader from the second list listens and follows along * The second reader should pick up where the first reader stops. If additional practice is needed, the second reader can reread what the first reader read * Encourage pairs to ask each other about what was read. What was your page about? What was your favorite part? Implementing the strategy 1. Introduce the students to the Paired Reading strategy. This includes: * Establishing a routine for students to adopt so that they know the step-by-step requirements for engaging in paired reading (i. e. Will they read out loud, simultaneously? Will they take turns with each person reading a paragraph? a page? Or will one person read while the other person listens? ). * Teaching students an error-correction procedure to use when supporting each others reading (i. e. re-reading misread words; signals for difficulty). * Modeling the procedure to ensure that students understand how to use the strategy. 2. Ask students to begin reading in pairs and adjust reading speed if reading simultaneously so they stay together. 3. Have students offer feedback and praise frequently for correct reading. 4. Monitor and support students as they work.

Monday, July 22, 2019

The European Union Essay Example for Free

The European Union Essay The decisions and procedures of the institutions of the EU have failed to achieve the objective of the European Union to promote democracy in Europe and there is a lack of legitimacy and accountability. Moreover, the proposed European Constitutional Treaty was rejected in referendums conducted in France and the Netherlands. Opinion polls have clearly indicated that citizens of Europe are showing indifference and hostility towards the functioning of the European Union’s institutions and its policies . The principal decision making institutions of the EU are the European Parliament and the European Commission, whose members are elected democratically. Legislations proposed by the Commission to the Council are carried out in order to implement the policies of the EU . The Commission dominates over the other institutions of the EU due to its exclusive competence in the executive. National Parliaments face considerable difficulty in complying with the controls and regulations of the EC. In addition, most of the technical and intricate issues have to comply with regulations made by the committees, which consist of technocrats rather than democratic institutions. Moreover, interpretation of the directives and regulations issued by the EC is difficult and requires a deep understanding of the ECJ’s case law. Furthermore, Community law overrides national legislation and national courts have to seek the ECJ’s intervention, while interpreting EU law. In addition, the EU law supersedes primary legislation . The European Commission implements its policies and legislative acts through the process of comitology in which experts from Member States and representatives of the Commission participate. The goal of this process is to enforce supranationalism . However, comitology fails to provide decisional autonomy to the Member States, does not interact with the affected parties who do not have any representation. The net effect is that comitology impedes legitimate governance . Without scrutiny and review of the affected parties’ representations, there can be no compliance with the democratic spirit . The European Parliament was endowed with deliberative qualities and represents the entire European population, which rendered it undemocratic. The European Union is an intricate combination of several frameworks such as the parliamentary system and the regulatory structure. The ECJ, which was instrumental in establishing the EU, strives hard to promote democracy in the EU . BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Democracy within the European Community, 11 October, 2007, http://www. revision-notes. co. uk/revision/892. html. 2. Erik Oddvar Eriksen and John Erik Fossum, Democracy through strong publics in the European Union? , 11 October, 2007, http://www. arena. uio. no/publications/wp01_16. htm. 3. Joerges, C. and Vos, E. EU Committees: Social Regulation, Law and Politics, Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1999. 4. Professor Vernon Bogdanor, Legitimacy, Accountability And Democracy, January 2007, 11, October, 2007, http://www. fedtrust. co. uk/admin/uploads/FedT_LAD. pdf.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Basic Lan Network Design Using Cisco Packet Tracer

Basic Lan Network Design Using Cisco Packet Tracer Learning Outcomes are formal statements that articulate what students or learners are able to achieve after following set of instructions, and why they need to do it. It is a process that weighs the objective of doing something and the outcomes of doing that thing. To measure if the LOs have been met, students need to be assessed. Assessment gives the assessor the opportunity to understand how well students have learnt, and also to use the evidence for constant improvements (Baume 2009). LOs, enables the selection of contents that are important for learners, develop instructional strategies to deliver these contents, design, develop and chose what instructional materials to use, build tests materials for assessing and evaluating learners and improve the teacher ability to deliver contents. Using actionable phrases (verbs) to know the why can lead to great learning outcomes formulation. For example, in order to locate background information and statistics of a phenomenon, a learner starts by identifying, consulting and evaluating reference books or journal articles related to the topic. To formulate the LOs in this case, the teacher starts with what students need to know? And why they need to know it (Pek 2002). This introductory section of LOs, form the preamble for what LOs should be and how they should be formulate for quality teaching. LO1 Using effective teaching methods and support of learning With my experience of delivering lectures at the university, colleges in London, being an IT trainer, I have used a wide range of teaching methods over the years. Depending on the environment and the LOs, in this section I intend to elaborate on some of the methods that I have used in the past, advantages and disadvantages of the different teaching methods used. The process of determining LOs starts with the selection of a teaching method (TM), lecturing, small group and class discussions, videotapes, webcast and one-to-one discussion are common examples of TM. In my experience, there is no cut and dry method, in most cases a combination of strategies works well. In line with Gibbs (Gibbs Habeshaw 1993) due consideration should be given to the following when selecting a TM: The subject matter, i.e. what is it about? How knowledgeable the learners are to the subject What need to be achieved (learning objectives) What is the available time frame to meet the learning objectives How many learners are involved or the size of the group Are the participants the right people for the subject? Learning styles of participants Available equipment The room layout The cost Different students learn better in different ways, for example, international students in my class in London prefer visual information while home students prefer verbal inputs. My class is not unique, Glauco reported the same phenomenon in his work on learning style in the multicultural classroom (Vita 2001). This phenomenon can be attributed to cultural differences which play an important role in individual learning style. Additionally, different subjects and topics are easier to understand when taught in different ways. I deploy an interactive strategy with adult students undertaking Cisco Networks training program, this permit discussions, interactions, participation and exchange of viewpoints because of the subjective type and the learning environment which require interactivity between students, the trainer and hardware equipment (experiential learning). Contrasting this with a lecture hall at the university with over 80 students, I deploy a power point presentation with explana tions, pauses, questions and answers because of the class size, the time frame (1 hour) and the subject type which has a no student-hardware interactions(cognitive and constructive learning). In light of selecting teaching method, I have always select suitable methods for the stated learning objectives and LOs. The following sections highlight some of the methods I have used in the past and reasons behind their selection. Lecture Lecture is widely accepted as the best teaching method for larger classes (Carpenter 2006), in computer science (e.g. computer networks), lectures are often followed by lab sessions where students individually work on materials through guided lab sheets. In most cases, the lectures are used to illustrate processes rather than analysis of contents. As a lecturer of computer network (CNET) modules at the university we follow this approach. Students attend an hour lecture which is then followed by a two hours lab session where they implement different network designs and architecture discussed in during lectures. By using both cognitive and constructive learning theories(Swan 2005), the learning objective of the module can be achieved. Though a very useful method, based on my experience and research in this area (Griffiths Oates 2003), lecturing strategy has the following advantages and disadvantages as summarise in the table 1. Table : Advantages and disadvantages of lecture method Advantages Disadvantages Lecture can be used in any classroom size. In a larger classroom, lecture is the only option. It is teacher centred and do not take account of different students learning styles In a conducive and well-presented lecture, students can be motivated to investigate more about a topic. Reduces student participation as they become passive and less active with topics of less interest. The teacher being at the centre of the lecture has total control over everything that happen in the class creating a one-to-many based communication which might be ideal for a large class size learning environment. It is one way communication, students ability to learn depends on notes taking and attentiveness. The teacher can only know if learning is taking place through questions and answers. Discussion This learning method enables students to be actively involved in what they are supposed to be learning. In the computer science discipline (e.g. computer network) which I am involved, students are divided into groups of 3 each. The first 10 minutes of the lab session used to read and brainstorming possible implementation solutions by reflecting on the in-class lectures. This is important because students are given the chance to openly express their opinion about the lab, and what is deemed as possible implementation solution is agreed by the group with the guidance of the teaching. Using discussion method and social learning theory (Bandura 1969), I am able to pull knowledge and ideas from different students. This is useful because in most cases students will have background information about the lab from lectures and should be able to evaluate and analyse different opinions. Students learn by being able to implement their own solutions to a lab scenario. Though a useful method in the lab environment, from my teaching experience and research in discussion teaching methods (Welty 1989), table 2 summarize the advantages and disadvantages of using discussion method as a teaching method. Table : Advantages and disadvantages of Discussion method Advantages Disadvantages Students have the leverage to actively process information and ideas. It is time consuming and unfocused if no clear direction is given to the students. It is unique opportunity for students to share experiences and get involved in making decision on what best practices should be used to achieve the objective of the lab. Students could be protective of their ideas and makes it difficult for the instructor to get others involved. Being interactive, it open communication channels between teachers and students to feedback each other. The size of the class must be restricted Demonstration This laboratory work approach of learning enable students to role play (i.e. experiential learning theory) concepts introduce in lectures (Fry et al. 2009) and (Kolb Boyatzis 1999) Introduction to new concepts, procedures and techniques, can be a bit daunting to students; I have used demonstration to complement in-class lectures at the university and in other colleges that I lecture. Demonstration sessions generally begin with an overview lab session, and the list of points the students need to focus on. Using this approach gives them an idea of what the objectives and the LOs are. This is followed by the session proper, where students are given the chance to perform the procedures just explained in the introduction session. To ensure students are in line with the objectives, I spend the rest of the time observing what they are doing, offering suggestions and feedbacks. Using demonstration as preliminary approach for students to practice some of the concepts learnt in lectures has proven to be a good method of teaching. In light with Brophy (Brophy 2000) and my experience in using demonstration teaching method, table 3 show some of the advantages and disadvantages of using demonstration as a learning method. Table : Advantages and disadvantages of demonstration method Advantages disadvantages Active participation is critical to learning new skills, demonstration enable students to participate in learning. This method does not work well in large class environment, in most cases, videotapes are shown in monitor, which takes away that interactiveness with students Students interest peak up, as they can experience some of the concepts first hand by getting involved It is time consuming to set demonstration sessions In computer networks, demonstration is the only method of conveying complex theories. Demonstration might not always go as planned, as things break down, takes a long time to set them up. Conclusion Teaching methods form the bases on how teaching has to be delivered, different environments, subject, topics and students may require different teaching methods. A combination of two or more teaching methods can be used in effective teaching. However, due consideration should be given to what learning theory can be used and the pros and the cons of individual teaching methods. LO4: Designing, selecting, and using learning resources and ICT to develop an effective learning environment and learner support system. An effective lesson depends on the materials used to deliver or teach it, for students to learn to their maximum potentials, teachers need to identify and create effective teaching materials. A teaching material could be any tool used to deliver or convey information and test students understanding of a subject. Teaching materials includes videos, audio cassette, worksheets, websites and simulators. Designing and selecting teaching materials takes into account the educational goals of the students (Allwright 1981) and how the teacher want the students to absorb, process and retain information during learning (learning theories). With experience of designing and selecting learning materials (e.g. simulators, websites, presentation slides, websites, hardware and software) for students undertaking courses in academic and professional environment, many factors including those in the literature(Commonwealth of Learning 2005) have influence my design and selection of different teaching materials (Cisco packet tracer, MS PowerPoint and Word) among which includes; The objective: the design and selection of learning resources start by identifying what I want the students to know at the end of each lesson, this is known as the cognitive objective (Krathwohl 2002). For example, during the design and selection of learning resources (e.g. Cisco packet tracer, words documents and www.pritmas.com) for Cisco network first year students, the introductory materials are always in form of hand-out and references to useful internet websites. These materials set their expectations from day one and give students an overview the course. Additionally, the design and selection of learning resources also take into account what I want students to be able to do at the end of each lesson, also known as behavioural objectives (Kizlik 2002). Resources vary with learning objectives. For example, computer science students undertaking networking modules have different learning objectives from Cisco students undertaking Cisco Certification courses. However, achieving the objectives of the lesson is deeply incorporated into the design and selection of learning materials. By using tailored learning resources, my students have constantly show high level of interest in the subject. Audience analysis: who are the learners, this comes into play when designing and selecting learning resources. Their race and ages are some key attributes that has to be taken into consideration. This attributes enable tailored delivery of learning objectives. In a multicultural or single culture classroom where students may or may not have different experiences, considering their background knowledge before making references to objects or places they are more familiar with can increase students understanding of a lessons. For instance, HND students undertaking computer hardware module in Cameroon and have never been to the UK have a quite a different type of environment compare to students in the UK taking the same module. With this disparity, the design and selection of materials for the two audiences is different. With experience of delivering the same module in both countries, examples or references used to relate learning objective is different. Different students have different learning style and will learn more effectively when their learning style is used to convey information. As shown in (Vita 2001) foreign students turn to prefer visual learning while home students prefer auditory learning style, having an inventory of what learning style students prefer is important in learning material (e.g. head on projectors and audio clips) design and selection. In a multicultural classroom, it could be daunting to design or select learning materials that will appeal to all the students. To overcome this, I have constantly deployed audio and visual learning materials interchangeably during lectures and practical lessons to ensure no particular group is at the disadvantage. Designing and selecting materials is one thing, how they will be delivered to students is something different. Methods of delivering learning resources include image projection using LCD projector, hand-out copies, website based delivering methods. My methods of contents delivering are largely influenced by students learning style which could be a function of culture as mentioned above. Instructional technology has been at the forefront of my learning material design and selection, technology ease the process of creating and dissemination learning resources to students. However, technology could hinder students who are not familiar with the technology being used in learning (Lea et al. 2001). As an IT teacher, technology has enhanced my ability to engage students and enact different learning theories. For example, I have used personal website(Pritmas.com 2013) to distribute learning resources and support students queries. Conclusion Advances in instructional technologies inherently have a great impact on how lesson resources are design, selected and distributed. For effective design and selection of these resources, key factors such as learning objective, knowing who the students are, learning style, how these materials will be delivered and seeking to integrate technologies into the design and delivering of learning resources is important. However, technologies might be a disadvantaged for students who are not familiar with the technology in used. So teachers should work to overcome this hindrance by selecting appropriate learning theories i.e. how they want students to absorb, process and retain information during learning. Response to reviewers and feedbacks In what ways did the review help? What new ideas do you plan to investigate? Part 3, is your opportunity to respond to the reviewers feedback. In the light of the feedback and discussion with your reviewer, which of your session intended learning outcomes listed in part 1 of the form do you feel were achieved by your learners? How do you know this? Were any met less well and why do you feel this was the case? The following LOs were achieved: Understand DNS concept Explain the composition of an IP address and Domain name Install configure a DNS server and client Through quick assessment (in class question and answer, and the ability for students to implement the lab scenarios) and feedbacks from students, they now feel comfortable to implement and explain theories behind DNS and can now define an IP address and its function in communication On reflection, based on the comments and feedback, explain how you plan to adopt or follow up on new ideas. In your second and third reviews please identify any commonalities between the feedbacks from the different observers. Which aspects will you investigate or find out more about? What will you do and why? This process has been learning exercise, on reflection; I intend to adopt and use the objectives and LOs to structure my teaching, starting from session planning to delivering and assessment. By using SMART objectives and identifying learners needs, it is important to follow a pedagogic structure to ensure LOs are met. I now look forward to work on some of the issues raised during the teaching session. For example, my body language, encouraging students to take down notes and making sure students are actively participating in class or lab sessions. Feedback on the review process How useful has it been? Could the process be improved? It has been an eye opener to get someone to review my teaching, and being able to review someone elses teaching. I will suggest, more time be allocated to the exercise, two or more reviewers per session for cross referencing. Reflections on the PREP Process To be completed by the reviewer and sent to the their PGCAP600 tutor this completes this part of the process. Part 4, is the reviewers opportunity to reflect on the process of reviewing somebody elses teaching. What did you learn from conducting a teaching review? Did the process cause you to think about your own teaching differently? Have you developed any new ideas that you plan to investigate? Has the process of review helped you understand your own teaching strengths and preferences? Has it caused you to think differently about your own methods, design, values etc? Has this helped to confirm or challenge any assumptions about what constitutes effective teaching? Did you gain a different perspective on teaching from a student perspective? Yes, I found it really interesting to observe someone from another discipline teaching, for sure, the review process has reshaped my understanding of teaching and the structural approach that need to be followed to meet the learning outcomes. The process has also renewed my confident in teaching and my ability to impact other peoples future. Taking up the challenge to review a colleague from another discipline was nerve racking in the first place. Lornas engagement with students, her ability to easily connect with them and deal with a difficult situation (fire alarm) just added to some of the things that I have learned from the process. Have you generated any ideas about how you might like to develop your teaching? Yes, as mentioned above, being able to watch someone deliver practical lessons and give feedbacks on how well she has done has been very helpful. I come out of this process with the following new ideas, which I think will enhance my teaching: Seek to understand individual students background Be more open and accommodative Being more knowledgeable in my subject area. Making sure a lesson plans is in place in all Lessons. Build a feedbacks process to improve and to know if learning is taking place Application of different learning theories (per needs) Feedback on the review process How useful has it been? Could the process be improved? I think it is definitely useful to observe others teaching, however my role as a lecturer and demonstrator allows me to design, select and deliver learning materials while also observing other academic members of staff teaching on a regular basis, the PREP exercise was not different. However, observing someone from another discipline demonstrate was unique and reminded me that teaching is about following pedagogic processes and I really value the opportunity to discuss the experience afterwards (i.e. as a reviewer and reviewee). I will suggest, more time be allocated to this exercise (PREP), two or more reviewers per session for cross referencing CONCLUSIONS Teaching is a process of inducing learning to other people, how this process is accomplished and how it impacts both learner and the teaching defines effective teaching. By setting appropriate learning outcomes, defining the best methods to deliver and designing and selecting materials to achieve this outcomes can lead to effective teaching in higher education. APPENDIX University of Plymouth CNET226 Basic LAN network design using Cisco Packet Tracer The objective of todays lab is to design and describe a functional network using Cisco packet tracer simulator. Background You are a network engineer. You were given a job by a company who is one of your most valued customers. You have to design a functional LAN for them that contains 2 groups of 5 pcs each connecting to 2 separate switches. Then the switches are connected to a router (R1) and R1 is connected to the ISP router (R2). So basically you have 2 rooms with 5 pc each and both of these rooms have a switch and they are connected to R1. There is a third room and in this one there is a web server running Server 2008 OS. Connect that one with a separate switch and then to the R1. Tasks Using Cisco Packet Tracer (open cisco packet tracer by clicking start Æ’Â   All programsÆ’Â  packet tracer on your PC). Design a functional network you will use to accomplish the customers business needs. Save it (to save: on packet tracer, use file Æ’Â   save as Æ’Â   .pktÆ’Â  location) we will need this later. An example with pc and servers can be found in the diagram below. C:UsersLouis AnegekuhDesktoplab_3.jpg Figure : Sample Network Design Report: Individually write a report of NOT less than 400 words to explain your network diagram using the following guide. Write a list of the devices and cabling you have used in the design. Write a step by step report on what cables you have usd to connect all your devices and the reason(s) behind the selection. Explain the reason (s) behind the devices you have chosen in your design. What ports (interfaces) are you using to connect the devices in your network? Please save your report for a brief discussion on it next week. NOTE: It is important you all attend next week lab, which will be on IPv4 subnetting.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

How is Scrooge presented in a Christmas Carol Essay -- English Literat

How is Scrooge presented in a Christmas Carol - What is he like? Are we sympathetic to him? Does he change? What language features are used to do this? Ebenezer Scrooge This essay is looking at the character, Ebenezer Scrooge throughout the play. It looks at the person he is and the person he becomes. It also looks at the language Dickens uses to portray Mr Scrooge. Dickens portrays Scrooge as a ' tight fisted, penny pincher' with alliterations and metaphors such as, 'wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner' emphasising his meanness. He seems a mean old man with no time for the festivities of Christmas, nor any other special day at that! Even when the cheerful voice of his nephew rings out to wish him a very Merry Christmas, his reply was ' Bah, Humbug!' He snubs visitors with the frost of his nature and speaks with a voice that begrudges their happiness and united joy. He is even bitter to the clerk, Bob Cratchit for having a paid day off, stating ' A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty - fifth of December! ' (Stave 1) When the ghost of Marley appears, Scrooge tries to jest with him to distract his fears but the spectre voice 'disturbs the very marrow in his bones.' He begs for mercy and asks why the 'dreadful apparition is troubling him' Although mean and nasty, the reader sees here that Scrooge is also a coward! Jacob Marley tells of the chains that were forged in life and what is waiting for Scrooge, telling him 'I am here tonight to warn you, that you have a chance and hope of escaping my fate' (Stave 1) If Scrooge did not change his mean old ways, then he is only to look forward to an after life like poor Jacob. To Scrooge's disappointment and di... ...tion of the word 'and' quickens the pace, and indicates the excitement felt by Scrooge. Scrooge remembers all that was shown to him and he sets off to alter the future, which only evoked doom. He buys an overwhelmingly large turkey for Bob Cratchit, attends his Nephews party and generally spreads the good will and festive cheer of Christmas! Scrooge keeps his promise, and everyone benefits. There is a repetition of the word good ' He became a good friend, a good master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town or borough, in the good Old World' (Stave 5) This proves that he has genuinely changed for the better of himself and everyone around him. The moral of the story is, as Dickens surely tried to put across, that it is never too late to alter your ways, and if you don't change, things could happen to you too.

Kant: The Universal Law Formation Of The Categorical Imperative :: essays research papers

Kant: the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative Kantian philosophy outlines the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative as a method for determining morality of actions. This formula is a two part test. First, one creates a maxim and considers whether the maxim could be a universal law for all rational beings. Second, one determines whether rational beings would will it to be a universal law. Once it is clear that the maxim passes both prongs of the test, there are no exceptions. As a paramedic faced with a distraught widow who asks whether her late husband suffered in his accidental death, you must decide which maxim to create and based on the test which action to perform. The maxim "when answering a widow's inquiry as to the nature and duration of her late husbands death, one should always tell the truth regarding the nature of her late husband's death" (M1) passes both parts of the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative. Consequently, according to Kant, M1 is a moral action. The initial stage of the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative requires that a maxim be universally applicable to all rational beings. M1 succeeds in passing the first stage. We can easily imagine a world in which paramedics always answer widows truthfully when queried. Therefore, this maxim is logical and everyone can abide by it without causing a logical impossibility. The next logical step is to apply the second stage of the test. The second requirement is that a rational being would will this maxim to become a universal law. In testing this part, you must decide whether in every case, a rational being would believe that the morally correct action is to tell the truth. First, it is clear that the widow expects to know the truth. A lie would only serve to spare her feelings if she believed it to be the truth. Therefore, even people who would consider lying to her, must concede that the correct and expected action is to tell the truth. By asking she has already decided, good or bad, that she must know the truth. What if telling the truth brings the widow to the point where she commits suicide, however? Is telling her the truth then a moral action although its consequence is this terrible response? If telling the widow the truth drives her to commit suicide, it seems like no rational being would will the maxim to become a universal law. The suicide is, however, a consequence of your initial action. The suicide has no bearing, at least for the Categorical Kant: The Universal Law Formation Of The Categorical Imperative :: essays research papers Kant: the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative Kantian philosophy outlines the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative as a method for determining morality of actions. This formula is a two part test. First, one creates a maxim and considers whether the maxim could be a universal law for all rational beings. Second, one determines whether rational beings would will it to be a universal law. Once it is clear that the maxim passes both prongs of the test, there are no exceptions. As a paramedic faced with a distraught widow who asks whether her late husband suffered in his accidental death, you must decide which maxim to create and based on the test which action to perform. The maxim "when answering a widow's inquiry as to the nature and duration of her late husbands death, one should always tell the truth regarding the nature of her late husband's death" (M1) passes both parts of the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative. Consequently, according to Kant, M1 is a moral action. The initial stage of the Universal Law Formation of the Categorical Imperative requires that a maxim be universally applicable to all rational beings. M1 succeeds in passing the first stage. We can easily imagine a world in which paramedics always answer widows truthfully when queried. Therefore, this maxim is logical and everyone can abide by it without causing a logical impossibility. The next logical step is to apply the second stage of the test. The second requirement is that a rational being would will this maxim to become a universal law. In testing this part, you must decide whether in every case, a rational being would believe that the morally correct action is to tell the truth. First, it is clear that the widow expects to know the truth. A lie would only serve to spare her feelings if she believed it to be the truth. Therefore, even people who would consider lying to her, must concede that the correct and expected action is to tell the truth. By asking she has already decided, good or bad, that she must know the truth. What if telling the truth brings the widow to the point where she commits suicide, however? Is telling her the truth then a moral action although its consequence is this terrible response? If telling the widow the truth drives her to commit suicide, it seems like no rational being would will the maxim to become a universal law. The suicide is, however, a consequence of your initial action. The suicide has no bearing, at least for the Categorical

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Real Plague :: essays research papers

The Real Plague Although never given permission to kill, by supernatural or natural means, man has reserved for himself the right to kill other men. This self-imposed right has been put into use in our civilizations and countries. Whether train of logic is offered or not, murder is very difficult to justify. As existentialists believe, "honesty with oneself" cannot be compromised in any shape or form. Why, then, does man murder? Perhaps man tries to use the excuse of good intentions to escape the responsibility for his actions. In Camus ¡Ã‚ ¦, The Plague, Jean Tarrou dares to go against the idea of men having the right to kill other men. He represents a small part of the general public, in both the novel and in real life. While most of the character development is based on the direct conflict with the physical pestilence, Tarrou takes on a more powerful type of plague as well as this corporeal epidemic; his goal is not only of combating the plague which physically robs men of life, but t o suppress the plague which ravages men ¡Ã‚ ¦s hearts, specially his own. To start a task force, one needs people. When Rieux and Tarrou converse, they discuss who to put into the task force. Rieux suggests that maybe Jean should consider using some of the prisoners in the jail to work against the plague. After dealing with plague-stricken men all his life, Tarrou rejects this proposal. Tarrou comments, "I loathe men ¡Ã‚ ¦s being condemned to death," (125). Tarrou ¡Ã‚ ¦s reasoning for that not wanting prisoners to be used deviates from the ordinary. While many would object to prisoners being sent out to work because they do not deserve to be set free. Tarrou has different reasons. Because the plague is equal to death, Tarrou would want no part in forcing men to take part in. He wants volunteers, "free men,"(124) to confront death, not impressed individuals. This reveals an important belief of his of man is to confront death, it should be by his own desires and choices, not by something which "fancies it knows everything and the refore claims for itself the right to kill," (131). Many people would believe that the prisoners deserve to die. After all, these men are the worst mankind has to offer, and the world may even be a better place without them. This is the type of rationale one uses to assume he "knows everything.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Cats and the Cradle Analysis

‘Cats in the Cradle’ was originally recorded by Harry Chapin, in 1974, featuring in the album, Verities & Balderdash. Although originally intended to be poem, its lyrical and rhythmic nature has led to it becoming regarded as one of the most successful folk rock songs. Its success was evident with the single topping the Billboard Hot 100 in December the same year of its release. ‘Cats in the Cradle’ starts out with a natural harmony that depicts the tale of a father with his newborn son. The first verse introduces the subject matter indicating the troublesome relationship shared between father and son, â€Å"He came to the world in the usual way, but there were planes to catch and bills to pay. He learned to walk while I was away†. It is clear that although the father provides the necessities for the child, his career driven lifestyle restrains him from spending quality time with his son. The lyrics continue to follow the growth of the child in rapid stages, subtly indicating the lack of connection with the father. â€Å"My child arrived just the other day† which then moves to the second verse, â€Å"My son turned ten just the other day†. Following this path of progression, the father has now retired and can allocate time for his son. Unfortunately, a similar process is repeated as the son grows into a similar life role as his father, ringing true the recurring verse, â€Å"I'm gonna be like you Dad, you know I'm gonna be like you†¦ † The direct impact of a bad role model is made evident as the song reaches the fourth and final verse, featuring the powerful lyrics â€Å"As I hung up the phone it occurred to me he'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me. † This line conveys the father's realizations that his behaviours have been mimicked by his son. The message is interpreted as a criticism to society identifying a common challenge each generation is facing. The songs intention is to make the listener think about the balance of time spent with the family and earning the adequate money to support their family and lifestyle for there are no second chances. Understanding, a target audience is an essential tool for many artists as all factors need to be based around that specific audience. Harry Chapin has clearly recognized his target audience and has crafted the song to appeal to those listeners. Although it is difficult to accurately define who actively listens too and enjoys ‘Cats in the Cradle’ it can be assumed based on statistics and information gathered that adults within the age bracket of 25-50 appreciate this lyrical piece. This demographic suggest that children during late 1970’s (based on the 1974 song release date) would have grown up actively hearing through various means of media specifically, Radio. Another factor is during this era folk/classic rock popularity was at its peak with numerous bands such as the The Rolling Stones, Beatles and The Who. These bands all feature a similar age demographic to Harry Chapin which aids the theory that the music children grow up with tend to be preferred during their adult years. The content of the lyrics have also been altered to identify with the target audience, many listeners feel an attachment to this song as they can relate to the characters. Harry Chapin has utilized numerous musical elements to enhance the storytelling and themes. It is catchy and interesting yet accompanied simply by an acoustic guitar that follows a steady beat. The classical nature of the song is evident through the melodic rhythm and lyrics. This steady lyrical flow leads to a staccato nature which contributes to its overall interest. The dynamics and tone are simple and follow a more solemn and steady style, with its softness conveying regret and sadness. In order to appeal to the target audience, Harry Chapin has recognized many important techniques and utilized them; The length of ‘Cats in Cradle is based around 3:20-40 which tends to be the appropriate time frame as the whole song can be played on the radio and reach a point where it becomes dull for the listener. The lyrics have been crafted for easy understanding and comprehension; therefor allowing for a broader audience to appreciate his music. Likewise, Harry has cleverly chosen simple clothing during the video clip that specifically relate to the song message to reinforce the stereotypical idea of a solemn father. There are various symbols and imagery in the lyrics. The repetitions of â€Å"the cats in the cradle† – indicate the child is at home alone – â€Å"and the silver spoon† which is a symbol of wealth the father has to earn. The â€Å"little boy blue† is the child that is sad because his father is away, while the father is represented by â€Å"the man on the moon† – the one far away who is unreachable, idealized by the child who sees the father as his male role model. These lyrical metaphors describe the pairs of opposition the song is talking about. Fortunately, the repetition does not lead to a dull or tedious song as it follows the growth of child creating an interesting story that maintains the attention of the viewer. The quick leaps of time from each verse continue to reinforce the idea that little time is spent with the child. This lack of time for the father is demonstrated in a number of lines. â€Å"He learned to walk while I was away† and â€Å"I said not today, I've got a lot to do†¦ † Harry Chapin has used classic ways of thinking and performing to enhance the listening experience including the manipulation of the subject matter and musical elements to successfully appeal to a range of audiences. The main success behind this song is a combination of numerous elements that all lead to successful and unique lyrical piece that is backed by a strong moral message.