Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review

Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a multiple award winning book, but it is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 2000-2009. Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books are inappropriate. In this review you will learn more about the book Speak, the challenges it has received, and what Laurie Halse Anderson  and others have to say about the issue of censorship.    Speak: The Story    Melinda Sardino is a fifteen year old sophomore whose life is dramatically and permanently changed the night she attends an end of summer party.   At the party Melinda is raped and calls the police, but doesn’t get the opportunity to report the crime. Her friends, thinking she called to bust the party, shun her and she becomes an outcast. Once vibrant, popular, and a good student, Melinda has become withdrawn and depressed. She avoids having to talk and doesn’t take care of her physical or mental health. All her grades start to slide, except her Art grade, and she begins to define herself by small acts of rebellion such as refusing to give an oral report and skipping school. Meanwhile, Melinda’s rapist, an older student, subtly taunts her at every opportunity. Melinda doesn’t reveal  the details of her experience  until one of her former friends begins to date the same boy who raped Melinda. In an attempt to warn her friend, Melinda writes an anonymous letter and then confronts the girl and explains what really happened at the party. Initially, the former friend refuses to believe Melinda and accuses her of jealousy, but later breaks up with the boy. Melinda is confronted by her rapist  who accuses her of destroying his reputation. He attempts to assault Melinda again, but this time she finds the power to speak and screams loudly enough to be heard by other students who are nearby.       Speak: The Controversy and the Censorship    Since its publication release in 1999 Speak has been challenged on its content about rape, sexual assault and suicidal thoughts. In September of 2010 one Missouri professor wanted the book banned from the Republic School District because he considered the two rape scenes â€Å"soft pornography.† His attack on the book elicited a media storm of responses including a statement from the author herself in which she defended her book. (Source: Laurie Halse Anderson’s Web site) The American Library Association listed Speak as number 60 in the top one hundred books to be banned or challenged between 2000 and 2009. Anderson knew when she wrote this story that it would be a controversial topic, but she is shocked whenever she reads about a challenge to  her book. She writes that Speak is about the emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault and is not soft pornography. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web site) In addition to Andersons defense of her book, her publishing company, Penguin Young Readers Group, placed a full page ad in the New York Times to support the author and her book. Penguin spokeswoman  Shanta Newlin stated, That such a decorated book could be challenged is disturbing.  (Source: Publishers Weekly Web site)    Speak: Laurie Halse Anderson and Censorship    Anderson reveals in many interviews that the idea for Speak came to her in a nightmare. In her nightmare a girl is sobbing, but Anderson did not know the reason until she started to write. As she wrote the voice of Melinda took shape and  began to speak.  Anderson felt compelled to tell Melindas story. With the success of her book (a National Award finalist and a Printz Honor Award) came the backlash of controversy and censorship. Anderson was stunned, but found herself in a new position to speak out against censorship. States Anderson, â€Å"Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.† (Source:  Banned Books Blog) Anderson devotes a portion of her website to censorship issues and specifically addresses the challenges to her book Speak. She argues in defense of educating others about sexual assault and lists frightening statistics about young women who have been raped. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web Site) Anderson is actively involved in national groups that battle censorship and book banning such as the ABFFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression), the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.    Speak: My Recommendation    Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. This is the underlying message of Speak and the message Laurie Halse Anderson is trying to convey to her readers. It must be made clear that Melindas rape scene is a flashback and there are no graphic details, but implications. The novel is focused on the emotional impact of the act, and not the act itself. By writing Speak and defending its right to voice an issue, Anderson has opened the door for other authors  to write about real teen issues. Not only does this book deal with a contemporary teen issue, but its an authentic reproduction of the teen voice. Anderson deftly captures the high school experience and understands the teen view of cliques and what it feels like to be an outcast. I grappled with the age recommendations for some time because this is such an important book that needs to be read.  Its a powerful book for discussion and 12 is an age when girls are changing physically and socially. However, I realize that because of the mature content, every 12 year old may not be ready for the book. Consequently, I recommend it for ages 14-18 and, in addition, for those 12 and 13 year olds with the maturity to handle the topic. The publishers recommended ages for this book is 12 and up. (Speak, 2006.  ISBN: 9780142407325)

The Only Actual Science You Need to Know for ACT Science

The Only Actual Science You Need to Know for ACT Science SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While youmay have been toldyou need zero science knowledge to answer any ACT Science questions, this is NOT true. There are typically around four questions per test that you cannot answer without previous background knowledge.That's the difference between a 31 and a 36 on the Science section! In this article, I willgive an overview of the 13 topics that will NOT be explained in the ACT Science passages that the ACT expects you to know. The ACT assumes you know these topics from school and science class. To gather this info, I dissected dozens of previous ACT Science test sections to find the concepts you have to know. As far as we can tell, we're the only ones who have taken the time to research this. If you've gotten bad grades in science classes in school, this article will give you a refresher on the only concepts you need to know. Reminder: If you haven't already, check out our Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science.It contains dozens of ACT Science guides going into every question type tested, strategies to tackle the questions, and how you should be organizing your prep to raise your score. In order to best answer this question of what science you actually need to know for the ACT Science section, I am going tostart with what topics the ACT says the Science section covers. According to the ACT makers, "The content of the Science Test includes biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth/spacesciences (for example, geology, astronomy, and meteorology).† So much information. Do You Need to Be a Science Expert to Succeed on ACT Science? No, and even the ACT makers admit that â€Å"Advanced knowledge in these subjects is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses is needed to answer some of the questions. The test emphasizes scientific reasoning skills over recall of scientific content, skill in mathematics, or reading ability.† Why Don’t You Need Expert Knowledge? In the ACT Science passages, they give you the majority of the information you need to answer the questions.They explain most of the terms within the passage. See for yourself inthis example passage, from a free ACT online practice test: You can see in this passage they give you definitions for most of the terms: refracted, seismograph, focus, shadowzone, the types of seismic waves, the difference between p and s waves. How Much BackgroundKnowledge Do You Need to Answer Most ACT Science Questions? Very little. Most of the questions can be answered using your knowledge of reading graphs and charts.Check out our article on the types of ACT Science Passages for more information about this strategy. For the questions that you can’t answer with the visuals, you can usually figure them out by reading the passage. However, there will be times you can't find the answer in the passage- and that's what we're discussing in this article. What Information Will Not Be Given in the Passage? As I mentioned earlier, there are typically around four questions per test that you cannot answer without previous knowledge.In my study of old ACT Science sections, I have found a total of 13 topics spanning biology, chemistry, physics, and math (yes, math) that you need to know. Here is the overview. I'll go into more depth on each topic below. Biology Cell Biology DNA, RNA, and Ribosomes Natural Selection Chemistry Basic Molecule Structure Freezing/Boiling Point of Water in Celsius pH Scale Molar Mass Concepts How Charges Interact Phase Changes Physics Gravity Density Formula Density Rules Math Basic Math Skills The basic overviews that I present below should be all you need toknow for the test, but I provide links to more in-depth explanations if you would like to do more reading. In our first topic, Cell Biology, you'll also see the first example of a question that you wouldn't be able to answer without prior knowledge, even after reading the passage. Knowledge Subject 1: Biology Topic 1: Cell Biology You need to know certaincell organelles (parts of cells), their functions, and whether they are found in animal or plant cells. Animal Cell Structure Lysosomes hold enzymes. Lysosomes digest food or break down the cell when it dies. Mitochondria are organelles that act like a digestive system, which takes in nutrients, breaks them down, and creates energy-rich molecules (ATP) for the cell. The cell nucleus acts asthe brain of the cell. It contains the cell's DNA, or the genetic information, from which proteins are made (see Topic 2, coming up next). It also helps control eating, movement, and reproduction. Chloroplasts only exist in plant cells and assist in the process of photosynthesis, converting light into energy (which only plants do, not animals). The cell membraneholdsall of the pieces of the cell and serves as the barrier between the cell and other cells. Belowis a sample question where you need an understanding of these organelles to select the correct answer. The chemical reaction mentioned in the passage was photosynthesis. Knowingthat photosynthesis happens inchloroplasts, I can correctly choose answer F. But nowhere in the passage was it said that chloroplasts are where photosynthesis happens! This is a fact you had to know before the test. While there are many other organelles, the ones listed above and ribosomes (which I will cover in the next topic) should be the only organelles you need to know for the test. Also, you should not need to know any other information about these organelles. If you would like to do more reading on these topics, click here. Topic 2: DNA, RNA, Ribosomes, and Protein Synthesis DNA contains the genetic information needed for making proteins (protein synthesis). Protein synthesisinvolves DNA, RNA, ribosomes, and proteins. DNA acts as the blueprint for protein production. The Process of Protein Synthesis Messenger RNA (known as mRNA) makes a copy of the sequence of DNA of a specific gene. This process is known as transcription and happens in the nucleus. Once the mRNA is made, it leaves the nucleus and enters the cytosol of the cell. Ribosomes use mRNA as aguide to make protein of the same amino acid sequence as the original DNA.The process of producing protein from the mRNA is referred to as translation. So, the process of protein synthesis consists of two steps: DNA to mRNA transcription and mRNA to protein translation.If you would like to read a more detailed summary, click here. Topic 3: Natural Selection Natural selection is also known as 'survival of the fittest.' In a specific environment, traits that allow organisms to reproduce more effectively will become more common, and traits that reduce reproductive success will become less common. A classic example of this is the change in peppered moth color during the industrial revolution. In England, the burning of coal during the industrial changed tree bark from light brown to dark brown in color. The peppered moth blended in perfectly and was hidden from predators.However, once clean air acts were passed, the trees quickly returned to a lighter color, making the dark moths easily visible to predators. Meanwhile, lighter colored moths were still hidden from view and survived to lay eggs. Thus, because of natural selection, over the course of years, the moths turned from dark to light in color!Click here for more information. The Strong Survive, the Weak Hang On Knowledge Subject 2: Chemistry Topic 4: Basic Molecule Structure The ACT Science section expects you to know the basic molecular structure of sugar, fat, protein, and nucleic acids. C6H12O6is the basic sugar molecule structure (for more on sugar molecules, click here). There are many different kids of fats: saturated, unsaturated, trans (you may have seen this on nutrition labels). The test does not expect you to know each structure. You only need to know that fatsare made up of C (Carbon), H (Hydrogen), and O (Oxygen), and to differentiate fats from sugar, fats have nearly twice the number of H as C and a very small number of O. Fats are much bigger in size than sugar (for more information on fat molecules, click here). For example,an unsaturated fat triglyceride has a chemical formula ofC55H98O6. Proteins are composed of amino acids (as I mentioned in the above section on protein synthesis, proteins are made based on the original DNA sequence). There are many different protein structures, but all proteins contain C, H, O and N (Nitrogen). Click for more information on proteins and amino acids. Nucleic acids are biomolecules. Two types of nucleic acids that we already discussed are DNA and RNA. Nucleic acids are made up of three parts: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Nucleic acids are different from Sugar, Fat, and Proteins becausethey aremade up of P (Phosphorus) and N in addition to C, H, and O. For more information on nucleic acids, click here. Here is a sample question from the ACT: In order to answer this question, you need to look atthis equation from the passage: You then see that the Carbon from the originalCO2becomes a part ofC6H12O6.However, you need to know thatC6H12O6is a sugar molecule to get the correct answer G. Once again, the ACT expects that you know how photosynthesis works, and what the chemical formula for sugar is! You wouldn't be able to get this information from the passage. Topic #5:Freezing/Boiling Point of Water in Celsius Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius and boils at 100 degrees Celsius. That is all you need to know. Memorize those numbers. For more information, click here. Topic 6: pH Scale A pH scale is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. While the pH scale formally measures the activity of hydrogen ions in a substance or solution, it is typically approximated as the concentration of hydrogen ions. All you need to know is that a pH of below 7 is acidic, above 7 is basic, and at 7 is considered neutral. Fun fact: the beverage Coke has a pH of 2.50 while drinking water typically has a pH of 7.00, and hand soap has a pH of around 10. Coke's very acidic! For more information, click here. Topic 7:Molar Mass Concepts Remember the periodic table? Don't worry- you don't need to memorize molar weights of elements. The only molar mass concept you need to know is that the mass of a molecule is the sum of the mass of its atoms. This appears in an ACT question asking aboutoxygen's weight versuscarbon dioxide's weight. You need to know thatO2is lighter per molecule thanCO2because CO2has an extra Carbon atom compared to oxygen. Check out this ACT Science question: In order to answer this question, you need to use this figure from the passage as well as your outside knowledge. Figure 2 shows that the pressure exerted byO2was greater, eliminating answer choices F and G.However, nothing in the passage tells you if there are moreO2molecules per gram orCO2molecules per gram.You nowknow thatO2is lighter per molecule than CO2, sothe answer is J. For more information aboutO2versus CO2, click here. Topic 8: How Charges Interact Atoms are composed of three types of particles: protons, electrons, and neutrons. Protons are positively charged, electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons have no charge. Like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract each other. For example, two positive charges will repel each other while a positive and a negative charge will attract. For more information, click here. Topic 9:Phase Changes I already mentioned the freezing and boiling point of water in Celsius, but you also need to know the order of phase changes. Below freezing point, a material will be in solid form, just above freezing point a material will be in liquid form, above boiling point, liquid becomes gas (is vaporized). One natural way to think about this is in terms of water. When it's really cold, it turns to ice (solid). When it warms up, it turns to liquid. Then, when you boil it, it turns to steam (gas). For more information, click here. Want to learn more about ACT Science? Check out our new ACT Science prep book. If you liked this lesson, you'll love our book. It includes everything you need to know to ace ACT Science, including deep analysis of the logic behind ACT Science questions, a full breakdown of the different passage and question types, and tons of expert test-taking and study tips. Download our full-length prep book now: Knowledge Subject 3: Physics Topic 10:Gravity You need to know thatgravity is a downward force that acts on objects, and other forces (such as a spring or pulley) can counteract gravity. This will come up a lot in passages that show experiments using springs or pulleys. For more on gravity, click here. Topic 11:Density Formula Density is the degree of compactness of a substance. To calculate the density of a substance, you use the formula: Density = mass/volume For more information on density, mass, and volume, click here. Topic 12:Density Rules You need to know more about density than just the formula. You need to know the main density rule. Denser objects sink, and less dense objects float.Objects only float when they are less dense than the liquid they are placed in. An easy way to think about this: what happens when you throw a rock into water? It sinksthat's because the rock is denser than water, meaning it weighs more for the same volume. What about when you throw a styrofoam cup onto water? It floats- because styrofoam is less dense than water. For the same volume, styrofoam weighs a lot less than water. For more on this rule, click here. Knowledge Subject 4: Math Topic 13: Basic Math Skills You are not allowed to use your calculator on the science section. Yet, there are problems that require math skills like the one below. In order to solve this problem, you have to use the given information from the passage that Algol C is a 1.7 solar-mass MS Star.Then, you have to multiply 1.7 by the mass of the sun (solar-mass) given to you in the question, 2.0 x 10^30.You need to be able to do basic multiplication. 1.7 x 2.0 x 10^30= 3.4 X 10^30, so the answer is C. In order to refresh your basic math skills, I suggest during your practice to attempt some of the easier ACT Math Section questions (the first 15 questions) without using your calculator. And that's it!By knowing these concepts, you'll be able to answer any basic science question the ACT throws at you. If any of these concepts are unfamiliar to you, review them and brush off the cobwebs- you won't need to know the details beyond what's in this article, but it won't hurt to get more attuned to the science topics. What’s Next? Now that you know the basic science for ACT science, it's time to tackle the rest of the science section.Check out our article about the 3 Types of ACT Science Passages.Learnthe big secret of ACT Scienceandthe best way to read ACT Science passages. Reminder: If you haven't already, check out ourUltimate Study Guide For ACT Science.It contains dozens of ACT Science guides going into every question type tested, strategies to tackle the questions, and how you should be organizing your prep to raise your score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

W6Distributed Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

W6Distributed Knowledge - Essay Example With the help of new advancements and movements in communication technology and IT, specialists from everywhere in the world are able to work together as a team. This kind of teamwork is growing at the present. Despite the fact that, new studies on distant and distributed team association have exposed that functioning in these locations brings a challenge to the joint building of novel knowledge. The fundamentals for bringing bright awareness are the similar as in face-to-face location. One precondition for generatinng new information is that to exchange information and distinguish what others are articulating, distributed team associates have to create various postulations regarding what other group members carry out as well as do not identify (Piritta Leinonen, 2008). In addition to judgment of others information, to arrive at the wide-ranging objectives of the team, team associates have to as well assess the knowledge that is previously communal and realized which subjects needed additional development in order to attain conclusions in their mutual assignment. Despite the fact that, in distributed team circumstances it is complicated to review what is familiar or common knowledge. As well as, inside studies on cognitive objectives and self-regulation, opinions have been obtainable regarding how persons strivings to estimate others and common perception that rely upon ones motivational state and cognitive abilities. Like that evaluation tendency, as well as consequently there might be variation in individuals assessments of others and shared information in collaboration also (Lori Rockett, 1998). Data and Knowledge transfer is a course of action in which one person, group or organization recognizes as well as learns detailed knowledge that exists in to another person, group or organization, and reapplies this

INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS FOR BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS FOR BUSINESS - Essay Example In this context we will look at the costs incurred in the production of Apple’s new generation iPads. The company has basically two models of the new generation iPad models; one that is equipped with 32 GB on NAND flash memory and the other that is equipped with 64 GB NAND flash memory and both with a 4G long term evolution (LTE) wireless capability. These are just but the major brands of the new generation iPads. What stands out is the difference in the price of production of the two different models. Looking at the bill of materials of these two, we find that the new iPad 32 GB carries a total of $364.65 and an additional cost of about $10.75 which covers the cost of manufacturing one unit so that the total bill of materials for this iPad to be at $375.10. The 64 GB one’s bill of materials is just $22.85 more than that of the 32 GB model. Looking at these new models, it is simply the prices of their parts that make them so expensive. â€Å"For instance the NAND flash memory prices range from $16 to $67 and are one of the key profit generating components for Apple in the new iPad line† A. Rassweiler (2012) noted. The iPads display and touch screen are also expensive at $120 according to Andrew Rassweiler (2012) too. Some other parts include the $23 A5X processor manufactured by Samsung and which makes up 6.3% of the total BOM, a $41.50 camera similar to the one installed in the iPhone 4 modules, and an improved capacity lithium polymer battery that cost $32.00per piece. This new battery can support 42.5 watt hours which is about 75% from the previous 25 watt hours in the iPad 2. This new battery costs only about 40% more than the old model which costs about $22.75. All in all, basically the 2nd generation iPads cost about$271.00 to produce, about 9 percent cheaper than the 3rd generation ones. According to IHS iSuppli’s Fred Straker (2012). Apple has chosen to leave the price difference at only $71 in order to make it difficult for any other company to beat the price of the iPad 3 given how expensive its production cost is. The average variable cost of producing these new model iPads is just about $360 which is a very high price per unit produced. This however means that on the other hand Apple won’t be able to make quite the profit margin that it was evidently used to with the sale of every iPhone unit, although they will not be too much at loss as most of their profits will be from the 64 GB versions of the new iPads, that is if they sell. The cost of making a 64 GB version just beats that of making the 16 GB one by about $50, with the retail price difference being over $200 due to the added 4G LTE networking technology. This is basically an upgrade that pushes up the retail price of the 64 GB version way beyond the cost of the actual upgrade. This actually means that the more expensive iPads if sold will comfortably cover for the not so much profits earned by the company through the selling of the sl ightly affordable ones. Specifically the 64 GB8with no 4G and the 16 GB9 up to the 64GB11 are Apple’s most expensive iPads and if sold will earn the highest of profits. These are the models that can earn the company the profit margins they are looking forward to. Also the retail price of the iPad 3 is about $629 and that gives Apple a marginal profit of about 51% which is slightly less than that of the 3G iPad2

Principles of Instructional Design Essay Example for Free

Principles of Instructional Design Essay Client – The client is a company known as Delta Computers, which manufactures computers and peripherals. This is a mid-sized 20-year-old company with 2,000 employees worldwide. It has annual sales of $90 million. Its sales force is 400 in number. Of these about 100 are senior sales managers and directors, and the remaining 300 are the frontline sales force consisting of sales executives.   The sales executives make sales calls, both in person and by telephone, to various companies to sell the company’s products. Data Collection – The first step in the creation of the e-learning course is to collect all the information that is required to create an effective e-learning course. There are various data collection techniques, such as interviewing, questionnaires, focus group questionnaires, observation, Internet, and libraries. The Instructional Designer (ID) can conduct an interview with the Senior Sales Managers of Delta Computers to get information about various sales techniques, which they want their employees to learn and which are relevant to their business. They can also gather information from freely available sources on the Internet and libraries, and also existing content about sales techniques that the company may have, created by their erstwhile and present sales managers. They can also send a questionnaire to the Senior Sales Managers seeking the following information that would be required for creating the course. 1. Who is the audience for this course? (Managers, Sales Executives, Directors, Engineers, Administrative employees, Sales Managers) 2. What is the age group of the learners? 3. What are the qualifications of the learners of this course? (High School, Graduate, Engineering Graduate, Management Graduate) 3. What is the means by which the learners will access this course? (Home computer, office computer, Internet, CD) 4. What is the goal of the course or what purpose does the course seek to accomplish? 5. What is the existing knowledge that the learners have about this topic? (Beginners, experts, proficient) 6. Is the goal you seek to accomplish through this course measurable, if so what are the quantities? 7. How many people will access this course per month? 8. How much time can the learners devote to this course per week? 9. Would you like the performance of the learners to be scored at the end of the course? 10. Typically, the passing score of a learner is 80%. What would you like the passing score of the learner to be? 11. Would you want the learner to undergo the complete course again if he or she fails, or would you like them to undergo only the part in which they have failed again? 12. What is the level of technical knowledge of the learners, i.e. do they know how to operate computers, email, Internet? (Beginner, expert, proficient) 13. Within what duration would you like the learner to complete the course? 14. Would you want more interactivity, simulations, graphics, and fun element in the course or would you want the course to be factual and to the point with minimal graphics and fun element? 15. Do you have any existing material on sales techniques which you would like us to incorporate in the course? Analysis – After the required information has been collected, the analysis for the e-learning course would be done. The analysis would include: 1. Learning needs analysis, 2. Goals of the course. 3. Learning gap. 4. Audience analysis. 5. Prerequisites of course. 6. Learning environment. 7. Passing criteria. 8. Objectives of the course. A detailed analysis and design document is created, which is then sent to the client for approval. After the client provides their approval on the document, the storyboarding for the e-learning course is started. Learning needs analysis – After interviews with the senior managers and from the information acquired through the questionnaire, the learning needs are determined. The senior managers of Delta Computers state that most of their sales executives who make customers calls either through telephone or personally come from varied backgrounds. The current information about sales techniques that they have is gained through the Powerpoint presentations created by the erstwhile and present sales and marketing managers of the company for internal training purposes. When a new sales employee joins, he or she is asked to read these presentations. The information in these presentations, which number about 20, is old and also there is no evaluation at the end of the presentations. The information is organized haphazardly and there are very little graphics and interactivity. The information is also outdated. Learning goals – After understanding the current level of knowledge, the ID gets information about the goals of the course. In this case, Delta Computers wants their sales executives who actually make customer calls to learn the latest sales techniques so they can close many more deals successfully. Learning gap analysis – The ID then chalks out in detail what is the gap between the learning goals and the current level of learning. The ID is able to understand that the existing information about sales techniques is generally what the Senior Sales Managers had put down informally on presentations. The information is haphazardly structured, out-of-date, incomplete, and uninterestingly presented. The ID proposes to get information on latest sales techniques by interviewing the Senior Sales Managers and Sales Directors of the company and other outside sales experts, and through books, journals, and Internet articles. Audience Analysis – After the learning gap analysis, the audience for the course is analyzed. From the information obtained from the answers to the questionnaire submitted to Delta Computers, the ID is able to understand the profile of the learner of this course. The learners who will undergo this course are males and females belonging to the age group of 24 to 55 years. They are mostly graduates in various disciplines, including arts, sciences, and management. About 5% of them are engineering graduates in various disciplines and 10% have obtained management degrees in sales and marketing. They are all computer and Internet savvy and 10% of them have their personal laptops. Prerequisites of the course – The ID formulates certain prerequisites for undertaking the course. The learners should all have basic knowledge of computers, Internet, and English language. They should also have adequate knowledge about the various products in the portfolio of Delta Computers and the features and benefits of the products. Learning environment – The learners will undertake the course through the company’s Learning Management System (LMS). This will be an online course and each learner will be provided a login ID to log in to the LMS. The hardware requirements would be minimum Pentium IV configuration, 2.40 GHz, and 256 MB RAM with broadband Internet. Passing criteria – The learner will need to score a minimum of 80% in the assessment to pass the course. If they are unable to do so, they will have to undertake the course again. Terminal objectives – The next step is to divide the course content into modules and topics and to formulate the terminal objectives for each module of the course. The name of the course is â€Å"Sales Techniques to Make Effective Sales.† The five levels of Bloom’s taxonomy are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The five learning types according to Gagne are verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills, and attitudes.

The Football Field :: Observation Essay, Descriptive Essay

The Football Field I squat down and cup my hands under the bent over body. I scope the battlefield and acknowledge the positioning of my eleven enemies. A million thoughts go through my mind as I decide which area I am going to attack. My warrior paint is smearing down my cheeks, and my cleats dig into the frozen tundra of the battleground. I feel like all the eyes of the arena are on me, as I yell my cadence. I yell the final "GO" and the warriors clash with intent to hurt. Bodies are flying all around me, but I don't notice them, for I am concentrated on one thing, to march my comrades down the hostile territory, and through the archenemies barricade. After each of these affairs, and the traditional trash talking, I trot over to the sidelines to get the next battle strategy from the general. Sometimes disagreeing, yet always sticking to the strategy drawn out for me. I return to the huddle of the good guys, each with a look of violence on their face, preparing for the next battle. We break the adrenaline loaded huddle, and we all trot to the front line. The air is brisk, and the night is out. The lights beam down on the green playing field like spotlights on a stage. The crowd is anticipating an exciting play by their home team, and busy with commotion. The little kids are on the top of the hill playing football, imagining they were playing in front of that same rambunctious crowd. Just an hour before, I had arrived to this battleground, stepping off of the bus with my teammates. All of us feeling the same nervousness in the pit of our stomach just at the site of the arena, infested with filthy rats with different colored jerseys. Anticipating the events to come, I jog up and down that magical field, taking in anything that I can use to my advantage.

Big business affects public relations ethics Essay

Big business today affects public relation ethics. â€Å"U. S. corporations devote hundreds of millions of dollars annually to ? public relations in order to create goodwill for themselves. A major public ? relations goal is to make people believe that an organization exerts a ? positive and desirable force in society. This process is called image building; ideally, it creates credibility. † (Blohowiak 1987) There are two reasons regarding the deterioration of public relation ethics. First, people are driven by self gaining attitude. Second, because of the self- gain mentality, people treat costumers or the â€Å"other† as only an object or a means to achieve their desire. Individual’s self gain has been one of the strongest considerations of a man in indulging himself to a business or corporation. It is always automatic that man will seek for gain in any undertaking. Man desires for material things in life and is always in constant act of assimilating these things. This assimilation contributes to the malady of the business world today. Because of this drive of man to gain, man, most of the time is on a self- centered mode. Man is likely not to consider others in order to achieve his desires. He does not consider what ethical means to be done in order to achieve his goal rather, seeing only means that can contribute to his gain. Man becomes glued by the desire to gain. Instead of a brotherly relationship with a co- employee or a client, the relationship becomes just a functional relationship because people see each other as only a means to a desired end. They interact only by means of functions and with the reason of only accomplishing something. The relationship becomes an objective relationship and that they don’t care to other employees and costumers. The â€Å"I† and â€Å"thou† relationship is no where to be found. Customers and other employees are treated up objects. They are not recognized as also beings with human dignity. People in doing business do not look at the welfare of the â€Å"other† and becomes glued with self centeredness. Because of self gain which gives birth to treating others as only objects of their desire, the public relations ethics deteriorates. The business world today is full of deception that a lot of cases and dilemmas have been produced. People does not give emphasis on the quality of service they render instead their emphasis is on the amount of profit they will get from every transaction. Money becomes the criteria of doing business and of everything. The true meaning of inter human relationship vanishes. People do away from the very essence of it. They find meaning in assimilating material things which is a true deviation from their essence. Their essence as social being is to treat others as subjects, as beings with human dignity. People also deviate from the will of God because the will of God dictates that they must treat others with respect and love. God wants people to have a harmonious inter human relationship. It makes Him sad to see people using other people just to satisfy caprices. Greed becomes the theme of the business world today and great virtues and values are hard to find. The drive of man for self gain is very strong. It is very difficult to overcome. This is the reason why we have a deteriorating public relations ethics. People seem to care for the assimilation of money and nothing else. Material possessions drew people’s attention and they become fixated with it. Even in a lifetime, it is very difficult nowadays to detach from this sad reality of our existence. Life in the business world is always a tale of thinking to do what’s right and thinking to do what is beneficial to one’s self, very hard but interesting battle that every people is facing. With big business processing big investments for big profits, big business executives will not think twice in manipulating public relations activities to make the picture suit their interests over other competitiors.

Dream Come To True

Each one of us have their own dreams who want to achieve it. There is no easy thing in this world. We should work hard for it. But sometimes faith is trying to fool us, no matter how hard a person try he/she can also feel failures in it. But, this doesn't mean we should stop of dreaming. For me, I keep on dreaming for my future and actually I have a lot of dreams that I want to achieve like finding my collegiate and to have a good career in the dear future.To have an own car and support my brother in their education so that the burdens of my parents will be lessen. By the time comes, when I can build my own family. I can give my children a better food, shelter, cloth and the most important is education. To be honest, there's still none these dreams that I have mention comes true but I don't loose hope on it. I'm still young and there is still a long way to walk. As long as I have faith to God and work hard in order to achieve my dreams and one day my dreams can comes true.When I was a kid I have a dream of becoming a soldier for our country but as I grew old I realize that I just want to become a successful businessman or have a good career in the field of Multimedia Arts. Back in my elementary days, I have a dream of becoming a varsity player when I reach high school. Fortunately, In first year after finish the tryout I was one of those few selected to become varsity player although I was just a reserved player I was very grateful because there are only 3 first year player that have been selected.Dreams need a full support from friends and relative. A dreams can come true if it is in your destiny. Only God knows what is best for us. Failure makes a person more stronger and better. And if one day, a dream came true in our lives, we are blessed by the Lord and keep continue dreaming. Everyone, and anyone can dream, even a four year old who can barely talk still has the slightest idea of what they want in life. The truth is you can dream all day long about someth ing so illusory, but it takes a special type of person to make a dream come true.Education is piece of you that can never be taken away, no one can take what's inside of you. Furthering your education is a course of action that WILL take you far in life, affairs, and personal relationships. A teacher can only give you the tools and fundamentals, but to achieve goals past school is a thing of its own. Kids now a day's only care about getting out of school, but what they don’t understand is that school is the birthplace of your dreams.With a college degree you could easily make a living as a nurse, or physical therapy assistant, and other amazing opportunities will come your way. Today's world is cut- throat, with 3. 1 million Americans unemployed, it is crucial that we further our education in order to set aside a high-quality job. Education is the only thing that's going to help me pursue my dreams. It can change the course of mind, spare you of the bumps and bruises of life, and turn wrong situations around. Everyone has a dream, but it take strength, perseverance, and education to make them come true. Dream Come to True Each one of us have their own dreams who want to achieve it. There is no easy thing in this world. We should work hard for it. But sometimes faith is trying to fool us, no matter how hard a person try he/she can also feel failures in it. But, this doesn't mean we should stop of dreaming. For me, I keep on dreaming for my future and actually I have a lot of dreams that I want to achieve like finding my collegiate and to have a good career in the dear future.To have an own car and support my brother in their education so that the burdens of my parents will be lessen. By the time comes, when I can build my own family. I can give my children a better food, shelter, cloth and the most important is education. To be honest, there's still none these dreams that I have mention comes true but I don't loose hope on it. I'm still young and there is still a long way to walk. As long as I have faith to God and work hard in order to achieve my dreams and one day my dreams can comes true.When I was a kid I have a dream of becoming a soldier for our country but as I grew old I realize that I just want to become a successful businessman or have a good career in the field of Multimedia Arts. Back in my elementary days, I have a dream of becoming a varsity player when I reach high school. Fortunately, In first year after finish the tryout I was one of those few selected to become varsity player although I was just a reserved player I was very grateful because there are only 3 first year player that have been selected.Dreams need a full support from friends and relative. A dreams can come true if it is in your destiny. Only God knows what is best for us. Failure makes a person more stronger and better. And if one day, a dream came true in our lives, we are blessed by the Lord and keep continue dreaming. Everyone, and anyone can dream, even a four year old who can barely talk still has the slightest idea of what they want in life. The truth is you can dream all day long about someth ing so illusory, but it takes a special type of person to make a dream come true.Education is piece of you that can never be taken away, no one can take what's inside of you. Furthering your education is a course of action that WILL take you far in life, affairs, and personal relationships. A teacher can only give you the tools and fundamentals, but to achieve goals past school is a thing of its own. Kids now a day's only care about getting out of school, but what they don’t understand is that school is the birthplace of your dreams.With a college degree you could easily make a living as a nurse, or physical therapy assistant, and other amazing opportunities will come your way. Today's world is cut- throat, with 3. 1 million Americans unemployed, it is crucial that we further our education in order to set aside a high-quality job. Education is the only thing that's going to help me pursue my dreams. It can change the course of mind, spare you of the bumps and bruises of life, and turn wrong situations around. Everyone has a dream, but it take strength, perseverance, and education to make them come true.

Group 1 Essays - Mountain Dew, Fauna Of Africa, Food And Drink

Group 1 Essays - Mountain Dew, Fauna Of Africa, Food And Drink Group 1 Professor Huang MKTG322-002 October 24, 2013 Mountain Dew Case Analysis After carefully analyzing the five potential creative spots and storyboards presented to the PepsiCo managers by Bruce and Cassar, we felt " Cheetah, " " Showstopper, " and " Dew or Die " should be developed for best embodying the company's brand attitude. We reached our decision by considering Mountain Dew's previous ad campaign successes, which capitalized on popular trends amongst teens and young adults, such as extreme sports and memorable music. We realize the importance of staying ten steps ahead of the game to create something that will rejuvenate the brand, since it is a common occurrence that a campaign can lose traction in the marketplace by becoming overly exposed and tiresome to the consumers. The following paper details our analyses of Cheetah, Showstopper, and Dew or Die and why we believe these are the top three creative spots that should be developed and aired throughout 2000. As the market research explains, Mountain Dew's target market is predominantly male teens, and already established consumers consisting of males between the ages of 20-39 years old already brand loyal to Mountain Dew. However, PepsiCo managers are especially interested in the teen segment as it is during these years that consumers make the transition from experimenting with a variety of soft drinks to establishing brand loyalty with a single soft drink. One of the biggest goals for the PepsiCo managers is that their ad will resonate with their target audience and, in turn increase their consumer base. It is important that the message the marketer is trying to sell to the consumer be received in the intended manner. Therefore, by satisfying their target audience's wants and needs, the "Cheetah" ad will adhere to the brand managers ' desired impact. In the "Cheetah" ad, you see a young 20-something year old chasing down a cheetah on a bicycle to retrieve his Mountain Dew from the cheetah. Next, the 20-something year old reaches in the cheetah's mouth, down to his stomach and pulls out the can of Mountain Dew. This spot will appeal to a younger audience due to the age of the actors and the extreme sports taking place during its entirety. The ad expresses the thought that consumers would be willing to travel great distances and brave extraordinary measures in order to be able to get their hands on a Mountain Dew. This is shown through the location of the commercial, the African plains, and by chasing the fastest feline in the world to get back the stolen can of soda. Teens want excitement, thrills, adventure, and they like the risk of danger. The appeal of Thanatos' (the death wish) is extremely effective in marketing to teens because it incorporates all of these things that teens want. This appeal is also very apparent in the "Cheetah" ad as chasing down a cheetah, tackling it, and reaching into its mouth is an extremely dangerous thing to do. In addition to this appeal, the inclusion of the "Dew Dude" chasing the cheetah on his bike and his friends watching nearby on their bikes incorporates the coolness of extreme sports and the thrill of adventure. It also incorporates humor, which resonates with teens well, with the lines "bad, cheetah, bad!" and "see, this is why I'm not a cat person." With the use of Thanatos, extreme sports, and humor, this ad is a great expression of drinking Mountain Dew becoming that exhilarating experience for the consumer. "Cheetah" demonstrates that Mountain Dew not only can motivate you to accomplish the impossible and that you are cool while doing it. This ad is also expresses that the taste of Mountain Dew is worth extreme risk and danger; you would chase down a cheetah to get some delicious Mountain Dew, and that would not be the case but for brands like Sprite or Coke. In addition to clearly marketing these messages, the ad also markets the product well. The can of Mountain Dew is featured in multiple instances with vibrant close-ups. Ending the ad with the slogan "Do the Dew" is another great integration of the product as well as a reminder to the audience. Mountain Dew

How to Stop Procrastinating and Increase Concentration

How to Stop Procrastinating and Increase Concentration How to Stop Procrastinating and Increase Concentration No matter how close the deadline, sometimes your motivation to read, research, write and edit your paper can dwindle. This can be particularly bad if youre prone to procrastinating. The technology that surrounds us in everyday life means that there are endless distractions available. For those of us prone to procrastinating, getting work done can therefore be a challenge. However, there are also some practical steps you can take to improve the way you work, and therefore the quality of the work you complete. If you’re in the throes of a bout of procrastination and staring a deadline in the face, the following tips might be helpful. Get Rid of Online Distractions Even short periods spent on Facebook or Twitter can add up, and you spend more time taking quizzes to find out which Harry Potter character you are than researching your paper. To get rid of temptation online, install a program that blocks certain websites for a specified time. This allows you to work uninterrupted. Take Regular Breaks Some research suggests that the average persons attention span is roughly 8.25 seconds. Its probably not surprising that were so prone to procrastinating, if that is true. Especially since writing an assignment requires concentrating for longer periods. However, your ability to concentrate for longer periods decreases as you get tired, so regular (planned) breaks are essential. Even a short break of ten minutes every few hours can boost your concentration and efficiency. Breaks from work are also useful in a more general sense. Once you have completed a draft of a chapter or part of your paper, leave it for twenty-four hours. You will then be able to return to it with fresh eyes, making editing much easier. Take Exercise Exercise taken during the work day can boost concentration, motivation and time management. If possible, fit some form of exercise into your day. A brisk walk at lunchtime will improve not only your health and mood but also your concentration. Drink Water Staying well hydrated is vital for cognitive functioning, so concentration can be hindered if you aren’t getting enough fluids. Don’t forget to drink enough throughout the day, as by the time you feel thirsty, your brain power may have decreased by up to 10%. Create the Perfect Environment Minor irritations, like an uncomfortable chair or a dim light which forces you to strain your eyes, can contribute to a lack of desire to work. Ensure that your working environment is comfortable and calming so that you can focus on your work. Know Your Optimal Working Routine Something which can dramatically reduce procrastination and improve efficiency is working out an optimized working routine. For example, different people work better at different times of day; night owls might get their best work done at midnight, while early birds might have 2,000 words done before 9am! Work to your strengths, but make sure your sleeping pattern is not affected. What Motivates You? Sometimes, small rewards can increase motivation and having something tangible to look forward to can spur you on to meet your goals. Knowing you have dinner plans with friends will encourage you to meet your targets for the day.

Global Executive or Manager Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Executive or Manager Case Study - Essay Example Today, American Express is one of the most recognized brands in the world. From a company that forwarded freight and valuables across America, it has emerged as a global company that sells payment and financial products all over the world. Chenault joined the company in 1981 and since then has served in many positions ranging from director of strategic planning in the Merchandise Services division to president of the Consumer Card division to Chairman. He restructured the company’s line of cards and in the 90’s displayed courage bold leadership in persuading people from airlines and restaurants to continue with American Express and at the same time quelled internal feuds in the company. It was Chenaults strength and leadership that stabilized American Express when American economy was weak. Chenault was hand-picked by Harvey Golub, the then head of the Travel Related Services (TRS) division, when the company was going through troubled times. Chenault accepted the challenge and streamlined the staffs of four divisions and created one productive business unit, resulting in savings of $3 billion in operating costs to the company. Golub has this to say about Chenault "There are qualities in leadership that c an only be observed over time--how an individual deals with others, how he deals with adversity and complex issues, how he organizes his time and efforts, and deals with external constituencies. And Ken has demonstrated amply over the years his abilities. Hes more than capable." American Express is one of the worlds largest travel agencies and is also well known for its charge cards and revolving credit cards. The company in addition issues travelers checks and publishes magazines such as Food & Wine and Travel & Leisure. The company has operations in more than 2,200 locations all over the world. It was established in 1850. In its early years AmEx was a