Summary of website & About The Company

Netscape Communications Corporation is a â€Å"leading provider of open software for linking people and information over private TCP/IP-based enterprise networks (â€Å"intranets†) and the Internet.† They develop market and support a wide area of enterprise client and server software, tools for development and commercial applications which creates a single communication platform shared for other network applications.All its software is on industrial standard protocols; therefore it can be deployed on any operating system, hardware platform and databases. It can also be connected with various other client/server applications. The software can be used across different geographic locations, third party partners and customers.The product can be used by individuals or by organizations for any internet related transactions such as buying and selling of information, software, merchandise or publications.The company also offers services for the user and the network. These featu res include graphics and e-mail. The Company also offers software products and tools for intranet users. Their marketing strategy incorporates multiple channel distribution, direct sales, internet, telesales, resellers, value-added resellers and retailers.Some of the companies with which Netscape does business are AT&T, Apple, British Telecom, Compaq,   Deutsche   Telekom,   Digital,   France   Telecom,   Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Informix, Novell, Olivetti,   Siemens, Silicon  Ã‚   Graphics, Sybase and Sun. Netscape was incorporated in April 1994 in Delaware. The homepage is available at http://home.netscape.com. The Executive office is situates at 501 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California 94043. Stocks are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol â€Å"NSCP†. The U.S. offering was a total of 4,250,000 shares.The International offering was 750,000 shares, carrying the total to 5,000,000 shares. This includes 2,000,000 shares sold by The Company and 3,000,000 shares which were sold by Selling Stockholders. 86,535,395 shares were outstanding from the Common Stock after offering.The summary of the supplemental and consolidated financial information is as follows. In the months of March 1995, June 1995, September 1995, December 1995, March 1996, June 1996 and September 1996. The total revenue was $100,016 the highest in September 1996 and the lowest in $5,814 in March 1995.The gross profit was $85,322 the highest in September 1996 and the lowest in $5,814 in March 1995. The merger related charges were lowest in $2,033 in December 1995 and highest $6,100 in June 1996. Total operating expenses was highest $76,362 in September 1996 and lowest in $10,412 in March 1995. The Net income (loss) per share was 0 in September 1995.

Flame Test Lab

Flame Test Lab Question: When a compound is placed in the flame of a burner, what happens to the color of the flame? Hypothesis: When the compound is placed in the flame, the flame changes color depending on the chemical compound. When they’re heated, they gain energy and changed color sometimes. Safety Requirements for this Lab: Wear goggles at all times. If you want to remove them to write in your notebook you may sit at a table in the center of the room. When you sit down remove them and when you stand up put them on. Use aprons. Pull back hair. No loose clothing.Close-toed shoes. NO FOOLING AROUND. It is very important that you DO NOT mix up the nichrome wire hands. Background Information: When chemical compounds are heated, hey gain energy. The electrons in some of these chemicals will jump from their ground state electron configuration (such as the electron configurations we have ben drawing for the elements) to higher energy levels. As these electrons fall back to their original positions in the atom, they emit energy. One form of this energy is light energy. This is what you will be observing in this experiment. Materials: Nichrome wire wand  · Test tubes containing water  · Test tubes containing 6M hydrochloric acid as needed to clean wire  · Test tubes containing: Copper sulfate Potassium sulfate Copper nitrate Potassium nitrate Strontium nitrate Calcium nitrate Copper chloride Strontium chloride Calcium chloride Cobalt chloride Sodium chloride Sodium nitrate Sodium sulfate Barium clroride Calcium nitrate  · Tirrel burner  · Matches  · Goggles  · Apron Procedure: Work in teams of two At each table there are two samples and two tirrel burners and matches.Start the burner as you have learned to do and obtain a low blue flame with the inner blue flame. Next take the nichrome wire and place in the flame. Noticed its color when it becomes red hot. This is not the color of the flame you are looking for. The flame to observe is the one o btained just as you place it in the flame. Place the wand in the test tube with the solution of the compound, quickly place it in the flame and observe its color. Write down the color and any observations on the table provided below. Do this no more than three times.Then rinse the wire in the water Heat the wire in the flame until it has no residue from the compound left. If you have problems ask your teacher. Return the nichrome wire to the water test tube. When this is completed, exchange chemical compound setups with you tablemates. Repeat the procedure for each chemical compound. When your table is done with both chemical compounds, pass them both clockwise to the next table. When all chemical setups are complete, the class will discuss which chemical compounds that you would like to observe again.Analysis: Each element is made up of different atoms. The heat helps the atoms move around and emit different colors of flame. Only certain elements can be identified by the naked eye. With others, you can identify an element by their colors, or if a metal, by their hardness and durability. I do not believe it would be effective because some elements might be similar in most ways and have you confused. I think if the wire in this lab became contaminated, the results of the flame would be different.The colors of the flame would not be correct due to the contamination and chemical compound on the wire. All of the flames don’t have the same color because each chemical on the wire is different. It has to have a boost to a higher energy level. Once they’ve fallen baxck to their first positions, they emit energy. The color of the flame is caused by the exciting metal ions. They are shown once burned just like we did in class. Copper: 1s22s2 2p63s23p64s23d9 , Sodium: 1s22s2 2p63s1 , Potassium: 1s22s2 2p63s23p64s1 , Strontium: 1s22s2 2p63s23p64s23d104p65s2 Flame Test Lab I. Purpose: To observe the colors produced when compounds are introduced into a flame and the electrons become excited. To estimate the wavelength of light produced, then calculate the frequency and energy of the light II. Safety: Standard safety procedures III. Chemical Inventory: Chemical Name: |Hazards: | |Lithium Chloride |Moderately | | |Toxic by ingestion | |Potassium Chloride |Slightly toxic by ingestion | |Calcium Chloride |Slightly toxic | |Barium Chloride |HIGHLY toxic by ingestion.Use extreme caution | |Cupric Chloride |HIGHLY toxic by ingestion. Use extreme caution | IV. Pre-Lab Questions: V. Procedure: 1. Dip the soaked wooden splint in one chemical at a time. Make a few crystal stick to the splint 2. Hold the end of the splint with the crystals in the burner flame and watch the first color you see. When it changes to orange, the splint is burning and we don’t care about that color 3. Use your chart from your prelab to estimate the wavelength of the color being produced 4. Obtain an unknown from your teacher, record the letter of the unknown, and do a flame test on the unknown. It will be one of the chemicals you have already tested. VI. Data and Observations: Chemical |Color produced |Estimated Wavelength (nm) | |Lithium Chloride | | | |Sodium Chloride | | | |Potassium Chloride | | | |Calcium Chloride | | | |Strontium Chloride | | | |Barium Chloride | | | |Cupric Chloride | | | |Unknown___ | | | VII. Calculations: For each chemical, do the following calculations. 1. Using the estimated wavelength, calculate the frequency of the light produced. 2. Using the frequency of the light, calculate the energy of each photon of light produced. VI. Conclusion: VIII. Error Analysis:

Mergers & Acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mergers & Acquisitions - Essay Example A merger takes place when the firms involved in the combination are of unequal size. The larger or stronger firm continues to exist because of its stronger bargaining power and the smaller or weaker firms go out of existence. Four periods of economic history have witnessed very high levels of merger activity, which are called a merger waves. These periods are characterized by cyclical activity i.e. large number of mergers followed by relatively fewer mergers ((ICMR), 2003). The current period is called as the fifth wave. In the first three waves, merger activity was concentrated in the United States of America. The fourth and the fifth waves were global in nature though the impact of the wave is most pronounced in the United States of America. First Wave The first merger wave occurred after the depression of 1883. It peaked between 1898 and1902 though it began in 1897 and ended in 1904. The merger had the greatest impact on eight specific industries i.e. primary metals, bituminous coal, food products, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum and fabricated metal products. These industries accounted for almost two – thirds of the total mergers during these periods.The mergers in the first wave were predominantly horizontal combinations. These resulting industrial consolidations led to creation of large monopolies. For example, US steel founded by J P Morgan merged with Carnegie Steel founded by Andrew Carnegie.The merged firm US Steel also acquired several other smaller steel producers and the resulting giant capture 75% of the steel market of the United States of America. ... Second Wave The second merger wave occurred between 1916 and 1929. George Stigler, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, has contrasted the first wave as "merging for monopoly" and the second wave as "merging for oligopoly." The consolidation pattern resulted in the emergence of oligopolistic industrial structures. The second wave was primarily fuelled by the post World War I boom in America Economy and a buoyant capital market. The second merger wave lasted until the Great Depression. The wave ended with the stock market crash on the "Black Thursday" i.e. October 29th of the year 1929, when the stock market witnessed one of the steepest stock price falls in history. Some of the corporate giants like General Motors, International Business Machines (IBM), Union Carbide, and John Deere etc., are a product of this era. Third Wave The third merger wave occurred during 1965 to 1969. This wave featured a historically high level of merger activity. One of the reasons for this factor is that this wave occurred in the background of a booming American Economy. One of the new trends started by this wave was the acquisition of larger companies by smaller companies. In the waves prior to this, the acquirer was always bigger in size than the target. A large proportion of transactions that took place during this wave were conglomerate transactions. The conglomerates formed during this period were highly diversified and simultaneously operated in several unrelated industries. For example, during the sixties ITT acquired such diversified businesses like car rental firms, bakeries, consumer credit agencies, luxury hotels, airport parking firms,

The Effective Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Effective Leadership - Essay Example In a case presented about Harley Davidson Motorcycles by Grant et al. (1999), it was highlighted that the organization suffered as a result of poorly defined work roles, and poor leadership. Through implementing fundamental changes in management techniques, it was determined that the firm should adopt a more democratic leadership style. By definition, a democratic leadership role is that which employs a style in which employees are encouraged to be active decision makers. As a result, the organization implemented a policy of employing â€Å"Natural work-groups† between 8-15 people whose purpose was providing feedback to superiors. As a result, the democratically managed organization was able to determine that employee satisfaction was the catalyst for change and as such implemented a no-firing policy and implemented a policy of unlimited sick days. As a result, the company saw sales growth between the years 1994 and 1997 and a near doubling of production. As argued by Mills & Simmons (1999) organizations may employ a degree of ‘institutional inertia’ which in the end makes them unreceptive to change. The consequence of this kind of policy is ‘rigidity’, insofar as it may become difficult for some organizations to change their workflow to better accommodate changes in technology. As such, in some circumstances, it may be beneficial for a company to employ a strategy of implementing the more autocratic style of leadership. According to Essortment.com (2010), it is the case that an autocratic style of leadership is a strategy in which management tries to maintain as much power over decision-making aspects of an organization as possible.

Management Accounting and how it can be defined Essay

Management Accounting and how it can be defined - Essay Example In other words a more complex definition of Management Accounting expands the simple one and states that the process of providing the information required by management for planning, Organizing and controlling for goals such as: ïÆ'  Recording, Analyzing and reporting on the actual cost and inputs of products, services and processes in which we are very much concerned and which is also our first question ïÆ'  Working with starting cost, function, standard of performance, revenue and quantity budgets, which is related to our second and third questions, ïÆ'  Evaluating Alternative Opportunities, this is last and fourth question. Starting with our first question and second question simultaneously, we will find out the Total Fixed Cost, Contribution Margin, variable cost and Brake Even Point Andre is running a hair cutting saloon in which 5 Barbers work for him 40 hours/week, 50 weeks/year and being paid $9.90 per hour regardless of the number of the haircuts and every one who has a h air cut gets his hair washed so the charger for the shampoo or hair wash is assumed to be already included in it which will come under fixed cost by which his Fixed Cost per year will be $99,000 and $1,750 is the rent and other fixed expenses per month which again comes under Fixed cost by which his Total Fixed Cost per year will increase by $21,000 and the Total Fixed Cost will be $120,000/year and $10,000/month (this calculation is done on yearly ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¯Æ'  monthly basis). ... Yearlymonthly basis (this calculation is done generally). As we now have our T.F.C i.e. $120,000 we have to calculate Break Even Point i.e. how many haircuts should be done so that we get $120,000 and i.e. 10,000haircuts/year should be done so that we don't get a loss and that is our B.E.P in units. Here there is no Variable cost i.e. no such sort of charges which will increase or decrease the total cost.Moving to our 3rd question i.e. if 20,000 haircuts are performed what will be the Operating income (profit), as we have calculated before our T.F.C i.e. $120,000 which will not change if we do either 1or 10,000 Haircuts/year. Assuming that the cost for one hair cut $12 and if we do 20,000 haircuts our income will be $240,000 and now subtracting the total expenses or T.F.C i.e. $120,000 we get an Operating income i.e. a profit of $120,000. As we have assumed $12/haircut we have included the taxes, Wages, rent, all the fixed expenses, the cost of shampoo and other required material in it. After all this we get a good profit of $120,000 if the saloon works as mentioned i.e. 50weeks/year and the barbers work for 40hours/week. Now for supporting this statement one barber works 2000hours/year as per the calculation and has to do a Minimum of 2haircuts/hour, 80haircuts/week if he works 8hours/day, 5days/week which is again 40hours/week and in 50weeks he can do 4000haircut, if similar calculation is done for the other 4 Barbers our task for 20,000 haircuts will be achieved. In our 4th and last question Andre decides to pay in a revised or in a different way i.e. by decreasing the Wages/hour and giving money/haircut. Andre decides to pay $4/hour i.e. fixed cost and $6/haircut which is

Exploratory Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exploratory Research - Essay Example Case study is a method employed in qualitative exploratory research. Qualitative research involves assessing the human or social issue, and then reporting the result in comprehensive words instead of producing quantified data. According to a definition, "Qualitative case study can be defined as an intensive, holistic description and analysis of a single entity, phenomenon or social unit. Case studies are particularistic, descriptive and heuristic, and rely heavily on inductive reasoning in handling multiple data sources" (Merriam, 1988). This above definition explains that the case study method analyses rigorously, information of one few single group, organization or event. In this method, a detailed study of a situation is carried out which is somewhat similar to the main topic of the study assignment. The reader’s perceptive of the event under research is enlightened and provides the researcher with intensive data. Case studies are helpful in explaining the holistic description of a sample’s view. It is also useful when the researchers want to attain qualitative in-depth analysis of a particular event. The use of the case study varies according to the demand of the researcher. Psychobiography is the detailed investigation into the lives of important historical personalities with psychosomatic hypothesis and investigations. Its motive is to attain a clear understanding of the person and to discover the personal intention behind the open actions. In Psychobiography, the writers spend hours penning down the complex, confusing, secretive and creative lives. Psychobiography involves immense research and intelligence. A good psychobiography is one that covers each fact with several supporting data any sources. â€Å"Best psycho biographies leaves the reader feeling ineffably won over† (Schultz, 2005). Some of the eminent personalities penned in many psycho biographical books include Hitler, Freud, Gandhi,

Auto Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Auto - Term Paper Example The â€Å"Big Three† of the auto industry are known as Ford, Chevy and Chrysler. The Big Three are shadowed by smaller auto companies such as Toyota and Nissan. These auto companies together make up the auto industry. The auto industry is one of the largest job providers since it provides over one million jobs in the United States. In November of 2010 the auto industry provided over 700,000 jobs (Linebaugh2010). It takes a strong industry to be able to provide that many jobs. An industry of that size is dependent on being organized in a manner that allows managers and CEO’s the resources needed to make strong business decisions. Events Leading Up To a Struggling Auto Industry Many factors played a role in allowing the auto industry to decline into its current position. In 2008 gas prices jumped to over $4.00 a gallon for most of the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics2011). The rise in gas prices nearly halted the production of vehicles that got terrible gas mileage. Many Diesels, SUV’s and large Trucks were no longer popular. Many just could not afford to use the vehicles because of the price of gas. Smaller options better on gas mileage were a new trend. Since the vehicles were not being sold, there was less of a need to manufacture the vehicles. Less manufacturing meant for less income and decisions to slow and shut down many manufacturing facilities. Globalization has allowed the auto industry to target markets throughout the whole world and not just the United States. The auto industry was more focused on setting up manufacturing facilities in other parts of the world and somewhat neglecting issues that were happening in their home country. Many are upset about allowing jobs to go oversees and will not even buy new vehicles from the auto makers. Decisions made to globalize the auto industry have put a damper on U.S. sales, jobs and reputation. This type of damage takes a lot of re organizing in order to return to a happy medium where business can boom and customers are satisfied. Current Situation of the Auto Industry, What went wrong? The current situation of the auto industry is somewhat of a mess. Stocks for the auto industry have declined, auto makers have filed bankruptcy and production has been drastically reduced. Chrysler which is one of the big three auto makers filed for bankruptcy in April of 2009 (Isodore2009). This bankruptcy was a final attempt to try and save the auto maker. Even after receiving a large bail out from the government, Chrysler was still unable to clear its deficit. Chrysler is not the only company caught up the mess of the auto industry. Bad manufacturing by Toyota has caused for those in authority positions to be forced to rethink ethical decisions about the quality of vehicles manufactured. Toyota had over 100 issues of vehicles causing accidents by the gas pedals getting stuck. This type of problem has reduced sales and could have been prevented by being better orga nized in Toyotas safety department. It is apparent that being better organized and prepared for rising gas prices and a decline in sales could have stopped the hurt of the situation that the auto makers are currently in. Being better prepared could have reduced the need for a government bailout. It would have been in the auto maker’s best interest to address the issue at the first sight of declining sales rather than pretending as if the fallout was not going to happen. Prevention would have lessened the impact on the rest

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Psychology - Essay Example In a similar vein, studies have shown that social influence through friends influence the use of alcohol in young adults and friends. This is the rationale behind the attempt of the study to evaluate the strength of influence of parents, siblings and friends in the frequency of alcohol use over time in adolescents and young adults. The research question pertains to finding out whether there is any difference in the influence between, parents, siblings, and friends’ use of alcohol on frequency of alcohol use over time in adolescents and young adults, and whether the influences of parents, siblings, and friends were moderated by factors of age and sex. The study provides additional input on the influence of familial and friends on the use of alcohol in adolescent and young adults in three ways consisting of simultaneous examination of this influence, differences in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, and the use of twin data. The frequency of drinking of the participants was ascertained through the use of a single question with eight response categories. The Netherlands Twin Register Survey provided the data on the frequency of drinking among the parents, twins, and friends of the participant twins. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted on the data collected in 1993 to evaluate the cross sectional influence of family members and friends on regular drinking in adolescents and young adults. Multivariate logistic regression analyses for the short term (1993 to 1995) longitudinal data, and for the long term (1993 to 2000) longitudinal data was used to determine whether drinking habits in family and friends predicted consumption of alcohol in adolescents and young adults. Influence of drinking of twin was assessed in data from 1995 and 2000. Cross-sectional multivariate logistic regression analyses

My Organization at a Glance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My Organization at a Glance - Research Paper Example The results of the analysis provide an organization’s management team with the basics of maintaining optimum management practices. Strategic management helps the management attain better alignment of corporate policies and strategic priorities (George & Bock, 2011). This discussion is an examination of the McDonald’s corporation organizational analysis, environmental analysis as well strategic issues and recommendations how to build the organization’s competitive advantages. Organizational Analysis McDonald’s is a fast food corporation that operates in the restaurant industry. The corporation is among the oldest fast food outlet in America with a global presence. McDonald’s corporation was established in 1937 by Patrick McDonald in California. Strengths Technology. McDonald’s corporation is technology sensitive. The corporation is at the forefront of modern technology among fast food retailers (Pearson Education, Inc, 2011). For illustration, the corporation has put in place a cellular technology to allow customers to place their orders online. The corporation has also installed Internet access terminals and Wi-Fi to enhance customers to order online and eventually lessen the lag time involved between ordering time and pick up time. Experienced Market Leaders. In terms of global reach and biggest player, McDonald’s is always conquering markets from its competitors. Due to its immense presence, McDonald’s corporation is able to operate at economies of scale (Mohammed, 2009). The corporation sells its products at relatively low prices attracting more customers due to its cost leadership. In addition to being the largest fast food retailer, the corporation is experienced and understands the market fairly well. Strong Brand Name, Image and Reputation. McDonald’s has strong brand equity, and its image is globally renowned. The corporation image is among the top ten most powerful brand names in the globe. This has a positive impact on the corporation’s sales and share price (Mohammed, 2009). The brand equity is valued around $40 million, and this reputation makes McDonald’s a household name. Special Training for the Managerial Staff. McDonald’s corporation has a training program for its managerial and other employees in a bid to reduce turnover rates and enhance quality. The Hamburger University is an in-house program for specifically training McDonald’s managerial staff (Mohammed, 2009). The trained managers help to run the company towards its growth objectives. Positive and Influential CSR. McDonald’s corporation operates Ronald McDonald’s houses that offer accommodation, food, and child support for needy families requiring extensive hospital care. This corporate philanthropy enhances the corporation’s image further. The corporation also has a golden archway logo and Ronald McDonald clown that is globally acknowledgeable (McDonaldâ €™s Corporation, 2012). Weaknesses Unhealthy Food Image. Although McDonald’s corporation is globally renowned, the corporation has several weaknesses. One of the weaknesses that the corporation grapples with is the aspect of unhealthy food image (Pearson Education, Inc, 2011). The verity that McDonald’s offers fast food has resulted in uproar that the foods are responsible for increased obesity rates among children in the United States. High Employee Turnover/Training Costs. McDonald’s corporation also faces high employee turnover rates. The corporation is cited

How the family income affects the family in life Assignment - 2

How the family income affects the family in life - Assignment Example These issues come as a challenge for the State and various systems need to be initiated in order to reduce the affects of low income on family lives. In this regard, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was created in 1996, which had the basic aim to provide cash assistance to American families. This organization was established under the â€Å"The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act† and has provided opportunity for employment to families with benefits, to utilize the aid within a period of 2 years. This program TANF was created during Clinton’s period in 1996. The State determined which families needed the assistance in order to help poverty stricken families. Individuals who received the aid were required to work and monitoring was carried out. In cases, when these individuals failed to carry out their practices, the benefits and the assistance were subject to reduction or termination. TANF program was a successful as it provided a welfare reform and there was reduction of poverty and increase in economic growth (US Department Of Health & Human

Religion, Spirituality, and Health Status in Geriatric Outpatients Essay Example for Free

Religion, Spirituality, and Health Status in Geriatric Outpatients Essay Daaleman, Perrera and Studenski wished to re-examine the effect of religiosity and spirituality on perceptions of older persons, operationalized as geriatric outpatients. The authors proceeded from two conceptual constructs.   The first is that self-reported health status is central to aging research.   The old know whereof they speak.   Self-ratings are valid because they correlate well with health status over time and, consequently, health service utilization.   The second construct is that, no matter how morally they lived as young adults, those in late middle age come to embrace religion and spirituality with more fervor. Prior research had scrutinized the relationship between religion and health perceptions.   Some results were inconclusive, an outcome that the authors attributed to failure to control for such covariates as spirituality. Definitions vary, the authors acknowledged, but they proposed defining â€Å"religiosity† as principally revolving on organized faith while â€Å"spirituality† has more to do with giving humans â€Å"meaning, purpose, or power either from within or from a transcendent source.†Ã‚   In turn, the dependent variable was measured by a single-item global health from the Years of Healthy Life (YOHL) scale, a self-assessment of general health (would you say your health in general is †¦) and a 5-item Likert response from excellent to poor. Fieldwork consisted of including a 5-item measure of religiosity15 and a 12-item spirituality instrument in a 36-month health service utilization, health status, and functional status study among 492 outpatients of a VA and HMO network, all residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The authors were remiss in not formally articulating their hypotheses for the study though one gleans that the alternative hypothesis could have stated, â€Å"Structured religion, a deep sense of spirituality, mental status and mobility, and personal and demographic variables materially influence measures of health status and physical functioning.† In the end, the data was subjected to univariate and multivariate best-fit statistics.   The key findings: Table 2. Predictors of Self-Reported Good Health Status (N = 277) Factor* Unadjusted OR (95% CL Adjusted OR (95% CI) Age 0.94 (0.89–0.99)†  Male 0.72 (0.41–1.25)†¡ White race 2.79 (1.51–5.17) § 3.32 (1.33–8.30) ¶ Grade school 0.1 (0.02–0.49) ¶ Some high school 0.28 (0.06–1.44)†¡ High school graduate 0.24 (0.05–1.14)†¡ Technical/business school 0.29 (0.06–1.43)†¡ Some college 0.31 (0.06–1.49)†¡ Not depressed (GDS) 32.4 (4.03–261) § Physical functioning(SF36-PFI) 1.04 (1.03–1.05) § 1.03 (1.01–1.04) § Quality of life (EuroQol) 1.69 (1.41–2.01)†  1.36 (1.09–1.70)†  Religiosity (NORC) 0.93 (0.85–1.02)†¡ Spirituality (SIWB) 1.15 (1.10–1.21) § 1.09 (1.02–1.16)†  OR = odds ratio; CI = confi dence interval; GDS = Geriatric Depression Scale; SF36-PFI = Physical Functioning Index from SF-36; NORC = National Opinion Research Center; SIWB = Spirituality Index of Well-Being. *Referent factors: age-1 year younger; female, nonwhite; college graduate; GDS score of 0-9; PFI-index of 1 less; EuroQol-score of 0.1 less; SIWB-score of 1 less. †  P = .01. †¡ P = NS.  § P .01.  ¶ P .05. After adjusting for all covariates, the authors tentatively concluded that spirituality was an important explanatory factor for perceptions of one’s own physical well-being.   That religiosity did not seem statistically relevant, the authors concede, could be due to having defined the variable partly as attendance at religious services, a behavior possible only if the patient was functional and ambulant.   Still, the authors argue, they did include other measures of religiosity and the regression model did hold being functional constant. While the study did establish a relationship between self-perceptions of health and spirituality, the authors themselves point out the possibility that the two variables are not independent.   The conceptual framework of the SIWB spirituality measure includes a â€Å"high degree of positive intentionality†, which strikes one as very similar to health optimism as independent variable. Article 2: Religious coping and psychological functioning in a correctional population Lonczak, Clifasefi1, Marlatt, Blume, . Donovan tested the relationship among religious upbringing, coping and mental health outcomes in the admittedly-stressful prison environment. This time, the authors do not mince words.   They preface the literature review with the majority’s belief in God (or some higher being) as the core aspect of religiosity.   Second, they point out that two separate meta-analysis carried out in 1983 and 2003 showed mixed results for a relationship between religiosity and coping.   Perhaps, they argue, this is because religious coping has negative-coping aspects, such as the conviction that all one’s troubles are due to abandonment by God. Since a search of the literature had revealed only one study concerning prisoners – the positive effect of meditation on recidivism psychological symptoms in India – Lonczak et al. thought to embark on this study of a neglected population.   Secondly, the authors hoped to advance theory by defining religious coping more specifically than had ever been done. There were multiple hypotheses attending this study: That the high degree of stress experienced by prisoners triggers an increase in religious coping behaviors (e.g., prayer, reading, spirituality, attendance in religious activities, etc.). That the positive coping encouraged by religiosity brings about comfort and solace and hence increases the likelihood of adaptive outcomes. That a religious upbringing provides individuals a repertoire of positive coping behaviors from which to draw strength. Coming to data processing and statistical â€Å"tests†, Longczak et al. employed principal component analyses using Varimax rotation.   The result was a four-factor model with their respective Cronbach alpha reliability estimates: Spirituality (0.97); â€Å"Good deeds† and active participation in coping related activities (0.89); Pleading (0.83); and, Discontentment (0.74). In addition, the researchers administered the Brief Symptom Inventory to measure four dimensions: depression, anxiety, somatization and hostility. At the first stage of analysis, relationships between religiosity on one hand and either gender or ethnic group on the other were tested for in bivariate correlations, t-tests, ANOVAs, or chi square tests. Subsequently analyses involved four hierarchical linear regressions (one for each outcome) including both gender and stressful life events by each of the five religion measures.   In order to examine the relationships between religion-focused predictors and outcomes with and without separate statistical adjustment for sociodemographic variables, variables were processed in a given sequence (below) and non-significant terms removed from later analyses. Religious upbringing, participation, spirituality, pleading and discontentment in the first block; Gender, ethnic group, age, education, and stressful life events in the second block; and, Interaction terms in the third and fourth blocks. The findings provided support for the hypothesis that an upbringing characterized by formal or structured religion has positive mental health ramifications, including less depression and hostility.   Secondly, women are more adversely affected by discontentment-based coping.   Religious pleading notwithstanding, thirdly, prisoners who had experienced stressful life events were more likely to evince depression and hostility. Article #4: Effect of religion on suicide attempts in outpatients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorders compared with inpatients with non-psychotic disorders Huguelet et al. also focused on religion, this time in relation to psychosis and, specifically the propensity to suicide. Among the 115 patients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorders covered by the study, 43% had previously attempted suicide.   Broadly speaking, the team wished to find out whether religion was a protective or impelling factor in these suicide attempts. Suicide deserves attention, the authors maintained, because over 9 in 10 suicides are accompanied by a diagnosis of psychiatric illness.   Over the lifetime of a schizophrenic, in particular, meta-analysis has shown a 0.049 probability of death by suicide. Given the importance of reducing suicidal behavior, it seemed encouraging that spirituality and religious activities had ameliorate the risk.   Prior research on piety and spirituality had suggested that the coping mechanisms could involve both a more positive world view and a shield against stress. HYPOTHESIS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: No relationship could be found for religiousness and the tendency to attempt suicide.   Twenty-five percent of all the study subjects acknowledged that religion inhibited them from considering suicide versus only one in ten that articulated an â€Å"incentive† role for religion. Overview of Findings The four articles explored different facets of spirituality and religiosity.   Daaleman, Perrera and Studenski related spirituality to health perceptions.   Lonczak et al.turned their attention to whether a religious upbringing helped adults cope better with a stressful environment, imprisonment in this case.   In the case of Huguelet et al., the question was whether present religious beliefs encouraged suicide or strengthened coping mechanisms for resisting self-destructive compulsions. After adjusting for all covariates, Daaleman, Perrera and Studenski tentatively concluded that spirituality was an important explanatory factor for perceptions of one’s own physical well-being.   Religiosity was not a factor, for reasons already explained.   One doubts this will be the last word on the matter, however, since the study lacked rigor. Nonetheless, the finding about spirituality is helpful given that therapy is a way of expanding awareness and identity.   As well, Transactional Analysis â€Å"recognizes the spiritual dimension of each person as an important part of the therapeutic process† (Trautman, 2003).   On the other hand, one realizes the limitations of analyzing spirituality vis-à  -vis health perception when the two variables overlap, at least on the aspect of optimism. One is therefore led to wonder, might it not advance therapy theory and praxis if: a) Spirituality and religiosity were qualitatively tested as a compound, unified variable; and, b) Health-related research include objective measures of well-being as the realistic dependent variable? For Lonczak et al. the implications for counseling have more to do with discontent and religious pleading. Counseling might address the roots and implications of religious distress and assist patients in developing more adaptive coping strategies.   Notwithstanding the focus on a tightly defined population segment (older adults jailed for alcohol- and drug-related offenses), the authors are correct to point out the immense social good clinicians and prison administrators could foster if low-cost religious or spirituality-enhancing programs did contribute to â€Å"significant reductions in behavior management problems, psychological impairment, and subsequent recidivism.† Similarly, the findings of Huguelet et al. suggest that suicide rates among psychotic patients could well be reduced if therapy embraced reinforcement or revival of religious beliefs.   References Trautmann, R. (2003) Psychotherapy and spirituality. Transactional Analysis Journal, 33, (1) 32-36.

The Use of ICT in Primary Science Learning

The Use of ICT in Primary Science Learning Earlier in the history of electronic advancement, children in highly developed countries had learned to appreciate and use simple to complex electronic gadgetries but never understood basic principles behind them. Some knew how to assemble robots but could not understand how the motor or magnets in it work. In other words they learn to walk before they crawl. Concerns have reached the classroom as today’s educational systems use more of ICT in teaching basic principles of English, Mathematics, and Science teaching. The question whether how much exposure and competence the pupils must have on certain science principles before they are exposed to ICT as a means of performing laborious, repetitive or more complex tasks is a challenge for educators of today. The schools and all education stakeholders must however understand that the uses of ICT tools are an advantage to both teachers and pupils. Results of several studies conducted throughout the world revealed that the use of ICT greatly increased the level of learning and understanding of the pupils on the scientific principles being studied (Betts, 2003, Mistler-Jackson Songer, 2000, Hogarth et. al, 2006). In fact the ICT tools can even be use to demonstrate science principles in a safer way. For instance, teaching electricity principles to pupils can be both interesting and dangerous. But the advent of computer hardwares and softwares has made it more motivating and rewarding minus the hazards. Primary knowledge and skills about how electrical circuits work, how much power is required for certain types of lights, and others can be learned through simulation and not in actual exposure to real electrical circuits. To determine if ICT is really needed for primary science education and understand when is the proper timing of its introduction into the learning process it is proper to understand first what ICT applications are necessary and how can they be integrated into the learning systems? What are the advantages and disadvantages of its applications? Types of ICT learning tools in science The use of ICT in teaching science for primary education came in various forms. Review of schools’ science teaching modules show the use of ICT hardwares and softwares to obtain and use science information, encoding of data, and creating presentations. Science information materials can be obtained from CD-ROM based encyclopedia and other e-books, journals, and articles, through a wide variety of Internet locations, and through local and international electronic library networks. There are a lot of word processing softwares that can be used to prepare science reports including customized programs for science report preparations. Data processing programs, spreadsheets, databases used for logging science data, processing them, and analyzing the results and its implications are already available for use. Higher-level applications include the use of simulation programs to explain scientific principles and perform experiments in virtual conditions. There are experiments, which are impractical to conduct under normal conditions but can be simulated in computers to show the implications to let the pupils appreciate and understand. Example to this are CD programs that show what would happen if we walk on surfaces of different planets, what are the magnitudes of the gravity in Mars, Pluto, our moons, and others. Children can appreciate the effects through computer images animated based on the actual situation in the simulated locations. Advantages of ICT science learning tools The use of ICT tools has a lot of identified advantages over the use of conventional methods of instructions such as the traditional ordinary chalk and board and the pen and paper system. Several of these identified edge of ICT is discussed below. In primary level ICT applications on data logging using sensitive probes to measure temperature, light, pressure, acidity, and other parameters increase the affectivity in data gathering and extend the range and accuracy of the observations. Ordinary tools used to gather these data such as thermometers, pressure gauges, pH meters or pH papers, and others require manual reading and data quality is dependent on the child’s skills and mode. The use of ICT based instruments has helped free the children from doing laborious task and repetitive works and focus their attention on analysing the meaning of the data. The use of networks through Internet, intranets, e-libraries, and other ICT medium widened the pupil’s access to information and even brought him to places virtual which cannot be accessed easily with conventional means without ICT. Children can access information from libraries in other European, American, Asian, and other countries around the globe without leaving the classroom. Simulation software used in science learning provides higher achievements of students than those not using the simulation, with girls achieving equally with boys (Huppert, 2002). The use of ICT in the classroom makes as much demand on teachers’ understanding and mediation as non-computer activities; however it speeds up the process and makes use of class times more efficiently by eliminating board works as replaced by computer presentations. Illustrations and examples are more realistic with use of virtual replica of real world figures like plants, animals, and objects. ICT has really made learning more fun and exciting and even made to raise the enthusiasm of the pupils as learning is made easy and enjoyable just like games. Disadvantages and problems Just like any other promising technologies the use of ICT has perceived problems in education and in application to teaching-learning in particular. Several reports and reviews enumerated these problems which can be grouped into: teacher related, facility related, and learner related. As far as the teachers are concerned, review of Hogarth, et. al (2006) revealed some of those involved in utilizing ICT in science classes have doubts over the value of ICT in promoting learning in science lessons. This is caused by the fact that many ICT resources have no clear rationale for their inclusion in teaching. The worst case is that some teachers lack adequate training to handle ICT programs and if they are trained they lack the time to plan for effective use of ICT in their lessons. Some teachers lack confidence on the effectiveness of some hardware and software used in the process while others felt threatened by the presence in the classroom of a new, powerful source of information. Yerrick Hoving (1999) also reported that despite similarities in teachers knowledge on ICT the implementation of ICT programs differ with teachers which could have been affected by the school’s and teacher’s practices. In relation to facilities, Hogarth, et al. (2006) reported there are planning difficulties associated with banks of networked computers being located centrally in rooms which had to be booked in advance for the instructional purposes. These are caused by shortage of computers and other hardware and the lack of technical support. Materials in CD-ROMS and websites used in science researches must be controlled to conform to standards. Proliferation of non-approved materials in CDs and online can be a threat to performance and the quality of primary science learning. On the part of the pupils the use ICT, which speeds up the processes may cause learning disparities across different types and learning capacities of pupils especially in the heterogeneous classes wherein fast learners are merged with medium and slow learners. The Importance and Timing of ICT programs in science learning. It has been properly illustrated above that advantages of using ICT in primary science education outweighs that of the disadvantages and that problems identified from different settings can be solved with proper planning and coordination among stakeholders. Whether or not to adopt ICT programs to improve the learning of process skills among primary science pupils is already out of question. The question would be how much exposure to theories and learning the principles of science process skills the learners need before they are exposed to ICT applications. Is it necessary that theories must be learned first before application, or the other way around? The answer requires common sense and areas of concern must be dealt in a case to case basis. There are process skills that require just basic competency such as data encoding, internet browsing, CD-ROMS access. But there are skills that require just theoretical knowledge before ICT applications are used. Graphing is one particular case. To understand the graph, pupils must be taught how it is done and how to anaylyse them. But there are cases when innovativeness and flexibility on the part of the teacher is a better judge. To site an example in most cases pupils are taught about the basics on the physico-chemical properties, such as those mentioned above (temperature, pressure, pH, etc) and what these things are all about before they must be exposed on how to obtain the measurable properties whether conventional of through ICT. The use of ICT here just replaces the conventional which at this age are really outdated. But try to think that other teachers uses unique methods of presenting situations first via simulation software or even data logging programs to spur curiosity among pupils before discussing in depth the concepts behind them. Concepts such as magnetism, the earth, and others can be treated this way. Unless properly regulated, a teacher has the leeway to use his styles in order to achieve the learning outcomes. As a matter of fact, â€Å"who discourages innovation?† Conclusion We have lived into the Third Wave, the Information Age, and no one can argue about that. Whether we like it on not everyone even those who are out of school are exposed to ICT in everyday lives from the TV, the microwave ovens, the heaters, the street lights and everything. These electronic gadgets which have ICT software integrated in them confront us without any advance or basic knowledge about the theories behind them. The fact is everything can be learned if one desires. So if you are tasked to know how to operate a microwave oven you don’t have to understand how the microwave works on the food. But if you want to know about it you have the prerogative to learn. The point is as long as the basic requirement is satisfied then let the children use ICT to learn more. References British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta). 2004. Moving on: The role of ICT in pupil’s transition. Millburn Hill Road Science Park Coventry CV4 7JJ Information and communication technology in primary schools The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools 2004/05. Retrived on Jan 4, 2008 from http://live.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/annualreport0405/4.1.6.html Betts, S., (2003). Does the use of ICT affect quality in learning science at Key Stage 3? Studies in Teaching and Learning, pp. 9-17. Hogarth S, Bennett J, Lubben F, Campbell B, Robinson A (2006) ICT in Science Teaching. Technical Report. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. Huppert, J. (2002). Computer simulations in the high school: Students cognitive stages, science process skills and academic achievement in microbiology. International Journal of Science Education, 24 (8), pp. 803-821. Mistler-Jackson, M., Songer, N.B., (2000). Student motivation and internet technology: Are students empowered to learn science? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37 (5), pp. 459-479. Yerrick, R., Hoving, T., (1999). Obstacles confronting technology initiatives as seen through the experience of science teachers: A comparative study of science teachers beliefs, planning, and practice. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 8 (4), pp. 291-307.

What Are you Really Learning at School?

What Are you Really Learning at School? What Are You Really Learning at School? You sit in math class while the teacher drone on about basic math such as how to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. You think to yourself, Why I am still learning this, I learned this like in elementary school? Youre afraid raised your hand knowing what the other kids will say, Whyd you have run your mouth, we could of being doing the easy stuff instead of this hard math. I actually could have passed math for once in my life since elementary school. You as this unpopular person sure doesnt want to get more unpopular than you were before. Instead, you sit back listen to sounds of kids rustling their notebook paper or homework to form spitballs to shoot at peoples heads or the endless beeps of text messages being sent to each other or the mini screams of girls after they receive a request for prom date. Parents wonder why their childrens report card is so amiss and unacceptable when they receive them but parents really dont know what teachers are teaching their children in school and something needs to be done about it and change for once and for all. Many reasons lead up to what are we really learning in school such as unacceptable scores on MSA and HSA, not enough skills to succeed, and not being able to use their own imagination. When parents receive the childs MSA or HSA report, the results are shocking. Children come to their parents with scores of low average and average but on their regular school tests, they would get above 90% never below 80%. Scores taken from elementary schools since the MSA have plummet, The Baltimore Sun states, The percentage of third-graders at the school who passed the state reading test plummeted from 100 last year to 50 this year. The percentage of fourth-graders reading at proficient or advanced levels dropped nearly 43 points, from 100 percent to 57 percent. Fourth-grade pass rates in math fell from 100 percent to 68 percent, and fifth-graders pass rates in reading dropped from 100 percent to 80 percent at Abbottston Elementary. From Abbottston Elementary School in Baltimore City, MD to Baltimore Liberation Diploma Plus High School, MSA and HSA test scores have dropped leaving other schools ahead of them and putting them behind in the dust. In this particular elementary schoo l, scores were higher last year than this year, their schools scores overall decline more than 50% . Which means what are those teachers teaching that made those children do worse than before. Or maybe teachers had the books altered last year to cheat for the students because they knew their students werent prepared. Now, this year maybe they decided forgot the cheating part because they knew they would eventually get caught and probably prayed that their students would be able to pass with the same high standards. But they didnt happen so, the school is now under speculation. First of all, The Baltimore Sun also states, Baltimore City schools results on this years Maryland School Assessment tests are a terrible disappointment. Although the overall declines in reading (3.3 percentage points) and math (4.9 percentage points) are not catastrophic, the results from individual schools paint a more troubling picture. Of the 50 schools that showed the largest combined drops on math and re ading scores since 2010, 45 were in Baltimore, including 19 of the bottom 20 and all of the bottom 10.† Reading averages and math averages are decreasing steadily unlikely in smarter schools but what are the teachers teaching that’s making test scores drop. Parents, have you checked your child’s regular school tests coming home, aren’t they passing with high B’s and A’s but now, you receive your child’s MSA scores. They unacceptably low actually below average especially in reading and math. You think what are these so called teachers teaching my child. If they are pass in regular grades, why couldn’t they pass this MSA? Are the teachers making test easier for their job or what? Maybe they just do it for the money or is the principal checking up on their students and teachers’ progress making sure no one is slacking? Do you seem to find that your child or now full-grown teenager doesnt have the right skills to help them succeed in life to able them to get a high-paying job? Do they find themselves working a local store as bagger not as a manager? Well, not having the right skills to succeed in life being taught in school is a problem too. teachers don’t understand what a child goes through or doesnt understand. In an article called, Cultural Diversity and Academic Achievement†, The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP) reported that, â€Å"Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and many children of color consistently achieve below the national average in mathematics and language skills, with the gap widening as children continue through their school years.† Teachers aren’t focusing on that one child that needs help, they’re too worried about how they class is going to react to something. Studies show that, â€Å"1 out of 10 children are afraid to raise their hand, ask questions, and seek help because they’re afraid of what they’re classmates will say.† It’s not always the child’s fault either because if a teacher sees a child failing, they need to help by being more encouraging. This one of skills that needs to be successful in life, other skills are leadership, honesty, imaginative, and trust. Secondly, a psychologist, Jean Piaget did research about child development said, â€Å"Over the past half-century, child development research has provided an increasingly comprehensive knowledge base to explain how young children acquire skills and knowledge and define the environmental supports needed to stimulate and sustain development.† Schools have ignored or rejected different cultural expressions of development that are normal and adequate and on which school skills and knowledge can be built. Consequently, children from poor families have been judged to be inadequate because they do not already know nor do they easily learn the school curriculum. . The world needs more and more compassionate creativity to solve difficult problems confronting us. Creative students do not have answers, but they habitually question the status quo and think about alternatives and improvements. They discover and invent possible answers. A Doctor of Education, Marvin Bartel Ed.D.speaks out and says, â€Å"As teachers, we are often partly to blame for the diminished inclination to be creative as children become socialized and aware of their own limitations.† In creative teaching, assignment limitations can provide a way to change the students habits of work. However, the student needs to be given autonomy to make choices about what seems important. Otherwise, the motivation to be creative is lost. Third and most final, Marvin Bartel Ed.D. also says, â€Å"Teachers abandon their imaginative and creative curiosity about life in favor of a more secure, but imposed and programmed kind of thinking habits.† The accept answers from the Interne t as correct (without enough thought). When this happens we miss many good ideas as well as risk injustice by manipulation. You sit in math class while the teacher drone on about basic math such as how to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. You think to yourself, Why I am still learning this, I learned this like in elementary school? Youre afraid raised your hand knowing what the other kids will say, Whyd you have run your mouth, we could of being doing the easy stuff instead of this hard math. I actually could have passed math for once in my life since elementary school. Some child development experts are concerned that schools today are unacceptable scores on MSA and HSA, aren’t teaching kids the skills they need to succeed, not being able to use their own imagination.A culture of testing, they say, is inhibiting the development of â€Å"life skills.† Curricular content aside, what do you think you are really learning at school? Are you developing skills that will carry you through life.

Sorrow Essay -- Sadness Sorrow

Sorrow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether it is getting a bad grade in English class, leaving home to go to college, or losing a loved one, we all experience sorrow. Sorrow a pain or distress of the mind caused by a loss or misfortune. It is a part of life that we all must learn to deal with. People cope with sorrow in different ways. Certain people let every misfortune that they encounter get to them. They flip out if they get a C on one of the many minute assignments in a class. If they get a traffic ticket, they think the world is coming to the end. People who deal with sorrow like this are not being reasonable. Do these people believe these minor flaws in their day-to-day living are going to have a life long affect on them? They do not have to be sad, but they choose to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day I got my second traffic ticket in my first year of driving. As soon as I looked into my rear view mirror and saw the officer turn on his flashing lights, my heart sank into my stomach. The officer asked if I knew why I was being stopped. I was speeding and I knew it. The officer went back to the car and began to write the ticket, while I was sitting in my car thinking. At first I thought about how much trouble I was going to be in and how much money it was going to cost me. I was very depressed. Then I got to thinking. What's the big deal? It's just a little traffic ticket. Sure, I may get in trouble, but who cares? It's just a small detail in my life. I can whine and complain, or I can foc...

My Plan :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Plan "The progress of an artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality." ~ T.S. Eliot ~ Maps and life are two things I never really understood. Therefore, to map out my future life seems like even more of an enigma. I am more of a throw the map out the window, hope the truck doesn't break down and see where the road takes you kind of girl. However, I do know the general direction I am aiming for and a couple of stops I'd like to make along the way. So while the map of my upcoming life is not exactly drawn to scale, I can offer a rough draft of "spontaneously planned" sites and goals. The personal me wants to fly and to skydive. She wants to master the art of driving a manual vehicle uphill and then move on to motorcycles. By 2008 I will have seen my first opera and the original The Kiss painting by Gustav Klimt. And I will go to the art museums of every city I travel through and reside in. I will learn how to play the drums, regardless of the fact that I am a girl. I may also continue to sing, which, because I was a girl, became the childhood replacement for playing the drums. I learned how to coo, not pound, and I appreciate it but I still plan on pounding. I also hope to figure out my spiritual disturbance and become a consistent walker. Not only because I do not have a reliable vehicle but also because, why not? I'm young and healthy and people don't walk enough. I personally will revive walking. In terms of traveling I want to see it all. Not only because I believe that this will enhance my skills as a teacher but also because I know that this will always positively benefit my students. If I get to hear the bells that tolled for Hemingway I will have a better perspective on the literature and can cement the setting more strongly in students' minds, hopefully inspiring them to go see these places firsthand. In the United States, San Francisco, New Orleans, Savannah and New York City are at the top of my list. However, first I have my heart set on Italy, Spain and the Latin American countries. For clarification's sake I do not desire just to see these places but rather to live them.

The Mask of Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

The Mask of Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   When people put on a mask or costume it is usually because they are trying to hide themselves or portray a certain feeling to onlookers. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet puts on a "antic disposition" as a strategy to get closer to Claudius. Hamlet tells his friends this by saying (I,iv,170-173) "how strange or odd some'er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on), That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, with arms encumb'red thus, or this head-shake, or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase," Hamlet's strategy is successful at the beginning in that he is able to fool Ophilia, Gertrude, Polonius and Claudius but as the play proceeds Polonius and Claudius began to see that there is logic behind his madness and actions. Toward the end Hamlets strategy becomes a tragic error when he begins to act solely on emotion instead of logic. In doing so he makes the mistake of killing Polonius instead of Claudius. Claudius then realize s that it would have been him dead instead of Polonius if he had been there. This scares Claudius in to trying to get rid of Hamlet any way he can. This explains the old saying "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."      Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet's reason for putting on his antic disposition is that he wants to fool Claudius into believing that he is fanatical and is no threat to him physically or to his anarchy. The reason for doing this is that Claudius secretly killed Old Hamlet, who was king to gain the thrown for himself. Hamlet after conversing with the ghost of his dead father learns that Claudius killed his father and swears revenge on Claudius. By Hamlet putting o... ...we mourn for" Claudius was not fooled for very long but at first he was sorry for, and was trying to help his past nephew now son get rid of his madness.      Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion Hamlet's plan did exactly what it was supposed to allow him to do. Hamlet shows really well the natural reaction to stressful situations by which he acts through emotion not logic. Hamlet would have been a exeptional king because of his logical thinking, but a short lived king because of his inability to act upon it.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations Of Hamlet. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Charney, Maurice. All of Shakespeare. New York, NY. Columbia University Press. 1993. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Riverside Shakespeare. ED. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Haughton Mifflin Company, 1974.

Constructive Discharge

Toy Company Memo To:CEO From:Ken Dilger CC: Date:1/22/2012 Re:Employee Lawsuit In 1964 Congress passed a Civil Rights law that outlawed major forms for discrimination against African Americans and women. One of the major features of this law was Title VII which prohibits discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964 prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. The basics of Title VII are that employers may not treat employees more or less favorably because of their religion and employees cannot be required to participate or refrain from participating in a religious activity as a condition of employment. In Title VII, employers must reasonably accommodate its employee’s religious beliefs and practices unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the employer. A reasonable accommodation is one that eliminates the employee’s conflict between his religious practices and work requirements and that does not cause an undue hardship for the employer (Rel, 2011). These accommodations range from the employee needing a day for their Holy Sabbath day, wanting to wear religious garb to work or having flexible work schedules to accommodate religious Holidays. When an employee asks for an accommodation the employer may not simply refuse to do so. If the request is not in best interest of the company because it would result in an undue hardship, the employer must prove the undue hardship that the company would incur. An undue hardship to the company would include anything other than minimal cost to accommodate the religious practice by the employee. Company Response My recommendation on how to respond is that it was never our intent to create a workplace environment so intolerable that our employees would quit. If the employee thought that the change in schedule was so intolerable why didn’t they file a complaint with their manager? Our records show that there was never a verbal or a written complaint with anyone in management. We can also state the fact that no reasonable person would quit their job over a work schedule that allows them to pick which 4 days of the work week can work. This schedule should actually help them avoid a conflict with working on a religious holiday throughout the year. If the employee does not to drop the lawsuit, there are past precedents showing that their lawsuit, based on constructive discharge, will be very hard for them to win. An employee must prove, prima facia, that they have had their rights violated under the religious accommodation rules of Title VII. They must show that they had a bona fide religious belief that conflicts with an employment requirement, that their employer was made aware of the conflict and that they were subjected to an adverse action not complying with the employment requirement. In this lawsuit the employee did none of the three things mentioned above. Proving a constructive discharge claim will be very hard for the employee to do. There are legal precedents showing that like court case Tepper vs Potter (2007) who have failed to show prima facie in their lawsuits when they claim constructive discharge over their religious holiday suits. C 1 LEGAL REFERENCE #1: In Cosme v Henderson, the employee asked for a Monday thru Friday work schedule for his mail route and it was granted by his boss. When the schedule changed to add Saturdays to his mail route, his boss told him not to change his schedule due to his religious beliefs. The employee did change his schedule to work on Saturday and then filed a constructive discharge claim against the company. The courts ruled in favor of the employer due to their reasonable efforts to accommodate the employee. This supports my recommendation that since the employee never filed a complaint then there was no way for us to accommodate a religious belief conflict. 2: In Brenner v Diagnostic Center Hospital, Mr. Brenner, an Orthodox Jew, was allowed to switch his work shifts with other employees to accommodate his Jewish Holiday schedule. Later that year Brener failed to exchange work shifts and did not appear for work when he was required to. He later resigned sighting constructive discharge due to the affect the company would not accommodate his Jewish Holiday schedule. The courts ruled in favor of the Defendant based on their effort t o accommodate his schedule. The case supports my statement that the company’s new work schedule is flexible enough to allow all employees to meet their religious holiday schedule. #3: In Goldmeier v AllState INS, the Goldmeier’s who are Orthodox Jews could not work on Saturdays during the winter months when AllState changed their corporate policy on their work schedule. AllState did not allow an exception when the Goldmeiers asked for one due to the new work schedule. When the Goldmeiers informed AllState about the constructive discharge lawsuit, AllState then allowed them to work on Sunday to make up for their religious conflict on Saturday. The court ruled in favor of AllState on the facts that the employee did not prove prima facia in their lawsuit and that AllState did not intend to create a hostile work environment when changing the work schedule. This supports my recommendation that since the employee did not file a complaint with upper management that they have no claim of constructive discharge. The case also supports my statement that we did not intend to create a hostile environment to make employees quit but rather to accommodate production. C2 LEGAL RECOMMENDATION My first recommendation to avoid lawsuits in the future is to implement a formal complaint system for the employees to use to communicate to management about workplace conditions that they think are unfair. This will help the company correct any problems before they turn into lawsuits. Another recommendation that I would make is not to use a change in workplace environment or schedule to get employees to resign rather than having to fire them. Doing this can lead to a bad workplace environment for management employees who are in place to enforce this rule. My last recommendation is to have an exit interview with anyone leaving the company. This will allow the employee to give insight on why they are leaving and to make sure there are no ill will towards the company. . References Brener v Diagnostic Center Hospital, 671 F. 2d 141, (5th Cir, 1982) Cosme v Henderson, 287, F. 3d 152, 158 (2d Cir, 2002) Goldmeier v AllState Insurance Company, 337, F. 3d 629 (6th Cir, 2003) Religious Accommodation in the Workplace: Your Rights and Obligations, Anti-Defamation League, New York, New York, (2011). Constructive Discharge Constructive Discharge occurs when an employee’s working conditions are considered to be so bad due to a policy or enforcement of that policy that the employee feels compelled to resign from the employer. This Constructive Discharge claim was filed under the section of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 after a work schedule policy change took place. The employee filed this claim post-resignation. This employee has claimed that the change is religious discrimination due to requiring that he work on a religious holy day. To make note to the case, please keep in mind that this employee resigned after the policy took effect at the beginning of the year. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 it is prohibited for any employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This is in regards to any current or former employee. The term â€Å"religion† includes all religious observances, practices, and beliefs. For this case to be proven as religious discrimination under Title VII, the employee must show that he: (1) holds a sincere religious belief that conflicts with an employment requirement; (2) has informed the employer about the conflict; and (3) has been discharged, disciplined or subjected to discriminatory treatment for failing to comply with the conflicting employment requirement. Title VII states that it is the employer’s obligation to reasonably accommodate requests by staff members to practice their sincerely held religious beliefs and observances. For this case, â€Å"Reasonably means that accommodating these practices would not cause hardship or conflict with normal business operations.

Speech-Language Pathologists

School Speech-Language Pathologists Hayley K. Mason Ball State University School Speech-Language Psychologists Speech-language pathologists began their impact in schools in 1910 in the Chicago public school systems. These programs commenced due to educators acknowledging how speech and hearing problems affected performance in the classroom. Today, 55% of all speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work in the school systems, 95. 5% of those being females (Plante & Beeson, 2008). They are required to perform a vast array of important tasks.They determine, diagnose, treat, and assist in preventing disorders related to speech, communication, language, and fluency. According to a study done by Plante and Beeson (2008), their caseloads may accommodate multiple handicapped children or those with distinguishing speech and language hindrances. Their work is in-depth and very meticulous. School speech-language pathologists administer distinctive diagnostic tests to help recognize the particul ar area of complications a child encounters. The child may face problems with stuttering, fluency, swallowing, articulation of words, or many other serious cases.Once the impairment of a student is recognized, they write an individualized education plan (IEP). This is comprised of a set of simple goals and objectives for each of their students throughout the duration of the school year. They may work with the students individually, in a small group, or with an entire classroom to accomplish these goals (Plante & Beeson, 2008). Each school day has a fixed number of allotted time slots for a school SLP. It must be filled with activities mandated by the state, federal laws, or local education problems and procedures (â€Å"Executive summary: A,† 2003).If needed, they may work with other professionals to help treat children. Classroom teachers can aid in sharing with the speech-language pathologist what the child’s struggles with in the classroom. Audiologists and scho ol speech-language pathologists work side-by-side in many cases determining the problems and best treatment fort he child. Occupational therapists, physical therapists, child psychologists, and special education teachers also work together to evaluate a student. Joint evaluation of a child speeds up the process and allows for a diagnosis and treatment methods to be put in place sooner.It is also a benefit because all of these professionals have experience working with this particular population (Plante & Beeson, 2008). Caseloads, not to be confused with workloads, are typically defined as the number of students with IEPs that school SLPs serve directly and/or indirectly. However, in some school districts it might also include those students whom do not have identified disabilities but still receive assistance (â€Å"Executive summary: A,† 2003). By ASHA’s recommendation, the maximum caseload for a school SLP should be no more than 40 students.However, the results f rom the study completed by Katz, Maag, Fallon, Blenkarn, and Smith (2010) suggest that it is typical for a caseload to fluctuate between 45 and 59 students. Too many caseloads can put too much added pressure on a school SLP, causing them to become less satisfied with their job. Job satisfaction is characterized as an attitudinal variable estimating the degree to which employees are pleased by their jobs and the miscellaneous aspects of their jobs (Edgar & Rosa-Lugo, 2007). Speech-language pathologists exceeding 40 caseloads expressed significantly less satisfaction with their career choice.They felt pressured by lack of time in completing assessments compared to those with fewer caseloads (Katz, Maag, Fallon, Blenkarn & Smith, 2010). Most employees’ voice that having reliable coworkers, enough time to get work done, and a friendly supervisor all contribute to higher job satisfaction. This in turn correlates to their likelihood to remain in the profession (Katz et al, 2010). Those who have been in the profession for a greater number of years have a higher job satisfaction than those who are just starting out.Although, they are often unsatisfied with their opportunity for promotion or advancement in the field, fellow coworkers, pay and pay rises, and their primary supervisor (Edgar & Rosa-Lugo, 2007). Despite some downfalls, school speech-language pathology is a fast growing career. Numerous states across the United States have undergone a significant net gain in population. Immigration levels are on the rise in states such as New York, Florida, Minnesota, California, and Texas. Thus, increasing the number of speech-language pathologists needed in school districts (Edgar & Rosa-Lugo, 2007). There will be a larger demand for speech-language athologists that specialize with certain age groups, especially school-age children. Currently, there are approximately 54,120 speech-language pathologists working in private and public school systems. B y 2020, that number is expected to increase by more than 12,000 employed school speech-language pathologists (U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). There are countless benefits that are enticing more people into the field. Mothers (and sometimes fathers) of school-age children enjoy that their working hours are very similar to their children’s schedules. They can work full-time and still get their child off the school bus everyday.Majority of school SLPs (93%) only work 9-10 months out of the year, allowing them to have the summers off to spend with their families but still be paid on an annual basis (Brook, 2012). Generous benefit packages are usually offered, including health, dental, and vision insurance programs and maternity leave. Furthermore, the salary of a school speech-language pathologist also definitely has its advantages. Salary fluctuates depending on years of experience, geographic location, and type of school system. According to the results of a study done by Brook (2012), the median earning of a school speech-language pathologist was around $58,000.Those who work in the Northeast region have a higher median income those who work in alternative regions of the country, especially the South and Midwest. By working in a suburban or metropolitan area, school SLPs are likely to make about $10,000 more than those working in rural areas. Secondary and elementary school speech-language pathologists generally have a higher income than those who work with in preschools. Those with 28 years of experience or more made up to $25,000 more than those first starting out in the profession (Brook, 2012). A range fluctuating between 88% and 94% of school SLPs were paid on an annual basis. .

A Study on Impact of Fdi on Service Sector Essay

The study aims to analyze the growth dynamics of the FDI. It intends to see whether the growth in FDI has any significant impact on the service sector growth and also investigates whether a growth in this sector causes the GDP to grow, also analyzes the significance of the FDI Inflows in Indian service sector. The study also looks into the sub-sectoral dynamics and indicates towards the fact that the trade, hotels and restaurants, transport. storage and communications sub-sector contributes the most in the growth of Indian service sector. FDI to developing countries in the 1990s was the leading source of external financing. It is one of the most important component of national development strategies for most of the countries in the world and an important source of non-debt inflows for attaining competitive efficiency by creating a meaningful network of global interconnections. FDI provide opportunities to host countries to enhance their economic development and opens new opportunities to home countries to optimize their earnings by employing their ideal resources. India ranks fifteenth in the services output and it provides employment to around 23% of the total workforce in the country. The various sectors under the Services Sector in India are construction, trade, hotels, transport, restaurant, communication and storage, social and personal services, community, insurance, financing, business services, and real estate. Meaning: FDI stands for Foreign Direct Investment, a component of a country’s national financial accounts. Foreign direct investment is investment of foreign assets into domestic structures, equipment, and organizations. It does not include foreign investment into the stock markets. Foreign direct investment is thought to be more useful to a country than investments in the equity of its companies because equity investments are potentially â€Å"hot money† which can leave at the first sign of trouble, whereas FDI is durable and generally useful whether things go well or badly. Classifications of Foreign Direct Investment FDI is classified depending on the direction of flow of money. * Outward FDI:Any investment made by a country in other countries will account for outward FDI. Where as, all the FDIs invested by other countries in that country is called inward FDI. Outward FDI, also referred to as â€Å"direct investment abroad†, is backed by the government against all associated risk. * Inward FDI : Inward FDI occurs when foreign capital is invested in local resources. The factors propelling the growth of inward FDI include tax breaks, low interest rates and grants. FDI is classified depending on how the subsidiary company works in par with the parent investors. * Vertical: Vertical FDIs happen when a corporation owns some share of the foreign enterprise. The local enterprise could either be supplying the input or selling finished goods to the parent corporation. The subsidiary here helps the parent company to grow more. * Horizontal: When the MNCs kick off similar business operations in different countries it becomes horizontal Foreign Direct Investment. It is actually a cloning that is happening here. Both the countries enjoy the same share of growth. FDI IN INDIA After getting independence in 1947, the government of India envisioned a socialist approach based on the USSR system to developing the country’s economy. The last decade of the 20th century witnessed a drastic increase in foreign direct investment (FDI), accompanied by a marked change in the attitude of most developing countries towards inward investment. FDI flows have grown in importance relative to other forms of international capital flows, and the resulting production has increased as a share of world output.. FDI in India has in a lot of ways enabled India to achieve a certain degree of financial stability, growth and development during recession. This money has allowed India to focus on the areas that may have needed economic attention and address various problems that continue to challenge the country. The factors that attracted investment in India are stable economic policies, availability of cheap and quality human resources, and opportunities of new unexplored markets. Mostly FDI are flowing in service sector and manufacturing sector recorded very low investments. The investments in service sector enhanced the benefit of flow of funds to the home country. Presently India is contributing about 17% of world total population but the share of GDP to world GDP is 2%. India has been ranked at the second place in global foreign direct investments in 2010 and will continue to remain among the top five attractive destinations for international investors during 2010-12 period, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in a report on world investment prospects titled, ‘World Investment Prospects Survey 2009-2012’. According to the fact sheet on foreign direct investment dated October 2010. Mauritius is the highest FDI investment in equity inflows with 42% of the total inflow followed by Singapore, USA, UK and Netherlands with 9%, 7%, 5% and 4% respectively. Service sector is the highest FDI attracting inflows with 21% of the total inflows, followed by computer software and hardware, telecommunication and housing and real estate with 9%, 8%, 7% and 7% inflows respectively. A report released in February 2010 by Leeds University Business School, commissioned by UK Trade ;amp; Investment (UKTI), ranks India among the top three countries where British companies can do better business during 2012-14. According to Ernst and Young’s 2010 European Attractiveness Survey, India is ranked as the fourth most attractive foreign direct investment destination in 2010.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model Paper

As a child develops, the surroundings and people they interact with can have an impact in their development. Bronfenbrenner is a developmental psychologist who created the bioecological model of human development. The purpose of Bronfenbrenner’s model is to analyze the different connections humans make in the process of socialization. The bioecological model consists of four main areas â€Å"in which relationships and interactions take place to form patterns that affect human development† (Berns, 2013, 2010). The patterns that are formed from the relationships an interactions being created can be either positive or negative influences that can affect human development. The first system is the microsystem; in this system children are directly affected by the interactions they encounter â€Å"in a particular small setting† (Berns, 2013, 2010). For instance, family, school, peers, media, and their community are part of a child’s microsystem. The second system is the mesosystem; in this system the mesosystem is reflected in the microsystem due to the connections it creates with the child’s small settings. An example of this can be the child’s community collaborations which influences the child’s development. The third system is the exosystem; in this system the settings in which the child is not directly involve, yet the child is still affected in their microsystem. For instance, the child’s parents’ work can affect the child do to financial problems or stressed. The fourth system is the macrosystem; in this system â€Å"the society and subculture to which the developing person belongs, with particular reference to the belief system, lifestyles, patterns of social interaction, and life changes (Berns, 2013, 2010). For example, being part of a religion influences your life and therefore your human development as well. Indeed, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model depicts the human development in these four basic structures. This essay will explain my own reflection of my childhood and the influences from each of the ecological systems. Microsystem: As Berns states, â€Å"the family is the setting that provides nurturance, affection, and a variety of opportunities†¦the primary socializer of the child in that it has the most significant impact on the child’s development † (Berns, 2013, 2010). In my case, my biological mother was not able to provide â€Å"nurturance, affection, and a variety of opportunities† and therefore affected my development. My mother’s inability to provide these essential elements affected my stability in my life. Berns explains that â€Å"this early disadvantage will persist and even worsen as the child progresses through school unless intervention, such as that provided by some quality child-care programs, can modify the opportunities at home and in school† (Berns, 2013, 2010). My personal stability worsen as I developed, but it was able to get modified at some point in my life do to my adoption. My adopted parents were able to provide those essential elements and therefore helped me established a normal stable life. Further, Bern claims that â€Å"teachers encouraged the development of various skills and behaviors by being role models and by providing motivation for children to succeed in learning† (Berns, 2013, 2010). My ninth grade teacher, Miss. Dotson influenced my life directly. She was able to provide motivation in my life in the sense of being able to succeed in my learning in order to attend college and receive good grades. She became my role model and I wanted to be just like her, a teacher. I began to realize that having an education was essential as my life developed because without one, my life would be a disappointment. Due to her support and motivation, I was able to become the student that I am today. Moreover, Bern states that â€Å"the community, or neighborhood on a smaller scale, is the main setting in which children learn by doing† (Berns, 2013, 2010). Growing up, I did not live in the safest community which influenced my views of where I lived. I remember that the only thing I wanted to do was to move to a safer place. The noises of sirens and police caused feared in me and I did not want to conform to continue leaving in an environment like that. As I grew older, I knew that I wanted to move away as soon as I was able to. When I had the chance to do so, I did and I was able to experience a safer community and a better life. From this, I learned that the communities we reside in can have significant influences in our lives. Mesosystem: Schools ability to bring forward guest speakers can have influences in the students. For instance, while attending an ASB camp, I was able to meet this great guest speaker who influenced my own life. I may not remember his name, but I do remember the words he said that inspired me to change my life around. He was the product of abusive parents and although he went through some hardships while growing up, he decided to change his life around and not end up in drugs, gangs, or any kind of trouble. His speech thought me that although I was abused; I had the chance and power to change my life around too. I was able to become a successful young woman in my academic development and I am still striving for the best. What I learned from this experience was that guest speakers and schools connection to my life was very influential in my development. Having the opportunity to attend my fifth grade field trip-science camp, I realized that it had an impact in my development. Being away from home for a couple of days, made me realized how important the care of my family was at that time. Going to school for a couple of hours a day was different than being away from home for a couple of days. The interrelationship between my family, the school, and the field trip was interesting because I did not know how it felt to be away from my family. The realization of this instigated me to appreciate both my family and my school more than I thought I did. As Bern states, â€Å"the more numerous the qualitative links or interrelationships between the child’s microsystems, the more impact they have on socialization† (Berns, 2013, 2010). Therefore, the impact of appreciation of my microsystem also made an impact in my socialization skills as to what situations to appreciate at certain times. After leaving my house for college, I had to move in with one of my aunts in San Diego. Although I was no longer living at home, I still visit my family. During this change, I had to cope with two different life styles. For instance, living with my aunt I had different duties and responsibilities that I did not have at home. However, when both families got together I knew how to behave in both scenarios. This experienced helped me understand behavior in my life. I no longer behave one certain way because I developed ew behaviors depending on the setting I was in. Exosystem: As Berns states, â€Å"the exosystem refers to settings in which children are not active participants, but that affect them in one of their microsystems† (Berns, 2013, 2010). In my case, my father’s job was something that affected me. For instance, his stress level was always high and therefore he tended to be upset most of the time. Also, he did not have enough play time with me like I would of like to. Although I never went to his job, it still affected my development. I remember while growing up, my sister and I tended to avoid my father since we did not have that connection with him like we did with our mother because she was a homestay wife. As seen, parent’s jobs can have major impacts in a child’s microsystem. Another example that also affected my microsystem was school budget cuts. Although I was not directly involved with the school board, their decisions affected my microsystem. For instance, my freshman and sophomore year of high school the school did not hired a professional cheer coach due to budget cuts. This affected our ability to learn new techniques and therefore compete. During this time, we had to teach ourselves what we knew and the overall performance of our squad was not to the standards of a high school cheerleading team. From this, I learned that outside decisions of our school board really had an impact in our school, but most importantly us, the students. Furthermore, social services impacted my life in the sense of the process of my adoption. For instance, having to go through the hardships of getting adopted was already a struggle, but the process itself was even harder. In addition, I remember just wanting to have a family to love and care for me, yet I had them in front of me and I could not be with them. Social services were not something I directly had a connection with, yet they still impacted my development throughout those years. During that time, my emotions were unstable because I knew the family that was trying to adopt me loved me, but the process was too long to wait for. Macrosystem: Berns explains that â€Å"the fourth basic structure is viewed as patterns, or sets of instructions, for exosystems, mesosystems, and microsystems† (Berns, 2013, 2010). For instance, when I started my freshman year of college, I was persuaded into joining a sorority on campus. When experiencing the different things that one has to do in order to be part of their subculture, I notice that I was beginning to develop new beliefs, different social interactions, different lifestyle, and most importantly my life was changing dramatically. These changes were beginning to affect my other systems. The person I was becoming was someone I did not expect to be and therefore, I decided to drop out of it and enjoy the person that I truly am. Another example that was part of my exosystem was when I was part of my high school cheerleading squad. Being part of this subculture I developed a whole new lifestyle. I remember saying that cheer was what I woke up to, did most of the day, and dreamed all night about. It sure was not easy being a cheerleader since I also had to manage my academic achievement and my role as a daughter. At times, cheerleading affected my ability to communicate with my parents because I would leave early in the morning and did not get back home till about eight or nine o’clock at night. As seen, our macrosystem can have significant influences in our other systems due to its connection it creates. As a Latino woman, we identify ourselves with our race and culture. We share similar characteristics and beliefs that other races and cultures don’t. Due to this, being Latino is part of my macrosystem. Growing up I knew my family was different than some of my classmate’s families. For instance, some of my classmates did not speak Spanish and did not eat the same things that I did. Also, they did not celebrate the same things I did. For this reason, my race made me different and I learned to appreciate who my family and I were. Conclusion: Indeed, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model depicts the four systems that help our human development. Overall, I learned that depending on the child’s life, their socialized abilities can either be broken or created, but at the end each interaction they make affects the socialization skills they develop throughout their lives. Reflecting upon the different systems and how they directly impact one’s life, has changed my views in the way socialization takes part in our lives and how I develop new interactions with others in my development as a human being.