I am Legend Essay

When thinking of horror films, simple features come to mind for what you need to produce a good movie. Monsters are always a big plus in order to get a good scare factor. A good horror film will have drama that usually leads to the death of a main character or other supporting characters. I believe I Am Legend is a good contender for a low-key horror film. Under the direction of Francis Lawrence was a film written by Mark Protosevich. In 2007 this movie was a big hit in the theaters, for its incredibly gritty and strong story line. Actor Will Smith played the part of the Main character Robert Neville, who thought he found the cure for cancer but in fact spread a disease out through the world. The whole movie is played in New York City, were David a scientist announces he has a cure for cancer when in fact it is a plague that turn the people into monsters. So the plot of the movie is David Surviving in New York by himself, trying to test rats for the cure to the virus. That catch to the movie is that all the monsters are contagious and only come out at sun down to find other humans to spread the virus. In this movie you had a lot of glimpses and scenes that would show that this movie could be a horror film. The two examples of horror films I used in the first paragraph are shown in many scenes of I Am Legend. The virus that spread through the people made them monsters and in a good horror film you need a scary, deadly, nasty monster to be the antagonist. The monsters in I Am Legend are the typical creature for a horror film. They are not easy to look at which gives into a scarier character. They are very mean and ruthless and show no mercy. The last feature that is a main feature is that they will kill with no questions. The drama part of a horror film usually ends with death and the scene usually has a lot of anticipation on it to put you on the edge of your seat. In I Am Legend when David is out doing his rounds and gets baited into a booby trap he gets knocked out and wakes up in the trap a little too late. The monsters are waiting for the sun to come down to attack and infect David. In a showing of great effort but significant downfall David’s dog Sam) is attacked and becomes infected. Almost turning on its own owner David is forced to kill his only sort of companionship and is left alone for the time being. The director did a good job with this movie because he produced a good storyline built with a lot of anticipation. I believe that he did try and put in that scary horror effect with the darkness of the movie and the frightening creatures. Even though I Am Legend is characterized as a â€Å"dramatic thriller†, in most instances it can definitely be considered a horror film.

Global Online Marketing: A Concept Replacing Traditional Marketplaces

Abstract: Contemporary marketing has evolved into a large concept which includes the aspect of â€Å"idea marketing†. As the definition of marketing has evolved, so has the need for marketers to use technology to support the process. This paper discusses global online marketing, its advantages, and the ethical dilemmas associated with its use. It also then discusses whether global online marketing can take over the traditional marketplace and whether this would prove to be beneficial for both consumers and marketers. Introduction: Marketing is an evolutionary concept which has been constantly growing over time, specifically in the more recent decades that have brought along significant technological change. While the definition of marketing has evolved in this era, so have the manner in which it is conducted and the mediums that it is conducted through (Rossiter, 2001). This significant change has caused the uprising of several questions which include has the meaning of marketing changed with the onset of the internet?, is the internet an ethical tool to use in attempting to persuade consumers to purchase products?, and whether online marketing has taken over the traditional marketplace and how? This paper will focus upon the topic of global online marketing and whether this phenomenon has replaced the traditional marketplace. The paper will begin by focusing upon the changing definition of marketing and how technology has accommodated it, continue with an analysis of online marketing, the benefits provided to customers/marketers through online marketing, and the ethical dilemmas associated with its used. The paper will then analyse how global online marketing has become the norm and the benefits and/or consequences of it replacing the traditional marketplace along with recommendations regarding how the internet can be used to the consumer/marketers’ advantage and how its negative impact can be reduced. The paper will conclude with a summary of the main points mentioned Evolution of the Definition of Marketing and its Impact on Technology: Marketing has been a concept which has gradually outgrown its previous definitions as various external factors have affected the way it is interpreted and understood by marketers and scholars alike. While there is increasing debate regarding the definition of marketing, Peter & Olsen stress that most scholars in the discipline of marketing are satisfied with Kotler’s definition of marketing which says, â€Å"Marketing is human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes† (Kurzabard & Soldow, 2007, p. 37). However, for those who were slightly unsatisfied with this previous definition of marketing, the American Marketing Association described marketing as, â€Å"The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, & distribution of ideas, goods, & services to create exchanges that satisfy individual & organizational objectives.†(Kurzbard & Soldow, 2007, p. 38). However, most of the previous definitions applied to marketing, emphasized that the main goal of marketing was the exchange of goods and services (Kotler, 1972). Nonetheless, we often see people campaigning in the streets for support for a particular cause or we are approached by people who ask for donations for a particular charity. While we may have no particular association with the cause or the charity and we expect nothing in return from them personally, we are influenced or affected by the ideas presented to us. This can also be regarded as a form of â€Å"non-business marketing† and can be associated with Kotler’s classification of marketing into three levels of consciousness, the first regarding it as a business subject associated with buyers, sellers, & other economic products & services, and the second extending marketing as appropriate for all organizations that have customers (including non-profit organisations) (Kotler, 1972). While the definition of marketing had previously evolved to include the activities of non-profit organizations seeking to gain customers/donaters/supporters, etc., it can now be classified to encompass much more than that. This is described by Kotler’s (1972) consciousness three which describes marketing as â€Å"an organisation’s attempt to appeal to its public, not only its consuming public†. While this level of marketing may not have been given a high level of support in 1972, contemporary business practices urge organizations to be socially responsible, encourage motivational behaviour with employees, and also require coordination with suppliers. Thus, it is now just as essential to market an organisation appropriately to employees, society, suppliers, the media, and several other stakeholder groups of the organisation. Some stakeholder groups can be effectively dealt with personally, such as banks who are offering the organisation a loan. This institution can be personally marketed an idea which leads the bank officer to sanction the loa n and would result in an exchange between the two parties as the bank gives the organisation money and the organisation agrees to pay the bank interest on the borrowed amount. However, how can the director of an organisation employing thousands of employees worldwide influence the employees to accept a new employment contract promoting a different combination of incentivesHow can he/she personally motivate them or congratulate them on a job well done? Coming back to the traditional view of marketing as a profitable process between buyers and sellers, we can apply the following scenario. How can an organisation encourage an overweight customer to try a newly formed formula which would help her reduce her weight when she is not even aware of the product and perhaps the fact that she even requires itIt would first be essential for the organisation to form the idea within her mind that she is overweight and then inform her about the existing product. However, it is obvious that this tas k cannot be fulfilled in person as that might be considered rude and highly inappropriate. This is where technology intervenes and begins our discussion on the concept of â€Å"idea marketing† and global online marketing. Global Online Marketing and its Advantages: The evolving definition of marketing and the need of contemporary businesses to satisfy various stakeholder groups have led to the increased use of technology in marketing processes. Thus, as a business seeks to satisfy stakeholders or project certain ideas towards them, it uses the aid of technological tools such as portals, customer relationship management software, employee management software, and websites. A charity uses the aid of a website which informs all of its stakeholders regarding its cause, how it seeks to implement it, and all other parties that it is associated with. In the same manner, a business organisation uses the aid of a website to illustrate all of its processes including sections mentioning its relationship with its suppliers, social responsibility practices, and sections featuring its financial statements and the dividends paid to shareholders. Similarly, customer relationship management software is used to gauge and understand consumer wants, market potenti ally desired products to consumers, and facilitate communication between the organisation and the customer (Pines, Peppers, & Rogers, 2009). While the internet aids in satisfying these needs of contemporary business organizations, it also serves the current definition of marketing which includes â€Å"idea marketing† and is said to have a core concern of â€Å"producing desired responses† (Kotler, 1972). Thus, while it would be difficult to convince an overweight customer that she needs to try a new weight loss formula or to attempt to sell an exceptionally revealing piece of lingerie to a woman who is conservatively dressed, doing this through online marketing would make it more convenient and acceptable to both the customer and the marketer. There may also be instances in which the customer may feel uncomfortable in walking into a store and asking the salesman which type of brassiere would make her breasts look more erector explaining the condition of a particularly nasty occurrence of acne on her upper thigh and asking what type of ointment would help cure it? Online marketing would help in this regard as it enables open communication between the customer and the marketer and enables the marketer to expressly form ideas into the customer’s mind. As Kotler (1972) mentions, the marketer â€Å"seeks to influence† in any manner and then eventually seeks to â€Å"produce a desired response† which may be in the form of support for a cause or an idea or in the form of the purchase of a product. Thus, global online marketing is usually conducted through social media platforms, websites, and personal email in certain situations. The marketer uses these platforms to illustrate their message with the aid of pictures, virtual demonstrations, and articles which may seek to persuade or inform the customer regarding various uses, benefits, and opinions regarding the product (Pires, Stanton, & Rita, 2006). This allows the flow of informat ion from the marketer to the customer and allows convenience to both parties. For example, it is not easy for a marketer to stop people in the street and coerce them to view the design of a new mobile phone and ask them for their opinion on it. For all the marketer may know, the person may not be the least interested in mobile phones or may not need a new one. It is also then not easy to stop all of the people in the street and tell them about the various types of reviews that the newly designed phone has. Accordingly, online marketing enables the marketer to efficiently and effectively aim at the target audience and project their message towards them. It also enables the marketer to give the customer as much information as they deem necessary in order to persuade the customer to support a particular idea or purchase a particular product. More importantly, it enables the marketer to quickly transmit this information to the customer such as in the instance of a sale or a contest occu rring for a particular product or brand (Burton, 2001). As Kotler’s (1972) explanation of generic marketing and the strategies involved in producing a desired response from the customer includes designing the product in a more attractive manner, presenting the product to the customer on more attractive terms, adding symbolic significance to the product, and making the object more accessible, online marketing assists each of these processes. While online marketing helps the marketer provide the customer with information, illustrations, and persuasion of the product’s attractiveness and also mentions the terms on which the product can be bought or acquired (such as discounts or a giveaway contest), it can also help add symbolic significance to the product by featuring an article or video, showing the product being used by a celebrity or on a particular occasion. Moreover, it has enabled marketers to get feedback regarding their product and effectively communicate with cu stomers through an economical platform. One very important function that online marketing is now performing for the marketer is making the product more accessible for the customer (Rossiter, 2001). Through e-commerce, marketers have been able to target a large amount of consumers and made the product highly accessible through the click of a mouse. Thus, through the aid of cookies and through previous purchase behaviour, businesses are able to gather information regarding what the consumer needs or is interested in and then make customly designed offers which suit the customer’s needs. This has enabled an increase in sales and has also enabled the marketer to save costs which are associated with setting up and managing physical shops and employing large amounts of labour. As emphasized by Pines, Peppers, & Rogers (1995), it has also enabled marketers to anticipate consumer wants and personally develop a learning relationship with their customers by understanding what their cus tomers need and enabling them to retain their customers forever. Online marketing enables mass customization in an economical manner, which is not a process that can be fulfilled in a traditional shop in a cost-effective manner and if done manually would probably lead to a confusing and disorganized situation (Gummesson, 2002). However, global online marketing has not only facilitated the marketer, but has specifically empowered the customer as well according to Pires, Stanton, & Rita (2006). It enables the customer to ask questions and access information without the obstacle of embarrassment, lack of demonstration, and at their own leisure. Thus, while a traditional shop may close at 6 pm, a potential customer may require information regarding a product after he/she gets off from work. Online marketing enables the customer to easily and effectively gain this information through technological means at any time he/she pleases. Moreover, online marketing has enabled the customer to ac cess as much information as he/she deems necessary and guide the marketer regarding his/her needs and demands. The customer is able to provide feedback and make comments regarding a product. Moreover, the customer is also able to customly design the type of product he/she needs or suggest the type of offer that would attract him/her towards purchasing a particular product. This enables the customer to take charge of his/her preferences and purchases and adds to the customer’s convenience. This is also said to result in a higher satisfaction level within consumers (Gummesson, 2002). While there are numerous advantages of global online marketing, there are also certain disadvantages or ethical concerns associated with its use. Ethical Concerns of Global Online Marketing: While a consumer may significantly benefit from targeted offers which suit his/her needs/wants, it is also of concern, how marketers are able to make these offersOnline marketing software enables a marketer to install cookies on the consumer’s computer and keep track of the types of websites that the consumer regularly visits and the types of purchases he/she makes. Accordingly, while keeping track of the consumer’s behaviour, the marketer is able to show the consumer advertisements of offers that may interest him/her. However, how often have you opened a website and made a secret purchase which you did not want anyone to know aboutThen, how is it ethical for a business to know what you have been doing onlineThis raises the concern of privacy and plagues many consumers who are not highly enthusiastic about being followed online (Philip, 2000). Moreover, how would you feel if you made a purchase of lovely pink bunny slippers online and the very next day when your friend was using your computer, an advertisement featuring a similar product popped upIt would most likely be a cause of immense annoyance and embarrassment which is also an ethical concern of global online marketing. It is deemed highly unethical to bombard consumers with advertising material when they are least expecting it or especially when they least desire it. Moreover, several studies have also claimed that bombarding a consumer with offers for a particular product when they do not desire such interruptions can lead to resentment towards the product and create a negative image of the product for the consumer. It is also highly inappropriate for organizations to bombard the consumer with advertisements when they are not sure whether the consumer is in appropriate company to view those advertisements or whether it is the appropriate occasion (Golding, 2000). An additional ethical concern is the processing of online transactions which involves the collection of financial information su ch as credit card numbers and bank account details. Research has proven that 48% of consumers are highly suspicious of this process and refrain from online shopping because they are unwilling to divulge such information online. This is a major concern because some of this information is used unethically or fraudulently which then leads to severe consequences for the customer. Moreover, customers are also highly skeptical of online hackers who break into such websites and gain such financial information regarding consumers, thus then using it in a negative manner in order to cause the consumer financial loss. This is known as cyber crime (Fuat, 1997). The dilemma of not knowing who you are communicating with and the credibility of the person/organisation is the main ethical concern which is highly distressing for customers and is a hinderance which organizations are attempting to overcome. Despite the ethical concerns of using online marketing, a large proportion of marketers/busines ses have successfully adopted it and it is becoming increasingly accepted amongst consumers. It may be said that global online marketing is taking over traditional marketplaces. Is Global Online Marketing Taking Over Traditional Marketplaces and Should It? The use of online marketing is becoming widespread despite the initial reaction of consumers of suspicion regarding whether it can be ethically used or not. Allegedly, the concept has turned the whole world into a global marketplace as businesses are easily able to sell and market their products to customers in different countries. Many businesses have adopted the concept and made it the prime focus of selling/marketing to customers, an example is Amazon. While the concept has largely taken over the traditional concept of a marketplace and may be replacing the traditional marketplace at an increasing rate, there are many reasons why it cannot fully take over and also many reasons why it should not (Hunt, 1994). The advantages of global online marketing include convenience, access to information, accessibility, ease of use, and access to a large market which can be targeted effectively. It also enables making partnerships with other firms on the basis of sharing data. However, the eth ical dilemmas concerning it include privacy issues, suspicion regarding the revealing of financial details, and bombarding the customer with unwanted advertisements at inconvenient times. Similarly, the reasons that global online marketing cannot fully take over the concept of the traditional marketplace include the fact that half the world still does not have internet access and many businesses are targeting certain groups of consumers that are not privileged with access/knowledge of using the Internet. For example, consumers in many Third World countries and in other inaccessible areas do not have access to the Internet and are often even unaware of how to use a computer. It would be highly ineffective for a marketer to attempt to target and reach these audiences with online marketing. Another important reason that global marketplaces cannot take over traditional marketplaces is because some products require physical viewing and cannot be purchased after viewing online demonstrati ons or reading descriptions of the product. This may be specifically true in the case of automobiles or even in the case of clothes which need to be tried on before purchase. Moreover, while in some situations the client may feel more relaxed in talking about or asking questions about the product online, there are some sitatuons which require personal involvement and personal contact between the client and the marketer (Hunt, 1994). For example, many brides-to-be would not be highly happy about conversing with the computer regarding their preferred wedding dress and would appreciate personally talking to a sales representative. While these are some of the reasons that online marketplaces cannot take over traditional marketplaces, there are also some reasons which suggest that this should not happen even if it is becoming the norm. First of all, online marketing is taking over the advantages of the value chain and is possibly taking over the concept of a retail store, thus putting ma ny retail stores at a disadvantage. This can mean a loss of business for many people who are in this part of the value chain. Moreover, online marketing means that there is less need for physical labour and a different type of expertise required which may also significantly increase the rate of unemployment and may be a major concern (Woodall, 2001). Another problem with online marketing is that the image it portrays to consumers and the manner in which it glamorously displays products coaxes many consumers to spend hard-earned money on products that they do not need. It often causes consumers to purchase goods that they would not have purchased otherwise and is a rising concern for many countries as it has led to problems of shopaholics. In other cases, consumers are often sold products that they thought were somethingelse or looked differently online, but were given products which are vastly different from their expectations (Woodall, 2001). Thus, it is evident that while the conc ept of global online marketing is becoming increasingly popular, widely accepted, and gives advantages and empowerment to both the marketer and consumer, the concept still has certain disadvantages which may prevent it from becoming the sole form of business between organizations and consumers. Accordingly, it is recommended that global marketers use this platform as a way to communicate with their customers and project ideas into their minds while also gaining essential feedback, but not to rely on it as the sole form of communication or exchange between customers and the organisation. Moreover, organizations should be sensitive towards privacy issues of customers and refrain from the use of cookies without explicit permission from their customers. They should rely upon customer feedback, previous purchase information, and comments that the customer willingly provides regarding his/her purchasing preferences. Organisations should refrain from using pop-up advertisements and target the customer in a more discreet manner such as when he/she clicks upon a certain relevant page or through personal email or social media platforms (news popping up in newsfeed on Facebook). Other forms of marketing such as radio, television, and personal contact should also be used in order to be able to facilitate and attract all types of customers instead of limiting the market to only a particular group of customers. Conclusion: The paper discusses how the evolving definition of marketing has resulted in the need to use technology to support marketing practices. It has established that there are various advantages associated with using online marketing which include convenience, accessibility, and the amalgamation of essential information for both customer and marketer. However, the paper has also pointed out that there are certain disadvantages to the use of online marketing and reasons why it cannot take over the concept of a traditional marketplace. References Burton, D. (2001) â€Å"Critical Marketing Theory: The Blueprint†. European Journal of Marketing. Vol. 35 5/6 pp. 742-743 Fuat, A. (1997). â€Å"From segmentation to fragmentation: markets and marketing strategy in the postmodern era.† European Journal of Marketing. Vol.31(3-4) pp.183-185. Golding (2000) â€Å"Forthcoming Features: Information and Communications Technologies and the Sociology of the Future† Sociology. Vol 34 (1). Gummesson, E. (2002) â€Å"Practical value of adequate marketing management theory† European Journal of Marketing .Volume 36 (3) pp.325-349 Hunt, D. (1994) â€Å"On Rethinking Marketing: Our Discipline, Our Practice, Our Methods† European Journal of Marketing Vol. 28(3) pp. 13-25. Kotler, P. (1972) â€Å"A Generic Concept of Marketing†, Journal of Marketing. Vol. 36. pp. 46-54 Kurzbard, G. & Soldow, G. (2007) â€Å"Towards a Parametric Definition of Marketing† European Journal of Marketing. Vol. 21 (1) pp. 37-47 Philip, E. (2000) â€Å"Strategy the End to the Endgame?†(impact of Internet economy on strategy). Journal of Business Strategy. Vol.21 (6) p 12 Pines J., Peppers, D., & Rogers, M. (1995) â€Å"Do You Want to Keep Your Customers Forever?† Harvard Business Review. pp. 105-114 Pires, G., Stanton, J. & Rita, P. (2006) â€Å"The Internet, Consumer Empowerment, and Marketing Strategies†. European Journal of Marketing. Vol. 40 9/10 pp. 936-949 Rossiter J. (2001) â€Å"What is marketing knowledgeStage 1: Forms of marketing knowledge†. Marketing Theory. Vol. 1 pp. 9-26 Woodall, T. (2001). â€Å"The Epistobabble Kid Rides Again: A Stephen Brown (Selective) Retrospective.† Marketing Review. Vol. 2 (2) pp.147.

 Developing my Leadership Style Essay

Pressures on organizations are increasing; even in the Students’ Union where I work. There are growing needs to become more efficient, and to deliver success against strategic goals with shrinking resources. Quantitative analysis can measure performance outputs, and managers can make judgments using business information by qualitatively analyzing. Employees often represent the largest expense for organizations; therefore it is vital to monitor staff performance in order to recognize success and failure. Leaders can achieve little without the support of their followers. Flatter hierarchal structures are more prevalent in modern times; this means managers cannot expect blind allegiance. Engagement with followers is vital. Effective engagement must happen continuously. It is important not to limit the times of communication to employees. This can lead to misunderstandings of tasks and direction of work. For example, if I were to only talk to my team members on a one to one basis annually, it would be likely they would not be working on what I would ideally want to them to work on. It is useful to note however that some employees might not like too much engagement from a manager. They might feel like they are being monitored too much, and fear they are doing something wrong. They correct balance must be found. An important outcome of effective engagement is that team members can link their daily actions to the organization’s strategic plan. This will motivate individuals, as it will give them clear goals to work towards. To improve this in my team I could organize a mapping day where everyone links his or her work to the Students’ Union’s strategic plan. Some see a leader simply as an individual others follow, whereas others define leadership as organizing a group of people to achieve a common goal. Studies of leadership have produced theories about the different duties and traits of leaders. I am interested in leadership, as I would like to become a more effective manager. It is useful to understand the similarities and differences between a leader and a manager. Usually a manager is concerned with specific tasks such as budgets, projects, or organizing. Management does not always include a responsibility for people. Leadership, on the other hand, typically have bigger responsibilities than managers; for instance, creating new visions or forming new policies. Leadership always involves leading a group of people. There is a large overlap between leaders and managers. Both strong leaders and strong managers are skilled in keeping their teams focused by challenging individuals to perform strongly in line with objectives. Weak leaders and managers fail to engage with their teams; and so accept chaos and apathy. Leadership Styles It is important to recognize my own leadership style so I can be mindful of my weaknesses. One way to carry out the self-analysis is by using the ‘six specific scales for leadership’ table. The six scales are listed below along each row. Task Person Flexible Dogmatic De-centralised Centralised Reward Punishment The ‘means’ The ‘end’ Structured Organic Task / Person relates to if a manager is task focused or people focused. Task focused leaders emphasize the need to perform to achieve certain goals. A task directed leader would more likely portray an authoritarian style, or a top-down approach meaning they make most the decisions. This could improve efficiency, but lessen moral. On the other hand, person orientated leadership is a behavioral approach in which the motivation and well-being of the team are prioritized. These leaders may have a servant leadership philosophy where rather than giving orders they try to persuade people to work, and try hard themselves to serve the team. There is a risk a team may not function well with this untraditional style, or they could enjoy feeling more valued. Flexible / Dogmatic refers to if a leader will alter practices when a situation changes, or will strictly keep doing things they way they have always been done. A dogmatic leader would want their team to follow established procedures and would reject suggestions to do things differently. A flexible leader would be much more likely to use suggested ideas to modify the statue quo. De-centralised / Centralised is an issue all businesses face; are decisions made by senior managers, or made further down the hierarchy. De-centralised leadership gives an organization a flatter hierarchy, and as decisions are made closer to the customer; this can improve customer service. However a disadvantage of De-centralised leadership is decision-making is less holistically strategic. Centralised leadership makes it easier to implement overarching policies, and prevents people from working in silos. On the other hand, extra layers of bureaucracy are added and disengagement from the front line could lead to bad decisions. Reward / Punishment refers to how a manager chooses to motivate their staff. Do they positively reinforce positive behavior though rewards, or discourage undesirable behavior using punishments? Transactional leaders often reward employees for loyalty and good work. Authoritarian managers may be more likely to use punishments to encourage industry. The means / The end questions whether the method to reach a goal is the most important, or is the end result more critical. A values based leader will probably prioritize ‘the means’ over ‘the end.’ Whereas a leader driven by performance targets may only worry about ‘the end.’ Structured / organic refers to the culture a manager creates. A structured leader will favor bureaucratic structures, precision and strict subornation. On the other hand an organic manager will work to reduce hierarchical structures, and will highly value external knowledge. Different leaders prioritize the things on the scale differently. The scales are useful because a strong emphasis on one aspect suggests a weakness of another trait. If an honest self-analysis is carried out, a person will be made aware of their weaknesses. They can then plan strategies to strengthen the flaws. Own Style I am going to assess the effectiveness of my own leadership style by plotting my characteristics on the six-point scale. Task x Person Flexible x Dogmatic De-centralised x Centralised Reward x Punishment The ‘means’ x The ‘end’ Structured x Organic When I manage I almost wholly focus on the task completion, often at the expense of the welfare of my team. I am flexible in the way I strive to meet my goals as I am not averse to taking on board other people ideas; that also means I do not hold all the decision making power, (de-centralized). I am not the best at recognizing good behavior, as I have always thought people are being paid to do produce a high standard of work, I more typically penalize team members rather than reward them. Again my performance valued nature means I focus on the end rather than the means. Lastly, I prefer to follow a structured approach because it is easier to monitor individuals’ performance and is arguably more time efficient. This is not to the required standard for my job in the Students’ Union, steps will need to be put in place in order to improve. Implications I work as Students’ Union President. I have to manage my fellow full time officers, (the four Vice Presidents), and the seven part-time officers who volunteer their time to help students. An advantage of being a task based leader is that I can ensure deadlines are met, and jobs get completed by all members of the team, especially those who are not good at managing their time. On the other hand, staff wellbeing may be neglected causing retention and motivation problems. To become a better manager I need to find a way of both organizing the team while not forgetting to look after their welfare. It is important that I am flexible in my role as I am meant to represent the views of all BCU students. I would not be a popular student leader if I did not take into account all new ideas that students suggest to me. Also, as all of my projects involve working with the ever-changing student population, I could easily do something wrong if I did not keep gathering the most current student views. Constantly changing tactics though, does slow work progress; sometimes with time sensitive decisions I must push ahead with what I think is best. A way I could improve would be to define projects that it is appropriate to have a wider student input, and those projects that do not. Doing this would save time on some projects, which I could use to instigate better quality engagement with students on other projects. In regard to decision-making, I usually consult the whole team in our weekly meetings before a decision is made. I think it important to make the team feel empowered, especially the volunteers. I hope that giving others control of decisions gives them ownership of projects, so they are more motivated to work hard on them. However, consulting team members with things does slow things down; but I think it is worth it to make more informed decisions. I am not the best at rewarding my team. My ethos is that I expect team members to do a good job. I do reward individuals if they go above and beyond the call of duty. But, on many more occasions I have had to speak to people about why something is not quite up to scratch. I do have a tendency to focus on the end results rather than the journey there. I don’t mind how people reach their targets, as long as they do. I favor procedures; I like the team to follow the designed routes to get things done. This result of the self-analysis worries me. Forgetting to reward individuals will demotivate them. If I carry on doing this I could reach the stage where every time I pop into the communal office my team thinks I have come to highlight someone’s failure; this would be a big problem. I need to find a way to regularly reward hard working people. This will create a more positive environment, and people who are comfortable and happy will likely perform better. Adair proposed the Three Global Factors of leadership. The three factors are, determination to deliver, engagement with individuals, and engagement with teams. The three factors overlap, and are inter-related. Different leaders prioritiesprioritize the three factors differently. I certainly lean toward the ‘determination to deliver’ strand. By focusing on the task, the team may feel undervalued and pressured. Little communication may also mean individuals feel neglected or ignored. I must try to engagement more with individuals and teams to become a more balanced and effective leader. I should set aside time in my calendar to get to know people. This will let me know the best way to communicate the targets to them to motivate them. Spending time with people will also make it a lot easier for me to detect issues. For example, if I know that someone is unhappy, I can investigate why that is and take steps to improve things for them. Developing my Leadership Style After assessing my leadership style and evaluating the results I have produced an action plan to improve my management approach. Action Plan: Benefits of Action Plan Creating an action plan will help me maintain focus working towards goals that I have set to improve my leadership style. The goals relate to weaknesses, (such as prioritising the means and ignoring people), identified in the assessment of my style. The action plan will help ensure that actions and decisions are oriented toward accomplishing the specific goals. The action plan will help me gain self-esteem. Effective action plans contain small steps to achieve ambitions. As I succeed at each step of my plan, I will gain confidence in my ability to be successful and bring change. To create an action plan, I had to determine specific steps linked to the self analysis. The goals and steps are measurable so I am able to tell whether the goals have been met or not. The team will be heavily involved in the action plan. Hopefully this will help strengthen morale and the sense of unity. There are opportunities for team input. Team members who feel included in adaptations will be more motivated to follow through on actions toward achieving the goal because they will feel they partially own the goal. It is important to monitor, evaluate and adapt an action plan to sustain its effectiveness. I will periodically check that I am completing the actions I said I would take by keeping a record of the progress. Objectives should be investigated if they do not in keep with the timeframe defined. My team and myself can sit down and discuss reasons why the success criteria is not being fulfilled in the time predicted. Then the action plan could be reformed or work could be refocused to get things back on track. A More Effective Leader? Having completed this process, I feel confident I can become a more effective leader. For me, the self-analysis was the most important part. I tried my best to give honest answers. It was interesting linking back the findings to the preceding research I had done about leadership styles. I intend to use this Action Plan to complete the objectives I have set myself. I am sure it will strengthen the team I work in.

Buddhism in Tang Dynasty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Buddhism in Tang Dynasty - Term Paper Example Buddhism appealed to all classes of the Chinese nation. This includes both the nation’s peasantry, as well as the aristocrats. This is primarily because Buddhism offered hope for salvation, which the people of China required, but was not offered by the previous religious settings under Taoism and Confucianism (Orzech, p. 219). This paper will examine the effects of Buddhism on Tang Dynasty’s political standing, describing reasons why emperor Taizong favored Buddhism to Confucian religion. Buddhism has had major impacts on the Asian continent, with Japan and China being the most affected cultures by the religion. The effects of Buddhism are apparent in different areas of different cultures and countries, which entail political, social, as well as cultural influences. The Tang Dynasty of China is perhaps the most interesting history phase of China’s history. The Tang Dynasty, which was under the leadership of the Tang Dynasty, was founded in 618 and culminated in 9 07. The Tang Dynasty was quite flourishing with regard to power and wealth and became the most powerful country in the entire world. During the Tang Dynasty, the region achieved significant might with regard to the economy, culture, military and politics levels. Buddhism had substantial effects on China’s, especially the Tang Dynasty (Mikael, p. 36). However, it is paramount to note that Buddhism’s incorporation into the Chinese society took a relatively long time owing to the people’s difficulty to translate Buddhist text into the Chinese language. This paper will answer the question of how Buddhism was able to stabilize imperial power in political ways during the life of Tang Dynasty. It is undisputed that Buddhism had a huge impact in developing the social, economic, cultural and political environments of China’s Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism brought about major changes in the Chinese political front, especially with regard to stabili zing imperial power of the political aspects of the nation. During the rule of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist clergy gained massive favor in the royal court of the ruling elite. They even played a role in the control of bureaucratic power. The aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty were charmed by Buddhism doctrines. This is because the model character exemplified by Buddhist doctrines appealed to the political class of the Tang Dynasty, pushing them to adopt the characteristics of the so called model character as defined by Buddhist beliefs. The Buddhist doctrines appealed to the aristocrats of the Tang Dynasty because unlike the Taoist sage, Buddhism allowed for wealth acquisition by the ruling class. An example of such doctrine includes Buddhist beliefs that while a leader should be self disciplined, respectable and critical in his thinking, the leader should not limit his acquisition of wealth or enjoyment of luxuries. This means that Buddhism presented a new model for world-bound life for the aristocrats. However, this gave leeway for aristocrats to acquire massive amounts of wealth, sometimes at the expense of the populace, which remained poor for the most part. The government of Emperor Taizong preferred Buddhism to Confucian because the latter did not approve some of the actions of the aristocrats. For instance, Confucian disallowed the acquisition of luxurious property as it termed it as improper use of power,

Coccidioidomycosis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coccidioidomycosis - Research Paper Example In areas regarded as Coccidioidomycosis â€Å"hot spots†, statistics indicate that over 70% of the populations in those areas have suffered from the infection. Coccidioidomycosis is relatively mild or even asymptomatic, but it can turn to be severe when it affects the elderly or immunocompromised. Etiology Coccidioidomycosis is caused by dimorphic, soil-borne, ascomycete fungi Coccidioidesimmitis and C.posadasii, which are soil-borne microorganisms. The two species differ in characteristics such as tolerance to heat and salt, but there is no any significant difference in their pathogenicity. The two species are soil saprophytes that propagate in semiarid regions that have sandy, alkaline soils. In the mold stage, Coccidioides species can survive under extreme environmental conditions such as alkaline, temperatures and high salinity conditions. However, these organisms fail to thrive well in the presence of other soil fungi and bacteria in conditions that do not make up their u sual niche (Clemons, 2007). Growth of Coccidioides species is facilitated by two asexual reproductive structures, which are the arthrospore and endospores. The molds growing in the environment produce the arthrospore that are later dispersed by wind. In favorable environmental conditions, arthrospore germinate into new mycelia. ... Epidemics are highly likely to occur when periods of heavy rains, which promote the growth of mycelia, are succeeded by seasons of drought and winds. Fully developed arthrospore are extremely resistant to harsh environmental conditions and remain viable in the environment for years in the soil and dust (Clemons, 2007). The arthroconidia infects the lungs to become spherules. The spherules increase in size creating a room for endospores to develop. After the spherules attain maturity, they rapture to release the endospores which form new spherules. In some cases, endospores can spread to other body parts through blood and lymph fluid causing systemic infection (Acton, 2011). In extremely rare occasions, Coccidiodomycosis can be spread directly between persons or from animals to human beings. Studies have shown that infections spread from one person to another are systemic in nature, which increases the chances of spreading. In other occasions, Coccidioides species can be transmitted t hrough organ transplant (Clemons, 2007). Epidemiology Coccidioides species are endemic in certain regions of the Western Hemisphere. Nearly all the areas that are endemic lie between latitudes 400 North and 400 South (Friis & Sellers, 2009). The endemic areas have semiarid climates marked with hot summers and alkaline soils suitable for propagation of Coccidioides spores. Studies have found out that Coccidiodomycosis infections are not only affecting people living in the endemic regions, but have found their way to other non-endemic regions. This phenomenon is attributed to the increased travel of populations of people to the endemic regions. Persons from non-endemic regions get Coccidioidomycosis infections, but it becomes difficult to diagnose the condition in those areas since

Instructional method and comprehension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Instructional method and comprehension - Essay Example Thus, the terminology of ‘classroom management’ introduced in education with the objective is to create a positive relationship not only between teachers, but also among the peers themselves, and also to help those students who need psychological help (Stough & Emmer, 2001) The two domains of Instruction and learning play the most important role in the learning process of an individual. Instructional and learning style approach is discussed below. 1 Instructional method Methods are the means for instruction for the students. Mostly, instruction method depends upon the content, the students and the level of intellect of the students. Content is categorized into three main domains of knowledge, i.e., skills, attitudes, and values. According to the content and a set goal, students are made to engage themselves actively in the learning process. While, teaching skill, it is necessary to alter the content giving the learners more practical exposure and pointing out the important practical aspects. When teaching attitude, those methods are used which are required to apply in particular situations. There is several level of learning the knowledge of the content from simple recitation without complete understanding to learning so well that the learner has full understanding of listing, discussion, analysing, practical application, and extrapolation of the knowledge in a naà ¯ve situation (Bloom et al., 1956).

Microsoft Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microsoft - Research Paper Example The corporate office of Microsoft is headquartered at One Microsoft Way, Redmond: Washington, USA. It has subsidiaries in more than 100 countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe. The company board of director’s team comprises of ten individuals and it is headed by Steve Ballmer (Chief Executive Officer). The executive team consists of sixteen competent members managing the company operations over the globe. The company operates in the global competitive environment by developing, manufacturing, licensing and supporting a wide array of software products and services for different computing devices. Microsoft businesses have been divided into five segments; Client, Server & Tools, Online Services Business, Microsoft Business Division and Entertainment and Devices Division. The Client segment focuses on Windows Product Family and is recognized as its flagship product since they are globally recognized all over the world (Windows XP, Vista, 7 etc.). The Server and Tools segment sells server products and related services and solutions and its major product in this division include Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Video and Microsoft Enterprise Services. The third segment of Online Service Businesses provides offerings such as email, online information offerings such as Hotmail and MSN Portals. The revenue generated from this segment mainly comes through advertising. Microsoft Bu siness Division includes Microsoft Office Suites and Desktop Programs. The final segment of Entertainment and Devices Division sells hardware and among the most prominent includes; Xbox 360 video game console, Zune digital music and entertainment device. The online services and offerings include Hotmail, Bing, and MSN Portals. Innovation has remained the cornerstone of Microsoft’s success. It has not only sustained itself in stiff competition throughout the globe but

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 27

Economics - Essay Example This is a clear indicator that people are more concerned about health than money. The discovery by economists that money can’t buy happiness is a justification for high taxes and more government spending. According to Lee .D.R (2005), pursuit of money is addictive and reduces the time available for friends, family and other activities that result in genuine happiness. In conclusion, we can not just totally dispute the fact that money does not bring happiness. Money does bring happiness especially with an increase in the level of income (which is a sign of achievement) although the happiness brought by money is temporary. It is very important for people to look for money because it increases their purchasing power .Money also enables one to be able to do what he so wishes, for instance, investment. Money can be obtained by earning as an income, borrowing and from savings. All these three methods of acquiring money have an opportunity cost (defined as the value of foregone opportunity).For instance the opportunity cost of earning income is loss of time for other activities like recreation. Money held as savings has the foregone opportunity of loss of profit for income generating activities in which the money could have been invested. Finally, the foregone opportunity of borrowing is the high interest rates although such borrowed money can be invested in more income generating activities in future. Therefore everyone strives to get money by whatever means considering the opportunity cost. The means of acquiring money whose opportunity cost is low is the best method chosen. Marginal utility of money is the extra satisfaction derived from an extra unit of money spent. Marginal utility of money is never constant because an extra unit of money given to a poor person will add much to his satisfaction than if the same coin was given to a rich person. This means that poorer people

EBusiness Company Comparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EBusiness Company Comparisons - Assignment Example Commissions are also earned when users visit company sites, advertise their products, or post the link of the company. The customer base of these companies lies between 10 and 80 million people. Therefore, a sales revenue business model for these companies therefore, can result in great profits (Rappa, 2010). Yahoo: This Company uses portal advertising model. It offers products that suit customer-specific needs. This is through the complex Customer Relationship Management (CRM), where the company gathers important legal and behavioural information of its customers (Rappa, 2010). According to Cusumano (2004) for software business, the key aspect of its business model is understanding specific customer needs. Google: This is a search engine, and adopts the Advertising Model. It utilizes Content-Targeted Advertising, where advertisements relate to the content of a web page. It also uses the Query-based paid placement. For instance, when searching for terms, the advertisements that are paid for will show up (Rappa, 2010). Mayer (2006) notes that Google aims at acquiring many users and retaining them through developing the products they need. Social media has changed how companies conduct marketing and advertising. In future, there will be increased participation of customers and information sharing on company products. Customers will also highly influence the nature of company products. The use of cloud computing has resulted in low costs for online companies, especially those costs that are related to suppliers. This thus leads to reduced prices for customers. In future, more use of cloud computing will abate the financial challenges experienced by these

Diploma in Business Essay Example for Free

Diploma in Business Essay Describe how marketing techniques are used to market products in two organizations.P2- describe the limitations and constrains of marketing.M1- compare marketing techniques used in marketing products in Two organizations. Answer: P1 I am going to be talking about how marketing techniques are used to market products in two different organizations.Marketing is the process of understanding the market, within which a business operates and satisfying customers, needs in order to meet the objects of the business. The role of marketing within a particular organization will depend on the organization overall objectives. The object of many businesses is to make a profit, but it not the purpose of many voluntary and public (government owned) organization, although marketing is as equally important for them. In order successfully identify, anticipate and satisfy customer ‘needs, a businesses need to carry out market research to assess its competitive position and its customers’ needs.Once a business knows more about its customers and competitors it can set clear and smart marketing objectives. Unit 1 Different types of business activity and ownership Pass 1 A) Type of businesses activity If I live in a city of any size especially in an area where new people are moving in people are increasingly using the Internet to find local businesses. Microsoft cant be local because people search jobs by region: United States, Europe and Asia etc. Oxfam is a local as well such as located in Watford High Street. Some of the businesses that can be helped by local Internet marketing include: chiropractor, computer retailer, travel agent, locksmith, massage therapist, insurance agent, real estate agent, mortgage broker, maid service hardware retailer, plumber, auto repair etc. How to use the Internet to market a local or regional business. There are many businesses in UK. It is located sites across a country. For example, Microsoft Company is found in Cambridge that is UK. Of course Oxfam is collecting money to save people and it is every where in the UK, i.e. London, Hertfordshire, Oxford shire and Birmingham etc. they will be called National Businesses. An International business company is a legal entity incorporated in a tax haven which is free from all local taxes (except small fixed annual fees). Typically the IBC  cannot conduct business in the country of incorporation. Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 organizations working with over 3000 partners in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Microsoft International Careers Newsletter, a free quarterly e-publication that will give us timely information on career opportunities at Microsoft, i.e. from Europe somewhere else. Both Microsoft and Oxfam are global companies, but Microsoft careers can take us to a global presence. They offer opportunities around the world to make an impact with the next generation of technology theyre building today. Political factors: include legal aspects (e.g. Microsoft copyright), the general political ethos. Economic factors: Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long-terms. This is especially true when planning for international marketing. to look at: Economic factors include the effect of the economy (e.g. Int erest rates) on individuals, and on organisations. Social factors: The social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. It is very important that such factors are considered. Factors include demographic change (e.g. Oxfam is concerned of changes in proportion of age groups and educational changes.), other changes in social habits (where people go to shop, leisure expectations), Technological factors: Technology is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. Consider the following points: There are obviously a wide range of technological factors affecting libraries and information centres (e.g. Microsoft Internet, telecommunications, and the media in which people expect to find information). Section 2 National and international laws: International laws are created by international bodies; in particular Britain can be affected by European Union laws. The European Union courts are increasingly important in making judgements which apply across the Union. European Union laws are regarded as having supremacy over national laws. * Employment: Over time a body of law or legislation has developed governing employer/employee relations and the rights of employees and employers in the workplace. The Working Time Directive, 1999 Both businesses must guarantee to all employees a maximum 48 hours working week, and a four week holiday. Employees can choose to opt out of the Working Time requirement and agree to work longer hours if they wish. * Contracts: Oxfam employees have rights under their contract of employment. An employment  contract is a legal agreement between an employer and an employee, setting out the terms on which one agrees to employ the other. The plan must set out where the business wants to go, the aims and objectives, and details of how they will accomplish these aims; it is referred to as the strategy. Aims and objectives: The aims of the companies depend on the kind of business they are. For example, the aims of Oxfam will be quite different from those of Microsoft. A firm needs to have a clear sense of direction that should be clearly communicated to all stakeholders. The aims of the businesses that can be split into objectives. The objectives set out more specifically how the aim can be achieved. For example, the aim of the Microsoft is to be the worlds leading software supplier. The objective is to undercut the price of rivals; to take over other similar makers; to increase sales by giving discount price to the customers so this shall increase the needs of the company. Internal structures: The two chosen businesses are Microsoft and Oxfam vital to generate a structure that will enable them to better meet the needs of their stakeholders. For example, an essential part of the structure of a private company is the Board of Directors with the MD at the top. By giving high priority to the Board means that the interests of the owners (stakeholders) are given priority. However, the companies need to predict for the customers that are very significant organisational structure needs to ensure there are obvious links to customers. For example, the businesses can give priority to the position of customer service managers. Make a judgement about the importance of these factors on the organisation concerned. Factors Organisations can be concerned on Political Funding Wars and conflict Government policies Elections Political trends Government term and change Trading polices Economic Interest and exchange rates Taxation changes specific to product/services Disposable income Job growth/unemployment Import/export ratios Production level Internal sources of finance i.e. banks, hire purchase, leasing and etc.

Police Department Roles And Functions

Police Department Roles And Functions The principle roles of law enforcement organizations are to go after individuals that have committed a crime. However, they have other roles as well; they are to enforce the law from enforcing speed limit laws to civil and criminal laws. Law enforcement officers are able to write tickets give a mere warning or even arrest someone for a criminal offense. A law enforcement officer is the first to respond to a call that has been dispatched to 911 calls, to prevent a crime such as a domestic abuse call or criminal or suspicious activity that may be going on. There are different divisions with in the departments in solving a crime that range from the detectives to the forensic division. An officer also makes sure that the public is safe by educating them about the laws and informing the public when there is criminal activity in the area. A law enforcement officer has a set of responsibilities that all intertwine with each other. The police help to protect the peace by enforcing laws and helping to prevent crime. Their main responsibilities are to enforce the law, arrest a criminal offender, prevent crime from occurring, preserve the peace, and to provide service. To enforce the laws efficiently a police officer needs to know the laws and understand the communitys priorities about the more important laws. When approaching someone that has broken the law, the officer has to apprehend the offender as safe as possible. When an officer of the law reduces crime and foresees a risk for crime, they improve the trust of the community and their safety. When there is an officer present it helps preserve the peace of the community. Services that law enforcement officers provide consist of but not limited to would be helping someone who is lost, helping with a vehicle that is broke down, a medical emergency and also in times of v ictimization. (UOPX 2012) In order for the police departments to accomplish all of their goals they have several operational strategies they need to use. These strategies consist of preventive patrol, routine incident response, emergency response, criminal investigations, problem solving, and support services. Having an officer present in the community helps in deterring criminal activity, gives an officer a faster response time and the citizens in the community feel safer. Routine incident response is an important service because it helps an officer get hold of information, disrupt any criminal activity, and to provide a sense of security in the community. Medical emergencies and natural disasters generally take precedence over other police duties. Law enforcement officers spend a very little amount of time on investigative activities. The first responders secure the crime scene, give emergency help, and gather up evidence. Being able to understand and predict criminal activity helps to solve or avoid many s ocial problems. There are various kinds of law enforcement agencies from local police departments to federal agencies. The local police consist of, county, municipal, tribal, and the regional police that gain their authority from the local judicial system. The leading reason for this is to uphold the laws in the community to prevent crime from occurring to preserve the peace and investigate crimes that have been committed locally. The duties of the state police generally include the highway patrol and investigations throughout the state. There are states that only have only highway patrol with the sole purpose of investigating crimes which is a different unit called the state bureau of investigation. The state police also aid with the local police in many investigations or emergencies that go out past the resources and jurisdictional limitations of the local police department. The Federal law enforcement agencies can enforce both federal laws as well as state laws all through the United States and t hey also have power of all police rights throughout the United States Code. The majority of the law enforcement officers that are employed by federal agencies are not typically called police officers; however they are officially selected as Special Agents. The Federal government has a vast amount of law enforcement agencies throughout the countless departments and divisions with a multitude of roles and responsibilities. There are some federal law enforcement agencies that are well known, such as the United States Marshals service (USMS), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Federal Air Marshal Service (FAM), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) United States Secret Service (USSS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Each one of the federal agencies has extremely diverse roles and responsibilities within law enforcement. (Terry, K and Grant, H 2012) The USMS has an array of duties, which include protecting federal judiciary, Witness Security Program, confiscating property that has been obtained through illegal activities by criminals, serving warrants for the federal courts and transporting criminals and arresting fugitives. The FBIs core focus is to protect and defend the United States, to implement all of the laws of the United States, as well as to offer leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and their partners. The most important role and responsibility of the drug enforcement administration is to look into and get evidence ready for the prosecution of major criminals that buy and sell illegal drugs in the United States as well as internationally. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives main role is with the licensing, investigation, and control over Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. ATF works with the FBI when both sides of expertise are needed. A well-known case that came to the attention of the public was the involvement of the two agencies with David Koreshs Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas. It was the ATF that was originally called to the Koresh compound, beginning the standoff that led to the death of seventy-one individuals (Terry, K and Grant, H 2012). There are a variety of patrol work which includes aggressive patrol, bicycle patrol, directed patrol, harbor patrol, high-risk traffic and horse patrol, integrated patrol, motorcycle patrol, proactive patrol, routine patrol, saturation and water patrol. It all depends on what type of area is being patrolled is to what kind of patrol is used. However, the two patrol methods that are used the most are vehicle patrol and foot patrol. The role and function of patrol work is to protect and defend the lives of citizens and their property, to repress criminal and offending behavior identifying and apprehending criminal offenders, to maintain traffic flow and reduce accidents, and to ensure the safety of the public. (Terry, K and Grant, H 2012)

Discovery Of Society Essay -- essays research papers

What is the meaning of society? It’s a simple word but with a very complicated definition. Society is our own everyday reality. It’s features such as economics, culture, language and philosophy is what unites individuals and creates a society. In the book, â€Å"The Discovery of Society†, written by Randall Collins and Michael Makowsky we are able to capture the ideas and beliefs of a variety of social thinkers. All of these thinkers had a different perspective towards what a society needs to survive and maintain itself afloat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of these social thinkers was Karl Marx (1818-1883). He was a German political philosopher and revolutionist. Marx was very concern with the history of class struggle. He felt that the history of society was a history itself of the struggles that existed between the ruling and the oppressed social classes. In Marx’s time, slaves were considered the â€Å"have not’s† and were the ones doing all the work while the â€Å"have’s† were taking advantage of their effort. According to Marx, the economy was organized around industrial production and commercial exchange, which explains why he classified the bourgeois society into two main classes. These classes were; the capitalist who owned the factories, banks and the goods to trade and the proletarians who owned nothing but their own labor power. Marx felt that the division of classes was what was responsible for the conflict and suffering of all society. This is what encouraged Marx to believe that chaos was the only way in which classes would break up and no longer exist. Marx was able to get his point across in the modern socialist doctrine, better known as the Communist Manifesto. Even though, Marx was ordered to leave Paris because of all his revolutionary activities he did set a great influence on all communist literature. The situation of the banishment of Marx was very similar to what one of the characters in the book of, â€Å"Brave New World†, Bernard Marx, had to experience. This certain character is similar to Karl Marx because of the way in which he didn’t agree with the system that already existed. This caused the World Controller to decide that it was best to sent him away in order to prevent him from putting ideas in the minds of other individuals of the society. In the case of Karl Marx the character, World Controller, could be associated with the Belgian go... ...on. In the book, â€Å"Things Fall Apart†; we are able to see this situation when the British attempt and succeed in colonizing the society of the Ibo and other neighboring tribes. In this example, its really a contradiction which is set by the British because they wanted to force this society to be who they weren’t and the British didn’t take into consideration the organization already set up by the Ibo. I feel we still have a few more years to go before we could actually comprehend the meaning of society. As for the past philosophers, some of them did depict a close picture of what was expected in the present time. To be honest, the social thinker I could relate the most is Karl Marx for the reason that he was so strongly opposed to class division. Even though, it would be great if there weren’t any divisions in our society but it is impossible. I feel this way because in our society exists too much racism. Also no matter how hard we try not to classify people into groups its difficult. You either have money and you are on the top level or middle or you have no money and are homeless. In this society and every other one it’s all about the Benjamin’s in your pocket and bank account!

Lord Of The Flies - Role Of Gender Essay -- essays research papers

What was it that caused the aggression and dominance exhibited by the boys of Lord of the Flies? Was it some metaphysical, spiritual force, or perhaps their genetic makeup? Could it have been the influence of their peers or families, or was it the media that inspired this dangerous pattern? Conceivably, their gender had something to do with this appalling trait. It all begs the question, would the same experiences have occurred had females been stranded on the island instead of males? Had females been in a similar situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would have fared abundantly better. Initially, this paper will address society’s role in encouraging males’ violent behavior, as well as females’ politeness and passivity. Secondly, it will be discussed how family socialization influences females’ gentle natures and males’ aggressive temperaments. Finally, this research will explore both gender’s leadership styles, and scientific perc eption behind these differences. Much of what society dictates can affect children’s perceptions of the ideal gender standards, and can lead to abuse and violence. Media has a huge role in perpetuating these dangerous gender stereotypes. Numerous male images are used in advertising and television, representing themes such as "heroic masculinity" and "might is right". These portrayals of violent behavior associated with masculinity target young men and convince them that in order to live up to society’s standards, they must resort to aggressive and dominant behavior, the use of assertion, and physical violence. Males are saturated with images of glorified aggression through movies such as Lethal Weapon, sports programs, and "macho" celebrities, like Bruce Willis and Arnold Shwartzenager. Female stereotypes span the opposite extreme. Innumerable young women perceive "ladylike" expectations to be neatness, passivity, politeness, and struggle to meet them, hence they appear nurturing and feminine. Women in the media who challenge these stereotypical behaviors and display assertiveness tend to be slotted into the role of "tomboy" or "dyke". These impositions contribute to the breeding of young men who act in an abusive manner, and are terribly restricting towards boys who covet deep emotion. The antagonist of Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew, perceives himself to... ...evere emotions, so not do it for dominance, but for reasons such as love, children, or family. Carol Shakeshaft, a writer specializing in gender differences in educational administration, describes the female mentality as: "emphasizing power with, rather than power over, others." She theorizes that women, in general, perform better in leadership positions, because they are more person oriented, and adopt a more democratic leadership style. To settle arguments, women rely more on negotiation than competition or physical violence. Had females been on the island, they would have practised more community involvement, equality, and inclusiveness. In conclusion, this report has explored several rationales behind the boys’ behavior in Lord of the Flies, and suggested how girls in the same position would have behaved in a more accepting, nurturing, polite manner. Media stereotypes on ideal gender conduct, family socialization, and fundamental differences in leadership approach are all factors that contribute to boys’ and girls’ very contrasted behaviors. Clearly, had females been in the same situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would have fared considerably better.

Teacher-Student Relationships Essay -- essays papers

Teacher-Student Relationships First and foremost, teachers should focus on their relationship with the students, because without that bond, there is little chance of managing the classroom efficiently. Students should be aware that the teacher wants them to be successful both in and out of the classroom (Backes & Ellis, 2003). The best way for teachers to show students this desire is to exhibit a personal interest in all aspects of the students’ lives (R.J. Marzano, J.S. Marzano, & Pickering, 2003). A personal interest can be revealed by a variety of simple tasks including cheerfully greeting students in the hallway (Backes & Ellis, 2003), talking informally with students before and after class, attending various extracurricular activities and acknowledging the students’ participation and achievements in those activities, and saying hello to students in places outside of school such as the mall (R.J. Marzano, Pickering et al., 2003). Students’ lives and emotions outside of the classroom s hould be valued by teachers, because students are more likely to respect themselves and their classmates when they believe that their feelings are respected and cared about by teachers (Wessler, 2003). Essentially, students, â€Å"like all of us, respond better to correction – even ultimatums – from someone they know and respect† (Mathews, 2000). Once teachers have established a bond with their students, it will be easier for them to create an inviting and comprehensive classroom environment. When teachers have good relationships with their students, they learn more about the students as individuals, and thus become more aware of the student’s interests, needs, and family background. Teachers can use this information to make sure that ever... ...rch/EBSCO Database. Churchward, B. (2003). Discipline by design. Retrieved November 9, 2004 from http://www.honorlevel.com/x47.xml Education World, Inc. (2004). Responsive classroom strategies. Retrieved September 27, 2004, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/charney/charney003b.shtml Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. (2004). Classroom management. Retrieved September 27, 2004, from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/tiparchive.phtml/4 Pearson Education, Inc. (2004). Classroom management. Retrieved November 3, 2004, from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/page/5776.html Hafner, K. (2004, April 29). In class, the audience weighs in. The New York Times, p. G1. Mathews, J. (2000, December 19). On good authority; Maintaining discipline is key to students’ success, but new teachers rarely learn classroom management. The Washington Post, p. A19.

Environmental Impacts Essay

There is a large gap between developed and developing countries in terms of the attention given to environmental concerns. As a general rule, developing nations place the environment low on their list of priorities. Managing the ecosystem takes a back seat to economic advancement and industrialization, which are seen as more pressing needs. On the other hand, developed nations generally take a more proactive role in environment management because they have the budget and the technology to do so. They have also recognized that further economic development can no longer do without sustainable environmental practices (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2001). Stemming from this basic difference of priorities is the great disparity between the environment’s impacts on the health of people living in the First World and those living in the Third World. However, it is simplistic to assume that the former are invariably healthier than the latter. While it is true that developing nations use less environmentally-friendly practices, the sheer level of industrialization and commercialization in developed countries sometimes means that these countries produce far more pollution and thus create more health problems for their citizens. A comprehensive assessment of the interaction between human health and the natural environment is not possible given the length of this paper. Nevertheless, this essay will explore some differences between First and Third World nations with regards to two selected major public health issues, namely, air pollution and water pollution. Air Pollution Palo and Solberg (1999) have identified carbon dioxide as the most abundant greenhouse gas produced today, and they cite it as the most critical contributor to global warming, a phenomenon that poses a grave threat to human health and security. Confalioneri et al. (2007) detailed the exact nature of this threat in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. Global warming first affects humanity by changing weather patterns. Extreme temperature swings, irregular precipitation, rising sea levels, more powerful storms, droughts and heatwaves have all become more common as a direct result of global warming. These phenomena in turn negatively affect the quality and quantity of food, water and air available to human populations. These phenomena inflict a great amount of damage on human settlements and infrastructure as well. The worldwide spikes in malnutrition, infectious diseases, and deaths from extreme weather events are all directly proportional to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The IPCC also warned that developing societies were at the greatest risk to these environmental pressures. Among these developing nations, Douglas et al. (2001) cited coral reef atolls and reef islands as the most prone because their rates of land loss are dramatically impacted on by incremental rises in sea level. They cited the rapidly disappearing land of the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, and some low-lying Japanese islands as some of the most alarming manifestations of global warming. They added that rise in sea levels has led not only to escalating land loss, but also to the contamination of underground water sources in nations such as Israel, Thailand and island states in the Pacific and the Caribbean. The combined loss of arable land and potable water caused by global warming does not only lead to malnutrition and disease but also to social pressures such as overcrowding in cities, which increase the strain on the human population’s health. In addition, developing countries lack the infrastructure to protect their populations from the increasingly negative repercussions of climate change. In nations such as India, Bangladesh and Burma, relief efforts for victims of increasingly destructive storms are routinely slowed down by the insufficient facilities, resources and personnel. However, it should be noted that developed countries are not immune to these calamities. The unprecedented destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina on a major U. S. city serves as a grim reminder of the vulnerability of First World nations to extreme weather events. Cooper and Block (2007) are only two of many Americans who have accused the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of being prepared for natural disasters â€Å"on paper,† only to be caught flat-footed when Hurricane Katrina struck the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Cooper and Block also blame FEMA’s ineptitude for the unsanitary living conditions thousands of survivors had to endure for several weeks after the disaster. To this day, New Orleans has not fully recovered from the hurricane. Carbon dioxide emissions are not the only major source of air pollution. Other chemicals such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) also pose significant health problems. As Tang (2004) has underlined, these primary pollutants are doubly hazardous because they can react photochemically to create secondary pollutants, and these secondary pollutants can also undergo further chemical reactions which result in even deadlier substances. This type of air pollution is one of the most critical problems in China today, especially in the capital of Beijing. As one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world, China has seen an enormous surge in demand for fossil fuels to feed its factories and the motorized transport of its citizens. In addition, China has much lower emissions standards for its automobiles compared to other countries, leading to more pollution produced per vehicle. Tang cited Song et al. (2003), who noted the sharp increase in respiratory diseases among Chinese living in urban areas, as well as many residents’ complaints about the chronic lack of visibility in Beijing. Once again, these health problems are not limited to developing countries. In fact, this type of air pollution is acutely felt in megacities such as Los Angeles and London, where air quality is severely compromised by the millions of automobiles and the factories located in and around the city limits. However, developed countries are taking definite steps to decrease the pollution, with one notable exception. As Al Gore observed in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006), the United States lags far behind its European counterparts when it comes to enforcing more environmentally friendly emissions standards for its automobiles. The discrepancy has reached the point where some American vehicles can no longer be sold in European countries because they no longer meet government environment safety standards.

Lg Electronics – International Business

The multinational company that I will be examining is LG Electronics. LG Electronics is based out of Seoul, Korea and was established in 1958. It is a subsidiary of LG Group, which is one of the largest electronic conglomerates in the world. This company is a global manufacturer of consumer electronics, telecommunications systems, and home appliances. LG operates its business through four major divisions: home entertainment, mobile communications, home appliances, and air conditioning & energy solutions. They are the second largest manufacturer of flat screen televisions, and the third largest producer of mobile phones. North America and Asia are its two largest markets, each contributing about 30% of sales. According to their website, LG Electronics has over 120 ventures around the world. They employ around 93,000 personnel. LG Electronics owns Zenith Electronics and controls a large portion of LG Display. Its home entertainment division produces cutting edge products, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions, plasma televisions, 3 dimension (3D) televisions, home theater systems, projectors, and audio, video, and storage devices. The mobile communications branch provides a full line of communication devices, mobile communication terminals, and tablet personal computers (PCs). The home appliances division manufactures microwave ovens, refrigerators, washing machines and more. The air conditioning and energy solutions branch creates air conditioners, develops solar energy cells, and provides green lighting solutions. The consumer electronics industry is growing rapidly with numerous innovative products being invented due to recent advances in technology. This has driven increases in consumer demand. LG Electronics is one of the leading competitors in this area. The global market is pretty equally divided between the United States, Asia, and Europe. The Americas region accounts for 38% of the global market, and is dominated by the US market. Additionally, the economic growth in substantial markets such as China and India has boosted the global consumer electronic market revenue. LG Electronics has many different international activities. This company has branches in almost every region of the world. For instance, LG has production plants in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, England, Poland, and Brazil. This corporation operates offices for marketing its products in every country imaginable, such as Jordan, Nigeria, Russia, Australia, Thailand and the United States. This is truly a company that is rapidly expanding its holdings around the world. This corporation is putting full effort into becoming one of the top three manufacturers of electronics and telecommunications systems on earth. They are doing so, by using two major strategies: fast innovation and fast growth. LG Electronics is putting a lot of time and money into research and development, in order to get ahead of its competitors. LG is placing the majority of its effort into what they term â€Å"smart technology. † Smart technology is LG’s development philosophy that embraces sensitive communication with customers in order to provide products that everybody wants to use, and easily can. This customer oriented principle has become the most important development philosophy for LG. The key areas that LG is focusing on are the mobile phone and digital television industries. They are also actively participating in pilot projects such as home networking to develop new products with various service providers. LG Electronics is also developing new business opportunities by creating strategic alliances with other successful companies. It is LG Electronics’ goal to become number one in the world through these relationships. Businesses with different foundations are collaborating with LG to create a â€Å"Strategic alliance between corporations. † This is crucial to creating a new industry and solidifying the current one. One of the companies that LG Electronics is working with is Skype. Through this partnership, LG is working to create television products with embedded Skype capabilities. General Electric (GE) is another major corporation that LG is collaborating with. These two businesses have agreed to share patents on cooking appliances and refrigerators. Arguably the most important alliance that LG has formed is one with Microsoft. LG has already released a smartphone based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. In addition to that, the companies have been working together closely for personal computer, digital television, and mobile phone convergence. In December 2002, the managing director of Francis Kanoi Marketing Services, Francis Xavier stated â€Å"LG’s success is more related to marketing than technological superiority. I believe that spending money for great advertising is LG Electronics’ major international strategy. This is a technique that will work regardless of what region the consumer lives in. For example, in 2002 LG Electronics India launched advertising campaigns featuring cricketers. LG then released 22 commercials featuring world class cricketers to strengthen its association with cricket. Experts felt that LG would profit by aligning itself with this sport in a country such India where cricket has a huge following. The company then spent approximately 500 million dollars on advertising during the cricket world cup. Due to its aggressive promotion plan, LG became the market leader in India for color televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, and microwaves. LG has since gone on to become one of the leading sponsors of cricket in India. This is a marketing plan that has worked well in other counties too. LG Electronics sponsors soccer teams in England and Costa Rica, where that sport has a large audience. In Australia and Argentina, they are the corporate sponsors of rugby teams. LG also sponsors London Fashion week, as well as Formula One racing which has a giant following all over the world. In essence, LG Electronics is extremely smart in aligning its brand with popular sports and events. LG Electronics is a multinational firm that is striving to become the number one electronics conglomerate on earth. The company is working toward achieving this goal with more than one business strategy. First, they are putting time and effort into listening to the customer when it comes to research and development of new, better products. Second, LG has formed many strategic alliances with other major companies, in order to expand its holdings. Lastly and most important, this corporation is spending money on great advertising and sponsorship of popular sports teams all over the world in order to promote its brand. References 1. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/LG_Electronics 2. http://www. lg. com/global/index. jsp 3. http://www. fibre2fashion. com/industry-article/11/1004/increasing-competition-creates-stress-on-marketing-managers4. asp 4. http://www. allbusiness. com/company-activities-management/company-strategy/16611527-1. html

Bailey’s Cafe

Bailey’s Cafe is a collection of deeply moving personal stories from (mainly) women deeply scared by life. Author Gloria Naylor reveals an extraordinary ability to imagine, create and relate the stories of half dozen people nearly destroyed by their pasts, yet getting some glimmer of hope in Eve’s boarding house, arrived at via Bailey’s Cafe. Naylor’s characters are desperately seeking salvation, or they will perish by their own evils that they have experienced in their lives. One such character in need is Sadie, whose violent childhood at the hands of a drug-addicted prostitute mother leads her to seek quiet and cleanliness. Bailey's Cafe is a sleazy little dive on the edge of nowhere, run by a guy who answers to the name of Baile wife, Nadine. They specialize in bad food and lost hopes, catering to a series of vividly drawn characters, all of whom have come to the end of a bitter road. In the first few lines, Bailey tells us that he was distraught at the horrors of combat and the destitution of war, and when he reached the point of giving in, he found this mysterious cafe, and began anew. His experience is not unlike the other characters in the play. They all reach Bailey’s Cafe in the hopes of not being served a hot meal, but to regain something that was lost to them. A character who I liked the most is Sadie, who tried to win her abusive mother's love by being the best, Syed 2 cleanest girl in the world. Yet after Sadie's dream of having a home of her own is hopelessly thwarted, she escapes into alcoholism and works as a whore, earning only enough to support her habit of cheap wine. Until she was four she thought her name was the one the coat hanger missed. When she did ask her mother what her name was her beat her viciously screaming â€Å"Sadie, Sadie, Sadie. † At this young age she learned that the only way out of her situation was to love. â€Å"She didn’t know she loved this empty woman in order to survive. † (Naylor, 42) Sadie was an aging wino and prostitute. Born only because her mother had botched an abortion, Sadie spent forty years of her life trying to find approval and love, first from her mother, then from an elderly husband. After losing the home that had become her reason for existing, Sadie began to drink. Her wine dreams have become so fulfilling that when she finally is offered love, she chooses illusion instead. She knew the difference in the way her mother treated her and the way other parents treated their children had to be her fault so she tried to be as good as she could. Her mother forced her to become a prostitute at the age of thirteen and when she had her first abortion her mother had the doctor sterilize her. After mother died she married the man who delivered the wood in whore house. He was like her mother so she kept his house clean and was always quiet. She always dreamt of having a house with a garden as a young girl and when her geraniums bloomed she had the garden she needed to complete dream. Syed 3 Sadie has suffered from the beginning till the end of her life. She was very strong and bold who had never given up. She sold everything she has and finally begins to sell herself. Bailey's Cafe isn't defined by just one character, but rather its world, a way station on the edge of any city anywhere, the place before there's no more places. This is a novel which depends greatly on the observations of a forthright unsophisticated who describes himself, dispiritingly, as ‘majoring in Life'. it is good for getting a feel of what is really out there and that no one is perfect it really shows you that you can find help in anything and that when you least it expect it and you’re at the bottom something is bound to come by and pick you up.

Inquiry learning Essay

Introduction Discovery learning or Inquiry Learning has a long history in education and has regained popularity over the last decade as a result of changes in the field of education that put more emphasis on the role of the learner in the learning process. Zachos, Hick, Doane, and Sargent define discovery learning as â€Å"the self-attained grasp of a phenomenon through building and testing concepts as a result of inquiry of the phenomenon. † The definition emphasizes that it is the learner who builds concepts, that the concepts need to be tested, and that building and testing of concepts are part of the inquiry of the phenomenon. Computer simulations have rich potential to provide learners with opportunities to build and test concepts, and learning with these computer simulations is also referred to as simulation-based discovery learning (Lester, Vicari, & Paraguacu, 2004). Students engaged in discussions – raising questions, resting ideas, challenging each other’s assertions – is at the heart of inquiry learning. Such discussions enable students to go beyond hands-on activities to interpret and reflect on their experiences and develop new ways of thinking. Reflecting their understanding of inquiry learning, the originators of network science aimed to have students in distant classrooms use the network to discuss science with one another like collaborating scientists (Feldman, 2000). Literature Review The main goal of discovery learning activity is to obtain and/or construct knowledge about a domain by performing experiments and inferring rules and properties of the domain from the results of those experiments. Research on discovery learning has shown that learners can experience a range of problems that can prevent successful learning. Discovery learning requires learners to act in the same manner as scientist when discovering the properties and relations of the domain that is simulated, using processes that are very similar to the processes of scientific discovery. Learners need to generate hypotheses, design experiments, predict their outcome, interpret data and reconsider hypotheses in order to construct knowledge about the domain. With each of these learning processes, problems can arise. Learners can fail to state testable hypotheses, design uninformative experiments or interpret experimental results badly (Gauthier, Frasson, & VanLehn, 2000). In order to make discovery learning successful, learners can be supported from within the learning environment. The learning environment can contain cognitive tools that can be directed at the support of one or more learning processes. Cognitive tools can offer support to the learner in several ways of support, creating a learning dialogue between the learning environment and the learner and at establishing the conditions under which profitable learning processes takes place. Cognitive tools play a role in supporting and provoking these learning processes (Gauthier et al. , 2000; McTighe & Wiggins, 2005). Like in discovery learning, the idea of simulation-based discovery learning is that the learner actively engages in a process. In an unguided simulation-based discovery environment learners have to set their own learning goals. At the same time they have to find and apply the methods that help to achieve these goals, which is not always easy. Two main goals can be associated with simulation-based discovery learning; development of knowledge about the domain of discovery, and development of skills that facilitate development of knowledge about the domain (Lester, Vicari, & Paraguacu, 2004). Those who read Guthrie, Cornford, Allen, and Bluck, among others, will find there what we might call the â€Å"traditional view. † According to this view, the paradox is a dilemma about one’s epistemic resources at the outset of inquiry and the role those resources play at the inquiry’s conclusion. The alternatives that the dilemma proposes are beginning with 1) total, explicit knowledge or 2) absolute ignorance. The doctrine of recollection provides the solution with its proposal that all inquiry begins with something intermediate between 1) and 2): latent, unconscious, or implicit knowledge. When these commentators speak of â€Å"total knowledge,† they seem to have in mind â€Å"self-consciously clear† or â€Å"conscious† knowledge (Anton & Preus, 1989). There are three points to be borne in mind in any discussion on learning by discovery. First, what is involved primarily is the learning of facts, concepts and principles rather than skills, techniques or sensitivities; and the subjects most relevant to discovery learning are mathematics, science and environmental studies. Second, it is usually associated with the traditional classroom, and third learning by discovery does not just happen; it comes about as a result of a particular teaching method or strategy. Numerous strategies can be distinguished in this connection; perhaps the most common one to be found is that of guided discovery (Manion, Morrison, & Cohen, 2004). Discovery or Inquiry must ultimately in the history of the race precede instruction; for if it’s this teacher who teaches from someone else who learned it from another teacher that cannot go back indefinitely. Somewhere in the knowledge that we pass on in the process of teaching, someone must have discovered it for himself. so we see, first of all, that learning by discovery is primary (Loucks-Horsley & Olson, 2000). Learning by instruction is secondary. And if this is so then we also see that teachers are, in an absolute sense, dispensable. For nothings which can be learned by instruction with teachers is impossible to learn without teachers. I don’t mean teachers aren’t useful; they are. For most of us would not be able to learn without the help of teachers or learn as rapidly or learn as easily the things we have to come to know in the course of our lifetime. But I do not mean that teachers are only helps. And this understanding of the teacher as an aid, as something which helps in the process of learning, is the deepest insight into the nature of teaching in relation to learning (Adler, 2000). Learning by instruction, learning with the help of teachers is no less active than learning by discovery or inquiry. Perhaps it would be better then, instead of saying learning by instruction and learning by discovery, to call them both learning by discovery; learning with a teacher as â€Å"aided discovery† and learning without a teacher, as â€Å"unaided discovery (Adler, 2000). Analysis Many network science projects have not lived up to their potential to involve students in productive inquiry. Firstly, the network science model of curriculum typically constraints classrooms by imposing rigid schedules for data submission and exchanges. The low level of completion for many network science projects – which, was less than 50% of classes in one project submitting data – may reflect teacher’s inability to fit the real lives of their classrooms, punctuated by school events and holidays and snowstorms, into the schedule demands of many network science projects (Feldman, 2000). Aiming to coordinate work among classes, many network science projects are constrained by centralized schedules. To refocus science learning on inquiry, teachers and students need flexible schedules to allow questions to be pursued in greater depth. Without such flexibility, the potential of the curriculum to support student inquiry is greatly diminished (Feldman, 2000). Secondly, network science encourages the use of scientific and social problems to spark learning, focusing on the importance of investigating questions for which the answer is not known. However, this emphasis on questions for which the answer is not known and the questions are of genuine interest to scientists excludes the possibility of students investigating concepts that may be well known to scientist but no longer of interest to them. Because such concepts are still unknown to students and potentially of great interest, they offer a scientific excursion through which students can reliably have successful and powerful learning experiences. For example, students might investigate phenomena as simple as why some objects float – a topic that is unlikely to be of any interest to scientists (Feldman, 2000). Inquiry learning, under appropriate conditions, is highly desirable; an elaborate pattern of ideas must be built up in a child’s head and only the child can built it; it is the teacher’s job to help the child to build up this elaborate structure of interrelated ideas, and to help the child correct the structure of interrelated ideas, and to help the child correct the structure whenever it is found to be in error (Solomon, 1988). By means of discovery learning we may reasonably expect children to learn something new; and to do so through some initiative of their own. Moreover, a teacher supports a child’s self-chosen activity with questions, commentary and suggestions (Manion et al. , 2004). Conclusion In this paper, we presented a view on combining collaborative learning and the discovery learning. The aim was to show how we can benefit from theoretical knowledge on discovery learning to enhance the added value that collaboration can have and, vice versa, how collaboration in itself can serve as support for the processes of discovery that learners can engage in. Mutual gain can be created from combining collaborative and discovery learning by increasing the mutual awareness in tools supporting either type of learning. Adding knowledge about discovery to collaborative tools can enhance collaborative tools to adapt themselves or give feedback on their contents. On the other hand, collaborative processes take the role of cognitive tools for discovery learning in making learning processes explicit. Of course the examples given in the paper are only a small part of what become possible combining two powerful paradigms of learning (Gauthier et al., 2000). In the latter part of the paper we show how a theory of discovery learning can help to design architecture for communicative support for discovery learning. A central place is taken by a common frame of reference that supports the communication between the different components in the architecture (Gauthier et al. , 2000). References: Adler, M. J. (2000). How to Think About the Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization. Chicago and La Salle: Open Court Publishing. Anton, J. P. , & Preus, A. (1989). Essays in Ancient Greek Philosophy: Plato. New York: SUNY Press. Feldman, A. (2000). Network Science, a Decade Later: The Internet and Classroom Learning. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Gauthier, G. , Frasson, C. , & VanLehn, K. (2000). Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Germany: Springer. Lester, J. C. , Vicari, R. M. , & Paraguacu, F. (2004). Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Berlin Heidelberg, NY: Springer. Loucks-Horsley, S. , & Olson, S. (2000). Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Washington DC: National Academies Press. Manion, L. , Morrison, K. R. B. , & Cohen, L. (2004). A Guide to Teaching Practice. London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer. McTighe, J. , & Wiggins, G. P. (2005). Understanding by Design. Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Solomon, C. (1988). Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Education. Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England: MIT Press.