From a sociological perspective, what do the effects of demographic change have on the social structure of the community of Exeter?

Objectives: 1) To create a research project loosely based on the study proposed by W. M. Williams, A West Country Village: Ashworthy: Family, Kinship and Land. 2) Concentrate on the sociological issues that arise from demographic change in a city community, including family, kinship, class and age. 3) Look at Exeter's population change over the past 20 years. 4) Research Methods: i) Conduct a questionnaire to be carried out in Exeter. ii) Collect secondary data relevant to the project (e.g. census data) iii) Map the shops and services in the high street to gain an understanding of what age groups Exeter wants to attract. iv) Find out if there is a strong sense of community by finding out what clubs and societies are available. v) Look at religion in the community. 2001 Census Results for South West Region From the census data one was able to see that, during the last 20 years the South West's population has grown by over half a million, the fastest growing region in this period. However out of all the places in the south west that have experienced demographic change Exeter has experienced relatively low population growth of about 10.5% The South West has also shown a growth in its ‘retirement' population by a fifth since 1991. The South West has acquired an additional 10,000 residents of retirement age but at the same time has experienced a loss of 3,800 people of working age and a loss of 13,000 people under sixteen. Sociological factors to investigate when looking at the effects of demographic change on the community of Exeter Secondary data is quite important to use alongside the first hand research. For example census information and settlement maps would show how the area has changed over time. By mapping the shops and services available on the high street in Exeter one will be able to see which order they are, i.e. ‘high order' e.g. doctors, dentists, cloths shops, or ‘low order' e.g. bakery, grocers, butchers. The more high order shops and services available, the more likely the community will not need to travel outside of the city therefore making it more self sustained and a high probability of having a good community spirit. The types of shops and services available will also give a clue as to what age groups Exeter's retailers and services are aiming to attract. One could find out Exeter's sphere of influence by asking where people travel from to get to Exeter. From this information it would allow one to then find out if the influx of ‘visitors' that Exeter attracts have an effect on the community of Exeter. To see if Exeter has a strong sense of community and family and kinship systems, one could look at a number of different factors. One could find out what clubs and societies are available to the residents of Exeter. For example Exeter has its own football team, ‘Exeter City'. Therefore you could ask people what football team they support and also how many Exeter football games they attend each year. One could also find out who the clubs and societies are aimed at. This would give a clue as to the age group of the individuals who join the clubs/societies, which would therefore show for example if the community spirit is stronger in the older members of Exeter's community as compared to the younger members. Another important factor is religion, as it is an important medium of bringing a community together and uniting them. The questionnaire should attempt to find out more about the change in Exeter's population and it's effects on family and kinship. Some of the key areas that should be covered in the questionnaire are, the age of the individual, whether they are married or divorced, single parents, and the number of children per household. A way of assessing kinship ties is by finding out if the house of the individual has room for relatives to stay. Also find out the individuals' place of birth, how long they have been living in Exeter, if they have family living within ten minutes travelling distance, how often they see their relatives and also if they have children do they use a family member to baby-sit them or a friend? Also find out the type of job industry the individual is in, primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary, as this would show a change in work patterns between the young and the old. Transport and communication are also key factors in keeping family and kinship bonds strong. Another issue to be looked at is, does the large student population have an effect on family and kinship structures in Exeter? Also by finding out the number of local people that attend the university compared to the number of people who live outside of Devon this would show if family and kinship bonds are less strong amongst the younger members of society. Other factors that should be taken into account when conducting this project are, to find out whether Exeter has an ageing population. This would effect family and kinship systems as the young for example may move away to find better jobs or education i.e. university. One could also see how the change in attitudes towards women in the work place has had an effect on the social structure. Also the change in industry could attribute towards the social structure of the community of Exeter. In Britain, the census provides useful demographic information that can highlight areas for particular study. The 1991 census report on migration shows that Devon seems to lose more young people (20-28 year olds) than it gains through in-migration. At the same time many older people migrate into the county than leave it (Census Migration 1991). The 1991 census report indicates that the South West had the lowest proportion of 18-29 year olds in Britain as well as the highest proportion of pensioners. These are significant trends that could potentially have had an affect on the social structure of the South West and Exeter in particular. Closer investigation will hopefully help identify the precise nature of any changes that have occurred whilst also revealing the implications of demographic change. One problem that we could encounter could be that the demographic changes that have occurred in Devon and the South West in general may not be so marked in Exeter. Many people who move to the region, particularly older people, choose more rural locations rather than cities and towns. Also, young people from Exeter are arguably more inclined to stay in Devon rendering the trends of the county invalid in some areas. This is backed up by census statistics that show the ratio of young and older people in Exeter is more in keeping with national averages. However, we are confident that, to some extent at least, there will be evidence of demographic changes within Exeter; especially those that result from large scale in-migration of older people. As we are using questionnaires, we may also be able to extend are survey beyond the city into areas where demographic change may be more prominent. Literature Reviews Population Dynamics contains a number of different studies concerning factors that affect populations. We chose two and conducted a review on them to provide more background for our own research project. The first study chosen was Dangerous Misconceptions?: fertility change in colonial western Kenya, by Tamasine Robins. Robins carried out a case study on the population of western Kenya, with particular emphasis on the effects of fertility change. She claimed that demographic studies relied too heavily on the demographic transition model, which is Eurocentric in nature and unsuitable for analysing population change in Kenya. Robins' study attempts to examine the effects of ‘colonialism' on fertility. Robins chose Western Province in Kenya as the field area for her research, and used a number of methods to collect data for analysis. Survey and census data were used, also historical and anthropological accounts. The first census of Kenya took place in 1948, and the second in 1962. These provided a reasonably accurate picture of trends and patterns in population. Robins also utilised other sources to add to the data collected from the census, carrying out detailed analysis of past population surveys, missionary accounts and government reports. She also conducted some interviews, which helped to add greater depth and meaning to the data. One major strength of the research is the use of triangulation of methods, which combines all the good points of each and this means that the quality of the research is likely to be improved, the scope of the data widened, and can enhance the validity of the research by providing more consistency across methods (Denscombe 1998:84-85). The disadvantages in the study include the fact that causation of population change is difficult to establish, and that with the types of data used, it is hard to be very specific about the background changes that affect population dynamics (Robins 1996:14). The final outcome of Robins' study found that during the colonial period fertility levels increased dramatically, resulting in a rapid growth in population. This was attributed to the influence of western values and the advent of capitalism. The second study looked at was one carried out by Akim J. Mturi and Sian L. Curtis, Fertility, Infant Mortality and Family Planning Policy in Tanzania. They studied the effects of these factors on population change, and tried to find out whether family formation patterns have a direct or only a background effect on infant mortality. The study analyses the potential impact of the family planning programme in Tanzania on the infant mortality rate. The central research method used in the study is the data collected in the 1991/1992 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey which contains data gleaned from interviews conducted on all women between the ages of 15 and 49 in selected households. Other similar surveys are used to add to the data. This information produces a range of statistical data, which is then analysed to produce a table showing the distribution of births.

Information Assurance Essay

Information Assurance (IA) can be referred to as the process that involves in the management of perils that are closely related to the usage, processing, storage and electronic transfers of information. This field has been birthed by information security, a field in computer security. Information Assurance is aimed at availability, authentication, non-repudiation, integrity and confidentiality of information and information systems thus serving as a defense and protection turf for electronic information. The process of Information Assurance commences with the act of specifying and classifying the assets of the information to be protected. This process of information specification and classification is done objectively taking into contemplation the nature, source and the purpose of the information in focus. This is followed by risk assessment that is done by Information Assurance practitioner who has to put into consideration the likelihood and the impact of the undesired actions that may negatively affect the disclosure of the information in storage to unauthorized individuals. It is at this stage that the both qualitative and the quantitative value of the risk in relation to the current situation and predictable hazard is determined. Moreover, the IA practitioner develops a risk management plan that puts forward the countermeasures that can probably mitigate, accept, eliminate or transfer the risks. The plans also puts into consideration the detection, prevention and response towards the emergent or prospective perils (Qian, Tipper, Krishnamurthy, 2008). During the plan development, various frame works can be employed such as ISO 17799, PCIDSS, ISO/IEC 27002 or CobiT. Procedures and policies such as frequent data and information backups and configuration hardening, installation of anti-virus programs and firewalls are among the countermeasures that can be used. Other activities included as countermeasures are trainings and the restructuring of the computer network systems which put in place computer emergence response team (CERT) or computer security incident response team (CSIRT). These countermeasures aim at managing, extenuating or totally eliminating the forthcoming risks in the most cost-effective manner. Later, implementation, testing and evaluation of the plan are undertaken through various designed methodologies such as formal audits. An overhaul, known as the service integrity service is put in place to protect the resources of the system from accidental unwarranted change, destruction or loss (Rogers, 2004). The system’s authenticator, also referred to as the system administrator, bears the entire authorization mandate and it is only through his certification and accreditation that a third party or any other person can access the information in store. In addition, liaison of the authenticator with the user representative and the program manager grants equal access rights to the protected information. The above three officials also have to decide agreeably on the most appropriate approaches to be instituted in an attempt to meet all the information security prerequisites. Once they have identified these methodologies, they also highlight on the security remedies that are satisfying. The authenticator’s leadership, these information system officials are bestowed with the obligation to oversee the activities of the information system security. So as to be able to access the information in the system, the authenticator has to issue a declaration indicating that approval has been granted to the any alleged declaration holder to operate the automated information system (AIS). Included in this declaration are the sets of standardized rules and regulations that must be adhered to the latter by all users having the right of access to the stored information. These prescriptions are aimed at safeguarding the information in store and the Automated Information System at large. Besides this declaration, data security can be ensured by the use of logins, passwords and digital certificates which are specifically issued to those users who are sanctioned (May, et al, 2004). The former is not so much campaigned for but instead, the latter and the use of biometric techniques such as voice and fingerprints as regarded as more secluded methods. Computer information attackers have devised ways to overwrite and also override these login passwords and as a result, this safety methodology is rarely relied upon. Once authentication has been granted, encryption of the sensitive data is done to avert it from eavesdropping and other related computer information crimes. During the process of authentication personal information is gathered and entered into the automated system which aids in the person’s identification. As a result, the party is issued with a credential. This credential validates the user identity claim when he/she is accessing the controlled and protected assets or information. In pursuit to ensure more safety over the stored information, multi-factor authentication has been employed. The multi-factor authentication process is subject to various environments and other technological rudiments and varies depending on these two aspects (Department of the Army, 2007). These techniques may include network architecture controls, remote network access, network sniffers and securing network ports. Failure to conform to or adopt any of the above mentioned authentication methodologies will expose the stored data to computer information systems defaulters who can craftily bypass weak technical controls. Consequently, they distort the information. This distortion may vary from mere acts such as modifying the main memory’s information after having read it to causing notable and probably irreversible behavior of the schedulers which are finally associated with the crashing of the entire information systems with large volumes data loss. In addition the can disable the firewall module packet filtering by transforming the image such that the agent’s in-memory store code starts working inappropriately (Larry, 2009). This may render the agent disabled from accessing the system. Once automated information attacker gains this unauthorized opportunity to access to the clients’ information he has the freedom to perform dynamic data modifications. Besides, he can access the system management memory (SMM) handler. The end result of this will be a system management random access memory (SMRAM) cache-based attack. Computer information criminals also alter the information system’s operating codes. Moreover, they can access client’s personal and confidential details such personal identification numbers and probably financial institution’s information thus ending up in a big loss in their finances. National and scientific databases have been prepared and managed by the governments of various states. Moreover, academic organizations and research institutions are also reliable. However, these stakeholders have to take keen attention during the auditing of the information, especially those received from partnerships with other organizations to avoid errors that may be disastrous in the future. In information assurance, the information flowing in the associated institutions should be confidential as earlier said and also the information’s integrity should be well safeguarded. In ensuring that the information meets these prerequisites, the British standards well implemented. Information assurance standards are also published a template in the IA website. Moreover, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) site contains these standards which are also coordinated with the MCNOSC. Therefore in conclusion, information assurance can be basically taken to mean the information operations (IO) aimed at information and information systems (IS) protection. This is achieved through the information assurance standards that see the achievement of information availability, its integrity, confidentiality, authentication and non-repudiation. The realization of these standards ensure the refurbishment of IS through the amalgamation of restoration, detection, fortification and reaction competences

Case study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Case study report - Essay Example One approach is to ensure they understand the cultural, organizational, and national framework to ensure the personnel tasked with the duties of implementing such strategies understands the expectations and the context of the business. Reardon’s Hotels is one of the United Kingdom companies in the hotel industry embracing the concept of MNCs. The hotel has seven branches with it’s headquarter in Bristol. Edward Readson is the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The organization has an up-market accommodation as its strategic market position. The managerial style and the organizational culture is that of a father figure because it’s a family run business (Reardon’s family) but follows a standardization human resource policy. Their primary customer targets are the travelers. Given that, most MNCs have strategies that lure, attract, and retain the best staff, tailoring the reward scheme that is justified to, the position will play a critical role in buildi ng the institution (Marginson et al., 2010; Tony 2010). Therefore, the MNC plays a significant role in influencing change and the possible directions the organization is likely to take to ensure acceptance and profitable entry into various markets across the globe. Therefore, the case of Reardon Hotels is a good example in assessing the roles played by MNC in the context of HRM to ensure integration and differentiation within and between the national and international system of organization. There are several perspectives on literature that assessed the MNC by examining the differentiation and integration. The perspective associated with the fact that most MNCs have had a tendency of retaining their national goals and values (Doremus et al 1998), because they retain a much stronger link between their country of origin and the subsidiaries. However, some researchers have documented converging evidence that aimed

The role of the practice mentor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 1

The role of the practice mentor - Essay Example A mentor is the one who bears the responsibility for their training and development. So, there is no need to further describe how efficient and knowledgeable the mentor should be. For understanding the function of a mentor, one should understand that who is a mentor and what is its actual role in development of efficient nurses and midwives. A mentor plays an important role is everyone’s life. An individual gets the chance to explore the world around through the eyes of its mentor. Thus mentor can be defined as â€Å"An experienced and trusted advisor. An experienced person in an organisation or institution who trains and counsels new employees or students† (The Sloan Work and Family Research Network. 2009). Mentoring and teaching differs from each other in some respects. Basically mentoring is the process, through which less experienced professionals get a chance to share experience of someone who has gather good knowledge in the same field. So through the process of mentoring the individual gets more benefited because the knowledge which one received is focused toward his or her own working field and provides clear cut guidelines through impaling them in the working one can easily move toward higher ladders in their career path. Mentoring is equally beneficial for both mentor and mentee as they both come to know each other and can explore each others’ positive and negative points. Thus motoring creates a professional as well as emotional bonding between both of them. The mentee can easily develop knowledge, skill, experience and compatibility required for carrying out job responsibility. The mentor helps the mentee to build his career path and attain heights. Many a time mentor provides contacts to mentee for creating networking and provides guidance that how one can develop good networking skills (The Sloan Work And Family Research Network. 2009). A mentor’s role is highly

Business Function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Function - Essay Example In the second category, the enterprise is not registered with the relevant authority as a business. It comprises two types of ventures: This is the oldest, most common, and most basic business type. As the name suggests, this type of enterprise is owned and managed by one person, who is in charge of all operations conducted on behalf of the business. Since it is the easiest to start, it manifests in form of small retailers and utilities like beauty services, photographers, repairs and maintenance, transport, cleaning, etc (Akdeniz, 2013:16). This type of business is inexpensive to start and, as a result, is often supported by the founder’s savings until growth necessitates external funding. In its simplest form, a partnership resembles a sole trader, with the only difference occurring in the sharing of ownership (Gevurtz, 2014:21). All partnerships should have partnership agreements that explain the rights and responsibilities of the various partners involved. In light of this, there are different types of partners, who are all covered by the partnership agreement. For example, there may be dormant, â€Å"sleeping,† or quasi partners, who own a share of the enterprise but are not actively involved in its management (Cornell, 2013:36). Partnerships have unlimited liability, and are common in careers like accountancy, dentistry, medical practice, law, etc. Starting in 2001, there has been a new type of partnership known as a limited liability partnership. This is like a hybrid of a partnership and a limited company, since it has limited liability (like all limited companies) but must be owned by not less than two members (making it a partnership). Limited liability partnerships, also known as LLPs, are formed to aid professional partnerships among doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, and others, who are barred from forming limited companies because of constraints imposed by their professional

Management and Leadership Paper on Parent Teacher Organization Assignment

Management and Leadership Paper on Parent Teacher Organization - Assignment Example Although education is a different domain of life compared to business, healthcare or infrastructure, yet it is an essential part of one’s life. The industrial revolution is said to have brought immense change in educational system in the United States and has left its insightful impact on administration and execution of educational system. Referring to educational institutions or schools as organizations, the parent-teacher organizations or parent-teacher associations are the informal or formal groups formed by parents and teachers of an educational institution or locality aimed at providing the best education and learning to their students. The growing appreciation of the fact that all aspects of value education and school improvement including tough set of courses, teaching and promoting active learning, rigorous assessments, and effective school management and classroom organization can be more successful with effective involvement of families and communities, through the P TO/PTAs. Research has proven that PTOs help in better liaison between parents and teachers with respect to students’ academic performance, social behavior, responses to environment and needs, psychological behavior and attitudes

Law - an evaluation of cross examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law - an evaluation of cross examination - Essay Example In the case of witnesses in sexual offences cases, the prior sexual history of the complainant may not be allowed to be included in cross examination, unless sit contains issues of substantive fact and probative value. The cross examination is conducted by the opposing counsel and in the case of experts, submitting themselves to a cross examination means that their reputation and credibility will be at stake.1 It is necessary that the responses provided are very accurate because a slight variation can be equated to a lie by a cross examining attorney through suggestion.2 Experts are often subjected to rigorous cross examination because the final outcome of a case in several instances may rest upon the testimony provided by the expert witness. Counsel use several tactics in order top elicit evidence from the witnesses through the process of cross examination. One such tactic is to read aloud a statement from a document and ask the witness if it is correct. If the witness agrees, then s/he is agreeing to the statement contents as well as the attorney’s recitation of it.3 This can sometimes serve to allow the cross examining counsel’s perception of events to be thus recorded and may influence the final outcome of the case. While cross examination in general is very important, two of the most contentious areas have been cross examinations on bad character of defendants and cross examination of prior sexual offences, both of which are discussed below. When a plaintiff is being cross examined, the opposing attorney may not be allowed to include any questioning dealing with the prior character of the plaintiff, unless it is an issue of defamation.4 It is the Plaintiff who adduces evidence rather than the defendant and the general rule established in law is that prior evidence on a person’s character will be considered irrelevant and not allowed in

Constructing an Argument from Multiple Sources Essay

Constructing an Argument from Multiple Sources - Essay Example The environment comprises of the settings and conditions where man, animals and plants operate. Because every person shares it, it is our obligation to ensure that it is safeguarded and maintained. Presently, the environment is threatened by human beings who live in it. Global warming is causing the polar ice caps to melt risking the existence of the habitation present there. This means that people have to willingly opt to embrace a new lifestyle so that the environment can be preserved. For instance, people can endeavor to employ less energy conserve resources that are nonrenewable as well as minimize the negative consequences that are already on earth. In his book dubbed, â€Å"life after a year of not using toilet paper† Colin Beavan supports this argument by revealing how he spent an entire year without having any impact on earth and living a life that is purely eco effective (Green para 10). A no impact transition meant any transportation that employed fossil fuel powers like taxis, elevators, and subways could not be used. The main consequence that burning fossil fuels has on the environment is the greenhouse effect or global warming. Beavan argues in his book dubbed,† no impact man†, that during the combustion of these fuels, carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere resulting in a number of crises in the environment. For instance, the burnt fossil, releases poisonous gases like sulphuric and carbonic acids which in turn damage the environment. Consequently, this makes the environment produce acidic rain which damages the lives of both animals and life. These damaging carbon dioxide results block the proper release of the earth’s infrared radiation. Consequently, this leads to rapid heating and an increase in climate change (Beavan 73). Furthermore, the fuels emitted can erode the ozone layer that safeguards the earth from the deadly sun radiation. Fossil wastes are

Finding Reasons - The Story of an Hour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finding Reasons - The Story of an Hour - Essay Example As Berkove mentioned, the story was first published in Vogue Magazine in 1894 (158), a time when women were still perceived as â€Å"housekeepers†, associated to the home rather than the modern liberal women who have the freedom to compete for a job with men. This was a time when women who expressed themselves freely, do a man’s job, hold offices or work along with men, were considered taboo. With such information, one would understand that the story reflects the very culture described above and would comprehend more clearly the symbolisms and statements used in the story. In the case of Berkove’s article entitled Fatal Self-assertion in Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The story of an Hour†, the tone of the writer in his analysis seems to be seen through the eyes of one looking at modern times. This could be fatal as there are norms and mores that could really affect the mentality, actions and perceptions of people from different ages, cultures, beliefs and edu cation. For instance, he concludes that the story is not about society or marriage but about Louise Mallard (berkove, 153). Sure, the story is about the protagonist nevertheless, she represents some, if not most of the women during that time. Since men were considered to be the breadwinners, they were expected to go out and work while women stayed in the home to do the household chores and attend to the needs of the men. This was the general concept of men and women’s roles and Brently and Louise Mallard conformed to such norms as a couple. Louise however was a woman who did not agree with such patriarchal practices as expressed in her strongly made up mind that â€Å"There would be no powerful will bending hers in

The welcome centre Essay Example for Free

The welcome centre Essay CLM (Christian Life Ministries) is a church based in Coventry City Centre. Being a registered charity, they wanted to look at ways in which they could raise money to help finance its various activities, many of which benefit the local and international community. In 2000, The Welcome Centre was launched, in which a team of people started using the building venue to provide a catering and hospitality service to paying customers, who were looking for somewhere where they could hold conferences and events, hire equipment and to have food served. The customers who pay to use the services of the Welcome Centre are either commercial customers, such as Coventry City Council, local schools or colleges, or other charity-based organisations. Charities would be able to use the facilities at a discounted rate compared to commercial customers. Customers hire the services of The Welcome Centre for many different types of events, from large conferences to training days and small meetings. The Welcome Centre has up to 4 rooms that can be hired (Grace Room, Grace Room 1, The Elegance Suite, The Serenity Suite), and each room has a capacity between 20 and 250 people. As well as hiring a room, customers have the option of hiring additional equipment, such as a data projector, video projector, OHP, PA equipment and Flip Charts. The price for hiring equipment is on a 1/2 day basis. An event may want a variety of catering options too. The Welcome Centre can provide beverages (e. g. tea, coffee, cold drinks), as well as various food options (Finger Buffet, Finger Buffet with Dessert, Hot Buffet with Dessert). Since opening, the success of the organisation has grown rapidly. This is due to the friendliness of the staff, as well as the level of service offered. As a result, the team has grown from 2 to 7 people. They are looking to expand, and with a future building project underway too, they hope to be able to offer even larger facilities for up to 650 people, as well as to grow their existing customer base. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION As the business is growing, the staff are getting increasingly busier. One of the key problems is that a manual booking system is used. A customer will call or email with a request for a conference. The staff will write down some basic details about the event such as the contacts name, event name and date and time of the conference. They will also ask the customer for the number of delegates, and therefore determine the number and size of rooms required. Catering requirements for food and beverages, as well as the hire of equipment will also be recorded. This information will all be recorded in a central paper-based diary, which can often become messy as customers sometimes phone to cancel or amend their booking, meaning that the handwriting can become unreadable. This could then lead to mistakes being made such as double-bookings, or not getting everyones requirements correct for a conference. Chris Ruck, one of the team, will sometimes word process the quotation onto a basic blank template produced in Word Processing software (MS Word). After creating the quotation, he will then save it onto his computer. He will sometimes do the same for invoices. The problem with this is that the same information is being entered up to three times; once in the diary, secondly on the quotation, and thirdly onto an invoice. Duplicating the information sometimes leads to small typing mistakes appearing on the documents. Also, it wastes Chris valuable time that could be used for other tasks, such as preparing rooms for conferences. Invoicing is a very important task for The Welcome Centre, as it is the way it requests payment from a customer once a conference has taken place. Tony will often to have to create 20 to 30 invoices at a time. Unfortunately, Tony Williams has very limited experience with computers. If Chris is not available and invoices have to be sent out, Tony will have to write out an invoice by hand into a blank template. This is very time consuming for him, and as the General Manager, he has many more important jobs that he could be doing. Also, handwritten invoices do not look very professional, and so these really should be created and printed from a computer to give a better corporate image. Tony sometimes has to handwrite quotations too for the same reasons. Scope The scope for this task is to find a way of entering booking details for conferences, and to create a quotation for that conference. Creating invoices will not be included in this task. Also, to simplify the task, we will focus on commercial customers only and not charity customers, as the prices are all different. DETAILS OF CLIENT, USER(S) AND AUDIENCE (IF APPLICABLE). IDENTIFICATION OF THE CLIENT The client for this project is Tony Williams, who is the General Manager of the Welcome Centre. Tonys role includes creating the rota of when his team are working, taking booking details from customers for future conferences and negotiating prices if applicable. Tony is also involved in creating quotations for a conference booking to inform the customer how much it will cost. He may also create invoices for a conference that has taken place to request payment. He will also need to keep track of payments for conferences by customers, and chase any outstanding payments. He is also very hands-on in his role, and he will support his staff with serving and room set-up when required. The solution for this task will need to meet Tonys requirements. IDENTIFICATION OF THE USER(S) The users of this solution will be the Tony Williams (the client), as well as Anita Fox and Chris Ruck. Anita and Chris are also responsible for entering details of customer bookings into the diary, and producing quotations and invoices for them. Therefore, they will actively use the solution by changing the customer and booking inputs and sending the quotation that is produced (output) to the customer. Anita also takes care of the accounts and organises the monthly payroll for the employees. IDENTIFICATION OF ANY AUDIENCE The Audience is anyone who may look at the outputs, but not change the content of the solution. The majority of this solution will be used by The Welcome Centre staff, and therefore these people will be users and not an audience. However, Quotations will be viewed by Customers as these are the target audience of this document. ASSESSMENT OF SKILLS OF USER(S) Tony will use the solution, but has very limited ICT skills. He is a complete novice at using computers. He will need introductory training that includes: Logging in to the network   File Management (files and folders creating, renaming, moving, copying)   Word Processing (Use of word documents, file management opening/ saving, formatting)   Spreadsheets (Use of spreadsheets, file management opening/ saving, formatting, working with multiple worksheets)   Using the solution that is created Anita will also use the solution and is an intermediate user. She can login, organise files and folders, word process, use basic features of spreadsheet software, use a web browser to surf the internet, and can also use her accounts package. She will need training that includes:   Spreadsheets (Advanced course including the recording, use and management of macros, using formulae and functions)   Using the solution that is created Chris is more of an advanced user, and can do all of the above to a more complex level, as well as use graphics and multi-media packages for design work. He will need training that includes: * Spreadsheets (Advanced course including the recording, use and management of macros, using formulae and functions) * Using the solution that is created CLIENT INTERVIEW. An initial interview was held with Tony Williams, and the following is a summary of what he said: 1. What is The Welcome Centre and can you give me some background information to the organisation? The Welcome Centre was launched in 2000, as a conference centre for commercial and charitable customers, offering them a hospitality service. The service includes room hire, equipment hire as well a catering options. Customers use the services provided by the Welcome Centre for various reasons from large conferences, to small meetings and training days. 2. Who are the staff at the Welcome Centre and what do they do? Tony Williams is the General Manager, whose role includes creating the rota of when his team are working, taking booking details from customers for future conferences and negotiating prices if applicable. Tony is also involved in creating quotations and invoices by hand. He also keeps track of payments for conferences by customers, and chases any outstanding payments. He is also very hands-on in his role, and he will support his staff with serving and room set-up when required. There are several other employees. Chris Ruck is the Assistant Manager of the complex, who takes bookings, sets up for conferences, and also types up quotations and invoices. He looks after the technical requirements of a conference such as IT needs and P. A. equipment. Anita Fax is the Administrator, who has responsibility for accounts and organising the monthly payroll for the employees. There are also 4 other part time staff, including a cleaner as well as conference assistants. 3. What are the problems that ICT could help to solve? One of the key problems is that a manual booking system is used, whereby booking information is recorded in a paper-based diary. The information is therefore not easily sharable and handwriting will become messy as bookings are amended or cancelled. Also, quotations and invoices are either typed into a blank template document or hand-written. This leads to a duplication of the booking information resulting in mistakes, as well as being time consuming. Hand written documents are not very professional. 4. What do you want the ICT solution to do? Tony would like the new solution to provide easy to use data entry forms for entering details about each conference. He would like a quotation to be produced immediately based upon the booking information that is entered. He would also like the quotation and booking information to be stored for future use, so that someone can view the information easily. 5. Who will use the solution and what ICT skills do they have? Tony will use the solution, but has very limited ICT skills. He is a complete novice at using computers. Anita will also use the solution and is an intermediate user. She can login, organise files and folders, word process, use basic features of spreadsheet software, use a web browser to surf the internet, and can also use her accounts package. Chris is more of an advanced user, and can do all of the above to a more complex level, as well as use graphics and multi-media packages for design work. 6. What hardware and software do you have at The Welcome Centre? In terms of hardware, The Welcome Centre has only just installed a network. Chris and Anita have their own PCs with access to the Network for file sharing. Laptops used for conferences are wireless enabled so that they can access the internet from any room if required. Each computer has Windows XP installed as the operating system, as have the Microsoft Office software suite package, that includes word-processing, spreadsheet, database, web browser, presentation and other software. 7. What data needs to be input into the solution? How? Customer Information: (Company name and address, contact details for event organiser) Event Details: (Event name, date, start finishing time, no. of delegates, room requirements, equipment to be hired, and catering requirements for beverages and food. ) General Info. : (Catering items and prices, Equipment items for hire and 1/2 day charges, Room info. -The Unit Room Cost will be based on the Event Type for that room. Calculate and display Total Room Costs for all rooms booked   For each item of equipment required for the booking, search for and display the Unit Equipment Cost. If the event type is a full day, then double the price. Calculate and display the Total Equipment Costs by multiplying the Unit Equipment Cost by the Quantity required.   Calculate and display the Total Cost of all Equipment   If beverages are required for the booking, search for and display the Price per Delegate for Beverages. Calculate Beverage Costs per Delegate by multiplying this price by the No. of Servings. Calculate the Total Beverage Costs as Beverage Costs per Delegate multiplied by No. of Delegates.   If food is required, search for and display the Price per Delegate for the food option. Calculate and display the Total Food Costs by multiplying the Food Costs per Delegate by the No. of Delegates.   Calculate the Net Quotation amount (the total amount of all the items booked, excluding VAT)   Look up the current VAT rate and calculate the VAT Amount for the quotation.   Calculate the Gross Quotation Amount.

Properties of Dental Plaque Biofilm

Properties of Dental Plaque Biofilm The dental plaque is a complex, metabolically interconnected, highly organized microbial ecosystem. Dental plaque has an open structure due to the presence of channels and voids. It provides Protection from host defenses, desiccation etc. by production of extracellular polymers to form a functional matrix.1 Dental plaque is a microbial biofilm. Biofilms are defined as â€Å"matrix–enclosed bacterial population’s adherent to each other and/or to surface or interfaces†.2Biofilms are surface-associated communities of microorganisms embedded in an extracellular polymeric substance, which upon contact with the host may affect tissue haemostasis and result in disease.3 Periodontitis and caries are infectious diseases of the oral cavity in which oral biofilms play a causative role. The presence of micro-organisms in the oral cavity and their virulence decide the occurrence of a particular disease.4 The three main hypothesis that explain the disease occurrence in oral cavity Specific plaque hypothesis(Loesche 1976): In contrast to the above, this suggests the importance of individual bacterial species within dental plaque as causative of disease5 Non-specific plaque hypothesis (Theilade E 1986): The bacterial dental plaque that accumulates around teeth is a relatively homogenous mass that causes periodontal disease when it accumulates to the point of over whelming the hosts defense mechanism.6 Ecologic plaque hypothesis (PD Marsh 1989): Based on the theory that unique local environment influences the composition of oral micro flora and any disturbance in this balance may lead to increase in pathogenic micro flora over harmless normal oral micro flora.7 Chronic periodontitis is the most common form of periodontitis causing bone loss and attachment loss. This disease has a slow progression and is more prevalent in adults.8,9 Calculus and bacterial plaque are among the etiologic factors; thus, treatment is mainly comprised of removal of supra- and sub-gingival calculus to reduce bacterial content. However, despite this treatment, progressive attachment loss continues in some patients indicating that mechanical treatment is not successful in reducing some periodontal pathogens. Therefore, antibiotic therapy is recommended to reduce the number of these resistant pathogens.8,10 Factors that may contribute to the higher drug resistance in microbial biofilms include Altered metabolism Extracellular polymeric substance Proteomic regulation Genomic regulation Persister cells Stress response Periodontal disease is one of the most common microbial infections in adults. It is an inflammatory disease of bacterial origin that affects the tooth-supporting tissues. There are two major types of periodontal disease: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis involves a limited inflammation of the unattached gingiva, and is a relatively common and reversible condition. In contrast, periodontitis is characterized by general inflammation of the periodontal tissues, which leads to the apical migration of the junctional epithelium along the root surface and progressive destruction of the periodontal ligament and the alveolar bone (11). Periodontitis progresses in cyclical phases of exacerbation, remission and latency, a phenomenon that is closely linked to the effectiveness of the host immune response. Experts now distinguish among generalized and localized chronic periodontitis, generalized and localized aggressive periodontitis (AP), periodontitis associated with systemic diseases, periodontitis associated with endodontic lesions and necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis (12). Of these, chronic periodontitis is the most frequently encountered in the adult population. In addition, certain conditions may be predisposing or aggravating factors for periodontitis, including accumulation of subgingival plaque, smoking and conditions associated with some immune disorder (e.g., diabetes mellitus, AIDS) (13). More than 500 microbial species have been identified in subgingival plaque, which can thus be considered to represent a complex ecological niche (14). Under the influence of local and systemic factors, some of these bacterial species in the subgingival dental biofilm constitute the primary etiologic agents of periodontal disease. Among these species, the most important are Aggregatiba cter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.), Tannerella forsythia (T.f.), Treponema denticola (T.d.), Fusobacterium nucleatum (F.n.), Prevotella intermedia (P.i.), Campylobacter rectus (C.r.), and Eikenella corrodens (E.c.) (15,16). Although A. actinomycetemcomitans is associated with localized aggressive periodontitis, P. gingivalis is considered the major etiologic agent of chronic periodontitis (15,17). Although the presence of periodontal pathogens is essential for the onset of periodontitis, these organisms are not sufficient for the disease to progress. In fact, the host immune response modulates progression of the disease toward destruction or healing (18). However, overproduction of certain mediators, such as interleukin-1ÃŽ ², tumor necrosis factor alpha and prostaglandins, lead to the chronic, persistent inflammation which is in the origin of tissue destruction (19,20). In fact, these mediators can activate one or more tissue degradation factors, not ably matrix metalloproteinases, plasminogen and polymorphonuclear serine proteases, which cause bone resorption (21,22). Mechanical debridement of the dental biofilm and elimination of local irritating factors are the basis of initial periodontal therapies. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach, which is based on scaling and root planing, reinforcement of the patient oral hygiene practices and regular follow-up to eliminate new deposits (23,24). The effectiveness of this treatment is reflected by the disappearance of clinical symptoms, reduction or elimination of periodontal pathogens and regeneration of beneficial bacterial flora. Not all patients or all sites respond uniformly and favorably to conventional mechanical therapy. Given the infectious nature of periodontal disease and the limited results that can be achieved with conventional mechanical therapies, the use of antibiotics is warranted for certain forms of periodontitis. RATIONALE FOR THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS The academic argument over the importance of a specific or non-specific bacterial etiology for periodontal diseases may never be totally resolved. However, there is little doubt that certain specific organisms are closely associated with some forms of periodontal disease (6). Unlike the majority of general infections, all the suspected periodontal pathogens are indigenous to the oral flora (25,26). Consequently, the long-term and total elimination of these organisms with antibiotics will be very difficult to achieve as immediate repopulation with the indigenous bacteria will occur when the therapy is completed (27). Nevertheless, in certain forms of periodontitis the loss of connective tissue attachment is rapid. Extremely virulent, gram negative organisms populate the deep pockets, and bacteria can actually invade the connective tissue (28,29). Under these circumstances, antibiotics provide a useful adjunct to root planing, which by itself may not remove all subgingival deposits an d certainly would not affect any invading organisms that had already penetrated the soft tissue. Ideal properties of antibiotic Unique target Narrow spectrum-kills only selective pathogen, not normal microbiota High therapeutic index-ratio of toxic level to therapeutic level No/fewer reactions Various routes of administration- IV, IM, oral Good pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics properties E.g. good absorption, good distribution to the site of infection No resistance/ slower emergence of resistance Common antibiotics for periodontitis Antibiotic Dosage Metronidazole 500 mg/t.i.d/8 days Clindamycin 300 mg//t.i.d./8 days Doxycycline/Minocycline 100-200 mg/q.d./21 days Ciprofloxacin 500 mg/b.i.d/8 days Azithromycin 500 mg/q.d./4-7 days Metronidazole+ amoxicillin 250 mg/t.i.d./8 days (each drug) Metronidazole+ ciprofloxacin 500/b.i.d./8 days (each drug) Antibiotics are classified based on their mechanism of action, as follows:31 Agents that inhibit synthesis of bacterial cell walls (e.g. penicillins and cephalosporins); Agents that interfere with the cell membrane of the microorganism, affecting permeability ( e.g. some antifungal agents); Agents that inhibit protein synthesis by affecting the function of 30S or 50S ribosomal subunits (e.g. tetracyclines, macrolides and clindamycin); Agents that block important metabolic steps of the microorganisms (e.g. sulfonamides and  trimethoprim); Agents that interfere with nucleic acid synthesis (e.g. metronidazole and quinolones). CHOICE OF SYSTEMIC ANTIBIOTIC – WHICH ANTIBIOTIC IS THE BEST TO USE? Therapeutic success of an antimicrobial depends on the activity of the antimicrobial agent against the infecting organisms. Periodontitis is a mixed microbial infection making the choice of antibiotic regimen difficult. Certain antibiotics target specific parts of the subgingival biofilm. For example, metronidazole targets the gram-negative strict anaerobes from the red and orange Socransky complexes 40,41 such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Tanerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola, while members of the genera Actinomyces, Streptococcus and Capnocytophaga are minimally affected by metronidazole. Metronidazole also has a limited effect on the species Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, which is a facultative anaerobe rather than a strict anaerobe. Amoxicillin has a broader spectrum lowering counts of gram negative anaerobes as well as decreasing the counts and proportions of Actinomyces species during and after antibiotic therapy.40,42 Micro-organisms can be intrinsically resistant to antimicrobials or can develop acquired resistance by emergence of resistant strains of bacteria that would otherwise be considered to be sensitive to the antimicrobial. The literature reports a wide range of antibiotics used in conjunction with non-surgical and surgical mechanical debridement for the treatment of both chronic and aggressive periodontitis. The most commonly used antibiotics include tetracyclines, penicillins (amoxicillin), metronidazole, macrolides (spiramycin, erythromycin, azithromycin), clindamycin and ciprofloxacin. The most common combination antibiotic regimen reported is metronidazole and amoxicillin combined. What is the ideal duration, dosage and timing of the antibiotic? The dosage and duration of the antibiotic prescribed also varies widely among studies and there is no consensus on the ideal regimen. In principle it is important to prescribe an antibiotic in sufficient dose for adequate duration. Another important clinical question is when to start the antibiotics in relation to the mechanical phase of treatment. Indirect evidence suggests that antibiotic intake should start on the day of debridement completion and debridement should be completed within a short period of time ( How critical is patient compliance when using adjunctive antibiotics? The issue of patient compliance has been infrequently addressed in publications evaluating the effects of systemic antibiotics. Some studies have shown that as little as 20 per cent of patients comply with antibiotic regimens prescribed.40,44 One advantage of the antibiotic azithromycin may be that due to its pharmacologic properties and long half life, only one tablet (500 mg) per day during three consecutive days is required as opposed to one tablet three times a day for seven days with other antibiotic regimens.40,45 Compliance in terms of oral hygiene and maintenance care should also be addressed. It should be recognized that in studies where beneficial results following adjunctive antibiotics were reported, patients had received maintenance care and had good plaque control. If a patient was non-compliant with oral hygiene measures and maintenance protocols, then a favourable treatment outcome following adjunctive antibiotics was unlikely. Prescription of antibiotics is no substi tute for adequate debridement, good oral hygiene and regular maintenance care. What are the common side effects following systemic antibiotics? Within the literature there is a general lack of reporting on the presence or absence of adverse events following the adjunctive use of systemic antibiotics. Most adverse effects, which have been reported, are minor and related to gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea and nausea. However, serious adverse events such as allergic and anaphlyactic reaction and pseudomembranous colitis, may occur and patients should be informed of the potential for adverse events both minor and major when prescribing systemic antibiotics. Anaphylactic responses to penicillin occur approximately once every 10 000 courses administered, with 10 per cent of these being fatal.40,46 The use of antibiotics should be carefully considered choosing agents that maximize antimicrobial activity and minimize potential drug interactions and adverse reactions. A thorough medical history should be taken prior to antibiotic prescription. An increase in microbial resistance following the use of systemic antibiotics h as been evaluated in few studies. Feres et al.47 identified antibiotic-resistant species in subgingival plaque and saliva samples from chronic periodontitis patients treated by scaling and root planing followed by orally administered amoxicillin or metronidazole. There was an increase in the percentage of resistant subgingival species following antibiotic administration. However, levels returned to baseline after a relatively short period of time (90 days). In Spain, where systemic antibiotics are readily available over the counter without prescription and widely used in the general population, it has been shown that there was an increase in the microbial resistance patterns of oral bacteria to commonly prescribed antibiotics compared to the Netherlands where antibiotics use is more restricted.48 This underlines the importance of development of microbial resistance to antibiotics and the importance of responsible use to prevent the global spread of resistant strains of bacteria. CONTRAINDICATIONS AND UNWANTED EFFECTS Antibiotics are amongst the most widely prescribed pharmaceutical agents in modern medicine. Although only a small number of these drugs have been used in the treatment of periodontal diseases, it is essential that the main contraindications for their use and their possible unwanted effects are known to the periodontist. Generally, the contraindications for use are related to the impaired metabolism and excretion of the drugs. Consequently, disease or impaired function of the hepatic or renal tracts should warrant caution in prescribing systemic antibiotics. When penicillins are prescribed it is vitally important to determine whether or not there is a history of hypersensitivity to the drug. The unwanted effects of penicillin are often mild and characterized by rashes, urticaria, joint pains, and dermatitis, although severe anaphylactic reactions have been reported and can be fatal. David herrera 43 concluded in his systematic review that If systemic antimicrobials are indicated as part of periodontal therapy, they should be adjunctive to mechanical debridement. Lack of data prevents us from making any conclusion regarding the preferred type of adjunctive debridement (non-surgical versus surgical). Furthermore, there is not enough evidence to support the use of adjunctive systemic antimicrobials with periodontal surgery. There is no direct evidence to recommend a specific protocol for the use of adjunctive systemic antimicrobials with non-surgical mechanical debridement. However, indirect evidence suggests that antibiotic intake should start on the day of debridement completion; debridement should be completed within a short time (preferably Antimicrobial resistance in biofilms Antimicrobial resistance can be classified into 3 groups: intrinsic, mutational and acquired resistance.31-33 Intrinsic resistance refers to an inherent resistance to an antibiotic that is a naturally occurring feature of the microorganism. Mutational resistance occurs due to a spontaneous chromosomal mutation that produces a genetically-altered bacterial population that is resistant to the drug. Mutations resulting from the change of a single nucleotide base can result in resistance, as has been well documented for aminoglycosides and for rifampin.31,32 Finally, acquired resistance refers to the horizontal acquisition from another microorganism of a genetic element that encodes antibiotic resistance. This process can occur by transduction, transformation or conjugation. Transduction is a process by which exogenous DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another by the intervention of a bacteriophage, while transformation is the process by which bacteria acquire segments of DNA that are free in the environment. In conjugation the passage of genetic material occurs by direct cell-to-cell contact, through a sex pilus or bridge. This is the most common mechanism of transferring antibiotic resistance genes. 31-33 In general, bacteria use 3 main strategies to become resistant to different antibiotics: (a) preventing the drug from reaching its target 34,35 (b) altering the target 36,37 and (c) inactivating the antibiotic 38,39 Various mechanisms to account for the increased resistances to antimicrobials in biofilms have been postulated. Several of these mechanisms seem to occur in conjunction with the final stages of biofilm maturation .49,50 Reduced penetration into the biofilm may result in antibiotic inactivation because of secretion of certain enzymes, such as ÃŽ ²-lactamases, or binding of the agent by the exopolysaccharide matrix. The exopolysaccharide could inhibit antimicrobial penetration by either binding the antimicrobial 49, 51,52 or serving as a protective coating that prevents or delays diffusion through the biofilm .53,54 The complex heterogeneity within biofilms is evidenced by studies analyzing different microenvironments throughout the biofilm that differ in metabolic activity55, pH , and oxygen distribution56. The ‘biofilm phenotype’ is a collective term used to describe a biologically programmed response to growth on a surface that involves specific physiologies and pattern s of protein and gene expression that are quite different from those of planktonic cells 57,58 and have been linked to aspects of antimicrobial resistance (57,59,60). Increased resistance to antimicrobials is likely a combination of all of these mechanisms and may involve many, if not all, of these factors working together in unison as the biofilm matures.

Standards :: essays research papers

There are numerous standards that have been established worldwide relating to the Information Technology field. To minimize the following summation, I will only describe three of these standards. The first one will be the American National Standards Institute or ANSI for short. Next, I will discuss the International Standards Organization which is commonly referred to as ISO, in more detail. Finally, the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers will be the topic of choice. All of these established standards play a role in the way we communicate electronically. The American Engineering Standards Committee, founded in 1918 was the proud predecessor to ANSI. A decade later, it was reorganized and given the American Standards Association name. It took almost forty years for the name to change again to the United States of America Standards Institute. Finally, in 1969, ANSI became to what it is today: a private, non-profit standards organization. The American National Standards Institute, produces industrial standards in the United States. This organization is a member of the International Standards Organization, otherwise known as ISO, as well as it being a member of the International Electrotechnical Commission, or IEC. ANSI’s standards encompass several areas of telecommunication. In computing, for instance, ANSI was the first to standardize the ASCII character set in X3.4, control codes in X3.41 and control sequences in X3.64. As an example, the control sequences in X3.64 are used to move the cursor around the screen of a "dumb" terminal. ANSI also standardized the ASA photographic exposure system which has become the basis for the ISO film speed system. The ASA photographic exposure system is widely used all over the world. Let’s not forget ANSI as it is used in Microsoft Windows. It refers to certain code pages that are sometimes mistaken for the ISO-8859 series, due to their similarities. L astly, what is commonly referred to as â€Å"ANSI art† is really ASCII art that is animated through ANSI terminal control codes that were widely used on bulletin boards during the 1980’s and the 1990’s. The International Standards Organization, formed in 1947, is a network of 153 countries. Each of these country’s national standards institute has one member in the ISO. The â€Å"Central Secretariat† of the ISO is in Geneva, Switzerland, and it overlooks and controls the system. ISO, despite its national foundation, is not a governmental organization. It does not have representatives of national governments. What it does have, is a firm position between the public and private sectors.

McLuhan Essay -- Art

McLuhan Author and social theorist Tom Wolfe once commented on Canadian professor Marshal McLuhan’s mantra, â€Å"the medium is the message† saying: The new technologies†¦radically alter the entire way people use their five senses, the way they react to things, and therefore, their entire lives and the entire society. It doesn’t matter what the content of a medium like t.v. is†¦ 20 hours a day of sadistic cowboys caving in peoples teeth or†¦ Pablo Casals droning away on his cello. How is it that violence and the arts are effective in the same manner? Wouldn’t the content be the most important factor in analyzing a television program? To understand Marshall McLuhan’s theories the reader must not be concerned with the symbolic content of what is being said or the cosmetic interpretation of the actual show but rather, look deeper into the whole infrastructure of the medium itself. McLuhan was prone to thinking up â€Å"clever† analogies and plays on words; and describing the content of a medium was no different. He described it as â€Å"the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind.† We are the content of our media because the way we live life is largely a function of the way we process information. That information is presented and made available by way of a certain medium. In turn, each medium delivers a new message and a new form of human being, whose qualities are suited to it. The same words spoken face to face, printed on paper, or presented on television provide three different messages simply because of the different senses used to perceive it. McLuhan thought primary channels of communication change the way we look at the world around us. The dominant medium of any age governs people and reconnects modes of relationships with the world based on which sensory motor apparatus is being activated. Dominant epochs spring from the phonetic alphabet, printing press, and the telegraph, which were turning points in society because they changed the way people thought about themselves. To understand how and why people are affected by television, one must first become familiar with McLuhan’s idea of the electronic age. With the advent of television, the power of the printed word is decreased significantly. Books become â€Å"made-for-t.v.† movies and newspapers come alive with twenty-four hour a day headlines. Marshall McLuh... ...ert themselves into the story. Perhaps this is one piece of an elaborate mosaic of cultural activity that works toward a unified ideological end, whether intentional or not. With cameras and televisions enhancing our eyes, satellite dishes increasing the sensitivity of our ears, and computers and the Internet augmenting the power of our brains, the human body has finally become fully extended through communication technology. In these respects, McLuhan was on to something. Unfortunately, one could not overlook McLuhan’s often abandonment of the linearity and order that he claimed were the legacy of print technology. His truths were enigmatic and seldom woven into a comprehensive system; at times he implied that chosen words are irrelevant while other times he declared the significance of the symbols were a matter of degree. His leaps of faith were a major hindrance to taking him seriously. Near the end, he was accused of selling out by Stuart Hall, fellow media theorist. But, as Kenneth Boulding in McLuhan: Hot and Cold stated, â€Å"It is perhaps typical of very creative minds that they hit very large nails not quite on the head.† Maybe we should give Marshal McLuhan another swing.

Sir Gawain - An Ideal Symbol of Chivalry Essay -- Sir Gawain and the G

Sir Gawain - An Ideal Symbol of Chivalry The chivalric code is a very complex, and perhaps somewhat foreign concept to a modern person. There are many rules and taboos that a knight must obey. Indeed, the very concepts of honor, love, and humility have been raised to the highest conceivable power, making it almost impossible for a mortal to become a true, perfect knight. Sir Gawain, in the passage [Norton, 1535-1622] of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, proves himself to be an ideal symbol of chivalry. One of the symbols of knighthood is a lady of knight's heart; knight's behavior with ladies is important in general, and Sir Gawain behaves as a true knight with the hostess of the castle. Another important side of being a knight includes the skill of carving an animal, and that is also described in the passage. One aspect of being a knight is choosing a lady of his heart. The knight is supposed to perform noble tasks in her honor, thus glorifying her name. Love is knight's inspiration for all of his actions, and when he thinks he has done enough glorious deeds, he comes back to his lady. If his lady is kind enough, she will marry him, unless she is already married. In the passage, the host's wife tries to seduce Sir Gawain. However, she is not the lady of his dreams, and since Sir Gawain follows the principle -- "to remember a knight is to reflect goodness in everything he does, for that is what makes a knight honorable, " he politely turns her offer down. It is possible that Sir Gawain refuses hostess' charms because he is afraid of her husband; however, with the whole story evolving around Sir Gawain's nobility, it is highly unlikely that this is a reason for him. Sir Gawain does this in a way that does not make the ... ... are riveting in their strict observance. The chivalric code is full of rules for the knight's conduct in any situation, one example of which is hunting and carving animals. There is, however, one central idea that every knight is a servant; a knight is the one who does only good in the name of love and never brings dishonor to anyone. In this second test, Sir Gawain proves to be a true knight when he is tempted by the hostess of the Green Castle. So far nothing can turn him from his path, for he is a true knight. SOURCES Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H.Abrams, et.al. Volume 1. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 200-254. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Ed. J.R.R.Tolkien, E.V. Gordon. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1967. Online. Internet. Available HTTP: http://www.hti.umich.edu/english/mideng/index.html

Values and Morals through Native American Myths and Tales

Values in Native American Tales Throughout all forms of Native American tales and myths we see many values and aspects portrayed by the Native American people. In the myths that are read, the reader can easily pick off and single off values that the Native American people truly saw were thoroughly important in their time and society. The Native American people believed in many aspects which were usually considered important values for people to possess.The thing about Native American myths and tales that is found astonishing is the fact that these stories are most likely improbable but regardless of hat, these stories still depict great human qualities that everyone should have. Native American myths capture the culture and values of the society in which it was produced with the morals involving love and friendship, the relationship between humans and animals and trust and loyalty. Firstly, in opinion one of the biggest values told by the Native Americans has indeed have to be love a nd friendship.There are several appearances of these two morals throughout the myths, this indicates that the Native Americans did in fact see these values as quite important. Right off the bat, we see in the first story â€Å"The Earth on Turtle's Back† the animals in the story see the women and instantly try to care for and make sure the women is safe, â€Å"We must do something to help her† this shows somewhat of a base for the love the animals radiate toward the women. As the story progresses we also see quotes such as, â€Å"Look, she doesn't have webbed feet.I don't think she can live in the water. † This is also another form showing love and friendship because Native Americans are extremely caring toward one another, even if that life form isn't even of the same species. Also in the myth â€Å"Iroquois Constitution† we see quotes such as, miour heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with yearning for the welfare of the people of the confederacy. † If Native Americans pledge to live peacefully and become a part of the confederacy they will have unity, or friendship with each other.On the other hand, love and friendship are not the only values truly seen in these myths, another big one would have to be the relationship between humans and animals. Relating back to the tale â€Å"The Earth on Turtle's Back† it is easily seen that there is a strong relationship etween the animals and the human. â€Å"l have heard that there is Earth far below the waters. If we dive down and bring up Earth, she will have a place to stand. † This shows how the animals saw how helpless the women was and knew they had to help her.Also in the tale â€Å"When Grizzlies walked Upright† the daughter of the sky chief accidently gets caught up with the grizzlies and the Mother Grizzly watches out for and protects the daughter. Also as the story advances the daughter actually marries one of the grizzlie s, â€Å"When she became a young woman she and the eldest son of the rizzly bears were married. † In the story the bear and the daughter got married, this is a very straightforward point shown that Native Americans thoroughly believed in the relationship between humans and animals.Finally, the last value strongly represented throughout the myths is the aspects ot trust and loyalty. This is one ot the only aspects that in a way was executed in each of the myths. In â€Å"When the Grizzlies Walked Upright† the Mother Bear makes a loyal decision to send one of the grizzlies to tell the Chief where the daughter was, â€Å"Then she sent her eldest randson in a cloud to the top of Mount Shasta to tell the spirit chief where he could find his long-lost daughter. The Mother Bear was so loyal to the chief that even knowing the chief would be rather angered, a grizzly was still sent to spread awareness of the lost daughter. The tale of â€Å"The Navajo Origin Legend† sho ws trust, even though it may not seem at first. In the story the people are practicing a ceremony where the people have to trust their elders, â€Å"Then they told the people to stand at a distance and allow the wind to enter. † The people have to trust the elders nd listen to them in order for the ceremony to work properly.But like what was stated, all stories give off the general idea that everyone should accept the values of trust and loyalty. Such how in the â€Å"Iroquois Constitution† all of the states have to have trust in the constitution and pay loyalty to one another. In â€Å"The Earth on Turtle's Back† the animals have to have trust in each other that one of the animals will in fact bring up the Earth. In conclusion, it is easily seen that there are several aspects and values that the Native Americans want people to accept and live by.By reading these myths and stories, it really does give us an in-depth idea of how the Native American people wanted people to act and treat one another. In almost every tale ever told by the Native Americans there is something to take from it, the Native Americans truly wanted everyone in this world to be good, genuine people. Although there are so many aspect presented by these people, it's hard to single out which are considered the most important. From reading the stories though, one can conclude that the three main aspects given to us involve love and friendship, the relationship between Values and Morals through Native American Myths and Tales Throughout all forms of Native American tales and myths we see many values and aspects portrayed by the Native American people. In the myths that are read, the reader can easily pick off and single off values that the Native American people truly saw were thoroughly important in their time and society. The Native American people believed in many aspects which were usually considered important values for people to possess. The thing about Native American myths and tales that is found astonishing is the fact that these stories are most likely improbable but regardless of that, these stories still depict great human qualities that everyone should have. Native American myths capture the culture and values of the society in which it was produced with the morals involving love and friendship, the relationship between humans and animals and trust and loyalty.Firstly, in opinion one of the biggest values told by the Native Americans has indeed have to be love and friendship. There are severa l appearances of these two morals throughout the myths, this indicates that the Native Americans did in fact see these values as quite important. Right off the bat, we see in the first story â€Å"The Earth on Turtle’s Back† the animals in the story see the women and instantly try to care for and make sure the women is safe, â€Å"We must do something to help her† this shows somewhat of a base for the love the animals radiate toward the women. As the story progresses we also see quotes such as, â€Å"Look, she doesn’t have webbed feet. I don’t think she can live in the water.†This is also another form showing love and friendship because Native Americans are extremely caring toward one another, even if that life form isn’t even of the same species. Also in the myth â€Å"Iroquois Constitution† we see quotes such as, â€Å"Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will and your mind filled with yearning for the welfare of t he people of the confederacy.† If Native Americans pledge to live peacefully and become a part of the confederacy they will have unity, or friendship with each other. On the other hand, love and friendship are not the only values truly seen in these myths, another big one would have to be the relationship between humans and animals.Relating back to the tale â€Å"The Earth on Turtle’s Back† it is easily seen that there is a strong relationship between the animals and the human. â€Å"I have heard that there is  Earth far below the waters. If we dive down and bring up Earth, she will have a place to stand.† This shows how the animals saw how helpless the women was and knew they had to help her. Also in the tale â€Å"When Grizzlies walked Upright† the daughter of the sky chief accidently gets caught up with the grizzlies and the Mother Grizzly watches out for and protects the daughter. Also as the story advances the daughter actually marries one of the grizzlies, â€Å"When she became a young woman she and the eldest son of the grizzly bears were married.†In the story the bear and the daughter got married, this is a very straightforward point shown that Native Americans thoroughly believed in the relationship between humans and animals. Finally, the last value strongly represented throughout the myths is the aspects of trust and loyalty. This is one of the only aspects that in a way was executed in each of the myths. In â€Å"When the Grizzlies Walked Upright† the Mother Bear makes a loyal decision to send one of the grizzlies to tell the Chief where the daughter was, â€Å"Then she sent her eldest grandson in a cloud to the top of Mount Shasta to tell the spirit chief where he could find his long-lost daughter.†The Mother Bear was so loyal to the chief that even knowing the chief would be rather angered, a grizzly was still sent to spread awareness of the lost daughter. The tale of â€Å"The Navajo Orig in Legend† shows trust, even though it may not seem at first. In the story the people are practicing a ceremony where the people have to trust their elders, â€Å"Then they told the people to stand at a distance and allow the wind to enter.† The people have to trust the elders and listen to them in order for the ceremony to work properly. But like what was stated, all stories give off the general idea that everyone should accept the values of trust and loyalty. Such how in the â€Å"Iroquois Constitution† all of the states have to have trust in the constitution and pay loyalty to one another.In â€Å"The Earth on Turtle’s Back† the animals have to have trust in each other that one of the animals will in fact bring up the Earth. In conclusion, it is easily seen that there are several aspects and values that the Native Americans want people to accept and live by. By reading these myths and stories, it really does give us an in-depth idea of how the Na tive American people wanted people to act and treat one another. In almost every tale ever told by the Native Americans there is something to take from it, the Native Americans truly wanted everyone in this world to be good, genuine people.Although there are so many aspect presented by these people, it’s hard to single out which are considered the most important. From reading the stories though, one can conclude that the three main aspects given to us involve love and friendship, the relationship between humans and animals and trust and loyalty.

Hewlett Packard (HP) company expert project Essay

Hewlett-Packard Company is an American multinational corporation focusing on information technology. It is headquartered in USA, California, Palo Alto. HP is among the world’s largest organization and operates virtually in every country of the world. The company focuses on the development and manufacturing of computing, networking, and data storage hardware. The company products include enterprise servers, personal computing devices, related storage devices, and a wide range of printers plus other imaging products. The company sells its products to households, small, medium and large-scale business entities, and other users (Packard, Kirby and Lewis, 2006). Wired Magazine identifies HP as the first producer of marketed and mass produced personal computers (House and Lewis, 2009). The Hewlett-Packard 9100A was produced in 1969, coming as the first scientific calculator. The company is credited with producing the world’s first scientific electronic calculator in the year 1972.   This only captures a segment of the many electronics the company pioneered in their production.   This presents the company as revolutionary as it focuses on the production of new efficient products into the world. 1.   History Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett founded the HP Company in the year 1993. At the time of conceiving the idea, the two were students at the Stanford University. The Company’s first product, an audio oscillator for testing sound was built in Palo Alto garage. Walt Disney Studios was among the company’s first customers as reflected by the purchase of eight oscillators, which went into use in the testing of the sound system in the production of the movie Fantasia (House and Lewis, 2009). The HP Company is among the few business entities in the world, which successfully married computing measurement technologies, and communication (House and Lewis, 2009). The company continues to make progress in portable computing, entry into home computing, and imaging and printing solutions. For the latter part of the past decade, the HP Company enjoyed twenty percent growth rates on yearly rates (House and Lewis, 2009). In the 1990’s Lew Plant replaced the retiring John Young. The leadership change continued to see the growth path charted by the company go on. It is at this time that the HP Company gets recognition as a company, which values its workers as it offers a balance on work-life, diversity, and community involvement is struck.   This is the major reason behind the huge attraction the company has on both current and potential employees. At the turn of the century, HP formed Agilent Technologies. At the same time, it brought on board Carleton (Carly) Fiorina as the new CEO. Carleton Fiorina primarily focused on reinvesting for growth and leadership (Packard, Kirby and Lewis, 2006). The major changes in the company rest on the part of a spin-off of its business to Agilent Technologies in the year 1999. In the year 2002, HP merged with Compaq. In 2008, HP acquired EDS, which saw an increased revenue up to 118 billion US dollars.   HP, in November 2009, acquired 3Com. In April the subsequent year, HP paid one billion two hundred million US dollars towards the purchase of Palm. As at May 2010, the acquisition of Palm had been finalized (House and Lewis, 2009). The business environment of the HP Company just as in any other environment is characterized by competition (Packard, Kirby and Lewis, 2006). This offers a partial explanation as to why the company has focused on the acquisition strategy. The presence of other competitors like Toshiba, Acer, Dell, etc imply that the company’s position in the market is threatened, as a result, it has to engage in measures aimed at improving or retaining its market share. The growing population and demand for electronic goods on the other hand, presents opportunities for the HP Company (Packard, Kirby and Lewis, 2006). Through the acquisition strategy, the company has spread its presence across the globe and thus has the opportunity of studying the different markets’ preferences. This forms the basis upon which HP should embark on producing market specific products. This should ensure an improved market share and a check on its competitors. Overall, the company does not appear to have taken dramatic changes to counter emerging threats. 2.   Strategy Brand positioning and differentiation At the acquisition time, Compaq was the low-end dominant computer vendor (Collins, 2009). Its brand had become premium in both business and home use. On the other hand, HP enjoyed the repute of producing the best instruments in the computing market. After bringing these two brands under one leadership, there was a challenge of harmonizing them into one. HP did not have the option of jettisoning Compaq owing to its valuable brand. At the sale instance, it was difficult marketing the two lines for the same product (Collins, 2009).   The result due to this is reflected on the HP website, which reveals a feeble brand differentiation between the two. It remains difficult for an average customer to differentiate the two. The acquisition strategy seems to be the major growth approach employed y the company. The acquisition of several businesses in various parts of the world indicates the place of the strategy in the company’s developmental agenda.   This strategy is useful as it underlies a variety of benefits attributable to it (Collins, 2009). The acquisition strategy is not unique to the HP Company as its major competitors as IBM employs the same approach.   During the stewardship of Carly, HP went head to head with IBM concerning the acquisition of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting wing. The acquisition price ballooned prompting a withdrawal by HP. Later IBM completed the acquisition (Collins, 2009). The presence of a number of competitors in the computing industry seems to be the major reason why the company chose to employ the acquisition strategy (Dong, 2009).   With competitors like Dell, IBM, etc, the company is under no illusions. It must work out means of remaining ahead or at the minimum, getting close to these companies.   Towards the pursuit to maintain and increase on its market share, HP had to adopt the acquisition strategy to compete effectively. Success is a function of several factors and as a result, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific one for success (Russ, 2002).   The major strategy employed by HP is the acquisition method. It is only once that the company had faltered in making an acquisition deal go though albeit on the basis of this paper. This was after the ballooning of the price on the PricewaterhouseCoopers making HP to baulk. Based on the fact that IBM paid a fraction of what HP was being asked to remit, then the execution of HP is plausible on this instance. However, based on the disadvantage of allowing your top competitor make the acquisition, it does not augur well for HP. However, this is only an instance, which happened during the rein of the disgraced Carly Fiorina. Given the company had achieved tremendous success before Carly Fiorina’s appointment, and it seems to be doing fairly well after her exit, the company strategy must have played a significant roe in the development of the company. However, a strategy alone is not good enough; its execution is equally important. On this evidence, it is held that the success of HP heavily rested on its strategy just as it did rest on its execution. Technology is a rapidly changing area of business (Collins, 2009). The company thus needs to be responsive to these changes. Towards this end, the company needs to alter its products if it is to compete. The presence of other giant industry players makes it difficult for the company to lag behind in terms of adopting newest technology in its product manufacturing.   Competition is healthy especially to the consumers; however, this poses a serious threat to the company, as it must check this or face declining sales. 3.   Culture From the beginning, Packard and Hewlett developed a leadership style never practiced before. They coined a corporate culture known as ‘the HP way’. The culture renounced the ‘hire and fire’ mentality. This is reflected by the defying of temptations to lay off workers despite the1974 US economic crisis. The two owners also underscored the need to promote own motivation at the workplace. The company was run like a family. The profit sharing approach underscores this focus. Further to this, employees were extended several benefits, which meant that HP was the perfect and unique employer (Buhler, 2003). In 1950, Bill and Dave chose to write down the company objectives to serve as guidelines in reference to all decision-making in the company, this was aimed at keeping pace with the growth the company had achieved by this time.   The objectives covered citizenship, management, the growth people, customers, and profits. Towards achieving the goal, team-wok was proposed (Collins, 2009). Based on section of workers, HP was premised on religion when referring to the company philosophy. The company was viewed as inviolable. The management philosophy was founded on teamwork, respect for individuals, innovation, integrity, and contribution to society. This explains why the company gained a lot of respect both from its workers and from members of society. The founding fathers; Dave Packard and Bill Hewlett are credited with the introduction of this legendary leadership style into the company (Dong, 2009). The hiring of Carly Fiorina from outside the company ranks coming after the merger with Compaq seems to have brought changes hitherto un-witnessed. Carly Fiorina was accused of carelessly handling workers issues especially on lay-offs.in the lay-off exercises, Carly Fiorina factored in on profits with little regard on the welfare of the workers. At the same time, Carly Fiorina  Ã‚   is accused of introducing the element of personality cult into the organization. It is during the reign of Carly Fiorina that employees began complaining about fear. The CEO’s reign was further characterized by proxy wars. Retirees also complained about ignored views and total disregard of contributions. This presented a big departure from the initial cultures as set by the two owners (Dong, 2009). Rather than firing, employees were reassigned duties. Employees were allowed up to six months to find their desired positions. If one failed to locate a working position, s/he was allowed to quit as opposed to being fired. This was during the good old days. The management interacted freely with the workers to facilitate sharing of information. Both Hewlett and Packard took time to talk to staff at various HP points (Dong, 2009). The focus was on creating a loyal workforce. Fiorina is accused of turning the company fortunes to a lower scale (Dong, 2009). This is reflected in the way in which employees were laid off. Further to this, Fiorina made comments intended to belittle Walter Hewlett, her merger opponent, this indicates a departure from the original HP way. The dramatic change in the culture of the environment was occasioned due to the changing environment in characterizing the industry (Walton, 2002).   This would enable the company gauge competition and remain in business though its position as a credible employer could loose credibility. However, the extent to which culture affects the organization has weathered over time. Unlike in the past, organizational structure seems to be in control as opposed to the cultural aspect.   The fact that the organizational set up has managed to change its focus from cultural attributes of the company serves to augment this position.

Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education is based on the ideas that I have about education that are framing my critical goals as an educator at this moment. As a teacher I believe that it is important to be aware of the individual needs, strengths and abilities of each of my students. With this awareness, I will be able to challenge each student in what Vygotsky calls their â€Å"zone of proximal development. † At the same time, I will use this information to help build the self-esteem of each child, by creating experiences in which he or she will be successful while growing as a learner. Further, I believe that as a teacher I should focus on the whole child and not just teaching a particular subject matter. As a result I do believe that I should divorce their academic lives from their personal lives. Therefore I will utilize methods and strategies that caters to the child’s interpersonal, social and emotional needs. As a teacher at the elementary level I recognize that I should strive to help my students make interdisciplinary connections. Not only should the various subject areas be connected, but also what the child learns in school must have some relevance or importance in the child's experience of the world. One of my primary goals as a teacher is making sure that students are questioning the phenomena in their worlds, and learning to analyze and think critically about their worlds. This goal holds important for any discipline area, be it science, math, social studies or language. I will strive to create a safe classroom environment which is conducive to learning, where students may take risks and be supported by their peers and teacher. I will also strive to At the same time, it is my responsibility to ensure that my lessons are not limited to the child's direct experience but is striving to give each child a broader global view. In addition I see multiculturalism, as a process that consumes the classroom and should be embraced by the teacher. Rather than simply being an additive item in the classroom, multiculturalism should consist of critical and analytical thinking and building multiple perspectives on the worlds. Finally, children need to be active and involved in the classroom, instead of being passive receptacles of knowledge. They should be constructing knowledge and involved in activities that engage all of their senses and modalities. Therefore, in my planning I try to ensure that that lessons are geared at allowing students to take responsibility for their learning. Aha Moment! Throughout the early stages of my teaching practicum experience, all of my assessors kept on singing the same tune; plan more activities for your students; get them involved. Though my lessons were well planned, they lacked student centred activities and as a result I noted that my students seemed very quiet, docile and lacked interest in what I was trying to teach them. Upon reflection of my lessons I realized that I could do much more to make the teaching –learning experience more meaningful and fun for the students. I then decided to take a different approach towards my lesson planning. Instead of planning lessons that were teacher centred, I began to make the focus of my lessons be the students; as it rightfully should. From the moment that I began to plan lessons that were more student centred, I noticed a drastic change in my students’ behaviour, demeanour and their general response as the lesson progressed. My first aha moment came during a science lesson on the five senses. Throughout that lesson, from start to finish the students were actively engaged in building their own knowledge (add something about schemas here) The students were excited, energetic, they came alive and were very eager to learn more about the topic. After the lesson was finished the students wanted to know when the next science class was going to be and what they would be doing. It was then that I realized that I had the students where I wanted them to be; captivated and engrossed in what was happening in and around the classroom. It was as if all of their senses had been awakened to the teaching-learning experience. Through my ‘aha’ moments I was reminded of the old adage which says we remember 10% of what we hear, 15% of what we see, 20% of what we both see and hear, 40% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we experience directly and 90% of what we attempt to teach others. Philosophy of Education My philosophy of education is based on the ideas that I have about education that are framing my critical goals as an educator at this moment. As a teacher I believe that it is important to be aware of the individual needs, strengths and abilities of each of my students. With this awareness, I will be able to challenge each student in what Vygotsky calls their â€Å"zone of proximal development. † At the same time, I will use this information to help build the self-esteem of each child, by creating experiences in which he or she will be successful while growing as a learner. Further, I believe that as a teacher I should focus on the whole child and not just teaching a particular subject matter. As a result I do believe that I should divorce their academic lives from their personal lives. Therefore I will utilize methods and strategies that caters to the child’s interpersonal, social and emotional needs. As a teacher at the elementary level I recognize that I should strive to help my students make interdisciplinary connections. Not only should the various subject areas be connected, but also what the child learns in school must have some relevance or importance in the child's experience of the world. One of my primary goals as a teacher is making sure that students are questioning the phenomena in their worlds, and learning to analyze and think critically about their worlds. This goal holds important for any discipline area, be it science, math, social studies or language. I will strive to create a safe classroom environment which is conducive to learning, where students may take risks and be supported by their peers and teacher. I will also strive to At the same time, it is my responsibility to ensure that my lessons are not limited to the child's direct experience but is striving to give each child a broader global view. In addition I see multiculturalism, as a process that consumes the classroom and should be embraced by the teacher. Rather than simply being an additive item in the classroom, multiculturalism should consist of critical and analytical thinking and building multiple perspectives on the worlds. Finally, children need to be active and involved in the classroom, instead of being passive receptacles of knowledge. They should be constructing knowledge and involved in activities that engage all of their senses and modalities. Therefore, in my planning I try to ensure that that lessons are geared at allowing students to take responsibility for their learning. Aha Moment! Throughout the early stages of my teaching practicum experience, all of my assessors kept on singing the same tune; plan more activities for your students; get them involved. Though my lessons were well planned, they lacked student centred activities and as a result I noted that my students seemed very quiet, docile and lacked interest in what I was trying to teach them. Upon reflection of my lessons I realized that I could do much more to make the teaching –learning experience more meaningful and fun for the students. I then decided to take a different approach towards my lesson planning. Instead of planning lessons that were teacher centred, I began to make the focus of my lessons be the students; as it rightfully should. From the moment that I began to plan lessons that were more student centred, I noticed a drastic change in my students’ behaviour, demeanour and their general response as the lesson progressed. My first aha moment came during a science lesson on the five senses. Throughout that lesson, from start to finish the students were actively engaged in building their own knowledge (add something about schemas here) The students were excited, energetic, they came alive and were very eager to learn more about the topic. After the lesson was finished the students wanted to know when the next science class was going to be and what they would be doing. It was then that I realized that I had the students where I wanted them to be; captivated and engrossed in what was happening in and around the classroom. It was as if all of their senses had been awakened to the teaching-learning experience. Through my ‘aha’ moments I was reminded of the old adage which says we remember 10% of what we hear, 15% of what we see, 20% of what we both see and hear, 40% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we experience directly and 90% of what we attempt to teach others.