Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Block Schedulling Essays - Education, Curricula, Block Scheduling

Block Schedulling Six classes a day, five days week, every day the same schedule. Telephones and radios were still luxuries when high schools nationwide petrified the school day into this rigid pattern. The refrigerator and television hadn't been invented, much less the copy machine, computer, and video player. We live in a very different world now, and we know more about how students learn. Yet most contemporary high school and middle school students are still locked into the same schedule that their great-grandparents experienced when they were teenagers. The big question here is what is wrong with the traditional six or seven period day? For starters, say critics, the pace is tough. A typical student will be in nine locations working on nine different activities in a six-and-a-half-hour school day. An average teacher must teach five classes, dealing with 125-180 students with several preparations. This frantic, fragmented schedule is unlike any experienced either before or after high school. It produces a hectic, impersonal, inefficient instructional environment, states Joseph Carroll (1994), limits the amount of time to go in-depth on a subject, and tends to discourage using a variety of learning activities. Opportunities for individualization of instruction and meaningful interaction between students and teachers are hard to come by. No matter how complex or simple the school subject, the schedule assigns an impartial national average of fifty-one minutes per class period, say Robert Canady and Michael Rettig (1995). And despite wide variation in the time it takes individual students to succeed at learning any given task, the allocated time is identical for all. The 1994 report of the National Education Commission on Time and Learning states, Schools will have a design flaw as long as their organization is based on the assumption that all students can learn on the same schedule. In addition, since most disciplinary problems occur during scheduled transitions, the more transitions, the more problems. In our district, the principal states this as the number one discipline problem in school during passing times. And a great deal of time is lost in simply starting and ending so many classes in a day. Traditional, inflexible scheduling is based on administrative and institutional needs, say Gary Watts and Shari Castle (1993). Flexible scheduling patterns are a much better match in order to meet the educational needs of students and the professional needs of teachers. The next question that begs to be answered is, What exactly is block scheduling? Gordon Cawelti (1994) defines it as follows: At least part of the daily schedule is organized into larger blocks of time (more than sixty minutes) to allow flexibility for a diversity of instructional activities. The variations are endless, and may involve reconfiguring the lengths of periods and semesters as well as the daily schedule. Some of the possibilities detailed by Canady and Rettig include: *Four ninety-minute blocks per day; school year divided into two semesters; former year-long courses completed in one semester. *Alternate day block schedule: six or eight courses spread out over two days; teachers meet with half of their students each day. *Two large blocks and three standard-sized blocks per day; year divided into sixty-day trimesters with a different subject taught in the large blocks each trimester. *Some classes (such as band, typing, foreign language) taught daily, others in longer blocks on alternate days. *Six courses, each meeting in three single periods, and one double period per week. *Seven courses. Teachers meet with students three days out of four--twice in single periods, once in a double period. And there are many more. Any of these can be modified, of course, to meet the specific needs of a school. Scheduling changes are usually linked to increasing retention, reducing lecturing by instructors and gaining the opportunity for more creative teaching strategies. They are often part of a major restructuring effort. As with anything, there are advantages as well as disadvantages. What are the advantages of block scheduling? First, larger blocks of time allow for a more flexible and productive classroom environment, along with more opportunities for using varied and interactive teaching methods. Other benefits listed by Jeffrey Sturgis (1995) include: more effective use of school time, decreased class size, increased number of course offerings,

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Documentary films

Documentary films Free Online Research Papers A documentary film is a broad category of filmmaking practice that tries to document reality. It is a film genre that attempts to portray realism in the sense that it presents ‘actual’ people, places, activities and events. The fact that it documents ‘actual’ means that documentary films deal with fact and not fiction. A documentary film primarily ‘documents’ some aspect of life and usually involves narration, interviews, and facts and figures. This is in contrast to narrative (fictional) cinema comprising film genre such as action, comedy, adventure, horror, drama etc which creates the events, phenomenon, human behavior or conditions utilizing scripts. Encyclopedia Britannica defines a documentary as a ‘motion picture that shapes and interprets factual material for purposes of education or entertainment’. Documentary films are by nature not scripted, even though the scenes are selected and arranged through after-shoot editing. The ‘cast’ in a documentary film are not actors. These films may or may not have voice-over narration, depending on whether there is a need to describe what is happening in the film. A documentary will also include interviews with the people in the film. Another tenet is that a documentary must be objective and should not have a point of view although critics now argue that all forms of exposition do have a point of view. There is also no place for reenactments in a documentary film. The word ‘documentary’ was first coined in 1926 when documentarian John Grierson reviewed Robert Flaherty’s film ‘Moana’ and wrote that it had ‘documentary value’. Griersons view of documentary was that it provided a new way of observing life by way of casting ‘original’ actors and ‘original’ scenes vis-a-vis fictional films and considered that materials taken from the raw ‘actual’ footage were better than the acted ones. Grierson’s definition of documentary as a ‘creative treatment of actuality’ has generally formed the basis of depicting documentary films. In a nutshell, we can describe a documentary film as one that attempts to tell the truth realistically, by presenting factual evidence in its originality, with no reenactments and in an objective manner. Documentary films comprise a broad and diverse category of films. These include biographical films, expose films, a concert or rock festival, live performances, sports documentary, compilation films and ‘making of’ films of feature films. Documentary filmmaking has evolved over the decades. Early films such as Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North, used cumbersome equipment to produce rather imperfect images while today’s digital technology allows filmmakers to capture instant perfect images that objectively reveal the truth about subjects who may not be aware that they are being filmed. The cinema verite (literal French translation of ‘cinema truth’) or direct cinema (as it is known in the US) approach was the mode of documentary filmmaking in the late 1950s and 1960s. It took advantage of technological advances by using hand-held cameras and synchronized sound to capture their subjects and record events as they happened. It is a style of documentary filmmaking where there is no narration, and the filmmaker follows the happenings, shows authentic dialogues, natural action and minimum of rearrangements. It used the least directive approach to collecting film footage. The whole idea was to make the camera less of an intruder and allow the subject to behave more normally, though it must be borne in mind that the subject is aware of the recording. But really, the notion of documentary films has evolved since its inception to take many controversial facets. In the past 20 years, in particular, the nature of documentary films has extended upon the cinema verite or direct cinema tradition of the 1960s. Films incorporating reenactments as in The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris and directorial manipulation by Michael Moore in Roger and Me has led critics to question whether they are truly documentaries although they are classified as one. The point of view has also become increasingly visible in documentaries as in Michael Moore’s controversial Fahrenheit 9/11. Don’t Look Back is a 1967 black and white documentary which covered Bob Dylan’s concert tour of England in April –May 1965. The subject is the man behind the music, one who was to become the father of modern folk rock. The film shows viewers a glimpse of Dylan, who has been labelled as an anarchist, poet, folk singer, and other names. It educates viewers as to the philosophy of Dylan, why he writes the songs the way he does, how he views the world. It also shows how his friends, colleagues, and even fans expose his personality. The author (auteur in French) of this acclaimed film was D. A. Pennebaker, who used his creative personal vision to direct and shoot the film in cinema verite style. Pennebaker had said that ‘nothing was staged or arranged for the purposes of the film’. It played out in hotel rooms, limousines, backstage rooms and concert halls. The film explored Dylan through public media interviews and concert footage, and private exchanges with his entourage. At the time of its production, Don’t Look Back was the first of its kind, an in-the-moment documentary rather than a constructed one. It was a ‘fly on the wall’ genre, a major tenet of cinema verite or direct cinema, utilizing hand-held camera, long takes, no lighting equipment, shaky camerawork and occasional loss of focus, thereby displaying authenticity and bringing to the viewer a picture of reality. This is especially so, as throughout the film, we see the camera frantically following the events as they happen. Some scenes show how the camera needs to refocus on an object of interest, be it Dylan, his manager Albert Grossman, Joan Baez or an adoring fan inviting him for a holiday. While other music films of the 1960s which dealt with fantasy have become irrelevant, Don’t Look Back still retains its sense of relevance into its fifth decade as it is considered to depict the most objective portrait of Bob Dylan ever made. The objective of the film, as with all documentaries, is to show truth. It is a raw presentation of press conferences and interviews, business negotiations, backstage and hotel room happenings. There was no narrator involved and no script. As Chris Buck said, ‘Shoot and discover the story within’. It filmed only what happened as it happened, reflecting objective truth. Pennebaker, the author himself remarked, ‘My first serious film†¦I felt in the end that I hadn’t had to compromise anything, that it was as rough and raw and mean as it had to be’. Essentially, Pennebaker and his camera followed Dylan across his tour of England to get the raw footage. Don’t Look Back is not a rock documentary. It is also not a concert documentary as there were only a few live numbers and more than half the film focused on the person. It is really an expose of a personality of the day. It is a portrayal of Dylan as an arrogant, intriguing person. Don’t Look Back captures the moment with spontaneity, in true cinema verite fashion. As Mark Nichols said, ‘Instead the camera acts solely as a fly on the wall and for 96 minutes the viewer watches Dylan’s ongoing evolution as performer and personality’. It is quite a revealing take on the mind of Dylan, to educate people about Dylan. It shows him being confrontational and direct and openly critical and aggressive. It justifiably laid claims to bringing to audiences a raw picture of reality backed by the style of filming by Pennebaker. It was an exploratory form of documentary with no script, just shoot and see the story as you see it. This is evident for instance in the relationship between Dylan and Joan Baez. With no text or commentary, their relationship is shown but not told. Hence, the viewer has to deduce the significance of Baez’s disappearance half way through the film that there was a strain in their relationship. While the highlights of the documentary were indeed the many press conferences and interviews, Pennebaker’s film shows the true self of Dylan – an angry, awkward, sarcastic, and confrontational man as when he asks, ‘Who threw the glass in the street? Who threw it?’ and his relentless heaping of scorn on the journalists. When a female reporter asked,’What is your real message?, Dylan responded awkwardly, ‘Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb’. That Don’t Look Back is a true documentary is attested to in this remark made by Michael Rowin, ‘Part of what makes Don’t Look Back so incredible is that it might be the first public record of a celebrity openly, and with full knowledge of how his behavior might be perceived, acting like a complete jerk even when a camera is right there documenting his every movement for the world’. This was the first time ever the cinema verite or direct cinema technique was employed to project a raw, revealing insight into a well-known musician’s mindset and backstage at that. As Michael Rowan put it, ‘†¦ Don’t Look Back remains the first and only essential one for keeping Dylan in its sights with an almost obsessive intensity and letting the man perform the truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. But one can also question whether it is a documentary in the truest sense of the word. In a span of three-and-a-half weeks during Dylan’s concert tour of England, Pennebaker shot some 20 hours of film. But after editing, the ready for viewing footage was reduced to just 96 minutes. Also, virtually absent are the standard documentary rules of archival or interview footage. It appears as though Pennebaker was an unobtrusive observer, impartial and outside the happenings through the notion of ‘fly on the wall’, which has been considered as an ideal in documentary filmmaking. This was in keeping with the cinema verite goal of excluding the filmmaker from the film, the idea being that ‘the intrusions of the direct would detract from the reality of the subject’. However, some critics are of the view that impartial observation while filming is not achievable. Hence questions have been raised as to whether the mere presence of the filmaker will still make it possible to get a true picture of reality. Some are of the view that his presence means he cannot be an objective observer which is a key tenet of a documentary being perceived as an accurate portrayal of events. As Chris Buck says, â€Å"You have a set of values of ‘looking glasses’ the moment you interact with a subject and the selection of a subject is value laden†. But then there have been documentaries made, such as the Paul Anka biography, Lonely Boy (1962) where the film footage included Anka interacting with the filmmakers, which was acceptable to another school of thought as being part of the reality of filmmaking process. The direct cinema philosophy by which Don’t Look Back was produced drew plenty of flak. Critics Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael touched on the notion of objectivity, specifically citing the performative elements of the film, the influence of the camera on the actions of the subjects and the impact of editing, montage and shooting decisions. Sarris viewed the film as contrived documentary. Although direct cinema professes objectivity, Don’t Look Back was edited and structured and combined an observational approach with a personal perspective and biased editing. Documentary directors select the shots they feel will tell the story, edit those that are not needed and build an entire film on his personal bias. Through editing, the director can latch on a single aspect such as frustration on the part of the subject and proceed to show how the subject behaves or acts in such a way. For instance, Pennebaker wanted to show Dylan’s frustrations about how he is protrayed in the news. He included Dylan’s encounter with the Time reporter and also showed how he questions the interpretation of the other journalists regarding his music and performance. For the most part, the Time reporter’s comments are omitted while Dylan’s is retained, ending with Dylan saying, ‘I know more about what you do, and you don’t have to ask me how or why or anything, just by looking, than you’ll ever know about me, ever’. Hence, we can argue that there is a presence of bias as in narrative cinema. The selection of content elements reflects the director’s personal choices, philosophy, logic and reasoning. As the author, the actual content will be determined by him. Also, if we analyze the infamous opening sequence showing Dylan displaying the cue cards as the song ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ is played, with poet Allen Ginsberg lurking in the background, we can interpret this as staged and constructed with both of them clearly ‘acting’ the part. If we consider this as a ‘posed’ shot, we can question its true documentary status although the rest of the film can indeed pass off as a documentary. We can say that Don’t Look Back extended the category of documentary films to music and MTV videos as we know today. The opening simple sequence showing Dylan discarding a series of cue cards with phrases of some of the lyrics of the song , ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ as though trying to put the message across, is certainly an early reflection of the more sophisticated music videos we see today of the sound, image and the performer synchronized. This is one of the most imitated sequences in the history of rock/music documentary. Although it was not intended to be broadcast as a music video, Subterranean Homesick Blues’ can be seen on MTV today as a video of a single album from Don’t Look Back. The opening sequence in Don’t Look Back and Pennebaker’s point-and-shoot handheld direction set the standard for future music documentaries to follow. All said, Don’t Look Back is an excellent documentary which has allowed us a peek into the life of Bob Dylan. Through it, we understand the motivation, frustrations and aspirations of Dylan. While he is aware of the filming and that viewers would be peeking into his life, he allows it. It also gives us a degree of comfort that Dylan does not know who we are, or why we are even interested in knowing what he thinks or does. (2366 words) Research Papers on Documentary filmsWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is ArtRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Project Managment Office SystemThree Concepts of PsychodynamicIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Spring and AutumnBringing Democracy to Africa

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 9

Research paper - Essay Example This is the overall purpose of this research. Skeletal muscle subjected to intense physical stress requires ready availability of energy resources and it is established that carbohydrate intake during exercise delays the onset of fatigue as it is a readily available source of energy. Only in the absence or deficiency of carbohydrates, other reserve sources such as body fat and protein are tapped under normal physiological circumstances. Oxidative metabolism in the skeletal muscle is upregulated by normal physiological mechanisms of gene transcription which increases the mRNA content of several genes in response to the demand imposed as a result of exercise. Carbohydrate intake is known to diminish this activity. Low availability of glycogen resources in endurance training is also known to stimulate gene expression in a manner which can prove beneficial to endurance performance. This physiological adaptation, the authors believe can be tapped for a better training method for athletes. They believe that exercise induced glycogen breakdown is maintained at an optimum level when exercise is done under fasting conditions and this facilitates energy provision from the oxidation of fat reserves in the body. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms can help develop better training programs for athletes, which was the indirect endeavor in this study. The authors’ hypothesis is pertinent to the currently available knowledge of skeletal muscle physiology as increased interest has been generated in this field due to the increasingly competitive environment in the international arena. Studies on trained athletes are numerous and the authors’ selection of healthy individuals from normal population in favor of actual athletes is an appropriate strategy as it can yield more pertinent data about skeletal muscle activity, which is already in pre conditioned and altered state

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

How did the successive stages of capitalism change the UK's accounting Essay - 1

How did the successive stages of capitalism change the UK's accounting and financial reporting processes - Essay Example The other is that which supplies his immediate consumption." (Smith, 1776, Web) Revenue in this regard relates to surplus economic production as opposed mere subsistence, but also represents a larger, rational pursuit of this surplus in profit. Yet, it is important to note that Adam Smith does not write specifically of â€Å"capitalism† as a system, but does define the importance of capital in economic relations critically in his analysis. (Novara et al., 2003) In his text â€Å"On Wages† (1817), David Ricardo writes that, "Capital is that part of the wealth of a country which is employed in production, and consists of food, clothing, tools, raw materials, machinery, etc. necessary to give effect to labour." (Ricardo, 1817, Web) Yet, it is Marx who develops capitalism as a system theoretically in his works such as â€Å"Das Kapital† (1867) and others which would inaugurate and define nearly all later intellectual treatment of the subject. (Bryer, 2005) I. A Defin ition of Capitalism In "Wage Labour and Capital" (1849) Marx initiates a fundamental definition of capital: "Capital consists of raw materials, instruments of labour and means of subsistence of all kinds, which are utilized in order to produce new raw materials, new instruments of labour and new means of subsistence... ... ystems, trade, and labor exchanges are found from the early stages of human development historically, but Sombart points to the use of accounting standards as an essential characteristic of capitalism. Through this interpretation, historians can search primary source materials from various societies to determine the degree that accounting records were kept. Where systems of agriculture and early industry involved work relations and paid labor, the development of capitalism historically in the society is evident. Similarly, a community monetary system is essential for the development of marketplace capitalism, as well as the exchange of surpluses in supply and labor. As Basil Yamey writes in "Accounting and the Rise of Capitalism" (1964): "Werner Sombart was largely responsible for the broad thesis that systematic of scientific accounting, identified with the double-entry system, played an important part in releasing, activating or accentuating the 'rationalistic pursuit of profits,' and essential of the capitalist spirit." (Winjum, 1971) III. The Pre-Capitalist Era (4000 BC to 1000AD) In the pre-capitalist era, money systems allowed agriculturalists to trade surplus products in a manner that encouraged the growth of capitalism and forms the basis for economic exchange. Some theorists relate capitalism to a system of political values, as the theory of capitalism developed from within the political context of the 18th Century related to the onset of democracy, liberalism, and modernism historically. This creates the question of whether the political definition of capitalism can be legitimately applied to early commercial, industrial, and agricultural trading activity in England in the pre-historical or feudal period. The development of artisan groups and skilled labor

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Local Lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Local Lawsuit - Essay Example According to most researchers, the iPhone 5 has similar functionality like the previous versions of the iPhone. This information was released by Samsung in order to verify the infringement of patents by the iPhone. The gripe of Samsung against Apple originally arose from the iPhone 5 support for LTE (Cole, 2012). This fussy case comprises of two standard, essential patents and six utility patents that are not related to the LTE patent portfolio. Most corporations prefer to compete in the marketplace with ground-breaking products. However, this contest is exempted from the court rooms. On the other hand, Apple is continually aggressive in most of the legal measures, which limit its competition in the business market. Therefore, in this situation the company ensures that they abide by the expectations of the law, in order to protect their innovations and intellectual property rights. Further research in the world of technology asserts that HTC also wanted to take legal action against Apple after the introduction of the iPhone 5 (Parish, 2011). The most recent case facing Apple affirms that Samsung has a high probability of delighting in confidence from its legal triumph. The attack on the iPhone 5 was validated after Judge Koh dissolved the sales ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Cole, 2012). Earlier in the year, the judge had granted an injunction on the tablet after they were suspicious that it had copied the hardware design of Apple’s iPad.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Causes of the Decline in Voter Turnout

Causes of the Decline in Voter Turnout â€Å"What explains the decline in voter turnout in most democracies in the last few decades? In your answer, consider one or two explanations that you consider most important and empirical evidence supporting or rejecting them†. According to Dalton (1988) â€Å"citizen involvement in the political process is essential for democracy to be viable and meaningful†. They suggest that â€Å"limited political involvement is a sign of weakness because it is only through dialogue and participation that societal goals are defined and achieved in a democracy. Voting, though it requires little initiative and cooperation with others, is the most visible and widespread form of citizen involvement†[1]. Over the past three decades, voter turnout in the UK and other democratic countries has decreased significantly, I will discuss what I consider to be two of the most important explanations for the decline in voter turnout across various democratic countries. These being political disengagement and dissatisfaction and the reduction in the value of voting. I have chosen these due to the fact there is significant empirical evidence supporting both explanations, as will be explored below. The first part of this ess ay will explain some statistics regarding the levels of voter turnout, following this, I will discuss the idea that political disengagement and dissatisfaction could be considered one of the most significant contributors to the decline in voter turnout and how the depleting value of the vote can cause people to refrain from voting altogether. A democratic country is defined as being a country in which â€Å"all eligible citizens have the right to participate in the political system, either directly or indirectly when it comes to making the decisions that will affect them†[2]. The decline in voter turnout throughout democratic countries in the last few decades is fast becoming a problem due to the fact democracy depends on voter participation. The decline in voter turnout can be noted in the UK where voter turnout reduced from 75.3% in 1987 to 68.7% in 2017, suffering substantial dips throughout this period, as was found in 2001 in which voter turnout dropped to 59.4%. Figure 1. A line graph showing the decline in general election turnout since 1945. Taken from: Ukpolitical.info. Voter turnout at UK general elections 1945 – 2017 | UK Political Info. [online] Available at: http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm. The same thing can be seen in other democratic countries. For example, voter turnout in the US during Mid-Term Elections has decreased from 60.89% of registered voters voting and 41.07% of voting age voters voting in 1986 to 54.16% of registered voters voting and 39.51% of voting age voters voting in 2014. The same cannot be said for Presidential elections, where we see an increase from 76.98%/56.28% voting in 1988 and 78.76%/60.52% voting in 2016. However, the most recent statistics do show a decline from 2004 onwards. One possible explanation for this could be the voters feel as though a Presidential election is more important, it gains more media coverage and affects the whole country. Therefore, it would be useful to consider some of the reasons for this selective decline in voter turnout. Figure 2: Levels of voter turnout in US midterm elections from 1982 to 2014. Taken from: Sos.wa.gov. [online] Available at: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voter-participation.aspx Figure 3: Levels of voter turnout in US presidential elections from 1980 to 2016. Taken from: Sos.wa.gov. [online] Available at: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voter-participation.aspx. The first of my proposed explanations for the decline in voter turnout is the public’s political disengagement and dissatisfaction. Before I continue, it is important to distinguish between voter apathy and voter alienation in order to determine whether there is a decline in voter turnout due to an increased laziness throughout the public or due to the public feeling as though they can no longer relate to their politicians, my first point of discussion focusses on the latter. Crewe et al (1992) suggested that apathy indicates a lack personal responsibility, a â€Å"passivity, and indifference for political affairs. It denotes the absence of a feeling of personal obligation to participate. However, voter alienation implies an active rejection of the political system†. The alienation the public are feeling when it comes to politics was found by Dr. Ruth Fox to stem from the fact that the parties we have to choose from are â€Å"all the same, the politicians are all the same, they are not like us†[3]. This could mean that the public can no longer identify with the candidates they are voting for. Politicians have become so detached from the average person, that the public cannot find any logical reason to want to vote them into power and consequently, do not vote at all. This could be considered one of the most crucial factors to contribute to a declining voter turnout because the aim of an elected Government is to represent the public’s views in Parliament to ensure that the decisions made, and laws created, benefit the country in the most inclusive way possible. Therefore, when the public feel as though they are not being accurately represented in Parliament they can feel alienated which in turn, promotes disinterest and a feeling of disengagement among the public with regard to politics. The British Academy stated that â€Å"British society has become, for the most part, disengaged with politics†¦In the case of British voters, it is important to understand the scale and depth of their disenchantment†. This can be considered important because if we can engage the public in politics through their MPs and other representatives, this would subsequently improve voter turnout. The second of my proposed explanations for declining levels of voter turnout is the idea that the public no longer places any value in voting, believing that their votes will not make a difference. The House of Commons Political and Constitutional Committee found this especially â€Å"when the member of the public lived in an area in which there was a safe seat, that is, where the party of the elected representative was unlikely to change[4]†. The value of voting can be considered an important explanation for the decline in voter turnout because if the public does not feel as if their vote will make a difference, or produce the outcome they prefer, they will be less inclined to even try. It was suggested by Ioannis Kolovos and Phil Harris that voters â€Å"weigh up the costs and benefits of their actions, meaning that the public will turn up to vote when they consider that the benefits of such an action outweigh the costs[5]†. An example of how the public have been made to feel disengaged with politics can be seen in the last election in which the Green Party and UKIP had significant support, resulting in a considerable number of votes. Under a different political system, these parties would have won 85 seats. Unfortunately, for the people that voted for them, the Green Party and UKIP only gained 1 seat each. Therefore, it appears that when people see that a significant percentage of the electorate are completely ignored due to the current political system, they give up on voting entirely due to the fact they think that their votes will not make a difference leading them to believe that the act of voting had little benefits. This could explain the decline in voter turnout in most democracies in the last few decades. There are many factors that can explain the decline in voter turnout in most democracies over the last few decades. In this essay, I have focused on and provided empirical evidence for what I believe to be two of the most important; political disengagement and dissatisfaction and the reduction in the value of voting. The need for politics to be more inclusive and for the public to feel as though they can relate to their representatives would considerably help the rates of voter turnout as they would feel as though their vote means something and would contribute to an outcome that would benefit themselves as well as others. They would also feel more involved in the political process which, in turn would allow them to restore the value of their vote because as the public begins to feel more engaged and satisfied with their representative in Parliament, they would place a value on their vote as they would know that it could potentially make a difference. REFERENCES: 1) Anon, (2018). [online] Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228215776_What_Affects_Voter_Turnout [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]. 2) Crewe, I 1992, Changing votes and unchanging voters, Electoral Studies, 11, 4, p. 335-345, Scopus ®, EBSCOhost, viewed 12 January 2018 3) Dalton, Russell J., Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies, 5th edition (Washington DC: CQ Press, 2008), p. 37. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, â€Å"Voter Turnout Database†, International IDEA website. 4) E-International Relations. (2018). Why is Turnout at Elections Declining Across the Democratic World? [online] Available at http://www.e-ir.info/2012/09/27/why-is-turnout-at-elections-declining-across-the-democratic-world/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2018]. 5) Hooghe, M, & Kern, A. 2017, The tipping point between stability and decline: Trends in voter turnout, 1950-1980-2012, European Political Science, 16, 4, p. 535-552, Scopus ®, EBSCOhost, viewed 14 December 2017. 6) Kolovos, I. and Harris, P. (n.d.). Voter Apathy in British Elections: Causes and Remedies. pp.2-3. 7) Kolovos, I. and Harris, P. (n.d.). Voter Apathy in British Elections: Causes and Remedies. Pp.3. 8) Lop.parl.ca. (2018). Democracy Defined | Our Country, Our Parliament. [online] Available at: https://lop.parl.ca/About/Parliament/Education/ourcountryourparliament/html_booklet/democracy-defined-e.html [Accessed 12 Jan. 2018]. 9) Publications.parliament.uk. (2014). [online] Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmpolcon/232/232.pdf [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]. 10) Sos.wa.gov. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voter-participation.aspx [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]. 11) Southwell, PL 2008, THE EFFECT OF POLITICAL ALIENATION ON VOTER TURNOUT, 1964-2000, Journal Of Political & Military Sociology, 36, 1, pp. 131-145, SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost, viewed 11 January 2018. (http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=13872f22-38b9-460a-bd0c-4953cc4c2455%40pdc-v-sessmgr01) 12) Stuart, C. (2016). Why is the turnout for UK elections so low?. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-turnout-for-UK-elections-so-low [Accessed 10 Jan. 2018]. 13) Ukpolitical.info. (2018). Voter turnout at UK general elections 1945 – 2017 | UK Political Info. [online] Available at: http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018]. ONLINE SOURCES Reasons for low voter engagement: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmpolcon/232/23205.htm Written evidence submitted by Tim Knight (VUK 69) http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/political-and-constitutional-reform-committee/voter-engagement-in-the-uk/written/8287.html Written evidence submitted by 38 Degrees (VUK 50) http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/political-and-constitutional-reform-committee/voter-engagement-in-the-uk/written/7510.html Written evidence submitted by Ian Sheppard (VUK 51) http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/political-and-constitutional-reform-committee/voter-engagement-in-the-uk/written/7575.html Written evidence submitted by Michael Yates (VUK 53): â€Å"Why does the UK experience low voter engagement† http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/political-and-constitutional-reform-committee/voter-engagement-in-the-uk/written/7880.html Written evidence submitted by David H Smith (VUK 59): Reasons for and impact of low voter engagement. http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/political-and-constitutional-reform-committee/voter-engagement-in-the-uk/written/7970.html [1] Voter Apathy in British elections: Causes and Remedies, pg2-3 [2] Democracy Defined | Our Country, Our Parliament. [3] House of Commons Political and Constitutional Committee: Voter engagement in the UK (2014-15) S3, Pg. 7 [4] Written evidence from 38 Degrees [VUK 50], Ian Sheppard [VUK 51], Michael Yates [VUK 53], David H Smith [VUK 59], Tim Knight [VUK 69], [5] Voter apathy in British elections: Causes and Remedies

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Computer Class

You are writing a research paper for your history class and have found a photo on the Web that you would like to use. You are cautious about using photos on the Web because of copyright Issues and photos that have been altered digitally. How might you verify the validity of a photo on the Web? When using a source for a research paper It Is always very Important to verify the book, website, photo, etc.In order to verify the validity of a photo on the Web, people need to check the source as to wear It came from, If the website Is not a website with absentia validation, then the photo Is not a resource that they should use In their paper. Also there Is now a Google â€Å"Search by Images† page. This allows people to copy and paste the picture Into the search engine and see where It came from. If the sources that come up do not have accurate validation of the photo then It Is not an appropriate resource that person should be using for his or her paper. Work Password Management: Yo u must remember multiple user names and passwords to access various computer resources within your company. Each time your company introduces a new system, you must remember a new user name and password, some of which you are unable to customize. What steps will you take to manage your passwords? When managing passwords and user names that you were given by your company always make sure to write it down on a certain piece of paper and put it in a safe place.Nowadays there are so many things that you need to have a user name and password for. Work is one of the main things. When introducing a new system, and receiving a new user name and password create a paper that ash the rest of your swords and user names on there with a brief description of what the website is about. This will allow you to remember the website, but also have your user name and password handy.One more thing is that when creating this paper you must find a safe place to put it so that no one can use the paper to lo gin to your account. Make sure you know where the paper is and do not tell anyone because if they find out where the paper is, other workers can have the potential to mess up or change your career. Computer Class By ambassadors using photos on the Web because of copyright issues and photos that have been When using a source for a research paper it is always very important to verify the book, website, photo, etc. N order to verify the validity of a photo on the Web, people need to check the source as to wear it came from, if the website is not a website with substantial validation, then the photo is not a resource that they should use in their paper. Also there is now a Google â€Å"Search by Images† page.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Reaction Paper to a Motivation Article

REACTION PAPER Topic: â€Å"INCENTIVES ARE NOT THE SAME AS MOTIVATORS†Mr. Clayton Christensen, a renowned author in the field of management, wrote an article entitled â€Å"INCENTIVES ARE NOT THE SAME AS MOTIVATORS†. He enlightens his readers on the difference between incentives and motivators. He was born on April 16, 1952 at Salt Lake City, Utah (USA). Besides being a teacher and a consultant, he is also famous in writing articles about innovator’s dilemma. This article was published by Carmen Nobel last June 4, 2012.Some people may say that â€Å"incentives† and â€Å"motivators† are synonymous to each other, but they are different in a major way. Incentives are somewhat like â€Å"prizes† set for the persons who did something beneficial. Meaning, people will do their best to get the prize. Whereas for motivators, it is somewhat like â€Å"encouragements† to persuade people to do their best to enhance their own skills. It is more la sting and holistic. â€Å"Do this and you’ll get that,† These are the words that we always hear from our parents.This is also a very common and popular phrase in companies. Some corporations rely on some sort of incentive programs, wherein there will always be â€Å"fabulous prizes† if the company’s productivity improves. Henry L. Gantt, contributor to Scientific Management, had designed a program wherein every worker who finished a day’s assigned work load would win a 50? bonus for that day. Because of this, of course, we can conclude that all workers labored to win the prize.But behind all these incentives, do all workers really have passion for their work? In my personal experience, when I was young, I also did the household chores because of incentives – washing dishes for new toys, clothes, and other things; cleaning the house for cell phone load; and many more. But after some time, I realized that without any incentives, I am not motiv ated to perform those tasks. Motivations came when I realized that upon completion of the assigned tasks, I can enjoy and benefit from it.I can feel and enjoy the fruits of my labor. In conclusion, I agree with the author that motivations are better than incentives. If you would look at it carefully, if the incentive program will to be used, people will only do their job because of that â€Å"something† that will be given afterwards. However, if the motivation program will to be introduced instead, it would inspire people to do their best at all times, in order for them to be proud, and contented with what they have done, and with what they have achieved.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Limited Liability Corporation and Limited Liability Partnership Essays

Limited Liability Corporation and Limited Liability Partnership Essays Limited Liability Corporation and Limited Liability Partnership Corporation Paper 10/11/2015 There are many different organizations to choose from when starting a business. Amongst the many different choices there are partnerships and limited liability corporations. A partnership consists of at least two people and each person possesses limited liability; and with a corporation, each person possesses limited liability, but the corporation has full liability. Here, the roles of partnerships and limited liability corporations will be explained. Also, under what circumstances in which a limited liability corporation or partnership is chosen over the other will be stablished. A limited liability corporation is defined as similar to a corporation, owners have limited personal liability for the debts and actions of the LLC. Other features of LLCs are more like a partnership, providing management flexibility and the benefit of pass-through taxation (Internal Revenue Service, 2010, para. 1). LLC members are not limited as to the number of corporations they may take part; however, they are limited as to the percentage of interest in other corporations (Gitman, 2006). Limited Liability Corporation has a distinctive quality of being organized like an ordinary corporation, and possessing the qualities of a partnership. In a Limited liability corporation, the owners are sheltered from personal liabilities, which possess similarities to a corporation, but have the tax benefits of the partnership. This means the business creditors may not pursue possession of any of the personal assets of members apart of the LLC to mend any business debts. Also if a member of the LLC has any personal debt, the creditors may not attempt to mend any debts from the corporation. LLC owners, also called "members," have the choice of managing their businesses or hiring professional managers. In addition, LLCs benefit from a substantial amount of flexibility. For example, they can have as many members as they like, and corporations are allowed to be members. LLCs are granted freedom from the state-mandated membership and management reporting requirements that corporations have. Most importantly, LLCs do not have to pay taxes. Instead, their earnings and losses are distributed through to the tax returns of their members just like a partnership would. Limited Liability Partnership is another name for a limited liability company, often used by professional associations (InvestorWords, 2011). The liability of the investor or partner is limited to the amount of money they have invested in the company. This arrangement usually prevents each partner from being held accountable for the misconducts of another partner. Limited liability partnership can be utilized in many different fields, but is most frequently used in law or accounting firms. The laws regarding a LLP vary significantly from state to state, and between countries. A limited liability partnership is a business structure intended for partners who want the same amount of say in managing their business, but not an equivalent share of the liability. Any partner apart of a LLP is not responsible for the debts or liabilities of the other partners involved. This makes the LLP appealing for professional service organizations such as accounting, architecture, or law firms. Business owners are faced with many hard decisions, like what business structure to use in the formation of their company. Opening a business as a limited liability corporation would be the ideal choice because the LLC gives partners more advantages with fewer restrictions. There can be as many investors as one wishes and these investors, or members, can also have as many members as they want, so on and so forth. Opening a business is taking a chance and taking a chance with the LLC has less risk. A LLC offers company owners and investors protection from any discrepancies or any indiscretions that the partner may have gotten involved in. A LLP allows owners and investors to be responsible for what they put into the business. Although both the LLP and LLC were created to help business owners and investors protect their businesses and both are beneficial, the LLP is the best business choice. If there is a need to include any other partner for the running of a business, a LLP is a better alternative. References Business Dictionary.com (2011). WebFinance, Inc BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved from businessdictionary.com/definition/visionstatement.html Gitman, L. J., & Zutter, C. J. (2015). Principles of Managerial

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Descriptive Writing on Walt Disney World Essay Example

Descriptive Writing on Walt Disney World Essay Example Descriptive Writing on Walt Disney World Essay Descriptive Writing on Walt Disney World Essay Ashley StewartEnglish 110 Descriptive Writing â€Å"A Place That Had a Deep Impact Effect On You†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is America’s best-known, busiest, and most profitable tourist attraction. Of all Disney Worlds wonders, the Magic Kingdom draws the most visitors. Tourists can step into the past, ride a sleek spaceship into the future, or dance with a mouse. The Magic Kingdom certainly delivers the fantasy it promises. However for me, its most fantastic aspect is that everything seems so perfect: the buildings, the characters, and parades. Every building, object, and decoration is sparkling clean. Take Main Street, for example, Disneys re-creation of small-town America in 1900. Visitors walking from Town Square toward Cinderellas Castle cannot help but notice the gleaming paint on every well-kept building. Right down to their gold signs and gingerbread moldings, such shops as the Emporium and the House of Magic are freshly painted several times a year. Every window, street lamp, and display is free of smudges. In fact, white-suited maintenance workers rush to pick up any litter; including droppings left by the horses that pull the shiny trolley cars along Main Street. Each night, all of Main Street is hosed down and scrubbed. The people and of the Magic Kingdom are equally flawless. As a marching band drums in the distance, cartoon characters like Goofy and Snow White stop mingling with the tourists and begin to usher them to the sides of Main Street for a parade. This parade differs from any other you have seen, however. Dressed in spotless uniforms, the fit, attractive band members hold their instruments at the perfect angle. The shapely twirlers always catch their batons. All strut in unison, only to reappear like clockwork in an hour. At nighttime parades, spectacular fireworks are so beautiful Walt Disney World is the place that had a deep impact on me.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The concept of death and the afterlife in Ancient Greece Research Paper

The concept of death and the afterlife in Ancient Greece - Research Paper Example No one really knows for sure with a high degree of certainty about what happens when a person dies. However, due to the sensitivity of the issue, it has been left to people of great knowledge and high mystical prowesses to decipher the issues relating to death and the afterlife. Since religion and spirituality varies, there are variations of cultural trends and activities that go on to define the views on the afterlife. The Ancient Greek Civilization is one of the earliest that evolved in the world over 4,000 years ago. It rivaled the Ancient Egyptian Civilization. The Ancient Greeks had a different set of views about spirituality and mysticism. This paper examines the Greek concept of the death and the afterlife. It would examine the very elements and the essence of their views on death and what happens to the soul as it progresses to the next world and the afterlife. The Concept of Death & The Afterlife This section of the paper would focus on general ideas and concepts relating to death and the afterlife. It would form the fundamental framework within which the rest of the paper would be examined in relation to Greek concepts of death and the after-life. Masumian states provides a very strong depiction of death in his description of a situation. â€Å"A man is dying and as he reaches the point of greatest physical distress, he hears himself pronounced dead by his doctor. He begins to hear an uncomfortable noise, a loud ringing or buzzing, and at the same time feels himself moving very rapidly through a long tunnel. After this, he suddenly finds himself outside his own physical body but still in the immediate environment and he sees his own body from a distance, as though he is a spectator. He watches the resuscitation attempt from this unusual vantage point and is in a state of emotional upheaval†1 This point of view about death seem to be the central and fundamental idea of what most people fee and think in the case of death. Most cultures and most m ovies seem to show a situation where a person goes out of his physical body during death. The soul stands aside and watches as other people continue to try to make a dead person come back to life. This is a depiction of most cultural views of how the soul leaves the body. This forms the basis of the duality that surrounds death and the afterlife. This kind of duality has its roots in the history of societies around the world, including the Greek culture and the Greek society. Many religious movements continue to connect their teachings and ideas to the idea that the soul leaves the body and moves elsewhere in a â€Å"world of souls†. Different concepts and ideas are developed in line with the transmigration of the soul and the treatment of the mortal remains of a dead person. This forms the basis of social interactions and discussions of death and its related matters. The fundamental concept is that life is physical, but when people die, life does not end there2. This is beca use most cultures believe that the soul in a body is the breath of God that is put into the body of a person, hence, the soul proceeds back to where it came from3. In some movements, it is believed that the soul goes into another world or the netherworld as some cultures state it. In other cultures, there are discussions about the soul having to be reborn in a human form that is somewhat similar to the form that the dead individual in question hand4. Muslims and

Friday, November 1, 2019

An essay developing the depth of critical analysis of one particular

An developing the depth of critical analysis of one particular theoretical approach in which the student will reflect on how the concepts can be related t - Essay Example However, the key point is the assumption that the person already has the solution to virtually any problem: the therapist’s task is to guide the client toward that solution (McMillan, 2004). Developed in the 1930s by Carl Rogers, person-centred therapy partially evolved from the psychoanalytic theories that had dominated the psychological science in the beginning of 20th century. However, the new approach also departed substantially from the classical psychoanalysis. Thus, Rogers did not accept the detached role of the therapist conducting the therapy; the emphasis on maintaining a supportive environment, coupled with the need to establish closer personal relationship between the therapist and client were other innovative features of the new approach. Even Roger’s use of the term ‘client’ pursued the goal to eliminate the traditional perception of the highly hierarchical patient-doctor relationship: in PCT, it was precisely the client, not therapist who determined the overall direction of treatment, while the therapist guided the client with the help of questions (Bruno, 1977). These basic principles of PCT are similar to those that shape the core of the original psychological theory of Carl Roger. Rogers’ humanistic theory developed as an offshoot of his method of client-centred (later called person-centred) therapy. The fundamental of personality is psychological reality, the subjective experience according to which the reality is interpreted by human beings, and any person is an integrate unity that can never be divided into separate part: Rogers’ view of human behaviour is ‘exquisitely rational’. Humanistic perspectives actively criticized psychoanalytic theory for portraying people as being directed only by their unconscious wishes and irrational forces. They also did not support the behaviourist school because the latter viewed people as biological robots â€Å"†¦who are mechanically programmed