Saturday, August 31, 2019

Why I Love Malaysia

Malaysia&Malaysia&Malaysia&it is a name that I always keep in my mind. It's the place that I start my heartbeat from birth, then I grow stronger and stronger until I am now. Without doubt, I love my own country, Malaysia. I think Malaysia is an ancient wonder of nature and full of aboriginal culture. I must confess that I love Malaysia because of its breathtaking scenery and the greenness of the rich land . It ¶s about sunny and moist along the year in this country. So, our land is rich of the tropical rainforest especially in the east coast of Malaysia.Just imagine that you take the canopy walk to get a bird ¶s eye view of the world ¶s oldest rainforest, it sures amazed you. Besides, Malaysia is well known for its natural scenic beauty. For instance, you can experience a cave exploration at Niah Cave or mountain climbing at Mount Kinabalu. Surely this is a nice change of pace, away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Also, Malaysia is a cosmopolitan country but we hav e three major races, that is Malays, Chinese and Indians. Even though we come from different races, background, language and skin colour, we live as a big family.Instead of argument, we choose to live in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. We treat other people brotherly or sisterly and always have great respect for each other. We took every problem to round-table talks. There are also small number of natives people, which included the Kadazan, Bisayah, Iban, Melanau and so on. Indeed, Malaysia is a country of varied cultures and traditions. Here, I met many people from different cultures and we share our faith and trust. For instance, the Malays believe the existence of Allah and their traditional costumes is  µBajuKurung ¶.Besides, some natives also have very unique tradition. For instance, the Kadazan people in the Penampang of Sabah. The traditional costumes for Kadazan people is  µSinuangga ¶ and  µGaung ¶. Surely you can made a breakthrough for your exploration. They also have their own local beliefs. Furthermore, I ¶m always in high spirits to be under a festive atmosphere because we have many festivity in the whole year. During the season of celebration, the whole town is in festive mood and you may witness a great occasion in our country.The Chinese New Year celebrations falls to mark the beginning of the new year. This special events is the single most important festival in the Chinese Calendar and Chinatown celebrates it like nowhere else with a series of Lion Dance and dazzling light-ups. Truly, I love the local delicacies in Malysia. I really enjoy the traditional cuisine of local people. I have been offered different types of flavor of food, such as the taste of sour, sweet, bitter and spicy. I prefer the food of hot spicy, especially the chicken curry soup from Indians cuisine.I was on cloud nine when my tastebud exploded with spicy hot. However strong a man is, he can ¶t fight against fate! I found that the power of nature is out of our imagination and the coming of disasters are all of a sudden. So I feel lucky to be a Malaysian because Malaysia is free of natural disasters like earthquake, volcano, landslide, tsunami and others. I feel safe and secure living in this country. Deep inside, Malaysia is considered as a wonderland in my heart. On top of that, I relish eating local fruits.In my youth, I climbed rambutan and guava tree to pick and eat the fruits right off the trees. My favourite local fruits is durian and Indian mango. Durian is a large tropical fruit and it is a seasonal fruit in our country. The durian are cheap and easily available. Although it gives out an unpleasant smell, I even still crazy of it. Another is Indian mango which has an aromatic smell and its flesh is bright yellow, very juicy and sweet to taste. In a nutshell, I ¶ll always stick up with my country as it is such a beautiful land. Like no other, I will love you forever, MALAYSIA!

Prejudice, Stereotypes, and Discrimination Essay

â€Å"We all decry prejudice, yet are all prejudiced. † Herbert Spencer. One of the greatest problem that our world faces is prejudice, we discrimination and stereotype those that we find not to be the same as us or even slightly different. In some form or another we all have experience some form of stereotype or discrimination. It has an effect on the way we think and act. Here we try to understand the reason for prejudice, why we stereotypes and discrimination that has continue to affect out world. What is prejudice? â€Å"Prejudice is the act of judging an individual of a certain group based on perceived notions about that particular group. Prejudice is linked to discrimination but prejudice is an attitude whereas discrimination is the action associated with that attitude. †(Prejudice 2001). Many times we dislike something or someone just because they look or act differently from us. â€Å"A group that you are a part of is called your in-group. Ingroups might include gender, race, or city or state of residence, as well as groups you might intentionally join, like Kiwanis or a bowling league. A group that you do not identify with is called your outgroup. † ( Feenstra, 2013) everyone belongs to a certain group and we all know who is in our group and those that do not fit in our groups. Most time adult do not realize when they somehow out a person from there groups, but some do it intentionally. When we out a person from our group we really do not take the time to get to know or find out who they are, but we tend to pass judgment on them anyways. â€Å"Stereotypes are beliefs about the characteristics of particular groups or members of those groups. †( Feenstra, 2013) people tend to place into categories things and people, gathering them together without learn who or what they are. For example; that everyone that speaks Spanish is Mexican, when in reality there is a total of 21 Spanish country and they do not all speak the same Spanish. When we stereotype people into groups, we form opinion about them without getting to know there person, this sometime causing prejudice and discrimination against them. â€Å"They not only reflect beliefs about the traits that characterize the typical member of a group but also contain information about other qualities, such as social roles, the degree to which members of the group share a quality, and emotional reactions. Stereotypes imply a substantial amount of other information about a person besides what is immediately apparent and generate expectations about individual group members beyond the current situation ). One important time frame in the world would be the holocaust were the Jewish people were separated from other people because they were believed to be lower than the German and the cause of their problem lead them to torture and abuse the Jewish people as well as kill thousands of Jewish men woman and children. The people that suffer the most from prejudice and any form of discrimination are woman and children especially those living in third world country were at time it is the root of wars. I have been lucky not have been affected by any form of prejudice or discrimination. But as a teen in high school there was always that one person that felt like stereotyping a few people to try to hurt them. Only thru education can we combat any form of stereotypes, discrimination and Prejudice. In conclusion stereotypes, discrimination and Prejudice has influence the way people think and act. It has been the cause of suffering to those effected, as well as the cause of war and separation. Prejudice is a form of ignorance; it is a lack of knowledge, a lack of understanding toward others. Thru education and tolerances we can learn to accept other no matter where they.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Optical Character Recognition for Kids Learning Essay

Education is the learning and development which results from this process of teaching or training. It is the academic discipline dealing with teaching and learning methods in the schools. Learning starts at home and the parents are their first teachers to their kids. When they are about 4 to 6 years of age, parents are starting to bring their children at school where they are able to learn not only the basic skills such as reading and writing but also to develop simple logic and abstract ideas like numbers, shapes, colors, time and many more. Yet, learning first how to write is by far the most important lesson of all and is the priority of all those people who are teaching childhood education. Writing is a skill that is used in all academic coursework as well as through a person’s professional and personal life. Children learn about reading and writing by thinking about the sounds that words make and what those words look like when written out. When children are eager to learn something, they want to explore it themselves. Nowadays, children’s potentials are determined by their ability to learn the basics of writing and reading at their very early age (Patterson C (2008). Child Development. New York: McGraw-Hill. ). In today’s complicated world, the continuing advancing of technology has opened many doors when it comes to education. Technology has become an influential factor when it comes to education. This gives students the opportunity to choose what they are interested in learning. Computers have started to make a huge impact in our lives and begun to show up not only in only offices and households, but also in classrooms, as they have become cheaper, more powerful, and easier to use. There have been many software applications developed for the purpose of education and for use in the classroom. Computers and mobile phones are used in developed countries both to complement established education practices and develop new ways of learning such as the concept of E-learning. It is the unifying term to describe the fields of online learning, web-based training, and technology-delivered instruction. By adding interactivity to teaching, Not only wo uld the children will be able to see what is involved, but he or she would be able to learn from hands on experience. Computers can be a very effective way of accomplishing this. The use of computers in Elementary schools is basically vision as teaching and learning aid besides develop computer literacy amongst the children. Computer Aided Instruction will help us to make the present teaching learning process joyful, interesting and easy to understand through audio-visual aids. Teachers will be resourced with Multimedia Contents to explain topic better. Overall it will help us to improve quality of education in long term. In this study, the proponents develop software that will be an aid for teaching children how to write by using stylus and be able to write on the touch screen monitor of the computer. A stylus is a pen-shaped instrument that is used to draw images, select from menus and write characters which come with different devices that contain touch screens. The following are some of the reasons the proponents have develop such software: (1)Time constraints. Considering it applied in classes, children are pressured in terms of completing a given handwriting task which affects their performance. (2)Level of activities. Occasionally, activities that are held in classes may be inappropriate when it comes to the capabilities of the students. (3)Limited school activities. Children are only provided limited amount of activities in school to learn a specific area in school particularly handwriting. (4)Assessment procedure. Usually, it takes time for the instructor to evaluate the handwriting activities that they are providing for the kids. The basic handwriting software for kids will show certain gif format containing simple steps on how to write the letters and audio sounds to identify what letter should be written. Children can trace uppercase and lowercase letters using the stylus and will be evaluated afterwards in a friendly manner. The program will also contain a different order of teaching a child to write the alphabet and works can be saved. The program has a quiz section that assesses the learning of the child without the aided instruction of gif format. To help children to construct correct handwriting, there would seem to be a case for the use of ruled writing spaces and assist them to follow the proper procedure of writing a specific character and obtain precise strokes. There would also a field references or guidelines for line and cursive character in the every letter of alphabet. Error messages, if used, need to be in a simple English language that the children can easily understand. A different level of practicing is considered to be sure that children will be able to take hold of the writing technique through gif images that shows how characters should be constructed properly. An erase function will also be available as a feature for the children to make them avoid discouragement from scribbling out and overwriting. The children should see at the screen the characters they intend to write and see the results produced after the program recognizes it and be able to see the evaluation of their performance afterwards. Children should be able to understand what was happening effectively. There will be a comment or message alert for every wrong input of the children. The group will use an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) which is a subsystem for pattern recognition. Character recognition identifies the input handwriting and translates it into a machine language or the ASCII. With OCR, the software could identify and evaluate the child’s handwriting performance. When the child inputs the character the OCR will read and identifies whether the character is valid. If the character is valid the evaluation will takes place and calculate the handwriting performance of the children. There will be a set of points within a specific character that has a corresponding score. Children will be evaluated according to the use of Back Propagation algorithm. Back Propagation algorithm will trace the input characters and get the error percentage. A deduction will be conducted to the total score of the user if he fails to follow the designated ordinates. Scores will be evaluated and will be shown as follows; Very Good, Good and Fair. The software that will be implemented will serve as a teaching tool in developing handwriting skills of kids ages 6 and below only which can be used by pre-school teachers and parents as well. It is only an alternative way of teaching basic handwriting rather than the traditional way of learning. The validity of the software can be tested by parents, homeschoolers and teachers who have acquired the skills and knowledge in teaching the traditional process especially those teachers in nurseries and kindergarten. Chapter II Review of Related Literature Children’s Early Age Children ages 4-5-6 need some attention and care and parents must be able to identify the interest of the child and what they are capable of. In this stage they will be responsible but they still need assistance. They can do simple things on their own like wearing clothes, tying their shoes, brushing their teeth and others. In this stage of development they have their own specific interests like playing blocks, dawdling and others. Play with other children who need what she needs and like what she likes, who understand her because they are the same age, becomes very important to most children. By the age of 4-5 children can now accept the social interaction with other children. (Irma Simonton Black, Children from 4-5-6) There are other activities in this early age that are very short tempered to parents like dawdling but according to Black â€Å"Dawdling may be a child’s indirect way of asking for help, of asking for the warmth and quick affection of his babyhood†. If the child needs parent’s help they must give them a full hand but remember that there are some help that can be done by the child like putting and tying their shoes. The role of a parent is to be helpful, sympathetic and patient. Parents must also praise for the things that the child accomplish rather than disapproval of the things the he/ she did not do. Children are very easy to learn but they must need guidance and care. ThE-learning capabilities of children need time and patience. (Ruth Mason 2000) Schoolchild Development The E-learning capabilities of this early stage is different they can develop a sense of logic and often sticks with a problem until he/she has solved it. They can gain a sense of satisfaction from tackling simple number problems. These new ability gives confidence in developing and expressing on their own point of view. They can also grasp more abstract ideas, like numbers, time and distance. During this time the brain undergoes its most dramatic growth, and children rapidly develop the cognitive capacity that enables them to become intellectually curious and creative thinkers. In this child development they can now focus on their interest like reading books on related subject that are taught in the school. They can now express their point of view and reasoning. (Graham, Rob and Hess, Heidi) There are also circumstances that hinder child’s development and this is thE-learning Disability this causes a person to have troublE-learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. â€Å"Learning disabilities (LD) vary from person to person. One person with LD may not have the same kind of learning problems as another person with LD† according to National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Learning Disability is not a sickness but this situation are caused by the different approach of processing the brain. Learning Disability does not include visual, hearing and motor disability and also mental retardation. There are no concrete sign of having learning disability but by observing them you can actually identify and these signs are helpful: †¢ may have troublE-learning the alphabet, rhyming words, or connecting letters to their sounds; †¢ may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often; †¢ may not understand what he or she reads; †¢ may have real trouble with spelling; †¢ may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil awkwardly; †¢ may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary; †¢ may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm; †¢ may have trouble following directions; †¢ may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that sounds similar; And to help children with this disability parents must identify the strengths of their child. The parents must praise the good things about their child with this disability .And for teachers they can help their child with such disability by: †¢ breaking tasks into smaller steps, and giving directions verbally and in writing; †¢ giving the student more time to finish schoolwork or take tests; †¢ letting the student with reading problems use textbooks-on-tape (available through Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, listed under Organizations); †¢ letting the student with listening difficulties borrow notes from a classmate or use a tape recorder; and †¢ letting the student with writing difficulties use a computer with specialized software that spell checks, grammar checks, or recognizes speech. (National Dissemination for Learning Disability) Children’s School Level This is often categorized in pre-school and kindergarten levels. Pre-school is the preparation ground for children, this shows how kids will they be when they are 7 because of different aspects. In this level of education children only go to school for an hour which includes playing and 20-30 minutes of listening. The schools strategize a three days per week at an academic program and two days per week at a play-based school, hoping to achieve the best of both worlds. Preschool are very egocentric which they believe everyone sees the world as they sees it. They still don’t know what is the cause and effect and they give a process that is not logical and complex. They also focus on one event and ignore the other. According to Martha E. Mock â€Å"Young children learn best through meaningful interaction with real materials and caring adults and their peers, not through the drilling of isolated skills†. Preschool approach is commonly a play-based program to enjoy child academically and socially. After they excel in preschool year they can now step to kindergarten where they can formally in different approach. (Laura Davy, 2007) Kindergarten is being called nowadays as a new first grade of education. But be sure that your child is ready for kindergarten and there are signs to identify that are being analyzed by parents. This checklist are created by the National Center Disabilities Inc,. The purpose of kindergarten is to show the child the good feelings about learning and school. This is the building block for stepping in first grade. The curriculum starts by building familiarity with a wide number of aspects of the written and spoken word. In kindergarten the general trend of teaching is basic literacy and writing t hat is covered for first grader. The students taught a basic curriculum in all subjects, including science, social studies, and arts; but the most important academic topics will be literacy, handwriting exercise and math, which underlie everything else to come. Handwriting and dawdling is the common tool for expressing children’s idea and taught. (Julie Williams, 2007) Handwriting Handwriting is the first education that is needed for children. This is important because research shows that when children are taught how to do it, they are also being taught how to learn and how to express themselves. Handwriting is the best way to express children’s idea and feelings to their loved ones and friends. Emily Knapton, director of program development at Handwriting without Tears, believes that â€Å"when kids struggle with handwriting, it filters into all their academics. Spelling becomes a problem; math becomes a problem because they reverse their numbers. All of these subjects would be much easier for these kids to learn if handwriting was an automatic process†. In the research led by the professor of Venderbilt University, Steve Graham he found out that teachers believe that students with fluent handwriting produced written assignments that were superior in quantity and quality and resulted in higher grades aside from being easier to read. Evidence is growing that handwriting fluency is a fundamental building block of learning. It should be exciting and an enjoyable activity through which children can experience success. If we stop teaching penmanship, it will not only hasten the dreaded day when brides acknowledge wedding gifts by e-mail; the bigger danger is, they’ll be composed even more poorly than they already are. According to Baggett, changing a child’s handwriting can improve their grades, their behaviour, and their self-esteem. (Raina Kelley, 2007) Process of Teaching Handwriting In teaching the children the best way is to write their name first. Begin with lower case letters, rather than capital letters. This mechanism will help the child when first encountering reading and writing because lower case letters are commonly seen in the books. (Shirley Erwee et.al) The time span in teaching is between 20-30 minutes to avoid boredom. If the parents teach the child to write in large interval of time they will lost their interest. Their eyes are not that fully developed so they have no focus on every book or page like adults. This technique will avoid child’s eye strain and the limit is 15-20 minutes. Encourage the child in continuing handwriting practices and praise the work of the children. Do not compare the work of the child to the other children because they have a process in developing this talent. (Sandhya S. Naidu) 1. OVERSEE HANDWRITING PRACTICE When children are practicing handwriting it is very important that you oversee their work so that they do not develop bad habits. Take over some inappropriate letters so that they will not rooted to it. 2. ONE OBJECTIVE AT A TIME Focus on correcting or improving one objective at a time – be it a particular letter, spacing, size, alignment, etc. 3. PRACTICE DAILY Handwriting practice should be scheduled every day but keep lessons short for best results. 4. CORRECT PENCIL GRIP Correct pencil grip allows a writer to write quickly and smoothly, while a tight or awkward grip can hinder writing. 5. PROPER POSTURE Be sure that your child is sitting properly at a surface that is not too high. Her arms should rest comfortably and her feet should be supported (by the floor or a box), rather than hanging loosely. This is to avoid fatigue and bad habits which may develop as a result of improper posture. Monitor your child’s posture regularly. 6. BE PATIENT Improvement in handwriting requires a combination of skills and developmental maturity. Each child will progress at her own rate. Remember that fine motor skills develop more slowly in boys, than gross motor skills. 7. KEEP HANDWRITING SEPARATE Keep handwriting practice or copy work separate from composition and other writing tasks, which require attention to other skills such as focus on content, organizing ideas, editing, spelling, punctuation etc. so that students will not be reluctant to write. Assessing Child Handwriting According to Occupational Therapy Handwriting Resources in assessing child’s handwriting there must be clinical observation skills. There are different clinical observation skills and uses according to purpose. The child’s proper grip in pen or pencil is important because improper grip can cause fatigue and joint problems. The proper grip is the normal dynamic tripod give where the thumb is placed at the side of the pencil and the index finger is placed on the top of the pencil. The pencil is stabilized on the side of the middle finger. This position allows for needed stability and mobility. Improper grip can cause: – lead to joint problem and early fatigue in written assignments – tightness or pain in the thumb web spaces (Occupational Therapy Handwriting Resources) The Evaluation Tool for Children’s Handwriting (ETCH) is an assessment that ensures the legibility in word, letter and numeral percentage, as well as letters per minute. Pencil control, near and far point copying, manuscript to cursive translation, dictation and sentence completion are included. The Bruininks Oserteksy Test of Fine Motor Proficiency assesses motor proficiency of students without disabilities, as well as those with serious motor dysfunctions and developmental difficulties. It is administered to children from ages 4 years 6 months to 14 years 6 months. Occupational Therapist typically administer only the fine motor development subtests which include: – response speed – visual-motor control – upper-limb speed and dexterity The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales is composed of six subtests that measure inter related motor abilities that develop early in life. It assesses the motor skills of children from birth through 5 years of age. Occupational Therapist typically administers the grasping and visual motor subset. (Occupational Therapy Handwriting Resources) The assessment for teachers is based on the books and criteria. Teachers tend to teach children according to books instruction. The child needs some patience and virtue to achieve a good handwriting skill. This skill can visualize the children’s future and development. Handwriting as a Symbol of Success There are also instances that penmanship and handwriting predicts success according to Bart Baggett. They also identify the handwriting of Michael J. Fox , Martin Luther King and Oprah Winfrey which shows success. Baggetts identify the seven personality traits according to stroke that are common to successful people. – High Goals and Ambition (t-bars crossed on the top of the stem) – Strong self-esteem (Large signature and high crossed t-bars) – Determination (heavy downstrokes below the baseline) – Persistence (not picking up your pen when you cross the letter t) – Strong Physical Drives (large and heavy y and g loops) – Long Lasting Enduring Emotions (pressing very hard on the paper) – Enthusiasm (extra long strokes to make the crossing of your t) Handwriting is an important task to learn by the child and need some proper interaction to their instructor or teacher and also parents. (Yenra, 2007) Interaction for Teacher The quality of interactions between teachers and children plays a key role in accounting for gains in children’s development when compared to typical quality indicators such as teachers’ education, class size, and child-to-teacher ratio. High-quality instructional interactions happened when teachers provided children with feedback on their ideas, commented in ways that extended and expanded their skills, and frequently used discussions and activities to promote complex thinking. Teachers by doing this teacher-child interaction the children can improve or develop good cognitive, socio-emotional and language skills. Interaction could help children understand the knowledge he/she wants to gain, like media that are so interactive nowadays. The size and number of the students is not the basis for thE-learning of the child but the interaction of the teacher’s to them. A child learns a large amount of knowledge with the help of the emotional interaction. (Physorg, 2008) Children’s Interact Emotionally In early stage children does not only learn social skills and language but they also learn the act of sensitivity and emotion. Having a social interaction helps child to develop their logic and sense of reasoning. With this emotional interaction they can decrease their fear in reasoning out or expressing their emotion. Interaction benefits every child very much, because they not only get one on one time to talk to their teacher but they also produce positive relationships between teachers and students. Teachers by doing this teacher-child interaction the children can improve or develop good cognitive, socio-emotional and language skills. There are also materials that are very interactive to children and they could gain knowledge with this interaction. Technologies nowadays are very interactive to child which helps them to learn more. (Killi, 2008) Technology According to studies and researches more and more kids are applying technology to their lifestyle like playing video games, using computer and watching TV. According to parents using media and technology children helps to learn while entertained. Today’s children might use their brain differently than the kids in previous generation this is according to UCLA professor, Patricia Greenfield. Patricia Greenfield found out that TV, Media and video games does not limit the mind of the children but they also help them in other ways. In a concrete result they found out that surgeon who has a skilled in video games can be better in keyhole surgery. The use of technology can have a great effect of schools. With an increased emphasis on more teacher discretion over teaching and learning in the classroom has a potential to increase. Technology can also be integrated into the class through the use of software. Technology allows the student to comprehend the subject matter at hand easier. The children nowadays are better than their ancestor when it comes to multitasking as a result in complex visual information that they deal with. The school, learning institute and parents must understand this study and apply to their learning techniques according to the UCLA professor. (Patricia Greenfield 2005) Technological Adaptability in Education Many different types of technology can be used to support and enhance learning. Everything from video content and digital moviemaking to laptop computing and handheld technologies (Marshall, 2002) have been used in classrooms, and new uses of technology such as podcasting are constantly emerging. Various technologies deliver different kinds of content and serve different purposes in the classroom. For example, word processing and e-mail promote communication skills; database and spreadsheet programs promote organizational skills; and modeling software promotes the understanding of science and math concepts. It is important to consider how these electronic technologies differ and what characteristics make them important as vehicles for education (Becker, 1994). Each technology is likely to play a different role in students’ learning. Rather than trying to describe the impact of all technologies as if they were the same, researchers need to think about what kind of technologies are being used in the classroom and for what purposes. Two general distinctions can be made. Students can learn â€Å"from† computers—where technology used essentially as tutors and serves to increase students basic skills and knowledge; and can learn â€Å"with† computers—where technology is used a tool that can be applied to a variety of goals in the learning process and can serve as a resource to help develop higher order thinking, creativity and research skills (Reeves, 1998; Ringstaff & Kelley, 2002). The primary form of student learning â€Å"from† computers is what Murphy, Penuel, Means, Korbak and Whaley (2001) describe as discrete educational software (DES) programs, such as integrated learning systems (ILS), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and computer-based instruction (CBI). These software applications are also among the most widely available applications of educational technology in schools today, along with word-processing software, and have existed in classrooms for more than 20 year s (Becker, Ravitz, & Wong, 1999). While DES remains the most commonly used approach to computer use in student learning, in more recent years, use of computers in schools has grown more diversified as educators recognize the potential of learning â€Å"with† technology as a means for enhancing students’ reasoning and problem-solving abilities. In part, this shift has been driven by the plethora of new information and communication devices now increasingly available to students in school and at home, each of which offers new affordances to teachers and students alike for improving student achievement and for meeting the demand for 21st century skills describe earlier. No longer limited to school labs, school hours and specific devices, technology access is increasingly centered on the learner experience. Bruce and Levin (1997), for example, look at ways in which the tools, techniques, and applications of technology can support integrated, inquiry-based learning to â€Å"engage children in exploring, thinking, reading, writing, researching, inventing, problem-solving, and experiencing the world.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Destination Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Destination Evaluation - Essay Example Through considerable exports the region has helped in gaining access to a huge pool of foreign investments which are expended over development of sectors like tourism. The region through the opening up of large number of hotels and tourism related infrastructure has helped in attracting many tourists from other nations which helped in enhancing the country’s revenues (Library of Congress-Federal Research Division, 2007, p.3, 8, 13). In this connection the paper further divulges to reflect on a particular state of the Saudi Arabian region, Bahrain and evaluate the destination in terms of the different tourism opportunities available. This state located in the Saudi Arabian peninsula is also a prime member of the cooperation council of the Gulf region joined by countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and other Saudi Arabian regions including the United Arab Emirates. ... Tourism Activities in Bahrain The region of Bahrain is gradually developing as one of the tourist hotspots in the Saudi Arabian region. Tourism is being increasingly developed in the region of Bahrain through rendering enhanced focus on drawing in large crowds to the state. It is observed that considerable amount of tourism activities would help in rendering large economic prosperity to the region. To develop Bahrain as a hunting ground for tourists the government of the region is keenly focusing on the development of hotels of three and five star qualities in large numbers. Further the region is also inviting grants from world bodies like the United Nations to help in the development of the heritage sites in the Bahrain region. The national airlines carrier of the region, Gulf Airlines is also found to render increased support for helping in the promotion of tourism in the region by helping attract large number of tourists at concessional rates. Further the government of Bahrain is increasingly focusing on the development of activities like trade expos and exhibitions which would help fetch large number of foreign delegates from developed regions of the world. Corporate tourism is being widely encouraged by helping in the enhancement of amenities pertaining to organization of meetings and conferences. The region is also found to host international sporting events like the Grand Prix which signifies the flow of large number of tourists in the country. The government of Bahrain to help encourage this wide flow of international tourists is continually working for the development of hotels and several tourism facilities inside the country with the active cooperation of the Gulf Cooperation

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Confession of faith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Confession of faith - Essay Example He wanted to leave his estate behind so to be used to build a â€Å"secret society†. He wanted the best for his race, the Anglo-Saxon race. He wanted them to spread and multiply in other countries. He wished for the British to conquer the world so that the Anglo-Saxon race could occupy that space. He also wanted his estates used to educate the future leaders of the Great Britain. During this period, the British Empire had just lost America. America was no longer under the British rule. Moreover, the Russian-Turkish war had just ended. Africa had not come under colonization. According to Rhodes, Africa was lying there just waiting for the British to colonize them. This source connects me to the time the British Empire lost America. I already knew about the British colonizing other countries. According to Rhodes, the British could have been able to stop the Russian-Turkish war if only America was still under their rule. To make sense of this information, I would need to know why Rhodes was obsessed with expanding the Anglo-Saxon race and why he sounded so bitter with so many regrets to an extend of leaving his estates for the establishment of a â€Å"secret society†. The source states that he wanted to make his country better, but still, this does not make sense. Communication: How does this source make its argument? (Give an example, perform a close reading) Point of view: What does this source say when ‘reading between the lines’? In what ways is the source reliable? Where is there room for doubt or speculation? This source makes its argument by blaming something or someone for everything that Britain was not able to achieve. For example, the source says that the reason why the British were unable to stop the Russian-Turkish war was that they had lost America. The source shows the desire for Britain to become the super power at that time and to conquer and rule all nations. The source is credible since Cecil Rhodes is a man known

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Analysis of Black Criminal Stereotypes And Racial Profiling Article Research Paper

Analysis of Black Criminal Stereotypes And Racial Profiling Article Authored by Welch - Research Paper Example Welch seeks to address the diverse factors contributing to the criminal stereotyping of Blacks since this perception has, unfortunately, availed a rationale for the sorts for racial profiling employed by law enforcement agencies, as well as other criminal justice institutions (Welch, 2007). Welch uses prior research to explore the theoretical elements employed in the development of Black criminal characterization. The author highlights studies on theoretical elements employed in the development of Black criminal characterization. The prior research assumes a weak correspondence between the broadly embraced stereotypes and criminality (Quillian & Pager, 2001). Questions remain on the guarantee of the accuracy of data collection procedures, and as the information backing the observation may be erroneous. The article on racial profiling can be criticized based on its methods and conclusions. The author does not take into account the conceptual framework employed in the development of Black criminal characterization (Unnever & Gabbidon, 2011). This derives from the fact that different theories may explain racial disparities and problems arise when interpreting findings on racial profiling since the mere presence of disparity within the aggregate statistics does not, itself demonstrate racial bias in the same way that racial disparities within prison populations demonstrate racial bias by sentencing judges (Russell, 2013).   Welch cites empirical studies on Black and crime to demonstrate that Blacks remain mostly depicted in a negative light such as criminally threatening (Welch, 2007). This implies that can be understood as a crime-specific mode of racial prejudice and discrimination.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Leader ship 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leader ship 4 - Essay Example Given the responsibility charged to our leaders, morality and ethics are two aspects that they should really observe. They act as an example, and it is from the leaders that the society will derive their actions and intentions. However, most leaders especially from the financial fields are usually obsessed with financial gains than any other achievement. It is always about profit making even if it means subjecting the workers to bad and unhealthy working conditions such as what happened in the Manchester during the Industrial revolution. However, leaders like these have always responded to this point by quoting purpose; that the purpose of business is to make a profit. What really drive leaders to put social responsibility and ethics second to profit is usually greed and selfness. They seek self-fulfillment that is always hard since wants are insatiable. Successful leaders like Shackleton ensured that profit is used for social security and promotion of ethics in the society (Mackay & Mackay n.p). Proper leaders would otherwise seek to do something more to the society, and if money comes, so be it. The team members should take the responsibility of making ethical moves when a leader behaves unethically. This does not entail whistle blowing, but they should approach the matter more subtly as they seek to make the leader understand. Otherwise, moral responsibility of the team members should not be compromised, as well as their right to make things right (Mackay & Mackay n.p). Adequate measures should be taken, in accordance to the law, if the leader fails to obey the subtle call made, by the team members, to review his or her habits. This could be seeking the intervention of a more senior authority or the law which is usually the utmost leader in our societies. As a leader, serving a team is usually a challenge. A team involves a group of people who have come together in order to

Sunday, August 25, 2019

International Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Marketing - Assignment Example However, one glaring difference has to do with the issue of search for competitive advantage. Cameron et al, (2009, p. 6) actually notes that such competitive advantages have become necessary because of â€Å"the current economic instability, volatile prices, fluctuating exchange rates and the keen competition for customers.† It would be noted that existing multinational who have been in the system for long depend largely on their brand names as their competitive advantage. By brand names, reference is being to the fact that the companies have a thought that they will automatically appeal to customers because of their long existence. This often brings about complacency on the need to look for new and challenging competitive advantages. However, new global challengers take inspiration from the fact that they are not well known to look for new and attractive competitive advantages that includes the need for modernity and low cost of products and services. Because the world is ge nerally battling a global economic meltdown, such new competitive advantages tend to attract more focus than those used by existing companies. a) Some of the new global challengers seek organic growth while others internationalize through acquisitions. What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with each strategy? (6%) The major advantage associated organic growth is that it is less costly and makes room for sustainable growth. It is therefore not surprising that Cameron et al, (2009, p. 11) captured in their report that of the many new challenger companies they sampled, â€Å"only 1.4 average deals per company† was recorded within that whole time frame. What this means is that as new companies, organic growth gives companies a lot of opportunity to study a specific market and become well acquainted with that market and so put in place strategies and plans that suit those markets only. The disadvantage however is that international exposure becomes limited and so th e likelihood of building an international brand becomes hindered. With acquisition, the fact that it is expensive to start is the major disadvantage. It however creates the opportunity for businesses to record outright growth and expansion without the need to start from the scratch. What is more, once an acquisition is made, there is the tendency that existing customers of the acquired company will become the automatic customers of the acquiring company. a) Consider all strategies the new challengers appear to use. Are there other strategies available to them? Will these strategies ensure sustained growth? (6%) On the surface of it, one may think that is should be more costly doing business in rapid developing economies than in low-growth economies. However, the reverse is rather true. Based on this, challenger firms have a strategy whereby they focus their attention on rapidly developing economies as their start-up points. By this, they are privileged to a number of business climat e advantages such as tax exemptions and access to credit; which are unfortunately

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Discuss the four core strategies that underpin the modern concept of Essay

Discuss the four core strategies that underpin the modern concept of Risk Management and Control. Relate these core strategies to practical security - Essay Example xecuted in a variety of ways, which comprises of strategies including the transfer of the risk toward another party, avoiding any such risks beforehand, reduction of the after-effects and consequences of the risk once it hits the organization or in another case, accepting the consequences posed by a risk. Also, the nature of risk management depends on the kind of risk posed on an organization, i.e. in case of a physical risk; the risk management would involve analysis of potent risks on property of the organization, while financial threats may be resolved by considering insurance options etc. Also, the threats may be initiated from many different sources, for instance, there may be environmental, technological, and political or in some cases even organizational threats involved, which the manager may have to deal with. Prior to the execution of the risk management, assessment of the risk is quite crucial. This involves the analysis over the extent of the severity of any kind of potential loss which may occur or the chanced of the occurrence of the loss. The manager must measure the value via various indicators he/she might come up with during the analysis. However, if the statistical data is available for the cause, this would be an ideal situation, as the risk assessment in this case would be the most accurate one. Risk assessment, here, implies that the manager undertakes the holistic view of the organization, considering the resources, internal and external environment, along with the market conditions and any other factors which must be taken into account to make a prediction on what kind of threats may affect the organization. Based on this analysis, the manager clearly identifying the nature and the extent, also the probability if the threats which the organization may have to face in the fu ture. Once the analysis is conducted, the manager can then consider the options and then take considerable time to choose the most desirable options to avoid any kind of

Friday, August 23, 2019

Biography of a scientist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biography of a scientist - Essay Example His education was further continued in Italy and later in Zurich he received training in physics and mathematics from Swiss Federal Polytechnic School. In the year 1901, he completed his diploma and joined Swiss Patent Office as technical assistant, after attaining Swiss citizenship. Thereafter in another four years, he completed his doctorate. While he performed his work as a professor in universities or as technical assistance with any organization, he continued with his scientific works as well. During his professional life, he conducted much of his scientific works and also played the role of professor in Physics for a certain period of time. He had also undertaken citizenship in Germany and stayed there from the year 1914 till 1933. In the year 1940 he shifted to America. He sooner became a significant public figure in the Movement of the World Government performing as a leader and he also received the offer for the post of Israel President ship but he did not accept the offer. He is known to contribute in religion works as well (Biography). Thus his reputation and recognition for his contributions were well known in the different countries that he stayed in. Einstein was focused in the problem-solving of Physics and worked on his theory of relativity for which he is most popularly known. He focused on the characteristics of light and also invented the photon theory of light. He also published his writing on relativity. He worked on quantum theory as well while he was in America. After his retirement, he continued with his work on the concepts of physics. His research works were published that included both scientific and non-scientific works of him and he also received doctorate degrees with honor from the Universities in Europe and America in the subjects of science, medicine and philosophy. Also, in addition to these, he received several awards and recognition for his works. The Nobel Prize was awarded to him in the year 1921

Reflection paper (Case study methods) Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection (Case study methods) - Research Paper Example The case studies enable one to acquire knowledge and also aid in conducting experiments that can produce a hypothesis that can be used at a later date (Woodside, 2010). With this in mind, one can make it a habit to document the cases they get in their place of practice especially so if the disease was rare and also note how they deal with it so that it can be helpful to others in future. How has your learning in this course helped you to understand the complexity of the challenges you will face as an evolving leader? As a leader, one is expected to deal with the issues that arise in the workplace, be it issues between the workmates or members of the public that want the services the organization provides, a good leader understands that it his/her job to ensure that the organization runs smoothly. This cannot be without challenges as people possess different mindsets and are prone to butting heads regularly, through this course, a leader to be learns that dealing with people is subjec t to difficult moments but without the right guidance from their leader the workplace might crumble. In the field of public health, it is even more sensitive of an issue because of the importance of human life and the need for people to feel at ease with the place they have chosen to seek medical help (Acton, 2012). What specific strategies will you use to help you effectively address complex issues in the workplace? To effectively address complex issues in the workplace, as a leader one has to ensure that he/she and the other parties concerned have enough information about the problem at hand, if not, then measures to get this information should be put in place, either through research or training, because acquiring the knowledge and skills needed simplifies the situation. If the problem at hand especially in the medical field does not seem to have a straightforward way to deal with it, then the best move would be to look at previous cases that are related to what is currently bein g solved. Once such a case has been identified, the leader and the team can use the steps followed and incorporate their own along the way depending on the signs and symptoms of the disease or problem. To help deal with complex issues, another strategy would be to advise the workmates to read broadly and collect as much data as possible which can in turn be input in a data bank for easier referral in future (Edwards, 2010). How has working collaboratively to analyze complex issues and propose recommendations prepared you for the real-world experience? Working collaboratively instills the spirit of a team player in an individual since that will be expected in the future place of work, it opens one up to the thought processes and ideas of other people and helps one to think out of the box. This is because as one gets to interact with others, they become aware of the different skills and knowledge present in a world other than their own. It also gives one a sense of responsibility beca use being a part of a collaborative team means that everyone has their role to play and failure to do this is letting down the whole team and the results expected. Through giving recommendations, one learns to help solve a problem by giving ideas as to what they think should be done, this also gives one confidence in his abilities and show the other

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Right Passenger Essay Example for Free

The Right Passenger Essay The taxi driver Nadeem Riaz, is driving through Manhattan looking for new passengers. Then on a corner he picks up a couple, Riaz thinks that the boy could be from South Asia because of his brown skin. The girl I Caucasian. Riaz thinks that the couple may have had too much to drink, and that is the reason for the boy to be showing token respect for Riaz. Then Riaz starts hearing lips smacking and the uncomfortable sound of cloth squirming, and because of that he decides to lengthen the trip. Riaz asks the boy if he is married, but the boy just waves him off, which makes Riaz want to kick them out of the taxi. The girl gets of first, so it is just the boy and Riaz left in the taxi. They start talking about how they both use the country, and the boy says that even if he trifles with this one girl, Riaz is messing with the whole country. When they arrive to the boy’s street he is sleeping, and when he gets out of the car he do not pay Riaz the $42. 80 he owe for the ride. Nadeem Riaz is a taxi driver who has been driving taxi in eight years, he is an immigrant in America and has a green card so he can work. Riaz seems to be a nice man, who believes in tradition and that the boy he is driving should be in a marriage, set up by his parents. Riaz believes in God, and listens to the Holy Quran so he is Muslim. He begins making assumptions about the boy; he should be married, he is probably from a rich family and his parents are probably fat and sated. But he admits to himself that he does not really know and he cannot be sure. By admitting that he does not know anything about the boy and his family shows that he is not a man with prejudices. One of the times when the boy talks to Riaz with a brash tone, Riaz is thinking that if he were a better man, he would kick them out of his taxi. But he decides to finish his job. This shows that he is a man who takes his job serious. When Riaz and the boy are having a discussion about living in USA, the boy says that Riaz is using the country, which makes Riaz defending why he is doing what he do to provide for his family. This shows that Riaz is proud to be able to provide for his family, being a taxi driver may not be his dream job, but he gets by. In the end where he let the boy go without paying Riaz shows that he is good of heart. The discussion Riaz and the boy have, makes Riaz think about some things he usually does not think about. This young boy comes in with his big mouth and modern opinions and tells Riaz that â€Å"even if I’m trifling with her, she’s only one American – you’re messing with the whole country! † To make an accusation like that is unrespect full. He comes in, say a bunch of stuff about a man he does not know, and thinks he can say these things without any consequences for the poor man who dreamed about this beautiful country and believed that he could make a new start. I do not think it was Riaz’s intention to be a taxi driver when he first came to America, but that is the way it turned out. And then this boy comes in and tells him he is messing with the whole country, and when the boy said what he wanted he tells Riaz not to think too hard about what he said. But even after saying these things to Riaz he just gets out of the taxi without paying what he owe. To come from an eastern land, would be the same as coming from the poles to the tropics. The culture is very different from one another, if you take Nadeem Riaz as an example you can see that he believes in arranged marriages, and respect for the elders. Back in his own country he was a respected man who owned a spare- part shop, and now he is a simple â€Å"cabby†, one of thousands of taxi drivers. Nadeem Riaz comes from the land Pakistan where 97% of the population are Muslims, that is a lot of people sharing the same belief and have the same values. For those people to come to a land where 11% does not have a religion, and the ones that believe in god are a mix of protestants, Jews, catholic and so on, it must be very confusing. Also the laws in America are very different from the laws in Pakistan. So for example coming from an eastern land to America can be a huge challenge, like it would be a huge challenge for Americans to live in Pakistan.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

St Brigid of Kildare

St Brigid of Kildare Around 450 C.E. in Ireland, a girl born to a father, Dubtach, pagan Scottish king of Leinster, and a mother, Brocca, a Christian Pictish slave who had been baptised by Saint Patrick. This girl, St Brigid, became a symbol of kindness, generosity and sanctity in her distant future (Preble, 2013).   Ã‚   Saint Brigid of Kildare, or of Ireland is one of Irelands patron saints, along with Patrick and Columba (Jestice, 2004). Her parents were baptized from St. Patrick, who brought faith to the country. Brigid was influenced by that environment, and began to take an interest in the asceticlife of the nun. As Brigid grew up, she grew in her love for Jesus and she wanted to devote her life to Jesus (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). Jesus Christs life was full of love and kindness. Throughout his long holy life, Jesus showed his love for others by blessing and serving the poor, the sick, and the distressed (The Church of Jesus Christ, 2008). He told His disciples that, This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you (John 15:12). St Brigid conformed herself to the way of Jesus, by imitate the love and compassion of Jesus, especially for the poor (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). It is said that the Lord would grant Brigid anything she would ask, and that what she desired was always the same to satisfy the poor, to banish every hardship, and to save every sorrowful man (Doss, n.d.). She looked for Jesus in the poor and often brought food and clothing to them. She became a nun with the help of St. Mel, St. Patricks nephew, and formed a religious community with seven other young women. Brigid started the first Irish convent at Kildare and became its abbess. She also founded a school of art, which won fame for its beautifully illuminated manuscripts. The monastery at Kildare became a centre of education and spirituality (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). God performed many miracles through Brigid during her lifetime, believers say, and most of them have to do with healing. One of the very famous miracle story of St Brigid is that when she gave away a whole pail of milk, she began to worry about what her mother would say hence prayed to the Lord to make up for what she had given away, and when she got home, her pail was full again. Eventually, Brigid became known as the Mary of the Irish regard to her love and compassion that remind people of the Blessed Mother (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). The life full of helping and healing, Brigid lived the life she wanted, conforming Lords message, ended in 525 C.E. and was buried at Downpatrick near St. Columba and St. Patrick (Daughter of St. Paul, 2011). Even long after her death, the meaning of sacred life of Saint Brigid, that passes through centuries, now offers society a new insight into the virtue of hospitality, the cheerful, generous giving of food and shelter (Doss, n.d.). Brigidine Sisters is the most well know congregation of people who have been inspired by the values of Brigid. The history of this congregation began in the year 468, as St Brigid formed the first ever female monastic community together with seven other dedicated women. They helped the poor of the time and were attributed with many miracles (Green, n.d.). However, the Penal Laws of the 18th century had wrought what seemed irreparable chaos on the once far-famed Land of Saints and Scholars, leaving Irelands oppressed and largely pauperised people bereft of their proud Gaelic cultures, including the Sisters of St Brigid (Brigidine Sisters, 2015). After a long time of the havoc, miraculously and very fortunately, the Sisters of St. Brigid were restored by Bishop Daniel Delany, who founded the Congregation in response to the urgent need for education for life and faith at the time when Ireland was emerging from the oppressive Penal Laws (Solas Bhride Centre, n.a.). Brigidine sisters commit themselves to gather to celebrate and explore the Brigid tradition for our time and for the future; to seek inspiration through regular reflection; and to take action that seeks justice and the common good (Brigidine Sisters, 2015). WIth these commiments, throughout the past few decades, there has been a strong justice and peace thrust in this congregation. Brigidine Sisters practise and fulfil the message of St Brigid, love and satisfy the poors, in many ways globally, including the supports and sponsor for the asylum seekers and the victims of women and child trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation engages. We dedicated a portion of this earth as a final resting place for her and her corporeal is no longer alive. However, we believe that her disembodied spirit transcends time and still alive next to us even long after her death, to deliver the message that she tried to convey throughout her whole life with her countless precedes. We will continue to communicate with Brigids message of loving and carrying poor, that transcend time by her and her descendants. Word count 845 Words Jestice Phyllis G. 2004, Book: Holy People of the World: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 3 pp 140-, ABC-CLIO. Retrieved 1 February 2013, Viewed on 22nd Feb 2017, https://books.google.com/books?id=H5cQH17-HnMCpg=PA140> Prebel Peter M. 2013, St Bridget of Kildare, Viewed on 22nd Feb 2017, http://www.frpeterpreble.com/tag/saints-of-the-british-isles> Doss, Mary D. n.d. A Gift of Hospitality Saint Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, Viewed on 27th Feb 2017, http://www.roca.org/OA/107/107e.htm#4> The Church of Jesus Christ, 2008, Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual Lesson 5: Lesson 5: Jesus Christ Showed Us How to Love Others pp 24 27, Viewed on 25th Feb 2017, https://www.lds.org/manual/behold-your-little-ones-nursery-manual/lesson-5-jesus-christ-showed-us-how-to-love-others?lang=eng> Daughter of St. Paul, 2011, Saint-A-Day: February, Viewed on 28th Feb 2017, http://www.jclubcatholic.org/stories/SaintADay.aspx?sjc_month=2> Green M. n.d. St Brigid The Other Saint, Viewed on 1st March 2017, http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/saintbrigid.htm> Brigidine Sisters, 2015, Our Beginning, Viewed on 1st March 2017, http://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-beginnings/> Solas Bhride Centre, n.d. General History of the BrigidinesFrom the Acorn to the Oak, Viewed on 2nd March 2017, http://solasbhride.ie/our-history/ > Brigidine Sisters, 2015, Our Colleagues Associates, Viewed on 1st March 2017, http://brigidine.org.au/about-us/our-beginnings/>

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Experiences of Refugee Settlement in Norway

Experiences of Refugee Settlement in Norway Abstract This paper is a qualitative research project that explored the perspectives of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees on their resettlement in Trondheim Norway and considered aspects of their integration into Norwegian society. Integration is a multidimensional construct dealing with complex interrelated processes pertaining to societal participation that is, the ways in which migrants become part of the social, cultural, economic, and political spheres of the country of resettlement. This study did not discuss all perspectives of resettlement and integration. in contrast, this paper focuses mainly on the social and cultural aspects of this phenomenon. Introduction Migration is a process that commences with the simple thought of moving, but it continues long after the individual arrives in her or his new home. The process is constrained by certain factors such as capital, immigration policy, and the existence of kinship networks. Individuals, who are able to overcome these constraints and decide to migrate, must overcome a new set of challenges upon arrival in the host county. These challenges include the need to adapt to a new labour market, use of a new language, and integration with the rest of society. Integration is a multidimensional construct dealing with complex interrelated processes pertaining to societal participation that is, the ways in which migrants become part of the social, cultural, economic, and political spheres of the country of resettlement (Bloch, 1997). This paper, however, focuses primarily on the social and cultural aspects of this phenomenon. Objective of the study Exploring the settlement experiences of Sri Lankan Tamil refuges in Trondheim Norway and considered aspects of their integration into Norwegian society. Research questions What factors influence and constrain the decision to immigrate to Norway? What features influence the community’s resettlement in Trondheim? What are the restrictions that Sri Lankan refugees face in process of integration into Norwegian Society? Theoretical frame work Integration is frequently described in terms of continuity versus change, continuity being synonymous with socio-cultural maintenance and change with integration (Carey-Wood at el 1995). For this study I adopted a framework proposed by Berry and Sam (1997) that views continuity and change as complimentary, rather than competing, processes. This framework considers maintenance of socio-cultural identity and the associated establishment of ties with the dominant society as joint criteria for successful integration. A variety of factors influence the integration process. One is the distance between the home and the host culture; the greater the cultural gap between the refugee and the country of relocation, the more difficult the integration process (Duke, 1996). Another determinant is generational status; â€Å"The settlement of refugees in Britain †¦ indicate that the first generation of adult migrants largely preserve the features of culture and lifestyle of their country of origin† (Carey-Wood at el 1995); it is the second generation that more readily accepts the norms and cultural practices of the country of resettlement. The extent of migrants’ participation in mainstream culture also depends on structural factors within the society, including social and economic conditions and public policies that support their efforts in this direction (Duke, 1996). Refugees leave their homelands under great pressure, usually as a result of war, severe political or economic upheaval, or religious or ethnic persecution. They arrive in the host country after having endured the embarrassment and horrors of flight and, for some, prolonged stays in refugee camps. Refugees are not able to plan their migration in advance; consequently, they arrive in a host country unprepared for what they may encounter there. In addition, they must cope with the strain associated with sudden separation from, or loss of, family along with the challenges of integration into the country of resettlement. The dimensions of race, gender and the forms of patriarchy in their home and host countries compound their situation. The Tamil migration is largely made up of refugees and homelandless people. According to UNHCR, between 1980 – 1999, 256, 307 people of Sri Lankan origin applied for asylum in Europe, one of the top ten groups of asylum seekers during this period (Cheran, 2003). Large numbers of Tamils have been granted some form of residence status in their host country. Tamil migration consists of an estimated 700,000 people settled in Canada, Europe, India and Australia (Cheran, 2003) in which, some of them have migrated to Norway. Most live in Oslo, which is the capital city of Norway, and other small cities like Trondheim. It is likely therefore that one in every four Sri Lankan Tamils now lives in the migration. There is a long tradition of Tamil migration from the Jaffna peninsula. Elite and dominant groups among the Tamils of Sri Lanka have had a long history of temporary emigration for education and employment, usually to Britain and Malaysia. Sustaining a society under stress, strain and displacement has been the most important function of the Tamil Diaspora (Cheran, 2003). Almost, Sri Lankan Tamils are racial and ethnic largest second minorities in Norway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo#Economy). To a certain extend, Tamil, those who are living in Norway have been affected by the changes in social structure. These changes included distance in social kinship, different language, and social behavior and so on. These and other restrictions in day to day constitute a significant hardship for Sri Lankan Tamil families. Role of Sri Lankan Tamil men and women in Sri Lankan Tamil’s culture Sri Lankan Tamil is a patriarchal society with its roots in Hinduism. The basis of Sri Lankan Tamil social structure is the kin-family system, which is traced through patrilineal (through fathers’) descent. Social identity in Sri Lanka is tied to kin, race, religion and caste. But religious category is not part of the social meaning and everyday interactions in Sri Lankan Tamil culture. Hinduism teachings permeate the consciousness of Sri Lankan Tamils, providing guidance in a certain aspects of daily living, including roles and expectations for men and women. Usually, men are the head of the family and who generate income for maintain the cost of living and other expenses of family. Women are generally regarded as subordinate to men and their primary role is to care for husbands, children and members of their extended families. Sri Lankan Tamils and identity documents When Sri Lankan Tamils fled the country, many did not take their identity documents with them because of uptight departures, and intensive fighting. Few people were able to take their documents, only to have the authenticity of these papers questioned by immigration officials. And because of conditions back in Sri Lanka, there was no longer a centralized government office from which they could request new documents or have existing ones verified. This situation caused problems for the many Sri Lankans who sought refuge in Norway, where identity documents are normally required for refugees seeking to become landed immigrants (i.e., permanent residents). Because so many Sri Lanka refugees could not produce documents deemed satisfactory by Citizenship and Immigration Norway. Undocumented refugees from Sri Lanka have been required to wait for more than a year after refugee determination before proceeding with applications for permanent residency (UDI Norway). This means it takes long time before they become permanent residents Methodology In this paper, describe a qualitative research project that explored the settlement experiences of Sri Lankan Tamil refuges in Trondheim Norway and considered aspects of their integration into Norwegian society. In depth and Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data that demonstrate these different issues in detail. In-depth interviews are the suitable method to use because they offer participants the chance to explain their experiences and the meanings they attach to those experiences (Limb and Dwyer 2001, Patton, 1990). A semi-structured interview format (Hay, 2000) or what Patton (1990) refers to as the ‘general interview guide approach’ was used. In this style of interview a list of key questions or issues, but not an inflexible, standardized set of questions, is established in advance. This interview format enables the investigator to ensure that certain topics are addressed by all research participants, which is essential for comparison, while still maintaining the flow of spontaneous conversation, the flexibility to pursue unanticipated topics broached by the participant, the option of probing respondents for additional information, and the ability to modify questions to suit a particular individual (Patton, 1990). The interview guides is used for each individual. Snow-ball sampling was used to recognize research participants that presented ‘information-rich cases,’ (Patton, 1990). Contrary to random sampling, where the researcher requests a representative sample that can be generalized to a distinct population, snow-ball sampling allows the investigator to identify those individuals that will give the richest information for the study, information that cannot be obtained as well from other potential participants (Patton, 1990). When I began research on Sri Lankan Tamil in Trondheim, Norway, I had little knowledge about the community or the sort of information that was available. I soon found that there was scarce literature addressing immigration of this community. In order to obtain detailed information about the experiences of Sri Lankan Tamil living in Trondheim, I had to look for primary source information. I conducted two in-depth interviews which lasted half an hour (more or less), and four shorter interviews (ranging between 10-15 minutes), all of which were based on the same format. The reason I chose a combination of these three (primary literatures, in-depth and semi structured interviews) was so that I could have information on several levels. The basic format provided a sample of general information and experiences, through which I could identify patterns within the community. The short interviews allowed me to explore immigrant situations and their own perceptions in some detail. The in-depth interviews paint a more comprehensive picture of the immigrant experience, including the reasons for leaving Sri Lanka, as well as their changing experiences and attitudes throughout their resettlement in Norway. Surveys would not have been able to capture all that I wanted to find. Unfortunately, time constraints limited the number of in-depth interviews that could be conducted. The circumstances behind their migration differ from person to person, and it requires separate analysis. I did not interview individuals who participate in the temporary worker program (for instance, student with temporary visa). The individuals who were interviewed are Sri Lankan Tamil who lived in Trondheim for more than two years. The sample included individuals aged nineteen to individuals in their sixties. Individuals who were interviewed are residents and citizens of Norway. My selection of interviewees takes transnationalism into consideration rather than the traditional definition of immigration. Thus respondents included individuals who planned to stay in Trondheim for several years to live, work, study, and become a part of Trondheim’s social structure. Respondents are from different backgrounds, states of origin in Sri Lanka, age; and entered Norway by using different policies such as asylum seekers, student visa, and family reunion and so on. They also now live in different locations throughout the Trondheim. Both men and women were interviewed. The respondents were found in part through a snow-ball sample and partly through the use of my own Sri Lankan Tamil friend’s network in Trondheim. The interviewees were assured anonymity. All interviews were conducted in Tamil. The interviews were conducted in Hindu Kovil (Temple) which is situated closed to Tiller Trondheim, coffee shop and some other places. The interviews were effective in supplying information regarding perceptions of what was necessary and difficult about resettlement in Trondheim. The lack of structure in the community, the reasons behind this situation, as well as why they chose the Trondheim. Findings Consequences of Undocumented Sri Lanka Refugee Status In Norway, the rights and privileges of all refugees are restricted in a number of ways. The problem for undocumented Sri Lanka refugees is that the restrictions remain in place for at least more than a year. This prolonged period of limitations on rights and privileges poses serious problems. People in this study discussed four topics related to their refugee status: restrictions on family reunification and mobility access to postsecondary education, access to employment, Concerns about children’s education Cultural Norms and Differences in Childrearing Practices and their perspectives on the regulations. Restrictions on Family Reunification and Mobility In Sri Lanka, people were adapted to living amongst their extended families. When they fled the country, however, their families were torn apart. The most of the people in this study had children, wives, and mothers and fathers living Sri Lanka and overseas. Refugees in Norway are prohibited from sponsoring family members until they have become landed immigrants. This regulation was very distressing to the refugees, because they knew they would have to wait at least five years before they could reunite with family members. Refugees are also not eligible for Norwegian travel documents. If they leave Norway for any reason, they are not allowed to return. This means they may not visit family members living in other countries. In times of family emergency, Norwegian Immigration sometimes makes exceptions for refugees with acceptable identity documents, but this option is not open to undocumented Sri Lanka refugees. They are not even allowed to travel overseas to visit a relative who is seriously ill or attend a funeral for a relative who has passed away. The following story was a typical one: â€Å"The greatest problem I am facing is that three of my own children are in Sri Lanka. †¦ I am two years in Norway †¦and for two years I haven’t seen my family.†¦ If I could have [my landed immigrant] document I could have visited them or sponsored them so that they could have joined me. My biggest disappointment is that I cannot sponsor my family†. Restrictions on Access to Postsecondary Education Refugees are guaranteed full access to elementary and secondary education by Norwegian government. But they are not eligible for educational loans and scholarships until they get permanent resident permit. Therefore, most are cut off from postsecondary education. One of the young man expressed his frustration on this restriction â€Å"Norway has recognized us as refugees, given us food and shelter and tried her best to assist us, but at the same time she has deprived us from what we need the most education. Our future depends on education. In addition, we have to wait for long time to continue our education since it takes time to issue permanent resident permit Therefore we loss courage to continue it further†. Restrictions on Access to Employment Refugees can only get temporary work permits. This makes them ineligible for some jobs. Even when they are eligible, many employers are still reluctant to hire them because of lack of language fluency. One informant said he was hired for a cleaning job, and excited when his employer found out he was a refugee. â€Å"The informant asked me, ‘If you dont have your landed papers, how can I trust you?’ Refugees are not eligible for bank loans and even internet bank facility. This makes it difficult for them to start self employment. A person who had been in business in Sri Lanka explained: â€Å"If I had the proper documents and a loan to open my own business, I could be an independent person. They [Immigration officials] told me to stay at home and wait for their subsidies. That is not what I came here for†. Because of the restrictions on education and work, the few people who had professional careers in Sri Lanka could not get work in their fields or upgrade their skills. One interviewer in this situation described his frustration: â€Å"I am a professional teacher with 7 years of work experience. Since I came to Norway, I find myself absolutely denied the opportunity to work in my profession or to go to college and continue my education†. Concerns about children’s education Sri Lankan children are faced with overwhelming problems in schools in Norway. Many have had little education because of the upheaval in Sri Lanka and the time spent in refugee camps. Lack of Norwegian language proficiency is another problem. One mother explained: â€Å"Even if the child has a good educational background, with a strong base in math and other subjects, still he wouldn’t be able to follow along in class because of the language. Language is the key factor, and it is only when the child has a strong language base that he can catch up to his or her classmates†. This issue is complicated by the fact that many Sri Lanka parents also face the same language barrier and cannot provide the needed educational support at home. Other difficulties were related to differences in cultural norms and expectations between Sri Lankan and Norwegian schools. Certain behaviours those are acceptable in Norwegian schools that are unacceptable in Sri Lankan schools. Likewise, behaviours that are rewarded in Sri Lankan schools may be viewed negatively here. Cultural Norms and Differences in Childrearing Practices Some parents raised issues about the negative influences of contemporary culture of their children. They were uncomfortable with some of the behaviours that their children had developed since their arrival in Norway. One mother gave this example: â€Å"Our children use some words, for example†¦.., and sometimes they make bad signals. These are bad things that are accepted here, but according to our culture, they are considered to be avoided†. Cultural differences in disciplinary practices formed another major topic of discussion. Sri Lankan strongly believes that children need discipline to learn respect, good manners, and good behaviour. The parents in my study were aware that some common methods of discipline in Sri Lankan culture, such as pristine, are not acceptable in Norway. In school, children are instructed to call police if they believe they are being verbally or physically abused. This threat of calling to police has become a weapon for Sri Lankan children to hold over their parents. Some women said that their children were becoming proud and disrespectful because of this. They also worried that the Children’s Aid Society might take their children away (they pointed out a very good example that has happened recently). The parents were concerned about their teenage children, who had graduated from high school, but waiting for jobs. Without school or work to keep them occupied, many spent their days in local interact, and their mothers worried that they might be drawn to drug and alcohol use. Finally, the women recognized that their roles and influence as parents were changing, as their children became more a part of Norwegian culture. They worried that some children might abandon their Sri Lankan culture heritage altogether. Discussion and Conclusion The people said they were grateful to the Norwegian government for accepting them as refugees. They were pleased to have left behind a culture of war for food, shelter, and safety. Nevertheless, everyday life was very stressful for them at the beginning, and feelings of anxiety, depression, and extreme nervousness were common. Some of them were still feeling the effects of stress due to the disturbance of the war in Sri Lanka, their flight out of the country, and their detention in refugee camps before their arrival in Norway. Many were sorrowful over the break up of their families and their inability to reunite with them. The stress of being in Norway while husbands or wife, children, parents were still overseas was a difficult burden for them to bear. Abbott (1997) points out that â€Å"separation in the family unit of involuntary migrants greatly disturbs the most basic relationship network† (Abbott, 1997). Results of other studies indicate that prolonged waits for family reunification, such as the men in my study were experiencing, are unfavorable to the integration process (Bloch, 2000). Another factor that weighed on the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees was the loss of their homes, culture, country, lifestyle, friends, and family, and their need to mourn these losses. Beside with this grieving process were the stresses of learning a new language and adapting to a culture with values that were, in some instances, in indirect conflict with traditional Hinduism values, attitudes and norms. The refugees’ difficulties in reconciling these contradictions demonstrate the importance of the distance between the home and host cultures as a determinant of successful or unsuccessful integration (Bloch 1997). Difficulties with Norske and problems with intercultural communication disadvantaged the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in their dealings with government officials, teachers, and landlords and so on. Problems such as unemployment and constant worries about the well being of their families were other significant factors. Yet, poor Norske proficiency, the obstacles on secondary and postsecondary education and limited employment opportunities made it hard for the refugees to get jobs and integrate into the economic sphere. Recommendations Reducing waiting period of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to get permanent resident permit Developing educational programs and services to meet the needs of Sri Lankan students and their families. Crating some job opportunities for refuges to get jobs easily The Sri Lankan community have to establish separate schools where Sri Lankan Tamil children would be taught the Hinduism religion, and traditional behaviour and cultural practices in addition to their regular academic program (actually, there is a Tamil school in Trondheim to teach Tamil culture and Religion ). Reference Abbott, L. (1997). A Barrier to Settlement: The Experience of Resettling in Australia as a Refugee when Family Remains in a Conflict Zone. Thesis for Masters of Social Work. Unnamed university, New South Wales. Bloch A. (1997) Refugee migration and settlement: A case study of the London borough of Newham, Ph.D. Thesis, London: Goldsmiths College-University of London. Bloch, A. (2000). Refugee settlement in Britain: the impact of policy on participation. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 26(2), 75. Retrieved November 16, 2000 from Expanded Academic ASAP Intl Ltd on-line database. Carey-Wood J., Duke K., Kam V., Marshall T. (1995) The settlement of refugees in Britain, Home Office Research Study 141, London: Her Majestys Stationary Office. Cheran, R, (2003) Diaspora circulation and transnationalism as agents for change in the post conflict zones of Sri Lanka, A policy paper submitted to the Berghof Foundation for Conflict Management, Berlin, Germany, forthcoming publication, 2004, York University, Toronto, Canada. Duke K. (1996) The resettlement experiences of refugees in the UK: Main findings from an interview study, New Community 22, 3, 461-478. Espn, O. M. (1999) Women crossing boundaries. New York: Routledge. Limb, M., Dwyer, C. (2001) Quaalitative methodologies for Geographers,Oxford university press Inc, Newyork. Oslo-Demographics [Online]  / auth. Wikipedia the free encyclopedia  // Wikipedia foundation Inc Web site.   Wikipedia foundation, march 27, 2008 .   march 31, 2008.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo#Economy. Refugees and asylum [Online]  / auth. Immigration The Norwegian Directorate of  // NORWEGIAN DIRECTORATE OF IMMIGRATION web site.   NORWEGIAN DIRECTORATE OF IMMIGRATION, 04 19, 2004.   03 18, 2008.   http://www.udi.no/templates/Tema.aspx?id=4481.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Free Hamlet Essays: Use of Deception in Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Use of Deception in Hamlet Hamlet is a play by William Shakespeare about a prince named Hamlet who was spoken to by the ghost of his dead father telling Hamlet to kill his uncle Claudius (the new king) because Claudius killed him. The story revolves around Hamlet's dillema of how to kill his uncle while being deceptive enough so that no one finds out about the ghost. This essay will prove how deception is often used in Hamlet for many reasons. Claudius uses deception to protect himself from being prosecuted for his crime of killing the King. No one knows what the deal is with Gertrude because she deceives everybody by keeping to herself all the time keeping everyone from knowing anything. By using quotes from the book I will prove how these two (Claudius and Gertrude) and among a few others , use deception for different reasons and in different ways. A lot of the times it is to protect someone, or themselvs because they believe that the truth will hurt more than their lies. Claudius decieves everyone in different ways and at different times , always and only to protect himself from everyone else finding out that he killed the king. We can't truly say that he deceived Gertrude or not because we still don't know if she knows about Claudius killing the king or not because that is part of her own deception , but we know that he deceived the people and Hamlet himself (before he talks to the ghost). This next quote comes from the ghost of the king convicting Claudius of the murder ,"If thou didst ever thy dear father love- revenge his foul and most unnatural murder(p.57, act1,scene5 ,lines29-31). This quote proves that Claudius actually did commit the murder. This next quote is from Claudius himself after the funeral and the wedding giving a speach about the death of the king and the whole deal with Fortinbras,"To our most valiant brother-so much for him(p.21, act1 ,scene2 ,line25)." This quote shows that Claudius obviously doesn't have much remorse for his d ead brother and might be covering up the fact that he killed him. And we all know what that means...What does it mean?! It means that he actually is the rat and is the evil one in the play. Hamlet's deception , possibly the cruelest of all. Maybe even though Hamlet's deception was derived from Claudius's deception , it is the one that killed everybody.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Joyce Campbell :: Short Stories Papers

Joyce Campbell Melissa Everett was sitting comfortably in her swivel chair staring down on the busy city of New York. She dreamily began talking to herself: â€Å"How lucky I am,† she thought. â€Å"My life is so perfect right now, my family supports me and I have great friends.† She calmly looks around her large office and thinks to herself, â€Å"And look how far I have come!† She thinks back to her struggles and to her climb up the companies latter. â€Å"Without the help of Joyce, I and several of the other female executives of Tie Technologies would not be here. How did she do it? I wonder how it was back then†¦.† Melissa eyes grew slightly heavy, her head filled with thoughts and she quickly slipped into a light sleep†¦. June 27th, 1957. The sun was out; the sky was blue, dusted with only a few white clouds. This morning was like any other morning: Typical. The sun was shining warmly onto the houses, cars and people of Apple Lane. Number 203, residence to Gregory and Judy Stephenson was a bustle. This newly built large brick home is surrounded with others identical to itself. In this suburban neighborhood, the streets are cluttered with children and mother’s offering goodbyes to their loved ones as the men commute to their work. Judy stands waving softly to the old Cadillac pulling out of the driveway. Her skirt blows into the air, and her wispy blonde bangs sweep to the side of her face. She holds her baby girl in her arms and touches the shoulder of the young boy below her. It’s very early, she dresses her children for school and shovels them out of the door an hour or so later. She crochets, bakes a few batches of cookies for her returning children, walks to the market to purchase the necessary items for dinner - baked potatoes, carrots and flank steaks - and decides to walk over to her friend Joyce's house. She arrives; unfortunately the bottom inch of her skirt has been caked with wet dust, and approaches a young woman with a big straw hat on reading quietly on her porch. It is routine. Judy sits down next to her takes out her new romantic novel and decides to go make herself cold lemonade.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Negotiation is a broad and general term

Negotiation is a broad and general term that may be defined in several ways. Not most of us are aware that negotiation happens in almost every aspect of our lives. In fact, San Diego State University sponsored a seminar about negotiation and conducted a survey among the participants about the frequency or rate of recurrence of negotiation in general in their lives. Sixty four percent of the respondents answered ‘always’ (Stark, 2008). That must mean that in most aspects of our lives, we do negotiations.To fully understand, negotiation, it is significant to go over several definitions that may narrow down the long list of definitive terms used to define the word. Gerard I. Neirenberg wrote the book â€Å"The Art of Negotiating† and the president of Negotiations Institute, Inc. in New York. According to him, negotiation as the exchange of ideas in an attempt to alter the status of a relationship and deliberate to make an agreement. (Stark, 2008)The iron ore price ne gotiations are an example of a negotiation. An article released on the 2nd of March this year tackles this issue. It is soon to be settled with the heightened demand for pellets from the Companhia Vale do Rico Doce (Vale), therefore negotiations for the prices of the these items is well underway. The CEO of Vale, Mr. Roger Agnelli, stated that talks are being conducted with their consumers to guarantee fairness in their transactions. Apparently, Agnelli said that Vale wants to assure their clients that they will not be overcharged, and at the same time guarantee that their clients will not be paying a lesser amount either. (Steel Guru, 2008a)Another article released on the 3rd of March this year reveals a negotiation going on between Vale and Arcelor Mittal. The article is also about the price of iron ores. Vale is active in the mining and metal industry in Brazil. Arcelor Mittal, on the other hand, is involved in the steel business. Apparently, Arcelor Mittal is the major client of Vale. Both companies are negotiating to close a deal involving the price of iron ores that will be purchased from Vale. The negotiation is similar to Vale’s negotiations with other companies all over the world. (Steel Guru, 2008b)In this scenario, Vale is involved in major negotiations with several companies mostly involved in the steel business. Since the demands for pellets and iron ores have reached its summit, there is a need to negotiate the prices of these commodities. This is to ensure that the buying capacity of clients will be able to compensate the production of pellets and iron ores by Vale. The negotiations would then be a vehicle for companies and Vale to agree on a price that would be advantageous for all.The main point of the negotiation process is exemplified in a statement by Agnelli, the CEO of Vale, wherein he states that they want to make sure they will not be charging too much for their products and at the same time, their clients will not be paying redu ced amounts for the actual cost of pellets and iron ores (Steel Guru, 2008a) Perhaps this is a very good example of a well-mannered negotiation because both parties are making sure to agree at a certain point that would be mutually fair. Conceivably, this is the primary concept of negotiation.At this point, it would be significant to discuss the elements of negotiation. According to Roger Fisher, negotiation has seven elements namely alternatives, interests, options, legitimacy, commitment, communication, and relationship. Having alternatives means that the factions that are holding negotiations should have back-up plans that they can follow individually just in case they fail to arrive at a consensus. Interests are the desires or the requisites of each faction.These are the conditions that are reasons for a negotiation between factions. The options available in negotiation are the ways or modes in which two factions can compromise. There should be several options available in a neg otiation, and it is best that each of these options ensure that the results would lead to a fair and balanced position for both factions. Legitimacy is the evenhandedness of negotiations based on standards or rubrics that are advantageous to both factions.The commitment of both factions to adhere to their agreement should be talked about or materialized in a written agreement that would state how they are going to go about realizing what they have agreed on. Communication is a significant tool in negotiating because without it, both factions will not be able to understand and arrive at a consensus. During and after negotiations, the relationship between the factions should have improved to affect a harmonious and workable rapport. (Fisher, 2006)There are also negotiation strategies that ensure a fair and a balanced agreement favorable to both negotiating parties. To cite three of them, negotiation strategies include assigning people who would lead or represent a party in the negotia tion process, evaluating the weaknesses and strengths of both negotiating parties, and developing a negotiation plan where priorities are ranked as to importance. Assigning people to represent a party in negotiation proceedings is strategic in nature because the acquisition of the objectives of the party is dependent on their performance as a negotiating team.It is important to make sure that the negotiating team is a small group and that specific tasks in the negotiating process is assigned to them. It is also strategic to evaluate the strong and weak points of each party involved in the negotiation, such as the background, the existing knowledge, bargaining skills, and importance of the agreement, etc. of and to the other party. It is important for a negotiating party to create a plan wherein their priorities or interests are ranked in order of importance. The non-negotiable interests, issues that are open to compromise, etc. should be identified and laid out to the other negotiat ing party. (Federal Acquisition Insitute, 2003)All three strategies are appropriate for negotiators to use before and during the negotiation process. The inappropriateness lies in the negative response of negotiating parties to these strategies mainly because these strategies are laid out in order to affect success in negotiations. These strategies are the foundation of successful negotiations.In marketing and other business issues, most negotiation subjects are pricing and cost estimates. Pricing analysis is an act of evaluating the appropriateness of a given cost (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2008). Pricing or estimating costs should involve marketing analysis and evaluation of other factors involved in pricing, such as the demands, pricing objectives, etc. Negotiating parties should conduct marketing analysis in order to identify the demands of the consumers.After this, the production of commodities, its distribution, and promotional strategies should be eval uated in order to arrive at the actual cost of producing the demands of the clients. All the expenses involved in the production of commodities for consumers and the standard for altering prices according to the rate of demand should be taken into account. These strategies will then be used to arrive at a price that should appropriate and fair for both negotiating parties. (Net MBA, 2007)Negotiations are significant in the realization of a goal or objective that cannot be attainable through individual efforts alone. Negotiation is there to provide for a means to attain the interests of an organization through the help of another organization. Negotiation strategies are available for each party to adhere to in order to accumulate success that is favorable for both parties. In marketing and business administration, pricing and cost estimation is very common in negotiation proceedings. Therefore, pricing strategies are also made available for business groups to follow in order to close deals with other negotiating process in a fair and balanced way that is desirable to all of them. Negotiating parties should be able to propel the negotiation on the way to their success.ResourcesFederal Acquisition Institute. (2003). Unit 42: Negotiation Strategies. Retrieved March 9,  2008,    from Federal Acquisition Institute. Website:http://www.fai.gov/pdfs/Unit42.pdfFisher, R. (2006). The 7 Elements of Negotiation. Retrieved March 9, 2008, fromNet MBA. (2007). Pricing Strategy. Retrieved March 9, 2008 from Internet Center forManagement and Business Administration, Inc. Website:http://www.netmba.com/marketing/pricing/Stark, P. B. (2008). What is Negotiation. Retrieved March 9, 2008 from SmartBiz.Website: http://www.smartbiz.com/article/articleview/618/1/5/Steel Guru. (2008b). Iron ore price negotiations – Vale and Arcelor Mittal. RetrievedU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2008) Quick Guide to Cost andPrice Analysis for HUD Grantees and Funding Recip ients. Retrieved March 9,  2008 from Homes and Communities: U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment. Website: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/cpo/grantees/cstprice