Effectiveness of Dibels

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Validity and its Relationship with Reading Comprehension Introduction to Research Reading fluency is considered an integral component of the reading process and it has a big presence in the classroom. Its importance became evident since the National Reading Panel (2000) pronounced fluency instruction and assessment an essential and was thus incorporated into the reading First guidelines of No Child Left Behind in 2002 (Shelton, Altwerger, &Jordan, 2009).Reading fluency has been defined in many ways; an outcome of decoding and comprehension, a contributor to both decoding and comprehension, the ability to recognize words rapidly and accurately, the connections readers make between the natural phrasing when speaking and the phrasal segmentation when orally reading, among others (Abadiano &Turner, 2005).Nevertheless, Roehrig, Petscher, Nettles, Hudson and Torgesen (2008) state that perhaps fluency is best defined as having three main components, word recognition accuracy, automaticity, and prosody. Reading with accuracy is the student’s ability to read with few or no errors. Reading with automaticity is the students’ ability to recognize words quickly with little effort; quantifying the students’ reading rate. Prosody is the students’ ability to read with expression such as suing intonation, stress patterns, and phrasing.Due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Reading First program, which requires that validated standardized reading fluency assessments be used to progress monitor and identify any readers that might not be making sufficient progress to be at grade level, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) is one of the few empirically validated assessments to progress monitor fluency (Roehring et al, 2008). The purpose of this literature review is to explore the validity of DIBELS and its relationship with reading comprehension.Students who demonstrate prer eading skill deficits often fall even further behind in later elementary years. Alternately, students who master essential reading skills in primary grades are able to maintain progress in later educational years. According to Goffreda, James, and Pedersen (2009) this is known as the Matthew Effect, in which the â€Å"rich get richer, while the poor get poorer†. They furthermore state that not only does illiteracy imit school success throughout the life span but that it is also associated with social problems such as school dropout, incarceration, and homelessness (Gofreda, James, & Pederson, 2009). It is this realization, along with the National Reading Panel’s recommendations, that led to the focus on early identification and precursors, such as DIBELS, in order to identify early literacy interventions. The National Institute for Literacy recommended DIBELS as a scientifically researched based assessment and thus DIBELS was adopted in many states (Shelton, Altwerger, & Jordan, 2009).Furthermore, early literacy individual growth and development indicators (EL-IGDIs) are also being put in place for pre-kindergarten children in some states (McCormick & Haack, 2011). Geofrada, James, and Pederson (2009) state that first grade has been identified as a particular critical period since the probability (88 percent) of poor readers remain so until fourth grade or higher grades. They found DIBELS indicators scores were predictive of district and state standardized exams.Gonzales, Vannest, and Reid (2008) conducted a study to discriminate the usefulness of first grade DIBELS to populations other than the general population, more specifically to students identified or at risk for emotional and behavior disorders. The researchers in this study found that DIBELS are efficient and effective for identification of at-risk students for populations other than general education students. In concurrence with these studies, Scheffel, Lefly, and Houser (2012) found t hat DIBELS is an effective tool in identifying English Language Learners (ELLs) who may be at risk for underachieving in reading.Combined, these studies affirm the validity of DIBELS for all students, including ELLs and students identified as having emotional and behavior disorders. However, In a more complex study, Yesil-Dagli (2009) found that on average, ELL students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunch compared to those not eligible for free or reduced lunch, Hispanic ELL students compared to White ELL students, and male ELL students compared to female ELL students, read fewer words at the beginning of first grade and demonstrate a slower growth rate.This directly impacts their fluency rate in DIBELS. Paleologos and Brabham (2011) found that DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency (DORF) is effective for predicting the performance of high-income students in overall reading standardized tests but not low-income students. According to their research, high-income students demonstra te higher abilities in reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension in comparison to low-income students although both groups had achieved â€Å"benchmark† proficient scores in DIBELS.Furthermore, Shelton, Altwerger, and Jardon (2009) analyzed the relationship between DIBELS (DORF) and authentic reading and found that students employ different reading approaches when reading for a DIBELS test and when reading for authentic literature. That is, when students read a passage in a DIBELS test, they do so in a quick manner to achieve a high rate, but when reading authentic literature the reader slows down to read for comprehension.They found that readers in their study read almost half as many words when reading literature than they did as they read for fluency assessments (Shelton, Altwerger, & Jardon, 2009). This in turn does not reflect the true reading rate when testing for DIBELS. To conclude their study, the authors of this study state that their data showed no con nection between DORF scores and student’s comprehension when reading authentic literature. There have been both strong positive and strong negative research studies regarding the validity of DIBELS and its relationship with reading comprehension.Furthermore, a study conducted by Martin and Shapiro (2011) found that teacher’s judgments, although having strong correlations to student performance, was consistently and significantly overestimated when compared to students actual DIBELS performance. Not only that, but another study conducted by Hoffman, Jenkins, and Dunlap (2009) found that educators were not clear about how DIBELS data should inform and guide their instruction or were not even sure that DIBELS aligned with state-mandated testing.Future research is needed in this area. Nevertheless, in states that have DIBELS in place as an assessment to comply with the No Child Left Behind stipulations, DIBELS is present for teachers and their students. It is important the n, that teachers recognize the vast variables in research regarding the validity and relationship to reading comprehension, and as with any assessment, not use DIBELS as the sole criterion when determining student achievement.It should be kept in mind that fluency is only a part of the reading process. However, due to the fact that DIBELS is in place in many states, perhaps an area of concern that arises in the literature is how DIBELS data-drives instruction. That is, how do schools use DIBELS data to drive instruction? This is especially important since this literature review discussed the study by Hoffman, Jenkins, and Dunlap (2009) who found that teachers are not clear as to how DIBELS data should guide their instruction.If this writer were to draft a tentative research design pertaining to this literature review, the research question would be: In terms of qualitative data, how do teachers in Crane School District#13 and Yuma District #1 use their DIBELS data to drive teacher i nstruction? The purpose of the research would be to find effective ways schools use DIBELS data to drive teacher instruction. The data would be collected through interviews, questionnaires and observations methods.This type of analysis in known as qualitative study however, quantitative data will also be used when analyzing and reporting information from the surveys and questionnaires. This is also known as a multiple or mixed method. According to the learning in introduction to research, the best studies include both qualitative and quantitative data. The participants in the study would be administrators, coaches, and teachers. The responses they give will provide triangulation to the study, that is, validate that all participants know exactly how the data is driving the instruction taking place in the classroom.The exact amount of participants is not known since the study is not being conducted yet and forms have not been signed. However, it would be random sampling at each school to ensure that survey results can be statistically representative of the schools. The instrumentation that would be used for the study would be DIBELS data, surveys, and questionnaires. Observations would also be used to triangulate the information from the surveys and questionnaires. The research time line would be approximately two to three months.One month to gather participants and administer the questionnaires and surveys, another month to observe the actual data driven instruction in the classroom, and another month to analyze the data. The survey would include the following tentative questions: 1. What steps are taken to analyze DIBELS data? 2. Once the data is analyzed, how are the results used to drive teacher’s instruction for students classified as â€Å"at-risk†? 3. Once the data is analyzed, how are the results used to drive teacher’s instruction for students classified as â€Å"some-risk†? 4.Once the data is analyzed, how are the results us ed to drive teacher’s instruction for students classified as â€Å"low risk†? References Abadiano, H. R. (2005). Reading fluency: The road to developing efficient and effective readers. The New England Reading Association Journal, 41(1), 50-56. Goffreda C. T, Diperna J. C. , & Pedersen, J. A. (2009). Preventive screening of early readers: Predictive validity of the dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS). Psychology in the Schools, 46(6), 539-552. doi: 10. 1002/pits. 20396 Gonzales, J.E. , Vannest K. J. , & Reid, R. (2008). Early classification of reading performance in children identified or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders: A discriminant analysis using the dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS). Journal of At-Risk Issues, 14(1), 33-40. Hoffman A. R. , Jenkins J. E. , & Dunlap S. K. (2009). Using DIBELS: A survey of purposes and practices. Reading Psychology, 30, 1-16. Martin S. D. , & Shapiro E. S. (2011). Examini ng the accuracy of teachers’ judgments of DIBELS performance.Psychology in the Schools, 48(4), 343-356. McCormick, C. E. , & Haack R. (2011). Early literacy individual growth and development indicators (EL-IGDIS) as predictors of reading skills in kindergarten through second grade. International Journal of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach / Tarptautinis psichologijos zurnalas: Biopsichosocialinis poziuris, 7, 29-40. National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read, an evidence-based assessmnet of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction.Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Paleologos T. M. , & Brabham E. G. (2011). The effectiveness of DIBELS oral reading fluency for predicting reading comprehension of high-and-low income students. Reading Psychology, 32, 54-74. Roehrig A. D. , Petscher, Y. , Nettles S. M. , Hudson, R. , & Torgesen J. K. (2008). Accuracy of the DIBELS oral re ading fluency measure for predicting third grade reading comprehension outcomes. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 343-366. Scheffel, D. , Lefly D. , & Houser, J. (2012).The predictive utility of DIBELS reading assessment of reading comprehension among third grade English language learners and English speaking children. Reading Improvement, 49(3), 75-95. Shelton, N. R. , Altwerger, B. , & Jordan, N. (2009). Does DIBELS put reading first? Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(2), 137-148. Yesil-Dagli, U. (2009). Predicting ELL students’ beginning first grade English oral reading fluency from initial kindergarten vocabulary, letter naming, and phonological awareness skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26, 15-29.

Role of the Insurance Industry in Economic Development

What Role has the Insurance industry In Economic development? The insurance industry has come a long way from ship owners, merchants and underwriters gathering in Edward Lloyd’s coffee house in London to discuss their marine voyages to new colonies of the British Empire. Over the years, Insurance has become essential in our everyday lives. Something we just can’t live without. Our Economics and Societies are growing phenomenal rates and have become more and more interconnected on the rest of the world, the risks exposed to us become more unpredictable and hazardous.The need to protect against unfortunate events has been around as long as human beings existed. Individuals have always recognised their need to alleviate risks that have the potential to ruin the. At the dawn of modern history, widely dispersed groups of tightly knit hunter-gatherers, relied almost exclusively on clan relatedness as their only bulwark against the ever-present risk of death, debilitating inju ry and starvation.For those early ancestors, the concept of risk always existed, exclusively in terms of the physical persons of individuals, mitigated by the guarantee of personal and kin relationships, rather than objects and possessions. (Buckham et al 2011, pp. 1-9). According to Lopez and Raymond 1967, in antiquity, a sea loan was the first sign of transferring risk. A number of German and Italian jurists have regarded it as something close to insurance. It involved a ship owner promising to transport goods belonging to a merchant and at the same time providing a loan, somewhat of a guarantee.If the ship and the goods arrived safely to its intended destination, the merchant returned the loan but if they didn’t arrive safely, the loan was not returned. From its origins in ancient times, the insurance industry has evolved into an essential service in our society and a â€Å"key component for economic development† (Liedtke 2007). Our lives are progressing rapidly, th ere is a significant increase in the general population, technology and science is continuously maturing and the world is becoming smaller.The insurance industry is now faced with challenging obstacles through â€Å"the liberalisation of insurance and capital markets, changing demographics, volatile stock markets, the shifting of climate patterns and the rising numbers of natural and manmade disasters and subsequent losses† (Ayadi and O’Brien 2006). â€Å"The global risk landscape is growing and the size of potential losses is continuously increasing† (Coomber 2006). Society has progressed significantly from ancient times and our need of insurance has drastically transformed accordingly.The increasing sense of ambiguity and uncertainty in our lives regarding our future economic prosperity and the devastating impact of catastrophic events has certainly reinforced the need for insurance to shield us against new and emerging risks. This paper asks the imperative qu estion: What role has the insurance industry in our economy development? The Importance of the insurance industry for an economy can only in part be measured by the sheer size of its business, the number of its employees in a given country, the assets under management, or its contribution to the national GDP.But insurance is not just about employment and the financial compensation of Victims. It actually plays a more fundamental role in the workings of a modern society, it creates huge capital assets. Due to the nature of insurance contracts which usually involve long time periods, money coming from insurance, usually stays in the financial market of a given economy for quite some time. It is not a fickle investment capital that rushes around looking for quick gains, it is oriented toward the medium to long term. It creates a stable environment by allocating assets according to market forces where needed (Liedtke 2007).There are six main areas where the insurance industry fosters ec onomic growth. I will now go into detail on these six areas (CEA 2011). Private insurance improves firm’s financial soundness: Insurance allows firms to expand and take on economic risk without the need to set aside capital. If a firm did not have adequate business insurance cover this could be harmful particularly for small firms. Small firms have limited capital and have difficulty in accessing financial markets which make them particularly vulnerable to adverse events.Without insurance large contingency funds would have to be in place to protect firms against risk. For most small firms this would represent more capital than they presently employ which would not be viable for most small firms and this would lead to a reduction the population of firms. Fostering entrepreneurial attitudes, encouraging investment, innovation, market dynamism, and competition: To be innovative you have to take risks. Since entrepreneurs just like ordinary people are characterised by risk aversi on, the willingness to take risks can be considered a scarce resource (Kugler and Ofoghi 2005).More will be produced if greater risk is taking. Well developed insurance markets contribute to the development of an economy by helping to optimise the allocation of the scarce resource of ‘risk taking’ by moving it from a conservative to an innovative and high profits activities. On the other hand uninsured firms are very conservative and generally do not exploit new business opportunities and invest less in innovation and their degree in the global markets is low. Offering social protection alongside the state, releasing pressure on public sector:In all industrialised countries a major problem is not too far down the line. Due to improvements in healthcare and quality of life population’s structures in industrialised countries are changing where people are living a lot longer and at the same time the birth rate has also decreased. People are also expecting to receive a high level of healthcare, pensions, unemployment allowance and other social benefits. This raises great concern as public expenditure will be put under huge pressure and will lead to significant decreases in economic growth.The role of the insurance industry is vital to provide an additional pillar alongside the protection supplied by the state. Insurance products like payment protection insurance play a vital role in protecting household in times of unemployment in an economic downturn. Many industrialised countries such as the United Kingdom provide free healthcare to its citizens. In the future what we are going to see is the health system in these countries being privatised and individuals buying private health insurance. Currently 47% of the Irish population have health insurance (Nolan 2006).Similar systems will have to be introduced to the pension systems. These measures will help reduce government expenditure on these areas and in the long run help with the development of the economy in the countries. Enhancing financial intermediation, creating liquidity and mobilizing savings: Insurers are massive institutional investors in the economy with over 11% of worldwide assets in 2007 (Munich RE 2007). They therefore see benefit in the development of a modern , competitive financial market that facilities firms access to capital and offers a wide range of investment opportunities.In this respect insurance companies look favourably upon initiatives taken by governments to ensure shareholder rights and to maintain high standards of corporate governance. Promoting sensible risk management by firms and households, contributing to sustainable and responsible development: Insurers risk assessment is reflected through in price and policy conditions. In this way they offer firms and households an indicator of their level of risk. Firms and households in can take action to reduce the risk by engaging in risk management.Risk management is the process of gauging or accessing risk and developing strategies to manage it (Squiddo 2012). Therefore by means of risk pricing insurance encourages sensible risk management. Both the client and the insurer benefits from sensible risk management as the client’s premiums are reduced and the chances of the insurance company having a claim are also reduced. This process influences investment decisions and thus contributes to the development of the economy. Fosters stable consumption throughout life: Consumption is the main driver of economic growth as its accounts for over 80% of GDP.By having insurance it offers lifelong financial protection and allows stable consumption throughout an individual’s life. * Insurance for house and other damages allow individuals to secure assets in case of an adverse event. * Liability insurance covers household for damages that might occur to other people. * Life insurance protects relatives in the event of a death and also provides financial support in retirem ent. * Health and accident insurance provides cover when it is needed most. * Credit insurance eases consumption but does protect against excessive debt through pricing and acceptation policies.Another new phenomenon in the insurance industry is Micro insurance. It aims to alleviate poverty, distribute products in new ways and create sustainable financial growth for individuals, families and small scale businesses in underdeveloped countries. The need to provide insurance products is vital if their economies are to develop. People in underdeveloped countries are most at risk to adverse events and they have a significant negative impact on their lives. When a hurricane, flood or other adverse events occur and their homes are destroyed or their livestock is wiped out, these people have no financial compensation.These communities have to start from scratch. Insurance companies recognise that the poor require a range of insurance products that meet their needs. Zurich was an early mover in micro insurance, when it started its first micro insurance programme in Bolivia in 1999. It hasn’t been an easy move due to a lack of trust and confidence by people in underdeveloped countries but if these problems can be resolved there is huge potential for growth in the market and also for a dramatic improvement in economic development in these countries (Pope 2011).Conclusion: When we think of economic development, most attention is devoted to the relationship between the financial markets and economic development with insurance only receiving a passing mention. However in recent times there have been several interesting lines of research into the role the insurance industry plays in economics development. I have shown in this paper how the insurance sector plays a fundamental role in the development of our economy and without insurance we would live in a world that would be less economically developed and much less stable.Insurance supports research and development, i nnovation and new technologies, it supports economic stability and sustainable growth and also supports the sustainable use of resources and helps modernise social protections systems. The evidence suggests that there is substantial potential for the insurance industry to make a greater contribution to economic growth especially in lower and middle income countries. Currently insurance lags behind financial services in the extent of globalisation, but if we can continue to expand the insurance industry we will see substantial growth opportunities.Bibliography Ayadi, R. and O’Brien, C. (2006) â€Å"The future of insurance regulation and supervision in the EU: New developments, new challenges† Buckham, D. , Wahl, J. and Rose, S. (2011) Executive’s Guide to Solvency II, United States of America: The Wiley and SAS Business Series. Coomber, J. R. (2006) â€Å"Natural and Large Catastrophes– Changing Risk Characteristics and Challenges for the Insurance Indust ry†, The Geneva Papers, 2006, 31, (88-95) Kugler, M. and Ofoghi, R. (2005) Does insurance promote economic growth? Evidence from the U. K. University of Southampton Paper, July 2005. Liedkte, P. M. (2007) â€Å"What’s Insurance to a Modern Economy†, The Geneva Papers, 32, (211-221) Lopez, R. S. and Raymond, I. W. (1967) Medieval Trade in the Mediterranean World: Illustrative documents translated with Introductions and Notes, New York: WW Norton & Company Inc. Nolan, B. (2006) â€Å"The Interaction of the Public and Private Health Insurance: Ireland as a Case Study†, The Geneva Papers, 31 (663-649) CEA (2011) â€Å"Better off in Europe: How the EU’s single market benefits you†, available: http://ec. uropa. eu/publications/booklets/move/56/en. pdf Munich RE(2007)â€Å"The fundamental role of insurance†, available: http://www. genevaassociation. org/Portals/0/COP15_Munich_Re_presentation. pdf [accessed 25 October 2012] Pope, C. (2011) â€Å"Do we really need Private Health Insurance†, The Irish Times, 24 Jan, available: http://www. irishtimes. com/newspaper/pricewatch/2011/0124/1224288161882. html Squiddo (2012) â€Å" Principles of risk management†, available : http://www. squidoo. com/the-principles-of-risk-management [accessed 26 October 2012]

Why has gift exchange been an important topic for anthropology Essay - 2

Why has gift exchange been an important topic for anthropology - Essay Example Nevertheless, one of the means by which anthropology can draw meaningful inference based upon the similarities that exist between otherwise different and diverse groups. For instance, anthropology has long been focused upon social customs relating to marriage and the means by which individuals pledged themselves to another, or to a specific religious union, throughout much of their lives. Within the modern world, this construct is no as marriage. However, marriage is not the only shared anthropological similarity that exists throughout almost all cultures. Indeed, there are many cultures that have been studied throughout the course anthropological research that do not indicate such a union to have existed. As such, using marriage, or a similar construct, to draw inference upon all people and to measure cultures and other differentials based upon it is an inherent flaw. Within such a dynamic, the analyst can come to appreciate the importance that gift giving, both as a norm and has a behavioral complement of culture and society, has come to be regarded as a fundamental least common denominator that exists between peoples. Whereas differentials with respect to gift giving have been denoted by a litany of different anthropologists, the similarity and practice and form that exists within almost each and every culture or group that has thus far been analyzed is one of the reasons why this particular practice is of such profound importance towards understanding human society and the means by which evolutionary culture has shaped the globe. One of the most famous anthropologists to approach the issue of gift giving is that of James Laidlaw (Whitehouse & Laidlaw, 2007). The underlying purpose for this particular scholar being referenced within the beginning of this study is contingent upon the way in which he sought to define the four basic criteria that gifts represent; seemingly regardless of the culture in which

Definition of Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Definition of Teacher - Essay Example This study outlines that the role of an early childhood teacher has been redefined in the modern curriculum. In ancient times the young kids got enough attention and parental care from the parents and hence the teacher had to concentrate mainly on the learning process of the kids. But in the current world most of the parents are working and hence they are not getting enough time to provide proper care to their kids. Earlier the parents were more concentrated in their kid’s studies at home like doing the home works and assisting them in their studies. But in the modern world the busy life styles has prevented them from doing so and hence the teacher’s responsibility has been increased a lot. Most of the home assignments intended to solve at homes, given to the kids will be returned without solving it since the children were unable to get any assistance from the parents. Earlier it was a teacher dominated curriculum where the teacher explains everything in the class. But as per the modern curriculum principles, the teacher, only helps the student in their learning activities. The problems are created by the teacher for discussion in the class and the students are asked to solve the problems independently. The modern teacher acts only as a guide to the students, helping them in reaching the solution.  

Integrated Interiors Ltd Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Integrated Interiors Ltd - Research Paper Example The key issues that Mary faces as the Managing Director of Integrated Interiors Ltd such as: regarding dissatisfaction of customers, lack of Information, outdated computer based SFA system and irregular and occasional training sessions, have been identified and analysed in the report. Appropriate suggestions, for addressing the issues, have also been endorsed in the report apart from an explanation of the outcomes expected as well as offering a specific plan of action. Part 1: Expected Profile of the Candidate for GSM Experience: The prospective candidate for General Sales Manager (GSM) must have a minimum of three years experience in sales and marketing in a similar organisation. Besides, the candidate should possess experience in making appropriate sales plans and implementing them. He or she must also be conversant with reporting on marketing and sales activities besides organising and coordinating the day to day sales activities. The incumbent also needs to have an understanding of various policies that a company may incorporate in its activities for promoting sales and ensuring customer satisfaction. He or she also needs to be well versed with customer relationship management, public relations and other sales related liaison work. The GSM will have to shoulder â€Å"a range of diverse tasks, including managing a sales pipeline, coaching their team, forecasting, hiring new sales representatives, strategic planning, and sales administration† (Sales Coaching for Improvement Performance: Turning Sales Managers into Great Coaches 2010). Besides, it is also desirable that the candidate possesses some background experience in contract management as this will help him independently negotiate and manage the contract and the company. Qualifications: The candidate is expected to possess some knowledge in Interior Designing, engineering, materials, dimensions, color, etc. The position demands a combination of engineering as well as management education and skil ls. Thus, the ideal candidate will be a B. Tech in Architecture or Interior Designing with an MBA degree in marketing and sales. Additional technical qualifications such as Auto Cad 3D Studio and other designing tools will be desirable qualifications, but not mandatory. Skills Sets: The candidate is expected to possess appropriate skill sets both in engineering as well as management fields. The GSM should have necessary skills to build up a sales strategy and business plan for the market that guarantees accomplishment of company sales objectives and profitability. The candidate should possess excellent consumer service skills and leadership skills. Besides, he or she needs to be a motivated and expert team player, delivering business standards. The incumbent should also possess excellent oral and written communication as well as presentation skills apart from the contract negotiation skills. It will also be desirable if the incumbent has attended a short term course that â€Å"inco rporates live negotiations and case analyses as an effective way to apply the most recent psychological and economic research on how to sharpen skills in decision making and negotiation† (Negotiation and Decision Making Strategies 2012). Generates Sales and Profits: The incumbent must have relevant skills to generate sales and profits through

International Marketing of Tata Nano Electric Car into Japan PowerPoint Presentation

International Marketing of Tata Nano Electric Car into Japan - PowerPoint Presentation Example This report also raises some questions that need to be answered prior to launching Tata Nano in Pakistan. These include whether it would be beneficial to retain the current positioning strategy of Tata of the worlds most economical car in a country like Pakistan where the psychology of the target market is very brand oriented. Likewise, will Tata Nano be able to match prices currently being provided by the current manufacturers' after adding up the custom duty and other expenses Will Tata be able to launch a CNG variant of the nano to suit the needs of the Pakistani market in a better way This report aims to give a detailed insight and provides recommendations as to how to achieve success. Moreover, the plan consists of first launching the product in a test marketing campaign and after success only, a full fledged marketing plan is proposed. Tata Nano is a star product of the Tata group.It was one of the most talked about cars at the Detroit1 show and instigated a debate on how well it would be received in the international markets. With the target of manufacturing more than 1 million cars every year, it can be expected that Tata would be eyeing foreign markets. There is no business market as lucrative as Pakistan for the neighboring Indian Companies, for the reasons of cost saving due to proximity, relatively similar environmental and economic conditions and same language making operations easier. Product Launch -Tata Nano The target market of Tata Nano is the middle class of Pakistan with the income range: PKR 25000 lower middle class PKR 50000 middle-middle class and PKR 75000 and above (upper Middle Class) Niche Marketing or Mass Marketing We propose to launch Tata Nano in Pakistan. Initially we would proceed with a test launch and if the product picks up in the local market we may opt for either starting manufacturing in Pakistan or having offices and having agents and dealers take care of the sales of this region. So even though we will be targeting the masses but initially it would be a small scale launch due to tough competitive situation. Present Market Situation Since the year 2001, Pakistan's military regime under president Musharraf vowed to bring about economic reforms. This new growth strategy was stimulated by the easier credit policies of Banking Sector and for a decade car financing was made very easy. This led to a very high road & traffic density, and manufacturers like Pak Suzuki claim to manufacture a 100,000 vehicles in the year 2007 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Pak Suzuki is the single most preferred brand of locally manufactured cars and suits the lower middle and middle -middle class income groups. Their most popular brands are Suzuki Mehran & Suzuki Alto VXR Chevrolet, Cherry QQ, Adam Revo (locally manufactured), Nisan March, Toyota Duet also have occupied their own niches in this market. PRESENT MARKET SCENARIO According to Pakistan & Gulf economist, Even in these tough market conditions, July 2008, the total sales of cars was 7,418 units Last year, in the same period a record 12,438 units were sold. Sale & Production Statistics according to Pakistan Automobile Manufacturers Association http://www.pama.org.pk/productionjuly2004.htm Market Share Calculated on Cumulative Sales for

Diabetes management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Diabetes management - Essay Example lood glucose monitoring, oral and insulin therapies, Furthermore, the essay examines the role of multidisciplinary teams in offering patient-centered diabetic care and patients with such conditions. Lastly, the paper has critically detailed the physical, psycho-social and cultural impact of diabetes on clients and their families. The essay incorporates a case study of type 2 diabetic patient with pressure ulcers in his diabetic feet and associated conditions such as unitary and bowel incontinence, but has not adequate knowledge of management and care of his diabetic feet. The essay has adhered with ethical conduct of Nurses and Midwifes since the identity of the patient has been altered to John in order to protect confidential medical information of the client. The case study has been included in the appendix. Anderson and Rubin (2000) agree with Edmonds (2013) that diabetes results from several biological, environmental and lifestyle factors that lead to abnormal metabolism and hyperglycemia. Foster and Edmonds (2013) conquers with Cheyette (2005) that diabetes is a life-long condition that is associated with high glucose in the blood since the pancreas is incapable of producing enough insulin that is essential in regulating the blood sugar levels. I agree with Cheyette (2005) that John is experiencing high sugar levels due to inability to produce enough insulin. As Anderson and Rubin (2000) have outlined, insulin initiates the signal transduction whereby the glucose will enter the bloodstream for it to be stored as energy in the muscles or converted to fat by the liver. Tuomi (2005) confirms that insulin signals the liver to convert glucose to glycogen in case the body has sufficient energy. From the analysis, I believe insufficient of insulin affects metabolism processes in the body of John. The Health Commission (2007) explains that some critical pathophysiological aspects of type 2 diabetes include impaired secretion of insulin and increased body resistance

Research on state government agencies Coursework

Research on state government agencies - Coursework Example With such core values, the agency is destined to make the best in their scope of work. To ensure they are working efficiently, the agency provided vital information. Some of the vital information include the address, telephone and contact details. The contact details for Texas transport department are telephone number: (800) 558-9368, address: 125 East 11th St. and the website is http://www.txdot.gov. The Texas department of public safety’s mission is to protect and serve the public. Its core values include integrity, excellence, and accountability. In order to serve people optimally, the department have given an email, which is kevin.jones@dps.texas.gov. Similarly, its address is 5805 North Lamar Blvd. while its contacts are Texas 78773-0251 and 512-424-5900. Its website is http://www.dps.texas.gov. The Texas parks and wildlife department mission is to maintain and conserve the resources in Texas. This includes the natural and cultural resources, in providing various services like fishing, hunting and outdoor activities (United States, 2012). It has various philosophies, which include being a recognizable manager of resources, serving Texas effectively, and maintaining responsibility. Its contacts include 4200 Smith School Road and its website is http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us. The Texas department of transportation has a wide scope of work. To begin with, the department ensures the highways are safe for public transport. This is by ensuring all roads are repaired in time. As such, they have to plan on all repairs on the highways. Secondly, the Texas department ensures the traffic is flowing accordingly. At times, there are traffic snarl-ups, which affect the people. As such, they have to avoid such instances. Thirdly, the department ensures people who commit road offences are apprehended. In some instances, people flout the traffic rules. This is the work of the department, to ensure people follow the rules.

The Business Plan - Moon Internet Caf Case Study

The Business Plan - Moon Internet Caf - Case Study Example Moon Internet Cafe will provide an area that appeals to people from many different age groups and backgrounds. It provides a good environment for people to familiarize themselves with computers, to interact socially as well as for business needs. People are becoming more mobile, and as they move their technology moves with them. There are many different types of electronic devices that are popular, such as laptops, iPads and cellular phones. Business is also becoming more mobile, with many people interviewing potential staff members, or meeting with clients in public areas such as coffee shops. For many of these meetings, laptops are heavily used, and consequently facilities that facilitate this type of meeting are in high demand. There are a large number of coffee shops and cafes throughout the market, both individual stores and large franchises such as Starbucks. Suppliers for this venture take two forms, as the business looks to combine two different areas.

Environmental- Economics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental- Economics - Case Study Example The solution to the problem was found in china through the creation and implementation of the energy laws that were created by the Central goverment. This is because the government of China has been aware of the environmental problems. There were several policies that were introduced in the effort to find a solution for the energy environment problems. One of these was the Environmental Protection Law for trial Implementation, which was created in 1979. Provisions to protect the environment were also made within the constitution in 1982 in addition to the Article 26 of the constitution which requires that the state provides protection and improvement of the environment where people and other ecological organisms live through the reduction of pollution. These laws and policies were also established to make it possible to practically apply the governmental environmental policies. In addition, this kind of depletion and exhaustion of resources called for the reduction in the used of ene rgy in the production and consumption areas. There was also a need to save the energy and use methods that were friendly to the environment and to promote technological innovations that would reduce the intensity of energy while at the same time increasing its efficiency as illustrated in Shanghai (Fig. 1). This was enabled by the enactment of the conservation laws and the application of economic incentives whereby the used of energy would be regulated and the emission of pollutants limited (Economy & Lieberthal, 2007). At this point, the main people who were affected by the particular policy included the producers and manufacturers who were required to use energy efficient means of production. The consumers would also be affected as either the prices of goods would go up or the number of products made available would reduce (Wheeler, Susmita & Hua, 2003). For the successful

Skepticism about causal reasoning Essay Example for Free

Skepticism about causal reasoning Essay Arguing as a matter of fact any object presented before an individual and the reason for its existence, and likewise forming a sum of expectations of its effects rely mainly on either the process of experience or intuition. Hume makes a distinction between two kinds of objects for rationalization: 1) those that are concerned with the relation of ideas and 2) those that are born from the mind as a matter of fact (Hume, 2005). The first kind includes suppositions that are â€Å"discoverable by the mere operation of thought without dependence on what is anywhere existent in the universe† (Hume, 2005). The second is the province of human reason where the reality and existence of an object as a matter of fact hinges upon our ability to infer its nature purely on causality. Causality is the relation of cause and effect, where one is distinctly the effect of the other or that one is caused by another we are able to draw a distinct and familiar connection between the two. The inventory of causes and effects accumulated and stored in our memories form an amalgamation of ideas which thereby produces experience (Hume, 2005). Experience allows us to ascertain probabilities of truth and reality of some object as a cause of an event from a distant past or location. Experience, in relation to cause and effect, acquires persuasive weight when a substantial number of instances always produce the same effect and therefore, there is the irrefutable probability that the same effects will accrue from the same cause. It would take a madman to debunk an otherwise harmonically demonstrable reality. However, Hume opines that cause and effect are distinct from the other and that the â€Å"mind can never possibly find the effect in the supposed cause by the most accurate scrutiny and examination†. Why must the mind be forced to rely upon a single preference to a uniform effect of a particular cause from out of the myriad conceivable possibilities that can equally be inferred from the same event? Effect is veritably an event on its own quite removed from an analysis of the cause. There is one long, arbitrary road one must travel between two points. Conclusions that are drawn from various experiences of the operations of cause and effect are not founded on reasoning or of any process of understanding (Hume, 2005). It is human nature to find comfort and security in the authority of experience and the great guide of human life. The question of why there is a strong reliance for one instance is a curious matter. If reasoning favors one conclusion over a thousand instances then it would have hardly be able to conceive of any instance at all in the first place. This is to say that where the instances are equal in weight and to reason â€Å"seem fully as consistent and natural† then the instance so favored is no different from the instances ignored. On this point, Hume argues that the disparate treatment of ideas is not a result of reason but that of custom. Custom is the great guide of human life: â€Å"it is that principle alone which renders our experience [†¦] and makes us expect a similar train of events with those which have appeared in the pass† (Hume, 2005). It is the habitual and mechanical journey undertaken from cause to effect and the propensity to repeat the process not grounded on reasoning or process of understanding (Hume, 2005). The jump from one point to another informed by custom and not reason is perhaps the same underlying principle as in the case of religious belief and our firm, albeit capricious and whimsical, reliance on its traditional tenets. The realm of religious belief viz. custom is infinitive and limitless bounded only by ones imagination and thought. One may believe in most anything, however strange, bizarre and unreasonable, even heretical when weighed in the scales of extant orthodoxy or doctrinal standards. It is brought about by the customary conjunction between certain objects and perpetuated in history and individuals. Upon perusal of history and of ideas, the individual is inescapably led to adopt the same kind of inferential experience privy to the others. The moment that the idea crosses the individual’s mind that there is an existing mythical system to which events perceived through his senses are explained, the same individual begins to accrue other pieces of evidence from the operations of nature to buttress that belief. Any other explanation to a certain event is altogether ignored and totally rebutted. Notwithstanding the concomitant social pressure and other psychological factors by which man is inherently inclined to believe in the irrational, the individual begins to fashion arguments in such a way that nature becomes available to him and that events otherwise complexly intertwined makes sense merely on the belief of the a priori cause—god. Such invention or conception by man, as argued by Hume, is entirely arbitrary.Man sits on the certainty of matters of fact, irrefutable truths and reality not open.

A Probation And Parole Criminology Essay

A Probation And Parole Criminology Essay The idea of the corrections system has been around for a while. Within this system there lies several different types of programs that do not require an offender to be placed in a prison or jail. These programs to allow the offender to remain out in the community, while being closely monitored. The earliest and most common programs are probation and parole. These two programs allow most offenders to be in their normal everyday setting, unless otherwise stated by the judge or probation or parole officer. Usually this is the sentence given to offenders who have a non-violent offense and are less likely to run away. These are the offenders who are seen to be harmful to society. Probation and parole are two of the easiest ways to help with problems within the jail such as overcrowding. Background/History Probation and parole are two of the oldest programs within the corrections system that takes care of non-violent offenders. Before the development of these programs, the offenders would be placed into the same facilities as all the other offenders. This wasnt fair to the offenders, nor was it helpful to the staff there. The actual goal of probation and parole was not to place these people into prisons or jails, but to rehabilitate them while in the care of their community. Probation John Augustus was the father of probation, although there were similar practices around 437 BC. Augustus was your average, everyday man. However, his goal with probation was behavioral reform. He believed that if the system allowed the offender to stay within the community, they would get sort of a second chance. Then, by providing support and guidance from probation officers, the officers may in fact be able to reach the goal of assisting the offender in becoming a law-abiding individual. The word probation actually is a form of the Latin word probatio which mean to test or prove. The individuals who receive probation are called probationers. They are people who have been convicted of a crime and are given this sentence instead of going to jail. Probation officers are the people who supervise them. They are usually court-appointed and must make sure that their probationer follows the rules handed down to them by the court. Parole Parole was first used in Australia and Ireland. It was seen as an award for inmates who were on their best behavior. Parole is a privilege given to an individual when are eligible to parole. This happens after the prisoner receives a minimum or maximum sentence; then they become eligible with the decision of the parole board, which decides whether or not to put them on parole after a consideration hearing. Just like probation, this is a program that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders and getting them back into the community and on the right track. Parole was first introduced in the United States by Brockway Zebulon in 1876 as a way to reduce jail overcrowding. Zebulon also saw this as way to rehabilitate offenders by encouraging them to exhibit good behavior while incarcerated. This allows offenders to be let back into their community after serving a portion of their jail time and live, but under supervision from a Parole Officer. The parole period is based on a decision made by the board of parole. If the offender violates their parole while out, they are then placed back into the prison system. Both Alexander Maconochie and Walter Crofton played important roles in the development of the parole program. Literature Review Probation Evidence of probation goes all the way back to the Middle Ages (Ditton and Ford 1994). During that time, the court systems practiced suspended sentences. The first courts in America allowed these suspended sentences, but not every court used this (Young 1976). All of this occurred before John Augustus idea of probation came about (Ditton and Ford 1994). John Augustus was a local businessman who asked judges to allow him to pay the fines for offenders who had been convicted of minor or non-violent crimes and then allow him to supervise them (Ditton and Ford 1994). After bailing these individuals out, he helped them find jobs and monitored their changes (Young 1976). When it was time for the offender to return to court, Augustus went along and provided the judge with a report on how the offender was progressing. (Ditton and Ford 1994; Young 1976) In 1978, thanks to the success of John Augustus, the first probation law was passed in Massachusetts (Ditton and Ford 1994). However, it wasnt until after Chicago established the first juvenile court that probation became a popular and useful sentencing method (Young 1976). In 1925, the National Probation Act was passed, which ultimately created a probation system for the federal government (Ditton and Ford 1994; Young 1976). By 1956, every state had some form of probation as a sentencing method (Ditton and Ford 1994; Young 1976). There are two main goals established by the probation program. The first is to protect society from additional crime by the offender (Ditton and Ford 1994). The achievement of this goal usually comes through the report of a presentence investigation that is done to determine whether or not the offender is a risk to society (Ditton and Ford 1994). If the information that comes from this report confirm that the offender is in fact not a risk to society then they are sentenced to probation. If the information confirms that the offender is a dangerous offender and may be harmful to their community, then they are usually sentenced to more harsh repercussions (Ditton and Ford 1994). The second goal is to help the offenders (Ditton and Ford 1994). This is done through supervision and management (Ditton and Ford 1994). Probation officers are there to basically watch over the probationers and make sure that they stay away from things that could cause them to reoffend. They also monitor their actions and help keep them from violation rules that have been set as a result of their probation. As far as managing goes, the probation officer is there to lead the offender in the way that they need to go in order not to offend again (Ditton and Ford 1994; Young 1976). They are there to help and ultimately provide the offender with the resources that they need. This actually includes helping them to find employment which is a requirement when on probation. If a probationer violate their probation orders they will have their probation revoked. Their violations fall under one of two types. The first is technical, which is usually defined by minor violations (Ditton and Ford 1994). The second is a re-arrest or new offense (Ditton and Ford 1994). This is serious violation of probation rules. Another offense committed by the offender shows that the individual is not likely to adhere to the probation rules and not prepared to cooperate. These individuals tend to have their probation revoked and end up back in the jail or prison facilities (Ditton and Ford 1994). Over the years, the number of probationers has fluctuated. From 1995 to 2004, the number of individuals on probation rose from 3,077,861 to 4,151,125. This is about a 0.2% change in 2004, the smallest annual growth rate since 1979. In twenty-one states, the adult probation population decreased with Washington State being the only one who saw a double digit decrease. Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New Jersey were among the four states who saw an increase of more than 10% in probation population. Since 1990, probationers have accounted for about half the growth of the entire prison population. (Glaze and Palla 2005; Burrell 2005) As with anything, there are problems that occur with probation (Paparozzi and DeMichele 2008). When placed on probation, offenders are expected to follow the guidelines provided to them through the courts (Ditton and Ford 1994). However, we find that they dont always follow the rules and sometimes never get caught or charged. In 2004, in a certain area of Florida, 199,215 individuals were supposed to be on probation in particular month. About one of five offenders had disappeared; out of those left, close to one of four had an active violation report. Nothing was done because a judge stated that it would be hard to do something with each person that had violated their parole. Another problem with probation is that the officers experience heavy caseloads (Paparozzi and DeMichele 2008). They often have to pull overtime in order to keep up. Its hard for the officers to manage all their cases and be sure to keep up with supervising the offenders (Paparozzi and DeMichele 2008). This also tends to be an issue when it comes to parole officers. Parole The parole system goes back to the 1800s when Sir Walter Crofton introduced tickets of leave (Schuessler 1954). He used these to give to prisoners who experienced good behavior in exchange for an early release from prison. Crofton also introduced the idea of intermediate prisons (Schuessler 1954). Inmates could live and work in a supervised manner while carrying out their prison sentence (Schuessler 1954). As for the United States, Brockway Zebulon introduced the idea of the first parole system (Schuessler 1954). Zebulon used the help of volunteer community members to monitor the behavior of the inmates who were released. He wasnt focused on the help of police officers, as he believed they had enough on their plate. As time went on, he used the help of volunteer members who were concerned with the well-being of the individual. By the 1900s this idea had spread and become popular in every state except Virginia, Mississippi, and Florida. (Schuessler 1954; Dressler 1951; Abadinsky 1982) The parole board was established in 1902 (Schuessler 1954). This took the parolees out from under the control of the officers in prisons and allowed the parole board to define the rules and regulations for them (Abadinsky 1982). The board was made of three members; the deputy warden would sit in as the chair person (Abadinsky 1982). Prisoners would come before the board as their behavior was analyzed and the board would determine whether the convict deserved a parole (Schuessler 1954). The parole board established to manage paroles based on the convicts behavior (Virginia General Assembly 1992). However they also had to observe the convicts criminal history, prior supervision opportunities in the community, behavior in the prison during their jail time, and the convicts plans after being released (Abadinsky 1982). During this time, parole officers were introduced into the system. Their job was to monitor parolees once they are released from prison (Virginia General Assembly 1992). In 1910, inmates who were in any US prison received an automatic and equal chance to parole. No parole would be sentenced until the attorney general approves it. For prisoners who were sentenced to a life sentence would be able to go up for parole after 15 years. As a result of all of this, each prison had to hire a parole officer who would supervise the convict and help the parolees get a job. (Schuessler 1954; Dressler 1951; Abadinsky 1982) Within the time of being paroled, just like with probation, the parolee must abide by a set of rules (Schuessler 1954). The must meet with their parole officer at meetings established by the office. The must adhere to all other rules and regulations of being on parole. In the case of any new arrests, the parolee must report this to their parole officer (Schuessler 1954). If the parolee moves, they must make the parole officer aware. This also goes for any change in employment. During this time the officer cannot have any control substances in their possession nor be in the possession of a firearm (Schuessler 1954). Its also recommended that the parolee refrain from associating with individuals that may cause them to reoffend or could possibly get them in trouble in any way (Schuessler 1954). The number of individuals on parole went from 679,421 in 1995 to 765,355 in 2004. Therefore, the Nations parole population grew about 2.7%. This is a huge difference compared to the small growth of probation. A total of about ten states had double-digit increases in their parole population and as few as nine states saw decreases in their parole population. (Glaze and Palla 2005; Burrell 2005) There are numerous problems with the parole system (Paparozzi and DeMichele 2008; DeMichele and Payne 2007). One being the amount of caseload being given to parole officers (Schuessler 1954). The system seems to have a shortage of parole officers leading the ones that there are to have more cases, making it hard for them to keep control of what they have (Paparozzi and DeMichele 2008; DeMichele and Payne 2007). Another problem is the fact that if the individual is a reoffender, the chances of them reoffending is greater than those of a first-time offender (Schuessler 1954). This is true because the US has seen a high rate in recidivism over time. There is not much that can be done due to the lack of personnel. Probation and Parole Officers Basically, probation and parole officers serve the same duties. They are supposed to supervise and manage the offenders. This allows them to be case workers as well as law enforcers because they have to make sure the offenders dont break any laws. Some will argue that supervision is the most important aspect of the job. (DeMichele and Payne 2007) Probation and parole officer have several duties they must attend to. They conduct home visits, perform curfew checks and verify with the employer of the offender is actually employed. They also help the offender get into treatment facilities if they need it. Thats just a few of the duties that these officers accomplish. (Dressler 1951; Schuessler 1954) In order to became a probation or parole officer you must go through specialized training at a Peace Officer Standards and Training facility. Once this training is completed, they become POST certified peace officers. These officers must take part in quarterly training classes in a variety of areas concerning their job. Difference between probation and parole Most people think that probation and parole are the same thing. The have the same goal as to rehabilitate offenders, but they play two different roles. Probation is basically an extension to the offenders sentence, while parole is a reward given to prisoners for good behavior (Dressler 1951). Parole lessens the amount of time the individuals serves in prison (Dressler 1951). Probation is a sentence handed directly to the offender from the judge, but a parole board is in charge of the decision to grant an offender with parole (Dressler 1951). When it comes to parole, the judge has no say, the decision is left up to the parole board in the prison facility (Dressler 1951; Abadinsky 1982). Parolees are eligible for parole after they have served the minimum prison sentence that has been handed down to them (Abadinsky 1982). The board at this point determines whether or not the individual receives parole (Dressler 1951). As far as probation goes, this is based on the judges decision after determining the seriousness of the crime and whether or not the individual is likely to reoffend within the probationary period (Dressler 1951). Society on Probation and Parole Those within the community have mixed reactions about these programs. Most feel as if it is a good thing to try and rehabilitate these offenders. However, they are unsure how they feel about this individuals having contact within the community. They feel as if these individuals have already offended, that there is not much to keep them from offending again. As far as offenders are concerned, those who serve jail time are able sort of network within the prison walls. They develop these relationships with other prisoners that lead them back where they began. These relationships allow them to establish other relationships out in the community with other criminals or deviant individuals. This is not the case all the time, but for a majority of the time, this is the case. Some members of society realize this and begin to worry what could come of these relationships and networks that have been made. When an offender is released back into society, they have to learn how to control what happens as a result of being labeled. As an offender enters the prison system, they become labeled as an offender. This label then makes it hard for them to find employment, as well as make changes that lead and keep them on the right path. There are individuals who are willing to help these offenders, but most fear their past. This is when the help of the parole or probation officer comes into play. Its their job to help these individual get jobs or get into rehab or even continue with their education. More than likely, if an offender reoffends, its because they are unable to establish a place in society that keeps them busy. Idle hands are the devils workshop which means anyone who has free time to waste is more likely to offend than someone who is constantly doing something. Conclusion The jobs of being a probation or parole officer is not easy. On a day to day basis they have to deal with keeping track and supervising individual, as well as possibly receiving more individuals. Their job is already hard enough with making sure their probationers and parolees are following the rules, but when you have multiple things tend to get tricky. These officers are underappreciated. They are also often taken advantage of. These people come into these positions to help people. Thats why they choose this career, to try and make a difference in ones life. These two programs are very useful within our correction system. They provide for means of rehabilitation just as their founders wished they would. They also save tax payers a great deal of money. Prison overcrowding cause the tax payers of America to have to fork over more money to support the funding of prison and jail facilities. With probation and parole programs having been founded, we are able to save money and alleviate the crowding in these correctional facilities. Although they are not all fail proof, they do help.

Zoot Suits: Play And Movie Comparison

Zoot Suits: Play And Movie Comparison Traditionally, books and films are quite different because they refer to different forms of art. At the same time, many films are based on books and directors attempt to mirror the story conveyed by writers in their films. In this regard, effects of making a film on the basis of a book may differ consistently because of the vision of the director and his or her interpretation of the original story. At this point, it is possible to refer to Zoot Suit a play that was used by Luis Valdes in his film Zoot Suit. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the fact that the film appeared just two years after the debut of the play but still the book and the film are different for the director attempts to convey his vision of the story depicted by him in the play in the visual form, in his film. At first glance, it seems to be quite strange that the film and the play directed and written by one and the same person. In addition, the book and the film are based on the same story. In this regard, the difference between the book and the film are insignificant. To put it more precisely, on analyzing the plot of the book and the play, it is hardly possible to trace any substantial differences that strike the experienced viewer or reader. At the same time, the major difference between the film and the book can be found in the presentation of the story and its delivery to the audience. In fact, Zoot Suit is written by the famous playwright Luis Valdez and also it is featuring some incidental music. It debuted in 1979, and gained a fame of the first Chicano play on Broadway. However, the film version of the play was directed by Luis Valdez and debuted in 1981. Talking about differences between the written play and its film version, should be mentioned that they have little in common in many the details. In Zoot Suit, Luis Valdez weaves a story involving the real-life events of the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial when a group of young Mexican-Americans were wrongfully charged with murder and the Zoot Suit Riots. In the play, Henry Reyna (inspired by real-life defendant Hank Leyvas) is a pachuco gangster and his gang, who were unfairly prosecuted, are thrown in jail for a murder they did not commit Moreover, the written play is said to be set among the Los Angeles barrios during the early 1940s against, obviously, the Zoot Suit Riots backdrop and, further still, the Worl d War II. In play, as well as in the film, El Pachuco (who is an idealized zoot suiter) is portrayed with Edward James Olmos. He is a narrator whom we can observe throughout the entire story and he even serves as conscience of Henry. In such a way, the play conveys the tragic story of the murder and the fate of the main characters. In this regard, the play mirrors the tragic fate of many Mexican Americans sent to prison after commitment a crime. In such a way, the play mirrors the position of Mexican Americans and tragedies they encounter in their life. Paradoxically, the film is often said to be a comedy, although it has the message, which is, to a significant extent, similar to that of the play. According to some specialists (Tyler, 1994), the politically charged theme imbues the production with a particularly strong relevance for the cast. It is possible to relate a lot of the play to immigration issues and whats going on now. The tone of the musical is alternately somber and playful, while the hazy narrative structure often blurs the line between reality and fantasy (Cosgrove, 1989). Nevertheless, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the film contains comic or, to put it more precisely, ironic elements close to the black humor, whereas the play is the tragedy, where there is little room for any manifestations of humor. In addition, the film allowed Luis Valdez to use the full potential of the visual presentation of his vision of the story he conveyed in the play. To put it more precisely, the costumes and decorations he used in the film make the film quite different from the play, which seems to be a bit artificial and not so close to the real life as the film. The visualization contributes to the easier perception of the directors message compared to the book, where readers should complete images of the main characters with their own fancies, details they fancy out, while reading the book. In this regard, the film helps the audience to perceive characters as the director sees them. Furthermore, the actor play is also very important and distinguishes the film from the play consistently because the director often uses close-ups and other techniques to convey emotions of the main characters, their mood and feelings. In such a way, the film makes the audience feel more compassionate to the extent that the audience becomes a sort of participant of the film. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the visual perception is very important for the audience. On the other hand, the film leaves viewers little room for their fancies. Instead, the director convey clearly the message he wants to convey, whereas in the play, when people read the book, they can just fancy over the main characters, their environment and so on, while watching the staged play they cannot see beyond the scene and decorations looks artificially and do not make the story as realistic as the film does. Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that the film and the play Zoot Suit are quite different and the main difference can be traced in terms of the perception of the story by the audience. In fact, the film is closer to the audience, viewers can watch and feel emotions of the main characters. Instead, when they read the book or watch a staged play they cannot get rid of its artificiality and they need to complete existing gaps with their own ideas, imagination, and fancies.

What Should And Shouldnt Computer Be Allowed To Run :: essays research papers

What Should and Shouldn't Computer Be Allowed To Run Computers have always scared people. Not just because they can be confusing and hard to operate, but also because how they affect peoples everyday lives. What jobs should highly advanced computers be able to run? This question can involve ethics, privacy, security, and many other topics. What jobs can and can't we leave to the computer? As computers grow more and more advanced, not to mention complicated, so grows the number of job applications that can be filled by computers. But can we leave a job such as doctor to a highly advanced computer system? There are a great deal of moral issues involving that. What would happen if the doctor made a mistake? Could you sue the computer? What about the computer programmer? One error in the program could mean death for a patient. One job that I'm sure many people would give to a computer if they had the chance would be a lawyer. This eliminates the problem that occurs when someone with money is in trouble. They buy the best lawyer money can buy, but the person without any money cannot afford the great lawyers the other guy has. With this system, one single lawyer program could be provided to everyone so that the process of dispensing justice is much more fair. What about a judge and jury? Could a computer replace them? Is it right for a computer to pronounce sentence on an individual? Because computers don't have any kind of actual thought or will, some jobs would be perfect for computers. Security would be a good job for a computer to handle. People like their privacy and don't want to be watched over by someone all the time. If computers could tell if a crime is happening without a human to point it out, it might be alright to install these systems everywhere to detect crimes taking place without interfering with someone's privacy. I'm not talking about "Big Brother" from 1984, but something that would be fair to everyone. There is also the problem of changing jobs due to advancements in computer technology. There will be the same number of jobs available, but not at the same levels. More education will be needed for these new jobs. Computers might take away quite a few jobs from people doing manual labor on an assembly line, but at the same time, if something breaks down, there will have to be someone to come in and fix it.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay -- Lord of the Flies Good V

Lord of the Flies by William Golding Lord of the flies was written by William Golding in 1954. It is an enthralling, book that explores the concept of the behaviour of man when he is exempt from society. Golding achieves this by stranding a group of British schoolboys on a secluded island, in the midst of a war. Throughout this period the boys evolve from being civilised and let savagery take over. This book is well written and effectively presents the theme of the story: the evil that man is capable of. Once read, this book will stay in your memory for its provocative idea that humans are a flawed race. The story takes place on a remote, tropical island. As the island is secluded, there is no contact from the outside world. This is significant because this means that the rules that applied in the outside world don’t apply here. The boys are now free from society, which holds together people’s judgement of what is right and what is wrong. The absence of such an influential factor to the peace of man, permits anarchy to break out. The island is a microsm of the real world. This means that the same fundamental activities that take place in the real world also take place on the island, just on a smaller scale. For example the outside world is fighting an intense war; a war is also taking place on the island, the battle of civilisation and savagery. The lord of the flies presents many themes and ideas. The major ones being good versus evil or civilisation versus barbarism and the evil man is capable of. Golding portrays that there are two major impulses in man. Order and civilisation or anarchy and savagery. He also implies that anarchy is the more dominant impulse. He depicts the battle of good ve... ...brutality and evil of man. They have just killed piggy and have compared his body to one of a dead pigs, they don’t even view him as a human, let alone value the life of a human. The contrast presented in the quote, â€Å"Which is better – to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?† paints a picture of the central theme of the story. Civilisation or Savagery. The boys finally get rescued at the end of the book by a navy officer. Linked to the outside world it is ironic because this officer, dressed in white is depicted as an angel, their salvation. However this very soldier is a symbol of the evil man is capable of, by fighting in the war. This book has demonstrated that humans are flawed. We are capable of great evil. This is still relevant in today’s society because, put under the right situations, you too could carry out unspeakable atrocities.

Animal Testing is Animal Cruelty :: Animal Testing

Animal Testing is Animal Cruelty We, as humans, have made numerous advancements in the world. We have firmly established the scientific evolution, but in doing so, it seems that our ethics and morals have failed to progress as well. The knowledge we have acquired is remarkable, but with it comes responsibility to use it wisely and ethically. We torture and heartlessly kill creatures that we arrogantly consider lesser beings simply at our disposal. For something as simple as eye makeup animals are tortured and blinded by tests performed at the laboratory. Where they are hardly fed, often forced to live in filth, and sometimes have their vocal cords removed to keep them quiet (CAAT). We are systematically cutting down the last forest that provides their shelter to farm cattle; we dump toxic chemicals and sewage into the waters in which they live; we wear and display the tusks of the last few of their species in our homes, and we pour cosmetic products into their eyes and body parts to determine the harmful effects the y might cause on humans, even though the physiological differentiation between humans and the animals they use is drastic. On a daily basis most people do not see their own degree of unintentional support towards this global dilemma, but when compiled on paper one must question how mankind can, with conscience, commit these acts which shame us as human beings. Animals possess the same kinds of feelings and emotions as human beings, and without anesthesia, they are subjected to the pain as well. Mankind often fails to give animals the respect and rights they deserve, they are treated as lifeless, unfeeling scientific specimens and items that we may manipulate at our own convenience and for vanity’s sake. The Facts of Animal Tests - Laboratory research involving animals is cruel and merciless treatment of helpless creatures. No law requires that cosmetics and household products be tested on animals. Nevertheless, every day hundreds of animals will have had their eyes, skin or g astrointestinal systems unnecessarily burned or destroyed (PETA). Two of the most common animal tests are the Draize, or eye irritancy test and the LD50 (Lethal Dose 50). The Draize test is performed almost exclusively on albino rabbits, such as the Forida White, because they are cheap, docile, and are not â€Å"equipped† with tear ducts to wash away the chemicals. During the test the rabbits are immobilized in a stock with only their head protruding and a solid or liquid is placed in the lower lid of one eye of the rabbit; substances vary from mascara to aftershave and even oven cleaner.

You Changed My Life

You Changed My Life is a 2009 Filipino movie starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz. It is the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster movie A Very Special Love, starring Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz. Filming has started in November 2008, just in time for its February 25, 2009 release as Star Cinema and VIVA Films' post-Valentine offering to Filipino moviegoers and received again an â€Å"A† rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board. Cathy Garcia Molina reprises directorial duties for the franchise. It is now the â€Å"Highest Top-Grossing Filipino Movie of All Time† to beat â€Å"Ang Tanging Ina Ninyong Lahat† for its (YCML) 3rd week of showing. Synopsis Its been six months since Laida Magtalas (Sarah Geronimo) won the heart of her prince charming Miggy Montenegro (John Lloyd Cruz) and it has been nothing but roses-she got promoted, Flippage is now in the same building where Miggy works and best of all, her hair looks better. To Laida,nothing can break her perfect little world. Miggy feels like hes on top of the world. He's is finally okay with his family and for the first time,he's in a relationship that has meaning,He is slowly proving to everyone that he is indeed a work in progress. But things quickly proven not quite what they seem. Miggy gets promoted but is assigned in Laguna. Laida,on the other handare,is being offered a job to Canada. With their careers leading Laida and Miggy to different paths, their relationship suffers from the pressures of being apart. Will Laida and Miggy be able to keep their happily ever after? Or will they realize,a little to late,that living the dream is actually harder than attaining it. Main Cast John Lloyd Cruz as Miguel â€Å"Miggy† Montenegro, Sarah Geronimo as Adelaida â€Å"Laida† Magtalas Supporting Cast Dante Rivero as Luis Montenegro, Rowell Santiago as Art Montenegro, Johnny Revilla as Roger Montenegro, Bing Pimentel as Alice Montenegro, Al Tantay as Tomas Magtalas, Irma Adlawan as Baby Magtalas, Arno Morales as Stephen Magtalas, Miles Ocampo as Rose Magtalas, Andre Garcia as Lio Magtalas, Joross Gamboa as John Rae, Bernard Palance as Mon, Matet De Leon as Zoila, Gio Alvarez as Vincent, Kalila Aguilos as Violy, Cj Jaravata as Jules, Epifania â€Å"Panying† Limon as Office Utility

Advertising Essay

Every day, whether watching tv, listening to the radio, or driving in the car, people encounter all sorts of advertisements. For as long as most can remember, advertising has been all over the place, and over time it has weaved its way into the day to day lives of society. The use of advertising is to grab one’s attention and to persuade them of something, usually to buy a service or a product. And whether we realize it or not, negatively or positively, advertisements affect people psychologically. Some of them use bright colors, others use statistics, and some use humor to grab one’s attention. One such advertisements comes from the gym, Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness attracts members by use of humor and by appealing to the physical and financial needs of the ‘average joe’ in their advertisements. In this commercial, there are young, fit women walking around the locker room talking about how hot they are and how hot they think each other are, all the while a normal woman of a little older age sits in her towel and witnesses their conversation. You can tell that she’s clearly uncomfortable with being in the situation. She then goes on to tell the fitness instructor â€Å"†¦ And that’s why I don’t like gyms† and the instructor responds with â€Å"Well, we’re not a gym. We’re Planet Fitness†. So they understand that not everybody that goes to the gym is a big muscled hunk, and that sometimes it can be a little uncomfortable being around people that are like that. The way that Planet Fitness is built and the way in which they carry themselves, is that they make the customer feel that they are what’s most important to the company. They care about making you feel comfortable while being able to exercise in a public gym. Planet Fitness also understands that not everybody is made up of extra money. This is taken from the Planet Fitness website, â€Å"We don’t have any salespeople, and we don’t bother with all the extras like juice bars and childcare that drive up costs and can make a gym membership seem more like a car payment. Instead, we’ve boiled our business down to the things that you really want in a health club – clean, stylish, hassle-free facilities that are filled with tons of brand-name cardio and strength equipment, and a lot of happy people. If you’re looking for a comfortable, friendly place to exercise, and like a great deal, then you’ll love Planet Fitness. † (http://www. planetfitness. com/About-Planet-Fitness-Gym). They offer memberships for just ten dollars a month, which is an amazing bargain compared to other big name gyms such as the YMCA or 24 Hour Fitness. By offering cheap rates, it creates a great incentive for somebody to exercise at Planet Fitness. Lastly, Planet Fitness seems to appeal to women in this advertisement. It’s socially acceptable to say that women are looked at as being more sensitive than men when it comes to their appearance and body image. So in this particular ad, they show that the â€Å"normal† woman is very very uncomfortable in the locker room and it’s actually a deal breaker for her when it comes to going to the gym. So by showing this advertisement, Planet Fitness can attract more female customers just by letting them know that they won’t be judged at the gym and they can exercise with a peace of mind. With all this being said, it can be concluded that the advertisement by Planet Fitness is a successful one. By appealing to people’s wallets and through their understanding of the â€Å"comfort zone†, and having humorous commercials, they’ve established credibility with the public as being a welcoming, friendly gym all at a low cost.

My American Dream

The American dream can have so many different meanings to so many different people around our country. This is what makes the American dream so wonderful, the fact that you get to determine your dream is in some cases the American dream for some people already! Luckily I myself am able to determine my American dream. I have always thought of my American dream of being able to live a simple life in which I am able to have a stable job that I enjoy.Most importantly though is I would like to not only have free time and do things that enjoy like watch my favorite sports team or spend time with my friends. Overall I guess you could just say that I would just like to live my life to the fullest. Some other things that I would like to be included in my American dream is being able to manage my time the way I want to, although this sounds like a very simple wish in my opinion people don’t realize how much time can dictate your life.So many times I find myself missing out on the opport unity to do something simply because there wasn’t enough time. Lastly but most importantly I dream of living a long-term healthy life because no matter what you wish for, you would never be able to enjoy it without your health. I believe that my American dream is reasonable and achievable and one day I hope to end up getting to live a life similar to this.

How effectively has Steinbeck created tension during the incident with Candy’s dog? Essay

The killing of Candy’s dog in Steinbeck’s novel â€Å"Of mice and men† is a very important incident. The author makes this scene very tense using different techniques. Everything starts because Slim considers the dog is useless and has a bad smell. â€Å"He ain’t no good† (p70). And as he just got five puppies he believes Candy could make good use of one of those. Candy, very nervous and doubtful, finally accepts that killing his dog, which has been with him for a very long time, will be the best to do. Even though he knows that he will miss him. Carlson, described as â€Å"thick bodied† (p70), goes out of the ranch and kills the dog. These moments in the ranch are of absolute silence, and nobody is able to break this silence. â€Å"Silence fell† (p75). Time seems to pass very slowly; every sound scares everyone, until we can finally hear a shot from outside. The poor old dog was killed, we knew he should die, but didn’t want it to happen. After this death, everything came back to normality in the ranch, or the men were at least talking to each other again. In these pages, Steinbeck uses different techniques to achieve tension and time passing slowly. Time passing slowly can be shown when he starts sentences with a conjunction. â€Å"And slim †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p74). â€Å"And the silence †¦ † (p75). This creates a long pause between one sentence and the other, giving a sense of conclusion. Steinbeck uses time in a very special way to increase tension. The more slowly the time passes, the tension increases greatly, â€Å"A minute passed and another minute† (p75). The author is really emphasised in time, we can almost listen the tic-tac of the clock, which makes us feel nervous, not really about what is going to happen, but whatever it is; we want it to happen immediately. Steinbeck also uses a series of short sentences in page 75, just before the smelly dog is going to be killed. â€Å"It was silence outside. Carlson’s footsteps died away. The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.† (p75) This short sentences makes the reader pause a lot, it suggests that something dramatic is about to happen. It makes everything be very tense, you could just cut the tension with a scissor. In pages 75 and 76 there is a lot of repetition of the word silence. Steinbeck uses this word seven times through the passage. He really wants us to know about the atmosphere in the room, in complete silence. George won’t even break himself the stillness by shuffling the cards, but everybody is grateful for things that break the silence. â€Å"A little gnawing sound †¦ all the man looked toward it gratefully.† (p75). This silence is personified by Steinbeck â€Å"The silence came into the room† (p75). It seems as if the silence is another character in the scene, invading the room, making everybody feel nervous. It really increases a lot the tension. Steinbeck seems to have divided the characters, Candy: the one being hurt, Carlson; acting as the antagonist, the rest of the man; just avoiding the situation, and Slim acting as a sort of judge. Candy is suffering and is very uncomfortable as we can see in these pages. He might even be desperate. â€Å"Candy looked from help from face to face† (p72). This shows Candy’s loneliness, he is alone while his dog is about to die. Carlson clearly is the antagonist; he is waiting anxiously to kill the dog, to shoot the back of his skull. He does not care about the bond between Candy and his dog; he doesn’t feel any emotion at all. This is seen through the following quotation â€Å"I’d put the gun right there† (p72). George, Whit and the other men are evading the situation. They dislike the dog too, but prefer to stay in absolute silence and play cards instead of helping his good old friend. Slim is acting as a sort of judge, because he is trying to please Carlson and at the same time convince Candy about the situation. It is night in this scene and very dark. â€Å"Darker’n hell in here† (p70). It shows that something bad is about to happen, and when it is about to happen, or when it gets near, the darker it gets. â€Å"Out into the darkness† (p75). The dark sky is invading everything, everyone. Death is near. They can fell it in this atmosphere, were nobody can see clearly. Steinbeck also uses a comparison; at the beginning he compares George and Lennie to Candy and his dog. They are live partners; one of them takes care of the other. They are both friends who love each other and would do everything for his partner. Until now, that Candy accepted to kill his dog believing it would be the best thing to do. He didn’t even say good-bye. This might tell us that George will do the same with Lennie, maybe make a new friend, who knows.

Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Civil War - Essay Example The Civil War took place in the years 1861 through 1865. The parties involved were the United States of America (USA) and Confederate States of America. USA or the Union forces were led by President Abraham Lincoln, who is credited for abolition of slavery in the country. According to Divine et al, the victory of the Union forces in the Civil War helped to maintain territorial integrity, abolished slavery, and initiated a lengthy process of post-war reconstruction that ultimately shaped up the present day USA with a strong federal form of governance. Moreover, according to Sprague (a soldier of the Union forces), USA actually wanted to enthrall â€Å"the great principals of the human freedom and free labour†. These principals remain at the heart of the American nationhood even today. Thesis Statement: Based on my reading of these letters I argue that the American experience during the Civil War was characterized by sincere patriotism even in most miserable conditions of milita ry camps and general hardships. Brief Summary of Each Source The documents that have been chosen for analysis are six letters written to Juliana Reynolds between the years 1862 and 1864, when the Civil War was at its height. The summary of each source is being given below: 1. Letter from Hiram P. Sprague to Juliana Reynolds, Feb 22, 1862 (Camp Jameson): Sprague was Reynolds’ cousin and he was writing from the battle field. In the letter, he first describes the difficulties he was facing in the military camp. Then he writes about Tilton, who was Reynolds’ beloved son. Next he writes about the progress of the Union forces. He further furnishes a vivid description of the land and vegetation of the Southern states. 2. Letter from John S. Smith to Juliana Reynolds, Apr 20, 1862 (Camp near Yorktown): Reynolds was Smith’s sister, and this letter shows how guilty Smith felt for not being able to write to her in proper time. Moreover, he describes the situation of the fr ont with great enthusiasm. He further writes, â€Å"Our pickets and the rebels pickets are so close to each other in places that they can converse with each other.† Then he writes about Tilton and certain changes in the contemporary postal services for the military personnel. 3. Letter from Hiram P. Sprague to Juliana Reynolds, May 24, 1862 (Camp advanced on to Richmond): This letter extensively describes the contemporary situation of the rebel Southern states long with military progress of the Union forces. Sprague also writes on his worries about the fact that the war might linger, otherwise â€Å"why does the president Call out fifty thousand more troops?† This letter clearly exhibits the discomfort of a soldier at different high level government actions. 4. Letter from John S. Smith to Juliana Reynolds, Jul 22, 1862 (Camp near Harrisons Landing): In this letter, Smith informs his sister that he had been posted in a hospital. He faced tremendous pressure of work in his new engagement. He also appeared to be doubtful about USA’s success in the war. The letter is an evidence of the fact that the war situation had become rather complicated by the mid 1862. 5. Letter from J.B. McCracken to Juliana Reynolds, Aug 6, 1863 (Camp Parole): McCracken was Reynolds’ friend, and he wrote very anxiously about the war. He wrote about the risks and sufferings of the army. The letter can be used to prove that the Union forces were suffering a lot during those years. 6. Letter from John Conser to Juliana Reynolds, Sep 5, 1864 (Camp near Petersburg): Conser was another cousin of Reynolds. In this letter too, the writer expresses deep concerns about the lingering war. However, he also writes about the successes of the Union forces and surmounting pressure on the rebels. Key Themes that

Joint Terrorism Task Force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Joint Terrorism Task Force - Essay Example Before 911 the United States had 35 formal joint terrorism task forces. Immediately following the attacks the FBI director instructed all field offices to establish these task forces. Task forces are staffed with a supervisory special agent and the staff generally consists of those with experience in domestic and international terrorism. These are combined with state and local law enforcements officials who are trained in a variety of skills and abilities which are useful in situations that threaten the security of an area, citizen, or the United States. Coordinators have experience in counterterrorism measures and are able to manage administrative tasks effectively. They manage budgets, acquisition of needed supplies or manpower, hey will also schedule surveillance coverage; these functions are assigned by the Supervisory Special Agent. Those special agents in charge within local field offices must harmonize and accommodate all law enforcement agencies that want to become involved in the counter terrorism efforts. Following 911 these agencies increased substantially and it is recognized that local agencies now play a critical part in maintaining homeland security (Casey, 2004). It was in 1979 that New York first used the idea of combining federal and local law enforcement resources in response to the overwhelming crime rate and the high percentage of crimes considered federal crimes committed in New York during a period of organized crimes days of glory. Bank robberies were also an influencing factor in this decision, being federal crimes occurring locally. The JTTF began with only 11 members form the New York Police Department and 11 FBI investigators (Robert, 1999). The success of the JTTF concept is the combination of personnel with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and abilities, the public’s perceptions and the actual functions of the JTTF were changed drastically after the initial World Trade Center bombing which

Scholarly Journal Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Scholarly Journal Review - Essay Example The paper also states that the definition of this model is highly evolving in response to the changing needs of our schools in the global education reforms. Introduction The emergence of the instructional leadership model is known to have brought about improved educational outcomes in schools in contrast to the earlier leadership models, which have been used in our schools today, that is, situational leadership, contingency theory, and trait theories. This model focuses on the manner in which teachers as well as the school administrators apply the educational leadership to improve performance in schools. Conceptualizing instructional leadership The instructional leadership model has been identified with a strong, effective, and directive leadership, which is focused on curriculum and instructions from the principal, as one of the characteristics of elementary schools, effective at teaching schoolchildren from the poor urban communities. The instructional leadership focuses mainly on the principal as the center of expertise, authority and power in any school. The importance of this role of the principal was inferred from studies that examined change implementation, schools improvement, school effectiveness, as well as program improvement. The two articles concludes that the â€Å"leadership skills† of the schools’ principal are one of the key contributing factors in explaining successful, school improvement and school effectiveness. After reading the above articles, the following are some of the areas I learnt about conceptualizing instructional leaders in our schools especially in secondary schools since this is where most principals apply (Cuban, 1997). Instructional leaders are goal oriented and they only focus on student academic outcomes. Their mission is to ensure that the curriculum is best for the students; they too ensure that the students’ performance can be assessed; hence, this has helped many students in performing better in the ir education. The instructional leaders are also seen as culture builders in the sense that they try to create an academic press which focus on high standards for students as well as for teachers. This ensures that the schools like other sectors have their own culture centered on their improved performance. This ensures that the students have set goals and objectives, hence, work towards achieving those goals. This makes the schools performances improve. The growing concerns on effective schools focusing on poor urban schools in need of a substantial change, then makes the instructional leaders to be conceived to be strong and directive leader. They have helped the poor urban schools in performing better; hence, students are in a position to achieve good grades than they did before. It is the principal’s role to work with staff in order to ensure that the school has clear and measurable goals, which are focused on academic performance of the students. The principal also ensur e that the above mentioned goals are widely known and also supported throughout the community. This statement does not mean that it is only the principal who defines the school mission alone but he/she ensures that the school has a clear academic mission and then communicates it to the staff The instructional leadership also focuses on coordination and control of the schools curriculum as well as monitoring the student’s progress in classrooms. Here, the leader is deeply engaged in the schools instructional