Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Yellow Birds By Kevin Powers - 897 Words

Some believe that birds help express spiritual freedom and psychological liberation with the different colors of birds that are associated with various meanings; specifically the yellow bird means you should keep your guard up. In the novel, The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers, John Bartle becomes guarded and isolated because of his internal battles created by his experiences from war. Bartle struggles with the lack of control he has over the events that happen to him in during his time in the military. He fights with his helplessness when he tries to transition to his lifestyle at home. He also cannot control how he changes as a person. When we think of war we think of the physical damage we see on the exterior but what we cannot see is the psychological damage in the interior of a person. Bartle’s lack of control over the situations he faces in the military leaves him powerless. He soon realizes this early in the book as Powers writes, â€Å"the war came to me in my drea ms and showed me its sole purpose: to go on, only to go on. And I knew the war would have its way† (6) He understands that no matter what he does or whatever happens to him at war, the war will continue on. Bartle respects his sergeant, Sterling, because he is in control of his changing world; he know what it takes to be at war. But Bartle also hates him for the fact that Sterling has an authority to command whether he dies or lives. An example of his command is when he decides what happens to Murph’sShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Birds By Kevin Powers1489 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel, The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers you see characters that have the intent to do good, but come up short and fail. Everybody has instances throughout their lives where they will try extremely hard, but fail in the end. A lot of these instances may even be just the smallest things, but when they happen it is never a good feeling. You will get feelings of disappointment, and anger, but the pr oblems that occur in Kevin Power’s book are much more than that. The book The Yellow Birds is a fictionalRead MoreThe Yellow Birds1036 Words   |  5 PagesValerie Paz K88875155 03/27/13 10:00 In the novel â€Å"The Yellow Birds† by Kevin Powers the story is based on a twenty-one year old soldier and his experience in the war in Iraq. The twenty-one year old man’s name is John Bartle, a survivor of the war. The novel explains about the casualties and numerous amounts of times that John is surrounded by death and decay in Al Tafar, jumping back and forth through time explaining his experiences before and after the war. This novel is a very well writtenRead MoreRyan Smithsons Ghost of War1099 Words   |  4 Pagesit produces for war authors. When compared to Kevin Powers’ The Yellow Birds the difference between the typical ur-war story and what Smithson has written becomes obvious. The major issue with war literature is that the everyday civilian has no problem reading it however they are unable to connect to it. Typical war literature is to inform but the information is lost along the way with the abundance of bloody battles and psychological break dow ns. Powers has written war literature made to draw in theRead MoreThe Yellow Birds And Paul Haggis Movie1992 Words   |  8 PagesIn both Kevin Powers novel, The Yellow Birds and Paul Haggis movie, In the Valley of Elah the authors explore PTSD, pain and loss that many soldiers and their family members feel once they return. They explain these ideas with the help of the bodies of two soldiers. These bodies are the main focal point that they branch out and show the out reaching effects of their deaths. The biggest differences are between two of the main characters, Bartle and Hank and how they each handled their PTSD, pain andRead MoreJoker and Batman Essay9227 Words   |  37 Pagesplayboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to the peak of physical and intellectual perfection, don a costume, and fight crime. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superhuman powers or abilities; he makes use of intellect, detecti ve skills, technology, and physical prowess in his war on crime. Contents [hide] 1 Publication history 1.1 Creation 1.2 Early years (1939-1949) 1.3 The fifties and early sixties (1950-1963)Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesdetermining beginnings and endings that accord with major shifts in political and socioeconomic circumstances and dynamics rather than standard but arbitrary chronological break points. In the decades that followed the Great War, the victorious European powers appeared to have restored, even expanded, their global political and economic preeminence only to see it eclipsed by the emergence of the Soviet and U.S. superpowers on their periphery and a second round of even more devastating global conflict.Read MoreRÃÆ' ©sumÃÆ' © Marketing Management, 14th Edition - Kotler Keller26673 Words   |  107 PagesKOTLER RESUME Marketing Management Philip Kotler – Kevin Lane Keller SUMMARY PART 1 Understanding Marketing Management 4 Defining Marketing for the 21st Century 4 Developing Marketing Strategies and Plans 5 PART 2 Capturing Marketing Insights 13 Collecting Information and Forecasting Demand 13 Conducting Marketing Research 16 PART 3 Connecting with Customers 18 CreatingRead MoreHsc General Math Textbook with Answers153542 Words   |  615 PagesG K Powers CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sà £o Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia www.cambridge.edu.au Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521138345  © The Powers Family Trust 2010 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of anyRead MoreBrand Building Blocks96400 Words   |  386 PagesPressure To Compete On Price There are enormous pressures on nearly all firms to engage in price competition. In all industries from computers to cars to frozen dinners to airlines to soft drinks, price competition is at center stage, driven by the power of strong retailers, value-sensitive customers, reduced category growth, and overcapacity (often caused by new entrants and by old competitors hanging on, sometimes via bankruptcy). Retailers have become stronger year by year, and they have used thatRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesgo hand-in-hand. If every organization practiced a high level of social responsibility the consumer movement might never have begun. Consumerism is a struggle for power between buyers and sellers; specifically, it is a social movement seeking to increase the rights and powers of buyers in relation to sellers. Seller’s rights and powers are presented in the following list: To introduce any product in any size and style they wish into the marketplace, so long as it is not hazardous to personal health

Friday, December 20, 2019

Article Review Strengths And Weaknesses - 1053 Words

Article Critiques: Students will be assigned articles that address issues in research methodology and statistics. For each article, the student will be required to write a brief summary of the article, including the methods and findings. Students will then write a critique of the articles’ strengths and weaknesses (both must be included for credit). Critiques should not exceed two pages, typed. It is important to be concise and to highlight the most important points. Each article should begin with an APA-style citation of the article. Platt, J. (1964). Strong Inference. Science, 146(3642), 347-353. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1714268 Platt discussed how some scientific fields like molecular biology and high-energy physics†¦show more content†¦Having multiple hypotheses will help lead to disproofs, alternative hypotheses, and a strong inference. No scientist will be attached to his or her one hypothesis, as he will have multiple. Platt suggests that multiple hypotheses will not only lead to a strong inference, but also make the scientific search an intellectual and emotional motivation. Platt states that a theory is only a theory if it can be disproved by an experimental result. He further goes on to say that every alternate hypothesis is a pleasant prize of inductive inference. Strong inference helps scientists become more problem-oriented as long as they are willing to try new methods and not stick to just one. When experiments agree upon one or two decimal places, alternative hypotheses are not excluded, bur when an experiment agrees upon five decimal places, alternative hypotheses are excluded, but should still consider looking into alternative hypotheses. Platt states that qualitative science is better than quantitative science, but despite the kind of science proof and disproof are primary and essential. While scientists measure, define, compute, and analyze, they do not exclude, and exclusion is necessary to have progressive and fast scientific outcomes. Platt believes that strong inference can be the customary direction for potential scientific effectiveness . Strong inference can be taught and learned by nearly anyone if practiced regularly. Strong inference is the question that asks howShow MoreRelatedArticle Reviews : My Weaknesses And My Strengths1123 Words   |  5 PagesJacquelin Garcia English 071 September 29, 2014 Dear Sarah, While writing the article reviews, I saw my weaknesses and my strengths. I found that Sometimes it’s difficult for me to get started with an idea, but when I’m going through the writing process it breaks it down of me so I’m able to keep up and revise even better. When the time came to revise my essay in class I noticed proofreading strategies. I was able to catch my own mistakes and found a lot of parts that didn’t even make sense.Read MoreSocial Worker Perspective On Elder Abuse1535 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Review Factors that Lead to Elder Abuse Lin Giles (2013) article outlines a model with interactions patterns which leads to dysfunctional communication and subsequently, elder abuse in the home, along with factors that lead to elder abuse. According to Lin Giles (2013); Anthony et al. ( 2009), the model allows people to see the ways in which abuse is provoked, maintained, and hidden, thereby, providing an avenue for community educational programs, social support and resourcesRead MoreIntegrative Review : Obesity And Obesity1528 Words   |  7 PagesIntegrative Review Synthesis The number of obese and overweight individuals throughout the world is rapidly growing. There are many factors that contribute to the reason obesity has become such an epidemic. The purpose of this integrative review is to review and critically appraise the literature on the socioeconomic factors that influence obesity in a community. After doing so, one is able to better understand the strengths, weaknesses, gaps and inconsistencies within the literature. SynthesisRead MoreThe Importance Of Concept Development And Concept Analysis869 Words   |  4 Pagesanalysis† (Wills McEwen, 2011). Without this clarification, information on concepts become broad, ambiguous, and hard to appreciate. The concept this author chose is from Jean Watson’s Theory of Caring. The concept is caring. First, a literature review of the caring concept will be done. Second, this paper will discuss two characteristics of caring. Third, it will explore model cases of caring as well as a contrary and a related case. Fourth, antecedents and consequences will be discussed. FinallyRead More10A2 UnitActivity 1 Essay670 Words   |  3 Pagesdiscussion. That is, critical reading helps to decipher the writer’s way of thinking. The first step in critical reading is to preview the text to grasp the main ideas. Next, you annotate and analyze the supporting evidence in the text and then review the entire text once again. The process of critical reading is very closely related to critical thinking, the process of actively forming concepts based on information provided, synthesizing the concepts, and evaluating the information. The followingRead MoreComparative Effectiveness And Quality Improvement Of Public Healthcare Systems Essay1113 Words   |  5 PagesGSPH5900 Comparative Effectiveness Quality Improvement of Public Healthcare Systems Fall 2016 Assignment I: Article Critique on â€Å"Comparative Performance of Private and Public Healthcare Systems in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review† Essentially, every country’s health care providers are categorized into either public or private. This particular article enlists six categories of health care providers including multinational and national for-profit corporations; formal individualRead MoreEssay on Critique Analysis of Crafting Strategy1514 Words   |  7 PagesA Critical Review Of Crafting Strategy - Henry Mintzberg Table Of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................. 2 Wider Debate Of Strategy .................................................................. 2 Placing The Article In The Wider Debate.................................... 4 Strengths Weaknesses of the article......................................... 4 Conclusion...................................................Read MoreCritical review of Crafting Strategy Essay1512 Words   |  7 PagesA Critical Review of â€Å"Crafting Strategy† By Henry Mintzberg Word Count: 1068 1 Contents Page Introduction 3 Placing of the article in the wider strategy debate 3-4 Discussion of Strengths and Weaknesses 4-5 Conclusion 5 Reference 6-8 2 Introduction Strategic management contains various subjects and topics, most of which do not have the consistent identity (Ketchen, Boyd and Bergh, 2008). It is no doubt that there are still many debates towards strategyRead MoreArticle Critique Of Joshua Palkki1232 Words   |  5 PagesArticle Critique of Joshua Palkki (2015) American music teachers need to understand and meet the needs of their Latino/a students, and Palkki (2015) researches approaches that would aid music educators, specifically high school choir directors, in reaching and serving this population in his article â€Å"If it fits into their Culture, then they will have a Connection: experiences of two Latina students in a select high school choir.† Palkki (2015) presents a qualitative case study regarding two LatinaRead MoreHow The Management Teams Should Be Given Power Limitations On Their Decision Choices For Their Employees1498 Words   |  6 PagesManagers must perform an economic analysis of the industry to confirm how HR departments are operated with the competitions companies. The writer reviewed an article by Schmidt that provided data on the courier service industry. The data will be used to review the economic growth of the industry and its impact on the selected company. Schmidt’s article provides the writer with information on key players, products and services, and economic growth in the package delivery industry (Schmidt, 2015). The

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Astrazeneca-report free essay sample

AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company that was created when the Swedish company ‘Astra’ and the British company ‘Zeneca Group’ merged in 1999 (Jerrang Goldberg, 2011). Since then, it has immersed itself into the competitive pharmaceutical market and become a very successful business that specialises in the â€Å"research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals† (AstraZeneca, 2011). PEST Analysis Political Regulations for testing the drugs could change Growing pressure to release more cost-effective drugs Becoming increasingly harder to launch a new drug onto the market because of the regulations enforced by organizations such as the F. D. A. Economical Invested heavily abroad in emerging markets e. g. China and India Increased pressure from shareholders, leads to more mergers and acquisitions Consumers choosing not to try new products Social ( Cultural) There will always be a market for new drugs, e. g. Aging population therefore there is a shift in the drugs needed Animal rights activists could prevent the testing of a new drug to take place Technological Improved IT communications between suppliers and itself Invested heavily in software such as Lean Sigma to improve cycle time efficiency of the drugs Table 1: PEST Analysis Company Overview Porters Five Forces Image 1: Porters Five Forces In 2010, AstraZeneca’s most successful drugs were (Cooper, 2010): 1. Nexium: A drug for heartburn and stomach ulcers 2. Crestor: An anti-cholesterol drug 3. Symbicort: A drug that is used to treat asthma (respiratory drug) 4. Armidex: A breast cancer drug 5. Seroquel: An anti-psychotic treatment (SEROQUEL XR, 2011) Value Chain The value chain was developed by Michael Porter and can be a powerful tool when analysing a company’s organisation and performance. It allows key areas to be highlighted as it offers a quick but thorough overview of a company’s infrastructure allowing one to review it and determine any areas for improvement. The main point of a table such as the one below is to establish whether or not AstraZeneca PLC has any competitive advantages over its competitors. Firm Infrastructure General Management, Compliance, Global Commercial, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, Operations, Legal, Research and Development, Safety, PR, Quality Management, IT (Drew Fairchild, 2012) Human Resource Management Expatriate Management, effective and relevant training programmes, consistent policies for employees, recruiting and hiring new employees, motivating and rewarding employees Technological Development Increasing efficiency of employees, investment in technologies such as Lean Sigma to reduce manufacturing costs, ensuring specialised training is undertaken before implementing the various technologies, design for a new drug Procurement Restructuring, reviewing the prices of the drugs currently being sold, improving research and development costs, reviewing general and administrative costs, researching more cost effective options for buying high quality raw materials, constant monitoring of performance (Anon. , 2011) Inbound Logistics Storing and handling of raw materials Contact with suppliers Operations Manufacturing processes, research and development, human and animal testing, constant evaluation of products, clinical trials Outbound Logistics Delivery schedule that is efficient, distribution, cost-effective, transportation, fulfilling orders – predicting which products will be in demand, packaging, storage Marketing and Sales Costs, highly trained sales team, identifying target audiences and advertising accordingly, engaging the customers Service Guaranteed quality, instructions on how to fully utilise the product, extensive testing and post launch clinical studies Table 2: Value Chain for AstraZeneca PLC Business Model Key Partners Discovery: MRC Technology Columbia University University of Virginia Karolinska Institutet Merck Clinical development: Nektar (NKTR-118) Forest (Zinforo) Rigel (Fostamatinib) Launched medicines: BMS (Onglyza) Pozen (Vimovo) New Opportunities: Alcon Galderma Three-year collaboration agreement with IMS Health Key Activities Focus heavily on RD Very interested in using technology to maximise efficiency and cut costs. Channels Their customers (being mainly distributors) look towards organizations such as N. I. C. E. (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and the FDA to approve the drugs they are interested in purchasing. New products are announced through the media along with statistics of how they compare with similar drugs on the market. Price is a main factor in obtaining customers loyalty as well as quality. Value Proposition Have personalised healthcare (PHC) where they match a patients characteristics to medicines for more effective treatment. (AstraZeneca PLC, 2010) Wide range of drugs available. Key Resources Suppliers Specialist employees, e. g. Dr. Mike Poole Invested heavily in supplier collaboration software from Ariba improved the speed of product development by reducing the time it takes to swap data with RD suppliers by 70%. (Clark, 2011) Use Lean Sigma software to maximise efficiency of manufacturing new drugs. (Johnstone, et al. , 2011) Customer Segments AstraZeneca PLC’s main target audience are healthcare professionals, such as primary care and specialist doctors. Their products are, however, marketed towards the distributors/local representatives as they are the ones that buy the products in bulk and sell them on. (Anon. , 2012) Customer Relationship Pharmaceuticals are rated highly and AstraZeneca is considered a reliable brand for quality Implemented a click-to-chat technology that allows consumers to contact a live AstraZeneca customer service representative (AstraZeneca US, 2011) They take all their complaints seriously. Cost Structure A lot of money is put towards research and development – Last year alone AstraZeneca invested almost $59 billion for only five drugs to be approved. This meant that each drug technically cost them nearly $11. 8 billion each. (Silverman, 2012) Buying start-up companies so that they can launch their drugs on to market Revenue Streams Revenue from sales New software used improves the infrastructure of the company, saving them money by being more efficient Shares Table 3: Business Model for AstraZeneca PLC Current News AstraZeneca to Sue FDA Over Anti-Psychotic Drug, Seroquel There has been a lot of hype surrounding the current law suit AstraZeneca has filed against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning the drug ‘Seroquel’ as it is a problem that is affecting a lot of the large pharmaceutical companies – patents are expiring and smaller drug companies are therefore releasing generic forms of the drugs immediately. Seroquel is marketed as an anti-psychotic treatment for patients with depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia (SEROQUEL XR, 2011). For AstraZeneca, this is a drug that generates a lot of revenue, approximately ? 1 billion in annual sales (Cooper, 2012), and the expiration of their patent has created a sudden niche in the US market that many smaller pharmaceutical companies are looking to take advantage of. AstraZeneca has a lot invested in this drug therefore the law suit would seem personal; however, they also have a very legitimate reason for going to court. The injunction they have applied for to ban the FDA from approving the generic forms of Seroquel is based on the fact that these rival companies cannot carry all of the warnings for the drug on their labels. This is due to AstraZeneca including extra information after post launch clinical studies which is still protected by exclusivity agreements potentially until the 2nd December 2012 (Cooper, 2012). Obviously it is illegal to omit possible side effects of any drug which then makes this a very serious point as it is believed the generic forms would also have the risk of â€Å"high blood sugar† and â€Å"suicidal thoughts† (Cooper, 2012) associated with the chemical quetiapine fumarate (SEROQUEL XR, 2011). Despite this, if the FDA chooses to ignore the Citizen Petitions supplied by AstraZeneca and gives its final marketing approval for the generic forms of Seroquel, the company’s revenue for 2012 will plummet a lot more than anticipated. This is because of increased competition due to loss of exclusivity (Cooper, 2012). Share Buy-Backs AstraZeneca is planning to purchase almost ? 3 billion worth of stock by the end of this year, almost double what they bought in 2010. This is a clear indicator that the fact that their patents expiring and increased generic competition is hurting the business and this is the only option they have of keeping their investors happy. Unfortunately if AstraZeneca’s free cash flow generation is less than the amount of shares they buy-back, their gearing will increase by a huge amount as they will be forced to use the money on their balance sheet (Staton, 2012). The pharmaceutical industry is a much harder market to succeed in these days because of increased competition. There is a high demand for new, innovative products that take time to develop, approve and release and although AstraZeneca is working on new products, they do not always come to fruition. Recently they have had a major project declined by the FDA that they co-developed with Bristol-Myers Squibb: Dapagliflozin which lowers the blood glucose levels of consumers with diabetes. AstraZeneca has also attempted to protect another one of its best selling drugs, Crestor, from generic-drug companies but has been denied by the US Court of Appeals as the generic forms of the drug would only be used for â€Å"treatments not covered by the patents† (Decker, 2012). These are not an ideal situation to be in as with the market constantly changing and new drugs always being in demand it would not be hard for another pharmaceutical company to surpass AstraZeneca if they had a patent for an important drug. Acquisitions of start-up companies and their products is an option that AstraZeneca will begin to fully utilise as it saves them money on the research and development, although they are still heavily invested in their own RD, and, in turn, makes them a lot of money. Share buy-backs are clearly an indicator that AstraZeneca is reshaping the business in order to focus their efforts mainly on RD as this is an area that the company relies on to increase revenue and climb the ranks in the pharmaceutical industry. Financial/Investment Analysis Financial Ratios (Investopedia ULC, 2012) Return on Shareholders Funds (ROSF): This is a percentage of money made that is returned to the shareholders as equity. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE): The ROCE is the amount of money that is being made from the company’s total capital. Liquidity Ratio: A company’s ability to meet its short-term debts. It is more desirable to have a larger value of the ratio as it then indicates that the company has a higher margin of safety and will be able to pay the debts. Current Ratio: This is a liquidity ration that determines whether or not a company can use their current assets to pay off their current liabilities. A positive number is desired as this means that a company is succeeding in meeting their short-term financial obligations. Interest Cover: How easily a company can pay interest on a debt they have already accumulated. Gearing: When a company requires outside funds then gearing occurs. Gearing is the comparison of a company’s long-term debt and its equity capital. We can then apply these definitions to the following table: 2010 2009 2008 2007 ROSF (%) 47. 29 52. 31 54. 56 54. 03 ROCE (%) 27. 90 28. 99 25. 94 24. 36 Liquidity Ratio 1. 40 1. 25 1. 09 0. 99 Current Ratio 1. 50 1. 35 1. 21 1. 12 Interest Cover 11. 62 10. 02 7. 59 8. 46 Gearing (%) 70. 01 89. 78 116. 53 150. 73 Table 4: AstraZeneca PLC Financial Ratios (FAME, 2010) As can be seen from the table, both ROCE and ROSF have dropped from 2009 to 2010. However, it is still clear that AstraZeneca PLC is turning a profit as they are keeping their shareholders happy with a good percentage of money being returned to them and the company itself is making money therefore it can be assume that management is doing well. Their liquidity ratio has increased steadily through 2007-2010 which is a great indicator that AstraZeneca is able to meet its short-term debts and is gradually acquiring a higher margin of safety because of it. Coupled with the current ratio, this has also increased across the presented timeframe further illustrating that AstraZeneca is successful enough to meet its short-term financial obligations. The interest cover has increased from 2009 to 2010, showing that the company is earning more money making it easier for them to interest charges on their debt. However, the interest cover for 2007-8 suggests that AstraZeneca experienced some financial difficulties which could return in the future, despite its interest cover being as high as it now. This could be prevented by ensuring employees are happy with their work environments so they do not strike and continuously developing new products or modifying products. Although gearing has decreased significantly across the four years, it is still very high indicating that AstraZeneca will have the long-term debt it has accumulated for quite a while as the company is not generating enough revenue to pay it back quickly. This could be because they are choosing to spend their money on research and development rather than paying off their debt. Instead of relying on product revenue, AstraZeneca could look into consulting emerging companies and selling their expertise while building a relationship with them that they could use in the future. This generates more money for the company and offers a potential business partner. Overall AstraZeneca would not be a bad company to invest in as its debt it slowly decreasing and it has a history of gaining a profit at the end of the year therefore shareholders would not lose money. Industry Forces and the Market When analysing how well AstraZeneca PLC is doing, we must always consider their competitors. Competition is what motivates a company to perform to the best of their ability and deliver products of a high quality at a cost effective price, it is what drives them to discover and develop new drugs and meet all of their customers’ needs. As can be seen from the list below, AstraZeneca is ranked sixth in the pharmaceutical industry at the moment, however, with companies merging and patents expiring (Roth, 2011), AstraZeneca could attempt to climb the ranks with new, innovative ideas that fill a niche in the current market. List of the Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies in 2011 (Roth, 2011) 1. Pfizer 2. Novartis AG 3. Merck Co. 4. Sanofi-Aventis SA 5. GlaxoSmithKline 6. AstraZeneca 7. Johnson Johnson 8. Eli Lilly Co. 9. Abbott Laboratories 10. Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical companies are ranked in terms of revenue; whichever company generates the most revenue at the end of the financial quarter is considered the most successful within the pharmaceutical industry. With this in mind it is then interesting to consider the share prices for these companies and how the analysts would advise us to invest. Company Name Share Price ($) Change/% Change P/E Ratio EPS Novartis AG (NVS) 54. 79 +0. 48/+0. 88% 14. 37 3. 78 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 45. 18 +0. 17/+0. 38% 27. 55 1. 634 AstraZeneca (AZN) 45. 11 +0. 37/0. 83% 6. 13 7. 30 Sanofi-Aventis SA (SNY) 38. 90 +0. 07/+0. 18% 13. 74 2. 8265 Merck Co (MRK) 38. 03 -0. 03/-0. 08% 18. 84 2. 02 Pfizer (PFE) 21. 94 +0. 03/+0. 14% 17. 22 1. 272 Table 5: Leading Pharmaceutical Companies Investment Analysis (InvestorGuide, 2012) As can be seen from the table, although AstraZeneca is ranked sixth in the world, its share price is greater than the leading pharmaceutical company, Pfizer. This is a good sign as it shows that their reorganisation within the company has started to come to fruition and more people will be interested in buying shares. This is one of the main goals because, as can be seen by then they will have more money at their disposable to put towards further research and development. It can also be seen that their share price is increasing as the change is positive showing that AstraZeneca is gradually climbing up the market and becoming more and more valuable. When looking to invest in a company it is always better to get a second opinion and consult the analyst charts. The chart below was taken from ‘InvestorGuide’ and shows the personal belief of 7 different analysts and their recommendations history. Current 1 Month Ago 2 Months Ago 3 Months Ago Strong Buy 2 1 1 1 Moderate Buy 0 0 0 0 Hold 4 5 6 6 Moderate Sell 1 1 0 0 Strong Sell 0 0 0 0 Mean Recommendation 2. 57 2. 86 2. 71 2. 71 Table 6: Recommendations for AstraZeneca Shares (InvestorGuide, 2012) As can be seen, 2 analysts recommend now is the best time to invest in AstraZeneca shares. Despite it appearing to be the best time to buy shares in 3 months, when compared with the 4 analysts who would prefer one ‘held’ their money and the other who thinks the best one could do with their share is sell it with hardly any profit, it definitely does not seem like it would be worth the risk anymore. However, another way of looking at it is that the share is currently at a relatively low price; therefore one could potentially save money by investing now. With this frame of mind, we must consider AstraZeneca’s share price history. Graph 1: Share Price Performance, Based on the Figures from (AstraZeneca PLC, 2007-2012) The website used for the investment analysis of AstraZeneca and its competitors is based on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) therefore the graph also reflects the American market so that it is more comparable. It is clear that, in general, from 2007 to 2012 AstraZeneca PLC’s share price has kept within a small range (approximately $55-45) despite there clearly being drops in the market, especially during 2009. Therefore, with the share price currently being at the lower end of this range it would be considered a good thing to invest now, however, one will probably not get any returns on it immediately as, from what can be seen in the graph above, AstraZeneca’s share price is more likely to get worse before it gets better again. This trend is unfortunate but at least it can be assumed that in the end, one would not lose that much money before they started making money. Technology Importance of Technology For AstraZeneca’s Chief Information’s Officer, Rich Williams, technology is the future (NGP, 2009). In 2009, he completely transformed AstraZeneca’s business infrastructure and made it the efficient and cost effective business it is today. By employing one type of technology and implementing it throughout the company he was able to reduce information systems (IS) costs by 30% and allow more time and money to be focused on research and development. Lean Sigma: Useful? Lean sigma is a type of software that is used to improve the performance of a company relative to its competitors using business improvement tools (Romeo, n. d. ). It is considered to be quite controversial as some specialists argue that it stifles creativity within a business due to the rigorous process improvement the technology commands, whereas others rightly point out that the software clearly helps companies save money by reducing manufacturing times (Johnstone, et al. , 2011). To understand both arguments, we must consider them separately. Lean sigma is considered a bad thing because it is perceived that the software could potentially inhibit an environment in which innovative ideas are able to flourish as it is not able to think outside the box. However, in practice it has been proven that despite the nature of the idea, the programme has been able to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the drug making cycle (Johnstone, et al. , 2011). The graph below summarises the stage of innovation (Johnstone, et al. , 2011) that are completed before every new drug is released: Image 2: The Stages of Innovation, Based on (Johnstone, et al. , 2011) It is important to note the â€Å"Learning and Feedback† arrows that are incorporated into earlier phases of the diagram in order to produce the best quality product. This method is used to enhance the â€Å"probability of success† and gain, at the end, the best possible solution to launch the new drug on to society. Software such as lean sigma, is perfect for such a thing as it â€Å"improves the speed, quality and cost of manufacturing and service industries†, and overall reduces cycle time by 50% (Johnstone, et al. , 2011). Therefore, to conclude, lean sigma is helping AstraZeneca improve their process excellence by saving them money on their manufacturing process which is in turn having a positive impact on their research and development. Lean sigma is a great programme to use to take ones business to the next level and it is a technology that AstraZeneca has done well to invest in (Johnstone, et al. , 2011). The Future AstraZeneca’s plans for the future are mainly hinged on an international reorganisation of the company, intended to make sure their focus is directed towards research and development. It has always been a main focus for the second largest drug-maker as RD is what most of its money gets spent towards, which can be seen in the ‘Business Model’. The pharmaceutical company has stated that it will begin to reduce the number of disease areas it focuses on so that it can in turn produce a more specialised, better drug. Not only will it reduce the scope of its research, AstraZeneca will also be focusing a lot of energies towards gaining external collaboration. This will reduce costs for possible failures of RD as they will be able to collaborate with an emerging market that already has the basis of a great patent. It will also continue to use business improvement programmes such as lean sigma to ensure the company performs to the best of its ability and has a more flexible approach to the projects it decides to take on (Anon. , 2011). Overall, AstraZeneca is adjusting to their current situation well and has made the right decisions regarding how to bring their company forward. With changes like these, they will be able to focus more on what they specialise in, RD, and deliver a quality product to their consumers. Conclusion SWOT Analysis Strengths AstraZeneca is an innovative company that is ranked sixth in the world of all the pharmaceutical companies Total turnover from 2007-10 has generally increased showing it is a successful company (FAME, 2010) It has vested interest in all areas of drug therapy and are consistently releasing relevant drugs for the market Weaknesses As patents are expiring they are not releasing suitable replacements therefore generic forms of the drugs are dominating the market They are not releasing enough new drugs, despite the ones they do release being very relevant Opportunities Has made many partnerships with other companies Buying back shareholders for a quick turn around Restructuring the business to focus on their RD Threats Generic forms of their drugs are becoming a serious threat to their revenue Generic forms can be offered to people who are not private practice

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Artists and Collective Groups

Question: Discuss about the Artists and Collective Groups. Answer: Introduction: Magiciens de la terre was staged by the curator Jean Hubert Martin on 14 August, 1989 in Paris. The exhibition portrays the work of hundreds of artists and collective groups from all over the world to create a juxtaposition effect. It aimed to eradicate the culture of ethnocentrism from the minds of people that was prevailing at that time. The European people back then would undervalue the art work of people from other cultures and values and none of the art exhibition would deal with the subject. Jean Martin took up the subject and portrayed over a hundred of artists at an equal level where 50 percent of the artists were non western. The attempt was made through the artistic representation that people cannot be discriminated based on geographical regions and they also deserve to receive equal respect from the society (Rapko, 2014). The curator chose to go for installation view for the exhibition in the gallery and selected the master work of Carl Beam and Richard Long. These works were chosen to signify the geographical regions across the world and renewed questions based on land and place and how the concept of art deals with the other geographical regions. The two works are being put together in a contrasting manner in order to make the audience think over the issues that have been prevailing in the society for such a long period. Richards long mud circle was made to hang near the Yuendumu community ground painting Yarla. Yarla is a traditional Australian piece of art that was made in the early centuries. The contrasting effect is created in order to showcase the issues that arise during the work. The exhibition also makes use of the Sarkis through showcases, screens, projections, reading tables and shelving (Friedel, 2016). Apart from that, unlike the traditional exhibitions, this exhibition also displayed how the preparation of the exhibition was carried out through a number of videos which shows that the work was not just taken abruptly and every projection has a reason behind it to be showcased. The exhibition layout and structure was not like a traditional finished exhibition rather the curator made sure to make the exhibition movable as much as he could in order to shed some light on the practices which were deep rooted in the European culture. The exhibition comprised of a number of texts and images to display the views of European people over the non western world. The non western artists were represented on the stage with full respect and dignity equal to their western counterpart. This act demanded their equal rights in artistic world from the European people. The scenarios in the exhibition were staged in a manner so as to show case the inequities of the world. The 113 artist were staged along with their geographical locations, biographies and artistic works from over 50 countries across the world (Africanah.org, 2016). The exhibition is displayed in parts to give a contrasting view of the world through portraying different artists from the world. Every act has a message at the end for the audience to ponder upon. The artists are from different geographical location from all over the world such is Australia, Tibet, China and many more. The exhibition makes extensive use of videos, documentary, images etc to highlight the ethnocentric issue. The exhibition starts with the Australian artists all together working on a painting on the ground. The artists talk to each other but their conversation which cannot be heard is not the focus here rather their art work ground painting is highlighted which is dreaming of rain. The scene depicts the hidden world of Dreamtime. The next part opens with a Chinese guy who first washes newspapers in the washing machine to make a wall installation out of it. At first, he tries to connect himself with the Taoists philosophy prevailing in China which does not encourage questions. The inability to seek answer from the philosophy disconnects him from the Chinese culture and he finds himself between the western artists with whom he reconnects himself. The third part shows some monks who are trying to create an art work with the use of dust and metal sticks. They work very hard to make the image and even start sweating in the process of making this complex art work. These people are actually working very hard and dealing with the complexities of the art work. The next part shows the conversation between two women American Indian and African. The African woman asks some questions related to a blanket to the other woman and after hearing the answer the African woman is relieved. The next scene portrays a father and a daughter making a sand painting and the same lady who portrayed as an American woman in the earlier scene is also standing there and watching them. The man erases the painting after showing it to his wife. The scene symbolizes that deletion of something would lead to creation of some other new possibility. The scene leaves a very deep message for the audience to think upon. The exhibition was under preparation for around four years with limited number of curators. The curators travelled across the globe for the exhibition to get themselves acquainted with the different socio culture and psychology of the people across the world. They travelled from North America to Australia, Japan, China, Tibet and other countries to explore the culture (Solal, 2016). The curator chose the installation mode of presenting unlike the traditional exhibitions, because he wanted to have a direct connection with the audience through the show. He did not want the audience to see the immovable objects through the finished objects which gives the feeling that they have been abruptly taken from their original context and the audience does not even get to know the real motive behind the scene. The installation approach gives the audience a different perspective of thinking by engaging it through different acts and scenes. The audience gets to understand the real essence of the different acts that the curator wants to portray. Since the light and technology was not even a close match that of todays, still the curator made use of best of the technologies that were prevailing at that time. The extensive use of projectors to show the videos demonstrate that the best technologies were chose of that time. The screens were used for the reflection part. Then there was use of reading tables and shelves for the exhibition. The light technology used in the traditional art works of Richard Long Red Earth Circle and Yuendumu, an Australian aboriginal community, is mesmerizing and demonstrates the excellent work of the curator. The work displayed by the curator is an excellent presentation of revolutionary art, which has become a global turn phenomenon in the history of the world. Around 300,000 visitors visited the exhibition and were amazed to see the art work by the curator. Though there was intensive criticism for the art exhibition by many critics for the theme being used. The work was criticized for hurting the religious sentiments of a number of people over the world (Modern, 2014). Though the curator clarified that the essence was to give the non western artist the respect they deserve and to not to focus on the mini details of the work and overlook them. Overall, the exhibition was an excellent effort by the curator through the extensive use of films, reference documents, notes and notebooks, films, catalogues and books, which shaped the concept of events. The visitors were enlightened by the field trips, the contact with the artists, the staging and the work of institutions. References Rapko, J. (18 May 2014). The Design Isnt Firm; Or, Why Do Curators Talk Like That?.NYAQ/LXAQ/SFAQ: International Art and Culture. Available at: https://sfaq.us/2015/05/the-design-isnt-firm-or-why-do-curators-talk-like-that/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Friedel, J. (12 August 2016). Magiciens de la Terre. Contemporary and Platform for International art from African perspectives. Available at: https://www.contemporaryand.com/magazines/magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Africanah.org. (2 July 2014). Magiciens de la Terre, a look back at a legendary exhibition. Africanah.org. Available at: https://africanah.org/magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Solal, A.C. Revisiting Magiciens de la terre. Stedelijk Studies. Available at: https://www.stedelijkstudies.com/journal/revisiting-magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Steeds, L. (2013). Making Art Global (Part 2) Magiciens de la terre 1989. London: Afterall Books. Modern, T. (18 March 2014). In 1989 The Ambitious Exhibition Magiciens De La Terre opened in Paris, presenting the work of over one hundred artists, half of whom were described as non-western. Biennial Foundation. Available at: https://www.biennialfoundation.org/2014/03/in-1989-the-ambitious-exhibition-magiciens-de-la-terre-opened-in-paris-presenting-the-work-of-over-one-hundred-artists-half-of-whom-were-described-as-non-western/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Modern, T. Magiciens De La Terre: Reconsidered. Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/magiciens-de-la-terre-reconsidered [Accessed 13 December 2016]. Former West. Magiciens De La Terre Jean-Hubert Martin Editions du Centre Pompidou 1989 ISBN 102858504989. Former West. Available at: https://www.formerwest.org/ResearchLibrary/MagiciensdelaTerre [Accessed 13 December 2016]. Critique dart. FromMagiciens de la Terreto the Globalization of the Art World: Going Back to a Historic Exhibition. Critique dart. Available at: https://critiquedart.revues.org/8308?lang=en Accessed 13 December 2016]. JStor. Bilderstreit' and 'Magiciens de la Terre. Paris and Cologne. JStor. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/884068?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Accessed 13 December 2016].

Thursday, November 28, 2019

An Insight to a Northern Light Essay Example

An Insight to a Northern Light Essay Famous novelist and award-winning author, Jennifer Donnelly was born in Port Chester, New York on August 16, 1963. She was a bright student growing up and later went on to attend the University of Rochester, majoring in English, Literature, and European History. After graduating, she attended Birbeck College, University of London. When Donnelly turned twenty-five, she decided to move to Brooklyn, New York and pursue a career in writing. Since then, she has written nine novels, being best known for A Northern Light. Many factors contributed to the making of this book being published. A Northern Light is a historical fiction that was first published in the U.K. and received many awards across the world. In Britain, the book won the Carnegie Medal. In the U.S. it won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and The Charlotte Award (Biography, 1). This novel takes place in 1906 about a young girl named Mattie Gokey. The time period shifts between the present and the past of her life. The present focuses on Mattie’s life at the Glenmore Hotel, where she works. The hotel staff soon discovers the body of Grace Brown in Big Moose Lake. Discovering Grace’s body is nerve-racking for Mattie because earlier that day Grace had given Mattie numerous letters and instructed her to burn them. She is conflicted throughout the entire story on whether to burn the letters or not. Every time she attempts to burn them, she is not able to because she is constantly busy with work or her boss is on the prowl. Thus leading her to read them and discovering crucial information to the case. The past focuses on Mattie’s life at home, where she is in school trying to attain a high school diploma and loves to write stories. She is aspiring to go to college and receives a full scholarship to Barnard College in New York, New York. The main thing that is holding her back from going is her promise she had made to her mother before she died, which was to stay and take care We will write a custom essay sample on An Insight to a Northern Light specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on An Insight to a Northern Light specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on An Insight to a Northern Light specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Articles of Confederation AP essays

Articles of Confederation AP essays In 1777, the states enacted the Articles of Confederation to preserve democracy and prevent tyranny from those who sought to centralize power. But in their efforts to keep their independence, the states created a weak central government that was unable to improve an insolvent economy and poor foreign relations. Although the confederation gained some substantial powers, the crucial powers to tax and regulate commerce remained with the individual states. Each state passed their own currency, and therefore created inflation and made "Continentals" in circulation worthless. Compounded with restrictions on trade to Great Britain and down the Mississippi River, the states became mired in a heavy depression. John Fiske, of the conservative view, realized the precarious situation when he stated "the Nation was under the verge of collapse and near-anarchy and that the five year period after 1783 was the most critical time in American History."Robert Morris, secretary of finance, resorted to desperate measures with the Newburgh conspiracy in an attempt to raise funds for a depleted military; but it took an impassioned plea from General Washington himself to put down the rebellion. Furthermore, the Articles allowed for personal rights abuses such as unsubstantiated foreclosures on farms and ill advised loans to certain " small groups", the antithesis of republicanism. As Arthur Schlesinger Jr. stated "the Articles were to impotent to govern." Lastly, no judicial system was provided for to enforce laws and therefore allowed for insurrections such as Shays Rebe llion. In addition, to pass legislation required a unanimous consent and more than not a single dissenting vote prevented the ratification of strong economic bills. Overall, the Articles were ineffective in improving the economic state of the new nation. Although Thomas Paine (Common Sense) believed that the Articles and decentralization was a logical choice of government after...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

From These Beginnings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

From These Beginnings - Essay Example Thomas Jefferson suggested that new nations should have a written constitution. During the war, congress exercised a high level of political, diplomatic, military and economic authority. Among the many things that happened was adoption of trade restrictions, developed and established an army, created a military code among others. The constitution had major omissions especially in the clauses regarding fugitives of the law would be punished. The bill of rights of 1787 empowered the constitution that said that; no excessive bail will be required, no excessive fines or no cruel and unusual punishments to the fugitives. The bill of rights also made sure that all people were treated as the constitution dictated. The powers not given to the state by the constitution was reserved to the people. Alexander Hamilton was the first treasury secretary. He convinced congress to pass an elastic interpretation of the constitution. Thomas Jefferson rejected the motion because what they were about to do was unconstitutional. Hamilton was a federalist while on the other side Jefferson was an anti-federalist who advocated for the poor and the rights of the state. When Jefferson was voted in office, he did not change the federalists programs. The only thing that he changed was revoking the excise tax (Howard 72). Jefferson philosophy in leadership was due to the weak central government of his administration. As most of the power was in the state. The philosophy stated that the power should be limited, to prevent undermining the state and its people. Hamilton philosophy differed greatly from Jefferson, who advocated for the strict interpretation of the constitution. When Jefferson was elected in office, he hardy touched the federalists programs. The major thing that he did was to revoke the excise tax. It led to outraging of the federalists. By cancelling or revoking the excise tax, which meant that no more taxation from alcohol and cigarettes hence little money for the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Is The World Flat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Is The World Flat - Essay Example This essay stresses that in the Information Age, information becomes power. There is a transfer of information in the world, from Western locations, such as the United States of America and the European Union, to Asian ones like China and India. Most notably, China has been a much preferred place to outsource because of the low cost of labour. Because of this, the many countries are gaining power in the global market, but this does not necessarily create a level playing field. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, China is preferred because it has lower cost of labour. Thomas Friedman mentioned that â€Å"entrepreneurs and CEOs were responding to the flattening of the world.† However, by moving to China, it is not necessarily the flattening of the world that they are thinking about but simply practicality in the face of economic crisis. There must be some misunderstanding when people say the world is becoming flatter to mean that everyone has equal opportunity for work or in come. The previous illustration should have dispelled that mistaken notion. Companies will more often than not choose and develop three inexperienced but cheap labourers than pay more for one experienced person to do the same job. This paper makes a conclusion that health care and education should be improved. Health care ensures that employees can continue working and education ensures that people can find creative-type jobs in the future, if ever governments decide to ship grunt-type jobs out of the country.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Pharmacological Approaches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pharmacological Approaches - Essay Example Hence the rationale behind the use of non-pharmacological approach to treatment of disorders is that in addressing the cause of the disorder through approaches like behavior modulation, the cause is either removed or reduced to provide respite to the individual from the disorder, instead of addressing just the symptoms. Besides the non-pharmacological treatment approach avoids the side effects of drugs employed in the pharmacological approach (King, Dudley, Melvin, Pallant & Morawetz, 2001). In Holistic medicine the treatment approach takes into consideration all aspects of the health of the patient, which includes physical, psychological, social, economic, and cultural factors. In holistic medicine emphasis is on the self-haling capacity of the individual, and is exemplified by the care giver providing the elements of security, lover, nurture and connection that promote the desire to heal oneself in the individual. Holistic medicine does provide a mix of traditional medical approach to treatment of a disorder, but the emphasis is not on the pharmacological element, but on the aspects of the individual that assist in removing the disorder (Zengerle-Levy, 2006). The advantage in this approach to treatment is that it takes the whole individual and the environment of the individual into consideration, and not just the symptoms and signs of the disorder and the targeting of them. It is quite possible that external factors have implications in the development and presence of the disorder, and a pharmacological approach does not take these factors into consideration. By this expanded approach a wider treatment range is brought into effect. In addition the encouragement of the individual to utilize the resources within the individual to aid in the treatment of the disorder better results is expected. Instilling a zeal for life through the realization of the mission in life and the quality of life brings into effect the inner resources of the

Friday, November 15, 2019

What Are you Really Learning at School?

What Are you Really Learning at School? What Are You Really Learning at School? You sit in math class while the teacher drone on about basic math such as how to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. You think to yourself, Why I am still learning this, I learned this like in elementary school? Youre afraid raised your hand knowing what the other kids will say, Whyd you have run your mouth, we could of being doing the easy stuff instead of this hard math. I actually could have passed math for once in my life since elementary school. You as this unpopular person sure doesnt want to get more unpopular than you were before. Instead, you sit back listen to sounds of kids rustling their notebook paper or homework to form spitballs to shoot at peoples heads or the endless beeps of text messages being sent to each other or the mini screams of girls after they receive a request for prom date. Parents wonder why their childrens report card is so amiss and unacceptable when they receive them but parents really dont know what teachers are teaching their children in school and something needs to be done about it and change for once and for all. Many reasons lead up to what are we really learning in school such as unacceptable scores on MSA and HSA, not enough skills to succeed, and not being able to use their own imagination. When parents receive the childs MSA or HSA report, the results are shocking. Children come to their parents with scores of low average and average but on their regular school tests, they would get above 90% never below 80%. Scores taken from elementary schools since the MSA have plummet, The Baltimore Sun states, The percentage of third-graders at the school who passed the state reading test plummeted from 100 last year to 50 this year. The percentage of fourth-graders reading at proficient or advanced levels dropped nearly 43 points, from 100 percent to 57 percent. Fourth-grade pass rates in math fell from 100 percent to 68 percent, and fifth-graders pass rates in reading dropped from 100 percent to 80 percent at Abbottston Elementary. From Abbottston Elementary School in Baltimore City, MD to Baltimore Liberation Diploma Plus High School, MSA and HSA test scores have dropped leaving other schools ahead of them and putting them behind in the dust. In this particular elementary schoo l, scores were higher last year than this year, their schools scores overall decline more than 50% . Which means what are those teachers teaching that made those children do worse than before. Or maybe teachers had the books altered last year to cheat for the students because they knew their students werent prepared. Now, this year maybe they decided forgot the cheating part because they knew they would eventually get caught and probably prayed that their students would be able to pass with the same high standards. But they didnt happen so, the school is now under speculation. First of all, The Baltimore Sun also states, Baltimore City schools results on this years Maryland School Assessment tests are a terrible disappointment. Although the overall declines in reading (3.3 percentage points) and math (4.9 percentage points) are not catastrophic, the results from individual schools paint a more troubling picture. Of the 50 schools that showed the largest combined drops on math and re ading scores since 2010, 45 were in Baltimore, including 19 of the bottom 20 and all of the bottom 10.† Reading averages and math averages are decreasing steadily unlikely in smarter schools but what are the teachers teaching that’s making test scores drop. Parents, have you checked your child’s regular school tests coming home, aren’t they passing with high B’s and A’s but now, you receive your child’s MSA scores. They unacceptably low actually below average especially in reading and math. You think what are these so called teachers teaching my child. If they are pass in regular grades, why couldn’t they pass this MSA? Are the teachers making test easier for their job or what? Maybe they just do it for the money or is the principal checking up on their students and teachers’ progress making sure no one is slacking? Do you seem to find that your child or now full-grown teenager doesnt have the right skills to help them succeed in life to able them to get a high-paying job? Do they find themselves working a local store as bagger not as a manager? Well, not having the right skills to succeed in life being taught in school is a problem too. teachers don’t understand what a child goes through or doesnt understand. In an article called, Cultural Diversity and Academic Achievement†, The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP) reported that, â€Å"Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and many children of color consistently achieve below the national average in mathematics and language skills, with the gap widening as children continue through their school years.† Teachers aren’t focusing on that one child that needs help, they’re too worried about how they class is going to react to something. Studies show that, â€Å"1 out of 10 children are afraid to raise their hand, ask questions, and seek help because they’re afraid of what they’re classmates will say.† It’s not always the child’s fault either because if a teacher sees a child failing, they need to help by being more encouraging. This one of skills that needs to be successful in life, other skills are leadership, honesty, imaginative, and trust. Secondly, a psychologist, Jean Piaget did research about child development said, â€Å"Over the past half-century, child development research has provided an increasingly comprehensive knowledge base to explain how young children acquire skills and knowledge and define the environmental supports needed to stimulate and sustain development.† Schools have ignored or rejected different cultural expressions of development that are normal and adequate and on which school skills and knowledge can be built. Consequently, children from poor families have been judged to be inadequate because they do not already know nor do they easily learn the school curriculum. . The world needs more and more compassionate creativity to solve difficult problems confronting us. Creative students do not have answers, but they habitually question the status quo and think about alternatives and improvements. They discover and invent possible answers. A Doctor of Education, Marvin Bartel Ed.D.speaks out and says, â€Å"As teachers, we are often partly to blame for the diminished inclination to be creative as children become socialized and aware of their own limitations.† In creative teaching, assignment limitations can provide a way to change the students habits of work. However, the student needs to be given autonomy to make choices about what seems important. Otherwise, the motivation to be creative is lost. Third and most final, Marvin Bartel Ed.D. also says, â€Å"Teachers abandon their imaginative and creative curiosity about life in favor of a more secure, but imposed and programmed kind of thinking habits.† The accept answers from the Interne t as correct (without enough thought). When this happens we miss many good ideas as well as risk injustice by manipulation. You sit in math class while the teacher drone on about basic math such as how to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. You think to yourself, Why I am still learning this, I learned this like in elementary school? Youre afraid raised your hand knowing what the other kids will say, Whyd you have run your mouth, we could of being doing the easy stuff instead of this hard math. I actually could have passed math for once in my life since elementary school. Some child development experts are concerned that schools today are unacceptable scores on MSA and HSA, aren’t teaching kids the skills they need to succeed, not being able to use their own imagination.A culture of testing, they say, is inhibiting the development of â€Å"life skills.† Curricular content aside, what do you think you are really learning at school? Are you developing skills that will carry you through life.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Struggles Facing LD Students Essay -- Learning Disabilities Educat

The Struggles Facing LD Students Students with learning disabilities are a part of the educational system and they always will be. These students have a single goal in mind, but their disability and social barriers keep them from it. On the other hand, educators have pledged to teach all students, but some fail to teach LD students. This represents an ethical, moral, and legal breakdown of their responsibilities. Educators need to be properly trained and aware of how to meet the needs of these students. The lack of such leads to failure. Students fail because they are afflicted by a disability that forces them to learn in unconventional ways. Teachers fail because they do not embrace the challenge brought about by the diversity of the situation. Students, all over the world, enter into a classroom environment all with a common purpose. The purpose is to learn and excel in all subject areas. This purpose is the same whether the student is in kindergarten or at the university level. The same is true for male and female students, and it is also the case for students who have a learning disability. For these students, the goal is the same, but they can not effectively learn without the help of educators. Learning disabilities alter how these students learn; therefore, the outcome changes. It becomes one of failure and frustration. The student with the disability fails, and educators become frustrated and discouraged. Learning Disabilities (LD) are hidden (obscure) disabilities that affect many people. These people usually have average or above average intelligence, but they are not able to achieve their full potential. The Learning Disability Institute estimates that 5 to 20% of the school-age population has a Specific Le... ... unified purpose. The purpose for the student is to learn while the teacher's purpose is to help that student learn. Learning Disabilities stand in the way of this unified purpose of learning/teaching. Students with a learning disability encounter untrained, unwilling educators who are not prepared to teach them. Students fail because educators fail to live up to their moral and legal obligation to make accommodations to meet their needs. This outcome makes educators also a failure because their goal (to teach all students) is not met. Works Cited "About Learning Disabilities." http://www.ldaca.org/ld.htm (7 Oct. 2001). "Learning Disabilities - Reading Initiatives." http://www.ldinstitute.org/readgrade3.htm/ (7 Oct. 2001). Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. ED> Andrea A. Lunsford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2000. 105-118.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Importance of being on time USMC Essay

Being at the appropriate place of duty at the correct time is a very important part of being in the Marine Corps. Being at the right place at the right time for any member of the Armed forces is extremely essential to the defense of the entire United States. Also being at the right place at the right time ensures a steady workplace, and ultimately the reliablity that others have on us. A Marine can not move up in the ranks in the Marine Corps if he or she is constantly late and/or at the wrong place. A Marine who truly wants to succeed in the military must go out of his or her way to get squared away and be on time to his or her place of duty or consequences will be bestowed upon them. This concept goes for any person in any career not just the military. Of course being on time in the Marine Corps is being at your appointed place of duty fifteen minutes prior to the actual time of that was ordered. If some one can not carry out the most simple and most important aspect of being on time as a Marine, he or she will be considered unworthy or unfit to be or become an NCO or even higher in they’re career. Even if a Marine goes above and beyond in in the workplace, in events, is great with physical, and mental, but is not on time and punctual than he or she will never actually succeed in the military. Dependability, accountability, consistency and discipline are all crucially related to being on time. Being early also shows that the individual aims high and has their priorities straight. It is directly related to a Marines appearance, combat readiness, mission effectiveness, and essentially every aspect of military life and responsibilities. Your appreance is the first thing that a leader sees, if you have a bad or no shave, no haircut (for males), tardiness, bad physical appearance, druck or hungover to an extreme. Then automatically you have given off a bad appearance, they dont want to go to you for big things, important things, because you can not even handle the simplest things. If you are unable to complete simple things, then when the time comes how will you even be close to doing something tuely challenging. You may work hard and complete tasks faster than any of your other peers, but if your apprearance is bad, then your leader are not even looking they already have a mindset, a negative mind set. All you have in life is your credablity, once it is gone in one persons eyes, you have to put in way more  effort restoring that, compared to the effort that it would have required to maintain your ablility to be relied on. Failure to be on time not only hinders mission capability and readiness, but also can cost unnecessary life lives in or out of combat. For instance; a Marine is late or does not report at all to his place of duty as ordered. In an extreme case a Marine not being on time to relieve the current Marine on post would cause the combat effectiveness and readiness of this Marine to be greatly reduced. This would be caused by fatigue, or lack of supplies needed. As a result of this Marines combat effectiveness he could be compromised and the security of the area could be over run. This is why being where one needs to be at the correct time will always be one of the most important aspects of being in the military. These things do happen on the battle field, whether it be friendly of enemy. However, This can be avoided by, once again, being on time. This is also why being on time remains and always will be an extreme aspect of military bearing and discipline. If you can not be on time, it is said that you have no discipline. Without discipline there is no way for Marines to efficiently fight and win against the enemy. And if we cannot defeat our enemies then there will no longer be a need for Marines. There is nearly no excuse for being late, or not reporting to your rightful place of duty at the right time. Accountability also goes hand in hand with being on time. Which ranges from being on time for the first formation of the day, being on time to relieve a fellow Marine from his post, or being on time to provide critical reinforcements for a unit that has been weakened and compromised in battle. The were about of a Marine is of extremely important at all times. As people say, how a Marine trains is how a Marine fights. If this term is true someone can only come to the conclusion that if a Marine isn’t on time how can he save and protect the lives of other Marines. He or she can’t be depended upon if they aren’t disciplined enough to be on time every time he is ordered to be. Dependability is the key to discipline and if you cant be on time then you wont be depended on, and you are then useless to others. In other words, in military life there is simply no margin for error regarding  being late or tardiness.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Brain Food for the ACT 11 Best Exam Snacks

Brain Food for the ACT Best Exam Snacks SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Looking for the best snacks for the ACT? You should be! Snacks are an underrated yet crucial part of planning for the ACT. Good snacks will help you succeed on the ACT, giving you the brain boost you need, while bad snacks can suck your energy and make you more hungry. In this article, I’ll address why snacks are important, the qualities of the best ACTsnacks, and give you snack options. I’ll also give you some tips to succeed on test day. Why Are Snacks Important? Snacks keep your stomachfrom grumbling during the test.The ACT is difficult enough without any added distractions.Eating snacks to avoid feeling hungry and unfocused.However, you need to make sure that you choose a snack that will satisfy you and fuel you without causing an energy crash or making you crave more food.Good snacks will help you succeed on the ACT while bad snacks can worsen your ACT performance. To make sure you feel full and fueled during the test, bring two good snacks (or one snack that you have three portions of).That way you can have one snack for each break (since there are two breaks during the ACT). The Qualities of Good ACT Snacks While sugar and simple carbs are tasty and give you a quick boost, they also can lead to an energy crash.A crash means you might lose focus and feel sleepy, which would be killer during the ACT.Furthermore, these empty carbs can make you crave more food, so try to avoid foods that are made up of only simple carbs, sugar, or corn syrup. What is a great snack?One that is packed with healthy fats or protein.Healthy fats make youfeel full, so there won’t be any grumbling.Also, healthy fats and protein help your brain function, boosting your power and helping you succeed. The best snacks will also be convenientto transport, so you caneasilyeat them at the test center. Yum! The Best ACT Snacks If you're looking for brain food for the exam, try one of these delicious(and portable!) snacks. #1: Jerky Jerky is a tasty and easy grab and go snack that’s loaded with protein to keep you going.It doesn’t matter what jerky you choose: beef, pork, turkey, salmon are all good choices.Choose whatever kind you enjoy! #2: Nuts Nuts are fabulous because they’re packed with protein and healthy fat, yet low in carb.They will keep you satisfied while fueling you.Any nut is great: almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. However, try to choose plain nuts or nuts and dried fruit trail mixes instead trail mixes that add in chocolate or candies.The added sugar could cause a crash and make you feel sleepy. #3: Veggie/Corn Chips and Guacamole This is a great option for those with allergies since there are no nuts, wheat, dairy, or eggs involved.Additionally, guacamole is a tasty source of healthy fats.You can pick up single serving packets of guac by Sabra or Wholly Guacamole at your local Target, Walmart, or another grocery store. I suggest eating your guac with corn or veggie chips since they’re healthier than potato chips, but potato chips are a decent substitute. #4: Carrots/Celery Sticks and Nut Butter For picky eaters like me, this is a tastier way to eat nuts.I don’t like raw nuts, but nut butter is delicious and just as nutritious as nuts.Nut butters will satisfy your hunger and fuel your brain. Try to choose a nut butter that is natural rather than one with added sugar and/or corn syrup, but if you can only find one with added stuff, that's okay. A spoonful of peanut butter helps you ace the ACT! #5: Carrots/Celery Sticks and Hummus This snack makes another great option for students with allergies or intolerances since you can avoid dairy, eggs, wheat, and nuts.Also, this snack is yummy and satisfying. However, I’d suggest you only eat this for one of your two snacks since this snack is not as satisfying as the other on this list.Balance this one with a higher fat packed snack such as the veggie chips and guac to make sure you stay full and fueled throughout the test. #6: Cheese Cheese is an awesome snack for picky eaters because who doesn't like cheese?Also, there are several easy to transport and eat cheese options such as string cheese and Babybel.Cheese is loaded with fat and protein to keep you feeling full and to power you to ACT success. You won't want to share! #7: Apple/Banana and Nut Butter Another yummy snack for the picky eaters out there.As I said in the veggie sticks and nut butter section, you should try to choose a natural nut butter over a processed one with sugar and/or corn syrup, but if the processed is all you have, that’s fine. #8: Dried Fruit Dried fruits are full of nutrients to give you the extra boost you need.If you can, try to pick dried fruit with no added sugar.If you only find dried fruit with added sugar, then you should try to mix them with nuts to create a trail mix that offsets that sugar with healthy stuff. If you don't mix the dried fruit with nuts (whether due to allergies or a dislike of nuts), only eat dried fruit for one of your two snacks; it’s not as filling as other snacks on this list.Select a fat and protein packed snack such as the veggie sticks and nut butter as your other snack. #9: Seeds Seeds are a treat usually reserved for the baseball field, but they make an excellent snack anytime.Seeds are full of the healthy fats that will keep you focused during the ACT.Choose any seeds you like: pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas), flax seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. Another option is to mix different seeds with nuts to create a nutritious trail mix.No matter how you choose to eat them, seeds are easy to transport snacks that will satisfy your cravings and help you maintain your focus. Don't plant them! Eat them! #10: Fruit and Nut Bars These bars are delicious, and that’s coming from a very picky eater.Check out KIND or Larabars because they contain only natural ingredients.Made up of mostly dried fruit and nuts, these bars are loaded with healthy fats and nutrients. Choose a flavor without chocolate since you don’t need any added sugar.Also, only use this for one of your two snacks since the dried fruit have some sugar.Offset it with another snack on this list such as cheese. #: Water Okay, water isn’t really a snack per se, but you must bring water with you to the ACT.Dehydration can cause you to lose focus and potentially lower your ACT score.Bring one bottle of water with your two snacks. Hey, Dora, won’t there be a water fountain at my test center?Well, there might be, but you can’t count on it.Also, you don’t want to wait on a line to drink from the water fountain during your short breaks. Note: it’s also important to avoid drinking too much water because you don’t want to feel the need to pee in the middle of an ACT section.Split the one bottle of water you bring into two imaginary portions.Consume at most one portion (Â ½ of the bottle) at each break. What Foods You Should Avoid You can definitely bring another snack that may not be on this list, but you should avoid sugar or corn syrup filled snacks such as candy and simple carbs such as potato chips.These snacks are neither satisfying nor nutritious.After eating them, you'll just want more food. Additionally, avoid coffee.If you don’t normally drink coffee, don’t try it on test day.If you normally are a coffee drinker, then only have one cup.Too much coffee will make you jittery and can cause an energy crash.If you want more caffeine, try green tea! Green tea is delicious and nutritious! 3 Tips for Test Day Success You want to go into the ACT feeling calm and prepared, so follow our three tips for test day success. Tip #1: Put all of your ACT materials in a bag the night prior to the test, so you're not running around the morning of the test. Remember to include your ACT admissions ticket, picture ID, calculator, extra batteries, pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener, watch, snacks, and water bottle. Tip #2: Get at least eight hours of sleep, which means go to bed early. You want to feel well-rested. You also want to feel awake for the test, so wake up at least an hour before you need to leave for your test center. By the time you get to the test center, you’ll feel very awake. Tip #3: Eat a large, healthy breakfast before the test. Eggs, greek yogurt, and oatmeal are all great choices. Also, while you eat, read the newspaper to get your brain going. Take our advice, and you'll be well-rested, calm, and ready to rock the ACT. What’s Next? Preparing to take the ACT? Learn how you should spend the night before the ACT. Also, check out the rules and regulations for the test, so you don’t make a mistake. Do you know what your dream college is? Find out what ACT score you need to get in! Learn about what is important to colleges. Not sure where you want to go to college? We will help you find your target schooland help you figure out what your ACT target score should be. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Antigones Battle

Antigone’s Battle Most people look up to heroes, like athletes, actors, fire fighters, or police men. But in Sopholes’ play Antigone, there were two tragic heroes, Antigone was the tragic heroine. A tragic hero is someone who is not completely good or completely bad, someone who falls from tremendous good and recognizes their tragic flaw. In these three ways Antigone was the tragic heroine. There are many ways Antigone proves she is a good person, such as when she wants to bury her brother, Polyneices,† But Polyneices who fought as bravely and died as miserably†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (693). One way that shows she was not as good as we all thought was when she yelled at her sister Ismene. â€Å"And now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family† (693). And that is why she is neither good nor bad. Pride brought Antigone down throughout the play. For instance when she accepted her punishment for burying Polyneices, â€Å"I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men would praise me† (710). Here is another way, her pride got in her way, she yelled at Ismene, â€Å"Yes save yourself, I shall not envy you. There are those who will praise you. I shall have honor too† (711). Antigone’s pride killed her. By the end of the play, Antigone recognized that her pride got her where she was. She realized it when she was going to her death, and when the chorus said she had a choice. â€Å"You have made your choice your death is the doing of your conscious hand.† (724). She recognized her error at the worst possible time. As you can see Antione has all the qualities of a tragic hero. I think she was the tragic heroine because she did what she believed in, which made her a good person. She did something and did not care what the punishment was, which made her proud. She also did what everyone else wanted to do but they did not have the guts to do it, which made her recognize her error. She loved her brother, ... Free Essays on Antigone's Battle Free Essays on Antigone's Battle Antigone’s Battle Most people look up to heroes, like athletes, actors, fire fighters, or police men. But in Sopholes’ play Antigone, there were two tragic heroes, Antigone was the tragic heroine. A tragic hero is someone who is not completely good or completely bad, someone who falls from tremendous good and recognizes their tragic flaw. In these three ways Antigone was the tragic heroine. There are many ways Antigone proves she is a good person, such as when she wants to bury her brother, Polyneices,† But Polyneices who fought as bravely and died as miserably†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (693). One way that shows she was not as good as we all thought was when she yelled at her sister Ismene. â€Å"And now you can prove what you are: a true sister, or a traitor to your family† (693). And that is why she is neither good nor bad. Pride brought Antigone down throughout the play. For instance when she accepted her punishment for burying Polyneices, â€Å"I should have praise and honor for what I have done. All these men would praise me† (710). Here is another way, her pride got in her way, she yelled at Ismene, â€Å"Yes save yourself, I shall not envy you. There are those who will praise you. I shall have honor too† (711). Antigone’s pride killed her. By the end of the play, Antigone recognized that her pride got her where she was. She realized it when she was going to her death, and when the chorus said she had a choice. â€Å"You have made your choice your death is the doing of your conscious hand.† (724). She recognized her error at the worst possible time. As you can see Antione has all the qualities of a tragic hero. I think she was the tragic heroine because she did what she believed in, which made her a good person. She did something and did not care what the punishment was, which made her proud. She also did what everyone else wanted to do but they did not have the guts to do it, which made her recognize her error. She loved her brother, ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Open System Interconnection (OSI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Open System Interconnection (OSI) - Essay Example The data transport or 'lower layers' of the OSI model handle data transport issues and are implemented in hardware and software. The lowest layer, the physical layer, is responsible for actually placing information on the medium. As a side note, most systems today use a modified version of this model; for example TCP/IP uses a 6-layer model. The OSI model is generic and is not a communication model -it makes no assumptions about programming language bindings, operating system bindings or application and user interface issues. Communications are implemented through protocols which are a formal set of rules and conventions that govern how computers exchange information over a network medium. A protocol implements the functions of one or more of the OSI layers. The table below describes the role of each of the 7 layers in greater detail: Responsible for activating, maintaining and deactivating the physical link between network objects. Network interface cards and interfaces on routers run at this level. Physical layer specifications define characteristics such as voltage levels, timing of voltage changes, physical data rates, maximum transmission distances, and physical connectors. Physical layer implementations can be categorized as either LAN or WAN specifications. When an application on Computer 1 sends dat... Provides error checking, error recovery and flow control. The transport protocols used on the Internet are TCP and UDP. 3 Network Layer Makes the upper layers independent of the data transmission, switching technologies, and topology of the network. Determines which path(s) in the network that data will be routed. This layer is very important to the design and configuration for internetworking. IP and routing protocols operate here. 2 Data Link Layer Provides reliable transfer across the physical links. Establishes the beginning and end of blocks of data (with synchronization when necessary) Reorder frames which are out of sequence [framing]; error detection and correction rate of data transmission [flow control]. It is subdivided into the logical Link Control (LLC) and Media Access Control (MAC) sub layers. Bridges and switches interface here. 1 Physical Layer Responsible for activating, maintaining and deactivating the physical link between network objects. Network interface cards and interfaces on routers run at this level. Physical layer specifications define characteristics such as voltage levels, timing of voltage changes, physical data rates, maximum transmission distances, and physical connectors. Physical layer implementations can be categorized as either LAN or WAN specifications. electrical optical mechanical When an application on Computer 1 sends data to Computer 2 that data passes through each layer of the OSI model on Computer 1 until it gets to the Physical layer. At that point it is transmitted on the physical medium (e.g. cabling) across to the Physical layer on Computer 2. The data then passes up through the Physical, Data, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation and

Friday, November 1, 2019

Lust by Susan Minot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lust by Susan Minot - Essay Example The narrator is a young girl. The theme of the story revolves around male and female sexual patterns and expectations. In this essay I will examine some of the questions raised by this interesting story. â€Å"Lust† is set in the 1960s and 1970s and has a teenage girl as its narrator. She is involved in relationship with many boys. The story narrates how the girl gets connected to each boy and the relationship and sex life she has with each one. The tone is so somewhat impassive, which may mean that the girl is not moved by any relationship or feels attached to anyone. This is one of the surprises of the story. You expect, from the title, that the characters would be full of passion and desire, but they act more like robots or people lost in a mist. The title is probably therefore meant ironically—or perhaps the author didn’t realize how little feeling was in her depictions. The title of the story, â€Å"Lust,† hints at a story about passionate sexual relationships, but the voice the reader encounters is one of despair, indifference-- unexcited and cold. The narrator is involved in the relationships, but describes them with little color and individuality. The narrator takes the readers through each event in her sex life. She also shares her thoughts after her sex acts and the tone is quite casual and could be shocking to conservatives. The tone brings out the attitude of the girl towards sex and morals. This is one of the central conflicts of the story: between what the girl wants and what the girl gets. She is clearly looking for something more meaningful, but never really finds it. A lot of her unhappiness is an expression of this unresolved conflict. This trouble really resides in her own character. She has trouble generating meaning. The narration gives the events in the form of a list evoking the idea that the sexual acts are just thought an d acted out in an order or executed as planned

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Frederick II (Frederick the Great) Research Paper

Frederick II (Frederick the Great) - Research Paper Example Majority of military strategists perceive him as a brilliant military thinker while critics accuse him of being a power-hungry tyrant willing to go to any length to calm his ego and enhance his reputation.1 This paper asserts that Frederick II epitomized what a military leader should be, especially based on his profound and enduring influence on other military strategists, leaders, generals, and statesmen who came after him.2 Frederick II noted, â€Å"A country should be ready for war, offensive or defensive and preparedness for war hinges on the condition of the army and the finances. Frederick II of Prussia was one of the â€Å"enlightened monarchs† (enlightened despots) based on the reforms that he was able to bring to Prussia. During his reign, he was able to expand the territories of Prussia to become a power house in Europe. Frederick modernized Prussian bureaucracy and civil service, besides promoting religious tolerance. Frederick managed to modify Prussia from European back water to an economically powerful and politically reformed state. One of the strengths of Frederick II lies in the fact that he was an enlightened absolutist and thus, could run the political side while simultaneously directing the army to achieve the objectives of the state. One of Frederick’s most outstanding quote details â€Å"a nation lacking an army is like an orchestra without instruments.†3 As a military leader, Frederick II focused on drill and discipline, besides stimulating initiative and inspiration in his military leadership. Frederick II maintained that common soldiers should fear their own officers more compared to the enemy, and he closely monitored his generals to ensure that none could be trusted to perform independently. As crown prince, Frederick II maintained that Prussia could not evade being drawn into conflict practically anywhere in Europe. However, his country was short of the

Monday, October 28, 2019

Learner Analysis Essay Example for Free

Learner Analysis Essay Background Summary Flight nurse’s and Flight Paramedics perform as members of an aeromedical crew on helicopters (rotor wing), and airplanes (fixed wing) aircraft, providing for in-flight management and care for all types and ages of patients. Responsibilities of this job include the planning and preparation of each flight, to include such things as; safety, evaluation of an individual patients in-flight needs and request of appropriate medications, supplies, and equipment to provide continuing care from origination to the destination facility. They act as liaisons between facilities during an interfacility transport and from scene location to trauma center during medical and trauma related emergencies. They also initiate emergency treatment in the absence of a physician during in-flight medical emergencies. Flight nurses and flight paramedics have training in mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, vasoactive medications, airway, and other intensive care skills. Most air medical businesses expect nurses to have at least 2 to 5 years of experience in emergency or critical care units, and the more trauma experience, the better (flightnursetraining.com). This means nurses that have a proven ability to manage multiple patients with vastly different conditions, as well as being able to make split-second decisions about patient care with maximum attention to patient care and safety. Flight paramedics are expected to have a minimum of three years current experience as a paramedic on an advanced life support team and/or critical care transport team. Both of these roles may have to tend to multiple critical cases all at once, so it is important that he or she have the skills to cope with high stress situations. Even though those hired into the role of a flight nurse and flight paramedic come into the role with a core background in critical care and expected level of baseline knowledge,  higher level of autonomous critical thinking and rapid decisio n making is a new skill encountered for many coming into this role. A well-structured training program is an integral part of laying a strong foundation to build the necessary knowledge base needed to assure both a flight nurse and flight paramedic are prepared to perform in their role as a crew chief. Approximately six years ago a well-structured crew chief training program was in place that allowed for consistent and structured learning that allowed all crew member 2 (CM2) to obtain the necessary skills and knowledge expected to hold a position of crew chief. These modules covered areas of navigation, communications, safety, aviation, critical thinking; and incorporated reading material, practical exercises, quizzes and tests which the CM2 worked through in a systematic process. At the completion of the training module; the crew member then went through a question answer board (QAB) process. In the QAB, the crew member was asked a series of questions by a board consisting of a crew chief, clinical manager, pilot, medical director and given multiple scenarios. If the QAB was completed successfully the CM2 then advanced to status of a crew chief. Current State of Problem Currently a structured training program that assures all flight nurses and flight paramedics obtain this baseline level of knowledge that is expected of those in the crew chief role does not exist. The current practice is the assumption that all CM2’s obtain the skills and knowledge necessary by reaching their seventy fifth patient transport. This training plan does not allow for the structured delivery of expected skills and knowledge nor does it allow for a baseline competency to be demonstrated before being promoted from CM2 to crew chief. The current process was put into place to meet the increased demand for staffing experience by the company during a rapid growth period where eight bases turned into sixteen in four years. This current process put into place at this time did allow for rapid streamlined training of new staff; but it failed to take into account quality over quantity. This new process has resulted in CM2’s being promoted to the level of a crew chief w ithout the necessary knowledge that is expected of this role as determined by the management. Goal State All crew members at CM2 status go through a structured crew chief training program. This training will allow for the delivery of consistent, well-structured necessary skills and knowledge. A well-structured training program will assure that all flight crew who obtain crew chief status will have obtained the same base of knowledge and will have all demonstrated the same level of desired competence. Learner Analysis Demographic Information The instructional setting is primarily on the job training; information gained through the live patient care transport environment via ground, rotor or fixed wing aircraft. Nurses and paramedics work as partners in patient transport. This team configuration can be two nurses, or one nurse and one paramedic; but at all times one team member must be a nurse. The third person at the base is the pilot in command, who does not provide any patient care but does and can assist in aviation and safety training. These teams are on shift; stationed at their assigned base for a 24 hour period of time; where training through simulations, reading, and discussions will occur during non-patient transport times. There are 16 bases in the company; located in California, Texas and Oregon. There are 8 full time medical crew assigned to each base and an additional 2-3 part time staff at each base. Age of paramedics and nurses range from 27-61. English is native language spoken by all medical crew members. Educational levels in addition to holding an accredited paramedic license or registered nurse license are ranging from associate degree to doctorate. All Registered nurses in the capacity have received specialized training in critical care, trauma and hold specialized certificates in these areas. All paramedics in this capacity have also obtained additional critical care related training and certificates. Both the nurses and the paramedics receiving the crew chief training have been employed with this company in the flight role for a minimum of 1 year and have obtained the CM2 status. The content area is focused on five areas; to include aviation, safety, communications, navigation, and critical thinking. All medical crew have obtained the basic level of training in these areas have been deemed CM2 which puts them at â€Å"novice† status which deems them competent to s afely complete patient transports. The crew chief level of training is aimed at bringing crew  members from novice to expert level. Prior Knowledge Prior knowledge of all who will receive the crew chief training are those who are at the current CM2 level. They have been working in the capacity as flight nurses or flight paramedics at this company for a minimum of 1 year and have been on at least 75 patient transports. 25% of the total crew members have prior experience working as Flight Nurses or Flight Paramedics at another company; 10% of the flight paramedics have prior flight crew experience through the military prior to coming to this company. Those crew members who achieved crew chief status per the current model will be given a baseline written assessment and go through a crew chief QAB. Those who pass these two items will remain at the status of crew chief; and those who do not pass these assessments will complete a bridge crew chief training program, focusing on those areas of the training they did not pass during their assessments. A written assessment and QAB will be repeated at the conclusion of the bridge training. All crew members surveyed have positive feedback regarding this proposed process. Entry Skills Required Entry level skills required to the crew chief training is to be a CM2 and to have successfully passed the CM2 questions answer board. Successful completion of CM2 training demonstrates successful objectives completed as stated in the CM2 training. In addition to CM2 status; all crew members must have obtained a national certification. National certifications the nurses may obtain are critical care registered nurse (CCRN), care flight critical nurse (CFRN), or certified emergency nurse (CEN). These are each a 100-150 questions tests that are scheduled to be taken at independent test centers as determined by the certifying agencies. The CM2 must also be in good standing with the company; meaning no disciplinary actions in the crew members personal file in the previous six months. Attitudes and Motivation The majority of the flight nurses and flight paramedics are very driven; intense people with a high desire to obtain the crew chief status. Primary motivation comes from the desire to obtain the title status of â€Å"crew chief† and the increased pay rate of 5% per hour. Secondary motivation is the drive that comes from internal motivation to achieve additional training to  reach expert level knowledge in this field. Current attitudes towards training are positive with an overwhelmingly stated desire to have a more structured training program; with higher standards and rigor needed to become a crew chief. Based on the annual employee survey; one of the indicators as stated by employees to improve morale is for a more structured and rigorous crew chief training program. Unique Characteristics and Learning Styles The majority (70%) of the learners described themselves as learning best through â€Å"doing.† Those who stated they learn better through hands-on and learning state reading, watching or hearing the learning material is helpful if they can then have additional hands-on training through simulations or live on-the-job situational experiences. Another 40% of learners said they were not sure how they learned best; but felt having access to the material in writing or reading to be studied was very helpful. All learners wanted tangible resources available such as protocols, standard operating procedures, drug calculators, and other tools that could be obtained through electronic means such as their phones or IPADS; to be accessed as needed during simulated training and live patient transports. According to Kolbs Adult Learning Styles; adults have four distinct ways of preferred ways for examining, analyzing and integrating new knowledge. Converging (doing and thinking), diverging (f eeling and watching), Assimilating (watching and thinking) and Accommodating (doing and feeling). In the VARK model; Neil D Fleming described the primary ways adults acquire new knowledge; the preferred learning styles. In this VARK model; 41% are kinesthetic learners, 16% visual, 25% auditory and 18% readers. Crew member feedback of preferred learning styles and research based evidence regarding preferred adult learning styles appear to correlate. This will allow support from management to build a new crew chief training program that will be based in the delivery methods that will allow consumption of material to be presented through the desired learning styles of adult learners. Unique characteristics of this group of learners is their collective attitudes and internal drive to desire a more rigorous and structured training program with an extreme minority of the crew members desiring to hold title of crew chief without demonstration of knowledge and skills required. It will be  important to build a training program that accommodates all of the stated learning styles so as to use the crew member’s desire for the training to have a product that matches in quality and desired outcome of trainees. Accommodations According to Gregg, Talbert and Lentz (1999),An appropriately selected instructional accommodations not only provides equal awareness to learning opportunities but also minimizes the learners likelihood of failure. Appropriate educational accommodations are determined by taking into account the adults unique leaning needs. All crew members have demonstrated a prerequisite knowledge required to begin this training through successful completion of the CM2 training. All learners are primary English language learners without physical disabilities; as this is a requirement to obtain the role of flight nurse or flight paramedic in this company. The accommodations that should be considered for this training program is one that utilizes all learning styles to ensure the best possible success by all those beginning the training program. Performance Context Managerial Support Learners can expect full organizational support in the training process. One of the top goals of the organization as identified in their â€Å"Strengthen from Within Plan† is to re-build and strengthen a training strategy that will allow for employees to have a structured, well planned out, standardized training program. Employees have overwhelmingly voiced concern in the area of clinical training with regards to the crew chief training in the annual employee survey and through the Best of Practice Suggestion Forum. Management has acknowledged the priority of a structured crew chief training process lost priority in recent years; stating it has been likely to the rapid growth experienced by the company in the last 5 years and with this comes a need to recruit employees bring them to novice status in order to staff new bases. This has caused an oversight in strengthening crew chief training which brings employees to that of expert level in the field. Management has also acknowledged that current process that was put into place approximately 6 years ago; which brings a CM2 to crew chief status via a CM2 completing 75 patient transports and obtaining a national  certification has fallen short of hopes and expectations for this modality of crew chief training. All management are in agreement a more structured training program is needed. All would agree that the skills learned through a structured crew chief training program bring medical flight crew members from a novice to an expert level which translates to superior patient care, superior customer service, which lead to strengthening of the company as a whole. Physical Aspects of the Site The crew chief training takes skills learned by flight crew members during their CM2 training program and adds depth, strengthens critical thinking and problem solving processes and brings a CM2 at novice level up to crew chief which is considered expert level. This training will take place while the crew member is on shift. Training will occur via reading material, videos, discussion with preceptor, clinical manager and base manager, scenarios through case studies and live demonstration during patient transport. The CM2 will be required to complete a written test and sit on a QAB at the end of the crew chief training Process. All required training materials and equipment will be available at each of the 16 bases in the company. Base managers and clinical managers will work with the preceptors to assure all materials and equipment will be kept at each base, kept current with what is being used in live environment and kept in working order. Social Aspects of the Site In the performance setting, medical crew members work in teams. The teams always consist of two nurses, or one nurse and one paramedic. The third team member is the pilot; who are not involved directly in the patient care. Medical crew member’s work in team’s independent of direct supervision of a supervisor. Supervisors such as clinical managers, base managers and a medical director are always available by phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week as needed by the medical crews. The skills obtained in the Crew Chief training will not be being utilized by the medical crews for the first time. Many of these skills learned will have already been used by the crew members in the crew chief training; as much of the training had already been presented to some degree during the CM2 training. It is possible that some patient care skills learned by CM2 and again as crew chiefs will have only  been completed on mannequins in simulations and not on live patients until that patient condition presents itself. These skills are referred to as â€Å"infrequently used skills† and are practiced routinely by all medical crew members in the company. Those receiving initial first time skills and knowledge in their role are the crew member 1 (CM1) team members who are gaining the on-the-job training needed to achieve CM2 status. In these instances; a CM1 is always assigned into a work partnership with another crew member who is at least at the CM2 status. Relevance of Skills to Workplace All skills learned in the training will relate directly to all skills utilized in the actual workplace. There are not current perceived physical, social or motivational constraints. Crew members are highly motivated to have structured crew chief training due to the relationship between skills learned and skills used in work environment. High motivation also exists due to the desired status achievement of crew chief and due to the increased monetary stipend received. References Fleming, N.D. and Mills, C. (1992), Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection, To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, 1992., page 137. Flight Nurse Training. (n.d.). Flight Nurse Training. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://www.flightnursetraining.com Suggested Considerations Regarding Accommodations. (1999, January 1). Suggested Considerations Regarding Accommodations. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/7.1/coverweb/grover_hendricks/accommodations.htm Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). . Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Workplace Training and Education: Adult Learning Styles. (2013, January 1). Workplace Training and Education: Adult Learning Styles. Retrieved May 8, 2014, from http://tribehr.com/blog/workplace-training-and-education-adult-learning-styles/