Strategic Management for a Medium Sized Firm Research Paper

Strategic Management for a Medium Sized Firm - Research Paper Example This can be seen by the fact that customers are getting more educated. The access to the internet also balances the information asymmetry in the market making customers knowledgeable of the price and features of competing products. Customers look for products the way they want it. With this development, essential issues should be addressed by the company as firms are producing more than they can sell which significantly drives down prices. This situation poses more intense rivalry from competitors requiring companies to develop an efficient and sustainable strategy. For a medium-sized firm operating in a hypercompetitive industry which embarked on a follower strategy should seek to have a more effective marketing strategy. Follower strategies or "me too" strategies are only able to compete on price. Thus, followers are deemed to reduce prices forever, squeezing their margins and profitability. Possible strategic alternatives which it can bank on are differentiation and innovation strategies. Differentiation strategy in a hypercompetitive market is imperative and "not discretionary." As customers have higher bargaining leverage, a firm should introduce product features which adds value to its buyers. Instead of simply following the strategies and move of the market leader, a medium size firm should embark on developing innovative products. This is very important taking note of the fact that the market is unstable. Oftentimes, the case is that buyers are dissatisfied with the present alternatives and are looking for new options. Competition through differentiation and innovation are two strategic options which are always more effective than price competition. Â  

Interoffice Memo Essay Example for Free

Interoffice Memo Essay Yesterday, July 1, 1976, the ruling in the case of Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California was decided. The Supreme Court of California imposed a legal duty to psychotherapists, enforceable by a civil suit, to warn a person who may become a victim of a violent act by a patient or if the patient threatens to harm themselves. As professionals in the Human Service field it is necessary that we adhere to this when a client may threaten to hurt themselves or another person. With this ruling, and before any action is taken, we are reminded of our code of ethics. Human Service Professionals have guidelines in their responsibility to the client. The ruling of this case has affected our ethical decision making, in that, we also acknowledge that we need to not only assist our client but also, if threat is made, to assist and protect a potential victim. Once this threat is made, ethically, we have no option but to report it and to not do so, we break our code of ethics and the law. This case has made us aware of the fact that threats can and possibly will be carried out, therefore, threats should not and will not be taken lightly. Our Code of Ethics has changed slightly since this ruling was imposed and while we still protect our client’s confidentiality and privacy, there is now an exception. â€Å"If it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the  client or to others as a result of a client’s behavior, the human service professional acts in an appropriate and professional manner to protect the safety of those individuals. This may involve seeking consultation, supervision, and/or breaking the confidentiality of the relationship.† (Woodside and McClam, 2011) References: Woodside, M., McClam, T. (2011). An introduction to human services (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.

Dicks Androids and Scotts Replicants :: Philip K. Dick Ridley Scott

Dicks' Androids and Scotts' Replicants Philip K. Dick has written over fifty novels, and is considered among some of the greatest experimental writers of the 1950s and '60s, such as; William Burroughs, J.G. Ballard, and Thomas Pynchon.(Star 34) He has written science- fiction and regular fiction. His fiction usually spoke of people trying to figure out who they are, or what they are supposed to be. He is best known, however, for his work in science-fiction, and this represents the majority of his work. He has, also, won awards for two of his science-fiction novels. He won the Hugo Award for best novel in 1962 for The Man in the High Castle and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel of the year in 1974 for Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said (Brians 1). An opera has been based on one of P.K.D. later novels, Valis (Brians 1). One of his short stories, We Can Build It For You, was made into a movie recently. The movie was Screamers, starring Peter Weller. He has also had two of his novels, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale (Total Recall), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner), made into movies. Of the two, Blade Runner (B.R.) has had the greatest impact. B.R., however, differs greatly from Dicks' original novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (D.A.D.O.E.S.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Blade Runner was released in 1982 under the direction of Ridley Scott, who also made another sci-fi classic, Alien. The film begins in the city of Los Angeles. The year is 2019. The city of Los Angeles is overpopulated, teeming with all sorts of humans. Japanese ADs are all over the place. The Japanese input was strictly the director, Ridley Scot's. Scott saw the future world being controlled by the Japanese. Philip K. Dick did not mention this. The planet is recovering from World War III, although I'm not sure they actually say this. In the book, the war is clearly stated and was called World War Terminus. The effects of the radiation has mutated some people. Only the ones who had not been disfigured or altered genetically by radiation from the nuclear bombs could emigrate, (leave the planet earth). Some, who were perfectly healthy chose to stay, however. They stayed because they were stubborn and wanted to die on the planet they were born on. The chickenheads had to stay, it was law. Chickenheads is Dicks term for the disfigured or the genetically altered. They are also referred to as specials. There are no chickenheads in the movie. None of this is made clear

Junot Diaz’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” Essay

The elders who are used to reminiscing and looking back at the times of their younger years would usually counsel young people of today to treasure, cherish, and make the most of their youth while it is still there. They would often say that, just when a person thinks everything about youth is so wonderful, one’s youthfulness will eventually slip away and that person can never get it back. More often than not, the adventurous activities, fantasies, dreams, and endeavors are the most precious memories the elders reminisce about their youth. This could be why it is often told that a young person’s story is the most precious, the richest, and the best to remember. Many people are often grateful that once in their lives they were able to play, explore, fall in love, and discover great things. However, there are some who would just sit with regret as they look back and see nothing about their younger days but their naivety. But how would it feel like if a person had everything in his or her younger days but nothing beyond that because his or her life ends at the peak of his or her adolescence? One of the shortest yet most colorful stories ever told is that of a boy named Oscar Wao in a moving and entertaining tale by Junot Diaz called, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. This is the story of a boy who had all the play time, adventures, and challenges a child can ever experience in his childhood, but it also tells the story of a boy who wished to become a full-grown man but never became one. What the Story is About A Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao tells the tale of Oscar, a young boy with the most colorful and adventurous childhood. The story is set in a humble village living an ordinary way of life in the United States. Oscar is described in the story as an overweight ghetto nerd who is always scolded and advised by his sister, Lola, to work harder on having a better physique in order to attract girls (Scott). The story opens with a retelling of the difficulties experienced by his mother, Beli, during the regime of an abusive and feared dictator, Rafael Trujillo in 1930 and 1961. Trujillo is tagged by Oscar himself as the â€Å"dictatingest dictator who ever dictated† who then became his most hated person because of how he brought sadness and bad luck to his family’s life (Diaz 80). This is where the concept of fuku appears. Fuku, as how Oscar puts it, is the mother of all bad lucks that can affect a person and his or her family not only for one generation but also for the rest of their lineage’s existence. Because his mother once dared to go in the way of Trujillo, Oscar believes that fuku has affected their family ever since, so he thinks of fuku as the reason why his family never really had a completely happy life. Aside from being a normal teenager who daydreams of the typical teenage fantasies, Oscar also dreams of becoming an accomplished sci-fi writer and a successful lover boy as well. As an adolescent, Oscar goes through the usual dilemmas and adventures of young boys such as being busted, having absurd sexual fantasies, and falling in love with a person he knew he could never have. Oscar’s story is filled with exciting adventures of a boy who tries to discover his place in a foreign land. It is also loaded with exhilarating escapades of a young boy with friends and women. Although the story has two different narrators—which makes it a little bit confusing in some parts—the language is nonetheless creatively utilized to make the text more dynamic and at the same time captivating (Flanagan). Analyzing the Themes Depicted in the Story Love and Obsession Although love is considered an eternal theme that has grazed the pages of innumerable literary works, Junot Diaz successfully captures the interest of a lot of readers in this work because of how complex, difficult, and impossible it is presented in this story. Unlike other works of fiction, Diaz chose to present the concept of love under the light of a certain reality. Diaz depicts the reality of love in this story as something which other people can only dream about; thus, he portrays the reality that the joy and bliss love brings cannot be for all, and that there are just some people who may have really been struck by fuku and can never enjoy the goodness of true love. Beli is presented as the first victim of this miserable reality of love. Her story involves that of a girl who simply fell in love with the wrong person, in the wrong time, and under the wrong circumstances. Beli was a typical kind of a mistress. She fell for a man who was married to not just any other woman, but to the sister of the feared dictator of Dominican Republic during that time, Rafael Trujillo. Her love was that strong that she was ready to face the harsh consequences that may come her way. She was ready to accept the fact that she can never be the first lady in her man’s heart no matter how painful it becomes. However, danger came really close when Trujillo and his sister finally found out about Beli. Although Beli did not want to leave her country, she was forced to do so due to her fear of losing her future and at the advice of her concerned foster mother. That was when Beli had to flee to the United States where she was to start a new life. Indeed, love can really be very bitter and unjust to some people. While other people are throwing away all the goodness love can bring, there are those who yearn for the freedom of loving someone, yet they can never do either because they were struck by fuku, or they are just simply not meant to be. Aside from Beli’s sad experience on love, Diaz’s notion about love is also illustrated in Oscar’s experience: â€Å"Love was a rare thing, easily confused with million other things, and if anybody knew this to be true, it was him† (Diaz 321). As Lola and her boyfriend Yunior narrate Oscar’s story side-by-side, it becomes apparent that Oscar was able to meet several girls in his short-lived life. Even at the young age of seven, Lola describes him to be someone who developed a great fondness for girls who wore lipstick. All the other boys his age avoided the girls like they were a bad case of Captain Trips. Not Oscar †¦ The girls – his sister Lola’s friends, his mother’s friends, even their neighbor, Mari Colon, a thirty-something postal employee who wore red on her lips and walked like she had a bell for an ass – all purportedly fell for him. † (Diaz 12) Thus, Oscar apparently had such an easy time attracting women even at a very juvenile age. However, although this was the case when he was younger, his love life meets a great turnaround during his adolescent years when he encounters a prostitute by the name of Yvon. Yvon is a prostitute whom everybody knows as the â€Å"property† of a corrupt police captain. Although this was clearly understood by Oscar, he seems to be unable to do anything about his growing feelings for Yvon—a feeling different from what he felt for all the other girls he met in the past. At first, love may seem as an exaggerated term as a label to what Oscar feels for Yvon. It may be natural for the readers to think that what he feels is an ordinary case of sexual attraction brought by his own sexual frustrations as an overweight adolescent, and also conclude that Yvon is the kind of girl who can be considered a master in seducing men. However, it becomes clear that Oscar has indeed developed a special kind of affection towards Yvon when he became so possessive and insistent on being with her despite the possible dangers it imposes upon him, knowing he is actually trying to steal the captain’s lady. Oscar even comes to a more serious point of asking Yvon to get married, but Yvon hesitates and always turns him down due to fear of what may happen to both of them if they choose to give in to their feelings. At this point, Diaz’s intention to portray love as an impossible and a difficult thing appears very clear. Based on how much Oscar fought for his love for Yvon, it is evident that he and his mother share the same unlucky fate when it comes to love. Hence, it can be inferred that they both fell for the wrong person (who belonged to the â€Å"wrong† people) at the wrong time and under wrong and unlucky circumstances as well. Considering this, the readers may not help but think that Diaz is trying to say that fuku may indeed exist as it appears to have set upon Oscar’s family. However, love, as many would say, often comes with another miserable reality called obsession, and this theme can also be observed in the entirety of Diaz’s work. Considering the love felt by both Oscar and Beli for their lovers, it can be safe to say that it was obsession, aside from love, which kept them holding on to their feelings. Indeed, both can be seen to have specific obsessions. In Beli’s case, her only obsession was her love for the man who can never give back the same amount of love to her. She knew it was not right to love a man who is already married, yet her obsession for that person and for his affection made her feel that the world is but an unjust place, unable to distribute the freedom to love evenly among all its inhabitants. On the other hand, Oscar also appears to be obsessed with love as much as how was obsessed with women in the past. While other kids his age considered women as a vice which needs to be avoided, he looked at them with so much delight that he considered them as the next sweetest thing to candies that can as well vary in size, shapes, and colors. He became so used to women calling him hombre because he was seen as a lover boy who knew all about women’s weaknesses and soft spots. He became so addicted to this kind of relationship that he never knew getting together with a girl like Yvon would be such a difficult thing to handle. As it appears, love has indeed become Oscar’s greatest obsession. He became blind to Yvon’s natural beauty and appeal which prevented him from seeing the reality that they can never be together since she is already a property of someone else—someone else who is much more powerful than him. Thus, the circumstances of Beli and Oscar suggest that oftentimes, love and obsession go hand-in-hand. Sex Oscar’s character is introduced to the concept of sex during the early years of his adolescence, just like what typically happens to average teenagers. This theme reverberates throughout the story—from Oscar’s own retelling to Lola and Yunior’s. Like average teenagers, Oscar is described to have such a glorious impression about sex as something that reflects manliness and strength. However, although he knew this, it is mentioned repeatedly in the story that Oscar thought he might possibly die a virgin. Throughout the entire story, Oscar talks and fantasizes about nothing but the image of him making love with a woman he loves. Yet, there are also times when he becomes so desperate that he just wanted to do the act with anybody just to prove he would not die a virgin. This seems to be the biggest frustration of Oscar. He leaves their home for college as a virgin and he comes back a virgin still. Thus, it can be inferred that Diaz attempts to imply that in this modern age where sex is being popularized by the mass media, it may seem hard for a typical teenager to go on without experiencing it when all the boys are considering it as a trophy and a great achievement. Aside from this, considering that Oscar is overweight, Diaz presents how hard it can be for an adolescent who is not physically attractive to dream of something like sex when everybody else in the neighborhood seems to be doing it as a normal activity. Only in the last lines of the novel would reveal that Oscar indeed has done it with the love of his life, Yvon, and he chose to describe it this way: â€Å"So this is what everybody’s always talking about! Diablo! If only I’d known. The beauty! The beauty! † (Diaz 339). Reading â€Å"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao† is like looking deep into the frustrations and fantasies of every teenager. Oscar’s characterization as a desperate overweight adolescent who enters and leaves college as a virgin, his natural tendency to wear his â€Å"nerdiness† the way a master swordsman wears his sword, as well as his occasional suicidal tendencies can be seen as honest and true-to-life representations of the challenges adolescents face (Kakutani). Moreover, Oscar’s views of love, obsession, and sex also reflect the popular notions and impressions of teenagers regarding such topics. Hence, this work of Diaz may serve as a mirror to all the young people who cannot identify with their environment either because of their color, nationality, weight, and/or personality. Oscar Wao’s fantasies, challenges, failures, and frustrations definitely show the readers that an adolescent’s life is not always plainly about play, adventure, and leading a happy-go-lucky life. All of his heartaches, mishaps, and adventures shaped his desire to be accepted by his generation, since being accepted in his age may mean having several girlfriends, being physically fit, and especially not dying a virgin. In this short-lived yet dynamic life of Oscar Wao, the reality of youth being the most colorful and upbeat period of a person’s life is once again justified. Thus, considering how Oscar’s life ended, it can be inferred that childhood is the happiest time of life, and although Oscar’s life ended there, his life tells that childhood is also the period of life that one should enjoy to the fullest. Works Cited Diaz, Junot. The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. London: Riverhead Books, 2007. Dickens, Charles. â€Å"A boy’s story is the best that is ever told. † Quote Junkie (British Edition). Ed. Hagopian Institute. California: Create Space, 2008. 16 Flanagan, Mark. â€Å"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. † About. com. Sept. 2007. 29 July 2009. . Kakutani, Michiko. â€Å"Travails of an Outcast. † The New York Times. 4 Sept. 2007. 29 July 2009. . Scott, A. C. â€Å"Dreaming in Spanglish. † The New York Times. 30 Sept. 2007. 29 July 2009. .

Organization of relationships Essay

Functionalism Functionalism is perhaps the oldest, and still dominant theoretical perspective in sociology. This paradigm is based upon two related emphases: application of the scientific method to the objective social world, and use of analogy between the individual organism and society. The perspective was developed by Emile Durkheim, and expanded by Talcott Parsons in the 1950s. The perspective assumes: 1) that the application of the scientific method extends to the social world, 2) values provide general guidelines for behavior in terms of roles and norms, 3) institutions are generally composed of interrelated roles and norms, and 4) the society is a functioning organism composed of functioning institutions. Functionalists perceive the social world as objectively real – observable with methods such as surveys and interviews. Rules and regulations assist in the organization of relationships between members of the social body. These institutions of society such as the family, religion, the political system, even the economy are interwoven. They function congruent to social needs and aspirations. They are directed to the attainment of social objectives. Functionalism has the following assumptions: 1) the interrelatedness of institutions, roles, and norms is congruent with social needs; 2) social need is not necessarily physiological in orientation (it can be in the form of status acquisition); 3) gradual change is the main motor of social change (abrupt change is seen as something unnecessary and leading to social dislocation of actors); 4) objectivity is the primary qualification of social research (functionalism, later structural functionalism is highly correlated with the empiricist approach to social research); 5) the social world is generally governed by social actors. Functionalism addresses the following issues: 1) the evolution of roles and norms in a particular social setting, 2) the development of interrelated institutions, 3) the efficacy of long-term change, 4) the cohesive functioning entity, and 5) the importance of role-making and empiricist research. From the five sociological paradigms discussed, conflict theory seemed to be the least useful because: 1) It fails to answer the evolution of roles and norms in the society (it views morality as something created by power politics); 2) While it explains the efficacy of short term (abrupt) change, it fails to fully substantiate the saliency of long-term (gradual) social change; 3) It saw conflict as the only effective means of altering social arrangements, roles, and norms of the society – here, conflict is seen as a positive force of social change (the word ‘positive’ here is morally neutral).

Quantum Definition in Physics and Chemistry

Quantum Definition in Physics and Chemistry In physics and chemistry, a quantum is a discrete packet of energy or matter. The term quantum also means the minimum value of a physical property involved in an interaction. The plural of quantum is quanta. Key Takeaways: Quantum Definition In chemistry and physics, quantum refers to a single packet of matter or energy.In practical use, it refers to the minimum amount of energy required for a change or the minimum value of any physical property in an interaction.Quantum is the singular form of the word. Quanta is the plural form of the term. For example: the quantum of charge is the charge of an electron. Electric charge can only increase or decrease by discrete energy levels. So, there is no half-charge. A photon is a single quantum of light. Light and other electromagnetic energy is absorbed or emitted in quanta or packets. The word quantum comes from the Latin word quantus, which means how great. The word came into use before the year 1900, in reference to quantum satis in medicine, which means the amount which is sufficient. Misuse of Term The word quantum is often mis-used as an adjective to mean the opposite of its definition or in an inappropriate context. For example, the term quantum mysticism implies a correlation between quantum mechanics and parapsychology that has not been supported by empirical data. The phase quantum leap is used to suggest a large change, while the definition of quantum is that the change is the minimum amount possible.

Profile of Women in the United States in 2000

Profile of Women in the United States in 2000 In March 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau observed Womens History Month by releasing a detailed set of statistics on women in the United States. The data came from the 2000 Decennial Census, the Current Population Survey of the year 2000, and the year 2000 Statistical Abstract of the United States. Education Equality 84% The percentage of women age 25 and over with a high school diploma or more, which equals the percentage for men. The college degree attainment gap between the sexes had not closed completely, but it was closing. In 2000, 24% of women age 25 and over had a bachelors degree or higher, compared with 28% of men. 30% The percentage of young women, ages 25 to 29, who had completed college as of 2000, which exceeded the 28% of their male counterparts who had done so. Young women also had higher high school completion rates than young men: 89% versus 87%. 56% The proportion of all college students in 1998 who were women. By2015, the U.S. Department of Education reported that more women than men were completing college. 57% The proportion of masters degrees awarded to women in 1997. Women also represented 56% of the people awarded bachelors degrees, 44% of the law degrees, 41% of the medical degrees and 41% of the doctorates. 49% The percentage of bachelors degrees awarded in business and management in 1997 that went to women. Women also received 54% of the biological and life sciences degrees. But Income Inequality Remains   In 1998, the median yearly earnings of women 25 years and over who worked fulltime, year-round was $26,711, or just 73% of the $36,679 earned by their male counterparts. While both men and women with college degrees realize higher lifetime earnings,   men working fulltime, year-round consistently earned more than comparable women in each of the education levels: The median earnings of women with a high school diploma were $21,963, compared with $30,868 for their male counterparts.The median earnings of women with a bachelor’s degree were $35,408, compared with $49,982 for their male counterparts.The median earnings of women with a professional degree was $55,460, compared with $90,653 for their male counterparts. Earnings, Income, and Poverty $26,324 The 1999 median earnings of women working full-time, year-round. In March 2015, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that while the gap was closing, women still made less than men doing similar work. 4.9% The increase between 1998 and 1999 in the median income of family households maintained by women with no spouse present ($24,932 to $26,164). 27.8% The record-low poverty rate in 1999 for families made up of a female householder with no husband present. Jobs 61% The percentage of women age 16 and over in the civilian labor force in March 2000. The percentage for men was 74%. 57% The percentage of the 70 million women age 15 and over who worked at some point in 1999 that were full-time year-round workers. 72% The percentage of women age 16 and over in 2000 who worked in one of four occupational groups: administrative support, including clerical (24%); professional specialty (18%); service workers, except private household (16%); and executive, administrative and managerial (14%). Population Distribution 106.7 million The estimated number of women age 18 and over living in the United States as of Nov. 1, 2000. The number of men 18 and over was 98.9 million. Women outnumbered men in every age group, from ages 25 and over and up. There were 141.1 million females of all ages. 80 years The projected life expectancy for women in 2000, which was higher than the life expectancy for men (74 years.). Motherhood 59% The record-high percentage of women with infants under the age of 1 in 1998 who were in the labor force, almost double the 31% rate of 1976. This compares with 73% of mothers ages 15 to 44 in the labor force that same year who did not have infants. 51% The 1998 percentage of married-couple families with children in which both spouses worked. This is the first time since the Census Bureau started recording fertility information that these families were the majority of all married-couple families. The rate in 1976 was 33%. 1.9 The average number of children women 40 to 44 years old in 1998 had by the end of their childbearing years. This contrasts sharply with women in 1976, who averaged 3.1 births. 19% The proportion of all women ages 40 to 44 who were childless in 1998, up from 10 percent in 1976. During the same time, those with four or more children declined from 36 percent to 10 percent. Marriage and Family 51% The percentage of women 15 years old and over in 2000 who were married and living with their spouse. Of the rest, 25 percent had never married, 10%t were divorced, 2% were separated and 10 percent were widowed. 25.0 years The median age at first marriage for women in 1998, more than four years older than the 20.8 years just a generation ago (1970). 22% The proportion in 1998 of 30- to 34-year-old women who had never married triple the rate in 1970 (6 percent). Similarly, the proportion of never-married women increased from 5 percent to 14 percent for 35-to-39-year-olds over the period. 15.3 million The number of women living alone in 1998, double the number in 1970 7.3 million.The percentage of women who lived alone rose for almost every age group. The exception was those aged 65 to 74, where the percentage was statistically unchanged. 9.8 million The number of single mothers in 1998, an increase of 6.4 million since 1970. 30.2 million The number of households in 1998 about 3 in 10 maintained by women with no husband present. In 1970, there were 13.4 million such households, about 2 in 10. Sports and Recreation 135,000 The number of women taking part in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned sports during the 1997-98 school year; women constituted 4 in 10 participants in NCAA-sanctioned sports. The 7,859 NCAA-sanctioned womens teams exceeded the number of mens teams. Soccer had the most female athletes; basketball, the most womens teams. 2.7 million The number of girls taking part in high school athletic programs during the 1998-99 school year triple the number in 1972-73. Participation levels by boys remained about the same during this time frame, about 3.8 million in 1998-99. Computer Use 70% The percentage of women with access to a computer at home in 1997 who used it; the rate for men was 72%. The home computer-use gender gap between men and women has shrunk considerably since 1984 when mens home computer use was 20 percentage points higher than that of women. 57% The percentage of women who used a computer on the job in 1997, 13 percentage points higher than the percentage of men who did so. Voting 46% Among citizens, the percentage of women who voted in the 1998 mid-term congressional elections; that was better than the 45% of men who cast their ballots. This continued a trend that had started in 1986. The preceding facts came from the 2000 Current Population Survey, population estimates, and the 2000 Statistical Abstract of the United States. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error.

Ultimate Guide to Marketing Resource Management Organize Every Asset

Ultimate Guide to Marketing Resource Management Organize Every Asset Marketing departments don’t have it easy these days. If you’re a Marketing Manager it can often feel like you’re trying to tame a multi-headed beast. Back in the day, Marketing Managers had only a couple of channels to manage. Today, there’s about a hundred things you *could* be doing and endless channels vying for your limited attention and resources. And it’s all further complicated by complex team structures, collaboration hurdles, and the necessity to pivot at the drop of a hat. It can kinda feel like you’re expected to move mountains AND be the goose that lays the golden egg WHILE juggling fire. Enter Marketing Resource Management†¦ or MRM if you’re into acronyms. So What is Marketing Resource Management Anyway? Marketing Resource Management sounds like something reserved for mega-corporations planning global domination. In reality, it’s a solution that can help marketing teams both large and small accomplish more, in less time. Everything a Marketer needs to know about Marketing Resource Management.MRM software is designed to assist teams in navigating and managing the complexity of today’s marketing environment. (It has also been known to keep Marketing Managers from pulling all their hair out in frustration.) MRM tools usually help solve the following marketing problems: Strategic planning Budgeting Project management Creative content development Asset distribution Collaboration Download Your Free Marketing Management Templates Before committing to an MRM tool, check out some of these free templates to get your team organized. Marketing Strategy Guide (PDF):  Plan an entire marketing strategy efficiently (with team collaboration in mind from the start). Marketing Project Calendar Template (Excel):  Collaborate on project timelines with a single version of truth. Marketing Project Management Plan (Doc):  Get all of your team on the same page before every project starts. Marketing Project Checklist (Excel):  Keep track of due dates and workflows with this spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are made for strategic planning. Get on board with Marketing Resource Management,...Strategic Planning For Marketing Resource Management Spreadsheets just aren’t made for the needs of marketers and strategic planning. Marketers need to see interactive views, updated in real-time of how each activity fits into a larger campaign. Not static rows in a complex spreadsheet that only you, the manager, can make sense of. MRM tools allow marketing managers to easily communicate with everyone (from intern to CMO) how each task, project, and campaign contributes to accomplishing a higher strategic goal. Things to think about You may want your MRM tool to have read-only access. Just because your boss wants to see everything that’s going on, doesn’t mean they should be able to edit and reassign tasks on a granular level. Many Marketing Managers like to see an agile view of what each person on their team is working on that day, week, month etc. AND a calendar view of campaign duration and overlap. Budgeting Managing your marketing budget isn’t just about tracking media spend or CPC on paid search. While that is undoubtedly an important part, MRM is also about maximizing your team’s output. By improving visibility into team tasks on a micro level, you can maximize task allocations AND ensure individuals aren’t being overloaded. As the old adage goes, watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. Things to think about Your MRM tool should have some team reporting capabilities to track task output, etc. From a monetary expenditure standpoint, what type of tracking capabilities do you need and for what channels? Project Management Marketing Managers are de facto project managers. Aside from all your day-to-day marketing tasks, you’re also responsible for coordinating internal resources, developing detailed project plans AND monitoring progress of all your campaigns. This is one of the biggest benefits of MRM. An MRM tool will give you a firm grasp on your team’s progress and workload - at any given moment. Allowing you to delegate, assign, and reassign projects tasks, so you can effectively manage your team’s week in a more effective way. No more lost emails, endless chat threads and unnecessary meetings. Things to think about Can you templatetize a workflow? This ability can save you a ton of time by auto-assigning tasks and due dates to each member of your team. You won’t have to think through each project’s steps time and time again. Is there an easy way to suss out what everyone is working on an when? MRM should solve your issues with visibility into who is working on what and when.Creative Content Development Producing great content and visuals take a lot more than just a designer. There are often several people involved in editing, approving and mocking-up until something is ready to be seen by an external audience. Does the lack of a clear approval process cause bottlenecks for your team and slow down time to market? MRM can help solve this by creating a central hub where everyone knows who is responsible for what and where a project is within its lifecycle. One of the best parts about this you no longer have to endlessly chase down approvals. Things to think about Are individuals notified when something is ready for approval? Do external clients or agencies need to be involved in the process? Asset Distribution Have you ever spent way more time than necessary trying to track down an image or logo? Even with your entire organization using Dropbox or Office 365 it can be a challenge. Different naming conventions coupled with a folder structure that no one follows can make someone want to bang their head against the wall. Most MRM systems also have built-in Digital Asset Management (DAM) capabilities. DAM components centralize a company’s digital assets, which eliminates the need to spend hours tracking down logos, images, header graphics, etc. Things to think about There can always be a bit of pushback from your team when changing the status quo.   This is often one of the more difficult areas of MRM to implement since people are used to looking for things in a certain place. Collaboration Collaboration is often one of the biggest challenges faced by marketing teams. The challenge usually stems from the need to have many specialities involved in the production process. Copywriters, designers, social media strategists, bloggers, email specialists, project managers, maybe even an agency or a client†¦ Solving the collaboration conundrum without an MRM tool usually means†¦ †¦ meetings on top of meetings†¦ †¦ countless emails flying back and forth†¦ †¦ and little time for working on *actual* marketing projects. Using MRM software creates a central repository for all project related communication, assets, tasks, and timelines for better and more efficient collaboration. Things to think about In Cella’s 2018 study of the creative industry, 71% of creative leaders named not enough time to complete work in a quality manner as their number one challenge. By simply implementing better collaboration/workflow processes, teams could reduce work by 30-50%. What a Marketing Manager Should Know About MRM Tools A time-strapped marketer’s problem is exacerbated by what we call Makeshift Marketing. You’re hacking multiple tools to manage your resources and marketing projects†¦ none of which are made for a marketing team. You need one tool that’s made for you. Here’s a list of some MRM tools to check out is an all-in-one marketing project management platform. Claim to fame? Task social templates: Save time using workflow templates and social sharing templates so you never have to reinvent the wheel. Built-in social media scheduling: Plan all your social media sharing directly in for one less tool to manage. ReQueue - smart social automation: Automatically re-share social campaigns to drive more traffic to your site. Agile view (Team Management Dashboard): See daily scrum summaries of each team member’s tasks. Calendar view: High-level views of every campaign, email, social message, etc. in an easy to see calendar view. Percolate Percolate is a cloud-based Content Marketing platform designed for enterprise customers. It integrates with enterprise CMSs and business intelligence platforms. Claim to fame? Kanban style workboards DAM Content metadata Integrated campaigns NewsCred NewsCred is an enterprise Content Marketing platform specializing in integrated marketing campaigns. Newscred enhances productivity with content workflows designed for an integrated team. The platform’s workflow allows for assigning tasks and deadlines to ensure your team is on track with their content marketing. Here are a few other features: Integrated campaigns In-app keyword research DAM Content advisory services Kapost Kapost is a software solution for B2B enterprise organizations aiming to solve their content marketing and content creation hurdles. Kapost does not operate as a calendar-based platform. It has a visual timeline to plan and create content. Customer insights ensure teams are driving their content strategy in the right direction. Features include: Content consulting Kanban board style overview Custom tagging by persona/buyer stage MRM Challenges Marketers May Face Marketing Resource Management aims to solve a lot of challenges facing modern marketing teams†¦ *BUT* implementing an MRM system and sticking to it has challenges in and of itself. Firstly, gaining internal support from the C-suite and your marketing team can be your first hurdle. Teams grow accustomed to the status quo, even if it’s broken and a total time suck. Your C-suite might be reluctant to open the purse strings for yet ANOTHER tool. They’ve grown weary of every tool promising the world only to be slowly phased out in favor of the status quo. This brings us to the first challenge†¦ overcoming the status quo.

Adam Aircraft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Adam Aircraft - Essay Example The strategies of the company were typically customer oriented that were endeavored towards producing light, comfortable, affordable and fast aircrafts. Findings The company faced many severe challenges. One of the prime challenges faced by the company was the availability of limited fund. The aspects of inadequate time and lack of skilled workforce were the other vital challenges for the company. At the same time, the company realized that in order to succeed in aircraft industry, it must develop new and innovative products. Recommendations Addressing the challenges faced by the company, certain recommendation have been given. In this regard, the company must cautiously utilize the available time and funds. Any kind of wastage within the company should be quickly curtailed. Further, it should seriously consider the rules and regulation prescribed by FAA in order to prevent any delays during the work process. Table of Contents Memo 2 Table of Contents 4 Introduction 5 Thesis Statemen t 5 Identification and Evaluation of the Company’s Existing Mission, Objectives and Strategies 5 Identification of the Key Strategic Issues (Problem Statement) 7 The Causes of the Problem 8 Identification of the Key Inferences and Assumptions 9 Alternative Solutions 10 Recommendations 12 Conclusion 15 Works Cited 16 Introduction Rick Adam, a successful entrepreneur who had a passion for flying, founded Adam Aircraft Company in the year 1998. Adam identified the market needs and conducted an efficient market research as well as analysis; as the result of his efforts, Adam Aircraft was founded. Rick Adam’s passion for flying has developed since his childhood - he got inspiration from his father, George Adam Sr who had served as an Air Force Officer during the World War II (Hedberg and Hamilton, â€Å"Adam Aircraft†). Thesis Statement This paper is all about making a thorough analysis of the case study relating to Adam Aircraft Company by concerning certain signifi cant aspects. In this regard, the aspects include the identification as well as the evaluation of the company’s existing mission, objectives and recognition of chief strategic issues along with the reasons for the problems. Various aspects such as the identification of the key facts and the assumptions drawn from the aforementioned aspects, proposition of alternative solutions and specific recommendations for action will also be portrayed in the paper. Identification and Evaluation of the Company’s Existing Mission, Objectives and Strategies During the period of the establishment of Adam Aircraft, it has been viewed that the airplane market possessed high entry barriers and required to invest huge capital in order to formulate as well as to implement effective business strategies. In this similar context, Rick identified the pitfalls associated with aircraft manufacturers that included the problems relating to aircraft designing, building and certifying new aircraft. F urthermore, he also identified the prime reasons behind the success and the failure of those companies who had entered the aircraft manufacturing industry with high enthusiasm. The detailed analysis of these significant factors ultimately led him towards recognizing new as well as innovative ways for entering into the aircraft industry. Rick founded the company with the purposeful mission of delivering quality and efficient products or services to its potential customers and ensuring greater customer satisfaction by meting their respective expectations and needs. At the same time, the objectives of the company were to manufacture and deliver advanced aircraft support structure sin the finest way to its valuable

Public Health Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Health Leadership - Assignment Example health management’s main objective is to highlight and manage challenges to public health as well as creating and implementing polices to support healthy population development and public health. Public health managers focus on educating the public on health issues, protective healthcare, inspections of health, regular screenings, disease diagnosis and treatment and immediate public health challenges identification. Public health leadership similarly touches on the planning and implementation of the requirements of the wider healthcare, (Donald, 1991). Public health leaders motivate followers, local and regional communities they serve. Similarly, leaders motivate healthcare population and create the objectives of the organization. Systems thinking apply to leadership definition in that it aids leaders to design effective, long-term solutions to public health challenges. Systems thinking provide an increasingly accurate nature of reality to enable leaders to work with natural forces of the systems (public health organization) to attain desired results, (Swayne, 2001). System thinking also encourages leaders to think of challenges and remedies with bird’s eye view. For instance, how might disease prevention appears at the long run in the public health organization, and what anticipated effects it might

Use of Financial Ratios Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Use of Financial Ratios - Essay Example The paper is an attempt to analyze the accuracy of the statement of Lev and Sunder using some evidences taken from real world, especially by doing the cross sectional analysis of financial ratios. Use of Financial Ratios Financial ratios are used to measure a company’s financial condition or to analyze between two companies’ financial condition. All the stakeholders of the company have interest in company’s future, that is how the company would perform in the short term or long term future, how much it is secure to invest in the company, what type of change should be introduce so that the company can perform better. When an investor wants to take the decision to invest money, certainly he wants to invest it in the most effective company, the decision he can take by using the financial ratio analysis along with other type of analysis like qualitative analysis or other type of quantitative analysis. Critical Analysis Ratio analysis is a very widely used tool for analyze the financial stability of a firm. But there are certain problems arise when the analyst don’t take the associated factors in consideration. When the analyst is doing the performance analysis of two companies, they should remind that two companies can follow two different accounting policies. There is no single accounting standard which is being followed by the companies all over the world. (Fischer, Taylor and Cheng, 2008, p.505). The taxation rules of different states, different countries vary over the world. The inflation over the world is different. A multinational company has to face different taxation policy, different inflation over the world. So when a researcher is analyzing the performance of a company using ratio analysis, he should take these factors in account. There are also technical factors associated with the analysis. Many statistical tools which are being used in ratio analysis are based on the assumption that the data are normally distributed, but in reality that doesn’t happened. For identifying the financial indicators specifically for Critically Access Hospitals the Flex Monitoring Team used 114 financial ratios as their part of research. But they found many problems when research about the industry, like Hospitals with negative current Assets or negative current liabilities was excluded from the calculation of median, but that should be i ncluded when researching about the liquidity of the industry (Flex Monitoring Team, 2005, p.17-18). A research study was performed by taking 66 listed Malaysian firms’ data for the period 1980 to 1996. The forms were taken from 3 sectors industrial sector, mixed industry and combination of industrial and property sector. From the research it has been seen that only current asset percent was conformed to normal distribution. For doing the ratio analysis effectively three type of transformation techniques were used namely square, square root and natural log. When the square and square root property were used they were found as not effective, because the variables of the ratio analysis are not normally distributed. But natural log technique is proved effective by the researcher as the process considers that the data available is not normal. The researcher proved through the research that when a ratio analysis is being performed to analyze the performance of a company or comparab le analysis between two companies is done then they should address the proportionality effect on the ratio’s normality (Sori et al., 2006, p.71-81). From a survey done on U.S.A. firms it is clear a ratio can

Marketing Environment of the Czech Republic Essay

Marketing Environment of the Czech Republic - Essay Example After its break with the Slovak Republic, the Czech nation rapidly privatized state-owned businesses. State ownership of businesses was at about 97 percent under communism—today it is less than 20 percent. The country is also reducing its dependence on highly polluting brown coal as an energy source, turning more toward nuclear energy. Unquestionably, the integral part of the history of Czech culture is Czech traditions. The traditions are mostly maintained in villages, especially in the Moravian-Silesian region, where they remain as a sign of the cultural taste of the specific areas. Traditional costumes are increasingly popular among Czech people and are also appreciated by foreign visitors. Tourism is a rapidly developing sector, and millions come to Prague to visit castles, palaces, and spas. Although the political and financial crises of 1997 eroded somewhat the countrys stability and prosperity, the Czech Republic succeeded in becoming a NATO member in 1999 and a European Union member in 2004. Czech culture has firm roots in a rich and plentiful history. Tourists and visitors from all over the world can marvel at some of the most beautiful and oldest pieces of architecture, literature and fine arts. Public administration or the management of public services is decentralized in the Czech Republic. Currently, there are only several compact issues managed directly and purely by the highest administrative level - the state. The Czech Republic uses several electoral systems and formulas for recounting votes into mandates. All elections are held on the basis of confidentiality, generality and equality. Direct voting prevails. In international relations, the Czech Republic seeks to represent itself as a democratic nation and a politically, economically and socially stable state in Central Europe. It seeks to promote not only its particular interests but also to

Strategic Corporate Fiance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Corporate Fiance - Essay Example From the above-mentioned table, it is quite evident that Net Asset Value of Marks and Spencer have increased for 0.03 bases point and is higher in 2011 than 2010. The company has net assets worth of ?1.72 in 2011 and ?1.69 in 2010, which clearly explains that the Net Asset Value is improving. 2) Cost of Capital (CAPM) In the table mentioned below, the computations have been shown for the weighted average cost of capital of the company, Marks and Spencer. The cost of debt of the company is 4% whereas the cost of capital of the company was found as 4.5%. The weighted average cost of capital of the company, which incorporated the value of debt and value of equity was found to be 4.33%. Cost of Debt       Rd = Annual Coupon    Current Bond Price          = 5    125       Rd = 4.00% Value of Equity Ve = Current Price of Share x Number of Shares outstanding = 3.76 x 1,600 = 6,016 Value of Debt Vd = Current Price of Bond x Number of Bonds Issued = 125 x 2,489 = 3,111                         100       Weights       Wd = Debt = 3,111 = 34.09%    Debt + Equity 3,111 + 6,016          We = Equity = 6,016 = 65.91%       Debt + Equity    3,111 + 6,016       3) Dividend Growth Model (DGM) In this section of the paper, computations for Gordon’s dividend growth models have been shown. ...       K – g    0.045 - 0.02       From the above-mentioned table, this information can be extracted that if the growth rate is zero, then the hypothetical ex-right price of share price of Marks and Spencer is approximately 377 pence. In contrast to that, if it is assumed that dividend grow at the rate of 2%, then there is an enormous increment in the share price of the company, which is around 693 pence. It can be stated that at the growth rate 0, the share price of the company of 363 pence is more appropriate than the share price at growth rate 2%, which is 693. The share price of 693 pence is highly optimistic. 4) Price Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio) The following table demonstrates the Price Earnings Ratio of Marks and Spencer. Price Earnings Ratio    31-Mar-12 11-Jan-13 P/E Ratio = 376 = 11.56 times = 363 = 11.2 times       32.5             32.5       In the year 2011, the Price Earnings Ratio of the company is 11.56. Nevertheless, it reduced in the last year to 11.2 because there was a reduction in the share price of the company. The average price earnings ratio of the respective industry of Marks and Spencer is 8.5 times, on the other hand, the P/E of Marks and Spencer is 11.2 times. If the P/E of Marks and Spencer is compared with the industry average, then it can be stated the Price Earnings ratio of Marks and Spencer is substantially higher than the industry average. It reveals that the share price of the company is over-values as compared to its industry competitors. Task 2 Investment in stocks is something which can be extremely tricky for ordinary investors. This is because the investors lack in having capabilities regarding the pricing of the stocks. The pricing of stocks have turned out to be a key factor as a minor mistake in

Chick-fil-As Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chick-fil-As - Article Example set political or ethical agenda in varied business processes like the recruitment of employees, the selection of business timings and holidays, the choice of social causes and charities that a business intends to support, etc. However, when it comes to the external environment impacting a business, especially the directly interactive external business environment comprising of customers buying goods and services from a business, going too ahead with political views may harm much. The recent expression of the Chick-Fil-A President, Dan Cathy, regarding gay marriages on a radio show is a classic example of a business going wrong in the area of ethical views (McGregor 2012). Chick-Fil-A is a business that has been known to incorporate traditionally Christian values in the way it operates (McGregor 2012). The Chick-Fil-A outlets remain closed on Sundays; the company has been known to extend substantial donations to Christian groups and organizations, the company is totally debt free, and its President Dan Cathy has been known to express commitment to Christian views on marriage, although in a politically correct and restrained manner (McGregor 2012). However, in a recent radio show, Dan got a little carried away with the expression of one’s commitment to the conventional Christian idea of marriage and blamed a section of the society with specific sexual orientation of being arrogant and audacious (McGregor 2012). There is no denying the fact that while doing so, Dan Cathy showed a total lack of concern for the external environment influencing one’s business, of which the customers do constitute an integral part. It is a known fact that all the outside factors that could influence an organizations business constitute the external environment for a business. Besides, customers represent the most important aspect of the directly interactive external environment. Businesses need to be careful in issuing statements regarding specific groups of persons as such remarks

Strategic Corporate Fiance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Corporate Fiance - Essay Example From the above-mentioned table, it is quite evident that Net Asset Value of Marks and Spencer have increased for 0.03 bases point and is higher in 2011 than 2010. The company has net assets worth of ?1.72 in 2011 and ?1.69 in 2010, which clearly explains that the Net Asset Value is improving. 2) Cost of Capital (CAPM) In the table mentioned below, the computations have been shown for the weighted average cost of capital of the company, Marks and Spencer. The cost of debt of the company is 4% whereas the cost of capital of the company was found as 4.5%. The weighted average cost of capital of the company, which incorporated the value of debt and value of equity was found to be 4.33%. Cost of Debt       Rd = Annual Coupon    Current Bond Price          = 5    125       Rd = 4.00% Value of Equity Ve = Current Price of Share x Number of Shares outstanding = 3.76 x 1,600 = 6,016 Value of Debt Vd = Current Price of Bond x Number of Bonds Issued = 125 x 2,489 = 3,111                         100       Weights       Wd = Debt = 3,111 = 34.09%    Debt + Equity 3,111 + 6,016          We = Equity = 6,016 = 65.91%       Debt + Equity    3,111 + 6,016       3) Dividend Growth Model (DGM) In this section of the paper, computations for Gordon’s dividend growth models have been shown. ...       K – g    0.045 - 0.02       From the above-mentioned table, this information can be extracted that if the growth rate is zero, then the hypothetical ex-right price of share price of Marks and Spencer is approximately 377 pence. In contrast to that, if it is assumed that dividend grow at the rate of 2%, then there is an enormous increment in the share price of the company, which is around 693 pence. It can be stated that at the growth rate 0, the share price of the company of 363 pence is more appropriate than the share price at growth rate 2%, which is 693. The share price of 693 pence is highly optimistic. 4) Price Earnings Ratio (P/E Ratio) The following table demonstrates the Price Earnings Ratio of Marks and Spencer. Price Earnings Ratio    31-Mar-12 11-Jan-13 P/E Ratio = 376 = 11.56 times = 363 = 11.2 times       32.5             32.5       In the year 2011, the Price Earnings Ratio of the company is 11.56. Nevertheless, it reduced in the last year to 11.2 because there was a reduction in the share price of the company. The average price earnings ratio of the respective industry of Marks and Spencer is 8.5 times, on the other hand, the P/E of Marks and Spencer is 11.2 times. If the P/E of Marks and Spencer is compared with the industry average, then it can be stated the Price Earnings ratio of Marks and Spencer is substantially higher than the industry average. It reveals that the share price of the company is over-values as compared to its industry competitors. Task 2 Investment in stocks is something which can be extremely tricky for ordinary investors. This is because the investors lack in having capabilities regarding the pricing of the stocks. The pricing of stocks have turned out to be a key factor as a minor mistake in

Case Study on the application of the U.N Convention on Contract for Term Paper

Case Study on the application of the U.N Convention on Contract for the International Sale of Goods - Term Paper Example Thus, it becomes evident that in the present case, it is possible to apply the CISG. The second important factor to be considered is what happens if one party fails to deliver the products within the specified date. Admittedly, according to the contract, the products were to be delivered by 15th July. However, the products were delivered only on 4th August. According to Article 33 (a) of CSIG, the seller must deliver the goods on the day fixed by or determinable from the contract. Evidently, the contract had fixed the date of delivery as 15th July. However, it seems that FireWeasel (buyer) did not give GeniuX (seller) an additional period of time of reasonable length to deliver the goods. According to Article 47, paragraph 1, the buyer may fix an additional period of time of reasonable length for performance by the seller of his obligations. However, in the present case, it seems that the buyer did not fix any additional period of time for the seller and there was no communication in this connection. So, it becomes evident that though the seller failed to deliver the goods in time, the buyer loses the legal right to claim that the contract was avoided. The third important point is what happens when the contract does not mention anything about the quality of the product ordered. It is evident from the case that the products delivered by the seller are not good enough to enable the buyer to compete in the market. Article 35 (2a) points out that unless agreed otherwise, the goods do not conform to the contract if they are not fit for the purpose for which goods of the same description are normally used. However, the case shows that the products delivered are not so bad and are only slightly inferior to other competitors. Thus, it is possible for the buyer to rely on the poor quality of the products delivered. Another important point is how and when the matter of lack of conformity should be informed by the buyer to the seller. It is pointed out in Article 39 that the buyer loses the right to claim lack of conformity if he does not give notice to the seller, specifying the nature of the lack of conformity within a reasonable time period. Evidently, the buyer in the present case has promptly informed the seller about the lack of conformity. It is seen that the product was delivered on 4th August and was inspected on 8th August. On 9th August, the lack of conformity was reported to the seller by email. Another important point is if the buyer has the responsibility to allow the seller some time to replace the products at their own expense and if the seller has the legal right to request for such chance. According to Article 47 (1), it is the duty of the buyer to fix an additional period of time of reasonable length for the seller to fulfil his obligations. However, it is seen that though the buyer informed the seller about the poor quality of the products, it did not give the seller a chance to improve the performance. It means that though the b uyer can claim that the products were of poor quality, it will not get any legal benefits as it failed to allow the seller a reasonable time to improve the performance. Now the question arises as to whether the buyer has the responsibility to pay for the products it purchased. It is pointed out in Article 53 that the buyer must pay the price for the goods and take delivery of the products in

All About Me Letter Essay Example for Free

All About Me Letter Essay My favorite sports are football and basketball. I play the recorder. I participated in football for three years and basket ball for one year. I played the recorder for one year in the fourth grade and earned all the belts for each skill level. On the other hand I don’t like to read what so ever, but I’m going to improve my reading this year. I don’t like to read because I fall asleep as soon as I begin to read books. The books that I like are adventurous and action-packed books because they interest me so I won’t fall asleep. These kinds of books stimulate my imagination and help me visualize the story. In order to keep me interested in reading I would like to have audio or graphics books. I did great academically last year as I made A’s and B’s. My academic goals this year are to make straight A’s and to receive scores above 900 on the CRCT. Considering that I do not like to read, it’s hard for me to brainstorm ideas and write an essay. Therefore, I do not think of myself as a good writer, as I prefer digital images to awaken my creativity. The few times that I must write, I like to write narratives about my family vacations in new places. Narratives allow me to express my emotions. Unfortunately, brainstorming ideas causes me to have headaches that turn me off from writing. I hope to learn how to overcome this obstacle and improve my writing skills. In conclusion, you can help me achieve my academic goals by suggesting some action-packed or adventurous book titles for me to enjoy reading. I learn best by following examples and listening to instructions. The activities you can help me with are reading and sentence-structure in writing assignments. I welcome the opportunity to learn from your expertise. Sincerely, Phillip Harrington Phillip Harrington

Importance Of Time In As If To Nothing Drama Essay

Importance Of Time In As If To Nothing Drama Essay I find this contemporary dance piece As if to nothing which reflected to The important of time is very interesting in terms of the meaning that all dancers express feeling towards the audience and the question of What have we done so far in our lives? It came up in my mind as I observe the dance piece. It is a very strong idea about a persons life and brings upon a great impact when expressed correctly. Another aspect of the piece that I admire is how the choreographer made use of the dancers and the space on stage. The effects of the video recording with different angles and the use of space with the blocks is a very effective way in communicating the message to the audience. Thus I will be reviewing these two aspects: the theme for this piece and how does the choreographer achieve the effects of the video recording and the use of space. Lastly, I will be explaining the overview of the whole piece whether or not the choreographer has successfully fulfilled the intent of his work. The idea of important of time in this piece is catchy, as it is very relevant to a lot of us. As we know, time can change everything or even destroy many things in our life. We often do not realize a lot of minor details that happens in our life as time pass because it has become a routine for us. I reason I feel that this idea is interesting is because I strongly believe that the idea that a choreographer is trying to portray in a dance piece must always be relevant to the audiences that you are performing to. A lot of dance pieces have failed to Tee 2 connect because the audiences could not relate to the idea that the choreographer wants to communicate. Although it might be a very basic decision, a lot of choreographer missed this and made a piece that only they can relate to. As we can see in the beginning of this piece, the dancers played with different elements for example talking while dancing, repetition and exploring the speed of each and every movement. The first one that I have observed is repetition and talking while dancing at the same time. The female dancer kept repeating the same sentence what am I doing hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? (in Cantonese). Well, it took a while for me to get the meaning of it. I felt that she was trying to express her feeling of regretful about why she was still doing a particular thing at this period of time and yet she could be doing a better one instead. However, the choreographer linked daily routines, such as brushing teeth with repetition to show that it is something that I am doing in my daily lifestyle. As the audience, I was trying to focus on whats going on with different individual on stage. I personally think that it is a little of a distraction to see different dancers doing different actions repeatedly. In my op inion, it would be more effective if all of them are doing the same action. This will keep the audiences focus on the idea of the story. One of the aspects I particularly liked, and was present in the second scene in this performance, was the play of lights. This scene made use of the lights extensively to enhance the effect of the performance and personally, the lighting were vital in the effectiveness of the performance. Shapes of lighting were being used and most of these shapes were squares, rectangles or strips of light across the props. This was unique for me because spotlights were usually in circle but in this performances, all the spotlights towards the props were, not circles, but rectangles or squares. It gave me the feeling that the dancers were being enclosed Tee 3 in a box and confined to the space within those boxes walls. A particular scene of the performance that I remember vividly was the scene where Peggy Lam, the female dancer was being carried by 2 male dancers in and outwards from the particular small box in square shape. I can see that she is very light and even one hand can carry her up passing through the hole of the box. This particular moment gave me the sense that the she was searching her memories, trying to think back what she had done in the past. The frustration that I can felt it from her emotion reminds me the important of time in my life. Movable props also played a big part as the choreographer successfully fulfilled the meaning of As if to nothing in this performance. The dancers kept changing the position of the props in different patterns like L shape, doors with square window and others. It gave me the feeling of nothing is permanent; nothing can remain the same in a particular period of time because time can destroy many things. In my opinion, the choreographer has cleverly expressed that nothing is permanent by just moving the set around the stage. It is definitely simple, but effective in the sense that the props were represented our memories or time. Another interesting choreographic intention was how the choreographer played through the video by showing the dancers movements whereas dancers were dancing the same movements on stage. The question of Why did the choreographer wanted to show the dancers movements through projection? appeared in my mind as I observed the dancers dancing on stage and at the same played with the projections. There was a segment which the dancers were dancing behind the props. The screen where placed at the ceiling facing the dancers. This scene was very powerful to me. Each dancer simply walking through the screen with so much conviction and focus in their eyes through the projection and though I was seated rather high up and far away from the stage, it was as if I could feel the intense focus in Tee 4 their eyes as they walked forward, seemingly with a purpose of getting somewhere. I was captured in the moment so intensely and it was breath-taking, the power of such simplicity. I started to gain a new knowledge where by the projection is my memory and my daily routines are the dancers movements. To explain in detail that can link to the theme of the whole piece, nothing is permanent, time can destroy many things but if I take a picture or record video of any interesting things that I have done in the life, it will still remain. Overall, what inspired me the most is the sense of being a professional dancer on stage. Dancers performance quality must be good so that it give the audience an overall image that can link to the theme of nothing is permanent. T.H.E dancers looked ready to perform, giving their full energy and high spirit to dance for one and the half hours. The dancers also showed good emotions as they immerse themselves into the dance theme As If To Nothing. This value should be with all dancers at all time. If I observe the dancers spatial awareness, I can see that the dancers are very precise when moving the sets around. I can see a lot of discipline involved in carrying out this piece. The dancers movements are also very sharp and strong. In conclusion, in terms of the idea, I think that the piece brings a very meaningful idea to be expressed to the crowd and it definitely has a lot of values such as discipline and professionalism for aspiring dancers like me to learn from. I find myself drawn to works that have the courage to push beyond the norms and give the audience a unique experience. This is the main reason that this performance As if to nothing stood out as a memorable experience for me. (1348 words)

Is Outsourcing Positive? :: Globalization, Technology, Businesses, Financial

Is Outsourcing Positive??? Outsourcing- out†¢sourc†¢ing (out sà ´r s ng, -s r -) n.: <business> Paying another company to provide services which a company might otherwise have employed its own staff to perform, e.g. software development(dictionary.com) Outsourcing is becoming a common occurrence for industries in the United States. In order to save money, time, and employees, companies are hiring outside businesses to conduct operations for them, especially in the technology field. Many companies are choosing to use outsourcing. For example, government agencies are outsourcing. â€Å"Offshoring is going on to some degree in just about every State Government. At least 18 firms that specialize in offshore outsourcing are positioning themselves in no fewer than 30 States to capture a large share of the State Government market, especially in IT services," said the study, titled `Your Tax Dollars at Work... Offshore: How foreign outsourcing firms are capturing State Government Contracts'.† (sify.com) Unfortunately, most state governments do not even realize they are offshoring. Many governments subcontract work and never bother to find out where the work is actually being done. They assume that, because the company has a US office that the work is done in the US. However, there are several companies that simply have an office in that state but actually are owned by a parent company in another country. â€Å"As subcontracting is common, States are ofte n unaware of the exact identity and location of the company that ultimately performs the work.† (sify.com) Companies are outsourcing for several reasons. Mainly, it can save a company a lot of money. If a business can outsource to another company, locally or internationally, and get a job done cheaper than if they did it in house, why would they not? Information technology is one of the most common outsourced areas. This can be for several reasons. It is extremely expensive and time consuming to set up one’s own IT department. A company may also not have the resources and people to run such a department (cica.ca) â€Å"Outsourcing is also a common option for minimizing start-up times and avoiding the high costs of entering new markets† (cica.ca) Next, outsourcing can by used for efficiency. The outsourced IT company will be better versed in what technology would fit a particular business. Outsourcing often provides access to advanced technology that can result in distinct technical leadership.

ICT and society portfolio section Essay

Microsoft word Microsoft Word is a word processor program from Microsoft. It was originally written by Richard Brodie for IBM PC computers running DOS in 1983. Later versions were created for the Apple Macintosh (1984), SCO UNIN, and Microsoft Windows (1989). It became part of the Microsoft Office. Microsoft word is a software package which can be used for school work, course work, home work or personal work such as making posters or fliers. So it is extremely useful, especially if you have untidy handwriting because Microsoft word can improve your presentation not only by improving your writing but also can improve presentation by adding pictures, this can be done using a feature called clipart which allows me too insert pictures to my work. Another good point about this is that it has a feature called spell check, which is handy if you are bad at spelling because if you spelt a word wrong then it will either automatically correct it or show you a list of words to help you. The only bad point about spell check is that it doesn’t recognise every word and that sometimes it uses the American spelling of words. Other god points include the fact that if you are doing something such as an essay or coursework which requires a lot of writing because you can easily change your w ords if you make a mistake whereas if you were writing it out by hand then you would have to rewrite everything from the beginning. Microsoft Excel Excel 2003 enables you to turn data into information with powerful tools to analyze, communicate, and share results. Excel 2003 can help you work better in teams, and help protect and control access to your work. In addition, you can work with industry-standard Extensible Mark-up Language (NML) data to make it easier to connect to business processes. Just like Microsoft word, excel is a software package which can be used for school work, course work, home work or personal work. Mostly excel is used in business’ in order to keep track of financial status and to record data required to run a business. The good points about Microsoft excel is that you can use features such as auto sum which allows you to quickly and easily count up numbers, another feature is the graph function which allows you to create graphs easily, the graphs make the figures easier to understand and improves presentation. Microsoft access Microsoft Access is a relational database management system from Microsoft, packaged with Microsoft Office Professional. Microsoft Access can use data stored in Access/Jet, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or any ODBC-compliant data container. Skilled software developers and data architects use it to develop powerful, complen application software. Relatively unskilled programmers and non-programmer â€Å"power users† can use it to build simple applications without having to deal with features they don’t understand. Microsoft Access was also the name of a communications program from Microsoft, meant to compete with ProComm and other programs. This Microsoft Access proved a failure and was dropped. Years later Microsoft reused the name for its database software. Microsoft access is normally used in areas such as hospitals in order to keep a record of all the patients. Another area where databases are used is in buissness’ in order to keep track of financial staus and contacts. Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft publisher Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application from Microsoft. This program helps you easily create, customize, and publish materials such as newsletters, brochures, flyers, catalogs, and Web sites. It is very neat and tidy and improves presentation. People who work in the advertising industry might find publisher very useful because it is very quick and easy to use.

Implementation of assessment for learning

Although as instructors we use many pupil activities and learning methods in our schoolroom instruction, all pupils in the category do non to the full achieve the larning aim of the lesson. Therefore, appraisals may be employed for the intent of measuring pupil attainment, be aftering future work, delegating pupil classs and comparing public presentation. There are many types of appraisal that we use for this intent. Summative, formative and ipsative are some of the appraisals that are normally used among the instructors. Summational appraisal is an appraisal which is often used at the terminal of a lesson or a peculiar period for ‘summarizing the accomplishment position of a pupil ‘ ( Sadler, 1989, p. 120 ) . Although it gives us feedback about the pupils ‘ capable cognition, sometimes it is excessively late therefore action can non be taken to better the acquisition of the pupil. More seriously instructors continue without truly detecting the existent reverse of the kid, therefore the demand of a more effectual rating tool arises. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998a ) province that â€Å" Assessment for larning † which is besides known as â€Å" Formative Appraisal † is one of the cardinal factors that helps the pupils to better their criterion of accomplishment. The chief focal point of this essay is how assessment for larning can be used in an effectual manner in mathematics lessons. First I will briefly define appraisal for larning. Then I will supply an overview of the chief stairss involved in the execution and the attacks to better the quality of appraisal for acquisition and eventually this paper will concentrate on the alteration of the function of the instructor and the pupil. The thoughts in this essay are aimed at bettering the quality of mathematics learning by utilizing appraisal for larning in the most effectual manner.2. Definitions of Assessment for Learning/ Formative appraisalAppraisal for acquisition is defined by a figure of research workers over the past old ages. Sadler ( 1989, p. 120 ) defines appraisal for larning as an appraisal that ‘ is concerned with how judgement about the quality of pupil responses ( public presentations, pieces, or plants ) can be used to determine and better the pupil ‘s competency by short-circuiting the entropy and inefficiency of trial-and -error larning ‘ . Tunstall & A ; Gipps ( 1996, p. 389 ) besides takes a similar position by proposing that formative appraisal is a ‘process of measuring, judging or measuring pupils ‘ work or public presentation and utilizing this to form and better their competency. In mundane schoolroom footings this means instructors utilizing their judgements of kids ‘s cognition or understanding to feed back into the instruction procedure and to find for single kids whether to reinterpret the task/concept, to give farther pattern on it, or travel on the following phase ‘ P. J. Black ( 2003, p. 2 ) explains the basic qualities in this appraisal as: ‘an appraisal activity can assist larning if it provides information to be used as feedback by instructors, and by their pupils in measuring themselves and each other, to modify the instruction and acquisition activities in which they are engaged. Such assessment becomes formative appraisal when the grounds is used to accommodate the instruction work to run into learning demands ‘ . He elaborates further and says that appraisal for larning occurs several times in every lesson therefore it is an â€Å" built-in and intimate portion of a instructors day-to-day work † ( P. J. Black, 2003, p. 2 ) In the visible radiation of the definitions given above, appraisal for acquisition can be described as a procedure of judgment and measuring the pupil public presentation and supplying feedback for the betterment of the acquisition procedure. The feedback is used to measure and modify the instruction techniques to run into the acquisition demands, so that the instructor can judge the pupil ‘s cognition and make up one's mind on the following measure to better the pupil competences.3. Execution of Assessment for larningConsciously or unconsciously instructors continuously assess their pupils while learning. But for proper opinion to be made and for the opinion to be helpful in the learning procedure of the pupil, the appraisal needs to be done in a peculiar mode. It is of import to place the cardinal factors in execution of appraisal for larning for it to be productive. Therefore the execution procedure is divided into four subdivisions: scene and sharing ends, roll uping ground s, construing grounds and make up one's minding the following measure. Each subdivision is non reciprocally sole but for easiness of elucidation I have separated them.3.1 Setting and sharing endsWhen be aftering the lesson it is the instructor ‘s duty to put clear learning ends ( aims ) . Harmonizing to Lee ( 2006 ) larning nonsubjective may be a short phrase or a sentence. It is so a challenge for the instructor to put out aims because she needs to take into history the course of study, scrutiny course of study and the pupils ‘ anterior cognition. Most significantly the aims need to be shared with the pupil every bit good. In making so both the pupil and the instructor acquire a clear image of what should be attained by the terminal of the lesson. It is of import to follow up the aim and it makes it easier for the pupils to measure their advancement of attainment. Lee ( 2006, p. 45 ) notes that ‘it is of import that the acquisition aims are shared with students an d that they are discussed in the start, during and at the terminal of the lesson, and that the students can mention to them during the lesson ‘ . This gives the pupil the chance to supervise themselves as they progress. Puting clear aims is of import for the instructor every bit good. P. J. Black ( 2003, p. 91 ) points out that the instructors are cognizant of what they want the pupils to larn, they are able to happen ‘what the ‘gap ‘ was between the province of the pupils ‘ current acquisition and the acquisition end and to be able to supervise that spread as it closed ‘ . It is of import to put command ( larning ) ends instead than public presentation ends. P. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998a, p. 22 ) reveals the consequences in a survey done with the 3rd and 6th classs mathematical job work outing. Newman and Schwager ( 1995 ) did this survey where one group was given the end of larning which had emphasised on the apprehension of the method of work outing the job ( ‘this will assist you to larn new things ‘ ) whereas the other was given public presentation ends where the chief importance was finishing many jobs right ( ‘how would you assist us to cognize how smart you are and what sort of class you will acquire? ‘ ) . When the two groups were compared the public presentation end pupils showed maladaptive inquiring forms. Therefore when larning ends are given, the kids concentrate more on get the hanging the larning facet instead than obtaining the concluding replies. Yorke ( 2003, p. 488 ) provinces that pupils who work to larning e nds, would recognize failure as undertaking information ‘to be assimilated or accommodated ( utilizing Piagetian nomenclature ) , whereas for kids working to public presentation ends it was a oppressing blow ‘ . Harmonizing to Lee ( 2006 ) as aims are broader and frequently generic, it can be broken down in to simpler stairss and made more specific to the lesson. These stairss are called success standards. Success standards should be planned in progress by the instructor by closely analyzing the standards the pupil should get the hang. In another case the instructor could acquire the pupils to research and discourse the acquisition aim and acquire the kids to partake in puting up the success standards so that the pupils have ownership of the success standards. When the pupil progresses along the list, get the hanging each success standard they bit by bit achieve the acquisition nonsubjective and most significantly they are cognizant of their acquisition advancement. It helps the pupils to construct up their assurance in acquisition, particularly in mathematics as get the hanging one mathematical subject would affect get the hanging in a series of mathematical operations and processs beforeha nd. ‘Pupils in cognizing what they are larning, how good they are larning and that they are larning and hence are of import in assisting the students know that they are successful scholars ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 49 ) . Lee ( 2006, p. 47 ) gives an illustration of utilizing larning aims and success standards in learning Pythagoras theorem. Learning nonsubjective Success standards To larn about Pythagoras ‘ theorem To larn more about the usage of Pythagoras ‘ theorem I know what a right angle trigon agencies I have: Carefully drawn three different right angled trigons drawn a square against each side, doing certain each angle is a right angle found the country of each of the three squares and set them in a tabular array inquire one other individual for the countries of their squares and put those in my tabular array found a relationship between the country of the squares and stated it utilizing algebra. I know what a square root is I can: State Pythagoras ‘ theorem and cognize which sides of the trigon the missive refer to Use it to cipher the hypotenuse of 5 different right-angled trigons with different orientations use it to happen a short side of 5 different trigons use it to happen the tallness of 2 isosceles trigons. As it is shown in the above illustration the aim of larning Pythagoras ‘ theorem is rather general and it is larning oriented. By interrupting down the aims into success standards it is made more specific to the lesson. The kids foremost learn what a right angled trigon is so draw squares on each side. Then they would happen the country of each square, put them in a tabular array and obtain informations from other pupils as good. Then they would happen the relationship between the countries and eventually come up with the algebraic look. At the terminal of the lesson the pupils can reply the inquiry whether they have mastered the Pythagoras ‘ theorem by mentioning to the success standard. As an illustration: Do I cognize what a right angled trigon is? What have I learnt about Pythagoras ‘ theorem? Harmonizing to Lee, the acquisition undertaking is achieved by get the hanging a sequence of success standards. Students can construe the standards in different ways. Wiliam ( 2005 ) supports this position by stating that ‘the words do non hold the significance for the pupil that they have for the instructor ‘ ( p.29 ) . He suggests that the pupil should be given clip to believe and discourse as to what the ‘criteria ‘ truly average. Therefore, it is really of import for the instructor to cognize whether the kids are deriving the needed cognition at each phase or whether they are able use the cognition in a different environment. One manner we can get the better of this is by acquiring them to make some illustrations at the terminal of the success standards. For illustration: which one of the trigons make a right angled triangle? A- 6cm, 8cm, 10cm B- 3cm, 2cm, 4 centimeter C- 5m, 12m, 13m When this sort of a inquiry is given, the pupils can utilize the cognition of Pythagoras theorem to reply so that the instructor gets a feedback as to whether they have mastered the standards. However, naming out the standards may restrict the cognition gained by the pupil to a specific way and degree. It may be more appropriate to allow the pupil experiment with the information and happen their way of acquisition, giving them the autonomy of make up one's minding the bounds so that some pupils may be able to larn more than the listed standards. For an illustration: the instructor could inquire them to look into whether Pythagoras theorem is valid for semi-circles drawn on the sides of the trigon. Then widen it to different forms such as isosceles trigons, Pentagons etc. Then steer the kids to research so that they could come up with a broader thought of the theorem.3.2 Roll uping groundsThe instructor needs to hold a elaborate cognition of the abilities and the ‘developmental demands ‘ of the scholar to help the pupil to ‘move to the following phase of their development ‘ ( Harris, 2007, p. 253 ) . Teachers must be after the lesson good because in formative appraisal, the accent is on ‘how I am traveling to learn this and what are pupils traveling to larn? ‘ instead than on ‘what am I traveling to learn and what are the students traveling to make? ‘ ( P. Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, & A ; Wiliam, 2002, p. 19 ) . It is besides of import to research the pupil ‘s thought before reasoning that the pupil ‘understood ‘ because really frequently what kids ‘understand ‘ is non the same as what the instructor intended to learn. Thus ‘assessment is the span between learning and larning ‘ and choice inquiries give instructors this ‘window into believing ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 22 ) . In two inquiries used in the Third International Mathematics and scientific discipline survey ( TIMSS ) , though the inquiries were similar the success rates were different. In Israel, 88 % of the pupils answered the first inquiry right, while 46 % answered the 2nd right, with 39 % taking response ( B ) . The ground for this is that many pupils develop a construct that ‘the largest fraction is the 1 with the smallest denominator and vice-versa ‘ . Although this leads to the right reply to the first inquiry, it does non take to the right reply to the 2nd inquiry. Furthermore if we add 46 % and 39 % it is really near to 88 % which provides grounds that many pupils who got the first inquiry right may hold used the wrong scheme. Therefore, a pupil replying a inquiry right does non ever intend that the pupil perceptual experience matches the instructor ‘s. Thus the inquiries should be good planned and rich in substance. However a ‘rich inquiry ‘ would non mer ely supply what the pupil can make, but besides what needs to be done following, to broaden or intensify understanding ‘ ( p23 ) . Item 1 ( success rate 88 % ) Which fraction is the smallest? a ) a†¦Y6 B ) a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  degree Celsius ) a†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å" vitamin D ) a†¦Y2 Item 2 ( success rate 46 % ) Which fraction is the largest? 4/5 B ) A? degree Celsius ) 5/8 vitamin D ) 7/10 ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 21 ) Wiliam ( 2005 ) describes the resolution of the undermentioned brace of coincident equations: 2a = 24 a + B =16 Many pupils found this hard and the instructors might reason that the kids need aid in work outing equations in this kind, but it was found that the trouble was non with the accomplishments but their beliefs that each algebraic missive stands for a different figure. Thus it is of import to utilize inquiries that ‘reveal unintended constructs ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 22 ) if we intend to better pupils ‘ mathematical thought. Lee ( 2006 ) notes that inquiring inquiries that enable pupils to believe and research so that misinterpretations of the constructs are revealed is an of import portion of appraisal for acquisition. Children should be encouraged to listen to the thoughts of others and ‘support one another to develop a common apprehension ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 51 ) . Challenging inquiries should be given so that pupils would hold to believe a great trade and take hazards when replying. Lee states that even when inquiries could be answered rapidly it can be explored at length by the altering inquiring manner. For illustration: alternatively of inquiring, â€Å" Are all premier Numberss uneven Numberss? † which requires a yes/no reply, the instructor can border the inquiry as a statement – â€Å" All premier Numberss are non uneven Numberss † – and inquire the pupils to discourse in little groups before showing the grounds and their decision to the category. It is of import that the pupils know that their part is ‘valued as an of import measure on the route to understanding ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 51 ) so that everyone contributes to the treatment. I feel treatments are really utile particularly in higher categories as it gives them the autonomy to research loosely in that subject while believing critically ; moreover the cognition gained by this type of acquisition is long lasting. Torrance & A ; Pryor ( 1998, p. 18 ) defines rightness of the responses in relation to classroom direction as ‘ maintaining the lesson traveling along instead than a narrowly constructed impression of a ‘correct ‘ reply ‘ . This indicates that the pupils no longer necessitate to be afraid to give incorrect replies but need to show their ideas. By looking at the account of the reply whether right or incorrect both the instructor and the pupil will be able to place the perceptual experience of the pupils and whether there are any misconceptions. Furthermore this type of larning would ‘focus on students ‘ acquisition and non acquiring through the content at any cost ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 52 ) . In pattern this could be really hard from the instructor ‘s point of position as the course of study is fixed and syllabus demands to be covered within the given clip. Particularly in scrutiny categories, instructors have the load of completing the cour se of study and rewriting as schools are more interested in bring forthing good consequences. P. J. Black ( 2003, p. 33 ) point outs that Rowe ( 1974 ) had looked at the effects of addition in ‘Wait clip ‘ . She had found that ‘answers were longer, failure to react reduced, responses were more confident, pupils challenged and/or improved the replies of the other pupils and more alternate accounts were offered ‘ . Lee ( 2006 ) suggests that its more appropriate to name this ‘think clip ‘ and provinces that ‘no hands up ‘ unless you want to inquire a inquiry creates an ambiance where everyone contributes and listen to the others. Another manner to increase the engagement of pupils is to inquire them to ‘brainstorm thoughts ‘ ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) , group treatments and promote pupils to explicate their ain inquiries and inquire each other ( Harris, 2007 ) . As most pupils are non used to this pattern in schoolrooms they need to be bit by bit trained to experience comfy to voice their sentiment and carry out treatments. Particularly in lower categories instructors would necessitate to work hard to acquire the ‘climate right ‘ ( Lee, 2006, p. 51 ) . All this needs a great trade of readying. Wiliam ( 2005 ) states that in most Anglophone states, instructors spend most of their readying clip taging books entirely and in some other states the bulk of the lesson readying clip is spent in be aftering how new subjects could be introduced, which context and illustrations can be used. However, in Japan most of their readying clip is spent on working together to invent inquiries to measure the success of their instruction, through ‘the procedure known as ‘lesson survey ‘ ( Fernandez & A ; Makoto, 2004 ) ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 22 ) . It is of import that instructors have a set of rich inquiries and would be more utile if they portion them among the other instructors of the school. As an illustration: simplify ( if possible ) : 2a + 5b ( where you do non anticipate to acquire the same as the reply ) , which fraction is the largest 3/7 or 3/11 ( whether the pupils are able to choose larger fraction of two ‘ordinary ‘ fractions ) ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 23 ) . However, a rich inquiry is a type of a inquiry that would turn to common misconception and enable the pupil ‘s thought and researching ability. Although holding a set of rich inquiries is of import, the instructors need to rethink and regenerate them each clip they plan the lesson and most significantly change them suitably as the lessons proceed. I think no instructor can to the full be after a lesson because different kids could react otherwise to the same inquiry. Therefore, depending on the pupils ‘ responses the instructor needs to make up one's mind the following measure to shut the spread.3.3 Interpreting groundsP. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998a, p. 16 ) provinces that ‘feedback between those taught and the instructor, and this is entailed in the quality of their interactions which is at the bosom of teaching method. The nature of these interactions between instructors and pupils, and of pupils with one another, will be cardinal determiners for the result of any alterations ‘ . This shows the importance of quality feedback irrespective of the beginning ( instructor or equal ) . Sadler ( 1998 ) states that the ultimate purpose of feedback should be to do the pupil an independent scholar therefore peer appraisal and self assessment gives great chance. In this subdivision I will discourse how feedback can be given in an effectual manner by instructors, equals and the scholar himself.3.3.1 Teacher feedback‘Feedback to pupils should concentrate on the undertaking, should be given on a regular basis and while still relevant, and should be specific to the undertaking ‘ ( P. Black & A ; Wiliam, 1998a, p. 8 ) . Feedback is non formative if it is non understood, can non be used by the scholar to better their acquisition or given at the terminal of a faculty as it is excessively late be used. Therefore, it is more utile if the pupils are given the chance to read the written remarks in category, so that they can do any farther elucida tions. Furthermore, the instructor should follow up as to happen out whether the pupil has taken remedial steps. If non sometimes pupils may non take any action. Butler ( 1988 ) conducted an experimental survey about the nexus between intrinsic motive and the type of rating given to the pupils. This involved 48, 11 twelvemonth old Israeli pupils who were divided into three groups. Butler gave three different feedbacks to the learners- classs, remarks and a combination of both classs and remarks. The survey showed that the group who were given remarks gained important betterment. Furthermore, the other two groups showed a diminution in the acquisition ( tonss ) . This non merely revealed that giving remarks is the best manner of supplying feedback, but when remarks are combined with ‘normative feedback ‘ ( classs ) it eliminates the good effects of the remark every bit good. ( P. Black & A ; Wiliam, 1998a ) Harmonizing to Wiliam ( 2005 ) when pupils get a higher mark they do non see a demand to read the remark whereas when they get low tonss they do non desire to read the remark as they are de-motivated. When pupils are given Markss it affects their self-esteem furthermore there is no indicant as to what they have/have non achieved or what remedial action demands to be taken. Wiliam ( 2005 ) illustrates another survey done by Butler ( 1987 ) where pupils were given remarks, classs, congratulations and no feedback. It revealed that the pupils who received remarks had improved, whereas those who received classs or congratulations made no more advancement than those who did non have any feedback. The questionnaire given to the pupils revealed that the pupils who got remarks had higher degree of task-involvement, whereas those who got classs or congratulations had well higher ego-involvement. Therefore, if classs or congratulations are given we would merely be able to ‘increase the sense of ego-involvement without increasing accomplishment ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005, p. 25 ) . When look intoing approximately congratulations, research workers found that feedback could hold inauspicious effects if it is focused on ‘self-esteem ‘ or ‘self-image ‘ ( congratulations or classs ) ( Wiliam, 2005 ) . Although congratulations can increase motive, it is necessary to keep congratulations throughout to keep the motive which is instead hard thereby praising can do inauspicious effects on a pupil. However, Wiliam ( 2005, p. 26 ) provinces that Brophy ( 1981 ) has pointed out that the quality is more of import than the measure of congratulations ; ‘teachers praise is far more effectual if it is infrequent, believable, contingent, specific and echt ‘ . I feel that a pupil who is gifted being praised for his born endowment can hold a negative consequence on others, particularly on the less able pupil ‘s self-esteem. Therefore, feedback has to concentrate on what can be done to better instead than how good they have done. For feedbac k to be formative it should ‘contain a formula for farther action ‘ ( p28 ) . As an illustration: alternatively of noticing ‘good ‘ or ‘well done ‘ , it would be more appropriate for a instructor to compose a remark as ‘ Susan, you have got the right thought here approximately seeking to explicate your regulation. Think: does it use to all trigons? ‘ ( P. J. Black, 2003, p. 45 ) . This remark helps the kid to travel a measure frontward. This does non intend the more feedback you get the better it is. Wiliam ( 2005 ) provinces that Day and Cordon ( 1993 ) looked at the acquisition of a group of pupils where half of the pupils were given a ‘scaffolding ‘ when they got stuck and the other half was given a complete reply. The pupils who received the ‘scaffolding ‘ learned more and retained the cognition longer than those who received the full reply. As an illustration: The instructor can scaffold the pupil by inquiring ; What type of a trigon is this? 5cm 13cm What theorem can be used to happen the sides of a right angled trigon? Ten cm How make you utilize the Pythagoras ‘ theorem to happen a shorter side?3.3.2 Peer-assessmentPeer-assessment is appraisal of pupils by their equals, supplying information that will assist them to travel on to the following measure. One manner that peer-assessment can be done successfully is by acquiring the pupils to measure and tag the work of others. As they know they are taging the work of another, they take involvement and duty in making so. Furthermore, when there are dissensions about the reply they discuss and come to understandings. Lee ( 2006 ) states that pupils are honorable and ambitious and accept unfavorable judgment by one another than with the instructor. I have experienced that pupils sometimes while traveling through another individual ‘s account or method may broaden their apprehension of the construct or even challenge and argue to turn out or disapprove with their ain co-workers. As an illustration: Measure the angles of the trigon given below utilizing a protractor. a angle a = 32a? ° angle B = 43a? ° angle degree Celsius = 65a? ° B degree Celsiuss If a pupil is taging the work of a co-worker he might discourse with his equal that when adding all three angles they do non add up to 180a? ° and that angle degree Celsius is an obtuse angle therefore it can non be 65a? ° . They would happen through treatment that the pupil has measured the exterior angle alternatively of the interior angle when mensurating the angle degree Celsius of the trigon. They would together mensurate the angle degree Celsius so that the pupil learns his error. Geting pupils to work in groups is another scheme that promotes peer-assessment which helps them to develop communicating accomplishments as they talk and portion their thoughts. Particularly when they discuss about the aims and what has been done and what needs to be done, it helps them to develop accomplishments needed for self-assessment ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) . Training pupils how to discourse schemes with others, linguistic communication to utilize when they critique the work of the others ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) and how to construe feedback so that they can link it to their hereafter work, is every bit of import as supplying information ( Sadler, 1998 ) . They besides need to be trained to mention to success standards and place what has been done and what needs to be done. I feel that peer assessment demands close monitoring and preparation as it can impact another individuals ‘ self-pride. Particularly when covering with low winners unless they are comfy they might experience their work is been compared and evaluated against another which in return may do adverse an consequence.3.3.3 Self-assessmentHarmonizing to Lee ( 2006 ) Self-assessment is an of import signifier of appraisal which engage pupils to speak about their ain acquisition which makes them self-critical and independent. As instructors it is of import that we train the pu pils to understand what they are meant to larn. However, harmonizing to P. Black & A ; Wiliam ( 1998b ) , most pupils are incognizant of the acquisition aims, but if they are cognizant of their marks ( aims ) , ‘their ain appraisal become an object of treatments with their instructors and with one another ‘ ( p10 ) . Geting the pupils to reexamine their ain work and enter their advancement is a method of self-assessment. Therefore, the pupil becomes ‘independent and confident scholar ‘ ( Brookhart, Andolina, Zuza, & A ; Furman, 2004, p. 214 ) . Lee suggests that inquiring the kids to make up one's mind the degree of assurance in their work as good manner of developing self-assessment accomplishments, particularly in lower categories. ‘Traffic visible radiations ‘ and ‘thumbs up ‘ method can be used to acquire the pupils to measure their assurance degree. If the pupils are confident about the construct they use green or hitchhike up, if they are still diffident gold or thumb horizontal or if they are really diffident ruddy or hitchhike down. When they are more comfy they might state â€Å" I ‘m traveling a spot ruddy on this † so that the instructor can take remedial steps easy. Through experience I feel that this is a really good method as the pupi ls can describe troubles without being noticed by other equals. This besides minimizes the distraction of the other scholars. Geting the pupils to measure exemplar pieces of work which contain common misconceptions or mistakes would assist the pupil to understand how to measure their equals and their ain work. For illustration, pull a graph with an inconsistent graduated table on the y-axis and secret plan points severely ( Lee, 2006 ) . When the pupils start discoursing about the graph they non merely understand the construct but ‘develop communicating accomplishments and math vocabulary ‘ ( Brookhart, et al. , 2004, p. 214 ) .3.4 Deciding on the following measureIn a traditional schoolroom, appraisal is used as a ‘tool for the control or alteration of behaviour, for wagess and penalty ‘ ( Sadler, 1989, p. 141 ) , but in a schoolroom where formative appraisal is practiced, appraisal is used to measure the spread between the ‘present place ‘ and the ‘desired end ‘ and to understand ‘the manner to shut the spread ‘ ( P. Black & A ; Wiliam, 1998b ) . The instructor guides the pupil in taking the following measure, but finally the pupils ‘become independent of the instructor and intelligently prosecute in and supervise their ain development ‘ ( Sadler, 1989, p. 141 ) . If the pupil has non understood the construct, the instructor spends more clip or even seek different attacks to do certain that the pupil to the full understood the construct. In an case where everyone has mastered the construct the instructor can inquire the pupil to make up one's mind what needs to be done following to make the following acquisition standards. However, with clip pupils become more independent in make up one's minding what the following measure should be to eventually achieve the aim. However, in a existent schoolroom this is non an easy measure for the instructor. The degree of attainment and single demands would be different from one kid to another. Particularly in a schoolroom with a big figure of pupils it would be a great challenge for the instructor. Monitoring the degree of attainment, make up one's mind the following measure that would drive each kid in category towards the mark and eventually covering the course of study within the given clip frame would so be a great challenge for the instructor. Therefore, holding group and whole category treatments, equal and self appraisal would cut down the load on the instructor. 4. Changing the instructor ‘s function Formative appraisal makes the teacher move off from being dominated by the completing of the course of study to being a facilitator of pupil acquisition. Teachers think of the content to be taught as a series of larning ends instead than a series of activities to be completed at any cost ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) . The instructor ‘s duty is to assist the pupils to shut the spread between the current province and the learning end while constructing their apprehension. P. J. Black ( 2003 ) states that in the King's-Medway-Oxfordshire Formative Assessment Project ( KMOFAP ) research, instructors were prepared to learn two tierces of the course of study as this is a clip devouring procedure, but in a existent category room instructors do non hold the autonomy to make up one's mind, but alternatively they are compelled to cover the whole course of study. Therefore, instructors may confront practical issues due to the nature of the course of study. Especially instructors who have been in the profession for many old ages may happen these inventions hard to accept and understand moreover they consider this as extra work to their day-to-day instruction. To get the better of this state of affairs instructors should non pattern this method of learning in add-on to the normal instruction, but should be pattern as a portion of the normal instruction. They could besides pattern this method bit by bit taking subdivision by subdivision of the course of study so that they eventually become comfy to learn the whole course of study utilizing the method. Therefore, this would take clip for the instructors to set and pattern this method of instruction. The pupils are encouraged to discourse and show mathematical Ideas. Lee ( 2006 ) states that instructors look at a schoolroom as a ‘discourse community ‘ which means they portion common ends, that there is information and feedback and that everyone understands the mathematical linguistic communication. Students are stimulated to speak and believe and the instructor guides them in these rich treatments. However, these treatments could take to the revelation of constructs. Therefore, a instructor should hold a good cognition of the topic for him to research the thoughts confidently. A instructor should non take a lesson or subject in isolation, but alternatively he should see it as a whole topic so that the treatment would associate the countries that had already been done or would be finishing in future. P. J. Black ( 2003 ) states that the instructor ‘s outlooks change with the pattern of formative appraisal. They believe that the pupils ‘ degree of ability is non fixed but that it can be improved with some support and counsel. Therefore, if a pupil finds a subject hard alternatively of believing that the pupil can non understand because of some familial lack the instructors give them clip or think of a different attack. As an illustration: work out 3ab-5ab In a traditional schoolroom if a pupil fails to reply this inquiry, the instructor would mention the inquiry to another pupil who is capable or inquire a simpler inquiry which does non affect a negative reply from that pupil, presuming that he is non capable. But when formative appraisal is practiced the instructor would remind the pupil ; state me how to work out 3 – 5? and assist the pupil so that he would eventually come up with the solution. The other major alteration of the instructor ‘s function is that the control of the lesson is besides in the custodies of the pupils. Teachers every bit good as the pupils are responsible to make up one's mind what needs to be done to achieve the end, how long they would pass on the subject and what activities they would prosecute in, therefore, the pupils become self-restraining. ‘I was concentrating on the misss understanding and non on their behavior. I frequently found that one time the apprehension was at that place, the behavior followed ‘ a instructor ‘s remark in Lee ( 2006, p. 96 ) . I have frequently experienced that the kids become restless and non prosecute in the lesson when they do non understand or when they are non occupied. When they all contribute and actively take part in a lesson they become self-restraining and as they know that their part is valued it enhances their self-esteem.5. Changing the pupils ‘ functionThe pupils ‘ function has changed from being a ‘passive receiver of cognition offered by the instructor ‘ to an ‘active scholar ‘ in the acquisition procedure who will ‘take duty for and pull off their ain acquisition ‘ ( P. J. Black, 2003, p. 97 ) . The pupils are expected to show their thoughts, think and raise their sentiments, assess themselves and their equals an d make up one's mind on remedial steps. This is non an easy alteration from the pupils ‘ point of position. All pupils may non be comfy in showing thoughts due to talking troubles or mathematical linguistic communication jobs. Another issue is the trouble in accepting the unfavorable judgment by others. Therefore, as a start the instructor can promote them to discourse group wise and so continue to category treatments. The pupils should understand that incorrect replies and misconceptions are of import as they give the chance to widen acquisition ( P. J. Black, 2003 ) . Students are frequently used to listen to the instructor and they are non use to believing critically, therefore they find it hard to believe and show thoughts. As an illustration: ‘Would your mass be the same on the Moon? ‘ ( Wiliam, 2005 ) Explain whether ‘1 ‘ is a premier figure. In these above inquiries the pupils are promoted to believe without the instructor giving the replies. However, this is one other major alteration in the function of the pupil where they sometimes might experience that the instructor is non a good instructor as he does non give out replies and they are so used to the inactive function. Therefore it takes clip and pattern for the pupils to acquire used to it, but so it is a worthwhile measure.6. DecisionIn this essay I have discussed of import points that need to be focused in utilizing appraisal for larning efficaciously in a mathematics schoolroom. As this appears to be one of the most powerful ways of learning through measuring the pupils, as instructors we need this to be embedded in our day-to-day mathematics lessons at all category degrees. However, I feel the fixed lengthy course of study which needs to be covered is a big barrier in practising this scheme. Teachers are compelled to cover the whole course of study because the pupils sit for the standard trials. Furthermore instructors have no authorization to make up one's mind on the course of study they would learn. Therefore, even if they pattern formative appraisal and continue easy in some lessons they might hold to hotfoot through some other subject. Therefore, whether it is practical to learn the whole course of study or whether certain subdivisions can be omitted demands to be researched and discussed by educationalists. Most of the schemes that are used ( oppugning, supplying feedback, measuring ) are non wholly new to instructors, but in appraisal for larning they are used in a more productive and effectual mode to assist pupil larning. Particularly in countries like oppugning, instructors may develop the accomplishments needed with experience and with clip. However, as instructors are used to the function of accountant it will non be easy for them to let go of and allow the pupils to command the acquisition as it is a great challenge for the instructor. However to be effectual these schemes need a great trade of pattern and instructors have to organize their ain ways that suit them and their pupils. Finally this method may make pupils who think, proctor and buttocks themselves and their equals and who are capable of working towards their end with the consciousness of their advancement.