Book of mormons review

We entered the Prince of Wales Theatre in the Westminster area of London on a beautiful evening on the 27th of April. The show was sold out but the lines were Incredibly manageable. There was a bit of electricity In the air. I tried to gauge what it was but couldn't put my finger on It. Was it Just anticipation? Maybe it was the beautiful weather that made people lively. After grabbing a quick cocktail to get ready for the show, the signal came to take your seat. The show was ready to start! The show began. From the very beginning, it was obvious that the producer's were going to pull out all of the comedic stops.The bludgeoning of the Mormon faith began in earnest and you got a quick feeling that there could be some cringing moments In the play. I found myself looking around at the audience during the first act to see what was happening on people's faces. I saw shock and awe. I saw older women in their seventies laughing to the core at some of the more raunchy material. Some of the audience members appeared conflicted in how they should respond. Here was a play making direct attacks on a large religion and mixing In sex, nasty language and blasphemy to entertain the audience.Is it k to laugh? Evidently, most people felt like it was perfectly fine because the first part of the play was non-stop laughter, great music and fabulous acting. Every character had his/her own personality and grew Into their roles, I felt Like the first part of the play was over before in no time. The second half of the play picked up where the first half left fifth surprise and honeybees. There was a small period at the beginning of the second part where the play did slow down a little bit. The scene was a little slow and the music was not as lively as other music pieces.It did pick back up and the second part of the play need with several twists that were unexpected and that really brought all of the themes of the play back together for what was a fantastic ending. The Prince of Wales Theatre was a beautiful venue with the expected perks of a venue named after royalty. The sound was of the highest quality. The seats were The producers decided on a very simple set. While there were a few special effects, the majority of the play was staged on Just a few sets that were role on and off the stage by the actors. No incredible electronics to manage set logistics.Just old- fashioned stage set changing. The lighting was satisfactory. There was not a lot of opportunity to mix the lighting effects up. Now to the performers. The primary characters were the Elders who were part of the Mormon mission. The main character, Elder Price played by Gavin Creel, performed well throughout most of the show but seemed to fizzle a bit toward the end. Elder Cunningham, played by Jarred Greener, seemed to be an odd choice for the role but really developed the character throughout the play and sold most of the audience by the time the show ended. The lead Elder, Elder McKinley was played by Stephen Sheffield.He was steady and consistent throughout and really added some surprising comic relief. While I wont go through all of the characters, the tribal characters all had unique roles and managed them to perfection. I have to say that I walked away from the play with an embedded grin on my face. I was totally shocked by the extreme sarcasm displayed and the total dismantling of a faith and its beliefs. I walked away scratching my head at the Mormon faith, its origins and its validity. That is quite an accomplishment! I would highly recommend everyone to see the play and to enjoy an evening of fun and laughter.

Dove Marketing

SAKSHI GUPTA Selection Of The Product The Product chosen by me is Dove Company is Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) Company Profile HUL is India’s largest FMCG Company with a span of over 75 years. Having 35 brands spanning 20 distinct categories such as soaps, shampoos, detergents, cosmetics, toothpastes, skin care, deodorants, tea, coffee, ice cream, packaged foods and water purifiers, the Company is a part of the daily life of millions of consumers across India.Over 16,000 employees and annual turnover of around Rs. 19, 401 crores (financial year 2010 – 2011). HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever and leading supplier of fast moving consumer goods with powerful local hold in more than 100 countries all over the world with annual sales of about â‚ ¬44 billion for 2011. Unilever has about 52% shareholding with HUL. Particulars| Total Numbers | Comments|Brands| More than 35| Well established brands catering to various market Segments| Products| More than 250| Huge umbrella of product family and product line| Direct retail coverage | 600,000 | Includes both on and off premise outlets | Household reach | 80% | Every 2 in 3 Indian uses HUL product | Shelf availability | 84% across India | Very deep market reach of | Dove Dove’s started off in the US in 1957; is leading brand of Unilever globally. Dove is marketed in 80 countries worldwide with a range of products from lotions, body washes, skin care and moisturising creams.Dove hair care range was brought to consumers in 1998 in Europe and in 2003 in North America. HUL launched the Dove hair care range in May, 2007 which included shampoos, conditioners, and revitalizing masks. Dove became the fastest growing shampoo brand in the country in a short period of time of around 13 months. The range claims to deliver the moisture promise of Dove. It has a specific formulation of chemicals which are mild and soft to the skin composition. Dove enjoys a star position for damage repair and therapy. Dove has hair care products that repair damage to the hair.The new Zero Damage System range includes ‘daily therapy’ shampoo, ‘dry therapy’ shampoo and conditioner, ‘breakage therapy’ shampoo, conditioner, serum and hair-mask. Context Indian hair care is divided into categories Hair oil Shampoo/conditioners, styling products, herbal remedies and hair-dyes and colors. Sachet sales contribute approximately 40%,. Hair care and shampoos targets upper middle class, middle class and upper class rural customers. Market is expanding to lower class too. Main consumer categories targeted are women. The usage of shampoo in Indian society has evolved with increasing rate.Today average usage in Indian population comes out to be2-3 times a week. Use of conditioners is still mostly in the super premium segment. Indian women require more shampoo as compared to western women because of thicker texture, longer average. Awareness counts for about 90% in urban areas g iving 80% of total consumption whereas; in rural areas awareness counts for about 80% which is for the remaining 20% of consumption. Competitors Market Scenario Product Category: Hair Care The hair care market in India is valued at $200 million with a growth of 3. 8% year by year. The hair care market includes . hair oils. 2. shampoos. 3. hair colorants & conditioners. 4. hair gels. Shampoos The shampoo market carries a value of Rs 4. 5 billion with market penetration level of only 13% in India. Shampoos are available in the form of shampoo bottles of different volumes as well as 8ml sachets. Sachet makes up to 40% of the total shampoo sale. The shampoo market in India is divided into: * Cosmetic * Anti-dandruff More than 50% of the population uses soaps for hair care. The shampoo penetration is only 30% in metros. The major players in the today’s shampoo market are HUL, and Procter & Gamble.Segmentation Market segmenting is dividing the market into groups of individual marke ts with similar wants or needs that a company divides into distinct groups which have distinct needs, wants, behavior or which might want different products & services. According to Philip Kotler, â€Å"Market segmentation is the sub dividing of market into homogenous subsection may conceivably be selected as a market target to be reached with a distinct marketing mix. Broadly, markets can be divided according to a number of general criteria, such as by industry or public versus private. The concept f market segmentation was first proposed as an alternative market development technique in imperfectly competitive markets that is, in markets where there are relatively few competitors selling an identical product. Where there are lots of competitors selling identical products, market segmentation and product differentiation produce similar results as competitors imitate your strategic approach more quickly and product differentiation approaches meet market segment needs more closely. With an increasing proliferation of tastes in modern society, consumers have increased disposable incomes.As a result, marketers have sought to design product and service offerings around consumer demand (market segmentation) more than around their own production needs (product differentiation) and they use market research to inform this process Since there a large number of competitors in the shampoo market selling almost identical products that have almost similar attributes and properties market segmentation should be devised for Dove shampoos. The figure shows the types of segmentation taking into account various criteria. The relevant differentiators applicable to Dove shampoo is mentioned below. Demographic | | | | | | | | | AgeSexLevel of educationSocial Class| The target consumers would be the age class from preteens to old age. It is commonly observed that there is no much differentiation in the usage patterns in relation to age even though the attribute in the shampoos tha t is sought might vary within different age groupsShampoos are used by both men and women although in varying degrees and frequencyDove is a premium shampoo primarily targeted at educated middle class consumersSocial Economic classes from B1 particularly the upper middle class and high income groups would be likely to afford and be aware of the product. Geographic | | | | | | The primary consumers would be the Urban middle class and above. It would not be affordable for rural markets| Psychological | Psychographic | It tries to change the psychology of an average looking women that she can look equally beautiful. Some consumers have the perception that the chemicals in the shampoo render the Hair dry.The moisturizer concept can be used to address this | Benefits sought | | Consumers hope to derive a number of benefits like Dandruff control, Hair Therapy, Oil control through shampoo usage| Behavioral | Product usage | The products are used on an average of 2 to 3 times per week among almost all age categories with a slightly higher frequency for dandruff control | | Media usage| The media usage of the target customers would be magazines newspapers and TVs so that communication efforts can be directed to these channels to cater to the prospective consumers| | | |Targeting The main target market is upper middle class and premium class people (higher socio economic group). It targets the Indian young women and focuses on real beauty of women widening the stereotype view of beauty. The targeting strategy can be presented as division of three aspects: Age, Sex and Lifestyle. The age group segment of 17-50 years old women (mainly youngsters, Teens and Pre-Teens) who are socially active with or without job and belong to the premium section of the society.Dove Product Lifecycle Dove shampoo is in the growth stage * As Dove is becoming successful and sales has started to grow rapidly as it became established. BCG Matrix STAR Dove| QUESTION MARK ? | CASH COWS | DOGS | BC G Matrix (Boston Consulting Group Matrix) The â€Å"BCG matrix† or Portfolio Analysis is a portfolio planning model had been created by Bruce Henderson for the Boston Consulting Group in 1968 to help corporations with analysing their business units or product lines.This helps the company allocate resources and is used as an analytical tool in marketing, product, strategic management, and portfolio analysis. A high-growth product is for example a new one that we are trying to get to some market. It takes some effort and resources to market it, to build distribution channels, and to build sales infrastructure, but it is a product that is expected to bring the gold in the future. A low-growth product is for example an established product known by the market.Characteristics of this product do not change much, customers know what they are getting, and the price does not change much either. This product has only limited budget for marketing. There is the milking cow that brings in the constant flow of cash. An example of this product would be regular Colgate toothpaste. * Stars whose high share and high growth assure the future; * Cash cows that supply funds for that future growth; and * Question marks to be converted into stars with the added funds. Stars * Dove shampoo has a high growth and high market share Dove is ahead of Pantene by a large margin in the category of shampoos. Its value share is 18. 6 per cent to Pantene’s 10. 1 per cent. In the top six metros of the country, Dove has a value share of 12. 6 per cent to Pantene’s 11. 7 per cent. In urban India, Dove’s share is marginally behind Pantene’s 11. 1 per cent at 10. 6 per cent, while, on an all-India basis, Dove is 7. 9 per cent to Pantene’s 9. 4 per cent. * Highest Market Share -The company holds a 44% market share in the Indian shampoo industry. * *

Marcos’ family Essay

Unlike the Antagonist, the protagonist is introduced from the first scene, Eddie Carbone. At first we don’t see him as the mean and vicious person he later turns out to be. From this we get an understanding as to what kind of ‘hero’ he is. During the course of the play Eddie becomes an evil ‘hero’. Making the protagonist an evil person makes the play more effective. At no point does Eddie actually break the law, but instead breaks the rules of society. The society in which Eddie lives, (full of Italian immigrants) has made it a golden rule not to snitch, not to tell on anyone that may be doing something wrong in the governments eyes but not in theirs. Eddie makes this the first thing that Catherine and Beatrice have to know before the arrivals of the cousins. He tells them a true story about Vinnie B, how he betrayed his family by snitching to the authorities about the illegal immigrants his family was hiding. As a result Vinnie gets treated like a foreigner in his own family, and gets thrown down the stairs and has to leave the house despite being the youngest. In this play there is unity of time, place and action, all the action appears to be continuous in one place. Miller brings unity into the play, everything happens over a period of time there are no gaps except the gap between Acts 1& 2 allowing time for Catherine and Rodolfo’s relationship to grow; the unity in this play brings all the action, betray and romance in one place so it gives the audience a better understanding as what is happening. Whereas if one thing was happening in Jersey and another thing in New York it wouldn’t keep the audience interested. Miller creates a sense of pity and sorrow over the audience at the very end of the drama. Eddie ringing the Immigration Bureau brings us to the catastrophe. It is Marco who breaks the law. We, as the viewers, believe that Marco has done nothing wrong but to defend his beliefs, which is to protect his name and by doing so protecting his family. Eddies manliness was challenged when Marco confronted him to a chair lifting contest; this warned Eddie to stay away from Rodolfo. Mixing the pathos and misery with the catastrophe of Eddie’s death makes the drama much more effective. After taking a traumatic journey through Eddies mind, the audience is left to think that he will never love Beatrice again because he has been showing all his emotions, especially ‘lust’ the feeling that is usually associated with couples, towards her niece, but Miller surprises us because Eddie reclaims his love for his wife Beatrice, this is a very tear-jerking scene. He turns what the law says is right into a moral wrong, by having Eddie obey the law and telling the authorities that there are illegal immigrants in the community, but by doing so he is also put the lives of Marcos’ family in Sicily in jeopardy. Miller has borrowed many elements from the Greek Tragedy; he has used the prologue to set the basis of the play, which gave a strong sense of fate from the beginning that something awful is going to come out of Eddie taking in the two cousins. Miller has used Eddie as the Protagonist and also an evil hero. The unity of time and place has been used through out the whole play to give the audience understanding; having things done within 24 hours was significant as to what happened the next day. To have many scenes in separate places may have confused the audience. Miller made the chorus more effective by using the narrator (Alfieri) as the voice behind the story, he expressed the traditional morals and the social attitudes that the audience relate to. The pathos has been used several times in this piece of drama, one example being, when Eddie reclaims his love for Beatrice. This was a tear-jerking scene in the drama, not just making the play dramatic but allowing the audience to feel pity and sorrow for Eddie. Miller borrowing such elements has made the play more effective.

Research Strategy Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategy - Research Paper Example I mean how many grandmothers can you really kill in a year? After nine or ten, doubts about the originality of your lie start to be questioned. With this assignment, let me evaluate the problem. Why is it that I really do get late? Why is it that I cant be a slave to the hands of time? Deep down in my heart, I know it is not that disease that I ever so often get from my dog, so then what is it? Is it just that I am too much of a hippy, a free spirit to bind myself down to certain norms that are expected from you? No it is not that! (Allen 2003) I know for certain that at the end of the day I am usually asking myself this question that where did the day go by? Where do the entire 24 hours go really? So how do we get to the root of the problem? I have decided that the only way that one can get to the root of the problem is by tracing my every step of an average day and then calculating the time wasted (Messmer 2000). Therefore I have decided to make a minute to minute schedule of my entire day, for I think that this would give me a complete and precise analysis of where the day actually goes by. And let me warn you before han d, that the results were astounding. Setting a personal time profile might just be the first step towards achieving what I believe is a success quotient. After this has been done, finding out the effects of this profile is even more important within the related constructs and settings. Discerning what schedule preferences best qualify for the profile are equally important as these dictate the ways and means under which success will be envisioned and eventually envisaged. The schedule revealed that I usually wake up by 7:30 am, a full forty five minutes late than the time I have designated for my alarm clock to ring. This usually means that I exit the out of my house with an air of tantrum and rush, not even recalling half the things that I was suppose to take with me. This means for me that my day is covered with clouds of

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Globalization - Essay Example Only on the first issue can one reasonably argue that the purported center of economic representations - mainstream academic economics - plays a leading role in the debate. And, even then, the free trade, pro-globalisation orthodoxy that, with few exceptions, has predominated within mainstream economics for generations has been contested in all three areas: within the discipline of economics, in other academic disciplines, and outside the academy. Another important question is how abrupt the future changes will be. Abrupt climate change generally refers to a large shift of climate that takes place so rapidly and unexpectedly that human and/or natural ecosystems have difficulty to adapt. Globalisation has increased migration, which resulted in deforestation and global warming. Since 1850 A.D. the climate is dominated by a clear steady warming trend, which has become known as global warming. This warming is particularly noteworthy because the rate of temperature increase is enormously high. In addition, the recent 50-100 years have been the time of unprecedented growth of human activities, accompanied by industrialisation, massive deforestation, and other human interferences with the nature with a thoughtful (harmful) effect on the environment. The natural agents, exerting their influence upon climate has been thus recruiting with a new powerful mean to produce sizeable changes in the climate. One of the essential problems of the present days is to answer the question to what degree the mankind may be responsible for the present-day climate warming. Is the observed global warming just of natural origin, or does it have certain anthropogenic component Is the fact that the climate is getting warmer the result of human insensitive approach to its habitat Is this warming to continue in the future and how serious are the potential environmental consequences If so, the problem of the worldwide increasing air temperature comes to an end as the strictly scientific discipline, but became the uneasy task for everybody on this planet. For about the last decade, there has been an ongoing debate on the contribution of human activities to the global warming of the past century and especially on how anthropogenic activity will contribute to further warming that may occur during the twenty-first century. What is the physical basis for the fear of human-induced changes Similarly to other living organisms in all epochs, the mankind has influenced surrounding environment. However, an impact of human activities has drastically increased after the Industrial Revolution that began in the mid-eighteenth century in the UK and at the present time embraces the continental and/or global scales. The industrial revolution began with the invention of the steam engine. The most important human activities at present that may have an impact on both regional and global climate are connected with: 1. the combustion of fossil fuels and the biomass burning that produce GHG, 2. the

SUmmaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SUmmaries - Essay Example He used to spend his time playing hockey and posting on social media and some of the people who know him have described him as a shy and person who minds his own business. The boy who has been charged with several counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault as well as possession of a weapon in the campus premises. There have been mixed reactions about this case with some of people stating that the suspect should be tried in a juvenile court and others preferring that he should be subjected to a mental examination first. However, his trial in a juvenile court can only take place if he is considered cooperative to treatment in the court. Regardless of the gravity of the matter as well as the age of the suspect, the issue that motivated Alex to go on the rampage and stab fellow students is yet to be identified for the case to be understood fully. After an Illinois father received a call that his son had committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest, a note left by the son was discovered blaming bullying for the suicide. Even though the death of his son was difficult for him, Jordan Lewis decided to post video on Facebook the night that his son died explaining the circumstances of his son’s death as well as the events that led up to the occurrence. This included the apparent bullying, concerns from some of his friends, visits by the police as well as the emergency call the son had made prior to his death (Hamilton, 2013). According to Jordan Lewis, he is posting the videos so that he can stop bullying through showing that some people are not strong enough to overcome the humiliation that is associated with bullying. The bullying that his son had faced had been so much that he dropped out of the football team. Based on research by the Yale university children who are subjected to bullying have a higher likelihood o f committing suicide. There are high chances that Lewis’ son developed a sense of hopelessness and the bullying

Small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Small business - Essay Example Although the business is doing well, it is important to mention that the business currently faces quite a number of challenges that. These include rising competition by rival companies, seasonal lows leading to losses at certain times of the year, and the challenge of many tourists in that most do not speak the Arabic language. Nonetheless, the company has managed to come up with such strategies as training her staff on various foreign languages, maximizing on the peak season in order to make up for the off-peak, and providing better products and series to clients. In terms of maintaining customer satisfaction, Green Era Travel has always ensured that the needs of the customers are given first priority. Besides, the company undertakes robust online marketing campaign in order to reach a broader spectrum of tourists who may be willing to visit United Arab Emirates. In this regard, the most valuable advice that can be learnt from the business is consistency and customer valuing at all times. Indeed, this strategy has seen Green Era Travel maintain a constant grip of an appreciable share of the UAE travel and tours market for the past one

Regulatory and Economic environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Regulatory and Economic environment - Essay Example Based on the current exchange rate of RMB 8.28 yuan to one U.S. dollar, China is now the sixth largest economy in the world. Based on purchasing-power parity, it is the third largest economy after the United States and Japan. All this has taken place during a relatively short time. In fact, one can argue that true economic reform in China only started in the early 1980s.' - [M.W. LUKE CHAN, WENDY ROTENBERG] The Chinese economic environment had shown rapid progress during 1991-1997, it could be said that China experienced double digit GDP growth. However, from 1997 and so on there were economic crisis, yet, the Chinese GDP continued to grow at a rapid rate of 7.8%. Transparency and good supremacy have been the foundation issues observed in the post-crisis years, both in the circumstance of the 1997 monetary difficulties and the recent series of commercial scandals. This suits the accounting and audit profession where efforts have largely focused on "harmonizing standards" within APEC and ASEAN as well as for greater transparency and disclosure. The Chinese financial catastrophe showed that insufficient accounting practices and lack of transparency in financial information still prevail in the region. Usual accounting may no longer adequately reflect the necessary information from the position of regulatory and internal corporate control. Strengthening of accounting and auditing function to properly manage risks is one major task to make the private sector and government agencies competitive and free from corruption. In an internationalized economy, up-to-date accounting and auditing knowledge and skills are the basic institutional infrastructure for private enterprises as well as government agencies to promote good corporate governance and sound public management. The need for transparent information has been heightened, particularly in the situation of managing risks involved. Main challenges for the DMCs are to develop transparent and sound accounting practices to properly manage and regulate the private sector including banks. An overview of the economic framework in China: The economic system of China is based on the Interbank Lending Market, the negotiable instruments market and the Treasury bond repurchase market. Interbank Lending: A nationwide unified interbank lending computer network was put into operation on a trial basis on January 3, 1996. The interbank lending market was not integrated preceding this date. The establishment of unified interbank market helped in connecting all interbank markets through out the nation. Negotiable Instruments: A negotiable instruments market consists of commercial papers as their main instrument. Commercial paper activity started in China in 1981. Since 1981, commercial paper market developed gradually. The acceptance, rediscount and discount process of commercial paper has become standardized. Commercial bills are also another instrument used in China. It has increased drastically in the past few years. Also, the discount and rediscount maturities have increased rapidly providing the funding needs of the national industry development policies and credit policies to flow. Repurchase Transactions - Open Market Operations: The central bank got involved into the

Smiling Might Not Be Such a Safe Way to Treat Safeway Customers Essay

Smiling Might Not Be Such a Safe Way to Treat Safeway Customers - Essay Example Management realizes this predicament. More precisely, the management of Safeway Supermarkets understands the importance of this issue. This is why management introduced the â€Å"Superior Service† policy. The intentions of this policy were very clear, but in reality, there are some challenges that prevent the policy from staying in place over the long term. Now that some workers are complaining against the policy, Safeway Supermarkets will have to revisit this policy and try to change it in a way that suits the privacy needs of its employees but also makes sure that the customer is being looked after. Main Issues The main issue here is that these are unionized workers and they are being forced to do something that they are uncomfortable with. The Union Food and Commercial Workers Union should focus on the point that the policy introduced by Safeway Supermarkets encroaches on the privacy of some of its privacy. Put more specifically, it is not the actual policy that causes this , but rather the actions of those customers who misinterpret friendliness for something else. As a Safeway Supermarkets produce clerk, Richelle Roberts, testifies: â€Å"†¦hit on every day by men who think she is coming on to them† (Associated Press, 2012). This confirms that it is the actions of the employees that are being misinterpreted rather than the actual policy encouraging this kind of behavior. Analysis This is a strange case because both the employees and management do not share sole responsibility for this situation. From the management’s point of view, they have every right to expect that their employees are courteous and polite to customers. No one would expect anything less. Also, using undercover shoppers to try and catch employees out is legal because it can be considered as a type of performance review. The employees working in the customer sales department need to be tested on their ability to interact with customers, since this takes up a large part of their job. On the other hand, employees should have the power to selectively choose when to smile at a customer and when not to. If a timid female employee noticed a large, overpowering man, then she might feel uncomfortable by smiling towards him. Employees should not be punished if they choose not a smile at a certain customer. If an employee feels intimidated or scared in any way, then they should not have to make friendly gestures towards that particular person. Of course, if it was discovered that an employee was not being friendly to any customers, then management would have the right to pull them up on it. Methods There needs to be a discussion between the management of Safeway Supermarkets and The Union Food and Commercial Workers Union about how a compromise can be reached. As discussed above, employees should not be forced to smile at every customer, and there should be no punishment for not doing so. On the part of the employees, they should have to be polite to a t least 75 percent of the customers who walk into a store on any given day. Of course, it would be up to the individual employee to choose who to smile at and who not to. This way, employees do not have to feel threatened by customers and also a friendly image is being displayed by the company for the most part. Conclusion Issues

Microsoft High School Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microsoft High School - Case Study Example One of the critical challenges that faced the company in the 80s was developing a career track for those who were individual contributors at best and those who were managers or had potential to be managers. This arose due to the fact the company being an IT company, technical people were mostly hired who may or may not be managers. The solution was to allow people to remain technical experts and get the same opportunity to advance in terms of compensation, promotion and recognition as those in the management track. Ladder levels for determining vertical movement were based on an individual's job nature, together with his experience, skill and performance. In addition, growth was also made possible with horizontal transfers from one job to another. New hires were also encouraged to learn from mentoring from those who were company seniors. IT industry's explosive growth, thousands of ... When the company reached its 20,000th employee mark, Bill Gates viewed this as an important challenge facing the company where the values at its inception responsible for its success were at stake. As a response, the HR group started measuring employee attitudes. A finding in the late 1990s was that even if attrition rates or voluntary resignations were half those of industry levels, at the higher positions, resignations were closer to industry rates. With "Organizational Health Index" (OHI), a part of the annual employee survey, the focus was turned on the work environment as a tool for retention and on a more fundamental level, "keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive" that made Microsoft what it was. Ballmer's two priorities was to accomplish this was first to change Microsoft's vision from "a computer on every desk and in every home running on Microsoft software" to "to empower people to do anything they want, any place they want, and on any device". The second strategy was to e mpower leaders within the company to clear obstacles, make decisions quickly and clearly define goals. Another challenge was how to identify managers and leaders who are capable of developing people. In order to meet this challenge, Microsoft embarked on a series of programs to identify potential leaders and it became the priority of Steve Ballmer, Microsoft president to develop leaders within the company. As a result of these programs, it was found out that the sources of leadership development were primarily from the jobs currently held at 70%, from mentoring at 20% and from training at 10%. With its maturity as a large-scale organization, a top concern emerged in the 1990s to

Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics - Essay Example â€Å"Since we have previously said that one ought to choose that which is intermediate, not the excess nor the defect, and that the intermediate is determined by the dictates of the right rule, let us discuss the nature of these dictates.† (Aristotle) The intellectual virtues discussed in this work are distinguished between those virtues that do not change and those that change. Intelligence (nous), scientific knowledge (episteme), and wisdom (sophia) are virtues that do not change, while art (techne), prudence (phronesis), understanding (synesis) and good sense (gnome) are things that do change. In the opening section of the Book VI of The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle maintains that the proper work of a thing determines the virtue of the thing and the three things in the soul which control action and truth are sensation, reason, and desire. The author also divides the soul into two parts: a rational part (which is further divided into a contemplative part and contemplative part) and an irrational part.

Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick Essay Example for Free

Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick Essay In the story of â€Å"Ragged Dick†, Horatio Alger tells an inspirational story portraying a hero, Dick, to be the embodiment of individual opportunity in American culture. Dick gains mobility up the socio ­economic ladder through his good virtue and dedication to higher education. Dick is an honest young â€Å"black ­boot† with a second ­rate shared apartment and low vernacular. However, Dick is generous and industrious, while keeping a frugal stance as to know the value of a dollar. while en route of finding new work, a young boy falls into the east river, and the father swears great rewards to the rescuer. Dick, an excellent swimmer, dives off a ferry and saves the boy, without hearing of any reward. The father, a wealthy industrialist himself, rewards Dick by giving him a well ­paying job as a clerk at his office. Dick, now realizing his potential, has allowed himself a new name with his new career, signifying his upward climb on the ladder claiming that he is finally, â€Å"cut off from the old vagabond life which he hoped never to resume† and sealing his grip upon the American Dream. Alger’s â€Å"rags to riches† story contains valuable tools that can be used to motivate a person’s social psychology, it’s myths can be unrealistic which can lead a person to believe a dream that could be impossible to obtain. The example of valor, hard work, and initiative are concrete tools for one’s toolbox, whereas relying only on gallantry can only go so far in our socio ­economic world. First, you could just take a look into the professions throughout our economy. Art, literature, and education are thrown on the back burner as business degrees are the #1 funded, and sought after, sectors.

Properties of Dopamine in Chemistry

Properties of Dopamine in Chemistry Chapter 2. Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In recent years, natural adhesion has attracted increasing attention in the material engineering field. This can be mainly attributed to the marine mussel as it has a strong ability to attach to various surfaces in an aqueous environment where they reside. These surfaces vary from natural to synthetic, and inorganic to organic.[49-51] Previous studies on the mussel adhesive protein have discovered that 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine-lysine sequences, may be the main contributor for the versatile nature of the marine mussel.[52, 53] Dopamine, having a similar structure with this sequence, may provide a new platform for bioengineers to physically or chemically enhance the performance of other biomaterials. Several papers have already been published regarding the use of dopamine to augment other biomaterials, such as poly (ethylene glycol), carbon nanotubes and nanofibers. The first part of this review will briefly introduce the basic properties of dopamine which will be followed by its applications 2.2 Properties of Dopamine Dopamine’s properties can be divided into chemical and adhesive properties. The chemical properties mainly focus on the autopolymerization in aerated basic solutions and polymerization of dopamine based on vinyl groups. The adhesive property is dopamine’s most significant feature which gives dopamine its advantage as a biomaterial. 2.2.1 Chemical Properties 2.2.1.1 Autopolymerization in Aerated Basic Solutions Messersmith and coworkers first reported that dopamine is able to auto-polymerize in aired Tris buffer of pH 8.5.[8]. The process of dopamine autopolymerization with a pre-existing substrate results in polydopamine (PDA) films being deposited on the substrate surface. Longer substrate exposure times and higher reaction temperatures result in thicker PDA films being formed.[54] Regardless of the surface type, the inserted PDA films can be coated on the desired surface, even poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), known for its anti-adhesive property.[8] 2.2.1.2 Polymerization of Dopamine Based on Vinyl Groups Polymers carrying pendant dopamine are normally obtained by radical polymerization of vinyl monomers with protected or unprotected dopamine. When meditating protected dopamine carried by polymers with double bone, borax (Na2B4O7 ·10H2O) is widely used as the protecting reactant in order to keep dopamine from forming an annular bidentate catechol subunit.[55] Normally, the polymerized reaction of protected dopamine happens in a liquid solution and forms linear chains. Deprotection reaction usually occurs in an acidic environment and results in the polymer carrying dopamine. Dimolybdenum trioxide[56], 1-dromotoluene[57] and denzophenone chloride[58] can also be used as protecting agents. Zhang et al.[59] designed a novel polymer poly (n-acryloyl dopamine) that possesses high adhesion to wood, especially when mixed with polyethylenimine (PEI) at about 150 °C. They used a protected double bond dopamine as a monomer and 2,2’-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) as an initiator via rad ical polymerization, following the deprotection of dopamine in an acid solution. When meditating unprotected dopamine, Lee BP et al.[60] was the first to report a creative hydrogel that copolymerizes modified dopamine with double bond and polyethylene glycol diacrylate via photo initiation by using a 2,20-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetonephenone (DMPA) initiator. As a result of this invention, greater attention has been given to hydrogels as a new artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) in the biomedical field. Dopamine belongs to the catechol family which leads to vinyled dopamine to act as an inhibitor.[61, 62], as a result they can react with radicals to inhibit polyreaction. The unprotected dopamine, modified with a vinyl group, is able to undergo free-radical polymerization. Several researches have done this experiment on radical polymerization to prove the reliability of this method.[63-75] The research group led by Metin Sitti, copolymerized a dopamine derivate (dopamine meth-acrylami de) with methoxyethylaceylate to obtain a reversible adhesion on the surface of nonflat glass under dry or wet condition.[65] In another publication, 2-(meth-acryloyloxy) ethyl phosphate was used to copolymerize with dopamine methacrylamide, followed by a complicated cohesion in which the copolymer bonded with positively charged polymer, divalent calcium and magnesium.[71] The chemical properties of dopamine provide the platform of its strong adhesive properties. 2.2.2 Adhesive Property The adhesive property of dopamine is one of the most significant properties of dopamine as it has proved to be very versatile in adhering to various surfaces despite the surface chemistry. The bonding between dopamine and surfaces can be generally distributed to two parts: covalent and non-covalent.[10] Surfaces which possess amine groups or thiol groups can covalently bind to dopamine via Michael addition or Schiff base reactions. However since most surfaces don’t have those groups, non-covalent bonding, like H-bond, Ï€-Ï€ interaction and benzenediolcharge-transfer compounds are preferred to generate a valid layer and metallic chelating.[7, 53, 76-87] In a high pH environment, metal ions and medal oxides have a high chance of being hydroxylated or hydrated, which make chelate with catechol groups of dopamine much easier. This can be seen from many experiments done on polydopamine linking with metal oxides (such as Fe2O3, Fe4O3, ZrO2) through chelating bonding interaction.[82, 84, 85] This can be seen when polydopamine nanoparticle suspensions are added to a solution of KMnO4 with H2SO4. A core-shell nanoparticle structure is created in which the polydopamine act as the core and MnO2 act as shell, followed by blending the KOH solution to obtain MnO2 nanospheres. This ad hesive property of dopamine provides promising opportunities for new bioengineered materials. 2.2.3 CNT For decades, carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been attracting increasing attention because of their superior features, such as thermal conductivity, excellent tensile strength and remarkable conductivity. They have been applied in various different areas, from sensors to catalysis, and from semiconductors to inductors for osteocytes. In order for CNTs to have a wide range of applications, surface modification is necessary. However, during this modification various intermediate reactions steps are required which increase the complexity of the CNT’s fabrication. Dopamine modification has been viewed as an promising alternative, leading to a coated multifunctional CNT with a polymeric shell that has tunable thickness by time, pH value and temperature.[88] The dopamine coating facilitates the addition of alternate modifications to the surface of CNTs, such as gold nanoparticles.[88] What’s more, CNTPDAs, first, were modified with ATRP initiator and then polymerized with diethyla mine methacrylateto to form brushes polymer — poly (dimethylamine-thyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) on the surface.[89] Following that the functionalized CNT were quaternized in order to combine palladium nanoparticles on the CNTs’ surface. These two examples indicate the capability of dopamine coated CNTs to bind to metal complexes. 2.3 Applications There are many different applications in which dopamine could be applied in; three of them will be the focus here including applications in hydrogels, nanofibers, and biosening. These fields are of great interest currently as they show great promise for dopamine in bioengineering. 2.3.1 Hydrogel The need of a viscous hydrogel, as a unique material, is dramatically increasing in various biomedical fields. The high performance requirements of adhesive hydrogels are strict and various. This includes being sufficiently adhesive in a wet environment, satisfactory elasticity of artificial tissue scaffold and biocompatible.[60, 90] Moreover, biomedical hydrogels also need a quick sol-gel conversion for avoiding surgical obstruction. Recently, adhesive hydrogel, inspired by strong wet adhesion of mussel and cross-bonding capabilities of dopamine, has been attracted increasing attention and considered as a hopeful candidate to fulfill this technologic niche.[91] Messersmith et al.[92] reported the creation of four different adhesive hydrogels using dopamine derivative (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)) as end-groups and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a backbone. The difference of these four hydrogels can be divided into 2 subcategories, linear network and branched network. They applied multiple-angle laser light scattering to study the influences of different oxidative reagents on DOPA oxidation and hydrogel formation. The result showed that gelation time of PEG-DOPA gels relied on oxidative reagents, such as concentration and type. In Lee H.’s report, they also used DOPA and PEG to form hydrogels, but this time they used DOPA modified with methacryloyl chloride and PEG diacrylate instead of pure DOPA and PEG. In order to avoid introducing toxicity of oxidative reagent to the hydrogels and any loss of adhesion, the hydrogels underwent UV initiation.[60] These photo-imitated gels demonstrate appreciable elastic properties for use as a promising biomedical material. Using a similar method Phillip B. Messersmith’s research group also synthesized an adhesive hydrogel, prepared by copolymerizing DOPA with hydrophobic segments of an amphiphilic block copolymer under photo-imitation. The adhesive property of the hydrogel was surprisingly improved in the presence of DOPA in wet condition. The elasticity of the hydrogel was found to be similar to that of soft tissues leading to consider it as a encouraging candidate for biomaterial.[93] Further research conducted by Messersmith and coworkers focused on the biological capabilities of dopamine-PEG adhesive gels. In 2010 they reported that DOPA as end-caps covalently bonded with an amine-terminated 4-arm PEG. The PEG was the core in which oxidative reagents (NaIO4) were added to form an adhesive hydrogel in less than 1 minute.[94] The results of the in vivo test, performed in a murine model, showed the adhesive gels caused minimal inflammation and were stably interfaced with the surrounding tissues for more than 24 months. To form a catena degradable adhering polymer, three materials were reacted to form a semblable branched polymer, including dopamine derivative as end-group, PEG and polycaprolactone (PCL) as a backbone.[95] These polymers are able to form films whose properties, such as swelling capacity and biodegradation, were flexible by changing the ratio, or concentration of these reactants or by adding other additive agents. After coating these adhesive polymer s on a biologic meshes, stronger water-resistant was exhibited when compared with fibrin sealant or cyanoacrylated polymers.[95] Applications for this biomaterial can be extended in the surgical field for hernia repair. Stewart’s group published several papers about adhesive hydrogels based on complex cohesion. In 2010 they created a bio-mimic hydrogel blending with revised gelatin and a copolymer which is obtained by a dopamine derivative reacting with monoacryloxyethyl phosphate in an alkaline condition.[71] The addition of Ca2+ and Mg2+ to the bio-mimic hydrogel could significantly improve the coacervation of the hydrogel, which was applied to tune agglomeration temperature to body temperature. The result demonstrated that the cohesion interaction was biodegradable, perfectly suited for medical applications. In another similar research, an adhesive hydrogel was synthesized by complicated cohesion of a positively charged copolymer and a terpolymer involving a dopamine derivative when its pH was higher than 4.[70] The bonding property of the hydrogel to hydroxylapatite was around 40% of common cyanoacrylate glue. T.G. Park’s group developed a temperature sensitive and injectable tissu e-attachable hydrogel.[96] The hydrogel was synthesized by conjugating hyaluronic acid and dopamine, following by cross-linking with thiol tail-ended Pluronic F127 via Michael addition. The hydrogel precursor exists at room temperature, and a cured hydrogel is formed when brought to a temperature of 37 °C. In a later paper, they used a similar strategy forming hydrogel by blending a dopamine derivative modified chitosan with thiol-capped Pluronic F127 at body temperature.[97] The adjustable gelation time of this block copolymer made it suitable for tissue-repair at 37 °C. The resulting hydrogel dedicated excellent in vivo results, where chitosan served as hemostatic agent and dopamine derivative group acted as adhesive agent to soft tissues. 2.3.2 Nanofiber Tissue engineering tends to use nanofiberous biomaterials instead of a micropores matrix since the filiform and polyporous nanolevel structure allow for artificial extracellular matrix to enhance the fundamental cellular procedures.[98] Nanotechnology reformation have aided in the development of techniques for the production of such a nano-composite materials. Electro-spinning has recently obtained increasing attention, attributing to its briefness and facility for nanofiber fabrication. Through this technique, fibrous structures are easily tuned in order to coordinate it with the extracellular matrix (ECM).[99, 100] So far, this technique has been studied in a range of biological fields, such as bone and skin regeneration. The artificial polymer ECMs usually have difficulties with interfaced reactions between tissues and materials.[101] For electro-spinning nanofibers in applications of biomedicine, it is necessary to physically and chemically combine them with biomolecules or cell-recognizing ligands.[102] This subsequently provides bio-modulating or biomimetic micro- environments to contacting cells and tissues. Dopamine coating can be considered as a simple and versatile approach to modify various synthetic polymers so that they are able to serve in biomedical applications.[49-51] Ku and coworkers[103] firstly reported culturing human endothelial cells on a polydopamine treated electro-spun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber membrane. They used two control groups, pure PCL nanofibers and PCL nanofibers coated with gelatin, to investigate the ability of cell attachment of dopamine. The result of the water contact angle demonstrated that polydopamine uniformly was coated on the PCL nanofibers. Polydopam ine also significantly improve endothelial cells’ attachment on the nanofiber, compared with other non-adhesive substrates. Moreover, endothelial cells culture on PCL nanofibers coated by dopamine had developed cytoskeleton, positive PECAM-1 and vWF expressions and high cell extend.Rim and coworkers[104] designed dopamine functionalized electro-spinning poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) nanofibers with minimal influence on its mechanical performances, like wetting capability and roughness. The polydopamine coated PLLA nanofibers significantly enhanced cell attachment and the degree of spread, contradistinguishing with pure PLLA nanofibers. Meanwhile, its fibrous morphology had changed to more of a polygon shape instead of sphere after the polydopamine coating, which lead to higher DNA content of polydopamine treated PLLA nanofibers. The higher gene expressions of cells cultivated on polydopamine treated fibers indicated better osteogenic differentiation and vasculogenesis. Extensive research regarding the chemical or physical coating of metal on the surface of scaffolds to increase tensile strength has been done.[105] Jungki Ryu et al.[106] used dopamine to process hydroxyapatite deposits on PCL nanofiber by coating it. The result demonstrated a combination of surface activation through dopamine coating and hydroxyapatite mineralization allowing the hybridization of various shapes and surfaces. In other reported, Xie and coworkers[107] considered dopamine as a ‘superglue’, allowing minerals to easily attach to fibrous surfaces. The mechanical properties of mineral functionalized electro-pinning PCL nanofibers, such as stiffness, durability and tensile strength, were near to that of natural bone. Dopamine coated nanofibers show an improvement on existed biomaterials such as their mechanical performances, and cell adhesion. This makes them quite suitable for tissue regeneration and other related bioengineering applications. 2.3.3 Biosensing There is an enormous demand to design highly sensitive and selective biosensors for multiple applications, such as diagnostics, drug screening, and drug discovery.[108] Biosensors usually are in the microscale or nanoscale[109] and there are numerous methods to develop them, such as DNA[110] and antibody-based sensor[111, 112]. Scientists employ dopamine in order to optimize biosensor’s capabilities which have been reported by several research groups. Lui and coworkers first reported that dopamine could be used in a biosensor.[113] They used electricity to oxidize dopamine to form polydopamine on a gold electric pole with existing nicotine. The dopamine-imprinted sensor showed outstanding selectiveness of nicotine and excellent repeatability. Furthermore, Ouyang and coworkers developed a one-step well-defined structure of a dopamine-imprinted sensor.[114] They applied electro-polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) and dopamine with existing glutamic acid (Glu). By using a potentiostatic time scan, the sensor exhibited satisfactory stereo selectiveness of bonding L- or D-Glu because their relative synthetic receptor. In a different publication, they designed protein imprinted nanowires which dopamine was also involved.[115] First, the protein-coupled alumina membrane was immersed in dopamine solution followed by an ammonium persulfate solution in order to self-polymerize polydopamine; in which afterward the removal of the atta ched protein is necessary. The nanowires demonstrated constant bonding capability and selectiveness of template proteins due to their cavity structure with bonding spots (like amino group, hydroxyl, Ï€-Ï€ stacking and van der Waals force) that can bind with protein. In another research, Zhou et al. display the creation of magnetic nanoparticles coated by imprinted polymer with a pre-existing template protein.[116] The nanoparticles are able to separate target protein from the mixture. In order to investigate the versatility of the imprinted nanoparticles, they operated on a binding test by using five different proteins excluding the template protein. The result indicated that more than 80% of target proteins were rebinding with imprinted nanoparticles, suggesting imprinted nanoparticles have a bright future to be employed for separating and detecting specific protein. One of the greatest difficulties for biosensors is how to immobilize enzymes on the surface of an electric pole and preserve the enzymes’ functionalities. Wei et al. designed a novel glucose electrochemical sensor, prepared by using a polydopamine film to entrap glucose oxidase and gold nanoparticles.[117] Their research displayed a polydopamine matrix embedded with gold nanoparticles that had high efficiency of immobilizing glucose oxidase. The dopamine film embedded gold nanoparticle biosensor showed a superior sensitivity, good repeatability, linear over broad dynamic range and a low detective threshold. Furthermore, in order to assess adaptability of this sensor, they use it to test glucose concentration in attenuated human serum. The result suggested this biosensor is an attractive material for clinical applications

Phases On The Moon Essay

Phases On The Moon Essay What causes day and night (including seasonal changes in the number of hours of daylight)? When the Earth spins around on its axis, it creates night and day on Earth. The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, turning day into night. On Earth, the length of day and night usually changes with the seasons. Why are there different seasons? As stated, the Earth spins on a tilted axis about once every 24 hours to create what we know as night and day. This axis is an invisible line through the centre of the Earth. The northern point is the North Pole and the southern point is the South Pole. The Earth spins anti-clockwise. The Earth orbits around the sun about once every 365 days. As this happens, the tilt of the Earth causes different sections of the Earth to point toward the Sun. This causes different amounts of sunlight to reach the same surface area of the Earth throughout the year. The different amounts of sunlight lead to different weather at this location. In the northern hemisphere, when the North Pole points towards the Sun, the Suns light is more directly overhead and it is summer. When the North Pole points towards the Sun, the South Pole tilts away from the sun resulting in scattered and less direct light. People in the southern hemisphere experience winter while people in the northern hemisphere have summer. The seasons of spring and autumn are created when the Earths tilt is neither towards, nor away from the Sun. These seasons usually have milder temperatures. Why are there different phases of the Moon? The Moon travels around the Earth in a circle called an orbit. It takes about 28 days to go one time around the Earth. The Sun always lights up half of the Moon at one time. The Moon is not a light source; it has no light of its own. We can only see the Moon because it reflects light from the Sun. The Moon appears to change shape (phases) but what we are actually seeking is the Moon lit up by the light from the Sun in different ways on different days. What is the science knowledge that supports the teaching of these two ideas? During the Renaissance, Nicholas Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model of the Solar System. His work was defended, expanded upon, and corrected by Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kelper. Galileo added the innovation of using telescopes to enhance his observations. Kelper was the first to devise a system that described correctly the details of the motion of the planets with the Sun at the centre. However, it was left to Newtons invention of celestial dynamics and his law of gravitation to finally explain the motions of the planets. Newton also developed the reflecting telescope. During the nineteenth century, attention to the three body problem by Euler, Clairaut and DAlembert led to more accurate predictions about the motions of the Moon and planets. Part 2: Eliciting the childrens ideas you are to research two different techniques for assessing the childrens ideas in science The aims of primary science can be broadly divided into two categories: To stimulate pupils curiosity in the world around them and encourage critical and creative thinking; To create a foundation for science at secondary school. To fulfil these aims, pupils need to acquire both factual knowledge and the skills of scientific enquiry, identifying questions that can be addressed scientifically; planning and carrying out experiments; evaluating data; and recognising the limitations of their own and others work. The National Curriculum was introduced in 1989, with science as a core subject. Before 1989, the science curriculum varied widely between primary schools. While the National Curriculum is statutory, schools have the freedom to decide how to teach its content to best meet the needs of their pupils. Children tend to be enthusiastic towards science at a young age, as they explore the world around them. However, attitudes towards school subjects, including science, often becomes less positive when they transfer to secondary school. As a result, the DfES is focusing its attention on secondary science. However, the primary years are seen as crucial in developing pupils longer term interest in science. (postnote, 2003, p2). Further, recent research has suggested that pupils interest in science may start to decline at primary school, which are discussed below in more detail below, include: Whether science teaching is adapted by individual schools to reflect the interest of their pupils; The focus on preparation of SATs tests in the last year of primary schools; Primary teachers level of scientific knowledge and confidence in teaching science. Teaching Primary Science In the 1970s and 1980s, teachers lack of scientific knowledge was seen as a major barrier to developing primary science. Primary teaching is largely a female profession and at the time few girls studied science other than biology. Today, primary teachers scientific knowledge is widely recognised as having improved but the debate over the level of scientific knowledge needed by a primary teacher in order to teach effectively remains active. (postnote, 2003, p3). Some professional scientific institutions argue that factual scientific knowledge is paramount. This view is based on a concern that scientific misconceptions are being taught and reinforced in some classrooms. Misconceptions (for example, that the Sun moves round a stationary Earth) are often formed at a young age and are difficult to change. Ofsted has raised particular concerns over the primary sciences, where it reports that many primary teachers are working at the limit of their understanding). On the other hand, Ofsted has found that the best teaching often involves scientific enquiry and some argue that the emphasis on factual knowledge distracts from this. The essential aim of scientific enquiry, to develop childrens thinking skills, can be seen as the basis of any good primary teaching. However, there is concern that some teachers are unclear of the purpose of scientific enquiry, which prevents them from teaching effectively. The Purpose of Assessment Clarifying the main purpose for which young children are assessed can help determine what kinds of assessments would be the most appropriate. Assessment of individual children might serve one of the following purposes: To determine progress on significant developmental achievements; To diagnose learning and teaching problems; To help in instruction and curriculum decisions; To serve as a basis for reporting to parents; and To assist a child with assessing his or her own progress. Decisions regarding the purpose of assessment should begin with discussion among all the stakeholders parents, educators, and other members of the community as appropriate. The group may want to keep in mind that: Plans, strategies, and assessment instruments are differentially suited for each of the following potential purposes of assessment; An overall assessment should include the four categories of educational goals: knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings; Assessments made during childrens informal work and play are most likely to minimise the many potential errors of various assessment strategies. (Katz, 1995, p67). The Risks Of Assessing Young Children Young children are notoriously poor test-takers: perhaps they are sometimes confused by being asked questions that they think the tester must already know the answers to. There is reason to suggest that the younger the child being evaluated, assessed, or tested, the more errors are made (Shepard, 1994; Ratcliff, 1995). If this principle is sound, then the younger the children: the longer the children live with a label (a true or false one), the more difficult it may become to discard it. Assessment Technique Number 1 Earth, Sun and Moon Assessment Test This test has 14 questions, which are listed below: What shape is the Earth? Put the Moon, Sun and Earth in order of size, biggest first. Why is it difficult to collect evidence about the Sun? Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky? Draw the Moon. Explain why you have it in this way? How long does it take for the Moon to orbit the Earth? How long does it take the Earth to make one complete turn on its axis? Where does the Sun go at night? What does orbit mean? Why do we get more hours of daylight per day in the summer? Where would you be standing if you got 24 hours of daylight every day in summer? If you were still in the same place as in question 11, how many hours per day of darkness would you get in winter? Which TWO changes make plants start to grow in the spring? What was your favourite part of this topic? Foundation Stage 2 children aged 4 As stated, very young children do not perform well in tests. This test is more like a knowledge and understanding checklist and can be used in a variety of circumstances. If children are going to gain scientific knowledge and retain an interest in the subject as they progress through school, then the learning process must be fun, interactive and stimulating. With the two 4-year olds the test was used to structure a highly interactive dialogue and to assess their current level of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. Both children knew quite a lot about day and night, and the shape of the planets. This information had been developed through a variety of sources from school, mum and dad, play with friends, the TV. The dialogue lasted approximately 15 minutes and covered about six or seven of the questions on the list. Asking direct questions did not produce positive results. The children become agitated. However, when they become fully engaged in discussion the test could be used to assess their current level of knowledge. This technique, if used correctly, is a useful and versatile assessment method. The childrens responses to the questions can be recorded and revisited at a later date to determine how much new learning has occurred. This technique is also useful when used in conjunction with a variety of learning resources about the subject matter. Year 2 2 children aged 7 In this situation the teacher used less prompts to engage each child in discussion about each of the questions in the test. Again the technique proved for assessing the childrens current level of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. This session lasted 30 minutes and nearly covered all of the questions. When the children became particularly animated about some aspect of the subject matter then it was more productive to let them express their ideas and opinions for some time rather than simply passing onto the next question. Assessment Technique 2 Concept Cartoons These are a new approach in teaching, learning and assessment in science. They were created by Brenda Keogh and Stuart Naylor in 1991. They feature cartoon-style drawings showing different characters arguing about an everyday situation. They are designed to intrigue, to provoke discussion and to stimulate scientific thinking. They may not have a right answer. They are available with background science notes for teachers. A typical Concept Cartoon has the following: Visual representation of scientific ideas Minimal text, in dialogue form Alternative viewpoints on the situation Scientific ideas are applied in everyday situations The scientifically acceptable viewpoint in the alternatives The alternatives With both sets of children, concept cartoons, proved to be very popular. With the 4 year-olds they obviously needed more assistance to help work through each situation that was a portrayed in each cartoon. The 7 year-olds needed less help and were more able to freely express their ideas and opinions about different aspects of the subject matter. Part 3: Foundation Stage 2 children aged 4 What the children got right: There is night and day There are 4 seasons, which are caused by the relationship between the Earth and the Sun The Sun is a star and not a planet Misconceptions: The Moon is made of cheese The Sun goes round the Earth The Earth stands still As stated, the 4 year-olds got their ideas about the Moon, the Sun and the Earth from a wide variety of sources. A major problem with developing scientific knowledge is that the children cannot relate to, many of the concepts in the daily lives. Yes they understand there is night because they go to sleep at night it is physically black. They wake up when it is day. However, the Earth spinning on its axis and orbiting around the Sun is something you can tell them but because they cannot go home and find something to relate to they tend to forget this information. If you simply feed them more facts they end up being more confused. Year 2 2 children aged 7 The 7 year-olds are generally more clued up about many of the concepts that were discussed. However, when probed about their level of curiosity about the subject matter they said that they did not really like the subject. Yes they agreed that it was important to understand basic scientific facts but they said they were pre-occupied with other things. They could not easily relate to scientific knowledge in their everyday lives. Misconceptions come from a variety of sources but perhaps a loss of interest in the subject matter was the major cause of this incorrect information. The 7 year-olds were not interested in finding out the correct information. Perhaps the biggest problem with teaching primary science is that the pupils find it extremely difficult to apply scientific knowledge to their everyday lives. There are three key aspects to learning something new: Knowledge i.e. facts e.g. the Earth spins on its axis every 24 hours. Comprehension putting the facts into a context, which the pupils understand there are lots of learning resources, which can be used to achieve comprehension. Application this is when the pupils can apply this new knowledge to some aspect of their daily lives. Application is a major weakness in many of the strategies that are used to teach primary school pupils science. Where schools spend a lot of time relating science to other areas of the curriculum and the childrens everyday environment at home and at the school then the childrens knowledge and understanding of science dramatically increases. Part 4 A Strategy To Improve The Quality of Teaching Primary Science Science at Key Stage 1 Planning For One Childs (Aged 7) Response Section 1 Introduction The activity for this section involved asking Tom to draw and explain a picture showing how these would look to a traveller in space. He was asked the following questions: Is the Earth flat? Is the Sun bigger than the Moon? Does the Sun move? Knowledge / Comprehension / Activities These questions were used to ascertain Toms current level of knowledge and understanding. Tom knew that the Earth is not flat. He knew that the Sun was bigger than the Moon. He was not quite sure whether the Sun moved. This is an area, which requires further investigation. ICT The Paint software package was used to allow Tom to paint the Earth, Moon and Sun. Section 2 Flat or Spherical Children Should Learn: That the Sun, Earth and Moon are approximately spherical That it is sometimes difficult to collect evidence to test scientific ideas and that evidence may be indirect Knowledge / Comprehension Children recognise that the Earth, Sun and Moon are spheres Describe some indirect evidence that the Earth is spherical e.g. ships appearing and disappearing over the horizon Activities Using photographs of the Earth, Sun and Moon taken from space, Tom was asked to confirm whether the aforementioned bodies were flat or spherical. It was explained to Tom that it is only within recent times (i.e. the last 40 years) that we have had access to photographic evidence from space about Earth being spherical. Tom was asked why people at an earlier time thought that the Earth was flat. Some ideas were explored. In the Middle Ages for example, people could travel far and far as they were concerned the Earth was flat. In those days for the vast majority of people their eyesight and their ears were the primary source of information. Science as such did not exist. ICT The Internet was used to look for additional photographs of the Earth taken from space. Section 3 Size and Distance Children Should Learn: About the relative sizes of the Sun, Moon and Earth Knowledge / Comprehension Children select three spheres to represent the Earth, Sun and Moon recognising which is largest and which is smallest and making a reasonable match to relative size Activities The drawings that Tom had made earlier and the images he had made using Paint were used for the next activity. He was presented with a range of spherical objects: tennis ball, ball bearing, table tennis ball etc and was asked to select three of the objects, which he considered represented the relative size of the Earth, Moon and Sun. ICT Instead of asking Tom to select from a range of spherical objects he could have used Paint to produce spherical images of varying sizes to represent the Earth, Moon and Sun. Section 4 The Changing Position Of The Sun What Children Should Learn? That the Sun appears to move across the sky over the course of a day That evidence may be interpreted in more than one way Knowledge / Comprehension Children describe how the apparent position of the Sun changes over the course of a day and clarify that this does not mean that the Sun is moving Activities Tom was asked about where the Sun shines into the school and his home at different times of day. He was asked to consider what happened to his shadow during the course of the day. This activity could be extended to looking at shadows in the playground at different times of the day. ICT Tom was provided with assistance to use the Internet to search for websites, which showed different lengths of shadows. Section 5 The Movement Of The Earth Children Should Learn: That is the Earth that moves, not the Sun, and the Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours That it is daytime in the part of the Earth facing the Sun and night-time in the part of the Earth away from the Sun Knowledge / Comprehension Children illustrate (e.g. using drawings etc) that different parts of the Earth face the Sun during the course of the day and where it is day and night Explain that the movement of the Sun is a result of the Earth rotating or spinning Activities Tom was asked to view a short excerpt from a video, which showed the Earth spinning on its axis. A short discussion ensued about how the content of the video and the concepts that were illustrated. A table lamp and a tennis ball were used to illustrate the concepts of day and night. ICT Websites which demonstrate the aforementioned concepts and which are interactive. Summary Whilst the outlined strategies were effective at helping Tom to increase his knowledge and understanding of the Earth, Moon and Sun it is likely that his retention of this information would be increased by linking these studies to other aspects of the curriculum. For example, green issues, how does the Sun affect Eskimos, people who live in Africa etc. This approach would should to increase the comprehension of the pupils with regard to sections 1 to 5.

An Analysis of Mending Wall Essay -- Mending Wall Essays

An Analysis of Mending Wall    The speaker of Mending Wall allies himself with the insubordinate energies of spring, which yearly destroy the wall separating his property from his neighbor's: "Spring is the mischief in me," he says (CPPP 39). This alliance at first has the effect of setting the speaker against the basic conservatism of his neighbor beyond the hill, who as everybody knows never "goes behind his father's saying": "Good fences make good neighbors." But the association of the speaker with insubordinate natural forces should not be permitted to obscure an important fact, which has been often enough noticed: he, not the neighbor, initiates the yearly spring repair of the wall; moreover, it is again he, not the neighbor, who goes behind hunters who destroy the wall in other seasons and makes repairs. So if the speaker is allied with the vernal mischief of spring and its insubordinations, he is nevertheless also set against them in his efforts to make the stones of the wall balance and remain in place: "S tay where you are until our backs are turned!" he wryly says to the stones. Here, in fact, the speaker is rather like those of Frost's earlier poems "Rose Pogonias" and "October," each of whom, in imagination at least, attempts to arrest the naturally entropic and destructive forces of nature in the hope of achieving a momentary stay against confusion. In "Rose Pogonias," for example, we read: We ... ...rically and thematically balanced †¦. We might also regard "Mending Wall" in light of what Frost says in his 1934 letter to his daughter Lesley about the doctrine of Inner Form. The "neighbor beyond the hill" is all on the side of conformity, the speaker of the poem (at least by his own account) all on the side of formity. Frost himself—and here we should perhaps distinguish him from his speaker—stands at the dialectical intersection of these two opposed terms, for as he says in "The Constant Symbol" about the "discipline[s]" from "within" and from "without": "He who knows not both knows neither." Works Cited Richardson, Mark. The Ordeal of Robert Frost: The Poet and his Poetics (Illinois). 1997

The Marshall Plan Essay -- George C. Marshall The Marshall Plan Essays

The Marshall Plan First and foremost, a great deal of Europe’s success would not have happened without its initial aid from the United States. After helping destroy so much of the continent, the U.S. pumped billions and billions of dollars back into the European economy through The Marshall Plan. It was named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall, who said â€Å"The world of suffering people looks to us for leadership. Their thoughts, however, are not concentrated alone on this problem. They have more immediate and terribly pressing concerns where the mouthful of food will come from, where they will find shelter tonight, and where they will find warmth. Along with the great problem of maintaining the peace we must solve the problem of the pittance of food, of clothing and coal and homes. Neither of these problems can be solved alone. (DeLong)† In the first two post-World War II years the U.S. contributed through this plan, about four billion dollars a year to relief and reconstruction. The Marshall Plan continued these flows at comparable rates and was a multi-year commitment. From 1948 to 1951, the U.S. contributed $13.2 billion to European recovery. $3.2 billion went to the United Kingdom, $2.7 billion to France, $1.5 billion to Italy, and $1.4 billion to the Western-occupied zones of Germany (DeLong). An astounding $15.5 billion had been provided to Europe before the Marshall plan was enacted (Wegs, 66). The availability of Marshall Plan aid gave European countries a pool of resources that could be used to cushion the wealth losses sustained in restructuring. Countries that received large amounts of money from the Marshall Plan invested more. Countries could buy the amounts of coal, cotton and petroleum needed (all of these were in short supply) when needed because of Marshall Plan aid. Great Britain used the Marsh all Plan aid to retire public debt (DeLong). The Marshall Plan did have strings attached however. Countries had to agree to balance government budgets, restore internal financial stability, and stabilize exchange rates at realistic levels. Marshall plan aid was available only if Europe was committed to the "mixed economy" with the market playing a large part in the mix (DeLong). On their own, some countries were able to rebuild or repair slightly damaged factories and warehouses. Contrary to popular belief, factories... ...re slow to get into the automobile production game. They refused to merge with other companies, instead vying to produce many kinds of automobiles, none of which got a great deal of market share. None until the Mini came along, breaking from old traditional large British cars, creating a new craze (Wegs, 77-78). Not all was utopian forever in Europe though. All good things generally come to an end, and in the 1970s, the economy began to flounder. But for nearly twenty years, the western portion of Europe rebounded from nothingness, surged in no time, flourished for many years, became a major player in the economic world once again, and truly rose like a phoenix from the ashes of war. Works Cited DeLong, J. Bradford, The Economic History of the Twentieth Century: Slouching Towards Utopia? (University of California at Berkely and NBER: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/TCEH/Slouch_Present19.html , 1997) . Kindleberger, Charles P., â€Å"The One and Only Marshall Plan,† National Interest, Vol. 11, 113-115. Wegs, J. Robert and Ladrech, Robert, Europe Since 1945: A Concise History, 4th ed. (Boston: St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1996) 3, 12, 45-47, 65-79.

The Trolley Dodgers

In 1890, the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers professionals’ baseball team joined the National League. Over the following years, the Dodgers would have considerable difficulty competing with the other baseball themes in the New York City area. Those teams, principal among them the New York Yankees, were much better financed and generally stocked with players of higher caliber. In 1958, after nearly seven decades of mostly frustration on and off the baseball field, the Dodgers shocked the sports world by moving to Los Angeles. Walter O’Malley, the flamboyant owner of the Dodgers, saw an opportunity to introduce professional baseball to the rapidly growing population of the West Coast. More important, O’Malley saw an opportunity to make his team more profitable. As an in document to the Dodgers, Los Angeles Country purchased a goat farm located in Chavez Ravine, an area two miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and gave the property to O’Malley for the site of his new baseball stadium. Since moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers have been the envy of the baseball world: â€Å"In everything from profit to stadium maintenance†¦the Dodgers are the prototype of how a franchise should be run. †? During the 1980s and 1990s, the Dodgers reigned as the most profitable franchise in baseball with a pretax profit margin approaching 25 percent in many years. In late 1997, Peter O’Malley, Walter O’Malley’s son and the Dodgers principal owner, sold the franchise for $350 million to media mogul Rupert Murdoch. A spokesman for Murdoch complimented the O’Malley family for the longstanding success of the Dodgers organization. â€Å"The O’Malley’s have set a gold standard for franchise ownership†. ? During an interview before he sold the Dodgers, was seemingly a perfect example of one of those experts he had retained in all functional areas: â€Å"I don’t have to be an expert on taxes, split-fingered fastballs, or labor relations with our ushers. That talent is available. †? Edward Campos, a longtime accountant for the Dodgers, was seemingly a perfect example of one of those experts in the organization. Campos accepted an entry-level position with the Dodgers as a young man. By 1986, after almost two decades with the club, he had worked his way up the employment hierarchy to become the operations payroll chief. After taking charge of the Dodgers’ payroll department, Campos designed and implemented a new payroll system, a system that reportedly only he fully understood. In fact, Campos controlled the system so completely that he personally filled out the weekly payroll cards for each of the four hundred employees of the Dodgers. Campos was known not only for his work ethic but also for his loyalty to the club and its owners: â€Å"The Dodgers trusted him, and when he was on vacation, he even came back and did the payroll. †? Unfortunately, the Dodgers’ trust in Campos was misplaced. Over a period of several years, Campos embezzled several hundred thousand dollars from his employer. According to court records, Campos padded the Dodgers’ payroll by adding fictitious employees to various departments in the organizations. In addition, Campos routinely inflated the number of hours worked by several employees and then split the resulting overpayments fifty-fifty with those individuals. The fraudulent scheme came unraveled when appendicitis struck down Campos, forcing the Dodgers’ controller to temporarily assume his responsibilities. While completing the payroll one week, the controller noticed that several employees, including ushers, security guards, and ticket salespeople, were being paid unusually large amounts. In some cases, employees earning $7 an hour received weekly paychecks approaching $2,000. Following a criminal investigation and the filing of charges against Campos and his cohorts, all the individuals involved in the payroll fraud confessed. A stale court sentenced Campos to eight years in prison and required him to make restitution of approximately $132,000 to the Dodgers. Another of the conspirators also received a prison sentence. The remaining individuals involved in the payroll scheme made restitution and were placed on probation. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1. Identify the key audit objectives for a client’s payroll function. Comment on both objectives related to tests of controls and those related to substantive audit procedures. Ans: The key audit objectives for a client’s payroll function are occurrence, completeness, accuracy, pasting and summarization, classification and timing. On the occurrence objective the related test of control could be examining the time cards, personnel files, reviewing organization chart to see if the payroll payments are for exiting work and for existing employee and the substantive test for the occurrence objective is to see if the right amount of payroll is paid to the right employee and were recorded properly. On the completeness objective the test of control could be to see if the existing payroll were recorded and the substantive test is to compare the book and the payroll bank statement and look for the unmatched amount. For the accuracy objective, the test of control is to examine if the right hours and rate are recorded, tax withholding is correct while the substantive test is to test for exact amount by recalculating gross pay and net pay, comparing pay rate with the industry also. For posting and summarization objective, the test of control could be comparing the master files total with general ledgers total and while the substantive test is by footing the payroll journal and tracing postings to the journal ledger and the payroll master file. The test of control for the classification objective is to review charts of accounts while the substantive test is to review the time cards and job ticket. Lastly, for the timing objective, the test of control is to examine procedures and observe if recording is taking place while the substantive test is to compare date on checks. . What internal control weaknesses were evident in the Dodgers’ payroll system? Ans: The internal control weaknesses in the Dodger’s payroll system is that Campos, who is happen to be the operations payroll chief, is the one who designed and also implemented a new payroll system that only him that could fully understand. Also other weaknesses is that there is no independent check a nd performance, there is also no separation of duties, and Dodgers work environment would be a weakness because Campos and others have low work ethic. 3. Identify audit procedures that might have led to the discovery of the fraudulent scheme masterminded by Campos. Ans: Audit procedures that might discover the fraud is by understanding Dodger’s payroll chart because auditors would see if there are no independent check and performance and no separation of duties. Another thing is that to interview employees in the payroll department. Test for nonexistent employee, reconciling the total hours paid in payroll records with that in an independent record of the hours worked and observing employee time in.

Information Systems In Business Organizations Essay

The website of PC Magazine, upon facial expression at its physical makeup, and design, was designed to each(prenominal)ure and provoke consumers all over the world, almost of them, I assume, argon hooked on online shopping, to bribe products featured on their website. The household page of the website appears to be patches of commercial billboards as it is occupied by publicizing ads advertizing their line of products. Some of the wide alteration of products presented in the website includes printers, digital cameras, laptops, mobile phones, softwargon and hardw atomic number 18 products for computers, mp3 players, to flash drives, speakers, projectors, subscriptions for PC magazine as well, and many more. There is excessively a broad range of think that you give the gate visit that depends on your palm of interest.For online window shoppers, thither is a come to for product guides and reviews. Products available in the market, including all brand names, companies and corporations who pay Pcmag.com for ads, and product partners, be reviewed and rated. The reviews argon useful enough, containing the positive and negative feedbacks of each product. The ratings on the another(prenominal) pass by are based on the features, compatibility to other toilet facilitys, design, and the price of the product. There are also software products, for shareware, demo trial, and freeware that the online client can sample and access.As tagline of the Pcmag.com goes, their website is intended for an sovereign individual. To prove their claim, they have provided colligate for how-tos, do-it-yourselfs, tips and guides, and video blogs. For the online data-seeker, there are middlemans for news updates and columns about products in the market, whether these are upgrades, new product launches, additional reviews, comments, and so forthAside from the advertisements plaguing the website, there is also a separate link for online shoppers, which constitute numerous merchandises that are available for purchasing, shopping options, and engineering solutions. Moreover, there are discussion boards for online clients who press to communicate with other online clients about gadget finds, current trends, and other issues about technology and its advances. Overall, the website of PC Magazine spells out the quarrel to sell. There isnt any link in the website which does not feature an advertisement or stimulating signs such as low prices, sales, and discounts for products. For each mouse click, there is always a provocation to purchase gadget items. The website accommodates online shoppers, online window shoppers, and consumers deciding on what products to purchase for their particular needs and why. However, pcmag.com chiefly caters to businesses or corporations that are planning advertisement strategies for the promotion of their products. In as very much(prenominal) as the website would essential to display themselves as a consumer-centered community, it is likely that business corporations are more benefited by them than their consumers.People who are knowledgeable about management and merchandise issues or even rational consumers who are not easily swayed by advertising would know this. Advertising is a rattling powerful and persuasive tool in stimulating consumers to believe what they are move to sell. It does not even contribute much to information technology because it is only come to with the promotions of software and hardware products. Although there are golf links provided for how-tos and such, it still lacks astuteness and beneficial information to sustain the demands of nurture information technology.The extensive amount of information provided in each link would be a subject of interest to you if you are a techie and gadget-dependent or if you want to learn how to operate gadgets that are wide used nowadays. If these are your objectives in tour the sites, then it would be an advantageous and encoura ging thing for you to do. The product guides and reviews would prove to be the most interesting and valuable links for consumers, as it has the most consumer-centered feel to it. In general, the usefulness and value of the website depends upon your needs and concerns.

Autism a Communication and Social Disorder

Autism is a capitulum disorder that is characterized by impaired mixer interaction and delayed communication skills. (Segal, 1996) Children with Autism surface signs of delay in the first deuce age of life. many eons pargonnts witness that their pip-squeak demonstrates repetitive behaviors, or likes to twist objects, line issues up or has an family relationship for sameness. Some electric razorren with Autism waste difficulty with transitions from genius performance to a nonher and argon not able to regulate their senses. The sick of these behaviors varies and that is wherefore Autism is called a spectrum disorder.Many times, baby birdren will promenade virtuoso or several of the symptoms. Children who deliver fewer symptoms ar diagnosed with PDD or permeative Developmental last, while small fryren who turn out numerous of the symptoms ar termed Autistic. on that point is recent inquiry that shows that autism whitethorn be beard by genetics which atomic number 18 related to how the brain develops in early tykehood.In the article, Autism and Brain developing, Nancy Shute covers that few kind of mutations of genes that be important to row development may be the ca mapping of autism in some small fryren. Daniel Geschwind is researching the fact that these genes are sometimes turned on or off depending on the brains experiences. (Shute). in that location is besides a chance that structural wrongfulness will be found, and this damage could be anything from microscopic to the grossly visible, from faults inside face prison cells to faulty development of whole cell agreements. (Frith) The ca procedures of Autism are still being explored, only the more important thing is how population are diagnosed and treated for it. The symptoms of Autism are variable, and normally different in to each one child.Delay of language development, wishing of kind skills and lack of eye contact are a few of the symptoms. Beca utilisation there is a govern in the severity of the symptoms the diagnosing and discourse of autism varies and is an interesting process. The diagnosis of autism is base on a behavioural check list. Beca practice session a diagnosis is a label or shorthand for word, it needs to correspond to the function to the child needs in the contiguous future. (Siegel) The elevates, teachers, developmental pediatrician and sometimes another(prenominal) healers all contribute to the assessment.The CHAT, Checklist of Autism in Toddlers is one direction that pediatricians screen children under 2 years old for Autism. For children 4 years and older, a Social Communication Questionnaire is ofttimes employ. These screenings rely on parent report and the observation of a diagnostic aggroup. wherefore the child will be referred to a developmental pediatrician or a psychologist who is trained in diagnosis of Autism. in that respect are several diagnostic tools, ordinarily developmental checklists, and parent report on with a team of professionals who look at the behavioral symptoms that are characteristic of this disorder.The team of professionals who diagnosis autism typically include the parent, mother tongue therapist, teacher, pediatrician and occupational therapist. The about astray apply diagnostic tool for Autism is the ADOS, (Autism symptomatic Observation Schedule). The North Bay regional Center uses this to diagnose children with autism in this area. There are alike other centers, the listen Institute with is part of the University of Davis medical Center, where they tension only on diagnosis of Autism spectrum disorders. Bryna Siegel is a Psychologist who works at UCSF and has her hold diagnostic clinic.Each case of autism has its own full stop-by-item characteristics ranging between its cause, its diagnosis and the life grand treatment. After being diagnosed, different therapy options are presented PECS, snap therapy and discrete ladder are the thre e more commonly used treatments. What is better for children with Autism is an early diagnosis, and intensive delivery and language therapy which includes the family. Dr. Stanly Greenspan has developed the Floortime approach to service of process families notice to interact with their children. Autism and ASDs invite difficulties in relating forming relationships, communicating, and thinking. (Greenspan) incline therapy also gives parents a chance to learn to fall out non-verbally with their sick child.One of the most utile styles of play therapy is called floor time. In playacting with their child, parents finish benefactor her develop her social skills and also connect with their child with this nonverbal style of communication. The floor time/play therapy that a speech therapist directs is used to harness the childs natural interests. (Greenspan) in doing so they are able to get a hand over of what she finds enjoyable, what motivates her. (Greenspan) and is conside red as the best method for reenforcement the language and social communication development of the child with autism.Speech therapy is one of the most important pieces of the team approach to attend children with Autism develop social and communication skills. The terminus of speech therapy in working with children with autism is to care the child communicate her needs and requires. A special(prenominal) therapy program is individualized for each child. There are as more an(prenominal) programs as there are children. There are a wide range of therapies that facilitate language development in children with Autism. Normally language and play go off one another when both are impaired they are presumable to mutually inhibit the development of the other. (Siegel) go there are other therapies, play therapy is considered one of the most effective ship gital to understand nonverbal communication in autism. Children with Autism good deal benefit from play therapy. The therapy is b ased on the childs own interests. Children with autism do not play with swindles in a functional behavior. One thing that is oftentimes different about the sensational development of autistic children is its repetitiveness. This is also referred to as perseveration.Instead of pulling a guide or handle on a speak and say five or six times, the autistic of PDD child may engage in such an activity for 20 minutes without stopping. (Siegle) Play therapy teaches the child to play with short-changes in ship canal that use tomography and are symbolic. And since imagination is obscured in autistic minds this is very important. Even though it may not be make water in a young child it can be observed in some situations such as a Two year old autistic children (who) play telephone. They pick up the foregatherr and punch the buttons on the toy phone.Then they put the receiver down, slight often will you see the autistic two year yammering, as if lecture to someone. What is really nev er seen in the sequent calls say to grandma, big bird, or the family dog. That fictitious character of elaboration on a toy thing is beyond the slope of imagination of most autistic children instead, the physical actions copied rigorously from what has been observed in the past is playlalia. (Siegle) Play and speech therapy, paired with tantrums is one of the ways that speech therapists and parents encourage language. Often the child with Autism uses a picture to deputise for a desired item this is called PECS.This picture permutation system is important and can be used after observing and acting with the child to determine what toys the child is provoke in. It is used as a standardping lapidate for communication with the outside world. The picture exchange system is a way for children with Autism to communicate exploitation pictures. This is a good way for them to make their needs and fatalitys met. Many children with autism have tantrums or do not want to encourage w ith their teacher or parents.The best way to find out what a child with autism wants is to use this simple system. Since many people on the autism spectrum tend to learn visually, it makes good sense to communicate with images. however as important, images are a cosmopolitan means of communication and they are meet as understandable by strangers or young peers by parents or therapists. (Rudy) When the parent knows what the child wants, they can use the picture of the desired item as a reinforcer to help the child cooperate with the parents directions. Sometimes the parent will suggest the child two pictures as choices. former(a) times the parent can use the picture of an activity that needs to be accomplished and a picture of a desired item.Then the parent can say, first wash hands and because(prenominal) you can have bubbles. The child learns this snatch and is able to communicate, and follow the parents directions. There is a more daedal style of picture exchange system where the speech therapist starts with one item paired with an object. The speech therapist whence asks the child want biscuit, present the child a picture of a cookie and the cookie. When the child understands that the picture represents the cookie then the child is ready to use the pictures for other choices. Later the child is using pictures to help form sentences.There are many ways that speech therapists use pictures to encourage language. Often the speech therapist works with the behaviorist to develop a system that will provide reinforcers for the child. These reinforcers help the child to stay motivated during therapy. The behavioral therapy or Discrete streamlets therapy is often used along with speech therapy.Discrete trial training is conducted using intensive drills of selected materials. A specific behavior is prompted or guided, and children receive reinforcement for proper responses. (What is Discrete Trial Training? This is a program that teaches a child with aut ism specific information in small units which are less distracting for the child. Because children with autism are so distractible or may want to obsess on spinning or other behaviors, the discrete trial helps them to centralize on learning vocabulary, names of animals, maths and pre reading skills. The occupational therapist is also important to the treatment of children with Autism. This therapist often uses sensory integration techniques to help the child with Autism develop self regulation.Many of the children with autism have self stimulatory behaviors with are sometimes their way to regulate, their senses. These self stimulatory behaviors may not be as effective as the specific movement, vestibular, or deep pressure, proprioceptive, or sensory, raise and brushing that the occupational therapist uses. The parents of the child with autism are invited to observe what the therapist recommends, and then they can use many of the recommendations at home to help calm their child. M any children with autism are in the altogether to loud noises, and are sometimes very sensitive to tags in the back of their shirts, or the seams on their socks.The book, The taboo of Sync Child by chirp Stock Kranowitz, has many suggestions for children who are sensitive to noise, light, and touch. The research is clear that the first step is early intervention using a team approach early diagnosis and treatment specific to the individual child is the most helpful thing you can do. Although it takes patience and understanding (with the trial and error) with the numerous treatments available every child can be helped. The diagnosis is the first step, and when treatment is started early, the team approach is the beginning of best treatment for the child.