Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Intrusive Misuse of Colons

Meddling Misuse of Colons Meddling Misuse of Colons Meddling Misuse of Colons By Mark Nichol Authors regularly erroneously present meddling â€Å"colonization† where it isn't really. In every one of the accompanying models, as clarified in the conversation, the colon is pointless. 1. Smith was welcome to give the introduction: â€Å"Global Development and Global Practices.† â€Å"The presentation† and the title of the introduction are appositive-one is comparable to the next, similarly as in â€Å"global-improvement master John Smith,† the person’s depiction and his name are appositive-and no mediating accentuation is important: â€Å"Smith was welcome to give the introduction â€Å"Global Development and Global Practices.† (If the introduction recently was insinuated and is currently being indicated, set the title off from the initial segment of the sentence with a comma: â€Å"Smith was welcome to give the introduction, â€Å"Global Development and Global Practices,† however in any case don't supplant the colon with a comma. Additionally, if the wording is â€Å"Smith was welcome to give an introduction on the subject of . . .,† the portrayal of the subject is only that-a depiction and ought to be lowercase and not encased in quotes. 2. A viable consistence program will include: administration and the executives oversight, arrangements and methodology, preparing, observing, quality control, and autonomous review. When incorporate or incorporates (or â€Å"consist/comprises of† or a comparative word) goes before a rundown, a colon is unnecessary, similarly as it would be between any action word and any single thing or thing phrase related with the action word. This is genuine whether the data is introduced as an in-line list (implying that it is incorporated into the sentence, as here) or it is organized vertically, one thing on a line, regardless of whether with no guarantees or set off with slugs or numbers: â€Å"An powerful consistence program will incorporate administration and the board oversight, arrangements and strategies, preparing, checking, quality control, and autonomous audit.† (A special case is if what goes before the rundown is a free proviso, for example, â€Å"An viable consistence program will incorporate the following.†) 3. The board is secure in the information that it: has thought about every single conceivable situation, comprehends the organization’s breakpoint in case of outrageous situations, and has viable possibility reaction designs set up. The purpose of the past model is genuine whether or not an action word goes before the colon or, on the grounds that every thing in the in-line or vertical rundown starts with an action word, the colon follows a word speaking to another grammatical feature; the way that a sentence is more broad and complex than if it had basically a one-thing list (for instance, â€Å"Management is secure in the information that it has considered all conceivable scenarios†) is superfluous: â€Å"Management is secure in the information that it has thought about every single conceivable situation, comprehends the organization’s breakpoint in case of outrageous situations, and has successful possibility reaction designs in place.† Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities every day! Continue learning! Peruse the Punctuation class, check our mainstream posts, or pick a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?The Writing ProcessWriting a Thank You Note

Saturday, August 22, 2020

This Unintended Pain free essay sample

Kid meets young lady. Young lady quietly argues for a ride home. Kid acts the hero. They discover they live three traffic lights from one another. And afterward they become companions. This is the narrative of a senior and a sophomore. This is the narrative of Him and Me. However, this isnt going where you think it is. Furthermore, the completion is just self-contradicting. That sounds sensational, yet on the other hand, reality once in a while ever is. We were co-editors on the paper. All things considered, I was a proofreader of the paper; he was my editorial manager in-boss, my good example, and afterward my ride home. During those vehicle rides I found that in the event that I am anything, I am an extraordinary audience. There’s nobody better. The mystery: it’s all in the subtleties. I turned into his university associate, somebody with whom to share his fantasies. His concealed want? To get into Harvard, something I think he experienced difficulty conceding from the outset. We will compose a custom exposition test on This Unintended Pain or then again any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page In any case, I said quite a few things. I tuned in. I supported. The greater part of all, I had faith in him. What's more, I trust that implied something. On that supernatural day in December, something stunning occurred. He was acknowledged at the most esteemed school in the United States. This opened up a domain of conceivable outcomes, for the most part for him yet in addition for me. He demonstrated once in a while the inconceivable can be accomplished. I despite everything consider how glad I am for him and that he is so rousing to me. I despite everything overlook the reducing number of days left of this uncommon and far-fetched fellowship. It is simply too simple to ever be visually impaired. Youth ought to be a blessing, however rather it is my revile. I am compelled to remain behind and to watch him leave. I can never compensate for those seventeen months that different us. I see the deriding incongruity that he turned into my companion as a result of school and that he will abandon me for it. He should be an older sibling who could offer me guidance, and simultaneously a companion who I could generally rely on. Be that as it may, he cannot be those things. It was my slip-up, truly. I couldnt choose which I needed more, so I attempted to make him both. Presently I am left with a relationship that can be delegated not one or the other, a relationship that falls some place in the insane spot between, a smidgen of both, yet not sufficiently able to be called either. I dont even know where I remain with him any longer. Truth be told, I never realized what he asked for from this relationship. A companion? A sister? Both? None? It doesn’t matter if there’s a name for this, for us. Whatever it is, it’s an unequal bond. I am all give and almost no take. He never requested another sister, and for that presumption, I am heartbroken. It is a misstep I have paid for truly in light of the fact that I care about him more than he will ever think about me. I am replaceable. There are a thousand other people who can reveal to him he is unique while he has become a revitalizing point for my miserable dreams. He has nearly all that I need, and I can’t simply overlook that. Be that as it may, I am being narrow minded. This isn’t about me. It was never about me. This is about a kid and his fantasy work out as expected. This is about his satisfaction, and I ask that nobody removes that from him. It’s so off-base for me to be pitiful. How might I feel so at the same time cheerful and energized and deserted? This is a once in a blue moon opportunity. This is the place he should be. I am the person who doesn't have a place. The sophomore among seniors. I don’t need to hold up here and watch them go. I don’t merit this unintended torment. It would be simpler not to mind. Be that as it may, it’s past the point of no return for that, past the point of no return for me. He has spared himself with his lack of concern. What's more, I need him to take everything: my help, my consolation, my deference. He merits it. This hurt isn't his shortcoming. I am at fault. I was the gullible one. All things considered, it is simply too simpl e to be in any way visually impaired. The main thing he owes me is farewell. I have to hear the empty logical inconsistency, the not-yet-void words. Since I’m frightened. I’m scared that he won’t need or need me any longer. I’m apprehensive that once he jumps on that plane, he’s gone until the end of time. Also, generally, I’m panicked of reality: I am simply too standard to even think about having left a perpetual imprint on you, my substitute older sibling, my Harvard brilliant kid. Also, presently I am out of time. Excuse me, sibling. I ought to have known. Kid leaves young lady. There is no other way.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Techfair

Techfair Techfair is here! Held right before classes start in the Spring semester, Techfair is a student run career fair that showcases some of the biggest names in technology, student designers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Its a day long ordeal, with the actual career fair running from 10am to 3pm and then the banquet and afterparty following in the upcoming hours. Techfair isnt just any career fair you dress for the job you want, which in most cases involves your favorite t-shirt and jeans, and you leave the paper resumes at home in favor of dropping them online at Umeqo. I went with  my friend and old roommate Anji after tucking in our salmonella and we were immediately greeted at the door by BarBot, a drink mixing machine that can build a custom mixed drink with robotic efficiency and precision. Looks incredibly useful! Right next to Barbot was Dropbox, one of MITs favorite startups. Just ask Tim! I was spotted with my camera and asked what I used to upload my photos. I said Dropbox and immediately realized that was the best answer I couldve given. Next, Anji and I immediately turned our free notebook radar on and fatefully encountered the guys at Codecademy, an amazing site that helps you learn to code interactively for free. We didnt get away with the notebooks without some friendly recruiting (60% engaging material, 40% hand gestures), which Anji and I ended up enjoying thoroughly. Leng (middle) created the Javascript course  that Anji and I love so dearly while Jimmy (left) works on Groups, a great way to connect with other beginning programmers from Missouri to Mexico. We kept walking to find  Fitbit to check out their new gadgets before turning around to check out what companies like Bloomberg and Intuit were up to.. and we made a brief stop at Synaptics  to check out their amazing touchpad technology. This little guy is incredibly sensitive and scuttles around to center himself around your touch. We made sure to take a look at more MIT projects, like Sifteo  (an interactive game system) and FormLabs (desktop 3D printing) before going back to find more student exhibitions. The Solar Electrical Vehicle Team was showing off their latest work across the fair from Charles Hsu, an MIT junior who decided to pick up designing and building his own violins just three years ago. Talk about craftsmanship! Finally before we left, we couldnt help but notice Palantirs dominating presence. :) Techfair is one of my highlights of the spring semester and it was fantastic this year. Its definitely something to look forward to :)

Techfair

Techfair Techfair is here! Held right before classes start in the Spring semester, Techfair is a student run career fair that showcases some of the biggest names in technology, student designers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Its a day long ordeal, with the actual career fair running from 10am to 3pm and then the banquet and afterparty following in the upcoming hours. Techfair isnt just any career fair you dress for the job you want, which in most cases involves your favorite t-shirt and jeans, and you leave the paper resumes at home in favor of dropping them online at Umeqo. I went with  my friend and old roommate Anji after tucking in our salmonella and we were immediately greeted at the door by BarBot, a drink mixing machine that can build a custom mixed drink with robotic efficiency and precision. Looks incredibly useful! Right next to Barbot was Dropbox, one of MITs favorite startups. Just ask Tim! I was spotted with my camera and asked what I used to upload my photos. I said Dropbox and immediately realized that was the best answer I couldve given. Next, Anji and I immediately turned our free notebook radar on and fatefully encountered the guys at Codecademy, an amazing site that helps you learn to code interactively for free. We didnt get away with the notebooks without some friendly recruiting (60% engaging material, 40% hand gestures), which Anji and I ended up enjoying thoroughly. Leng (middle) created the Javascript course  that Anji and I love so dearly while Jimmy (left) works on Groups, a great way to connect with other beginning programmers from Missouri to Mexico. We kept walking to find  Fitbit to check out their new gadgets before turning around to check out what companies like Bloomberg and Intuit were up to.. and we made a brief stop at Synaptics  to check out their amazing touchpad technology. This little guy is incredibly sensitive and scuttles around to center himself around your touch. We made sure to take a look at more MIT projects, like Sifteo  (an interactive game system) and FormLabs (desktop 3D printing) before going back to find more student exhibitions. The Solar Electrical Vehicle Team was showing off their latest work across the fair from Charles Hsu, an MIT junior who decided to pick up designing and building his own violins just three years ago. Talk about craftsmanship! Finally before we left, we couldnt help but notice Palantirs dominating presence. :) Techfair is one of my highlights of the spring semester and it was fantastic this year. Its definitely something to look forward to :)

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Soldier Girls Weaves Together The Tales Of Three Women

Helen Thorpe’s novel Soldier Girls weaves together the tales of three women, Michelle Fischer, Debbie Helton, and Desma Brooks, in the Indiana National Guard who deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Although quite an age difference exists between these three women and each holds opposing political views, they come together to be close friends in the end. These soldiers from the Indiana National Guard – one an eighteen-year-old struggling college student, one a single mom of three, and one a lively forty-one-year-old beauty salon manager – never imagined that they would serve in war. The story demonstrates their life-changing experiences while serving in the military and how that affected their personal lives and family relationships. Besides being united under the same gender, these three women are also connected by their socioeconomic class. Michelle, Debbie, and Desma had no patriotic intention to enlist, but the monetary benefit convinced them to make this life-c hanging decision. Belonging to the lower income working class, these women could not help but think that a couple extra thousand dollars could substantially assist their household. Citizens, especially those from the bottom of the social hierarchy chain, join the service not from a sense of duty but as a job. Michelle, Debbie, and Desma overlooked their fears over the economic incentives. Historically, mostly men served in the military as they possessed the quality to be courageous and warrior-like. But in recentShow MoreRelatedEssay Homers Women: Empowerment from an Unlikely Feminist1959 Words   |  8 Pages Women have always been treated unfairly in society. Even in the modern era, women have just begun to receive their rights, many of which their male counterparts received long before. Women have their unique history and when looking back and learning of the histories behind people, including the background on women, the first place historians look are written works. 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Thursday, May 14, 2020

Holocaust Survivors Essay - 1992 Words

Holocaust Survivors The worlds biggest desolation that caused the murders of millions of Jewish people took place during WWII. The Holocaust orchestrated by the Nazi Empire destroyed millions of lives and created questions about humanity that may never be answered. Many psychological effects caused by the Holocaust forever changed the way the Jewish people view the world and themselves. The Jewish people have been scarred for generations and may never be able to once again associate with the rest of the free world. Further, these scars have now become the looking glass through which the survivors and their children view the world. Through narrow eyes, the survivors relate everything to the experiences they endured during the†¦show more content†¦The ridicule the survivors suffered made them paranoid and unable to place trust in any one. Accordingly, survivors feel that when they accept your help, they show their personal weaknesses and are opening themselves up to be persecuted. They also feel as if tainted by the Holocaust they no longer belong. Likewise, they feel feared and hated by others, hence, they feel distrust in all human relationships and feel everything around them is fraudulent. The fifth and final category is the search for meaning. They are on a mission to find meaning in their lives and punish those who persecuted them. This search for meaning is what created the state of Israel after the war. Hundreds of thousands of people that were lost and had no place to go, no money, no identity, and no one to trust but each other formed a nation where they could be accepted. After being turned away from every other nation time and time again they formed the state of Israel. This was no easy task. The Jewish people had to fight for their promised land and sacrifice a lot to get it. Survivor syndrome is complex and manifests itself in many different ways. Regardless of what syndromes a person shows, he or she is affected in the same ways. They can no longer interact with the rest of the free world as they did before. In addition, they will always remember the persecution as well as the paranoia and feel full of grotesque images from their past. As a result, survivors areShow MoreRelatedThe Survivors Of The Holocaust1552 Words   |  7 PagesElizabeth Feldman –de Jang and Nathan Nothman are both survivors of the Holocaust, but just like every individual survivor, they share different stories. One of the few things that may unite them is the specific fact that they are both Jewish and despite all odds, they managed to survive and share their stories. Elizabeth Feldman- de Jang was born December 19th of 1916 in Amsterdam. Both of her parents were deaf and because of their disability, they were not observant Jews; it was simply too difficultRead MoreEffects Of Holocaust On Holocaust Survivors Essay920 Words   |  4 PagesBernat, Meghan Composition Writing 1, Session 1 Mrs. Rose Nov. 13, 2014 Effects on Holocaust Survivors When people hate, destruction is the result of their hatred. The Holocaust was no exception to this. Hitler’s hatred for the Jewish people resulted in the Holocaust. The survivors of the Holocaust were effected in many ways. There were physical, mental, and emotional effects. Everyone who survived the Holocaust has some physical scar that was attached to them. Many of them were severely malnourishedRead MoreTwo Survivors Of The Holocaust1036 Words   |  5 PagesTwo Survivors of the Holocaust Don’t Worry this is not one of those gross and gory stories about the Holocaust. It is and compare and contrast of two families where some members survived, but some unfortunately did not. 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During the Holocaust, the Germans who were known as the Nazis, considered the Jews to be â€Å"enemy aliens†. As part of this, the Nazis thought that â€Å"Aryans† were a master race. Therefore, they decided to destroy the Jewish race, and created genocide. The Jews were put into unbearable torture at many concentration and death camps. In fact, 6 million Jews were killed in this incident; however, there were many victims who survived this anguish. One of the many survivors was Simon WiesenthalRead MoreElie Wiesel as a Survivor of the Holocaust2000 Words   |  8 Pagesmillion perished in the flames, mass shootings and gas chambers of concentration camps during the Holocaust. This started when the Nazi party established a â€Å"Final Solution† that sought out to eradicate the inferior Jewish race from Germany and the world ( "Holocaust†). A person cannot look at this event and see nothing except for the dark, evil side of human nature. 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As a result of the horrors that Elie Wiesel experienced during the Holocaust, he devoted his life to become meaningful. Wiesel’s decent disposition changes through atrociously inhumane conduct toward Jews during the Holocaust as he becomes a brute to solidify identity, levy fears, and boost morale. Before his arrival in Auschwitz, Wiesel identified himself as a devout Jew training in his studiesRead MoreBurning Hope: Survivors of the Jewish Holocaust1170 Words   |  5 Pagesare here to tell the tragic and devastating history of their lives. The survivors have shared brutal but yet realistic stories from each of their experiences before, during, and after the Holocaust. History shall never repeat itself in the manner of racism, murder, and fear of our leaders. The burning hope of those who were involved still generates an enormous sadness upon the many who have heard the horror of the Holocaust. There was a sense of peace and prosperity among those established in theRead MoreHannah s Background As A Holocaust Survivor Essay2005 Words   |  9 PagesHannah’s background as a Holocaust survivor is important for understanding the experience of the Holocaust. Her story provides unique insight on the Holocaust outside of concentration camps, dispels myths, and captivates the emotional aura of living during the Holocaust. Hannah’s story is one of resistance, danger, and the importance of family. Hannah Berkowitz, formally Hannah Kromasz, was born on October 10th, 1919 in Wlodawa (Lublin), Poland. Hannah was raised in an poor house hold that followed

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Psychodynamic Perspective Of Sigmund Freud - 1276 Words

The psychodynamic perspective stems from the work of Sigmund Freud. Freud distinguishes between the conscious and the unconscious; our conscious mind is where we are aware of our motivations for behaviour and which we can verbalise explicitly, however this perspective believes that this is only a small part of our psychological make-up. The unconscious mind is where our motivations for behaviour are often complex and related in some way to sex, and largely hidden from our conscious mind and this is believed to be the driving force. In addition, this perspective believes in the concept of a tripartite personality’ the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO, as proposed by Freud. The ID is the first part of the personality to develop, and being the†¦show more content†¦Secondly, that childhood experiences have an effect on our behaviour in later life, as they are very important in shaping our adult personality. This perspective emphasises the role of the unconscious mind, the structure of personality and the influence of childhood experiences have on later life. As this perspective was originally developed by Freud, he believed that all behaviour can be explained in the terms of inner conflicts of the mind. For example, in the case study of Little Hans, Freud argued that little Hans’ phobia of horses was caused by a displaced fear of his father. Freud believed that children go through five psychosexual stages of development known as the oral stage, the anal stage, the phallic stage, the latency stage and the genital stage. In the case study of Little Hans, Freud focused mainly on the phallic stage which Hans’ was inevitably in by being between the ages of three to five. This stage is where sexual identification was established. Freud hypothesised that within this stage the child would experience the ‘Oedipus complex’ which concentrates on a child’s desire to have sexual relations with the parent of the opposite sex; being Little Han’s mother. Another case study that was influenced by the psychodynamic perspective was that of Thigpen and Cleckley who conducted research into multiple personality disorder. They noted that Eve’s inner conflicts and early childhood experiences has led to the development of her multiple

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Computer Interface Analysis free essay sample

Introduction I have always been interested in doing some trading on-line, so I selected five on-line stockbroker companies: TD Ameritrade, Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Scottrade, and ShareBuilder. The reason I chose these particular companies is because I have seen and heard the most commercials about them. These websites are geared towards individuals who wish to do their own stock research and trading. All of these companies offer similar services and features such as investment education, live seminars, mobile trading, stock and option trading, checking and debit card, and a variety of margin rates (http://www.stockbrokers.com/compare). Interactivity Financial institutions that offer on-line trading services also provide banking options such as checking and retirement accounts. These companies design websites that allow individuals to sign up for these services and can be considered as e-commerce websites. The main goal of the on-line trading websites is to get an individual to sign up for an account. The website need to be useable for the individual to be able to interact with it (Savafi, n.d.). An individual who is interested in on-line trading and visit the various websites must be able to perform certain functions on the website (e.g. navigate, fill out forms, use tools). The individual will navigate within the website to research what the on-line trading company has to offer and how it compares to other on-line trading companies by clicking on links or hyperlinked icons and using the search function. To open an account, the individual will be taken through a step-by-step process by entering personal information in form fields. Once the account has been created, then there is the process of the individual making trade transactions using the tools that the website has to offer. Site 1: https://us.etrade.com. This website offers interactive options such as the 360 Dashboard and Quick Retirement Planning tool. The 360 Dashboard provides access to and a graphical view of account details. It allows for the on-line trader to get information on the market and execute transactions from the same webpage. There is a favorites feature for ease of access to commonly performed actions. Market data is streamed real-time so that the trader has access to the most current information. The Quick Retirement Planning tool is easy to use. It encompasses four steps to where the person enters income and spending figures. It gathers and compiles the entries and creates an actions plan. At any given point, the trader can make adjustments in any step and the action plan is recalculated automatically. There are two horizontal navigation areas. The top one has little contrast, which is harder to see. Site 2: https://www.scottrade.com. This website is the only one that has a mobile trading link in its horizontal navigation menu on the main page. With more an more people using mobile devices, the location of this link is readily available instead of having to go through other pages. Scottrade labels its trader information area as Knowledge Center instead of Education. This provides a one-stop area for documentation, tools, videos, etc. The trader does not have to go through other links in the main navigation bar. There is only one navigation bar, which is easier to follow and provides the trader with further selection by using hovering drop down menus. Site 3: http://www.sharebuilder.com/sharebuilder/default.aspx. This website offers a simple design and does not have the extra bells and whistles like the other websites. The navigation bars are a bit twitchy. The hover option of the top bar cause the lower navigation bar to change as its submenu so it is easy to lose focus and forget where you are in the navigation bar. The pages are not cluttered and logically arranged so you do not have to weed through information or links that are not relevant. You do lose the main navigation bars when entering the Knowledge Center under the Education area. It also provides a Get Quote option that is available at the bottom of the page that you can show or hide. Site 4: https://www.tdameritrade.com. This website requires a lot of scrolling in its pages, which tends to requires you to spend more time looking for information. The links in the navigation bars do not offer hover or drop-down menus like the other websites. In the education area, it allows you to select your expertise level hence providing a more customized experience. It provides different media to choose from such as video, courses, and webcasts. It uses Application Programming Interface, which provides a more seamless user experience. It does not require you to download interface software and is designed to work with existing software. The Thinkorswim interface offers features that the others do not such as virtual practice training. Site 5: https://www.schwab.com. This website is probably the least user friendly of the websites. The arrangement of information does not flow well because it concentrates on general statements that do not provide a value-added user interaction. Again, it is a hunt and peck environment. This is the only website that does not offer an Education or Knowledge Center link on its main page. The Streetsmart Edge is available in client-based or cloud-based trading platforms, but only works in Internet Explorer. For Mac users, you have to download an emulator for the client-based platform and Citrix if you want to use the cloud-based platform. I have dealt with Citrix and it introduces another piece of technology to go wrong. Cognitive Factors The on-line trading website provides information to the current or prospective on-line trader to allow understanding of how on-line trading works. The information explains common terminology, transaction process, timing, and monitoring. Links to educational videos, tutorials, how-to guides, and help areas provide such information. The information must come at the right time and location. The on-line trading websites provide this, but at different degrees depending on the target audience; novice versus expert. At any rate, the first impression is based upon the on-line trader’s perception of the website’s look and feel. The user will take this into account by observing and experiencing website content such as arrangement, color, sounds (e.g. person’s voice, music), font, moving graphics, manipulation, and response (Rogers, n.d.). Out of all of the websites, E*TRADE caught and kept my attention since it had a bold color palette and simple, but attractive icons that make sense. Green is a symbol of money and purple is a symbol of royalty. With that combination, it is appropriate for an on-line trading website. The font type and size is easy to read. There is enough contrast without being distracting. Important informational links are the focus of the navigation bars. Even though the Charles Schwab website gained my attention, but in a negative way. All I wanted to do was leave the website and I had no desire to stay. The different sizes of boxes and fonts were distracting and I did not know where the hyperlinks were going to take me. When it comes to memory, Scottrade had the edge. It had the most consistent looking pages and the navigation bar never changed. This kept the focus on the body of the page. The Open an Account button was strategically positioned in the same area of each page. Even though the coloring was monochromatic for the most part, at least it did not have colors that distracted from the purpose of each page. I will got back to Charles Schwab as being the least effective when it comes to a design that uses hyperlinked boxes and each page I went to did not keep with the same format or flow as the others. Mental Models The mental models derived from the on-line trading websites will depend on the goals and motivations of the on-line trader. Previous experience, personality, education, and cultural background are major factors, which will influence the on-line trader’s mental model (Stockbee, 2007). On-line trading requires taking varying levels of risk. It is geared for do-it-yourselfers. Because on-line traders do come from all walks of life, mental models will vary. Lawyers will have a different mental model towards on-line trading versus a certified public accountant versus a small business owner. Most on-line traders will have had experience with some sort of banking institution’s website. Like these, there are certain standards features you find (Stock, n.d.). The ShareBuilder website definitely provides a mental model for the beginner. The website and its webpages are not filled with extra information that the beginner may not want or need. Its design is geared towards making the user feel that trading does not have to be a complicated process and can be managed like other financial accounts such as a checking account. The user does not have to have a degree to learn how to invest or trade. TD Ameritrade also has the novice in mind, but uses a tool to tailor the experience. Both websites do not make assumptions and provide the necessary information for what a beginner may expect. Scottrade and Charles Schwab websites are designed for a more experienced user. Users with more familiarity with on-line trading would be better able to navigate the information. The main pages do not focus on new traders since the links do not readily highlight the beginner user experience. Charles Schwab especially uses terminology that may not be recognizable to the beginner and would need further explanation. Universal Design Principle s Universal design is more prevalent in professional websites, specifically on-line trading websites. It keeps the focus of the on-line trader by using consistency of color, font, size, and arrangement. They all had menus bars that stayed in the same location no matter what page you were on. Clean pages and clutter pages existed amongst the on-line trading websites. Color and font type were the same, but arrangement varied. Pleasant colors were used, but contrast was lacking in some. In this case, I noticed most of the on-line trading websites used colors from one end of the spectrum, such as blue, green and purple. Consistency invokes familiarity (Akoumianaki Stephanidi, n.d.). There are universal design principles in all of the websites. Common areas of purpose, education, retirement, tools and platforms, and product information are available in the main navigation bars. The steps to opening an account require the same basic information and have a search function. The retirement tools have similar functions to give a graphical display of where you are at now, where you will be at the time of retirement, and the course of action. Site 1: https://us.etrade.com. Simple and Intuitive Use It was easy to get from one page to another. None of the websites needed internet browser plug-ins. Low Physical Effort The pages anchored the user and allows user to be able to maintain focus on the activities of each page. Size and Space for Approach and Use The display of content was consistent with different browsers. Site 2: https://www.scottrade.com. Equitable Use – It offers a text resize that allows users to adjust the text smaller or larger which displays more or less on a page. Simple and Intuitive Use It was easy to get from one page to another. None of the websites needed internet browser plug-ins Size and Space for Approach and Use – On the main page, it has a view or hide content option, which allows the user to chose how much content is displayed. Site 3: http://www.sharebuilder.com/sharebuilder/default.aspx. Equitable Use – It lacks the accessibility factor of being able to roll over links and getting a pop-up that explains what the link is. This is especially necessary for people who are visually impaired and use tools to have the text read out load. Perceptible Information – It has good use of proximity, which made it easy to separate the content and what goes where. Size and Space for Approach and Use The display of content makes good use of white space by not over-cluttering with unimportant content. Site 4: https://www.tdameritrade.com. Equitable Use – There were bubbles that popped up when hovering over the majority of links. This is conducive to text-to-speech utilities for the visually impaired. Perceptible Information – Boxes normally imply links, but in this case of the main page, it is not. The use of pictorial representations of different races of people implies anyone can do on-line investing. Size and Space for Approach and Use – The main goal of any on-line trading website is to get someone to open an account. These links were not predominant. Site 5: https://www.schwab.com. Equitable Use – It lacks the accessibility factor of being able to roll over links and getting a pop-up that explains what the link is. This is especially necessary for people who are visually impaired and use tools to have the text read out load. Simple and Intuitive Use – It offered rollover drop down menus for filtering. Perceptible Information – It lacked visual hierarchy, so it was hard to tell what content was most important. Size and Space for Approach and Use The display of content was not proportioned and lacked good use of white space. Learnability and Effectiveness The on-line websites provided learnability and effectiveness. The on-line trader gets an idea of what on-line trading entails, how it is accomplished, and what are the end results. Since the page formats have a familiar look and feel, it helps the on-line trader remember where different content is located. The content is arranged so the on-line trader will not get lost in navigation and be able to retrieve help content in relevant areas. The websites did not overly complicate the content. The search and help areas are natural to use and allows on-line traders make educated decisions (Web, n.d.). As with other areas, ShareBuilder is more basic than the others, so there is less content to review and learn. It does not have an excessive amount of terminology where you need to go somewhere else to figure out what it means. It lets you jump right in with the least effort. Its interface is easy to understand and can be used by individuals with any level of expertise. The content arrangement is easily followed. E*TRADE is the most effective website since it has a good balance of content for beginners and experts. On the main page, you can select right away where you want to go in regards to your level of comfort. There is not too much or too little information and the categories are logically placed on the individual pages. The main page contains the essential content for a starting point. Conclusion My initial review of the on-line trading websites is they all provide very similar content, which is easy to navigate and understand. The main differences are color palette, use of menu bars, and arrangement. The content was grouped into main categories such as education, product information, retirement planning, service, tools, and pricing. While E*TRADE provided the best eye candy with a clean look, Charles Schwab presents pages that have various sizes of fonts which distracts from the more important focus of learning what the purpose is and unnecessary content not really needed to open an account or finding out more specific trading details that should be left after the account is created.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Road Safety Essays - Road Safety, Road Transport,

Road Safety ROAD SAFETY It has been statistically shown that during the past five years, the number of fatalities and injuries associated with road accidents are steadily increasing. Fatalities due to road incidents have now reached a grand total of 181 (1999), significantly greater than its total, five years ago, in 1995, which was 105. Since 1995, road deaths have increased by an average of 14 people per year. This type of carnage impedes the positive growth of our country and needs to be stopped. I think the most important factor that needs to be looked at in our goal to sustainable development is social responsibility. That is, drivers need to have a responsible attitude and a level of maturity when given this privilege. The attitude of drivers plays a major role in road safety. Drivers need to be cautious, and sensitive to all the rules and safety regulations of the road. Safe habits need to be adopted and practised constantly. Drivers must take responsibility for their condition at all times. For example, if some external stimuli affects normal bodily activities, such as normal vision or normal reaction time, for example, alcohol or drugs, drivers should not drive. Drivers who feel sick, tired, or upset should also not drive during these periods. If drivers use corrective lenses, these should always be worn. All these are elements of social responsibility. It must be understood by all drivers that driving is the privilege of mature, responsible individuals who need to recognise that things such as these are potentially dangerous, if not taken seriously. Road rules such as speed limits and no parking zones also need to be strictly adhered to by drivers. Due to drivers disobeying these simple rules, they significantly increase the risk of accidents and make it difficult for other drivers in the process. Typical examples of drivers practising very unsafe habits in Trinidad are drivers who cut people off in traffic, because they are in a hurry and drivers who make sudden lane changes or attempt to outrun yellow lights. Drivers however are not the only ones to be blamed. Drivers cannot effectively drive safely in unsafe conditions. For this reason, next in line of importance when addressing safety on roads is general infrastructure of the country. Roads should be properly maintained in order to function safely and efficiently as means of allowing transport to take place. Impediments on roads cause drivers to lose control over their vehicles and force drivers to make illegal moves. If impediments such as potholes, stones, tree branches etc. are present drivers would need to infringe upon traffic flowing in the opposite direction in order to pass. Should these impediments be remedied, roads will be made safer to a significant degree. Maintenance of infrastructure should also include properly functioning lights on roadsides for night drivers and properly maintained street signs and traffic directing arrows. Many accidents are caused due to improperly lighted streets. Drivers are unable to see oncoming vehicles in time and thus collide. Some streets have improperly functioning lights while some street have no lights at all. This is a major safety breach. A great many accidents are similarly caused by vandalised or missing street signs. Drivers who are familiar with signless routes will tend to drive at a confident speed while unsuspecting novice drivers to the same route might turn to go the wrong way on a one way street and this could result in loss of lives. Good infrastructure is a necessity in the area of safe driving. Areas of congestion are also common key locations of road injuries. Congestion tempts drivers to make illegal and dangerous turns, violate road laws and also provides temptations such as overtaking in critical areas, such as intersections, which is definitely harmful and dangerous. Problems such as these can be solved by the introduction of traffic wardens in key locations who will regulate the passage of vehicles and thus ensure a smooth, freely flowing line of traffic which avoids putting temptation before drivers. Another alternative is making aware to the public, other routes which enable drivers to reach the same destination. This will altogether avoid the problem of congestion and reduce harmful road incidents. Sometimes, congestion is caused by avoidable reasons such as too many businesses located

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova Dates: January 31 (February 12 in the new calendar), 1881 - January 23, 1931 Occupation: dancer, Russian ballerinaKnown for: Anna Pavlova is especially remembered for her portrayal of a swan, in The Dying Swan.Also known as: Anna Matveyevna Pavlova or Anna Pavlovna Pavlova Anna Pavlova Biography: Anna Pavlova, born in Russia in 1881, was the daughter of a laundry-woman. Her father may have been a young Jewish soldier and businessman; she took the last name of her mothers later husband who likely adopted her when she was about three years old. When she saw The Sleeping Beauty performed, Anna Pavlova decided to become a dancer, and entered the Imperial Ballet School at ten. She worked very hard there, and on graduation began to perform at the Maryinsky (or Mariinsky) Theatre, debuting on September 19, 1899. In 1907, Anna Pavlova began her first tour, to Moscow, and by 1910 was appearing at the Metropolitan Opera House in America. She settled in England in 1912. When, in 1914, she was traveling through Germany on her way to England when Germany declared war on Russia, her connection to Russia was for all intents broken. For the rest of her life, Anna Pavlova toured the world with her own company and kept a home in London, where her exotic pets were constant company when she was there. Victor Dandrà ©, her manager, was also her companion, and may have been her husband; she herself distracted from clear answers on that. While her contemporary, Isadora Duncan, introduced revolutionary innovations to dance, Anna Pavlova remained largely committed to the classic style. She was known for her daintiness, frailness, lightness and both wittiness and pathos. Her last world tour was in 1928-29 and her last performance in England in 1930. Anna Pavlova appeared in a few silent films: one, The Immortal Swan, she shot in 1924 but it was not shown until after her death it originally toured theaters in 1935-1936 in special showings, then was released more generally in 1956. Anna Pavlova died of pleurisy in the Netherlands in 1931, having refused to have surgery, reportedly declaring, If I cant dance then Id rather be dead. Print Bibliography - Biographies and Dance Histories: Algeranoff. My Years With Pavlova. 1957.Beaumont, Cyril. Anna Pavlova. 1932.Dandrà ©, Victor. Anna Pavlova in Art and Life. 1932.Fonteyn, Margo. Pavlova: Repertoire of a Legend. 1980.Franks, A. H., editor. Pavlova: A Biography. 1956.Kerensky, Oleg. Anna Pavlova. London, 1973.Gaevsky, Vadim. The Russian Ballet - A Russian World: Russian Ballet from Anna Pavlova to Rudolf Nureyev. 1997.Krasovskaya, Vera. Anna Pavlova. 1964.Krasovskaya, Vera. Russian Ballet Theatre at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century vol. 2. 1972.Money, Keith. Anna Pavlova: Her Life and Art. 1982.Lazzarini, John and Roberta. Pavlova. 1980.Magriel, Paul. Pavlova. 1947.Valerian, Svetlov. Anna Pavlova. London, 1930.International Dictionary of Ballet. 1993. Includes an inclusive list of her roles and a more complete bibliography. Print Bibliography - Childrens Books: Anna Pavlova. I Dreamed I Was a Ballerina. Illustrated by Edgar Degas. Ages 4-8.Allman, Barbara. Dance of the Swan: A Story About Anna Pavlova (A Creative Minds Biography). Illustrated by Shelly O. Haas. Ages 4-8.Levine, Ellen. Anna Pavlova: Genius of the Dance. 1995.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Annotated Bibliography Counterterrorism on Terrorist Groups

Counterterrorism on Terrorist Groups - Annotated Bibliography Example Its proper consideration and implementation has been considered crucial for the successful attainment of the desired combat goals and purposes. COG is essentially a joint operation plan that serves to provide moral, physical and technical support to militia, with an inherent capacity that gives them a competitive edge over the opponents. In this concept, the first step is essentially to have the right group of people with the required critical skills and capabilities, then identifying ends and taking strategic positions. The other important facet is to have sufficient resources to support the mission and the most important tenet of the COG concept is execution. Training is one thing and executing is another. There is need for the team to have the inherent ability to perfectly execute the laid out plan for success to be a guarantee. This material is relevant to our topical discussion as it propounds practical military approaches that can be implemented to detect movement patterns of the enemy and counter them before they strike hence relevant. Moreover, it is a unique approach that makes use of intelligence gathering ascribed to opponents in lieu of physical groundwork used in most combat systems. The evident shortcoming from the literature is that the author highly focused on the theoretical concepts and detailed methodological procedures that make the COG concept appear complex and difficult to execute.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Gay Marriages And National Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gay Marriages And National Right - Essay Example In his article of 26th June 2015 in the New York Times, Adam Liptak presents various issues highlighting the positive and negative impacts of the judicial move to legalize gay marriage. Justice Kennedy, argues that the ideas in any marriage, whether gay or not, are the most important values which every individual should be given legal access to. His argument further explains that denying them access to gay marriage also reduces both their self-worth and confidence. On the other hand, Justice John G Robert claims that much as the plaintiffs celebrate their victory, they need to acknowledge that it is not in any way associated with their constitutional rights as citizens but rather a fulfillment of their desire (Liptak 7). Supporting John G. Roberts, Justice Scalia claimed that gay marriage is a self-centered interest of the few. Moreover, he stated that support of gay marriage has been championed through the use of appealing phrases which are baseless. Justice Kennedy’s view is that social change is inevitable and it comes as we gain more knowledge and experience in life. His point is premised on the fact that the proponents of constitutional rights did not have a complete understanding of all human rights and their dimensions and therefore, their proposition much as it is helpful is at times prone to changes. He further argues that the essence of marriage is to raise children. According to Kennedy, this obligation will be hampered if gay marriage is not legalized (Liptak 4).

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Assessment on English for Cambodian Textbook Uses

Assessment on English for Cambodian Textbook Uses The fall of the Pol Pot regime in 1979 contributed to a new step toward introducing new foreign languages-Vietnamese, and Russian, in Cambodian education system. However, at the end of cold war in late 1989, French and English were reintroduced once again at lower secondary school education after a long period of prohibition of teaching the two languages toward the end of Lon Nol regime in 1975 (Igawa, 2008). Although French and English have been taught ever since that time, English has become the first foreign language owing to the fact that there has been a switching allocation of language resources from French to English (Clayton, 2006). Since English becomes more and more influential language in Cambodia, high attention has been drawn to make this language more and more communicable among school girls and boys at basic education level from grade 7 to grade 12. Meanwhile, the main the purpose of Lower Secondary School (LSS) is to have students fully participate in the society and become a productive citizen. In this regard, the objective of teaching foreign language at that level is set to serve basic communicative competence for the students (MoYES, 2004). To serve the above objective, in Lower and Upper Secondary school levels from grade 7 to grade 12, MoEYS employs the book series named English for Cambodia to teach students, which was initially piloted in 1996-1997 academic year (MoEYS, 1999). Before the publication of English for Cambodia (EFC) series, many textbook series such as Headway, English for Today, and streamline, to name but a few, were utilized to teach Cambodian Secondary School students. Shortly after several projects had been conducted to develop an appropriate English textbook for Cambodia, EFC textbook series were published with six levels in which one level is confined for the whole academic year of each grade at both Lower and Upper Secondary schools in Cambodia (Vira, 2002). In grade 7, students are to take the first level of the book named English for Cambodia: Book 1. The book is written in English including the explanatory part in the first section. The textbook content is organized on the grammar basis containing a number of chapters which each is subdivided into 4 or 3 units to explain the target grammar, some drills using the grammar, short dialogues with questions to check for comprehension, and reading texts. From the content, each chapter subsequently orientates students towards communicative goal (MoEYS, 1999). English for Cambodia, book one, was developed in forms of teachers guide and student book in respect to MoEYS Textbook Master Plan (1996) and cooperated with Cambodian research institutions. This textbook was designed on the basis of MoEYS English Syllabus for grade 7 students and accompanied by the teaching methodology developed by teacher trainers during training course for Lower Secondary English trainees. In particular, the main features of teaching methodology in this book is characterized as: enhancing 4 language skill practices namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing; practicing grammatical structure and vocabulary and introducing systematic and appropriate means of communicative language function; various effective teaching and learning technique presented in each unit; and regular interaction between students and teachers (MoEYS, 1999). 1.2 Research Problem Three tables below show that teaching English is started at lower secondary school from grade 7. This means that from grade 1 to grade 6 Cambodian students who solely take primary education at state schools are not familiar with any of Basic English Alphabets. Table1: (Curriculum for grade 1-3) Table2: (Curriculum for grade 4-6) Table3: (Curriculum for grade 7-9) (MoEYS, 2004) On the other hand, from observation on teachers and students, the majority of them seem to be out of their interests in the learning and teaching English due to the fact that content of textbook does not suit well with students language learning ability. As demonstrated in three tables above, teaching foreign language begins in grade 7. However, the textbook that is used for grade 7 students tends to be higher in language introduction than real students language learning abilities are. For instance, in the first chapter of ECF1 textbook, it begins with short dialogue and straight away gets students to introduce themselves to their friends in the classroom (English for Cambodia: Book1, chpt: 1). This significantly drives grade 7 students attention away from learning English at school. Paul Morris suggested that the best criteria for content selection shall respect to learners ability. However, this criterion is not carefully considered (Morris, 1996). Particularly, Cunningsworth (1995) proposed that best criteria for selecting a good textbook is to analyze if the textbook content responds to learners needs and also the objective of language program (Cited in Richards, 2001). In this regard, there comes the question, Does English for Cambodia book 1 fit well with and correspond to grade 7 students needs and their learning abilities? 1.3 Objectives of the Study (Research objectives) To refine the current EFC textbook content, this study aims at evaluating both strengths and weaknesses of the existing textbook and shed light on how to improve the textbook contents by employing some theories of textbook evaluation from previous studies abroad to build up logical frameworks for the research findings. Moreover, this study will compare textbook content used in Cambodian lower secondary school to some other English textbooks used in some other private institutions-whether the textbooks contain the element of communicative language teaching objective set by the Cambodian Ministry of Education. In this regard, the refined qualities of textbook can be developed to help grade 7 students who learn English to improve their language performance in Cambodian high schools. 1.4 Research Questions What are the strengths and weaknesses of EFC 1 textbook perceived by teachers and students in grade 7 English classes? Are there any significant differences of English textbook content used in Cambodian secondary school and those used in private schools? 1.5 Hypotheses Strengths and weaknesses of EFC 1 textbook are perceived by teachers and students in grade 7 English classes. There are significant differences of English textbook contents used in Cambodian secondary school and those used in private schools. 1.6 Significance of the Study This study will contribute to establishing guideline for grade 7 textbook review aiming at enhancing qualities of the existing EFC textbook series. This study will serve as a tool to facilitate grade 7 students with appropriate learning English as second language materials at Cambodian lower secondary school. The result from this study will offer recommendation to curriculum developer to reconsider the current textbook content in the view to making it relevant to the Cambodian grade 7 students and adherent to general objectives of foreign language teaching curriculum set by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports in Cambodia. 1.7 Definition of Key Terms The assessment on EFC1 textbook will be done through examining the internal features and external features of the book. The term internal features refer to physical appearance, layout, pictures, and printing quality, while external features specify the language contents and skill development of the book. 1.8 Proposed Chapter Organization This research study is organized in five chapters. Chapter 1 is introduction dealing with background information of the study, problem statement, research objective, research question, significance of the study, and proposed chapter organization. Chapter 2 is literature review which makes use of many studies oversea to construct a logical framework for textbook evaluation. This review of literature will lead to structural features of textbook evaluation consisting of internal and external features, and draw up some characteristics to achieve the goal of communicative language teaching. Chapter 3 is research methodology which deal with research design, instruments for data collection, setting, data collection procedures, plan for data analysis, ethical considerations, and limitation of the study. Chapter 4, finding and discussion, will present the findings related to the strengths and weaknesses of EFC1 textbook, and pose recommendation for textbook review to make it an appropriate material for grade 7 students in Cambodian lower secondary school. Chapter 5 is conclusion. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Since there are limited previous studies concerning textbook evaluation in Cambodian context, this study will base largely on related studies oversea to draw the theoretical framework to textbook assessment. And the review of literature begins with the description of general features of textbook evaluation, and is followed by textbook content evaluation for communicative purposes, related study in EFC textbook evaluation, and finally conclusion. 2.1 General Feature of Textbook Design Evaluation Textbooks are teaching materials generally used in many teaching programs. In order to measure the strengths and weaknesses of any textbooks used in Second Language Teaching program many criteria have been set to carry out the framework of evaluation. In 1982, David William in his position as Senior Lecturer and the head of Language Art Section at Ahmadu Bello Unversity of Nigeria proposed the evaluative scheme through his work: Developing Criteria for Textbook Evaluation. His evaluative scheme is based on four criteria namely linguistic, pedagogical, general, and technical principles. These principles provide up-to-date teaching methodology to teachers, especially those whose native languages are not English, to benefit from appropriate guidelines introduced by a particularly chosen textbook. Moreover, the needs of second language learners shall be carefully considered especially when pupils in the same class have many different backgrounds of English capacity. Whats more, introduci ng vocabulary and grammar shall be conducted in respect to students socio-cultural norms so as to relate students native language with the introduced target language. As the result of these principles, David William suggested a checklist in which ESL textbook should be included such as guideline for teaching language items and skills, supplementary materials for pronunciation, provision of variable techniques for teaching grammar and vocabulary, guideline for teaching reading comprehension and writing, and technical aspects of language presentation textbook should have such as appropriate pictures, diagrams, table (William, 1983) Cunningworth (1995), on the other hand, proposed four criteria for textbook evaluation. First, textbook should correspond to the need of learners and fit well with the aims and objectives of the programs. Secondly, textbook shall shape students learning purposes for effective language learning outcome. Thirdly, they should facilitate students with learning process, hence increasing a good flow of learning-teaching activities. Fourth, textbooks should serve as a supporting tool to accommodate students learning and target language. In addition, Cunningsworth also recommended a checklist for textbook evaluation which bases on 9 categories: aims and approaches, design and organization, language content, skills, topic, methodology, teachers guide, and practical consideration (Cited in Richards, 2001). Another systematic evaluation proposed by Byrd (2000) also recommended practical textbook analysis before putting it into use for English class. He addressed the three fits that can be the keys to assessing an effective textbook use in general: the Fit between curriculum and text, the Fit between students and text, and the Fit between teacher and text. The first fit analyzed the consistency between curriculum set and materials used in order to reach the commonly achievable goals. The second fit served as a link between students needs and textbook. For this purpose, textbook should combine three key elements including content explanation, examples, and exercise or tasks. The three keys should be of students interest and use, of appropriateness to target students to be explained, and of help in explaining to them about what they need to know in order to learn. More, different kinds of students should get benefit from varied activities the book presents in order to meet their own needs. And of course, to enhance the three key elements textbook should employ physical make up including graphics, arts, print size, as well as attractive illustration. Last but not least, the third fit provides benefit to teachers in which he/she can make use the teaching textbook to help them solve problem related to teaching language within their classrooms. From the textbook teachers should be equipped with guidelines, extra materials, activities, and methods to extend their language teaching in their assigned classroom (cited in Celce-Murcia, 2001). Although no textbook is perfect in language teaching class, there are universal characteristics of textbook that can be used as format for textbook reviews. In a journal article by Hansan Asary and Esmat (2002), they drew up universal features of textbook analysis by selecting 10 ESL/EFL textbook evaluation schemes and 10 ESL/EFL reviews as collections to develop their study. From their analysis, the authors come up with universal characteristics of EFL/ESL textbooks which are outlined as: 1) approach which is related to theory of nature of language and learning; 2) content presentation referring to purpose and objective as well as sequences of presentation and consideration on students part as well as teaching syllabus; 3) physical make-up which refers to the appropriate layout, pictures, and publishing quality; and 4) administrative concern which involves cultural and social aspects of the texts (Ansary Babii, 2002). To assess the quality of textbook of grade 6 English Language class in Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Ali M. Alamri (2008) conducted one research study to evaluate the newly published textbook, named Sixth Grade English Language, which was used in Saudi Boys Schools. The selected criteria to evaluate the textbook in question was similar to what have been mentioned in the above theories of textbook evaluation including the general appearance, design and illustration, accompanying materials, objectives, topic appropriateness, learning components, socio-cultural contexts, skills development, teachability, flexibility, teaching methods, and practice and testing. The result from this study showed that Sixth Grade English Language Text really satisfied all 104 participants, but there were some comments suggested by the author in order to improve quality of textbook include adding appropriate glossary to facilitate teachers and learners, incorporating attractive illustration to encourage more cr eativity, encouraging more critical thinking through interesting topics, introducing more authentic themes to get students more active in class, including life-like interaction to encourage more flexibility of language practices, and finally providing more effective teaching methods that make students more communicative in class (Abdulrhman, 2008). 2.2 Textbook Content for Communicative Goals In general principle, Communicative Language Teaching consists of two key components. The first component is based on the idea that language is not solely pieces of grammars, but is involved with language functions. Therefore, students should learn how to use language appropriately in a context of (formal, informal, tentative, technical) writing and speaking. Second component stems from the idea that learning language can take place only if students have adequate chance to expose to language use (Compiled by Rath Hok, 2002). In this regard, textbook shall integrate skill development, language function, and appropriate topic for authentic language use (Cunningsworth, 1995; Sharma, 2005; Madhi, 2006; Abdulranhman, 2008) To assess if textbooks serve as communicative language teaching tools in junior high school of Japan, one research study conducted in Japan by Bal Krishna Sharma (2005) attempted to analyze textbooks series used in Japanese junior high school on two broad criteria: physical feature and internal feature. From internal feature, Bal Krishna Sharma posted criticism on textbook design for Japanese junior high school that the textbook emphasized more on grammar, hence lacking of communication skills, various tasks and activities (Sharma, 2005). Similarly, in order for the textbook content become more communicative in lower secondary school, textbook content shall emphasize more on communicative role of language rather than more on structural methods. In a research report conducted in 2006 by Mahdi Dahmardeh in an effort to expand the constructive change in communicative textbook design in Iranian Lower Secondary school and to carter for teachers and students needs and expectation, he analyzed the current textbook use in Iran by categorizing it into 7 aspects: teaching vocabulary, reading comprehension, speaking out and write it down, language function, pronunciation practice, teaching listening and writing, and teaching culture. From these categories the author found that Iranian textbook design for lower secondary school cannot meet learners and teachers needs owing to the fact that the textbook still emphasized more on structural methods and ignored communicative roles of language (Madhi, 2006). Social cultural aspect of language also plays important role in extending the authentic language function. In Cunningsworth checklist of textbook evaluation, topic selection for textbook design shall be various to expand students awareness and experiences, meet the students language level, and represent the socio-cultural context which related to students way of life (cited in Richards, 2001). Moreover, Abdulranhman (2008) also stressed the importance of socio-cultural aspect which is familiar by students. Students are likely to instill positive attitude with the language they learn. In this case the term lingua franca starts to take its effect in teaching language, which means that language is adopted widely to make its communicable among the speakers whose native languages are different from each other. It is, therefore, concluded that foreign language taught in a particular country shall insure its variety to make it learnable and teachable. 2.3 EFC textbook evaluation in Cambodian Secondary School Though there have not been many studies concerning Cambodian textbook evaluation, Neau Vira (2002) conducted his study on English Language Teaching in Cambodian Secondary school in his effort to seek significant domain in renovating successful teaching profession. However, one section of his study covered EFC textbook evaluation which he sought the answer to the quality of EFC textbook through questionnaire, and in-person interview. 39 participants were selected to express their judgments on the currently used textbook quality. Surprisingly, all the respondents expressed their satisfaction on the EFC textbook because this textbook series was interesting, appropriate to students levels, relevant to Cambodian daily lives, and various in activities for students to practice in their class (Vira, 2002). 2.4 Theoretical Framework From frameworks found in the above articles, it can be concluded that two broad criteria should be categorized to measure the strengths and weaknesses of EFC textbooks: external features and internal features. External features refer specifically to physical make-up of textbook including font size, layout, quality of printing, weight and size, and illustration. On the other hand, internal features take underlying teaching approach and language content into consideration. The latter features examine the language skills, presentation of grammar and vocabulary, language function, teachable language activities, teaching methods and objectives, and topic appropriateness. Moreover, the previous finding concerning EFC Textbook evaluation cannot cover broad array of textbook evaluation criteria mentioned above. Therefore, further study need to be analyzed to assure more valid result. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design To discover general perceptions of teachers and students on the strengths and weaknesses of EFC textbook, as well as comparing EFC textbook content with those of textbooks used in private language school, this study will use quantitative method. Since the purpose of this study intends to assess the perception of students and teachers on strengths and weaknesses of textbook contents in question, this type of research is classified as survey research (Gay, Geoffrey, Peter, 2009). In this regard, a number of teachers and students will be allowed to voice their personal judgment on the targeted areas of textbook qualities the study focuses on. 3.2 Research Instrument This research study will employ checklists of textbook evaluation from previous studies. These checklists are incorporated into a single questionnaire which categorized into 2 major areas of textbook evaluation: internal and external qualities. In external quality evaluation, 7 items of statements will be included to measure overall appearance of textbook design such as quality of cover page, pictures, table of contents, layout, and printing. Anyway, to assess external quality, 20 items of statements under the internal quality are used to get general perceptions of teachers and students on textbooks aims and objectives, content organization, language content, skills, topics, and teaching methodology. All items in questionnaire are organized in Likert-like scale in which all participants are to respond to a number of statements on scale values ranking from: 1) strongly agree, 2) disagree, 3) agree, and 4) strongly agree. In addition, to ensure clear content of questions and to be easily answerable by participants, questionnaire needs to be translated into Khmer to suit grade 7 students learning competence, while teacher can answer the questionnaire with their own choice in Khmer or in English version. Moreover, pilot testing needs to be carried out one month before the real survey begins to guarantee the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. From this pilot testing, it can help improve questionnaire contents and its prospective score results. 3.3 Population and Sample Site of this study is small, which cover only on the target area of Phnom Penh where a number of both state and private schools are located. Questionnaire will be used as a survey to get personal judgment from target population of 60 Grade 7 students and 40 teachers of English who teach them in 10 different secondary schools. Other 20 teachers from 5 different private language schools will be also invited to answer the questions related to the features of beginner textbook content used in their institutions. The sampling design for this population follows clustering procedure in which 60 students and 40 teachers will be randomly selected from 10 secondary schools where EFC1 textbooks are used in Phnom Penh, and 5 private language schools where their particularly chosen textbooks are used. First among each 10 secondary schools, all number of grade 7 classes are selected. Then only 2 or 3 classes will be selected for the questionnaire participation. Teachers who teach in those classes are asked for answering the questionnaires. Meanwhile, around 6 to 10 students of those teachers classes are also selected to answer the questionnaires. For private language schools, all number of beginner classes are selected. Then only 1 or 2 teachers who teach beginner classes are requested for their participation. 3.4 Description of Variables Derived from the Research Tools EFC textbook content is judged through the teachers and students perception with questionnaires. The participants involved will rate a series of statements in scale value ranking from number one (the most disagree) to number four (the most agree). To seek the answer to the first question of this research, students and teachers perception on strengths and weakness of textbook contents are assessed with each statement in the questionnaire. Item 1 to 7 under external quality section are used to evaluate the overall textbook appearances, while item 1 to 20 under internal quality section are used to evaluate textbook content organization, language content, skills, topics, and teaching methodology. To find the differences of textbook contents employed by some private schools and those used in Cambodian secondary school, the answers from questionnaires that will have been given by all participants are compared and contrasted to discover commonalities and differences of all textbook contents being assessed. Therefore, from the survey, if higher percentage of participants rate on the higher scale of each statement, this will tell that textbook contents being assessed have their strengths. In contrast, if higher percentage of participants rate on the lower scale, it will interpret that textbook contents have their weaknesses. 3.5 Data Collection Procedure In order to have access to the target population, permission need to be sought from school principles for a number of available grade 7 teachers and students at each school. After having accessibility to the school, all grade 7 classes will be selected. But we need to limit the number of students to get involved in answering the questionnaires. This means that only roughly 2 to 3 students that represent the whole class will be chosen to answer the questions. Meanwhile, to assess the qualities of textbook used in private language schools, permission is also sought for one beginner teacher from several private schools. This means that 5 different textbooks from 5 different private schools will be assessed. Additionally, the detail explanation needs to be made at the target areas just in case the participants have any misunderstanding over the questions. We will keep doing with this procedure until 25 target participants can be assessed. 3.6 Plan for Data Analysis Data analysis is conducted in the follow steps: First step: collect all answers from the participants involved in answering the distributed questionnaires. Second step: analyze respondents answers if their answer is bias or non-bias on the ground of textbook contents. Third step: prepare for data entry Fourth step: the data will be analyzed using SPSS to see the percentage of respondents who agree or disagree on the EFC 1 textbook design quality. Fifth step: present the result and discussion. 3.7 Ethical Consideration All participants will be informed in advance that schools, teachers, and students names will not be revealed to ensure validity and reliability of their answers. Before conducting the survey, the participants need to be ascertained that their answers do not harmfully affects their current teaching careers, their school reputations, or students learning process. The participants should be clearly informed that their answers will be kept confidential and will not be used for other purposes. All data collected will be used for the purpose of this research finding only. Moreover, their contribution of answers will be worthwhile to the development of effective teaching materials for beginner language learners. 3.8 Limitation This study will target at the population in Phnom Penh where all selected private language schools and public high school are located. With time and financial limit this research can not reach the target population in the rural area, hence having difficulty getting the answer that represent the whole country demand for EFC 1 textbook evaluation as needed.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

America and Size :: History Sociology Essays

America and Size Somewhere between the struggle for American independence and the first billion sales of the Big Mac, Americans became obsessed with size. From movies to sexuality, and from cars to cholesterol, super-sizing is an American trend that invades most of society. The reasons why are threefold, but primarily the American obsession with size is an extension of the frontier-mentality. The notion of the "American dream" and the tendency of Americans to try and find the best deal has also played an integral role. One of the most interesting aspects of Bigger is Better trend is the lack of academic work related to it; while there is no shortage of analysis on other common American fixations like aliens and Madonna. A lack of academic analysis does not mean that it cannot be analyzed, and it certainly doesn't mean that it isn't prevalent. One of the most obvious examples of a preoccupation with size in America comes from the Centers for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic. According their records, there were about 678 million outpatient, non-emergency visits to doctor's offices in 1999, and approximately 2 million of those were consultations for cosmetic surgery, the most popular of which was breast augmentation. Of the 158 million outpatient procedures, at least 2 million were cosmetic breast augmentation. When this data is cross-referenced with health insurance coverage of cosmetic surgery (which is almost non-existent), it becomes apparent that the number of outpatient visits and surgeries would be higher if they were covered by medical insurance (Outpatient Surgery Statistical Abstract 11, 15, 16, 72). The convention of breast augmentation is a directly and explicitly observable tribute to the American mentality of bigger-is-better. Another manifestation involving physical appearance involves fingernail fashions. Vicki Vantoch of the Washington Post wrote "Fingernail Fashion Choices" on December 28th, 1999. She compares many of the fingernail fashions she encountered to chopsticks, and marveled at how one of the subjects, a Rite Aid cashier, managed counting money and bagging with "2 inch talons." She concluded, "we make fingernail fashion choices based on our cultural aesthetics, values, social classes and ideas about our roles in society." (Vantoch C04). Perhaps the value she refers to is the same one that won MorePenis.com (a site devoted to products that claim to increase penis-size) millions of unique hits since it's 1999 inception (Marquee West). Just like the early Americans who explored the vast untamed wilderness of the west, modern Americans have given a whole new meaning to the Monroe Doctrine by expanding their own borders with larger breasts, longer fingernails and bigger penises.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

The Engineer and His Education

The Engineer and His Education â€Å"The term civil engineering describes engineering work performed by civilians for non-military purposes. In general it describes the profession of designing and executing structural works for the general public and the communal environment. Civil engineering covers different areas of engineering, including the design and construction of large buildings, roads, bridges, canals, railway lines, airports, water-supply systems, dams, irrigation, harbour, docks, aqueducts, and tunnels. â€Å"The civil engineer needs a thorough knowledge of surveying, of the properties and mechanics of construction materials, of the mechanics of structures and soils, and of hydraulics and fluid mechanics. Today civil engineering includes the production and distribution of energy, the development of aircrafts and airports, the construction of chemical process plants and nuclear power stations, and water desalination. Brieger, N. & Pohl, A. Technical English Vocabulary an d Grammar. Oxford: Summertown, 2002. p. 44 Civil engineering’s scope is so broad and given with the definition above denotes a wide variety of functions of a civil engineer. The functions of an engineer are to design, to construct, to advise, to operate, to investigate, and to supervise. It is his responsibility to make a plan a reality.An engineer must develop ideas that will produce an effective design; he must know and implement right construction methods and manners; he must advise his employer as to the feasibility of the proposed project, the cost which will be entailed, and the results which will be accomplished; he must investigate conditions and provide solutions to meet the needs in case problems are observed; he must supervise and make sure that the work is done according to the plan; and he must see to it that the works which have been created from his plan and under his supervision will properly perform its intended purpose.In order for an engineer to perform suc h functions, it is important for him to have skills in critical thinking, complex problem solving, operation analysis, and judgment and decision making. He must use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; he must identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions; he must be able to analyze needs and product requirements to create a design; and he should consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.Thus, a civil engineer ought to have knowledge in mathematics to solve mathematical problems; knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology and this includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and service; knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precisio n technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models; knowledge of building and construction specifically of the materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads; and the last but the least is the knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. It is a common notion that engineers do not need so much of English language but it should also be considered that success in engineering depends as much upon the ability to present an idea convincingly as it does upon the ability to perform calculations or experiments.You may perform the most miraculous experiment in the laboratory, yet you have not contributed anything to the advancement of knowledge until you have shared your results to others. It is by means of speech and writing that the discoveries made in the laboratories are made useful. Engineering w ork is not finished until the results are clearly recorded and presented to others. The everyday use of English by the engineers is to write technical reports on his work for presentation to other engineers or to the management. These reports must present the results of his investigation in an accurate and orderly manner to those immediately interested in the work, and also to acquaint executives with the progress being made on the subject. In a larger ense, the engineer has an opportunity to use English in furthering the general understanding of the economic forces at work in our civilization. It is the job of the engineer, who has the technical background, to interpret the technical facts upon which modern civilization is based into language which everyone can understand. The engineer who learns to master English and use it in these two important ways will do most to advance his chosen profession. He will be able to present his own investigations to his fellow engineers. More impo rtant still, he will be able to gain the understanding of our people who are interested in technical subjects, yet need them explained in simple language.The civil engineer has the challenge to satisfy the vital needs of the society as a global player who is able to design, build, manage and maintain complex infrastructure projects with a global approach, taking into account socio-economical and environmental interactions. He is a generalist with high competences in various fields such as structures, hydraulic schemes and energy, geotechnics and tunnelling, transportation infrastructures and systems, language and management, legal and economical aspects as well as environmental issues. Civil engineers work in multidisciplinary and very often multicultural teams. They are challenged to create the necessary infrastructures for the prosperity of the economy, hence guaranteeing the whole population an adequate standard of life. The Engineer and His Education The Engineer and His Education â€Å"The term civil engineering describes engineering work performed by civilians for non-military purposes. In general it describes the profession of designing and executing structural works for the general public and the communal environment. Civil engineering covers different areas of engineering, including the design and construction of large buildings, roads, bridges, canals, railway lines, airports, water-supply systems, dams, irrigation, harbour, docks, aqueducts, and tunnels. â€Å"The civil engineer needs a thorough knowledge of surveying, of the properties and mechanics of construction materials, of the mechanics of structures and soils, and of hydraulics and fluid mechanics. Today civil engineering includes the production and distribution of energy, the development of aircrafts and airports, the construction of chemical process plants and nuclear power stations, and water desalination. Brieger, N. & Pohl, A. Technical English Vocabulary an d Grammar. Oxford: Summertown, 2002. p. 44 Civil engineering’s scope is so broad and given with the definition above denotes a wide variety of functions of a civil engineer. The functions of an engineer are to design, to construct, to advise, to operate, to investigate, and to supervise. It is his responsibility to make a plan a reality.An engineer must develop ideas that will produce an effective design; he must know and implement right construction methods and manners; he must advise his employer as to the feasibility of the proposed project, the cost which will be entailed, and the results which will be accomplished; he must investigate conditions and provide solutions to meet the needs in case problems are observed; he must supervise and make sure that the work is done according to the plan; and he must see to it that the works which have been created from his plan and under his supervision will properly perform its intended purpose.In order for an engineer to perform suc h functions, it is important for him to have skills in critical thinking, complex problem solving, operation analysis, and judgment and decision making. He must use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; he must identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions; he must be able to analyze needs and product requirements to create a design; and he should consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.Thus, a civil engineer ought to have knowledge in mathematics to solve mathematical problems; knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology and this includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and service; knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precisio n technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models; knowledge of building and construction specifically of the materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads; and the last but the least is the knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. It is a common notion that engineers do not need so much of English language but it should also be considered that success in engineering depends as much upon the ability to present an idea convincingly as it does upon the ability to perform calculations or experiments.You may perform the most miraculous experiment in the laboratory, yet you have not contributed anything to the advancement of knowledge until you have shared your results to others. It is by means of speech and writing that the discoveries made in the laboratories are made useful. Engineering w ork is not finished until the results are clearly recorded and presented to others. The everyday use of English by the engineers is to write technical reports on his work for presentation to other engineers or to the management. These reports must present the results of his investigation in an accurate and orderly manner to those immediately interested in the work, and also to acquaint executives with the progress being made on the subject. In a larger ense, the engineer has an opportunity to use English in furthering the general understanding of the economic forces at work in our civilization. It is the job of the engineer, who has the technical background, to interpret the technical facts upon which modern civilization is based into language which everyone can understand. The engineer who learns to master English and use it in these two important ways will do most to advance his chosen profession. He will be able to present his own investigations to his fellow engineers. More impo rtant still, he will be able to gain the understanding of our people who are interested in technical subjects, yet need them explained in simple language.The civil engineer has the challenge to satisfy the vital needs of the society as a global player who is able to design, build, manage and maintain complex infrastructure projects with a global approach, taking into account socio-economical and environmental interactions. He is a generalist with high competences in various fields such as structures, hydraulic schemes and energy, geotechnics and tunnelling, transportation infrastructures and systems, language and management, legal and economical aspects as well as environmental issues. Civil engineers work in multidisciplinary and very often multicultural teams. They are challenged to create the necessary infrastructures for the prosperity of the economy, hence guaranteeing the whole population an adequate standard of life.