Eastern religion Essay

Transcendentalism denotes an abstract thought composed of several layers of meaning. The Oxford Companion to Philosophy states, â€Å"Transcendentalism is belief in the existence of things that transcend sense-experience, or more reflectively, belief in the possibility of transcendent metaphysics† (pp-878).   In the religious sense, it can be defined as the quest for reality through spiritual intuition and/or those qualities unique to the creator of all natural things (God). There are many transcendental traits of available in the Upanishads, the Vedas, the Gita and remarkable contribution of great persons like Maharishi ji, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.   Lord Krishna reveals transcendental knowledge in Bhagwat Gita as under. Transcendental knowledge – the spiritual knowledge of the soul, of God, and of their relationship is both purifying and liberating. Such knowledge is the fruit of selfless devotional action (karma-yoga) (Bhagawat Gita, chapter 13 to 15). 1) Lord Chaitanya instructed the mass of people in the Sankhya philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which maintains that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously one with and different from His creation. Lord Chaitanya taught this philosophy through the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. He taught that the holy name of the Lord is the sound incarnation of the Lord and that since he Lord is the absolute whole, there is no difference between His holy name and His transcendental form. Thus by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can directly associate with the Supreme Lord by sound vibration. As one practices this sound vibration, he passes through three stages of development: the offensive stage, the clearing stage and the transcendental stage. In the offensive stage one may desire all kinds of material happiness, but in the second stage one becomes clear of all material contamination. When one is situated on the transcendental stage, he attains the most coveted position – the stage of loving God. Lord Chaitanya taught that this is the highest stage of perfection for human beings. 2) Maharishiji contributed a great Transdental meditation tequenique. The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is a simple, natural, effortless procedure whereby the mind easily and naturally arrives at the source of thought, the settled state of the mind — Transcendental Consciousness — pure consciousness, self-referral consciousness, which is the source of all creative processes. Transcendental meditation technique, the individual’s awareness settles down and experiences a unique state of restful alertness. As the body becomes deeply relaxed, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, Transcendental Consciousness, where consciousness is open to itself. This is the self-referral state of consciousness. The experience of Transcendental Consciousness develops the individual’s latent creative potential while dissolving accumulated stress and fatigue through the deep rest gained during the practice. Reference: Bhagawat Gita; Chapter 13 – 15 Gyan; Maharishi Sanwatsar-51; 2006

Anything

What are the key event, trends and turning points which you think will be occurring over the next 5 years? Ampang Jaya Municipal council has a very bright vision which Is to make the Ampang Jaya Municipality prosperous and harmonious by 2015. The vision was created suitable as the function of MPAJ itself which is to serve the community within the Ampang Jaya area.In order to realize and achieve the vision, Ampang jaya Municipal Council were very struggling to adapt with and move along with the advancement of technology to ensure a very strategic town planning an be well use. Besides that, Ampang Jaya Municipal council also develops Its creativity and innovative sense so that it will contribute towards the achievement of world class organization that may facilitate the customers demand especially the residents in the Ampang Jaya area.Proudly, Ampang Jaya Munucipal Council shows lot of their effort by combining their strength as a prestigious organization with the vision stated as a dr ive to make sure Ampang Jaya Municipal Council will move forwards and Improve its accountability integrity and transparency towards a strategic town planning in the next five years ahead. SWOT ANALYSIS OF MPAJ Swot analysis Is an analytical method which is used to Identify and categorise significant internal strength and weaknesses and external sucha s opportunities and threats factors faced either in a particular arena, such as an organisation.It provides Information that Is helpful In matching the firms' resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates and is therefore an important contribution to the strategic planning process. It Is used as a dynamic part of the management and business development process. Strength of MPAJ Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Is an organization that provides services to the esident along Ampnag Jaya area. The organization plays crucial roles to ensure that all the resident living well with all the Important Infrastructure and transportation available.Firstly, the strength of Ampang Jay Municipal Council is it focuses on the environment. It means that, the organization was fully taken responsible to ensure that the environments within Ampang Jaya area are well organized and preserved. MPAJ had launch campaign to create awareness with the Involvement of public in gotong-royong every month and the Planning unit department adopt systemauc approach in designing a landscape in Ampang Jaya.No one shall diminish the environment of the area, As example, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council are held responsible to ensure there is company that will loaded up the garbage throw by the residents so that the area will be clean. This Is parallel with the maln function of MpaJ which is to serve the publics and manage the Ampang Jaya territories. Next is, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Provide variety of facilities and services and act as an 1 OF3 enTorcement Doay wltnln tne area.I ne scope ana responsl I t D II les 0T tne pr ovide a good surroundings and environment to the the Ampang Jaya residents. Through all the budgets given by the government, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council shall play it roles as good as they should be. MPAJ enhance their role by providing and build various infrastructures, services and e-services. As example, MPAJ are held the accountability to facilitate the area with a well organize hospital facilities, transportations, food court, mosque and public bath and many more.This is regards as MPAJ strength because of their role to facilitate the area are goes well acting up as the enforcement body that will be respected by many publics. As example, MPAJ may rite a compound letter to the premises of food courts if the premises were not following the exact procedures in opening the premises such as cleanliness. Weaknesses of MPAJ Along with much strength that exists within the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council, the organization also has it weaknesses. First, the weaknesses of the MPAJ is , th e staff of the organization were lack of quality measurement.It happens and can be seen when the quality of services offered is not in line with the vision of MPAJ. The vision of MPAJ is to make the area harmonious and integrated by 2015 but still, there are oopholes in the organization where some staff was not giving all the cooperation to help achieving the vision stated. This can be prove by an articles written in a newspaper where the residents of Taman Teratai ask MPAJ to take urgent action against badly cracked and collapsed drain walls that lead to soil erosion.Regards to these matters, MPAH should take an immediate action to supervise, monitor and ensure that all the residents in the area are being take care of. This had shows the commitment stated by the organization are not well spreading within the organization. Besides, many issues had been arising regarding MPAJ. This issues arise had tarnished the MPAJ's image and reputation especially when it indicates that the staff are lacking in the integrity values. Bureaucratic in nature lead to discipline problem, unaccountability and corruption issues within the organizations.As example, the most hottest issues pertaining MPAJ of the year is the cases of former MPAJ enforcement director Capt (R) Abdul Kudus Ahmad was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months Jail and RM370,OOO fine for accepting bribes totaling RM59,OOO. This is the strongest weakness of MPAJ that had tarnished its reputation. Opportunities of MPAJ As a public organization, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council able to take and grabs many opportunities that came ahead of the organization. This opportunities came, thanks to the globalization that created many chance for the MPAJ to improves its lack and maintain it's prosperous.First, the opportunities that came beneath MPAJ organization is the growth of the technologies where the advancement of technologies lead to better productivity and efficiency of the MPAJ function. As example through the advancem ent of technology many technological devices has been adopted to provide an excellent services to the Ampang Jaya residents. As example, is the usage of modern machine conducted by expertise to beautify the town can be very useful tools for MPAJ.I nreats to M Every organization has threats that make the organization to be alert more with the surroundings. The threats that have been surrounds by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council is the mentalities of the citizen around the Ampang Jaya area itself. The demands of the citizens are sometimes beyond the limit that can be reach and realize by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council. The demands from the citizens are above the MPAJ expectations. As example, are the high citizens' expectations that emand everything to be settled within MPAJ authorities.It is an alarm that chain the public organization where the organization cannot fully fulfilled the demand. Besides that is the migration of the citizens into the Ampang Jaya area. This migration c reat more surplus and induce to the overpopulation problems thata later on creating more social issues and conflicts. It in hard to monitor the overcrowded and the possibilities to prevent and maintains its peace is more complicated. The illegal activities may take place and it will be difficult to combat the crime as overcrowded made it hard to settle things up.Tthe Ampang Jaya area is not abig area and nowadays it still can afford its population but in the future, the effects of globalization may trigger more the mirgation and create overpopulations. This later on will require the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council to provide more facilities, transportation and others accomodation but yet, the problem is it may surpass the limits of Ampang Jaya Municipal Council to cope with all the demands. MPAJ's Stakeholder Basically, stakeholders are an individual, group, organization that directly or indirectly get involve with the MPAJ activities.The Amppang Jaya Municipal council's takeholders i s consist of state government such as Office of the State Secretary and Office of State Treasury, federal government such as Housing and Local Government, Department of Public Service, MPAJ themselves which includes members of the council. Besides that is the customer that act as the important stakeholders which is residents, visitors, tourists, government agencies and private, residential owner or business premises. The non organizational organization also acts as the stakeholders of the Ampang Jaya Municipal council together with the Business Community and Concession Company.

Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult Essay

This is the story of the directionless and destination-less youngsters. This is also the story of the combustible younger generation. Incidents similar to the one depicted in the story can be read in newspapers day after day. The readers are pained, excited and habituated to read such stories and to an extent, have become insensitive as for its implications. If there is no discipline and peace in the society, carry on with the available discipline and peace—seems to be the attitude of the citizens. The blame-game between the politicians, the executive and the judiciary as for the present pathetic state of affairs in the society continues! Nobody is able to give the tangible solution to the octopus-like growing problem. Nagging, abusing and condemning each other have become the way of life. The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed due to the negative attitudes and violence in the name of religion, language, color, race, territorial gains and aggrandizement for wealth, ask the crying question. How to make this Planet Earth heaven-like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, hearts full of love and the life that refuses conflicts—enough, these alone are enough! What is depicted in ‘Nineteen Minutes,’ is the model of what is happening all over the world on a large scale. The incidents of 9/11 took place in less than 19 minutes. But what were the implications and detailed planning and above all, the mind-set, behind that tragedy! The incident had the potentially to set the entire globe on fire! The hero of Nineteen Minutes, Peter Houghton, 17 years, has been at the receiving end throughout his school life, mentally tortured and tormented, and finally the ‘volcano within him erupts’ He fights back in a dramatic, and perhaps dastardly manner. The shooting at the school leaves nineteen injured and ten dead. The composition of the book has everything to make it an interesting read, and the arguments of the two lawyers, bring out the best as for the life and motives of Peter. The author uses the flashback technique to develop the story. The major players of the plot come to play, Josie Cormier, former best friend of Peter, her mother, the detective and defense lawyer, Peter’s parents-Picoult describes their interactions with sympathy and understanding. He has given to the readers a very interesting book. The theme of the book and the author’s attitude towards the theme, both evoke curiosity. The level of detachment achieved by the author in developing the characters is commendable. Without giving room for too much sentimentalism, a grim situation manifests clearly, grows and attains new dimensions. The book deserves an outstanding position on account of this approach. The mutual interactions over the situation between different characters reveal in the most natural way, the convictions for which the novel stands for. This is the uniqueness of the novel. The narrations are beautiful and as the story develops, it becomes poignant, without losing its ground and reality. If ten or more individuals are united for a cause, and align with the Satan’s domain, that won’t make their alignment stronger. Truth has always been in minority numerically, taking any epic for example, but it is the ultimate victor. Peter’s position is the same. The majority pushed him to the wall and Peter thought that for the desperate situation, desperate remedy is the solution. Some bullets solved his decade-old problem. Those who go through the contents of the book carefully, sympathize with him, not condemn! Everyone has the right of self-defense, and in the process that you kill ten or fifty persons is altogether a different issue. This takes one to the portals of an important social problem. What if the gun control laws were there? Could the tragedy have been averted? The answer is both yes and no. The real problem is not the creation of the gun, but the creation of Peters in the society, for which the society, the parents, brothers and sisters, the friends, the teachers and Preachers, law enforcing authorities, and above all the politicians are responsible—and oh yes, the print and electronic media too, that plays to the gallery and creates deep impact in the impressionable minds of the kids! They must get more and more advertisement revenue no matter what the impact of this white-color robbery on the psyche of the society. These forces have created Peters. So unless the people are basically sound, and basic conditions are created for the people to become basically sound, many more Peters will incarnate. Countries with gun control laws have also Peters. So, changing the gun control laws is not the solution. Changing the thought process of the individuals is! An individual is the foundation stone of the society. Unless one’s thought process changes, one’s action process will not change. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mid is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed. The message of the book by Picoult is clear. Children-friendly approach is required as for small and big problems confronting them; the teachers need to keep a careful watch as for the groups in classes or the institution as a whole. These groups could be due to any reason, simple jealousies, race and color, rich and poor and this listing of problems can go on and on†¦. The vigilant teaching community has great responsibility in this area. In the materialistic society, due to the impact of industrial and internet revolutions, the parents have little time to spend with the children. The educational institutions are the best alternatives to the prevailing family atmosphere, wherein children can be imparted the moral, ethical and even spiritual education. References Cited: Picoult, Jodi: Book: Nineteen Minutes Hardcover: 464 pages Publisher: Atria; 1st edition. edition (March 5, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0739480715 ISBN-13: 978-0743496728 ASIN: 0743496728

Ultra Vires with an Emphasis on the Law in Georgia Research Paper

Ultra Vires with an Emphasis on the Law in Georgia - Research Paper Example Sometimes this term is used to signify the act of directors of a firm in which they exceed the power granted them. The cases of Ultra Vires, which include case of Rayfield v Hands, Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company and Shuttleworth v Cox Brothers and Company drives attention towards the laws regarding ultra vires in many states, including Georgia, along with the conditions which decide whether an act is ultra vires or not. There are many cases registered under ultra vires. One of them is the case of Rayfield v Hands. Field-Davis Ltd. was a firm doing business as constructors. This company followed the Companies Act 1929 and had share capital of 4000 Euros. These 4000 Euros were further divided into shares of one Euro each out of which 2900 were issued (â€Å"DOCTRINE OF ULTRA VIRES-EFFECTS AND EXCEPTIONS"). Leslie Rayfield was the plaintiff (now called claimant) and had 725 shares as a shareholder in the company (â€Å"DOCTRINE OF ULTRA VIRES-EFFECTS AND EXCEPTIONS†). Moreover, Gordon Wyndham Hands, Alfred William Scales and Donald Davies were the defendants as well as the directors of the firm. According to the article 11 of the articles of the association of company, it was necessary that the directors of the company will take the shares at a fair value if the shareholder informs them regarding his transfer of shares in the company. To this, the defendants disagreed to take in and pay the fair price to the plaintiff. The claimant filed a complaint and later it was found that the articles were put together in such a way due to which directors were required to purchase the shares at a fair value (Cassidy, 2008). The objects of Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company written in its Memorandum of Association were to only supply the material necessary for construction of railways and not to work on construction of them. However company entered into the contract of building railways. This was clearly in opposition with the provision of the Company Act of 1862(â€Å"DOCTRINE OF ULTRA VIRES-EFFECTS AND EXCEPTIONS†). Due to this contract, being against the Memorandum of Association was considered as ultra vires and not even the directors of the company could act against it even with their mutual consent. The shareholders could have passed a resolution to sanction the release or they could have changed the terms and conditions that were a part of company’s memorandum or articles. In the case of Shuttleworth v Cox Brothers and Company, it was decided that the contract decided on the basis of the articles present in the memorandum between the firm and the plaintiff could under goes change. If this new change is in the favor of the company then the contract will not be breached and this change will be considered as valid. Due to this, there was no doubt left that the alteration could be beneficial for the firm. Since there was dearth of evidence to prove the act of alteration of bad intentions, hence shareholders coul d not be questioned. Considering all this, the claimant was not granted the relief (â€Å"DOCTRINE OF ULTRA VIRES-EFFECTS AND EXCEPTIONS†). Georgia has its own laws when it comes to ultra vires. Rules and regulations that are posed on the firms working under Georgia’s laws are, 1. A corporation’

Effect Of Global Warming On The US And The Global Economy Research Paper

Effect Of Global Warming On The US And The Global Economy - Research Paper Example Governments have a hard time funding transition from coal and oil to other forms of energy due to economic crunch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Possible solutions – List three possible solutions to the problem The United States and global economies should invest in renewable sources of energy like solar, wind and bio-fuel. The carbon taxes should be enforced to compel nations like China and India among others to reduce GHG emissions. This should be made into a United Nations resolution. Technological innovation should be allowed to play a key role in resolving global warming. This might include changing the harmful gases into a less harmful form V.  Analysis and recommendation –   Ã‚  Although there are complicating factors of opposition to global warming, disagreements on how to impose global carbon taxes, and slow transition to renewable energy], the problem of global warming might be solved, by unified scientific approach because of [scientists would agree on research solutions, governments would act unanimously on carbon emissions and renewable energy would be made accessible]. VI.  Anticipated outcome – three things that will happen if your solution is implemented.   Ã‚  Ã‚  If global warming gets a unified global approach then The world shall reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020. The United Nations would enforce international subsidies for renewable sources of energy Scientists, the world over, would use technology to provide joint solutions to global warming. Executive summary Global warming has become a global phenomenon associated with adverse weather conditions. According to predictions by the United Nations, world economy shall be adversely affected if drastic measures are not...This is because the challenges of global warming have an economic bearing. This calls for concerted efforts in the search for solutions. Global warming has both market and non market effe cts. Nonmarket effects include health complications. Market effects include expected changes in the energy productions sectors. The issue has been complicated by stiff opposition to the possibility of global warming. There are views that there has been no evidence of global warming for the last decade. There have been requests to shift from non-renewable to renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The federal government of United States of America is being urged to subsidize renewable energy production and facilitate an energy policy shift. The international community is introducing carbon taxes from the leading producers of carbon emissions among other initiatives. Introduction The interest in the climatic change increased significantly in 1980s. Researchers were keenly interested in finding out the nature of impacts anticipated from the climatic change. According to a research by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global warming of 4 °C could cause adverse effects on water, biodiversity, agriculture and energy. According to research, the northern parts of the United States are expected to benefits from global warming especially because they are cold.

Labour Law (feminism) [ question in the box ] Essay

Labour Law (feminism) [ question in the box ] - Essay Example , self-employed and assumed all economic risks with respect to her earnings.1 This case reveals the complexities of the debate over the feasibility of considering sex workers who are by and large ‘service providers’ in an entertainment industry as employees and in doing so engages the feminist debate over whether or not sex workers are legitimate employees.2 The feminist debate on sex work is divided into two opposing views. On the one hand, radical feminists view sex work as nothing more than a facilitator of male ‘sexual aggression’ against women.3 Indeed the male power theme associated with prostitution is captured by those who liken prostitution with slavery and thus conjures up reflections of white slavery. However, within the European Union (EU), anti-prostitution policies are typically aimed at eliminating street prostitution and treating prostitution as a public nuisance that is primarily an involuntary career choice.4 On the other hand, post-modern liberal feminists argue that women are free to do as they wish with their ‘own bodies and sexuality’.5 Thus liberal feminists take the position that sex workers are voluntarily engaged in sex work and in should be protected as any other worker should be. Thus from the radical feminists’ perspective, sex work should be banned. From the perspective of the postmodern liberal feminists, sex work is a valid and legitimate form of work and should therefore be regulated as such.6 The radical feminists’ perspective hinges on abrogation which is influenced by dominance feminist theory which views sex work as an exploitation of women.7 Postmodern liberal feminists on the other hand propose a ‘theoretical model of sex-worker rights’.8 However, when the definition of employee is taken into account, the feasibility of sex-worker rights is questionable. This is because an employee by definition is an individual requiring protection from an employer who is in turn obligated to protect his or her

Recruitment Process. Talent Management. People Equity Essay

Recruitment Process. Talent Management. People Equity - Essay Example Therefore, as a recruiter it is a responsibility to hire those employees who can maintain an ethical culture along with ensuring augmented productivity of the organization. During interview process, it is necessary to judge an individual through various perspectives in terms of qualification, enthusiasm about the given job, whether he/ she can adjust with organizational rules and regulations and the capability of attaining the given targets. When a recruiter selects a fresher as an employee then it is required to be assured that he/she should maintain the morale and culture of the organization, however through a fresher the chances of increasing productivity is quite minimal. Therefore, for a fresher it is necessary to arrange training sessions regarding the work procedure to show the mechanism of achieving the given targets within a specified period of time. Through an effective training session employees must familiarize themselves about the procedure of work and how to increase pr oductivity. Regarding a fresher, an organization should consider that the person does not hamper organizational ethics and culture because they are new in the system. However, when a recruiter hires an experienced person for the job then an impact may be created upon the organizational culture to a certain extent because an experienced person generally knows the basic strategies that can be used to enhance productivity by achieving the targets without any botheration regarding the rules and the regulations. Therefore, when a recruiter selects this type of individuals, he/she should be aware about the attitude and behavior of an experienced person towards the organizational culture. During the interview process, recruiter must discuss properly about the rules and the regulations of the organization with the experienced person. Scenario 2 Talent reservoir for an organization can be assured through proper talent management procedure within the organization which can in turn facilitate to have a pool of skilled employees who can fulfill the company’s goals. In this context, the HR department can play a pivotal role as recruitment and selection procedure is very essential to identify and manage a talent effectively within the organization. Nowadays, talent management is considered as a key ‘buzzword’ in corporate level HR along with training. Talent comprises those individuals who can create a difference in the performance of the organization either through their instant involvement or in the long-term by representing maximum levels of potential. Effective organizations are developed by creating value through people, sales, innovation and customer services among other essential actions. Every organization strives to achieve their business objectives and this struggle mainly involves in supporting, recruiting, training, controlling and reimbursing the entire staff of the system. To support this circumstance, talent management can play a crucial p art for maintaining all these aspects in a proper way. There are certain procedures of talent management which should be taken into consideration (Stewart, 2008). The procedures are: Workforce planning, recruiting On-boarding, performance management Training and performance support Succession planning Compensation as well as benefits Critical skill gap analysis If a recruiter hires a skilled employee according to the job requirement then it can become quite easy for the management to find and nurture the talent within the system which would be fruitful for the organization in terms of attaining long-term profit and ensuring fulfillment of company goals (Bersin, 2006). Scenario 3 Alignment, capability and engagement are the three factors which determine

LABOR LAWS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LABOR LAWS - Coursework Example It also compelled employers to collectively bargain on behalf of employees with unions. The Taft-Hartley Act outlawed unfair labor practices on the side of the trade unions such as wildcat strikes, jurisdictional strikes, and closed shops. The Landrum-Griffin bill dealt with the relationship between the union and its members. It provides for the reporting and disclosure of specific financial transactions and organizational practices of the labor unions and employers. The Railway Labor Act governs labor relations of employees and employers involved in the rail industry. It seeks to promote and uphold peace and order in the rail industry in order to avoid disruptions in interstate commerce. The Act imposes a duty upon all rail carriers and employees to make and maintain their agreements concerning working conditions, rates of pay, and rules. The carriers-employees relations are to be governed by written rules that are mutually agreed upon as well as binding equally on each party. In the case of a dispute, these Act mandates that representatives of the carrier and employees to be accorded equal responsibility to the dispute and hold meetings in an effort of settling the dispute. Also, the disputing parties should designate or choose their representatives without influence, interference or coercion to do so by either party. These representatives of both parties have an obligation to confer in respect of settling the dispute. Though these personal re presentatives, the Act guarantees employees the right to organize collectively and bargain. Further, it forbids carriers to sign any agreement or contract promising employees to join or not to join any labor organization. Each party has an obligation to give the other party a notice of at least 30 days of the desired change in working conditions, rules or rates of pay embodied in the contract. However, the carrier has no right to alter any part of the agreement

How the French and Indian War affected the outcome of the 7 years war Research Paper

How the French and Indian War affected the outcome of the 7 years war - Research Paper Example Overview Even though the root of the conflict in Europe was the competition between Austria and Prussia for possession of Silesia, the prevailing subject of the clash between France and Britain was power over trade and commerce with the colonies in North America, Africa, and India.1 The specific target of both these nations was the very lucrative Atlantic trade system. This trade system transported slaves from Africa to the New World to work in the cultivation of specific agricultural goods, such as lumber, cotton, rice, and sugar.2 The raw materials were afterward transported to Europe for manufacturing and consumption. Processed goods that were not bought in Europe were returned to the American colonies and Africa for another trade or use.3 Although France controlled the production of sugar in the Caribbean, Britain supervised the goods produced in the North American colonies. The same competition between the two nations was present in India for cotton, spices, and tea. This econom ic competition between Britain and France in North America motivated the Seven Years’ War.4 By 1753, French colonists had started inhabiting the Ohio River Valley. The French had strong, positive ties with the Native Americans and aimed to enhance trading relations with them. The British settlers, who refused to be restricted to the Atlantic coastal areas, saw this French attempt as a danger to westward expansion and responded with aggression.5 Virginia’s governor deployed a group of mercenaries headed by George Washington to support the British cause in the Ohio River Valley and to contest the attempts of France toward expansion. Constructing a small fortification nearby modern-day Pittsburgh, the militia of Washington failed in their attempt to assault the French at Fort Duquesne.6 The British forces were resisted and pushed to retreat to their fort, where the French attacked them. After incurring heavy casualties, Washington was compelled to lay down arms. This figh t is regarded to be the first of the French-Indian part of the Seven Years’ War.7 With the collaboration between France and the natives in North America, the battle emerged quickly in Europe. In early 1756, through the Convention of Westminster, Britain took Prussia as its ally. The French directly allied with Austria. The coalitions of the War of Austrian Succession were upturned, with Prussia and Britain going against Austria and France.8 Sweden and Russia eventually entered the Franco-Austrian coalition. The influence of the French-Indian War on the outcome of the Seven Years’ War was worldwide. The impact of the war was also enduring, with its consequences still felt and seen in the 21st century.9 The French and Indian War Implication for the Seven Years’ War Because of the war, both Britain and France incurred heavy financial loses at the end of the Seven Years’ War, with serious long-term consequences. The war further raised the national debt of Bri tain. The Crown, trying to find ways to settle the debt, obliged its colonies to pay additional taxes.10 The colonies responded to these measures with more intense resistance, until forces were deployed to make sure that the Crown’s agents could safely carry out their obligations. These steps finally resulted in the American Revolutionary War. Likewise, the financial problem and military

Cross Culture Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cross Culture Communication - Essay Example Emphasis on universal national values of culture suggests that individuals are able to shape their values from experiences gained within a society (Kim, 2008:44). When studying values as noted by Schwartz it comes out that, a bipolar relationship can only exist between and among a number of cultural values. This paper will present a personal reflection on the experience of working in the cross-cultural team and managing the cross-cultural team. During the research when holding the managing post for various sessions, it is worth noting that the task of organization and management in a firm relies heavily on communication between and among all employees present in that firm. The organization should exhibit a great knowledge and application of bipolar relationship whereby conservatism and autonomy dominated the task. Since conservatism and autonomy highlight that the nature of a relationship exists between individuals and a group, it is upon the managing team to ensure communication flo ws effectively. This means that as a manager, one must break down all barriers to effective communication (Fabbi, 2011:79). As such, there are platform that highlight and note presence of effective communication tools. ... Apart from that, from the experience of managing it is worth noting that for employees to perform efficiently, they need motivation. Motivation is a key factor towards realizing the best out of the available employees in an organization (Reisinger, 2009:57). When a manager recognizes efforts of employees and subsequently awards him or her, their output increases automatically. This shows that elements that boost the morale of employees are important as have the capability of taking the organization to the next desired level (Norales, 2006:152). During the management session, a number of issues related to cross culture arise. For instance, since culture is a broad subject, it becomes clear that some employees might not understand particular values and attitudes of the organization (Gross, Jan, and Paula, 2009:67). Furthermore, there are barrier in terms of technology and material culture within and among different employees all in the same organization. Aesthetics and education are al so part of the issues related to cross culture that have chances of arising during the learning sessions (William, 2003:302). Nevertheless, given the point that there are means in which managers can deal with issues arising from cross-cultural dimensions, my learning experience points out that organizational training and practice can be part of the solutions to a large number of cross-cultural issues (Wu, 2008:77). Through performance orientation, it will be easy to deal with the erupting issues. Besides, presence of more orientations based on humane, collectivism, and future prospects makes the procedure of handling any issues arising from cross culture more efficient (Wu, 2008:100). As a result, experience based on management of

Investigating the resistance of a wire Essay Example for Free

Investigating the resistance of a wire Essay The experiment is safe because the voltage from the multimeter will do no harm to you and you should not use it near water. Method I am investigating the resistance of a wire and testing what happens to the current if I use different lengths of wires. First I will use 10cm of wire and connect the multimeter up properly like the picture below also I would measure the wire exactly then I would place the crocodile clips on the ends of the wire and do that for every 10cms up to 200cms and record the resistance. I would use all of the same equipment again and do the experiment another 2 times to workout the average. Diagram I will make the experiment accurate by doing all of the below and do the same test three times to work out an average   1. Using the same equipment   2. Measure the wire.   3. Connecting everything together properly 4. Once set up do not disturb the experiment   5. Make sure the multimeter is set to Ohms   6. Using the setting on the multimeter. If I wanted to get very precise results I could do the experiment another few times This is how I kept it a fair test:   If you change the length you must keep.   The wire the same width.   The same material. The same temperature. Prediction I predict the longer the wire the more power will be resisted. That is because in a longer piece of wire the electrons collide with the atoms. Obtaining Results Table Observations Analysing Graphs Evaluation Errors Possible Improvements.

Groupon - Daily Deal Aggregator Business Model Essay Example for Free

Groupon Daily Deal Aggregator Business Model Essay Objectives 1. Choosing a company with an Innovative Business Model Groupon Groupon is a deal-of-the day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. It is based on the daily deal aggregator business model. Groupon was launched in November 2008, and the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter by Boston, New York City, and Toronto. By October 2010, Groupon served more than 150 markets in North America and 100 markets in Europe, Asia and South America and had 35 million registered users. In addition to generation of revenues, offering daily deals on Groupon has proved to be beneficial for various businesses. Start-ups have gained market share by offering lucrative deals for customers on Groupon and attracting them to their businesses. Once these businesses gain their initial share of customers, it becomes easier for them to retain these customers and even attract new ones, with the help of providing quality product or service. Various businesses, domestic and international, have gained by often providing daily deals on Groupon. 2. Analysing the Business Model and Identifying the Innovation The Groupon Innovation Groupon is a daily deal website considered to be one of the top ten innovative Business Models with a huge user base of 83 million across 43 countries. Groupon sells coupons in a very unique way; As mentioned above, Groupon follows Daily deal Aggregator Business Model which enables groups of people who want to purchase a particular product or service to sign up and then seek a volume discount from vendors. These discounts are in the form of daily deals/coupons for products or services. Daily Deal websites typically  offer a single product or service a day for a discount and these deals become valid only after a pre-specified number of people sign up to avail this deal. When the deal expires, or sells out, the offer is gone. Daily Deal websites typically offer one product or service a day for a discount. This Business Model reduces risk for retailers who post the offers; They can treat the coupons as quantity discounts as well as sales promotion tools. Groupon makes money by keeping approximately half the money the customer pays for the coupon. For example, an $80 haircut could be purchased by the consumer for $40 through Groupon, and then Groupon and the retailer would split the $40. That is, the parlour gives a haircut valued at $80 and gets approximately $20 from Groupon for it (under a 50%/50% split). The consumer gets the haircut, in this example, from the parlour for which they have paid $40 to Groupon. Unlike classified advertising, the merchant does not pay any upfront cost to participate: Groupon collects personal information from willing customers and then contacts only those customers, primarily by daily email, who may possibly be interested in a particular product or service. Groupon breaks into new markets by identifying successful local businesses, first by sending in an advance a number of employees to gain data about the local market; when it finds a business with outstanding reviews, salespeople approach it and explain the model, and use social marketing sites such as Facebook to further promote the idea. Groupon’s biggest strength is its user base which has grown due to its First Mover Advantage and affordable deals. The question, however, at present is the sustainability of the business model. According to the CEO, Andrew Mason, Groupon is trying to â€Å"fundamentally change the way that people buy from local businesses in the same way that e-commerce changed the way that people buy products.† 3. Analysing the Market Scenerio Present Scenerio in the market The emergence of dozens of competitors to Groupon, with customers frequently playing one site off against another, diminishes the competitive differentiation between them. In addition, merchants whose goods and services are featured on the sites are now being courted by more players, making them less loyal and less likely to be prepared to pay rich premiums for the sites directing new customers to their store locations. Further, the benefits to both customers and merchants are likely to drop as the market is flooded with same kind of offers. Moreover, some of its big rivals are backed by some major funding and engineering resources. LivingSocial is backed by Amazon it grew gross revenues 32 percent from August to September, bolstered by a blockbuster Whole Foods deal. Smaller players like TravelZoo and Bloomspothave their own advantages; They tend to be more focused on a particular niche. Apart from competition, there are also the issues of taxation; States including New York have decided merchants should collect sales taxes on the full face value of items purchased, not the price that consumers actually pay.

Women Are Poorer Than Men

Women Are Poorer Than Men In recent years, focus has been on discovering if poverty is gendered, that is to say to what extent women may be more at threat of poverty than men. In this essay I shall be discussing how women are affected by poverty and what factors lead to women being poorer than men. Peter Townsend et al (1987) have argued that there has been a feminisation of poverty, this term may be understood in various ways, it may refer to the increased risk of poverty or the increased visibility of womens poverty it may also refer to the reconstruction of poverty from a womans viewpoint. It is difficult to compare the poverty of men and women because statistics are usually based on households and this suggests that household incomes are shared evenly between adult members. Glendinning and Millar (1987 maintain that men get a larger share in most cases and this may echo their higher earning ability and the fact that in many households men still make the decisions of how money is spent. It has been shown that women are more likely to be poorer than men, although their poverty has often been masked behind studies that focused on male-headed households Ruspini (2000). Townsend acknowledges four groups which make up the majority of the female poor, these consist of women who take care of children and other dependents they are unpaid and are unable to take up employment. There are also lone women with children who dip in and out of employment. Then there are elderly women like pensioners who live alone. There are also women with low earnings where the incomes of others in the household do not contribute towards the total household income to enable the womens income to go over the poverty line. Women unquestionably tend to experience more poverty than men because their labour both unpaid and paid is undervalued, in addition women have always experienced work in a different way from men. A private and public split has always existed where women were seen as belonging in the private sphere of hearth and home and the ideologically constructed family, whereas men were seen as belonging in the public sphere of the market and the state. In terms of work, three main reasons for why womens poverty continues have been identified, the first is because a third of all women of working age still remain outside the labour market almost twice the proportion for men, they do not have equal access to the core of the labour market and they are disproportionately represented within part-time and lower paid jobs and on average women are paid less than men. The New Labour government has aimed to maximize labour force involvement by supporting (the idea of work-life balance) and trying to make it easier for people to merge paid work and family life. In-work benefits and tax credits were introduced as incentives however the working families tax credit has been more beneficial to women earners than those whose main income comes through male partners since it is more likely to be paid through the pay packet. The development of a National Childcare Strategy was also introduced but it does not measure up to the levels of childcare provi sion to be found in most other European countries. The second reason involves the responsibility women have for most of the tasks associated with social reproduction in the way of unpaid care work and domestic labour. The third reason is the sharing of income and resources within families, in the majority of cases this does not benefit women. Individuals can be poor in households with adequate incomes. This finding has important implications for policy initiatives aimed at the relief of poverty (Pahl 1989; Kempson 1996). Other forms of inequality have persisted within the public sphere, Gillian Pascall (1997) and others have argued that while women now make up a high proportion of the public sector workforce in healthcare, social work and education, they remain under represented in senior and management positions. This is characteristic of the sticky floor where women are concentrated in specific occupations with low pay and status and what they do at work is often similar to what they do at home, although the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999 has been beneficial to women who are dependent on low paid work but not to other wage groups. Though most health service workers are women, most of the surgeons are men and it is largely men who control health and social services including services that concern women, for instance reproductive healthcare, as well as support for informal carers and the education system. This is typical of the glass ceiling where women are less likely to hold senior positions and when they do hold senior positions they have to work harder and for longer hours in jobs that are classed as mens work. In the 1970s 70 percent of managers were men and today 90 percent of judges are men. Anti discrimination legislation has sought to outlaw all forms of sex discrimination but this has mostly brought about advances for individual women but has not benefited all women although it has improved the practices of most employers as well as raising public awareness. While the education system no longer just prepares girls for domesticity, it is tending to equip them for sub- servient occupations especially in the public sector on the other hand it has also expanded womens options in the labour market. Despite the fact that women have been allowed to vote and participate in the democratic process on the same terms as men since 1928, in 2000 only 20 percent of Westminster Members of Parliament were women and in 2001 only 28 percent of local government councillors were women (EOC 2001). Although there has been a feminisation of the labour market, the increase in womens workforce participation can have disastrous effects on their health because of the double burden they have to shoulder, at home they take care of children and perform domestic tasks which are unpaid as well as doing their paid job. The General Household Survey of 1998 showed that the majority of carers were women who provided more than a hundred hours of care per week which was far more than any paid worker would do. It has been shown that caring is costly in various ways, for one there is loss of earnings and the rate of adults providing care who are in paid employment is low, the effect is even greater for women than men and greatest of all in the case of a mother providing care for a disabled child Arber and Ginn(1995): Baldwin (1985). In addition costs that are associated with disability like house adaptations to accommodate special equipment and higher transport costs. There is also the cost to the carer in terms of the stress and strain (Glendinning and Millar1992; Pahl 2006). Social policy is beginning to acknowledge the contribution of carers, one way was the introduction of the Carers Act 1985 which imposed an obligation on local authorities, however the support that carers receive is still limited. Financial support is also provided by the social security system with benefits like carers allowance and disabled persons tax credit for low paid disabled workers. There are also many ways in which care can be paid for Ungerson (2000); see also Ungerson (2006). The way social security is arranged and its effects on women can be attributed to the architects of the welfare system who were so used to patriarchal assumptions about respective roles of male breadwinners and female homemakers that the National Insurance system for example was founded on the idea that married women would mainly be financially dependent on their husbands and although obvious biased elements have since been removed, the inheritance of the assumptions on which the system was founded remains. Lewis and Piachaud (1992) demonstrated that women have always been poorer than men by showing the proportion of women amongst adults in receipt of poor relief or social assistance was at around 60 percent and was the same at the end of the 20th century. Women are the main recipients of most benefits and rely more on means tested benefits even though it means greater personal scrutiny, rather than contribution based benefits like jobseekers allowance, incapacity benefit and industrial injury benefit because these types of benefit rely on the recipient having been employed, and for women their work patterns are sometimes interrupted when they take time out to raise children and therefore their national insurance contributions are affected. Women are also in some cases hidden claimants because they receive benefits as dependents of male breadwinners, and for this reason, the welfare state may also function directly to make women dependent on men, although housing and social security provision has provided at least some measure of independence to women like those escaping from violent or dysfunctional relationships. Donzelot (1979) has observed that families seem to have extended functions and are subject by the welfare state to greater levels of surveillance and control for example womens performance as mothers and informal carers may be subject to supervision by healthcare and social service professionals. The family has not lost its functions, but it has lost control. It is still the major arena for the care of dependents, but traditional female tasks are now defined and managed outside the family and by men. Pascall (1997: 23). This is seen in the cases of lone parents 90 percent of whom are women who will have social assistance benefits withdrawn if they should cohabit and they can be compelled to cooperate with the making of child support assessments against the father(s) of their child(ren). In terms of work the, mother -as-work policy ignores that child care is also work and lone mothers stand little chance of becoming equal stakeholders because they must be both breadwinners and carers, and the position at present is that lone mothers are likely to be praised for the paid work they do and condemned as welfare dependent for the unpaid work they do and the eradication of the Lone Parent Premium to income support which directly disadvantaged many lone parents most of whom are women. In recent years studies have shown that pensioners are far more likely than the working population to experience ongoing poverty, between 1998 and 2001, 18 percent of pensioners experienced persistent poverty as compared to 7 percent of the working population. Studies have also found that in recent decades older women and those from ethnic minorities are more likely to experience poverty than other pensioners. Findings from these studies led Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown to state in 2002: Our aim is to end pensioner poverty in our country. the introduction of a pension credit in October 2003 which guaranteed a minimum income of half of those people in this age group in the UK attempted to meet this goal but the success of this policy depends on all those entitled to claiming the benefit actually doing so Flaherty et al (2004). The majority of people over state pension age do retire from the labour market, but as longevity has increased the labour markets have tightened and retirement has become in Townsends words a kind of mass redundancy (1991:6). As a group, old peoples vulnerability to poverty is not as great as it was in the post second world war period, but this should not mask the fact that there is now greater inequality between older people than before. Since the number of old people both as a proportion of the total population and in absolute terms has grown this means that pensioner poverty is still a major issue. The employment of older people can be sensitive to changes in the labour market conditions and they may be shut out of jobs when the demand for labour falls. Age concern (see McEwan 1990), argue that older people are frequently subject to discrimination if they choose to re-enter the labour market often on mistaken assumptions about their reliability and adaptability. Additionally when older people do eventually become frail they suffer the same problems associated with disability. The lack of provision of universal pension in this country is out of sync with most industrialised countries, although the introduction of stakeholder pensions for people with no access to private pensions and the introduction of free eye tests has gone some way in helping pensioners at a disadvantage. Feminists tend to view welfare state provision as being important for improving womens lives but it also reinforces female dependency on men and the sexual division of labour. Some strands of feminism stress that women are closer to nature and are naturally more caring and less aggressive and they address the world in a different voice Gilligan (1982). Other strands of feminism discard this view and assert that the gendered nature of society is the exact product of power relations and patriarchy. It is a result of the dominance of men over women and can be rejected. So in conclusion, having assessed and considered all the evidence and studies on gender and poverty, it is clear that although successive governments have through legislation and policies attempted to lessen the poverty of women, the gap between the sexes still exists and women are still very disadvantaged and are poorer than men and a major reason is the structure of the welfare state which contributes to and reinforces the differences.

Margit Stange’s Literary Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening Essay

Margit Stange’s Literary Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening Margit Stange makes a series of meaningful connections between Kate Chopin’s dramatization of Edna Pontellier’s â€Å"awakening† and the historical context of feminist thought which Stange believes influenced the novel. Part of understanding Edna’s motives and Chopin’s thinking are Stange’s well-chosen references to the contemporary ideology that shapes Edna’s thinking and her choices. Stange argues that Edna is seeking the late-nineteenth-century conception of self-ownership, which pivots on â€Å"voluntary motherhood.† Edna’s awakening, her acquisition of self-determination, comes from identifying and re-distributing what she owns, which Stange argues is her body. For example, Edna’s skin indicates early in the novel her more complex relationship with her husband. Her sunburned hands seem to indicate a woman who has performed a labor of some necessity, therefore making her â€Å"unrecognizable† as the wife of a respected and prosperous businessman. At the same time, those who see her and know who she is are reminded of Leonce’s status by the tan his wife has acquired while visiting an elite resort (279-80). The clash between the appearance of labor and leisure in Edna’s form gradually comes to favor the look of leisure, but it is Edna who increasingly defines how she spends her time, and what constitutes leisure. By casting off the duties that come with being Mrs. Pontellier, Edna is devaluing the â€Å"currency† with which her husband buys respectability and esteem. By withholding sexual and social favors, Edna ruptures Leonce’s privileged comfort and establishes herself as femme seule, literally providing for herself with an independent income (282, 286). Stange links this situat... ...ity. Certainly that is an effective material argument, and further exploration of contemporary criticisms of birth control, from both men and women, could provide even greater context for understanding how women regarded motherhood and to what extent they saw it as â€Å"voluntary.† But Stange herself points to a profound statement of Stanton’s that more clearly defines the power mothers wielded socially, and the great loss of self-ownership motherhood entailed, both of which Edna Pontellier came to understand and control. Describing what Stange calls a â€Å"moment of extreme maternal giving,† Stanton wrote â€Å"‘alone [woman] goes to the gates of death to give life to every man that is born into the world; no one can share her fears, no one can mitigate her pangs; and if her sorrow is greater than she can bear, alone she passes beyond the gates into the vast unknown’† (289).

The International Whaling Regime Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ess

The International Whaling Regime In his article, â€Å"Whale Mining, Whale Saving,† Sidney Holt states, â€Å"saving the whales is for millions of people a crucial test of their political ability to halt environmental destruction†(Holt 1985). In a world where environmental issues are often so vast that solving them seems impossible, it is rare to encounter a regime which successfully addresses these problems. If we judge a regime’s effectiveness by its ability to change the behavior of its members and possibly even encourage others to join, then the whaling regime was in fact quite effective. The significant decrease in commercial whaling brought about by the International Whaling Commission (IWC)’s 1982 moratorium is proof in itself of the whaling regime’s effectiveness. That being said, the history of the regime has not been without imperfections, and these shortcomings will continue to shape the successes and failures of the whaling regime in the future. While the peak of whaling in recorded history occurred in the 1930s where close to 55,000 whales were caught each year, whaling has been practiced by people for centuries and was unregulated for most of that time period (Andresen 2000). However, in 1946, the Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (composed of 15 nations including the U.S.) met and created the International Whaling Commission in order to address the problem of declining whale stocks. An increase in commercial whaling as well as introduction of â€Å"factory ships† which allowed whalers to travel far out to sea, catch whales (pelagic fishing), and process them on the boat without going back to shore had begun to put a strain on population numbers of certain whale species. (Fletcher 2001). Thus, the IWC was primarily c... ... Aron, William, W. Burke, M. Freeman. 2000. â€Å"The Whaling Issue.† Marine Policy. 24: 179-191. Fletcher, Kristen M. â€Å"The International Whaling Regime and U.S. Foreign Policy.† In The Environment, International Relations, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2001. Greenpeace: Whaling. 2000. http://whales.greenpeace.org/whaling. Accessed 5/9/04. Institute of Cetacean Research. 2002. http://www.icrwhale.org/eng-index.htm. Accessed 5/9/04. Holt, Sidney J.. 2003. â€Å"Is the IWC Finished as an Instrument for the Conservation of Whales?† Marine Pollution Bulletin 46: 924-926. Holt, Sidney J.. 2000. â€Å"The Whaling Controversy.† Fisheries Research 54: 145-151. Holt, Sidney J.. 1985. â€Å"Whale Mining, Whale Saving.† Marine Policy 4: 192-214. O’Connell, Kate. July 2002. â€Å"The 2002 IWC Annual Meeting.† Whales Alive! 11(3).

Hamlet †the Wise Polonius :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet – the Wise Polonius      Ã‚   The older gent in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, namely Polonius, is no type character. Rather he is quite rounded and complex. This essay will explore his character.    In the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, David Bevington presents Polonius as similar to Hamlet in various ways:    Polonius, his [Hamlet’s] seeming opposite in so many ways, is, like Hamlet, an inveterate punster. To whom else but Polonius should Hamlet direct the taunt of â€Å"Words, words, words†? The aged counselor recalls that in his youth he â€Å"suffered much extremity for love, very near this,† and he has been an actor at the university. Polonius too has advice for the players: â€Å"Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light.† When Hamlet jibes at â€Å"so capital a calf† enacting Julius Caesar, killed in the Capitol, he reinforces the parallel to his own playacting and anticipates the slaying of Polonius behind the arras. (4)    In â€Å"Shakespeare’s Nomenclature† Harry Levin discusses the name â€Å"Polonius’ and other names from the play:    The Latinism Polonius reminds us of the Polish question, moot throughout Hamlet, where the onomastics are polyglot. If Marcellus and Claudius are Latin, Bernardo and Horatio are Italian, and Fortinbras signifies â€Å"strong arm† not in Norwegian but French (fort-en-bras). On the other hand, the son of Polonius has a Greek godfather in Laertes, the father of Odysseus. The Scandinavian names, at least the Germanic Gertrude, stand out because they are in the minority. (79)    What’s in a name like Polonius? Polonius’ entry into the play occurs at the social get-together of the royal court. Claudius has already been crowned; Queen Gertrude is there; Hamlet is present in the black clothes of mourning. When Laertes approaches Claudius to give his farewell before returning to school, the king asks Polonius: â€Å"Have you your father's leave? What says Polonius?† And the father dutifully answers:    He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By laboursome petition, and at last   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I do beseech you, give him leave to go. (1.2)    So right at the outset the reader/viewer respects the lord chamberlain as a very fluent spokesman of the language, and respectful of his superior, the king. Later, in Polonius’ house, Laertes is taking leave of his sister, Ophelia, and, in the process, giving her conservative advice regarding her boyfriend, Hamlet. Hamlet – the Wise Polonius :: GCSE English Literature Coursework Hamlet – the Wise Polonius      Ã‚   The older gent in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, namely Polonius, is no type character. Rather he is quite rounded and complex. This essay will explore his character.    In the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, David Bevington presents Polonius as similar to Hamlet in various ways:    Polonius, his [Hamlet’s] seeming opposite in so many ways, is, like Hamlet, an inveterate punster. To whom else but Polonius should Hamlet direct the taunt of â€Å"Words, words, words†? The aged counselor recalls that in his youth he â€Å"suffered much extremity for love, very near this,† and he has been an actor at the university. Polonius too has advice for the players: â€Å"Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light.† When Hamlet jibes at â€Å"so capital a calf† enacting Julius Caesar, killed in the Capitol, he reinforces the parallel to his own playacting and anticipates the slaying of Polonius behind the arras. (4)    In â€Å"Shakespeare’s Nomenclature† Harry Levin discusses the name â€Å"Polonius’ and other names from the play:    The Latinism Polonius reminds us of the Polish question, moot throughout Hamlet, where the onomastics are polyglot. If Marcellus and Claudius are Latin, Bernardo and Horatio are Italian, and Fortinbras signifies â€Å"strong arm† not in Norwegian but French (fort-en-bras). On the other hand, the son of Polonius has a Greek godfather in Laertes, the father of Odysseus. The Scandinavian names, at least the Germanic Gertrude, stand out because they are in the minority. (79)    What’s in a name like Polonius? Polonius’ entry into the play occurs at the social get-together of the royal court. Claudius has already been crowned; Queen Gertrude is there; Hamlet is present in the black clothes of mourning. When Laertes approaches Claudius to give his farewell before returning to school, the king asks Polonius: â€Å"Have you your father's leave? What says Polonius?† And the father dutifully answers:    He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By laboursome petition, and at last   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I do beseech you, give him leave to go. (1.2)    So right at the outset the reader/viewer respects the lord chamberlain as a very fluent spokesman of the language, and respectful of his superior, the king. Later, in Polonius’ house, Laertes is taking leave of his sister, Ophelia, and, in the process, giving her conservative advice regarding her boyfriend, Hamlet.

Day In Your Life When You Felt Really Happy Essay

â€Å"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.† ~Norman Cousins â€Å"What is happiness?† What a completely dense and loaded question this is. If I were to write a paper about happiness, I would then need to operationally define happiness in terms that allowed everyone to understand what I was referring to. The problem with this, however, is that we then merely repeat the best definition we come by, thinking we understand the meaning while never truly questioning our own thoughts on the matter; therefore never truly experiencing it. I believe this happens in the majority of circumstances, and know that I did this for many years. It is much simpler to just go along with life rather than ask yourself those true and deep questions that will rattle your world. I believe happiness is the complete mindful attention and bliss found in the present moment; the present moment is beautiful and fundamentally perfect. Therefore, one must choose to be happy right now in the present, because this is all that exists. Many years ago, I read a quote by the Dalai Lama, which I think is very applicable to this. He reported that when something is wrong, you can either fix it, and therefore it will work out and there is no need to worry, or there is nothing you can do, and therefore worrying about it is moot. When one truly and with every fiber of their being accepts death and the mystery of the future, there is nothing left but to appreciate the present moment. I believe this is where happiness stems from because it really puts things into perspective. I have been experimenting with this, and as a person who frequently worries, thinks too much, and feels often overwhelmed by life, I have found immense peace and tranquility from this acceptance. For me, it completely shifted my perspective on everything. I have been able to stay calm and resilient in situations that would normally bring on a panic attack or devastate me. This, of course, doesn’t mean that my life is now all roses and butterflies, but that this new perspective aids me in gauging situations and reacting to them as I think I should rationally, not instinctively. Ultimately, there is no way to know how your life will play out in ten minutes, and hour, or a week. Happiness is the value of every moment and the full attention paid to it.

Dutch Revolt

1 Assignment 2 How significant was the Reformed faith for the success of the Dutch Revolt Essay plan My essay will begin with a chapter on when and why the revolt Started, and will then continue to explain and talk about the main participants in its continuance and then go on to talk about their individual beliefs and reasons for the revolts emergence and success. The Dutch revolt or the revolt of the Netherlands as it is also known as, started in 1566 and carried on until the early 17th century. The seventeen provinces of the Low Countries were acquired by the Hasburgs through marriage in 1477 but were still infested with independent lordships right up until the 17th century and were divided between German speaking Dutch in the north 2 East and French speaking Walloons (people from the area of modern day Belgium) in the south west. The reformation in the Netherlands was an international religious and political event with the seventeen provinces of the Low Countries against the ardent Catholics supported by Charles V and then his son Philip II of the Spanish Empire. The seventeen provinces soon jelled under the leadership of William prince of orange. William was born in 1533 and was raised as a Lutheran, when he was 11, and when his cousin died he inherited the title Prince of Orange, on the condition that he had a Roman Catholic education. He grew up and became a wealthy nobleman who originally served the Hasburgs as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands who was the king’s representative due to the fact of being Charles V illegitimate daughter from a relationship with Johanna Maria Van der Gheynst. William held the position of the Stadholder (steward/ lieutenant). Having been raised as a Lutheran and later being educated in the 3 Catholic ways he grew dissatisfied at the persecution of the Protestants in the Netherlands. It was 1559 when he was given the position of Stadholder of the provinces of Holland and Utrecht, and his decision to oppose the king originated later in the same year when in the company of a couple of French noblemen he overheard about the plan to exterminate the protestants in both France and the Netherlands, and he decided he wanted, nothing to do with their slaughter. In August 1566 the uprising was bought about with a wave of beeldenstorm (iconoclasm) spread with the destruction of statues and religious images in hundreds of churches and monasteries across the Netherlands. The destruction of these statues and Catholic images were denounced as superstitious and unbiblical and the stained glass images were also seen as false teachings of the church (pp68 Block 2 The European Reformation). Margaret allowed influential noblemen including William to become more involved with the rebels in return for their help in quelling anymore destruction; she also granted some of the rebel’s wishes, which included suspending the heresy laws to enable a group of 4 petitioners to negotiate with Philip II, but in early 1567 it became clear she would not be allowed to fulfil her promises when the Duke of Alba was dispatched to the area to restore order. After his arrival the duke set up the council of troubles or known locally as the council of blood because of he 10,000 rebels called before the council for judgment and subsequently killed. William was one of these called up but he failed to show up, he was named as a rebel and had his lands and properties confiscated. Charles V was born in the Flemish city of Ghent in 1500. In 1506 he inherited his father’s Burgundian territories but because of his tender age his aunt Margaret acted as regent until 1515. From early on in 1 515 Charles had to deal with a rebellion from peasants, and after defeating them in 1523 he went on to extend the Burgundian territories. The European Inquisition executed their first Lutheran martyrs at Brussels in 1523, but private support for the new beliefs was more widespread than publically thought. In 1521 Charles called an assembly at worms in Germany to discuss Protestant Reformation. He called Martin Luther to appear before the assembly and to either renounce or reaffirm his views. 5 Luther Said â€Å"Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and ontradicted themselves), I am bound by the scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen. After the assembly Charles V made a decree (edict of worms) which stated â€Å" We forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favour the said Martin Luther. On the contrary we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, to be brought personally before us, or to be securely guarded until those who have captured him inform us, where upon we will order the appropriate manner of proceeding against the said Luther. Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for 6 their good work†. It was the culmination of an ongoing struggle between Martin Luther and the Catholic Church. On his way back to Wittenburg after his meeting with Charles, William was picked up by soldiers of Frederick the Wise and escorted to Wartburg Castle for his own protection. Philip II became king of Spain and Lord of the low countries in 1556 when he took over from his father Charles V. Philips rule in the seventeen separate provinces known collectively as the Netherlands faced many difficulties including heavy taxation and the suppression of Protestantism; this led to warfare in 1568. In 1566, protestant preachers sparked anti-clerical riots known as the Iconoclast Fury; in response to growing heresy, the duke of Alba`s army went on the offensive which further alienated the local aristocracy. In 1584, William of Orange was assassinated by Balthasar Gerard, after Philip had offered a reward of 25,000 crowns to anyone who killed him, calling him a â€Å"pest on the whole of Christianity and the enemy of the human race†. 7 All of the key people involved with the revolt in the Netherlands had their own religious beliefs, and it was these beliefs which were instrumental in the uprising, from the catholic support of the Spanish royal family and the other established European rulers at the time, and the new believers such as Luther and Calvin who influenced William of Orange and other key rebels. The key figures in the new religious movement had such influence over the wronged peasants that they were able to be guaranteed of their support in whatever was asked of them including the revolt itself. (Word Count 1149) Bibliography Wallace, P. (The Long European Reformation). Grell, Ole Peter. O`Day, R. Laurence, A. Loftus, D. (The European Reformation), Block 2. The Open University, Milton Keynes.

The Impact of Classroom Technology on Student Behavior

Journal of Technology Research The impact of classroom technology on student behavior Angeline M. Lavin University of South Dakota Leon Korte University of South Dakota Thomas L. Davies University of South Dakota ABSTRACT The trend toward technology enhanced classrooms has escalated quickly during the past five years as students have become increasingly tech-savvy. Classrooms across the nation have become â€Å"wired† and textbook publishers now offer a wide variety of computerized teaching supplements. In fact, some may argue that technology is now expected in the college classroom.The objective of this research is to examine whether the use of technology in university classes impacts student behavior and student perceptions of instructional quality. This paper summarizes the results of a survey administered to students enrolled in business courses at a mid-sized Midwestern university. The results suggest that adding technology in courses where it is not currently used is lik ely to have a positive impact on student perceptions of the instructor and on student behavior. However, removing technology from courses that already use it would not appear to have a negative impact on all aspects of student behavior.Overall there are certain aspects of student behavior (the amount of time that students study, the quantity of notes they take, their attendance, and their interaction with the instructor) which appear to be technology neutral. In contrast, technology tends to have a meaningful impact on student preparation for class, attentiveness, quality of notes taken, student participation in class, student learning, desire to take additional classes from the instructor or in the subject matter, and the overall evaluation of the course and the instructor.Keywords: class technology, instructional quality, student behavior, student perceptions The impact of classroom technology, Page 1 Journal of Technology Research INTRODUCTION Technology, it seems, is everywhere these days. As computers have become more commonplace, the use of information technology has become pervasive in most everyone’s lives. For most of us, it is hard to image daily life without the influence of technological devices, be it handheld video games, personal digital assistants, cell phones or any number of computers.This is especially true for younger generations. In academia, we have likely reached the point where the use of technology is expected, by both students and their parents (Christensen, 1999). The trend toward technology enhanced classes has escalated quickly during the past five years as students have become increasingly tech-savvy, classrooms across the nation have become â€Å"wired† and textbook publishers now offer a wide variety of computerized teaching supplements.Lowerison, Sclater, Schmid, and Abrami (2006) suggest that technology has the potential to transform the learning environment from passive to active and more subject to the control of the learner. According to Roblyer (2003), technology may enable the learner to be more actively involved in his or her own learning. While technology may enhance the classroom and engage today’s student more effectively, most do not believe it replaces the need for a structured, content-driving learning process that is grounded in theory.To be effective, technology-based tools must accompany appropriate pedagogy (Laurillard, 2002). That said, a 2001 national study showed that 87% of faculty believe computer technology enhances student learning (Epper and Bates, 2001). Despite this widespread belief that the use of technology in the classroom is generally good, such may not always be the case. Burbules and Callister (2000) suggest technology can be used well or poorly, and thus its effectiveness is dependent on how it used, by whom and for what purpose. Instructors use varying amounts of technology in their classes.For example, some professors utilize PowerPoint slides or s imilar technology extensively or moderately throughout a course, while others seldom or never use technology. There may be several reasons why instructors ultimately adopt technology for classroom use. For some, it may help them to create better organized, more focused lectures. For others, they believe that the use of technology benefits students by engaging them more in the classroom and allowing them to listen more closely without transcribing every word that is spoken.Some professors may choose technology because writing on whiteboards or blackboards hinders their ability to interact with students. Still other instructors may adopt technology as a time saving device because it is readily available today, provided by the publishers who are eager to convince faculty to adopt their textbooks. Although the motivation may differ, theoretically the overall expectation is that technology will improve the course, engage the students and enable them to learn more. There may also be at le ast the implicit hope by the faculty member that teaching evaluations will improve.The study of what makes a college teacher effective is ongoing. Witcher, Onquegbuzie, Collins, Filer, Wiedmaier, and Moore (2003) suggest that students believe that effective teachers possess many if not all of the following nine characteristics, listed in order of importance: (1) student-centered; (2) knowledgeable about the subject matter; (3) professional; (4) enthusiastic about teaching; (5) effective at communication; (6) accessible; (7) competent at instruction; (8) fair and respectful; and (9) provider of adequate performance feedback.Clearly, utilization of technology can impact several of these identified characteristics or traits. Thus, in recent years, the proliferation of technology in an educational setting has sparked considerable interest on the The impact of classroom technology, Page 2 Journal of Technology Research part of researchers, and a number of studies have focused on the posi tives and negatives of technology use from the perspectives of the institution, student and professor.A recent study by Apperson, Laws and Scepansky (2006) examined the impact of PowerPoint on the students’ classroom experience. While they found no differences in grades as a result of the use of PowerPoint in the classroom, they did find that students in PowerPointenhanced classrooms responded differently to the classroom experience. Specifically, students believed that the PowerPoint classes were better organized and more interesting. Students also rated the professor high overall and indicated that they would be more likely to take another class from that professor.Interestingly, students in PowerPoint enhanced courses also found that the instructors exhibited more positive behaviors seemingly unrelated to the use of technology, such as providing helpful feedback in a timely fashion and creating assignments that involve higherorder more critical or creative thought. Further more, Atkins-Sayre, Hopkins, Mohundro, and Sayre (1998) concluded that the use of technology adds to the instructor’s credibility. Lecturers can manage class time more fficiently as less time is spent writing on whiteboards or changing transparencies (Daniels, 1999, Mantei, 2000), and thus lectures may flow better. Overall, Apperson et al (2006) believe that the use of technology in classrooms causes students to have a more favorable attitude toward their education, and benefits accrue to instructors who utilize it in their classes. However, technology usage does not necessarily result in better teaching evaluations for faculty. Lowerison et al found no significant relationship between actual computer use and perceived effective computer usage on course evaluations (2006).Several explanations were offered for this unexpected outcome, including the fact that students may now expect technology to be used in the classroom and no longer see it as a unique class feature that enhan ces their learning. These findings are consistent with the Christensen (1999) study mentioned earlier. It may also be the case that technology is not being used in an appropriate manner, that is, as a transformative, student-centered tool for learning, a concern expressed by Burbules and Callister (2000).Computer technology may also better support diverse needs and capacities of students, providing the potential for deeper processing and understanding of information (McCombs, 2000). While the technology may enhance the classroom and engage today’s student more effectively, most do not believe it replaces the need for a structured, content-driving learning process that is grounded in theory. To be effective, technology-based tools must accompany appropriate pedagogy (Laurillard, 2002).As McFarlane states, â€Å"computer use alone, without clear objectives and well designed tasks, is of little intrinsic value (1997). This paper continues the inquiry into the impact of technolo gy on student perceptions of their own learning as well as their academic behavior. PRESENT STUDY Students taking various business classes in a medium-sized Midwestern university were invited to participate in research study seeking to assess the impact of the presence or absence of technology in the classroom on self-perceived student effort and behavior.Prior to the survey being administered in individual classrooms, instructors who participated were asked whether or not they made moderate or extensive use of technology in their courses. If the instructor used technology moderately or extensively, then the survey given in that class asked the students to give their opinion regarding how the absence of technology would impact various components of The impact of classroom technology, Page 3 Journal of Technology Research student learning.For example, students were asked whether the lack of technology would have a positive or negative impact on their attentiveness in class as compare d to what it had been. Alternatively, if the instructor indicated that he/she did not utilize technology moderately or extensively, then the survey given in that class asked the students to give their opinion regarding how the addition of technology would impact them. Thus, for example, students in these sections were asked whether more technology usage by the instructor would affect their own level of class preparation.Survey questions were based in part on three different student evaluation forms previously or currently being used by the researchers’ university, including an early version developed and used by all public institutions within the state, the Student Instructional Report II and the IDEA Diagnostic Form Report. Both versions of the survey used the following five point scale to collect student opinions: â€Å"1† was significantly positive, â€Å"2† was somewhat positive, â€Å"3† was no difference, â€Å"4† was somewhat negative, and à ¢â‚¬Å"5† was significantly negative.The survey also included numerous demographic questions to facilitate analysis of the responses. Among other things, students were asked whether they were graduate or undergraduate students, their program of study or major, and their year in school (e. g. , freshman, sophomore, etc. ), as well as their grade point average and gender. In total nine business faculty members, including two of the paper’s authors, administered the survey in their classes.Faculty participants were selected on the basis of their rank, varying degrees of technological proficiency and usage, discipline, and gender in order to provide a cross-section of courses being evaluated. Classes chosen included those at the 100 (first year), 200 (second year), 300 (junior level), 400 (senior level) and graduate (700) level. In all, the survey was administered in fourteen different business classes, including multiple sections of a few of the courses.The survey was admin istered near the beginning of last year’s fall semester. Participating faculty were asked to devote class time to allow for the completion of the survey. Enrollment in the sections surveyed totaled 700 students, including some students who were enrolled in more than one of the classes included in the sample. In total, approximately 550 usable surveys were completed and returned. A brief summary of demographic information for the undergraduate survey respondents is included in the Appendix.RESULTS Table 1 and 2 show the preliminary results of the data analysis. In each table, the mean response for each question is compared to a neutral response of â€Å"3† in order to evaluate the effects that each group might anticipate given possible changes in their classroom environments. Recall that each item was based on the following five point scale: â€Å"1† – significantly positive, â€Å"2† – somewhat positive, â€Å"3† – no differenc e, â€Å"4† – somewhat negative, and â€Å"5† – significantly negative, resulting in a lower mean for a more positive perception.The mean is provided for each question as well as the number of students who gave a particular response. Table 1 shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she used technology moderately or extensively. The survey then asked the students to give their opinions regarding how the absence of technology would impact their learning from the course. There were 374 usable surveys returned from this set of classes. The means in Table 1 fluctuate between the â€Å"high 2† range and the â€Å"low 3† range.Responses from the students in these courses that used technology suggest that students anticipate that the loss of The impact of classroom technology, Page 4 Journal of Technology Research technology would have a positive impact (mean is less than the neutral response o f 3. 0 and statistically different from the neutral response) on the amount of time they study for class each day, the amount of time they study for exams and quizzes, the quantity of notes they take, their overall attendance for the class, and their appreciation for the instructor’s effort.Assuming that students would view less study time as more positive, it appears that students feel they would study less if technology is removed from the course. It seems somewhat counterintuitive that the absence of technology would have a positive impact on the amount of notes that students take, however, the â€Å"quantity† of notes taken can be viewed from two different angles. Students may consider it a positive to take fewer notes, and students may perceive that they take fewer notes when technology is used in the classroom.The loss of technology, according to the students, would also have a positive impact on their attendance and their appreciation for the instructor’s effort. Students may perceive that it would be more important to attend class to hear the material presented if the notes were not available via technology outside of class. In addition, it appears that students believe that technology may make teaching â€Å"easier† as the loss of technology would have a positive impact on student appreciate of instructor effort.In contrast, student responses indicate that students expect that the loss of technology would have a negative impact (mean is greater than the neutral response and statistically different from the neutral response) on attentiveness in class, the amount learned from class, the students’ desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor, and the students’ desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. These results suggest that students perceive there are specific benefits associated with technology use in the classroom.Technology may be one way instructors can maintain student interest. Indeed, the responses appear to suggest that students perceive that they might learn less if technology were withdrawn. Students also indicated that they would be less inclined to take additional classes from the instructor if technology were not used, and they might also be less inclined to take more courses in the same subject matter if technology were not a part of the classroom experience.On the other hand, the responses suggest that students might be more likely to attend class and have a greater appreciation for instructor effort if technology were not used in the classroom. Results of the two questions as to how a change in technology use from moderate/intensive to none at all would impact the student’s overall evaluation of the course and the instructor are also presented in Table 1. Students who currently experience technology in the classroom would rate a course less favorably if the technology were removed (mean above the neutral 3. and statistically diff erent from the neutral 3. 0). However, the impact on the students’ ratings of the instructor appears to be neutral under the loss of technology scenario. Table 2 shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she did not use technology moderately or extensively. Those surveys then asked the students to share their thoughts regarding how the addition of technology would impact the how they behaved in the course. There were 183 usable surveys returned from this set of classes.The mean for every question was below the neutral response of â€Å"3,† which suggests that students thought that those courses that did not presently use technology could be improved by the addition of it; a lower mean again reflects a more positive impact. The responses given by the students in the courses that did not include a technology component indicated that its addition of technology would have a positive impact (mean less than and significa ntly different than the neutral response) for all questions except two, i. e. he amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class and the students’ desire to take more classes in the subject matter. These results The impact of classroom technology, Page 5 Journal of Technology Research suggest that in the opinion of the students, the addition of technology would have an overall positive impact on their behavior. The addition of technology would, according to the students, have the most positive impact on the students’ appreciation for the instructor’s effort, the amount the students learn from the course, and the quality of the notes that the students take.According to both Tables 1 and 2, the amount of interaction that students have with the instructor outside of class is technology â€Å"neutral† as the mean was close to â€Å"3† for both versions of the survey. Results of the two questions pertaining to how the addition of technology t o a course that does not currently use it would impact the student’s overall evaluation of the course and the instructor are presented in Table 2 as well. The responses were positive (mean less than the neutral response of 3. and statistically different from the neutral response of 3. 0). These results suggest that the prospect of including technology in the classroom environment appears to increase the likelihood that students would perceive both the course and the instructor in a more favorable light. In addition to comparing the means for each version of the survey to a neutral response of â€Å"3,† the means for each version can be compared to each other. In Table 3, the first set of data (i. e. the left side) shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she used technology moderately or extensively, with the students being asked how the removal of technology would impact their behavior. The second set of data (i. e. , the right side) shows the results for the surveys given in the classes in which the instructor indicated that he/she did not use technology moderately or extensively, with the students being asked how the addition of technology would influence their behavior.Responses from those students in classrooms that currently used technology (left set) appeared to suggest a relatively neutral impact on the students’ evaluation of the instructor if technology were withdrawn (mean close to 3. 0), but a slightly more negative (mean above 3. 0) response to the evaluation of the course if technology were withdrawn [see Table 1]. Students who were in class that did not currently use technology (right set) indicated that the addition of the technology would improve their evaluation of both the course and the instructor (mean below 3. 0) [see Table 2].As might be expected given the different results reported in the first two tables, the differences between the two groups were statistical ly significant for some of the variables as reported in Table 3. Students appear to want technology in the classroom and that desire appears to be reflected in the overall evaluation of the course and instructor. As Table 3 illustrates, students who are not currently exposed to technology in the classroom generally responded more favorably to the prospect of adding the technology than did students who imagined the technology being withdrawn.Eleven of the 17 questions reflected statistically significant differences (? < 0. 050) in the mean responses between the two groups. In other words, students who currently experience technology in the classroom gave significantly different responses from those who currently did not have technology in the classroom. The questions that reflected statistically significant differences are noted with an â€Å"*† in Table 3.For those questions in which a statistically significant difference between the two groups was observed, responses from st udents who currently do not experience the use of technology in the classroom reflected more positive mean responses to the addition of technology usage than did their counterparts who might experience the withdrawal of technology in the classroom. The six items that did not generate statistically significant differences between the two survey groups were as follows: †¢ Amount of time you study for class each day. †¢ Amount of time you study for exams and quizzes.The impact of classroom technology, Page 6 Journal of Technology Research †¢ Quantity of notes. †¢ Overall attendance. †¢ Amount of interaction with the instructor during class. †¢ Amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class. These results suggest that student perceptions of these six items are â€Å"technology neutral. † In other words, the addition of technology where it is currently not used or the loss of technology where it is used is not perceived to have a meaningfu l impact on the amount of time students study, the quantity of notes they take, their attendance, or their interaction with the instructor.In contrast for nine of the eleven items marked with an â€Å"*† in Table 3, technology appears to have a positive impact because the loss of technology (left side) has a mean greater than â€Å"3† (negative impact) and the addition of technology (right side) has a mean less than â€Å"3† (positive impact). Therefore, according to the comparison of the two samples, technology has meaningful impact on student preparation for class, attentiveness, quality of notes taken, student participation in class, student learning, desire to take additional classes from the instructor or in the subject matter, and the overall evaluation of the course and the instructor.The student response to one question [student’s appreciation of instructor effort] is more problematic. In each group student responses suggested a change from the ex isting situation might be viewed more positively than maintaining the status quo, and each group reflected responses that were significantly different from a neutral response on this question [see Tables 1 and 2].Although each group responded more positively than neutral to this question, students in the group without technology for whom it was suggested technology might be added responded more positively than did the students who were asked to imagine a class in which the technology might be withdrawn. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that adding technology to courses where it is not currently used is likely to have a positive impact on student perceptions of the instructor and the course as well as on most aspects of student behavior.However, it interesting to note that removing technology from courses that already use it would not appear to have a negative impact on all aspects of student behavior. For example, removal of technology from a course might, ac cording to student responses, have a positive impact on the amount of time they study for class each day, the amount of time they study for exams and quizzes, the quantity of notes they take, their overall attendance for the class, and their appreciation for the instructor’s effort.However, removal of technology from a course that currently utilizes it would be viewed negatively in terms of the overall evaluation of the course, the students’ attentiveness in class, the amount the students learn from class, the students’ desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor, and the students’ desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. Comparison of the loss of technology in a course that currently uses it versus the addition of technology to a course that does not use it suggests that there are certain aspects which are â€Å"technology neutral. In other words, the addition of technology where it is currently not used or the loss of technology where it is used is not perceived to have a meaningful impact on the amount of time students study, the quantity of notes they take, their attendance, or their interaction with the instructor. In contrast, technology appears to have a meaningful impact on student preparation for class, attentiveness, quality of notes taken, student participation in class, The impact of classroom technology, Page 7Journal of Technology Research student learning, desire to take additional classes from the instructor or in the subject matter, and the overall evaluation of the course and the instructor. The research is not meant to determine how effective technology was in helping students learn or which technology might be most effective. Rather, this research focuses on student perceptions or opinions regarding technology usage and how adding technology to a course that does not use it or eliminating technology from a course that does use it might impact a student’s perception of the course or the faculty member as well as his/her behavior.These results suggest that students taking business classes at this Midwestern University perceive that technology use in the classroom does indeed have an overall positive impact. While technological enhancement may not necessarily be appropriate for all classroom situations and all subject matter, these results suggest that instructors who are comfortable using technology and find that it enhances their teaching experience should continue to incorporate it in their classes. Those who do, however, must remember technology for what it is – a tool which can have a positive impact on student behaviors and perceptions when used appropriately.LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH There are several limitations to the present study. The results were drawn from data collected from students enrolled in business courses at a single Midwestern University and, therefore, the results may not be generalized to hold for different popul ations such as nonbusiness students or students at universities in other parts of the country or even the world. Further analysis is presently underway that considers the impact of the addition of technology to a course that does not use it or the removal of technology from a course that does use it on a student’s perception of instructor effectiveness.In addition, while this particular research focuses on student perceptions of technology use, the ultimate goal of technology integration in the classroom should be to help students learn. Therefore, further research to help to identify which technology uses are most educationally meaningful would help educators to make informed decisions regarding the plethora of technology tools available for the classroom today. Gaining a better understanding of student expectations regarding technology use for students of different ages would also be useful information.Another avenue of future research, which could only occur subsequent to the two avenues previously mentioned, would be a study of whether student perceptions are congruent with the use of technology tools that are found to be most effective in advancing student learning. The impact of classroom technology, Page 8 Journal of Technology Research Table 1 Comparison of Student Responses Relative to a Neutral Response for the Impact on Personal Behavior of the Loss of Technology Where It is Now Used Expected Effect of the Loss of Technology Std testN Mean Dev stat Alpha The level of your preparation for each class session. 72 3. 032 0. 968 0. 643 0. 521 The amount of time you study for class each day. * 373 2. 831 0. 843 3. 870 0. 000 The amount of time you study for exams and 373 2. 721 0. 960 5. 608 0. 000 quizzes. * Your attentiveness in class. * 372 3. 228 1. 197 3. 682 0. 000 The quantity of notes you take. * 372 2. 769 1. 324 3. 368 0. 001 The quality of notes you take. 373 3. 078 1. 302 1. 153 0. 250 Your level of participation in class discussions. 3 72 3. 043 0. 895 0. 927 0. 355 Your overall attendance for the class. * 373 2. 788 0. 823 4. 967 0. 000 The amount of your interaction with the instructor during class. 73 2. 976 0. 824 0. 565 0. 572 The amount of interaction with the instructor outside 373 3. 005 0. 846 0. 122 0. 903 of class. The amount you learn from class. * 373 3. 231 1. 090 4. 084 0. 000 Your appreciation for the instructor’s effort. * 372 2. 849 1. 038 2. 798 0. 005 Your appreciation for the importance of the material. 373 2. 960 0. 925 0. 840 0. 402 Your desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor. * 374 3. 112 0. 981 2. 213 0. 028 Your desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. * 374 3. 104 0. 916 2. 202 0. 028 Your overall evaluation of this course. * 372 3. 290 1. 62 5. 271 0. 000 Your overall evaluation of this instructor. 372 3. 048 1. 008 0. 926 0. 355 Note : Questions with statistically significant differences between mean responses and an expected neutral res ponse [3. 0] are marked with an â€Å"*†. The impact of classroom technology, Page 9 Journal of Technology Research Table 2 Comparison of Student Responses Relative to a Neutral Response for the Impact on Personal Behavior of the Addition of Technology Where It Is Not Used Expected Effect of the Addition of Technology Std testN Mean Dev stat alpha The level of your preparation for each class session. * 183 2. 601 0. 83 6. 112 0. 000 The amount of time you study for class each day. * 183 2. 820 0. 822 2. 967 0. 003 The amount of time you study for exams and quizzes. * 183 2. 634 0. 860 5. 762 0. 000 Your attentiveness in class. * 183 2. 634 1. 111 4. 460 0. 000 The quantity of notes you take. * 183 2. 743 1. 202 2. 891 0. 004 The quality of notes you take. * 183 2. 557 1. 179 5. 077 0. 000 Your level of participation in class discussions. * 183 2. 814 0. 776 3. 238 0. 001 Your overall attendance for the class. * 183 2. 689 0. 959 4. 395 0. 000 The amount of your interaction wi th the instructor during class. * 183 2. 891 0. 41 1. 996 0. 047 The amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class. 183 2. 962 0. 615 0. 842 0. 401 The amount you learn from class. * 183 2. 563 1. 040 5. 684 0. 000 Your appreciation for the instructor’s effort. * 183 2. 546 1. 004 6. 113 0. 000 Your appreciation for the importance of the material. * 183 2. 590 0. 890 6. 227 0. 000 Your desire to take additional classes from the particular instructor. * 182 2. 747 0. 929 3. 668 0. 000 Your desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. 182 2. 901 0. 848 1. 573 0. 117 Your overall evaluation of this course. * 182 2. 571 1. 031 5. 605 0. 00 Your overall evaluation of this instructor. * 182 2. 582 0. 976 5. 775 0. 000 Note : Questions with statistically significant differences between mean responses and an expected neutral response [3. 0] are marked with an â€Å"*†. The impact of classroom technology, Page 10 Journal of Technology Research Table 3 C omparison of Responses to Questions about Student Behavior for the Impact of the Loss of Technology Where It is Now Used (Left Set) versus the Addition of Technology in Classes Where It is Not Used (Right Set) Expected Effect of Expected Effect of the Loss of the Addition of Technology Technology N Mean Std Dev N Mean Std Dev alphaThe level of your preparation for each class session. * The amount of time you study for class each day. The amount of time you study for exams and quizzes. Your attentiveness in class. * The quantity of notes you take. The quality of notes you take. * Your level of participation in class discussions. * Your overall attendance for the class. The amount of your interaction with the instructor during class. The amount of interaction with the instructor outside of class. The amount you learn from class. * Your appreciation for the instructor’s effort. Your appreciation for the importance of the material. * Your desire to take additional classes from th e instructor. * Your desire to take additional classes in the subject matter. * Your overall evaluation of this course. * 372 373 373 372 372 373 372 373 373 373 373 372 373 374 374 372 3. 03 2. 83 2. 72 3. 23 2. 77 3. 08 3. 04 2. 79 2. 98 3. 01 3. 23 2. 85 2. 96 3. 11 3. 10 3. 29 0. 97 0. 84 0. 96 1. 20 1. 32 1. 30 0. 90 0. 82 0. 82 0. 85 1. 09 1. 04 0. 93 0. 98 0. 92 1. 06 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 183 182 182 182 2. 60 2. 82 2. 63 2. 63 2. 74 2. 56 2. 1 2. 69 2. 89 2. 96 2. 56 2. 55 2. 59 2. 75 2. 90 2. 57 0. 88 0. 82 0. 86 1. 11 1. 20 1. 18 0. 78 0. 96 0. 74 0. 61 1. 04 1. 00 0. 89 0. 93 0. 85 1. 03 0. 000 0. 880 0. 298 0. 000 0. 825 0. 000 0. 003 0. 205 0. 237 0. 534 0. 000 0. 001 0. 000 0. 000 0. 012 0. 000 Your overall evaluation of this instructor. * 372 3. 05 1. 01 182 2. 58 0. 98 0. 000 Note : Questions with statistically significant differences in the mean responses between the two groups are marked with an â€Å"*†. The impact of classroom te chnology, Page 11 Journal of Technology Research REFERENCES Apperson, J. , Laws, E. and Scepansky, J. (2006). The Impact of Presentation Graphics on Students’ Experience in the Classroom. Computers and Education, 47(1), 116-126. Atkins-Sayre, W. , Hopkins, S. , Mohundro, S. and Sayre, W. (1998). Rewards and Liabilities of Presentation Software as an Ancillary Tool: Prison or Paradise? Paper presented at the National Communication Association Eighty Fourth Annual Conference, New York, NY. Burbules, N. and Callister, T. , Jr. (2000). Watch IT: The Promises and Risk of New Information Technologies for Education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Christensen, K. (1999).A Comparison of Student Performance in Human Development Classes Using Three Different Modes of Delivery: Online, Face-to-Face, and Combined. Ed. D. Dissertation, Department of Education, Drake University. Daniels, L. (1999). Introducing Technology in the Classroom: PowerPoint as a First Step. Journal of Computing in Hi gher Education, 10, 42-56. Epper, R. and Bates, A. (2001). Teaching Faculty How to Use Technology. American Council on Education. Oryx Press. Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking University Teaching: A Framework for the Effective Use of Educational Technology (2nd ed. . London: Routledge. Lowerison, G. , Sclater, J. , Schmid, R. F. , and Abrami, P. C. (2006). Student Perceived Effectiveness of Computer Technology Use in Post-secondary Classrooms. Computer and Education, 47, 465-489. Mantei, E. (2000). Using Internet Class Notes and PowerPoint in the Physical Geology Lecture. Journal of College Science Teaching, 29, 301-305. McCombs, B. (2000). Assessing the Role of Educational Technology in the Teaching and Learning Process: A Learner-Centered Perspective. The Secretary’s Conference on Educational Technology 2000. www. d. gov/Technology/techconf/2000/mccombs_paper. html. McFarlane, A. (1997). What Are We and How Did We Get Here? In A. McFarlane (ED. ), Information Technology and Authentic Learning: Realizing the Potential of Computers in the Primary Classroom. London, England : Routledge. Roblyer, M. (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. (3rd ed. ) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Witcher, A. , Onwuegbuzie, A. , Collins, K. , Filer, J. , Wiedmaier, C. , and Moore, C. Students’ Perceptions of Characteristics of Effective College Teachers.ERIC Document Reproduction Service: ED 482517. The impact of classroom technology, Page 12 Journal of Technology Research APPENDIX Demographic Information for Undergraduate Students in the Sample Technology = Technology Used; Impact of the Absence of Technology No Technology = Technology Not Used; Impact of the Addition of Technology Major for Undergraduate Students in Sample Technology No Technology (N = 329) (N = 155) Accounting 19% 15% Economics Finance Health Service Administration Management Marketing Business Undeclared Other – Non-business 5% 8% 8% 26% 13% 14% 7% 5% 13% 8% 23% 8% 18% 10%Year for Undergraduate Students in Sample Technology No Technology (N = 329) (N = 155) Freshman 18% 3% Sophomore Junior Senior 22% 32% 28% 52% 23% 22% ?2 tests for differences in the distribution of majors between the two groups and for differences in the distribution of undergraduate years did not reject the null hypothesis.It was assumed there were no significant differences in the distribution of undergraduate majors or in the distribution of students in terms of academic progress when comparing the two groups. Technology (N = 329) Female Male Student gender 40% 60% No Technology (N = 155) Female Male 49% 51% A test of proportions suggested no significant difference in the proportion of female to male students when comparing the two groups included in this study. The impact of classroom technology, Page 13