ACCOUNTING Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ACCOUNTING - Article Example This all contributed to the collapse of world’s largest and most powerful economies of the world. The paper, in general, tries to identify the various factors in the field of accounting research that contributed to the fall of financial system in the USA. It also talks about how weak laws and financial reporting requirements as a result of insufficient accounting research have contributed to the crisis apart from irresponsible behavior of the bankers and the banks. This article is written in this time because the entire world is going through a turbulent phase of global financial crisis which has not only paralysed the US economic system, but also the world economic system.The main point that the article discusses is the financial reporting requirements and in particular the valuation regulations. The article uses the secondary research methodology when analyzing the role of accounting research in its attempt to curb or stop the looming crisis. It talks about the fair value ac counting and how it contributed to the fall in the accounting system. It pays particular attention to the manipulation that many companies did in order to window-dress their financial statements and use it as a tool to justify money laundering, over-valued SIVs etc. However, at the same time, it criticizes the role of accounting research by using the observational secondary research. It says that even when the fair-value accounting was at its peak, the researchers were unable to publish any data or any empirical data about the problems that it could cause. Instead, during the years preceding crisis, there was no research done on the issue, and it was after the crisis had been fully operational that accountants starting paying heed to the issue and starting researching the topic. This again is used by the writer, as an evidence to signify the gap between accounting in practice and accounting research through observation and secondary research as a methodology. The article then comes down to the third argument that is used a factor showing the gap between accounting research and accounting

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Film Essay Example for Free

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Film Essay I am very distressed about living in this dreadful place. I absolutely hate it; I can’t believe we moved from the best house EVER!!! With 5 floors if you included the basement and the top floor with the window where if I stand on the end of my toes I could see the whole of Berlin, to this place which I’m pretty sure is the worst house ever. I miss Berlin so much but most of all I miss you and grandfather. This house is really small too, and I mean it is tiny! It only has 3 floors which means there is not a lot of exploring to be done like in Berlin, in Berlin I had explored every single place I could think of but then I find something new all of a sudden. Also mother and father don’t let me explore in the new back garden because it is ‘out of bounds’. What ever that means. There’s nothing to explore in the front garden either because it’s so small. Perplexed, I stood and gazed through my bedroom window. There were so many farmers working on one huge field with little huts that disappeared into the distance†¦ The thing that horrified me most of all was that even kids starting from the age of about 4 were working and they looked so anorexic. Each time the soldiers shouted the kids would huddle closer and closer together. They all seemed so scared as if they were being forced to, hmmm All of the farmers looked really skinny, almost anorexic. One of the farmers’ even works in our kitchen peeling all of the vegetables. I found it really tedious with nothing to do so I decided to make a swing. To make the swing I needed some rope which was easy to find, and a tire which was a little trickier I interrupted Gretel whilst she was flirting so I could ask lieutenant Kotler if he had a spare tire. After a long and boring chat he gave me one and I made my swing. Once I had finished building the swing, I enjoyed it really well. But then I fell and hurt my knee really bad. I thought I would bleed to death but then a farmer called Pavel that worked in our kitchen ran over and helped me. After he had cleaned and bandaged my cut mother had finally arrived. She had figured out what happened almost immediately, she did not look pleased.

Insect-Borne Disease and Australia :: Diseases Health Medical Essays

Insect-Borne Disease and Australia Insect borne diseases loom as a potential threat in many countries including Australia. Australia has been relatively free of insect-borne diseases compared to other southern land masses such as South America and Africa. Australia has several characteristics that influence the prevalence of insect-borne disease. Some these features include low altitudes, tropical forests, Southern Oscillation, and the fact that Australia is an island continent. Some of the most common insect-borne diseases of concern in Australia include Murray Valley encephalitis, Malaria, Dengue fever, Ross Valley virus and Yellow fever. The most common vector in Australia is the mosquito, in particular Aedes aegypti, which is the Dengue vector. Dengue fever is a flavivirus and is the greatest insect-borne disease threat in Australia. Two presentations of Dengue fever are known; classic Dengue fever and Dengue hemorrhagic fever. Classic Dengue fever is fairly common, usually in urban areas, and usually not life threatening. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a very serious illness. Dengue is usually isolated to North Queensland, which is brought in by infected international travelers and maintained by the large Aedes aegypti population in Queensland. Australia and north Queensland have implemented management plans to control and eradicate Dengue fever and other potential insect-borne viruses. Keys to this plan are disease surveillance, mosquito control and surveillance, and education. Introduction Insect-borne diseases are a common threat to travelers, especially when traveling to tropical countries. Insect-borne diseases are usually transmitted by mosquitoes and are caused by several types of microorganisms. Vaccinations, mosquito control, and education are common methods utilized in minimizing the effects of insect-borne disease. In this paper I will attempt to give an overview of insect-borne disease in Australia. In doing this, I plan on describing the most common insect-borne diseases in Australia, the vectors behind these diseases, and common methods used in prevention of insect-borne disease in Australia. Australian Geographical Features Compared to other southern land masses, such as South America and Africa, Australia has been and is relatively free of insect-borne disease (Kettle 1993).

Diversity in America Essay

In an ideal world, humanity would understand that all mankind is created equally; that the underlying truth of each of us is goodness, and that through awareness, conscious choice and the willingness to create positive change, we could live in a world where diversity is celebrated. We would leave behind the substantial racist and oppressing patterns that exits in this world, specifically in the United States of America. It is said that the U. S. is a melting pot of cultures, and that we are a country of immigrants existing together as a new culture, living under the values of a democracy based on freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet this policy is completely disregarding the fact that as immigrants, we brutally committed genocide to the Native Americans. The dominant race in the U. S. A. is made up of white Euro-centric people, and looking at the patterns that exist in this culture is important to examine the history, the ways in which racism is alive and how and who is affected. We all must look at how, as an individual and within a community, we can work towards positive change, healing and understanding. As a society, we have committed and perpetuated the oppression of different cultures specifically the Native Americans, the Native Africans and the many immigrants from different countries. In the early history of the U. S. government, it is clear that there was a systematic method that aimed to remove the Native Americans from the land that was desired by the colonists, with the malicious intention to commit genocide. The first example of the patterns of racism that were established is seen in the fabrication of stereotypes onto the Native Americans. It was said that the Natives were â€Å"barbarians† and that they would rape and murder women and children and that they â€Å"served the devil† (Tataki, 1993, p. 41). The whites held the belief that the Natives were occupying land that the colonists felt entitled to. â€Å"White people also justified the genocide by saying that Native Americans died from diseases they were biologically unable to resist† (Kivel, 2002, p.126). It is a known fact that smallpox were given to the Natives as a way to kill them. Multiple examples exist throughout the history of the whites murdering, raping and unjustly exploiting almost every aspect of the Native’s culture. After committing such horrendous violations we are left with the inability to change all that has occurred and a great sadness that produces guilt, blame and anger that often stagnates a healing process and increases denial and avoidance. The Native American population has almost completely been destroyed. â€Å"At the time Columbus arrived in the West Indies there were approximately fifteen million indigenous people†¦ today†¦ the population of native Americans in the United States is around three million according to U. S. government census figures† (Kivel, 2002, p. 124) and the remaining Natives in America are mostly confined to reservations. This small fraction of designated land is no longer their original sacred land but it is being raped for natural resources. White settlers not only committed genocide but they also enslaved the Native Americans. This pattern of entitlement and abuse was continued with the legal capturing and enslavement of people of African decent with as much violence and oppression. The history of slavery in the United States that occurred through 1619 to 1865 began soon after the English colonists first settled in Virginia and lasted until the passage of the thirteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. â€Å"Over the next twenty five years Virginia passed a series of laws that legalized slavery, producing a radically subordinate and stigmatized class below that of all whites† (Kivel, 2002, p.130). Although technically slavery was abolished in1865, a linage of abuse and inhumane treatment was installed and has been carried into this day and age providing a challenge to accept and comprehend the past. In an attempt in understanding black oppression, there are aspects that demonstrate this injustice. They are institutional racism, racist knowledge and power relations that are played out in our culture and in no way have anything to do biology. Individuals and societies have created and used race as a means to oppress and overpower other groups of people. Racial oppression is when a group of people dominates another for their own benefit disregarding justice and respect through the use of violence and defining and discriminating racial differences. This dominant group receives various benefits although in the larger picture all sides loose for the continuation of a pattern of pain and injustice is insured through these actions. African-Americans are a case of this racial oppression. They were turned into slaves because of the color of their skin. It is shocking that it did not start this way and that through the power of the U. S.government slavery laws were passed that enabled the white masters to turn the blacks into slaves. This is an example of the institutional racism used to enslave the blacks. Because of this occurrence, we, as a society, must break down the residual stereotypes that have instilled fear, pain and disconnection between the races, and to change the model that exists even at this point in time. Another example of racism in the U. S. is seen in the treatment of immigrants. This subject is personal, for on my father’s side of my family I am part of the first generation born in American. My father’s parents immigrated to the U. S. , to escape the holocaust and I am sure shared the dreams of the majority of different immigrants who traveled to the â€Å"land of opportunity,† escaping places of war and economic devastation to begin and pursue a new and better life. Through the duration of attending a class studying the diversity in America I have gained painful yet poignant knowledge of the racism that is still perpetrated upon immigrants, specifically on Jewish people. I have recently learned that groups of neo-Nazis congregate and commit acts of violence against Jewish people and immigrating races. This is terrifying to me and feels unacceptable while we live under a constitution that allows personal expression but does not permit such distinct racist and violent behavior. I am grateful and saddened that because I was raised in a protected and privileged community I have rarely experienced oppression and hateful discrimination when it so readily exists in our culture. In the past few months I find myself cycling through heartbreak, anger and disbelief of the injustice that has and still occurs, and then to a yearning for healing and equality for all. I remain in a space of wonderment, questioning the fact that although laws have been installed to prevent the acts of racism, fear, ignorance and violence is bubbling hot under the surface of our society, and we are a long way from a complete shift in humanity that I crave. I do believe there is hope. I believe that in gaining the truth of the past and diminishing ignorance of the harm that was and still is being done we open a door that may aid in the battles that are still being fought. Although the brutality of racism is alive, the potential to fight for the rights of all the people who live upon this American soil is possible, but the truth of the history and the attainment of awareness must be brought to fruition. Reference List Kivel, Paul, (2002). Uprooting racism: How White People Can Work For Racial Justice. Gabriola Island, BC VOR 1X0, Canada: New Society Publishers. Takaki, Ronald, (1993). A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York, NY: Time Warner Book Group.

President Obama Health Care Plan: ” What It All Mean for Us”

More than a week after President Obama signed the sweeping new health care law, which eventually provides insurance coverage for 32 million uninsured American, many of us are still scratching our head (Parker). What just happened? And how and when will we start feeling its effect? Effective this year, in six months, children with preexisting condition cannot be denied health care. In 2014, Medicaid will cover individual up to 133 percent of the poverty levels (Landau and Parker) also, in 2014, insurance companies will not be able to deny adults with preexisting conditions coverage or charge them higher premium.Some adult won’t likely qualify for Medicaid under the 2014 rules (4). More immediately however, they will benefit from the expansion of funding for community health center, which offer free and reduced-cost care. While the biggest change will not take effect until 2014 some important provision will begin as early as June, the question that everyone want to know is †Å"How soon will the new law help me† (Obama Plan). The answer depends on your age and reason for not having insurance.If you can’t afford or don’t qualify for insurance because of a preexisting Medicaid problem (1). You may be eligible for a new federal â€Å"High risk† pool to be offered by the end of June (2). The federal plan is expected to offer more affordable coverage than the existing state plan and will not impose the same income restriction as Medicaid (Obama Plan). The new plan will begin immediately to close the Medicare â€Å"donut hole†, by giving you 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drug for senior who qualify.It will end insure practice of charging different premium or denying coverage based on gender, and will limit premium variation based on age. The new bill will provide new tax credit on a suding scale to individual and families that will limit how much of their income can be spent on premium. People with nongroup pl an may see increase, but more than half the enrollees in nongroup plan will qualify for federal subsidies, lowering cost for middle and moderate-income families on average by about 60 percent (Obama Plan 7 ).And also this year tax credit as high as 30 percent of premium will be available to many small businesses, which offer health coverage to employee. The President plan will also cap out-of pocket expanse and will prohibit insurance companies from imposing annual or lifetime caps on benefits payments. Under the new rule companies generally can’t rescind a policy for a minor application error. Many people look at this as a better law for health care.Better for all American families; like there are now no more worries about if you will be coverage because you don’t have insurance or if you worried about losing your job and now have no money to pay for your child Medicare bills. This plan will protect all that qualify for better health care. Although there are still peo ple that feel that this isn’t much and that feel we have went from a full plan with a small deductible and great prescription coverage to a plan now that is basically a high-deductible plan. But I feel that it’s a winner.

Savannah Cats Essays

Savannah Cats Essays Savannah Cats Paper Savannah Cats Paper A Savannah Cat is actually a hybrid between a Siamese cat and a Serval The Savannah cats name is given to the off spring of a domestic cat and several medium sized, large-eared Wild African cats. The unusual offspring became popular among breeders at the end of the 20th century, and in 2001 the I. C. A (International Cat Association) accepted it as a new registered breed. Savannahs are much more social than other breeds of cats they are often compared to dogs because of their loyalty and the fact that you can train them to walk on leashes and to do tricks. The Bengal breeder Judee Frank crossbred a male Serval belonging to Suzi Woods and a Siamese cat to produce the first Savannah cat named Savannah on April 7, 1986. Franks’ Savannah attracted the attention of Patrick Kelly who pushes one of Savannahs kittens in 1989 Kelly was the first enthusiast who worked toward establishing a new domestic breed . He approached many Serval breeders to help to develop this new breed and finally garnered the help of breeder Joyce Sroufe to work with him in taking the steps he needed to get the breed recognized. In 1996 Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original version of the Savannah breed standard and presented it to the I. C. A in 01 the board accepted the breed as a new type of Cat. 010 brought a significant event for the breed when the first female F1 Savannah was born and bred in the UK by Rosanne Boyle of Hotspotexotics name â€Å"Amazing Grace she was registered with the I. C. A from 06 the breed has seen significant growth throughout the UK as a result the breed of being so well received. As Savannahs are produced by crossbreeding Servals and domestic cats, each generation of Savannahs is marked with a filial number. For example, the cats produced directly from a Serval/domestic Cat cross are the, and they are 50% serval. F1 generation Savannahs are very difficult to produce, due to the significant difference in gestation periods between the Serval and a domestic cat and sex chromosomes. Servals can be very picky in choosing mates, and often will not mate with a domestic cat. Females of the F1-F3 generation are usually held back for breeding, with only the males being offered as pets. The reverse occurs when you reach F5-F7 generation, but to a lesser degree, with the males being held as breeding cats, and females primarily offered as pets Physical features Savannah Cats are one of the larger breeds of cats. The Savannahs tall and skinny appearance makes it look a great deal bigger than it actually weighs. Size varies on the gender and generation male Savannahs are usually bigger and weigh more than females. Because of random factors in Savannah hybrid genetics there can be different changes in size even in one litter. The coat of a Savannah depends a lot on what breed of domestic cars is used for the cross earlier generation have some form of dark spotting on a lighter coat early breeders used words like â€Å"Wild† to describe it. sing spotted breeds such as the Bengal and Egyptian Mau for the cross will preserve the very few Savannahs that look like they did in earlier Generations. Some of the colors include (cool to warm brown, tan or gold with black or dark brown spots), silver spotted tabby (silver coat with black or dark grey spots), black (black with black spots), and black smoke (black tipped silver wit h black spots) in additions the Savannah can come in unusual color variations such as the classic or marble patterns or snow coloration and blue or other thinner colors from domestic sources. Most breeders are trying to cull these unusual colors out of the gen pool by selling unusual colored cats as pets but some Savannah Breeders are interested in working with the colors to introduce them as new traits The overall look of the Savannah Cat depends greatly on generation the older generations often have a more wild look the domestic breed that is used influences the appearance as well the domestic out crosses for the Savannah breed that are permissible in the ICA are Egyptian Mau the Ociat the Oriental Shorthair and the Domestic Shorthair. In addition some Savannah breeders are non permit able breeds such as the Bengal for size or the Maine Coon cats for size for the domestic parentage but these non permit able outcrosses can bring many unwanted genes as well Outcrosses are rarely used these days at there are now many fertile males available and as well most breeders are exclusively doing Savannah to Savannah breeding. A Savannahs wild look depends mostly on the generation of the cat. The body of Savannahs are long and leggy when a Savannah is standing, their hind end is often higher than they’re neck the back of their ears have a central light band bordered by the black, dark gray or brown giving an eye like effect the short tail has black rings with a solid black tip the eyes are blue as a kitten and may be green brown gold or blended shad as an adult. The eyes have a boomerang shape with a hooded brow to protect from harsh sunlight. The Savannah cats behavior Savannahs are commonly compared to dogs in their loyalty, and they will follow their owners around the house like a canine. They can also be trained to walk on a leash, and even fetch. Some Savannahs are reported to be very social and friendly with new people and with other cats and dogs, while others may run and hide or revert to hissing and growling when seeing a stranger. Exposure to other people and pets is most likely the key factor in sociability as the Savannah kitten grows up. Owners of Savannahs say that they are very impressed with the animal intelligence of this breed of cat. An often-noted trait of the Savannah is its jumping ability. Savannahs are known to jump up on top of doors, refrigerators and high cabinets. Some Savannahs can leap about 8 feet (2. 5 m) high from a standing position. Savannahs are very inquisitive, and have been known to get into all sorts of things. They often learn how to open doors and cupboards, and owners of a Savannah will likely need to take special precautions to prevent the cat from getting into things. Many Savannah cats do not fear water, and will play or even immerse themselves in water. Some owners even shower with their Savannah cats. Presenting a water bowl to a Savannah may also prove a challenge, as some will promptly begin to bat all the water out of the bowl until it is empty, using their front paws. Another quirk Savannahs have is to fluff out the base of their tail in a greeting gesture. This is not to be confused with the fluffing of fur along the back and full length of the tail in fear. Savannahs will also often flick or wag their tails in excitement or pleasure. Vocally, Savannahs may either chirp like their Serval fathers, meow like their domestic mothers, or do both, sometimes producing sounds which are a mixture of the two. Chirping is observed more often in earlier generations. Savannahs may also hiss- a Serval-like hiss quite different from a domestic cats hiss, sounding more like a very loud snake. It can be alarming to humans not acquainted to such a sound coming from a cat. Health considerations Different individuals contain different amounts of Serval and of varied domestic cat breeds, and there are currently no established Savannah breed-specific health issues. Some veterinarians have noted that Servals have smaller livers relative to their body size than domestic cats, and some Savannahs inherit this. For this reason, care is advised in prescribing some medications. Lower doses per weight of the cat may be necessary. In addition, the blood values of Savannahs may vary from the typical domestic cat, due to the serval genes. There is anecdotal evidence, though no completed scientific studies, that Savannahs and other domestic hybrids (such as Bengals) do not respond well to anesthesia containing Ketamine Many Savannah breeders request in their contracts that Ketamine not be used for surgeries] Some (but not all) Savannah breeders believe strongly that modified live vaccines should not be used on Savannahs, that only killed virus vaccines should be used. Others are the complete opposite, having had poor reactions to killed vaccines, and no vaccine reaction (lethargy, illness, etc. ) to the modified live vaccines. This, also, has not been studied, and opinions vary widely from breeder to breeder Some breeders state that Savannah cats have no known special care or food requirements, while others recommend a very high quality diet with no grains or by-products. Some recommend a partial or complete raw feeding/raw food diet with at least 32% protein and no by-products. Some Savannah breeders recommend calcium and other supplements, especially for growing cats and earlier generations. Others consider it unnecessary, or even harmful. Most Savannah breeders agree that Savannahs have a need for more taurine than the average domestic cat, and therefore recommend taurine supplement which can be added to any food type. Laws and Regulations Laws governing ownership of Savannah cats in the United States vary according to state. The majority of states follow the code set by the United States Department of Agriculture, which defines wild or domesticated hybrid crosses as domesticated. Some states have set more restrictive laws on hybrid cat ownership, including Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Georgia. Some cities may have laws that differ from the state. For example, Savannahs more than five generations from the serval are allowed to be owned in New York state, but not in the city of New York. [9] The Australian Federal government has banned the importation into Australia of the Savannah cat, as the larger cats could potentially threaten species of the countrys native wildlife not threatened by smaller domestic cats.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Analysis Essay Example

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Analysis Essay Example Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Analysis Essay Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Analysis Essay The novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, depicts the life of Stephen Deals from his disjointed youth to his clarifying adulthood, In a stream of consciousness approach that reveals his Inner thoughts. Throughout the novel, he perceives the world around him In an unusually keen way, considering he Is extremely aware of his senses, particularly his sense of smell. People by nature have Involuntary connections between their physical world and their mental state, just as Stephen fleets his own subconscious in the everyday smells he encounters. In James Jockeys, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephens solidarity allows him to perceive the world in a detached, but consequently, more sensory and observant fashion, demonstrating the theme that isolation leads to self-discovery. Stephen endures a youth filled with disconnection and confusion, followed by an adolescence trite with rebellion, angst, and a superiority complex. As a boy living in Clones University, he feels a sense of detachment that Isolates him from the other boys, but In his naivety he doesnt understand why he Is so different and unhappy. Because of his young age, Stephen doesnt have a fully developed analytical mental process, so he reflects on only what he observes. None-the-less, It Is evident Stephen Is not In a peaceful mental state upon comparing how he perceives the smells at school versus how he perceives those of his family in his memory. Stephen thinks about his mother, correlating her to such a lovely warm smell (22). Contrastingly, he mentions how the infirmary at Clones came a smell of medicine, (34). This is furthered a few pages later when Stephens peer says, They said you got stinking stuff to drink in the infirmary (38). Stephens time at Clones is ridden with unpleasant associations, whereas his memory of being at home, particularly with his mother, is much more positive. Though, Stephen is too young to verbally associate the smells with being bad, his subconscious does It for him. Stephens disdain for his school Is evident, not only by him saying he wants to go home, but also by his reflected emotions wealth his senses. As Stephen becomes a teenager, he becomes depressive and painfully aware of halls unhappiness. HIS sense of smell again reflects how unhappy he is, now even more grossly emphasized. During one of his particularly dark moments, Stephen is talking about how much he loathes the church and those he sees going. He describes them, The dull piety and the sickly smell of the cheap hair-oil (112). Hi hatred for them is reflected in the vividly unpleasant description he consciously gives them. Aside from knowing what Stephen is feeling through these sensory perceptions, his detachment also is revealed. He is more preoccupied with sensory perceptions than he is with social or even scholarly issues. His priorities do not coincide with those of other boys his age, tenting him apart from everyone else and making him a social pariah. Furthermore, he is less prone to distractions and has a narrower focus on his own reality, making him a prime candidate to become an artist. HIS Incredible awareness of his surroundings, evident In his meticulous sense of smell, contributes to the qualities that make up an artist. Of fear, guilt, and shame, which lead to his feelings of rebirth, discovery, and repent. His sense of smell connotes these emotions through the descriptions of the things he smells. This is the portion of the book that includes his most depressive and stubbed thoughts, so the smells he experiences are the most exaggerated. When Stephen has a nightmarish fantasy, after hearing the vividly impacting sermons, he fears for his soul and recognizes smells as being evil and foul (144). His dream is so horrifying, ridden with a reeking dour poring down his throat, clogging and revolting his entrails, that he wakes up and profusely in agony (144). Stephens sense of smell is being affected by his emotions. His subconscious is identified through the grotesque descriptions of these smells, making it clear that he is battling with severe fear and unrest. But, its also showing the magnitude to which his senses operate. Stephens sense of smell, even that of his dream, pushed him to the point of physical illness. His senses are much stronger than most peoples, which makes the sermons he had to sit and listen to much more impacting to him. He could physically experience what the Father was saying, making his radical transformation understandable. His sensory capacity also contributes to his artistic potential. Considering he has a sense of smell that is capable of inducing sickness, his senses are insurmountable in their power and exactitude. Stephen undergoes a frantic need to expense this torment, and he sees that holiness is the only way to do so. He describes his path to faithfulness and with quiet fragrance he made a covenant with his heart (145). He undergoes a momentary sense of peace, evident in this olfactory description of faith. However, this lapse into religion is as lasting as it is genuine. He quickly revolts, not consciously yet, but his senses again reveal his true feelings. As he further delves into saint-hood, he becomes more and more aware of his discomfort, though at the forefront of his mind he remains content. Upon thinking about becoming devout, he associates more foul smells than he does nice ones, showing the growing disdain for his assumed path. He connotes his troubled mental state with smells, describing The troubling dour of Clones (166). He doesnt want to revert to his lifestyle back at school, revealing that he isnt as happy as he claims. He has therefore not yet discovered himself. Finally Stephen embodies a ponderous, insightful, and peaceful persona. His sense of smell coincides admittedly with his emotions, and for the first time, they are positive. Stephen has identified himself as an artist. This self actualization resonates peacefully within him as the things he smells are described in a calming, lyrical fashion. He develops a questioning nature, pondering and challenging everything. This is what defines him most as an artist, and is what finally sets him apart from the others. His keen senses are not the only divider, but his passion and pursuit also define him as different. Its apparent he has escaped emotional turmoil in his sensory descriptions as well. When he thinks about the girl from the train, his descriptions no longer connote anxiety or unrest; in fact they create a sense of peace ND beauty. His imagination runs ramped in desire as he thinks of her, Her nakedness yielded to him, radiant, warm, odorous and lavish-limbed, enfolded him like a shining cloud (225). There is no mention of anything foul or anything else unpleasant, even the word odorous suggests something pleasant. From this quote depressing disconnection that he endures throughout most of the book. Though he still isnt Just like all the others in his life, he isnt sad anymore. Being different is acceptable for him so long as he understands himself. He finally immerses himself n the artistic world he is destined for, making him content. His sensory perceptions, though still equally powerful as they have been all his life, are no longer reflecting his uncomfortable subconscious, but instead emulating the creative and unique individual he is. Stephen Deals, a rebellious and disconnected boy, grows into a suddenly devout teenager, until he becomes an adult who finally discovered his calling. His differences isolate him from those around him, allowing him to observe the world in a more sensory-based fashion, and evidently leading to his self-discovery as an artist.

Seven Sisters Colleges Should You Go to One

Seven Sisters Colleges Should You Go to One SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're looking at applying to elite liberal arts colleges, you've probably come across the Seven Sisters schools. But what schools are Seven Sisters colleges, and what makes them so special? In this article, we explain what the Seven Sisters schools are, which of them still exist, and which of them are still all-women's colleges. I'll also use my expertise as an alum of a Seven Sisters school to break down what the benefits are of applying to a Seven Sisters school and five tips for getting admitted. Feature image credit: Nicholas Knouf/Flickr What Are the 7 Sisters Colleges? When people refer to the Seven Sisters colleges, they're talking about this specific group of seven historically all-women's colleges in the Northeastern United States: Barnard Bryn Mawr Mount Holyoke Radcliffe (now part of Harvard) Smith Vassar Wellesley The name of the group comes from Roman mythology, where the Seven Sisters were the seven daughters of the god Titan and the nymph Pleione. All of the Seven Sisters colleges were founded in the 19th century between 1837 (Mount Holyoke) and 1889 (Barnard), with the goal of providing post-secondary education opportunities for women that were of similar caliber to what men were getting at colleges like Harvard and Yale. The Seven Sisters schools not only sought to give women access to a high-quality education but also actively searched for female faculty and administrators so that the schools were also led by women. These values continue through to today, with at least one of the Seven Sisters (Wellesley) never having had a male president. In the 1970s, when top formerly all-male schools like Harvard and Amherst were going co-ed, some women's colleges began to think about the same question. Radcliffe made the decision to merge with Harvard and no longer exists as an independent undergraduate college. While Vassar was offered a similar partnership with Yale, Vassar turned it down and decided to go co-ed on its own (a story which you'll definitely hear told on the campus tour). The rest of the Seven Sisters schools remained more or less women's colleges, but each of the five remaining non-co-ed Seven Sisters colleges has exchange programs with nearby co-ed schools that allow students to take classes outside of their own college. How much these intercollegiate academic programs affect life on campus vary widely from school to school. For instance, because of Barnard's close partnership with (and physical closeness to) Columbia University, there's a lot of crossover between the two schools. On the other hand, while Wellesley has an exchange program with MIT, Babson, and Olin, there aren't usually a lot of non-Wellesley students in classes, probably because of having to bus or drive between schools. There's a good bus system that allows students to take classes at Smith (pictured here), Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, Amherst, and UMass Amherst. Rusty Clark ~ 100K Photos/Flickr. List of the 7 Sisters Schools We've created a table for you to compare the names, locations, admission rates, sizes, and co-ed policies of the original Seven Sisters colleges. Name Location Admissions Rate Total Undergrad Enrollment Co-Ed?* Barnard New York, NY 13.9% 2,562 No Bryn Mawr Bryn Mawr, PA 34.1% 1,360 No Mount Holyoke South Hadley, MA 50.9% 2,208 No Radcliffe Cambridge, MA n/a n/a n/a Smith Northampton, MA 31.0% 2,502 No Vassar Poughkeepsie, NY 24.6% 2,456 Yes Wellesley Wellesley, MA 19.5% 2,534 No *Note: For the most part, the policy of the Seven Sisters schools is that anyone who identifies as female or who was assigned female at birth and doesn't identify as male may apply. If you're concerned you may not qualify, you should check with the individual school as to the specifics of their policy. RIP, Radcliffe College. Boston Public Library/Flickr. Why Apply to a 7 Sisters College? As someone who applied to and ended up choosing between Vassar and Wellesley for college, I have thought about this question a lot. Five reasons really stand out to me for applying to and attending a Seven Sisters college. #1: Get a Good Liberal Arts Education By going to a Seven Sisters college, you'll get a lot of the benefits you'd get from a good small liberal arts school, including... small class sizes good student-faculty ratios a strong focus on academics You'll also be encouraged to take classes outside your own school to broaden your academic horizons. Every one of the Seven Sisters schools has partnerships with nearby schools that allow you to take classes there. Whether you just want to take some co-ed classes or you're interested in a different learning environment, the net result is that you'll get a more diverse academic experience. Barnard's affiliation with and nearness to Columbia University means that Barnard students can easily cross-register to take classes there. Boston Public Library/Flickr. #2: Have a Higher Chance of Admission The Seven Sisters colleges are much less selective than comparable co-ed schools. This is illustrated in the table below, which lists five of the top liberal arts colleges in the country and their admissions rates. School Name Admission Rate Amherst 12.8% Bowdoin 10.3% Swarthmore 9.5% Wellesley 19.5% Williams 13.0% Despite being one of the top colleges in the country, Wellesley has 1.5 times to nearly double the admissions rate of comparable colleges. This is true across most of the remaining Seven Sisters colleges. Why are the admission rates higher for Seven Sisters schools? Well, since all of the remaining Seven Sisters colleges (except Vassar) do not accept male applicants, the pool of potential students is basically cut in half. Instead of competing against 8,000 students for 1000 spots, you might only be competing against 4,000 other students, which means you'll have a better chance of getting in. The comparatively decreased selectivity of the Seven Sisters schools has nothing to do with the quality of the schools - Wellesley and Smith in particular are known for their academic rigor. But by simple math, you have better chances of getting into a Seven Sisters school than you do an equally academically-rigorous co-ed school. #3: Gain a Life-Long Network The counterpart to the "good ol' boys" network of the Ivy League schools is the network created and fostered by graduates of the Seven Sisters colleges. If you go to a Seven Sisters school, you will gain access to a strong and supportive alumnae network that stretches beyond whatever individual school you attended to include all those who attended Seven Sisters schools. The benefits of this network range from having an advantage when job-searching because you have that inside connection, to getting tips on housing and settling in a new location after college or grad school, to connecting socially in a place where you might not know anyone. Become part of the interconnected network of Seven Sisters alums (ivy garland not included). Above: 1917 Smith College Graduation. Richard/Flickr. #4: Learn in an All-Women's Environment That most of the Seven Sisters colleges are all-women's schools is often a deciding factor for students considering whether or not to apply. For some, the idea of going to an all-women's college is unthinkable and may even seem archaic in the 21st century. However, one of the most valuable features of all the Seven Sisters schools (including Vassar), particularly in this day and age, is that they all promote the importance of women taking leadership roles and succeeding in the world. I personally didn't place a huge amount of importance on this factor when I was applying to colleges- in fact, Wellesley was the only all-women's college I applied to. But as a Wellesley student (and now alum), I found that being almost entirely surrounded by smart, driven, and confident women meant I felt compelled to rise to meet those standards myself. #5: Be in an LGBTQ+ Friendly Environment All of the Seven Sisters lean socially liberal to some extent, which includes having robust LGBTQ+ cultures on campus. The degree to which this is the case varies from school to school, and this is not to say that there aren't socially conservative students at Seven Sisters colleges, because there are. However, the overall environment at the Seven Sisters schools is generally social progressive and LGBTQ+friendly. If this is something you don't care about much one way or the other, you'll still be able to have a great experience at any of the Seven Sisters schools. And if being at a school where being LGBTQ+ is not just safe, but celebrated and part everyday normal life, then you should definitely consider applying to a Seven Sisters college. On the other hand, if you do not want to attend a school where LGBTQ+ students and culture are a significant part of campus life, a Seven Sisters school is probably not going to be a great fit for you. 5 Tips to Get Into the 7 Sisters Colleges Now that you've learned more about the Seven Sisters schools, you're probably champing at the bit to find out how to get accepted. I've gathered up five top tips for getting into a Seven Sisters school below, based on my experience as a prospective (and then admitted) student. Tip 1: Excel in School Just because the Seven Sisters colleges are relatively less selective doesn't mean that you can slack off academically. You'll still need a top GPA and test scores and strong letters of recommendation to have a good chance of getting in. Letters of recommendation are particularly important for Seven Sisters schools because of the value that those schools place on how you can contribute to their community. Because the alumnae networks are so central to the Seven Sisters colleges, the expectation is that if you are accepted and attend one of the schools, you'll be part of the community for a long time. Admissions officers at Seven Sisters schools want to be sure you're someone who exemplifies the quality of a Seven Sisters student, which means they don't just care about your grades; they also care about how you interact with teachers and other students. The bottom line is that to get into a Seven Sisters school, along with good grades, test scores, and GPA, you want your recommender to be able to describe your leadership, your personality, or your ability to work well both individually and as part of a group. You do not want them to write something impersonal like "Laura was a good student who succeeded academically in my class." Tip 2: Interview With an Alum Depending on where you're located, it might be tricky to set up an alumnae interview, and so it's not a required part of the application process. If at all possible, though, you should make sure to interview with a representative of the college, ideally with someone who attended the college themselves. Not only will interviewing with an alum give you a better idea of what the environment is like at that particular school, but it will also provide another data point for the admissions office about what you're like beyond a set of numbers. As I stated in the previous tip, the Seven Sisters colleges place a lot of value on choosing students who will flourish in their particular environments. Because of the strength of the alumnae network and the connection many alums feel to their alma maters, alumnae interviewers are as invested as you are in making sure not just that you're the right choice for the school, but that their school is the right fit for you. I honestly believe that my interview with an alum is what clinched my acceptance at Wellesley. Yes, I had a strong transcript and good SAT scores, but without the alumnae interview I did (that ended with the interviewer saying "You're the most Wellesley applicant I've seen in a while"), I don't know how things would have turned out. And just as importantly, that interview made me realize "Oh. Yeah. This school seems like a really good fit for me." Bryn Mawr. Mark Goebel/Flickr. Tip 3: Research the School All the Seven Sisters schools have a "Why [school name]?" component to their application. The question of why you want to attend the school isn't there just to boost the schools' egos; it's there because the admissions officers genuinely care about your reasons for applying and wanting to be part of those schools' communities. Because of this requirement, you need to thoroughly research whichever of the Seven Sisters colleges that you apply to. Don't just write an essay for Barnard and expect it to work for every Seven Sisters school. Instead, look into what makes each school unique and highlight the aspects that you value in your "Why [school name]?" essays. As with setting up an alumnae interview, the benefits of researching the school are not just that you'll increase your chances of getting in because you'll demonstrate your interest to the college, but that you'll also learn more about whether or not the specific school is the right fit for you. For instance, if you research Vassar, you'll learn that the campus is a designated arboretum and also gorgeous. Adam Jones/Flickr. Tip 4: Embrace That You're Applying to a 7 Sisters School It might feel like you're being too enthusiastic or overselling it if you emphasize the fact that you're applying to one of the Seven Sisters and that that's important to you. While you don't want to overemphasize it ("I truly believe that Smith, one of the Seven Sisters, is a great fit for me. From the first time I visited the women's college Smith, I knew I wanted to attend it"), you should not shy away from directly stating that attending a historically women's college is something that appeals to you. It's not some big secret that the Seven Sisters colleges were traditionally women's colleges that promoted women's education and women's success in the world; the schools are well aware of their own history and what they stand for. Even for Vassar, stating that you value the history of the school and the long tradition of valuing women's education will only help you (assuming you don't come off as insincere). You can be honest about doubts you have about applying to a non-co-ed school, but you still need to show that you appreciate the value of attending a college with a tradition of high-quality education for women. For instance, I'm pretty sure that in my "Why Wellesley?" essay, I wrote that I hadn't considered applying to a women's college until I visited Wellesley, but that after I visited campus and learned more about it I knew I wanted to apply (which was all true). If you can't come up with a way that you value that the school you're applying to is a Seven Sisters school, then you shouldn't be applying to a Seven Sisters school. Mount Holyoke. Barry Stock/Flickr Tip 5: Don't Call It an All-Girls School When you write your personal statements or your "Why [school name]?" essays for one of the all-women's Seven Sisters, do not call the school an "all-girls school;" call it a women's college. This might seem like a relatively minor point compared to the other things I've mentioned, but it's actually a really useful tip to keep in mind if you're applying to any of the all-women's Seven Sisters schools. The term "all-girls school" is not one that the schools ever use to refer to themselves, so using that term demonstrates that you have done pretty much no research into the school. It also implies (even if you don't mean it to) a certain disdain for the school, as if attending a non-co-ed school is for children. So make sure to check all of your application materials and change any instances of "all-girls school" to "women's college." It's a simple change that will create a positive, or at least neutral impression if you do it, but will leave an extremely negative impression if you don't. Boston Public Library/Flickr. What's Next? Planning out your college visits but not sure where to go? Our guides on how to choose a college and what colleges you should apply to will help you organize your trip. What do I mean when I say that the Seven Sisters schools are top liberal arts colleges? Find out what a liberal arts college is with this article. Do you have what it takes to get into the most competitive schools? Get the inside scoop on the most selective colleges and which colleges have the highest SAT and ACT scores. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Critical Pedagogy Applications in Observed Classroom Management Essay

Critical Pedagogy Applications in Observed Classroom Management - Essay Example Critical Pedagogy Applications in Observed Classroom Management One is interested in the topic since during the course of observing an Advanced English Grammar (ALI 345) class, one came into reckoning with the fact that the instructional style and approach, factors which are within the control of educators, could significantly impact on the behavior and actual academic performance of students within the traditional classroom setting. After the background literature, the discussion would proceed with outlining the course context, the student profile, and the overall observed classroom management approach. A discussion of lessons learned, as well as reflections as mentee would form a major part of the paper. The article written by Kumaravadivelu (1994) was instrumental in supporting the current topic as the author delved into strategies which could actually improve classroom management. As specifically noted, strategic framework for L2 teaching utilize macrostrategies which were differentiated to microstrategies, to wit: â€Å"macrostrategies are general plans de- rived from theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical knowledge related to L2 learning/teaching.A macrostrategy is a broad guideline, based on which teachers can generate their own situation-specific, need-based microstrategies or classroom techniques† (Kumaravadivelu, 1994, p. 32). In so doing, the information synthesized from the article could be used to evaluate the strategies used and observed in the specific classroom setting. Another article, written by Clayton (2010), the author’s design of a critical pedagogy, defined as â€Å"a set of instructional practices that focuses on the structures present in real, situated learning spaces (McLaren, 1986) in order to create egalitarian, participatory, and empowered participants, allowing them to receive language and content learning while interacting as equal partners with others† (381) was acknowledged to be useful in enhancing classroom management in the observed setting. Clayton (2010) emphasized the need to acculturate students from diverse cultural backgrounds to the culture they intend to practice the second language being learned. The method was instrumental in improving participation of culturally diverse students within the ESL learning environment. (Clayton, 2010). The critical pedagogy method was likewise acknowledged by Johnson (1999) who likewise recognized the value of this approach in empowering students through the ESL learning process by designing effective classroom management techniques. It is interesting to note that Johnson’s assertion that â€Å"although students can be more or less empowered-for example, they can be given more responsibility for their own learning, they can take part in the design of their own courses, and they can be given more meaningful and less competitive assignments-teachers still retain authority in the classroom (Oyler, 1996; cited in Johnson, 1999, p. 560). Through the classroom management techniques that were applied in the observed Advanced English Grammar (ALI 345) class, one recognized that the role, style, and application of critical pedagogy

Test study guide Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Test study guide - Assignment Example He painted accurately the body and nature, instead of exaggeration. In Lamentation a 3-d feel becomes apparent. The viewer can almost become part of the painting. This fresco depicts humans holding the dead body of Christ, while angels hover above. 3 Recognize the style of Italian Renaissance sculpture and painting. (You do not need to visually distinguish between Early, High or â€Å"Mannerism†). The Italian Renaissance style was more of a realistic approach. Proper proportions and scenes that depicted nature as real were the style of this period. 4 What is the meaning of the word â€Å"Renaissance?† From lecture information, describe the context in which the â€Å"Renaissance† emerged in Italy. Renaissance means rebirth or revival. The Renaissance was a renewal or birth of Latin and Greek classic thinking and studies. 5 What is â€Å"Humanism†? How did artists and intellectuals reconcile Christianity with Humanism? Humanism centers around human thoughts and knowledge. Artists and intellectuals reconciled Christianity with Humanism by studying the relations of humans to spirituality and divine issues. 6 How did Renaissance ideas about the role of human beings differ from the medieval period? The Renaissance focused more on logic and human thought in life, whereas the medieval period focused more on religion and the afterlife. 7 What was Albertis contribution to the Italian Renaissance painting style? According to him, what should good paintings include (what were his â€Å"rules† for painting)? Albertis contribution was the rules for painting three dimensional subjects on a flat surface. Good paintings â€Å"will include all ages of man and both sexes as well as animals of all sorts.† 8 What is mathematical (or linear) perspective? What is a vanishing point? A perspective in drawing and painting where parallel lines are converging so as to give the illusion of depth and distance. The

Phenomenon and Behavior Now and in the Future Assignment

Phenomenon and Behavior Now and in the Future - Assignment Example Understanding that society is dynamic, meaning that it does not always remain the same throughout the years is important. This will bring to the realization of people that whatever society determines as normal will someday in the future be deemed as abnormal while whatever is determined as abnormal can change to be very normal in the future. This means that the social norms will change in the society say 25 to 100 years to come. Very many phenomenon and behaviors will change from being currently considered as normal to being considered as abnormal in the future. This will also be the case with the currently considered abnormal phenomenon or behavior turning out to be normal in the future. Therefore, this paper will compare some of the phenomenon or behavior in the present 2015 and in the future 2040 to 2115. I shall deal with the prisons phenomenon, the education phenomenon, tolerating poverty, language use, the behavior of queuing for goods and services and finally privacy. In the first part, I shall handle the normal things turning out to be abnormal in the future. Looking at the current prisons system sends a chill down one’s spine. Imprisonment is a normal phenomenon currently where the state has little or no alternatives to it (Tonry, 2004). Criminal behaviors are tried in the court system. If the convicts are found guilty, they end up in prison. This is where all judicial systems believe the punishment for wrongdoing can be achieved. The main aim is to reform the criminals into becoming good law-abiding citizens. In the future, an alternative might be found far different from the current ones which include house arrest, electronic monitoring among others. The prisons of the future may aim at completely different alternatives of regular imprisonment. Predictions are that innovative prison options for the future will be developed.  

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management Information Systems - Essay Example utes majority of trades on stock exchange, has experienced the rapid stock executions that are performed by the computers based on external input, such as related securitys price. The excessive number of executions led the system to the crash. Because of the crash in 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) crashed by five hundred and eight (508) points (approximately 22.61%). Whereas, The May 6, 2010 Flash Crash was a United States stock market crash in which the DJIA has fallen around thousand (1,000) points (approximately 9%). The Flash Crash of May 6, 2010, was not a mere technical hitch. Whereas, the Black Monday was the failure program trading, overvaluation, market psycology and illiquidity. The similarities between the two crashed are meaningful and significant. In both crashes, comparatively, there was s same response of deteriorating prices prompting more and more intense selling. However, the the system was up within minutes in the flash crash 2010, whereas, the Black Monday too much time to restore the system. But it can be stated that in the both crashes, the computer system was the main problem, however, both the crashes have their particular reasons as well. One of the main problems discussed in the case study is the poor performance of school system in America. In order to solve the problem, the data-driven information system was developed and deployed in the schools. However, it also opposed by the parents of the students by stating that the system is an unnecessary expenditure. Moreover, the parents and tutors also complained that the students spend more time on projects and creative tasks rather on course material. The teachers are enrolled in the system for their improvement, but this makes it difficult to dismiss the less effective teachers. Therefore, the system was also opposed by the teachers as they need to work hard (four hours weekly workload increased) to improve their results in the system. In general, it can be stated that any

Zaras Retailer Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zaras Retailer Company - Essay Example This paper looks at various operational and expansion strategies that Zara uses in its quest to boost its economic status as well as expand to other parts of the world. These strategies include advertising and marketing, cost of production and strategic partnerships among others. It also looks at the operational management challenges, effects of manufacturing in China on the company’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility and effect of opening a major warehouse outside Spain on its distribution model and local manufacturers. How should Zara’s operation strategy support its expansion strategy? Zara make use of a business model that is vertically integrated retailer in apparel industry, linking customer demand to manufacturing, and linking manufacturing to distribution and to retailing business. It aims at responding to market demands in a quick manner since they are always changing. It can be broken down into three components that include concept, value drivers and capabilities. Its fundamental concept is to maintain design, production, and distribution processes that help it to respond to shifts in consumer demands in a quick manner. Similarly, this company has necessary resources or capabilities to exploit any opportunity that arise. It has tight control over its production processes while at the same time keeping manufacturing and design in-house or sometimes with some strategic partnerships that are located near its headquarters. In addition, it as strategic agreements with various local manufactures; this ensures timely service and delivery. Zara maintains the expansi on and flexibility required to design and produce more than twelve new items each year, thanks to the strategic partnerships and benefits brought forward by the proximity of operational and manufacturing processes (Slack, 2012, p.12). This capability help Zara achieve its expansion strategies as well as its expedited response to consumer demand. Value drivers ensure huge returns of benefits to all stakeholders. Zara has outstanding financial performance, which is a clear indication of its success. For instance, it tripled its corporate profit between 1996 and 2000. Likewise, the company has high level of brad recognition and customer loyalty; hence, increasing the number of customer that buys its products in an enormous manner (Mihm, 2010, p.15). This has further boosted its expansion strategy in most parts of the world. Operational strategies Speed It quickly responds to the demands of its target customers, who are mostly the young city dwellers who are always conscious of fashion. According to Cunningham & Harney (2012, p.67), this strategy helps Zara to time fashion trends and strike whenever a trend is hot; hence, it is never stuck with inventory when it dies off. Its ability to market in product is far is better than that of its competitors; hence, it is able to expand to other locations at a high rate. Its speed provides additional value to customers, stores, and stakeholders in the process of producing affordable fashions at affordable prices (Cunningham et al., 2012, p.89). Decentralized decision making and product development Zara is centralized by a group of commercials that are chiefly

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Management Information Systems - Essay Example utes majority of trades on stock exchange, has experienced the rapid stock executions that are performed by the computers based on external input, such as related securitys price. The excessive number of executions led the system to the crash. Because of the crash in 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) crashed by five hundred and eight (508) points (approximately 22.61%). Whereas, The May 6, 2010 Flash Crash was a United States stock market crash in which the DJIA has fallen around thousand (1,000) points (approximately 9%). The Flash Crash of May 6, 2010, was not a mere technical hitch. Whereas, the Black Monday was the failure program trading, overvaluation, market psycology and illiquidity. The similarities between the two crashed are meaningful and significant. In both crashes, comparatively, there was s same response of deteriorating prices prompting more and more intense selling. However, the the system was up within minutes in the flash crash 2010, whereas, the Black Monday too much time to restore the system. But it can be stated that in the both crashes, the computer system was the main problem, however, both the crashes have their particular reasons as well. One of the main problems discussed in the case study is the poor performance of school system in America. In order to solve the problem, the data-driven information system was developed and deployed in the schools. However, it also opposed by the parents of the students by stating that the system is an unnecessary expenditure. Moreover, the parents and tutors also complained that the students spend more time on projects and creative tasks rather on course material. The teachers are enrolled in the system for their improvement, but this makes it difficult to dismiss the less effective teachers. Therefore, the system was also opposed by the teachers as they need to work hard (four hours weekly workload increased) to improve their results in the system. In general, it can be stated that any

Bad New Message Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bad New Message Memo - Case Study Example Workers fully understand that they are supposed to respond to customers email as soon as they receive them. It does not imply that they must respond with a solution, but rather show concern about the issues with promise of action. Thus, it would not be appropriate to designate specific time for responding to emails. According to Kolin (2014), email communication forms an easy avenue for correspondence between a business and its customers. Equally important, customers expect to receive a quick response. It follows that workers can differentiate urgent and non-agent emails automatically. It does not require special training to help workers understand the aspects that define the urgency of an email. The workers are professional and qualified in their fields to identify all details and respond to the customer appropriately. Customer satisfaction is enhanced when they receive a prompt response acknowledging the receipt of their email. In fact, some of the confirmation messages are drafted already and require a short response time. The proposal explains that there is a trend of using laptops in meetings. However, there exists no clear link to show that workers use the laptops to respond to emails. There are several reasons for using laptops in meetings, one of them being responding to emails. Other reasons may include referencing notes and note-taking. In this regard, the use of laptops in meetings cannot be attributed to email communication alone. Having a program on email etiquette may not eliminate the problem, since other reasons for using laptops may remain. There are also other gadgets for responding to emails such as mobile phones. Another reason concerning etiquette is use of emoticons. The increasing technological advancement has led to the emergence of many modes of summarizing messages. Customers often send messages laden with emoticons that serve to summarize their message. The emoticons are often unofficial and not

How Consumer Insight Are Shaping Companies in India Essay Example for Free

How Consumer Insight Are Shaping Companies in India Essay Customer is King is an adage that most companies across the globe have embraced. The need to concentrate on customers and be responsive to their demands has long been acknowledged by organizations. However, with globalisation and technological revolution the dynamics of business, the meaning of customer and market knowledge have all undergone a transformation. Today, the customer is the controlling factor in business and to be market-driven, an organisation has to evolve a culture that constantly listens to the customer, analyses competition and has strategies that meet existing, anticipated and even unanticipated needs of the customer. Going one step further, organizations must focus on customer relationship management which has given way to customer knowledge management. Given the international environment and knowledge economy, market and customer intelligence serves as a core competency and a principal source of competitive advantage. Leading by listening Practically every success story in today’s corporate realm reflects how awareness of customer needs shapes competitive business strategy. Let’s look at some examples. Procter Gamble When PG, the largest consumer goods company in the world, chose to offer its products to the lower income customer in developing countries, it had research teams associating with the poorest of homes for weeks. This gave the company valuable insights, which aided the company in creating a range of products that suited the pockets of this segment, enabling it to gain substantial market share. Amazon.com Amazon.com, the first e-retailer of books in the world, attained competitive advantage by emerging as book lovers’ forum where they could also share knowledge. It maintains customer knowledge through services such as book reviews, access to order histories and product recommendations based on preceding orders. Consequently, Amazon has recorded more than 70% repeat orders from its customers. Mahindra Mahindra Mahindra Mahindra’s SUV, Scorpio, has experienced enormous success in domestic and international markets. The positioning of Scorpio as an economy SUV was centered on the findings of extensive market visits and exploration of customer needs. The customer needs and wants ascertained were transformed into product specifications for Scorpio. Customer groups were consulted at every stage of design and product development. Scorpio was designated as the â€Å"Car of the Year† by ‘BBC on Wheels’ shortly after its launch. Indian Railways The amazing transformation of Indian Railways from what was termed as a white elephant to a profit making entity in less than two years has caught the attention of Indian and foreign academic and corporate establishments. This turnaround was not owing to any high-end technology but to a modest information means — the passenger feedback form. Data attained from these forms was analysed to identify customer expectations from the Railways. This was supported by a study of the best railways worldwide, and benchmarking with other transportations such as roadways and airlines. The outcome was a complete renovation of trains, stations and railway services to render them passenger-friendly. Needless to say, customers welcomed this change. The above examples highlight that it is vital to listen to customers for a success marketer-customer relationship, where the customer is not just a beneficiary, but a partner. Effective listening, together with strategic initiatives, can bring about a happily-ever-after end to this association.

Developing Competent Reader In Classroom

Developing Competent Reader In Classroom The definitions of read and reading from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English are: Read means to look at the written words and understand what they are mean. Reading means the activity of understanding the written words. There is a vast literature on the definition of reading. According to Spache and Spache (1969) there were a variety of definitions of reading due to the complexity and successive stages of reading development. Reading can also be described in a variety of headings such as reading for skill development, as a visual act, as a perceptual act as a reflection of cultural background and a thinking process. On the other hand, Williams (1984) defined reading as a process in which a reader looks at a text and understands what has been written. He further stated that reading does not mean a person needs to understand everything he reads because people read for different reasons and purposes. Reading by itself seems easy and simple but many studies have been carried out to show with scientific evidence that the act of reading is actually a very complicated process. According to Ponnusamy (1997), the first important description of reading and its process can be traced back as early as 1917 by Thorndike, a psychologist who coined reading as reasoning. The process of reading can best be described in an analogy written by Thorndike (1917) as cited in Ponnusamy (1997: 21) in which he described the reading process as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦understanding a paragraph is like solving mathematics. It consists of selecting the right element of situation and putting them together in the right relations, and also within the right amount of weight or influence or force for each. The mind is assailed as it was bothered by every word in the paragraph. It must select, repress, soften, emphasize, correlate organize all under the influence of the right mental shape or purpose or demand. Thus, it appears that reading an explanatory or argumentative paragraph involves the same sort of organization and analytic action of ideas as those that occur in thinking supposedly higher sorts. ii) Definition of Competent Reader: In response to this question is how the term competent can technically have slightly different meanings for different individuals and families. The basic definition is that not only reading on a regular basis, but picking up at least some of the underlying message of what youre reading. If youre reading more for pleasure than work or school, then the key for competency is that youre enjoying the story and feeling like youre truly diving into the universe of the story when reading it. But as I just said, this term is one of those that is a fluid scale of meanings, so this is all just one point of view. In the English progression maps, the competent reader is briefly characterized as being able to read between the lines, seeing meaning that isnt stated directly and to deploy a wide range of active strategies to find and read texts for different purposes. Pupils who are becoming competent readers have secured sufficient reading strategies, such as phonics, contextual cues, word attack skills and sense of grammar, to tackle new and unfamiliar texts, with confidence, on their own. While they may still read hesitantly on occasions, they possess sufficient self-help strategies to hear their errors and self correct when necessary. They not only scan ahead to tackle longer, complex sentences; they are beginning to look beyond the sentence to paragraphs, chapters and whole text layout. Pupils at this stage read for meaning and are willing participants in the imaginative world of the text, visualizing, empathizing, and making judgements about what they read. 1. The Importance of Developing Competent Reader in Classroom Reading is a habit to be developed by oneself and it cannot be taught by teachers. Reading is an interactive process between the readers and the text. Knowledge means a deep understanding of topics and the language that the reader has acquired. The more the student reads the more are the chances of becoming a good reader. Teachers should implement various strategies in schools to bring individuals with good reading skills, for which he proposed extensive reading of easy and interesting books that would create interest in students to read and simultaneously improve vocabulary. In countries such as Malaysia, the challenges for any student writers of English are indeed great. In addition to having to learn to write (and write to learn) to meet the conventions and requirements of writing in the target language, they are expected to demonstrate a high level of linguistic competence to convey the intended message in their writing. In other words, to become competent writers, not only do they need to have a clear idea of the macro or top-down features that make the text cohere with other texts of the same discourse genre, they also need to be able to draw upon the relevant linguistic resources at the micro or bottom-up level to make the particular piece of writing cohesive (Celce-Murcia Olshtain, 2000). Within the literacy community, there are two distinct but complementary perspectives on reading development. The first perspective, prevalent in several well publicized documents and federal legislation (e.g., Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998), deals almost exclusively with the early period of reading development, what might be described as emergent literacy. This early period is unquestionably a critical time in reading development, and there are virtually libraries devoted to basic dimensions of reading acquisition, including phonological awareness, vocabulary, and fluency (Adams, 1990) Yet, there is another view of reading development that extends well beyond the initial period of basic skill and process acquisition. This perspective looks at reading as a long-term developmental process, at the end of which the proficient adult reader can read a variety of materials with ease and interest, can read for varying purposes, and can read with comprehension even when the material is neither easy to understand nor intrinsically interesting. This particular orientation does not discount the emergent literacy view, but subsumes it as a first step in lifespan development. It is this second perspective of reading development-one less addressed in public and political rhetoric, legislation, and educational policies-that we examine here. Specifically, it is the goal to investigate how reading develops across the lifespan by building on the vast literatures in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, expertise, motivation, and domain-specific learning, as well as reading research. There are important educational benefits accrued by viewing reading within such a lifespan developmental framework. For one, it helps us to consider the changes and challenges students and adults face once they journey beyond the early elementary grades. Currently, there is an increased awareness that more must be done to understand the nature of adolescent literacy (Alvermann et al., 1996; Moje, 2000) and adult literacy (Kruidenier, 2002; Nist Holschuh, 2000). The more we understand about adolescents and adults continued development as readers, the better we can provide for them. The approaches and interventions suitable for young readers taking their first steps toward reading competence are not likely to work for older children, adolescents, or adults, even if they still struggle to make sense of print (Alvermann, 2001). Not only have these adolescents and adults changed cognitively, physically, and socially, but the in-classroom or at-work literacy demands they face have changed as well (Nist Simpson, 2000). A lifespan developmental perspective would not stop in the early years or attend only to those who have yet to acquire the most basic skills or processes. Rather, it would consider reading from womb to tomb; that is, for all populations and for all phases of reading growth. If teachers understood the nature of changes that should occur in readers as they progress toward competence, and if teachers had some idea of the problems that might arise during that journey, then they could better formulate interventions or craft educational materials that might circumvent problems or ameliorate their effects (Pressley, 2001). For example, students motivations for reading are critical forces in sustaining their continued growth and development in the domain of reading (Guthrie Wigfield, 2000). Thus, educational programs intent on supporting students long-term reading development should give ample consideration to such motivational variables, including students interests and goals. 2. The Competent Reading Framework This reading framework is designed to emphasize on the active and interactive nature of reading. The aim of the COMPETENT reading framework is to develop COMPETENT, independent readers. The content and utility of two models of reading comprehension tests, the basic skills assessment model and the multiple choice cloze (MCC) model, are discussed. The basic reading competency model assesses the ability to read or infer basic meanings from a range of written or symbolic communication, as is necessary for daily living in this society. This limited analysis of the basic competency model suggests some degree of positive practical impact of the test; applications of this model are illustrated. Criticisms of this model state that such a test is not theoretically based, nor objectively reproducible, nor does it yield scores that provide detailed diagnostic guidance in the instructional process. The multiple choice cloze (MCC) technique was developed as one expression of the literal comprehension construct, viewed as the basic skill underlying the readers ability to infer explicit meanings from written language. Items in the test are objectively developed and derived from a theoretical framework, thus providing guidelines for interpreting the resulting test scores. Current developments suggest that these test results can be used to identify the kinds of materials that readers can comprehend at the literal level for specific purposes. The test also appears to offer a diagnostic capability with fairly clear-cut instructional implications 3. The Benefits of Competent Reading Framework. There are several key aspects of the Competent Reading Framework made it so effective in helping students to improve their own selves. Such as: Comprehensive Schools come to establish two to three hours of daily literacy instruction across all content areas Schools utilize a framework for addressing four important learning components: comprehension, fluency, word knowledge, and writing Professional development includes instruction, lesson planning, and evaluation and assessment of students Capacity Building Teachers become better prepared to plan and implement instruction that addresses students strengths and needs Teachers learn to choose research-based strategies that lead to increased student achievement Professional development extends to the administration to assure support of teachers efforts to improve literacy instruction Flexible The Framework is not a scripted program or commercial product, so it can be shaped to local contexts to better meet the needs of students School personnel can match their own styles, curricula, and materials to Framework guidelines All activities and staff development are designed collaboratively with each school Effective Adoption of the Framework has helped many schools accomplish remarkable gains in school reading achievement (Preliminary Analysis of an Innovative Framework for School Reading, National Science Foundation, 2001) This project was adopted system-wide in 2001 by the Chicago Board of Education and is now implemented in 600 Chicago schools, with 26,000 teachers, serving 437,000 students annually The Framework principles are consistent with recent finding of the National Reading Panel, and has been so effective that it is now used by hundreds of schools across the nation Services for Helping Schools The Chicago Reading Framework Project offers schools a wide range of possibilities to choose from when deciding on services. Schools can customize their professional development services by selecting from the following options: Ongoing Support School-wide support to implement the Reading Framework, focusing instruction on comprehension, fluency, word knowledge, and writing Consultations to assist teachers in developing more opportunities for reading and writing within language arts/reading and across the content areas Support for teachers in differentiating their instruction to meet the needs of heterogeneous classrooms Follow-up coaching to teachers that includes classroom observations, support within the classroom, in-class modeling of instructional strategies that support Framework guidelines, oral and/or written feedback, and co-planning to meet the needs of students Analysis of available student data to identify focused, measurable objectives, as well as appropriate instructional strategies to meet those objectives Participation in grade level meetings to present additional, grade-appropriate strategies and information Workshops Professional development that addresses the following key reading elements: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension, and writing Workshops on a variety of topics such as assessment and evaluation, motivation, standards-based curricula, content area literacy, classroom management, among others Full day or half day workshops, developed in conjunction with reading specialists to address school needs, are available for the whole faculty Combine sound theory and practical classroom application to help teachers understand why and how to effectively utilize suggested ideas and strategies Include modeling, guided practice, and comprehensive materials to help teachers fully grasp what they learned during workshops and apply it in their own classrooms Leadership Consulting with administrators, reading specialists, and teachers to analyze school wide literacy efforts and determine long- and short-term goals Advising the principal and administrative team to assure consistent implementation of the Reading Framework across grade levels Assisting school leadership with monitoring and support of teachers efforts Encouraging teachers to support one another and take more of a leadership role themselves Collaborating with Reading Specialist and administrative team regarding techniques to address literacy improvement across the school Assessment and Evaluation Evaluation of all aspects of reading instruction and make recommendations for change when necessary Analysis of standardized test and other assessment data to guide plans for school improvement Periodic surveys and checklists for teachers and administrators to both assess the progress made toward goals and to determine future techniques to meet school and classroom objectives Training to assist teachers in interpreting multiple assessments to better address the instructional needs of students Regular classroom visits to collaborate with teachers to analyze their use of instructional time and strategies for reading instruction across the curriculum. 4. The Challenges and Potential Problems in Developing Competent Reader Reading is a very important skill as it is recognized as a necessary part of obtaining a better job and access to literature and knowledge. However, reading in a foreign language such as English might be a problem for some people. Snow, Burns and Griffin (2006) claim that there are three potential stumbling blocks in reading namely the difficulty in understanding and using the alphabetic principle, the failure to transfer the comprehension skills of spoken language to reading and the lack of motivation and appreciation for reading. They further add that children who face early reading problem lack prior knowledge and relevant skills such as the ability to produce words, the ability to distinguish sounds, the ability to master the mechanics of reading and the ability to identify letters. This difficulty leads to low motivation and can be problematic for language teachers as the motivation of needing to read is powerful (Nuttal, C, 1996 : 3). Nevertheless in order to help children to read it is important to get them to read extensively. Nuttal further adds that the latter is the easiest and most effective way of improving the reading skills. During reading, students may have difficulty decoding, and so have difficulty reading the words of their texts accurately. In addition, these students read too slowly, or lack fluency. As a result of their slow, la ­bored reading, they often do not comprehend much of what they read, and the attention they have to give to figuring out the words keeps them from understanding the text. All too often these students lack sufficient background knowledge about the topic of a text. They may have trouble connecting the ideas of a text. They often are not familiar with the vocabulary they encounter, and have trouble determining word meanings. Further, even when the students pos ­sess relevant background knowledge, they frequently are not able to acti ­vate it to help them understand what they read. Some readers also are unaware of text organization. They do not know enough about the organizational structure of narratives or the vari ­ous organizational structures of expository texts to help them read and un ­derstand. After reading, these students typically do not think about or reflect upon what they have read. They almost never seek out additional information about a topic. The cumulative effect of these difficulties is that they often lose confidence in their ability to read. Because reading is difficult for them and they cannot and do not read widely. As a result, they are exposed too much less text and so receive much less practice reading. Further, the practice they do receive is often frustrating, because many of the texts they are asked to read are too difficult for them. 5. The Ways to Instil More Interest in Reading among the Learners Theorists, psycholinguists and linguists have given many opinions pertaining to reading and the process of reading. Many agree that reading is a complex area (Ehri, 2001; Snow, Burns and Griffin, 2006). In the process of reading, the reader constructs meaning from written texts. In reading, readers go through certain processes. These processes are explained through the three reading models namely bottom-up, top-down and interactive models of reading. The bottom-up model emphasizes on print, wherein the readers decode the print in the form of letters and words into text, into phonological representations before constructing meaning (Nooreiny Maarof, 1998). The top-down model suggests that the readers guess the meaning in the text by making predictions about the print and construction of meaning with the guidance of prior knowledge (Ibid, 1998). The interactive model, on the other hand, combines both the reading models mentioned earlier. According to this model, our reading is said to occur at various levels through the interaction of physical texts on the page and our mental concepts. This model of reading reflects the underlying theory that supports it, namely the schema theory. Schema Theory is actually our background knowledge at work in the process of language comprehension (Hadley, 2000). ESL teachers can create a reading habit among learners by selecting books which are enjoyable to read. The criteria for selecting texts must be readability (ie . suiting the linguistic level of the reader) and suitability of content (ie . suiting the intellectual needs of the reader) . When books are appealing in colour and illustrations with little intimidation in language and content, there will be sufficient motivation to met any novice readers appetite to read. Besides this the teacher could also have a set of class library books which students can borrow. Some learners, once provided with reading materials will read quite happily with no further encouragement from the teacher, others will require further incentives . One way the ESL teacher can help is by setting tasks after reading a book. This provides a useful feedback to the teacher as to who is reading the most books and which books are most popular. Tasks include providing a guided book review format that the reader has to fill upon completion of a book and a class reading chart listing all the titles of books read on the horizontal axis of the grid with names of students on the vertical axis ofthe grid. By plotting, the chart will indicate the general progress ofreading in the class . It will be a good idea to ask the readers to relate a little ofwhat they read and perhaps hold class discussions on the more popular books read. The texts that are given to students are simple and interesting and help them in adapting in literary texts. In the classroom we might have a class of mix ability students and not always all the students find the texts simple per say. Teachers have to do their extra homework to make the texts either simpler for the weaker students or more difficult for the good students. Just to make the texts interesting and stimulating arent enough. Teachers need to be a good role model in promoting healthy reading habits. When students see for themselves that the teachers read and are knowledgeable automatically students would want to be like them. In short, being a good role model is very vital in teachers profession. The texts also must suitable for each level but we cant say that the language or vocabulary is not too difficult. Private reading can be a rewarding and self-sustaining activity for them, worthy of the time and energy they invest in it. They see what reading has to offer them. Pupils who are securely established as competent readers read with understanding at a literal level and can also read beyond the text and between the lines. They infer and deduce both hidden and implied meanings and, even though their inferences may not always be securely rooted in the text, they generally make sense. Pupils at this level deploy a range of imaginative responses to text, such as empathy, prediction and speculation. They may compare the world of the text to their own experiences and are able to make simple comments about a writers viewpoint as well as the effect of the text on the reader. In both fiction and non-fiction texts, pupils are able to pick out relevant points, supporting them by some generally relevant textual reference or quotation as well as identifying and making simple comments about the writers use of language and organizational features. 6. The Strategies to Nurture the Reading Habit among Malaysian Learners In view of this, something has to be done to reduce and if possible, to totally eradicate illiteracy among students. Therefore, to start with, teachers must be seen as role models for the students to emulate. Teachers must read a lot in order to keep abreast with the fast-changing information age. Teachers should involve themselves in reading because according to Eskey (1986. p.21, cited in Renandya Jacobs, 2002): Readingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦must be developed, and can only be developed, by means of extensive and continued practice. People learn to read, and read better by reading. This view on extensive reading as a reading habit is also shared by Krashen (1993, p. 23, cited in Renandya Jacobs, 2002) that through reading we develop a good writing style, an adequate vocabulary, advanced grammar and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ becomes good spellers. Finnochiaro (1989) also suggests that teachers need to read to help facilitate their teaching-learning activity in the classroom as information obtained through their reading will help them keep in touch with current issues and to apply them in their classroom discussion. An effective teacher is a teacher who always keeps abreast with changes be it in teaching or learning aspects. In view of the above mentioned problems, the researcher would like to investigate the reading habits of teachers in the four schools. The poor reading habits among Malaysians can be seen in surveys conducted by the Ministry of Education on National Literacy in 1982 and 1996 (Kaur and Thiyagarajah, 1999). In the earlier survey, an average Malaysian citizen read a mere page or two a year whilst the later revealed an average of two books a year. In view of this, the research looked into the reading habits of teachers in four government-aided secondary schools (Mission Schools) in Kuching district. The study focused on the types of reading materials that they read, whether their teaching loads inhibit their reading habits, factors that influence their reading habits, time spent on reading and reasons for reading. Every one of us knows how to read, but how often we read and what kind of material we read? We cannot deny that reading is a very good habit, We can acquire the general knowledge by reading. That is why we are inculcated the reading habit by our parent and teachers since we are young. But, Malaysians have poor reading habit. Well, if you dont believe that, just check out the survey done by the National Library in 2005 to determine the profile of Malaysian readers. More than half of the 65,000 respondents answered that they read less than seven pages a day and those 10 years and above only read about two books a year. Now, it is the time to make the Malaysians realize the important of reading and make it as their habit. There are many reading materials around us, for example, newspapers, magazines and all kind of books. Maybe people feel that reading the words on the paper is a boring job in this technology century, therefore, a new kind of book is being created, that is, electronic book. The words are not lie on the papers anymore, but on the screen of computer and you can bring along it wherever you go. It is very convenience to the people nowadays, you just save the book you want to read in the computer, no matter how many of book you want to read, there is no the thick and heavy of the papers. Other than that, the government has already put effort into the programs that encourage the people to read more. Many programs have been organized, such as reading festival, reading campaign and so on. Although the efforts did not gain many supports from the public, we cannot deny the efforts were actually make an effect. Many of the people who were take part in those programs know the important of reading and make reading as their new habit now. Besides, the reading habit should be inculcated among kids. To do that, the role of parents and early education is very important. The parents must tell the children about the benefits of reading and make reading more interesting to draw their attention toward reading. Parents may read them a story before sleep and ask the child read the story in turn on the next day. In view of this problem, Malaysian Ministry of Education (MoE) attempts to implement more effective and efficient reading programs which are executed systematically and continuously via a long term program known as NILAM Program NP (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca) or loosely translated as reading is the pulse of knowledge . Government schools or schools under MoE in Malaysia instructed to execute NP commencing from January 1999 in accordance to Circular Num.13/1998 dated 22 May 1998. NILAM: Concept Guide Book and Implementation in School published by Technology of Education Division, Ministry of Education of Malaysia (1998). The Education Ministry is widening the scope of the Nilam or Award to encourage more students from primary schools as well as secondary schools nationwide to read. The Nilam Award is a reading programme initiated by the Education Ministry in 1999 to inculcate the reading habit. Students are recognized at primary and secondary school levels according to the number of books they have read. To be awarded the Nilam Award at primary school level, students must read 360 books or more, while at secondary school level, they have to read 288 books and above. To qualify, students are required to record their reading activities in reading records. In turn, teachers must certify these records. Recognition is subsequently given to students based on the number of books they have read and reading activities, such as storytelling, that they have carried out. Other extensive reading programmes have also been implemented over the years such as Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR), Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) and the Book Flood Approach (Elley and Mangubahi, 1983 as cited in Renandya and Jacobs, 2002). The purpose of the programme is that readers read large quantities of books and other materials in an environment that nurtures a lifelong reading habit. While much effort has been put into reading campaigns and programmes, indication is that more and more Malaysians are not interested in picking up the habit. Malaysian students at the tertiary level have indeed shown our students poor regards for reading (Mohd Sallehudin 1994, as cited in Normah 2004). The recent, Read-a-thon Read2009 was to inculcate a love for reading and charity among the young. For the second year running, students throughout the country recently participated in Malaysias biggest reading marathon. This event was organized by Scholastic, the worlds largest publisher and distributor of childrens books. This years read-a-thon, titled Read2009: One Nation Reading Together, was supported by the Education Ministry and held in conjunction with its 1Malaysia Reading Camp. Read2009 was a simple name with a big message. Students read recreationally for 2009 seconds (33 minutes 29 seconds). Reading recreationally means that students choose a book of their choice, instead of regular school text. Students can read independently or together with their classmates and teachers. The objective of Read2009 is to inculcate students with a love of reading. The programme emphasizes recreation reading because students must be able to associate good feelings and pleasant memories with their reading experience; otherwise, it becomes a chore. Reading provides a valuable reinforcement of language and structures presented in the classroom. It also provides learners the opportunity to practice inferring meanings from the context where structures and vocabulary are unfamiliar. In addition, it enables the learner to reproduce mentally and vocally expressions and words present in any written form. Thus, consciously or unconsciously the learner begins to communicate effectively, using the knowledge acquired through reading. Extensive reading also provides the learner an opportunity to increase his reading speed, a skill rarely touched upon in the ESL classroom. As the student is reading for pleasure, chances are he will be eager to see what happens next and will therefore try to read faster. Moreover, as the learner is reading on topics that interests him, it increases his motivation and gives him a more positive attitude towards the target language. To acquire the habit of reading is to const