Wireless Technology Proposal

Starting a business can be challenging as well as rewarding. Implementing the use of modern, relevant technology will help promote success within the business. Wireless devices can be used to help with achieving and maintaining that success. There is a vast array of wireless devices available to choose from. It is important to know which of these would be most useful for the party plate business. With research, it has been determined that party plates would benefit most from modern cell phones and the Apple IPAD.We recommend that each employee be provided a cellular phone and also an Apple IPAD for business purposes. Attached is a detailed proposal that addresses the pro’s and cons of incorporating these two devices. We will justify the decision of choosing the devices and our research and data will break down the economical concerns associated with implementing this plan of action. In conjunction with my team, we have deliberated and decided upon two wireless technologies tha t would be beneficial to administer in the Party Plates organization.We have decided to implement the usefulness of Apple iPads & Blackberry phones into our company to streamline business. The iPad offers apps that eliminate paper-based processes that give you realtime information, and improve efficiency of common office activities. iPad gives you immediate access to important files. Utilizing easytouse business apps on iPad, you can review and edit Microsoft Office and iWork files, fine-tune presentations, and annotate PDFs. iPads allows you to continue working on important projects even when you’re away from your desk.Using an iPad simplifies all your business-critical tasks, whether it’s managing inventory, tracking shipments, or invoicing clients. With iPad and apps from the App Store, get equipped with ready-to-go solutions to keep your operations on course. iPad is also an incredible mobile sales tool to help you manage all your customer relationships. With its w ireless connectivity, iPad gives you on-the-spot access to your CRM database for customer information, sales data, and task lists.In addition to the iPad, our team chose to incorporate the Blackberry phone as a wireless mobile device as well. The advantages of giving your employees a blackberry as a business device allows users to make phone calls, send emails, look at and send documents, text messages and pictures, and record and listen to voicemails from anywhere in the world. The business benefits of these devices have led some companies to purchase a plan for every employee. This has led some companies to see an increase in employee efficiency and happiness.With a company Blackberry, an employee can conduct business when outside of the office. Mobile access to communications and information helps you respond promptly to inquiries and address customer concerns immediately, enhancing their satisfaction. Access to up-to-date information helps you capitalize on business opportunitie s virtually whenever and wherever they arise. Technology has many benefits to a business; however there are also many potential disadvantages. One important benefit for a bus to use wireless technology is to save money.Wireless Technology regulates the need for employees to come into the office. For example, if there is a meeting that would involve several employees in different locations it would save the company money to not have to pay for travel expenses. It is an advantage for employees to use their company phones. Wireless communication increases communication by receiving information faster. Wireless communication allows employees to be easy to contact when on the move. Most of all there is no need for cords.On the negative side of wireless technology, many businesses depend on electronic systems and operation for the company can come to an immediate standstill if the software crashes or the system goes down. Second, software is constantly changing and needing upgrading and t echnical support could be time consuming. Security can be an issue; unauthorized people can attack wireless technology. The mobile speed is not as fast as a desktop computer, and sometimes servicing can be expensive. As our business Party Plates continues to emerge we will continue to require advancement in our technology.Wireless technology plays a huge role in the way we facilitate our day to day business. Some of the latest additions to our wireless devices are such as the cell phone and I-pad. These wireless devices will ensure our employees not only have a variety but flexibility alike. Our management team and sales associates are finding it not only convenient but it helps with their overall productivity of our products for several reasons. First, wireless technology allows our employees the opportunity to be productive and use their time that was formerly being wasted.A good example would be, most employees commute to work on public transportation. The commute allows them the time to research new and innovate ways and ideas to help continue the growth of our company or complete unfinished assignments. Secondly, because our employees or able to take their devices with them, their work locations are much more flexible. Another great advantage to upgrading to wireless technology is that it allows our employees the opportunity to allocate their work time around their personal obligations.The following is a spreadsheet to track hardware and software requirements. In conclusion, you can see the company will successfully meet goals, and provide a more substantial way of communication for all staff. After carefully reviewing the operation of Party Plates a modern relevant and sufficient technology to consider are cell phones and the up to date IPAD 2. Our team would gladly assist your company to moving forward with a wireless way of communication. Reference: http://us. blackberry. com/business/types/small/SolutionsBrochure_V5. pdf

Developmental perspective to bullying Essay

Researches have found that the nature of bullying and victimisation changes with age and differs by gender as well. It is also found that previous experiences influence the likelihood that children will become bullies and/or victims. The type of aggression and the relationship context for the aggression change as the child grows and development occurs. A general guideline can be prepared for the type of aggression and the target of aggression that emerge in different stages of development of children. (Pepler, D. , 1999) Figure 3: Type of aggression by developmental stage (Pepler, D., 1999) A Social- Ecological Systems Perspective on Bullying Social –ecological system perspective looks at bullying in terms of influence from multiple environments. Figure 4: A social-ecological framework of bullying among youth (Espelage, D. L. et al 2004) This perspective is based on the understanding that bullying does not occur in isolation. According to this principle, bullying is a phenomenon that is encouraged or inhibited as a result of the complex relationship between the different entities, namely, the individual, family, peer group, school, community and the culture. As shown in figure-1, the individual is at the centre of the social ecology. The individual involved may be a victim, bully, bully-victim or bystander. Individual factors influence the participation in bullying through different actions or inaction. An example is how the individual gender mediates the engagement in bullying. The bully, bully-victim, or bystander, all could exist in a family. This points to how the family can influence bullying behaviours. The bullying behaviour between the siblings can influence the development of bullying or victimisation in the individual at school. The social ecology includes other entities such as peers and the school as well. The social environment at school also influences bullying and victimisation. If an individual attends a school where a bullying climate exists, it is likely to be involved in bullying either as a bully, victim or any other role. The peer group often influences how the individual is likely to behave in terms of bullying. If the individual’s peer group supports bullying, then the individual is more likely to engage in bullying behaviour. The community extends the environment of the school to other areas that the individual uses. The community consists of school, peer group, family, and the individual apart from other roles that the individual interacts in day-to-day life. The culture consists of the general norms, beliefs and practices that could either support or inhibit bullying of individuals. The ecological-systems theory is based on the principle that all individuals are part of an inter-related system that consists of several roles and entities, but keeps the individual at the centre and looks at how the other entities affect the individual from the perspective of bullying. This model was put forward by Bronfenbrenner (1979). It puts forth the nature of human interaction and behaviour and how it is inter-related to other systems. According to this theory, the child is an inseparable part of a social network that consists of inter-related systems. These systems can be categorised into four: micro system, meso system, exo system and macro system. These different systems are inter-related to each other and the child is at the centre of these systems and actively involved in the interplay of these systems. The micro system pertains to the child’s relationship with one system such as home, classroom or playground. It depicts the child’s interaction with others as well as other’s reaction to the bullying behaviours. It also includes the status of the child in the bully/ victim continuum at any point of time. The micro system takes into account the interaction between the bully, victim, bully-victim or the bystander and the social environment. This can either encourage the bullying behaviour or restrict it. The meso system involves the congruence of two or more environments that are relevant to the individual. An example of such environments is home and school. It includes the inter-relationship between these systems. The exo-system consists of influences from other contexts that are related to bullying. An example of this context is the effect of a school district’s anti-bully policy or even the involvement of parents in the school system. The macro system involves the influence of broader entities such as the society in general. It looks at the attitudes of the society towards the bullying behaviour. This theory provided framework for prevention and intervention techniques that can be derived from it. It also helps to measure the effectiveness of these programs by looking at it from different perspectives. It provides framework for collection of data from multiple informants who are in different sub-systems using different methods. The model also can be effectively used for assessment. This is because each individual or the school or the environment is different. Any intervention or prevention program need to take into account this peculiarity. It also provides a framework for different programs that are applicable to different sub-systems such as individual-focussed program, family-focussed program and system-focussed program. (Espelage, et al, 2004).

Personal management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal management - Essay Example Some recommendations have also been suggested for organizations about how they can implement workforce diversity in an effective and efficient manner. Diversity can be defined as understanding, acknowledging, valuing, celebrating and accepting differences that exist amongst people in relation to various factors like age, ethnicity, class, gender, mental ability, physical ability, sexual orientation, race, status of public assistance and spiritual practice (Esty, Griffin, & Hirsh, 1995). Not only gender and race but there are many differential factors which explain the term diversity. If we talk of a workplace, diversity is manifested through different forms like gender, age, physical attributes, ethnicity, educational background, sexual orientation, marital status, income, spiritual practice, geographical location, work experience, parental status, etc. Workplace diversity is becoming more and more pronounced because of the advent of globalization. The success of a business organization and its rate of growth can be determined through its ability to manage diversity in different aspects of the company in an efficient and effective manner. The organization can think of growth and development only if it is ready to accept people coming from various beliefs and background in its company so as to develop an organizational culture which would allow everyone to work together in the form of a team. One of the primary ways to achieve this objective by an organization is by valuing diversity and working for it. As days are passing diversity is becoming an important issue for an organization because the employees of the companies are becoming more and more heterogeneous in nature. Organizations have realized the importance of workforce diversity and how it can increase productivity and lead the company towards growth and development in the future. The trend of increasing diversity is observable in a significant way amongst

Principle of Autonomy Guarantee a Person the Right to Do Something Coursework

Principle of Autonomy Guarantee a Person the Right to Do Something - Coursework Example This might be owing to the reason that the principle of autonomy tends to generate positive outcomes with making significant improvements in individuals’ wellbeing. Anything, which is harmful to one person, does not get included under the well being of another person, which can affect other in a negative way (Coy, 2015). It is worth mentioning that as per the principle of autonomy, an individual possesses own values that can be used during the treatment process. By establishing the principle of autonomy, it can be apparently observed that good practice must be initiated such as empowering the medical decisions as well as protecting a person from any sort of risk (Mitchell &Templeton, 2014). In terms of ethical rationale, it can be affirmed that the principle of autonomy focuses on safeguarding the rights of an individual by evaluating the varied outcomes in a positive way. This fact eventually supports the notion that the autonomy principle does not guarantee an individual with the right to do something harmful to oneself and

Look into descripton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Look into descripton - Essay Example Being a member of the minority, the non-Muslim group, had motivated me to use my skills and knowledge to help others cope with similar personal, environmental and social challenges. Now, as an adult I want to be of service for people who have difficulty expressing themselves when the opposition's voice is too loud, I want to devote my time helping those who can't help themselves. During university, I became a tutor and teacher's assistant for the opportunity to help students cope with the changes that entering university usually causes. My dedication to my job and in helping others was not unrecognized by my peers and superiors; as such I received several appreciation awards. In the future, I still see myself devoting more and more of my time educating people on how to help themselves. A Ph.D. from the JFK University will surely help me achieve this personal goal. As a Ph.D. student, I will be given the opportunity to explore and research human behavior extensively. This opportunity can help me hone my skills in dealing with people, specifically those underprivileged. The environment of my childhood and adolescence had instilled in me a strong passion for achievement. As a non-Muslim in Iran, I pushed myself to do better.

Regulation of Interest Groups by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act Essay

Regulation of Interest Groups by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act - Essay Example The Bipartisan Campaigns Reform Act came along with two unique features that were not covered in the earlier federal act. One requirement of the BCRA was that the amount of soft-money contributions by interest groups be limited during the campaign period. This was effected by instituting federal limits to bar spending or raising of finances that are beyond the preset values. Secondly, this new law defined â€Å"electioneering communications† that required that no corporation would be allowed to fund the advertisements that had to be done 30 days before the primary elections or 60 days before a general election (Campaign Finance Institute, 2006). In addition, the candidates had to declare their names within the advertisement and confirm to have authorized the airing of such an advertisement. The impact of the new law was to minimize the influence that interest groups had maintained in the campaign by either funding the process or contributing to advertisements. Surprisingly, the provisions of these laws have faced a lot of antagonism from numerous federal candidates that have raised concerns regarding the restriction of utilization of financial resources during the campaign period. One issue that has seen many political parties and organization move to court is the pre-BCRA constitutional provision on the ‘527 organizations’ that were not covered adequately in the regulation of soft money spending. The law required that the 527 organizations such as Media Fund and Swift Board Veterans for Truth spend at least 50% of hard money in their campaign expenses while participating in federal campaigns. In 2007, the Federal Election Commission was forced to impose fines on these organizations after they had failed to abide to the financing laws governing the election process. In addition, in 2007, the US Supreme Court overturned the BCRA condition that limited the interest groups from contributing to the financing of media adverts on t he ground that this restriction was unconstitutional. As Boatright (2006) points out, BCRA has received abundant criticism and the public demand is that this law be changed to include more realistic regulation of interest group contributions to the campaign process. From above experience, it's worthy to note that the BCRA has numerous weaknesses that warrant its revision to achieve an effective regulation of interest groups. The United States President, Barack Obama, in 2010 announced the need for US to pass a bill that would restrict financial spending in the campaign period, and particularly the contribution of the specific interest groups. His argument was that the BCRA law is subject to alteration by the Supreme Court as long as this law does not state implicitly the specific amounts that federal candidates would

Business research method Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business method - Research Paper Example The steps include, theoretical framework and hypothesis development, measurement, sampling, quantitative and qualitative analysis. This paper intends to show how the problem at hand can be taken through the processes of research discussed in following sections. Chapter 4 Theoretical framework and hypothesis development This chapter provides an exclusive description of a research process through a theoretical framework and hypothesis development. This process includes identification of variables and basic features of a theoretical framework. In addition, the process involves development of a hypothesis. In most cases the hypothesis developed revolves a round the situation at hand. There are four types of variables namely dependent, independent, moderating and mediating variables. It is imperative to note that this research process involves labeling and linking variables amongst themselves wit the intent of forming a theoretical framework (Uma, 2010). A theoretical framework is a signi ficant aspect of any research method since it provided the overall direction of a research process. More over, the theoretical framework is regarded as the foundation of any hypothetical-deductive research. It forms the basis of the hypothesis that will be developed. The process of building a theoretical framework involves the introduction of definitions of variables in the model, developing a theoretical model intended to provide an evocative demonstration of the theory and coming up with a theory that is intended to provide a justification for associations amid variables in the model. After developing a theoretical framework, development of testable hypothesis follows. These hypotheses are intended to examine whether the theory is sound suitable or not. Statistical analyses should then be used to test the hypothesized associations. It is notable that the entire research rests on the theoretical framework (Uma, 2010). This study observes that advancing a superior theoretical framew ork is fundamental to probing the problem under exploration. It is imperative to note that the theoretical framework provides a conceptual base to proceed with research, which includes proper understanding of the associations of variable network. A variable refers to anything that can assume varying values. Some of the examples of variables include production units, motivation and absenteeism. An independent variable is one that affects the dependent variable. This implies that both the independent and dependent covary in such way that a change in the dependent variable leads to change in the independent variable. Consider the example below Independent variable Dependent variable On the other hand, a moderating variable performs the role of imparting strong contingent effect on the relationship amid the independent and dependent variables. More over, the moderating variable modifies the initial relationship between the two variables. Having considered the basics of variables the nex t but most critical step is the development of theoretical framework (Uma, 2010). As observed earlier the theoretical framework forms the sure base of the entire research project. It is imperative to note that the framework is based on logical development, clear-cut description and elaborated network of relationship amongst the variables. The variables should be relevant to the problem under investigation. Above all, this study observes

The Attack On 911 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Attack On 911 - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the 911 attack is known as the worst terrorist that the American history that changed the lives of the citizens and the world at large. The attack refers to a sequence of well- organized terrorist attacks that were instigated by the Al Qaeda in New York City. Terrorists hijacked two passenger airlines and flew them into buildings in suicide attacks. Two planes were crashed into the World Trade Centre and two hours following the attack the two Towers caved in. The fires and debris fully or partially destroyed the structures that were in the surrounding. Another airline crashed into the West wing of the Pentagon resulting in its partial destruction. The fourth airliner crashed in Pennsylvania but was meant to crash in Washington D. C. Most Americans were interested in finding out the individuals who were behind the worst terrorist attack in history. Investigation showed that nineteen terrorists hijacked four airlines and all of them were from the Middle East. It was clear that all of them belonged to the renowned Al Qaeda terrorist faction that was headed by Osama bin Laden who was among the most sought-after terrorists in the modern times. Al Qaeda is known to be a well- organized terrorist group that practices extreme Islam practices. Members of this group are also immensely opposed to Western nations mainly the United States. They termed the 9/11 attack as a revenge mission against the US.

Different Reasons People Comunicate Essay Example for Free

Different Reasons People Comunicate Essay There are lots of reasons why people communicate at work. For example, to share ideas and thoughts, to express needs and feelings, to socialise, to gain and share information, to build relationship and to maintain relationship, to understand and to be understood and to receive instructions, to give encouragement and show others that we care. In order to work effectively with children and their families, it is important to have good relationship with a range of people. Those who have good communication skills are likely to have strong relationship with children, parents and other adults. Sometimes we need extra support and services to help people comunicate properly. Translation and interpreting services I know about few cases at school where teachers had to use translator services to facilitate written communication between parents whose English is an additional language. In addition, they may use interpreting services to facilitate spoken communication. Read more:  Identify five different reasons why people communicate  essay For sensitive matters should be used a professional interpreter as they have trained to translate the message but not misinterpret it. They have also been trained not to say their opinion or change the nature of what the other person is trying to say. Speech and language services – we may need to use these services to help us find ways of communicating with children and young people. They may provide suggestions and guidance as to how to use resources such as Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) or training in visual systems such as Makaton. They showed up to be very efective with children with autism and down sindrome as many more. Advocacy services – a child or young person might be assigned an advocate whose task is to reflect their best interest. The use of advocates is needed for children or young people who are in local authority care or for children or young people with communication difficulties. Third sector organisations – for example, Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) – we may use these services if we have children in the setting who are hearing impairment. These services provide training courses and consultancy on deafness and disability. They also offer communication services including sigh language, interpreters and provide services for deaf and hard of hearing people with additional needs. We need to find ways of communicating with children and build relationship with them so they find it easier to settle into a new environment. When parents find that their children are happy with us they will trust us and have total confidence in us. Comunication is a key in my job role as a Nanny so I can fullfill needs of children and than pass all details to parents, so they ll know, their child is happy and safe. I use to do it thru comunication books or during the handower at the end of the day. To work effectively we will need to gain and share information. This might be from basic information about how a child is feeling, what they are interested in or it might be information about their long-term health and welfare. In nurseries and schools for teams to work well together, it is important that relationships within them are strong and professional. The quality of relationships with colleagues can be disturb or threatened by the way they tallk to each other, react to their suggestions and the tone of the voice that they use. When relationships break down in professional teams, children, young people and their families are likely to receive a less effective service as this would afect them all. Friendly comunication in work place helps building loyalty and trust, they are aware of the needs of the children and job is done properly.

Environmental Hazards Essay Example for Free

Environmental Hazards Essay If someone was to ask you, â€Å"What is an open dump? † What would you say? Would you know what to tell them? An open dump is abandoned piles of household garbage, bags of yard waste, appliances, old barrels, used tires, and demolition debris can threaten the health of wildlife, the environment, and humans. They can cause such health, environmental, and safety issues as fires or explosions, the inhalation of toxic gases, injuries to children playing in or around the dumpsites (I have personal experience of cutting my foot on broken glass as a child playing in an open dump), diseases carried by flies, rodents and mosquitos, and other hazards. Open Dumps, 1996 – 2011). Early Landfill Believe it or not, landfills go way back in history. Of course, back then they were called â€Å"garbage dumps. † For instance, early American settlers used to deal with their garbage by dumping it over the back fence, burying it in their back yards, or dumping it in rivers. They also would burn their garbage. (Amsel, 2005 – 2013). We can go even further back in history with this subject. Case in point: Did you know the cause of the bubonic plague (14th century) was too much garbage in the streets? Allow me to explain. The bubonic plague, also called, the â€Å"black death,† spread through Africa, Asia, nd Europe, killing 75 million people. What these people did not know at the time was they had too much garbage in their streets. There was so much it was in piles. These piles of garbage in turn attracted rats. The rats had fleas. The fleas carried the disease. With rats carrying the disease from place to place, the lack of sanitation made it the worst epidemic in human history. (Amsel, 2005 – 2013). Many of the early landfills were made in wetlands. These wetlands were thought to be wasteland at that time. These landfills leaked into lakes and rivers and built up gases, such as methane. As garbage rots, it gives off a flammable gas, called methane. Because of this many garbage dumps would catch fire or explode! The first garbage burning plant was built in 1885 in New York on Governor’s Island. It was called an â€Å"incinerator. † There were 300 incinerators burning garbage in the U. S. by 1914. (Amsel, 2005 – 2013). Leachate – The most serious problem with landfills is groundwater contamination. As water percolates through the ground (like water does in a coffeemaker), chemicals can be released in the ground and get carried along in a process called leaching. The resulting water with the various pollutants is called leachate. As the water percolates through Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), a noxious leachate is generated that consists of residues various decomposing organic matter mixed with various metals from rusting items in the landfills. This can funnel directly into the groundwater without correct precautionary measures. (Wright, 2011). Methane – Municipal Solid Waste is about 2/3 organic material. Because of this, it is subject to natural decomposition. Buried wastes are anaerobic, meaning they decompose without oxygen. A major by-product of this process produces a combination of about 2/3 methane and 1/3 hydrogen and carbon dioxide, called biogas. This is a highly flammable mixture. This has caused homes to explode at up to 1000 feet away and has caused some deaths. Also, gases seeping up to the surface have killed vegetation by poisoning their roots. (Wright, 2011). Incomplete Decomposition – Commonly used plastics resist natural decomposition because of their molecular structure. Microbes are unable to digest them because they are polymers of petroleum-based compounds. There have been biodegradable plastic polymers developed from other sources, such as cornstarch, lactic acid, cellulose, and soybean protein, as well as petroleum. Wright, 2011). Settling – Finally, as waste compacts and decomposes, it settles. This problem was recognized from the beginning and there have been no buildings built on landfills. Settling creates shallow depressions that collect and hold water. These can also be deep holes. This can be addressed by continuous monitoring and filling to restore it to a level surface. (Wright, 2011). Modern Landfill Modern landfills are designed to address the previous mentioned issues. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has upgraded requirements for landfill siting. New landfills are to be sited well above the water table on high ground. The floor is contoured so water drains into a tile leachate collection system. The sides and floor are covered with a plastic liner and at least two feet of compacted soil. This allows any percolating leachate to drain into the leachate collection system and be treated as necessary. Layers of refuse are positioned so the fill is built up in the shape of a pyramid. It is then with at least 18 inches of earthen material and then seeded. This cap and the pyramid shape help the landfill in shedding water. The entire landfill site is surrounded by groundwater monitoring wells and periodically checked. This checking must go on indefinitely. (Wright, 2011). Mariannhill Landfill, South Africa I chose the Mariannhill Landfill, South Africa for innovative practices in making it more productive and reducing its environmental impact. In reading the description of this landfill, it seemed more like a recreation area and less like a landfill. I could tell a lot of thought and planning went into this. This landfill contains several â€Å"cells† to hold waste. Soil from the landfill area is removed and put in storage. The resulting hole is the cell. Once the cell is full the soil is replaced. Vegetation is also removed and placed in a large holding nursery on the site. This is called Plant Rescue Unit or PRUNIT. There is a barrier system in each cell to prevent harmful waste by-products from seeping into the environment. Leachate is treated on site. This is done by a biological primary treatment with sludge followed by a â€Å"polishing treatment† by a reed bed. The Mariannhill site treats landfill water to reduce leachate until the water is reusable. Mariannhill has also set up a landfill gas extraction scheme. It has been operational for four years as of 2008. It also has a bird hide and conservation area with nature trails that link up with existing green space in the metro. (Mariannhill Landfill Conservancy, 2008). This has been a truly eye-opening assignment. Little did I realize as a child that some of the areas I was playing in were so dangerous. I’m not sure if my parents knew, but they always told me to stay away from places like that. I am so thankful these places (older landfills and â€Å"dumps†) are practically figments of the imagination now. We need to take better care of our planet! Let’s all chip in!

Numeracy Levels in BT1 Training Programme

Numeracy Levels in BT1 Training Programme Research Methods BT1 Numeracy Abstract This research will investigate the readiness of students to join the basic training program. It will focus on the perceptions of staff at No1 Radio School while marrying these comments to student performance. The research will focus on the levels of numeracy within the student population and their ability to apply this to the course material, whilst relating this to their current level of qualifications. These issues are not purely associated with the Royal Air Forces training but are prevalent throughout the education and training sectors. The subjects of literacy and numeracy have been identified as areas that are vastly under research, it is hoped that the issues raised in the short research project will identify further research questions that in turn may form part of further research. Introduction The field of work this research will investigate lies within the MoD, specifically the RAF at DCAE Cosford. The school being used to conduct this research is No1 Radio School, delivering training to Basic Trainees and Assimilation Trainees for all ground trades now known as Trade Group Four (TG4). The students ages range from 17 to 30 years of age. This research will focus on one specific target group, Basic Training 1 (BT1). These students are new members of the Royal Air Force and will have just completed their basic training at Halton (Ten weeks); they have come to Cosford to begin their trade specific training. The course is ten months in length, over which the students will cover both principles and trade training. The entry requirement for this trade is a minimum of three GCSEs, in Physics, Maths and one other subject. However they do accept some individuals with lesser qualifications as an exception and occasionally current members of the RAF who wish to change their trade. The trade requirements are specific and therefore it would be reasonable to assume the students basic level of literacy and in particular numeracy, would be sufficient to allow them to develop throughout this course. Research Issue. This research will look specifically at the levels of numeracy within the BT1 student population. It will try and identify if there is a problem and seek to provide evidence of any issues while providing recommendations for improvement. To ensure that there is no breach of ethics, the research will focus on the perceptions of the staff and the results from the students. This research issued raised questions that required answering, why is it that qualified students find the level 2 key skills and the level 2 maths phase of the BT1 training difficult? It is these issues that have intrigued me for some time. I believe this issue is worthy of research, however it is quite possible that additional questions will be raised that fall outside the scope of this research and may require additional research before they can be answered. Research Focus It has become apparent that new students entering the Royal Air Force as trade group 4 operator maintainers, although qualified for trade do not appear to posses the prerequisite knowledge required to complete the Key Skills at level 2 and the Maths phase of the course. That is not to say they all fail. That would be far from the truth, it is the difficulty they demonstrate when completing this phase of the course. The reason that this research is so important is this first phase of the course is crucial for the students. It gives them the skills and knowledge they require, which in turn will allow them to apply this knowledge to new problems and situations as they progress through the course. These skills could be considered tools of the trade, without a good grasp of these concepts the students will not gain the maximum benefit from the course. Literature Literacy and numeracy have become major issues in the field of education since the Moser report 1999, the working group chair by Sir Claus Moser in the opening statement of the report stated, Something like one adult in five in this country is not functionally literate and far more people have problems with numeracy. Moser, C (1999) This statement is met with surprise when you discuss this subject, however Moser states, We have found that people are staggered when one confronts them with the basic facts about literacy and numeracy, and rightly soIt is a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to continue, and our Report proposes a wide ranging approach to the challenge Moser, C (1999) Many organisations have concerns about the statistics when it comes to Literacy and numeracy in the adult population, Wells, A (2004) states, Surveys in the 1990s suggested that between 15 and 19 per cent of adults had poor basic skills. However, the International Adult Literacy Survey in the late 1990s suggested a much higher figure of 23 per cent or seven million adults. Wells, A (2004) Are we seeing a true picture of the problem? This research has highlighted concerns from staff about the students abilities. It would seem from the statistics that there is a strong correlation. One area this research was unable to quantify was how does gender affect numeracy, It was not possible to confirm or deny this because there were insufficient females included in the sample group to make a good judgement. However a recent article published by the DFES suggests there is a considerable difference between females and males when it comes to numeracy. Grinyer, J (2006) states, Women and men perform near equally for literacy, but men significantly outperform women at numeracy. Grinyer, J (2006) At level 2 this is an interesting fact and one that is perhaps worth of further research. If gender is an issue then what about current qualification level. Grinyer, J (2006) states Highest qualification appears to be the best predictor of an individuals literacy and numeracy level, with parental background and local deprivation having larger effects than current employment status Grinyer, J (2006) Research Hypothesis. The research hypothesis should be constructed in such a way that the research can disprove the hypothesis. So while the researcher believes students have issues with numeracy that directly affect their ability to perform throughout the course, and that the accepted entrance qualifications standards do not reflect the abilities of the students, the hypothesis should refute this. (See the hypothesis) The Hypothesis for this piece of research is: All BT1 trainees are sufficiently numerate to attend the BT1 course, as all trainees are qualified to a minimum standard. (Three relevant GCSEs) Research Hypothesis. There are a number of possible questions encompassing a range of different methodologies the scope of this research will be limited to one Research question, below are two possible questions. Why do students on the BT1 course suffer with the issue of numeracy when attending the taught lessons, completing assignments and examinations when they are course qualified? How do staff perceive the readiness of students on the BT1 course to deal with the academics of the course? After consideration and due to the constraints of this research it was decided to use the later, an interpritivest approach. Using this question offers the research some distinct advantages, firstly a limited scope and secondly and more importantly, it eliminates the students from the research which removes a large percentage of the ethical issue that may arise from questioning the students directly. This research should identify how instructors feel about the perceived problems students have when using the different forms of numeracy. Mercer, N states, one function of theories is to set agendas for research  ¿Ã‚ ½ to generate certain kinds of questions which the research will attempt to answer. Mercer in Walford (1998 p.42) This question could use a likert style method of answering, thus allowing the individual to grade their agreement or disagreement of the above question. This question as it stands would not necessarily be suitable for the students to answer as it is likely to produce a Yes/No response, however it could be acceptable for the staff. The same question could be asked in a different way. i.e. How has the GCSE maths helped the students with their study of the other principle subjects? Although it would be more difficult to analyse a short answer would bring out more of the individuals feelings, where as the likert style just grades the agreement or disagreement. Other questions that might be asked are: I. Do you feel the students could complete this course successfully without this qualification (GCSE maths)? II. How did the students maths affect their ability to complete this phase of training? III. Has the student qualification helped them with their studies? Youngman (1986) in Bell said, The more structured a question the easier it will be to analyse. Bell (1999 p.119) Research Paradigm What is a paradigm? A Paradigm  ¿Ã‚ ½ group of coherent ideas about the nature of the world and of the functions of researchers that are adhered to by a group of researchers, conditions and patterns of their thinking which underpins their research actions. What paradigms exist? There are a few key paradigms that exist within educational research positivist and Interpretiveist. Positivist research uses scientific, Statistical analysis and empirical methods, Cohen and Manion said, Traditionally, the word refers to those techniques associated with the positivistic model  ¿Ã‚ ½ eliciting responses to predetermined questions, recording measurements, describing phenomena and performing experiments. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.38) Interpretiveist research deals with human emotions, personnel perspectives. Cohen and Manion said, The central endeavour in the context of the interpretive paradigm is to understand the subjective world of human experience. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.36) Ethnographical methods are interpretivist. Gall, M. et al (1996, p607) say, Ethnography involves first hand, intensive study of the features of a given culture and the patterns in those features. Judith Bells thoughts on quantitative and qualitative research identify that quantitative researchers collect facts and study the relationship. They are measured using scientific techniques producing quantifiable and generaliseable conclusions, where as a qualitative perspective is more concerned with individuals perceptions of the world; Seeking insight rather than statistical analysis. In addition she concludes that on occasions qualitative researchers draw on quantitative techniques and vice versa. This would suggest that one method alone does not have all the answers and therefore we could consider various methods when conducting research. This research will use an interpretiveist methodology, this approach has been selected as the most appropriate as the information will come from members of staff, the information they provide will be their interpretation of the situation hence interpretiveist. This approach has been chosen as more appropriate than positivist approach because there is little scientific evidence and the amount of data collected would be insufficient to produce any valid statistical analysis. Ethnographical and eclectic research was also dismissed although it bridges the gap between Positivist and Interpertiveist research. It would however,still have positivist elements as mentioned previously. However the over arching reasoning for adopting an interpretiveist approach was the limited nature of this research project. Although, it is hoped that the findings from this research will generate further questions and spark yet further research questions for future research Research Methodology This style of research could be considered a case study, as its focus is centred on a specific group of students, belonging to a single organisation. Cohen and Manion state, a case study researcher typically observes the characteristics of an individual unit  ¿Ã‚ ½ a child, a clique, a class, a school or a community Cohen and Manion (1996,p106) While this approach would work it is more suited to a continuous improvement program and not a specific piece of research, in addition the length of time it would take to conduct a program of this nature makes this approach unsuitable. In planning the research, various methodologies were considered, however due to the limited nature of this research and to limit the impact of ethical issues, this research decided that an Interpretiveist approach would be most suited. This style of research is relevant, as the research will investigate the attitudes and opinions of the staff and not the students, while using student data to support or refute the findings. To facilitate this research there were a number of preferred techniques available for gathering the data: Interviews / Meetings Academic results Reference to external sources (Collages, Universities, Schools, Government Departments) The main reason behind this strategy, methods and analysis tools was time. The other key issue was ethics, for these reasons this research will be conducted through focus group meetings with staff using structured questions, this data will then be compared with the average results for a class. This approach will limit the impact of ethical issues and allow some conclusions to be drawn. This approach was discussed with the staff that felt that due to busy teaching commitments this was the most appropriate solution. Judith Bell states, Talking through problems and possible topics with colleagues is an essential stage of any plan. Bell (1999 p.21) The focus group will consist of five lecturers and four instructors, it is envisaged that a single meeting will take place to pose the questions to the staff. The data will be collected via questions directed to the staff in discussion groups; the responses of the staff were recorded. (See Annex B) To support the findings from the discussion groups the students results will be analysed. Data Collection instruments The data collection will be achieved through structured questions delivered at group meetings where the responses will be tabulated; this will give a feeling for the staffs concerns and perhaps some misconceptions. It will also allow any further research to focus its attention on specific areas of concern. Once the data has been collected this can be cross referenced to the student results, identifying any disparities, in addition student results and student retention rates may be useful sources of information. The other methods considered were, interviews, these could be time consuming, as staff are not always available. A well constructed questionnaire could produce valid reliable results in a reasonable time frame. However due to the limited time constraints, this research will utilise meetings with a number of groups and evaluate comments from those meetings to produce an Interpretivist style report. This will not provide hard evidence, however it will illustrate any concerns or trends that may be apparent which in turn could instigate further research. This approach although less structured will give a general feel for the issues, which could lead to further research questions. Sapsford and Jupp note the following facts about collecting data, There are both advantages and disadvantages to both highly structured and less structured methods; in no sense is it true to say that one is more objective than the other. Sapsford and Jupp (1996, p94) Research validity ensures the data collected is accurate and meaningful, collecting data in a non valid way would affect the final analysis; which may produce misconceptions when analysing the research data, thus rendering the research valueless. The research will improve validity through accurate data collection and careful analysis of the results, in addition reliability and repeatability could be enhanced through the triangulation of the data collected. Triangulation is method of verifying the data, checking and ensuring accuracy and ensuring that the findings are qualitative and thus reducing the chance of unsubstantiated data. Cohen and Manion said, Triangulation may be defined as the use of two or more methods of data collection the study of some aspect of human behaviour. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.233) The triangulation of the data was achieved through data collected from the meeting notes; these were then supported by student results and reference to national statistics. Chosen methods of data collection. This project will use a structured set of questions derived from the research question. The aim was to ask these questions at the focus group meeting, where the staffs responses and opinions were recorded. The rationale behind the choice of research and the methodology is predicated upon the limited nature of the research this in turn has limited the choice of methodology (interpertiveist). The limited time scale in which this research was conducted has in turn restricted the modes of research used to produce the data for evaluation; the aim was to gain a feeling from the staff as to how they perceived the research issue. The use of structured questions helped guide the process of data gathering and allowed the collection of data within a very short time scale, this was imperative due to the limited time constraints of this research. The interpritiveist approach allows the staffs feelings to be represented against the set criteria thus giving a good degree of relevant data for analysis. While this approach aided the collection of data at a rapid rate it did not offer the widest selection of data. Other methods could have produced further data to support or refute the findings. However this research hopes to triangulate its findings against student data (examination and assignment results). Research ethics. The matter of ethics is an important one; if the researcher wants to achieve open and honest answers they must consider ethics when conducting the research. To reduce the impact of this research the methodologies have been carefully chosen to reduce the data collection to that of the staff. The students results will be anonymous, to such an extent that the research will not identify the individual students, thus reducing the opportunity for others to identify individuals through the results and class group. Researchers cannot always predict what they might find and they may not like what they find; however it is the duty of the researcher to be open and honest about the research they are conducting. These are some of the things to consider when conducting research: Peoples amenity, that is to say protecting an individuals identity, ensuring that a respondents comments cannot be tracked back to a single individual or group. The Oxford Brookes University classifies research ethics and says, The integrity of any research depends not only on its scientific rigour, but also on its ethical adequacy. Ethical issues are many and varied, and may be quite complex. Research involving human participants is undertaken by many different disciplines and conducted in a broad range of settings and institutions. While some issues are specific to professional groups, all research should be guided by a set of fundamental ethical principles to ensure the protection of human participants. Wood,L (2006) Design Constraints One of the main issues when conducting any form of research is time; given enough time the research could produce massive amounts of facts, figures and an impression of peoples feelings. In addition to time there is always the cost of conducting research. However most organisations would expect any form of research to be conducted within certain time constraints, thus limiting costs and obtaining results within that time frame. Therefore the research can only be expected to deliver some of the information that is available, and that data would need to be substantiated through triangulation, generalisability and reliability. It is the limited nature of this research that has influenced the chosen methodology, interpertiveist. Although this may limit the validity of the research, the triangulation of the staffs comments and answers to the set questions when linked to student results, should give a reasonable confidence in its findings. Analysis of Results The questions asked at the focus group and the responces are given below: The group was asked, Are current BT 1 Trainees academically equipped to join this course? The staff responded with the following statements: Although students are qualified they do not seem to be prepared for the challenges this course offers. Some staff feel that GCSEs are a lower level qualification than a traditional O level (This used to be the entry requirement some years ago.) Although the students are qualified they do not seem to have the prerequisite skills to work effectively on the course. Students do not seem to remember some of the basics of mathematics. It would appear from the response that the staffs perception is that students are not prepared for this course and that the qualifications they hold do not reflect the students abilities. The BBC news web site on 30 October 2003 stated, The survey found 47% of the adults in England or 15 million people had a lower level of mathematical knowledge than was needed to gain a grade G at GCSE. The Department for Education and Skills blamed decades of neglect for figures showing millions of people lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3227263.stm There seems to be a general distrust of current qualifications as opposed to the traditional O Levels. This was the minimum entrant standard for this trade. The group was then asked, Which area of the course do students find difficult? The Maths is the most difficult for students because they do not possess the basic skills required to complete the work. Key Skills, Numeracy Some struggle with Electronic fundamentals mainly due to a lack of maths ability. They coped well with Addition and subtraction, however multiplication, division were more problematic. Additional areas where students struggled were percentages, area and fractions. These are not the only subject areas where students found difficulty, however they cover the major problem areas. These issues are similar to those identified in a recent TES, they stated, In last years skills action plan, the Assembly government revealed that 24% of the working age population lacked level 1 literacy skills and 53% level 1 in numeracy. In Wales, 20% have no qualifications compared with 14% across the UK (TES Cymru, June 30 2006) The focus of the problem seems to be centred on the Maths / arithmetic elements of the course. One of the key areas was Key Skills, in particular numeracy. Students seemed to find this difficult; they did not seem to posses the basics. Staff were asked to consider, Are there any circumstances that might affect students ability to perform on the course? Poorly prepared when leaving school. Length of time away from a learning environment. Lack of ability Some seem unable to apply previously learnt knowledge to new situations. Its is difficult to believe the students were poorly prepared as they all are qualified, suggesting they once had the knowledge, however it is interesting to note the comment about the length of time, as it is well known that constant and repetitive use of knowledge aids retention, lack of use leads to little or no retention of knowledge. A recent news article in the Daily Mail by HARRIS, S (2006) stated, One in five about to embark on teaching careers still have problems spelling and using punctuation as well as doing the most simple multiplication, division and percentages. Harris, S (2006) The question, Do you believe the students are suitably qualified? Staffs response to this was, Yes, they are for the trade and on paper, but do the qualifications match up to the expectations of the course? This alludes to a previous question about students being prepared. Do the qualifications meet the minimum requirements of the course. The answer is yes they do, however there seems to be a void between students retained knowledge and the paper qualifications. To illustrate this issue the House of Commons raised the issue of literacy and numeracy with the Secretary of State for Defence being asked, how many and what proportion of new recruits to the army in the last 12 months had (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills at or below (i) entry level 3, (ii) entry level 2 and (iii) entry level 1. Mr. Touhig replied, Consolidated literacy and numeracy initial assessment figures for recruits to the army in the period 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2005, are provided as follows. Literacy Numeracy Entry level 1 Entry level 2 Entry level 3 Entry level 1 Entry level 2 Entry level 3 Percentage 0.71 7.81 32.51 0.19 7.65 37.11 Number of recruits 72 795 3310 19 770 3737 Total number of recruits(11) Literacy Numeracy These figures were given from an Official Report, column 98W on departmental staff literacy and numeracy. No Author (2005) The group was also asked, Are students prepared for the academic rigor of this course? No, Students are ill prepared when it comes to learning in this environment. This may also relate to the time away from a learning environment, the beginning of the course is quite intensive and therefore the students find it difficult to get back into a learning environment. In summary of the responses, the staff feel the students were inadequately prepared for this course. However this was not for lack of qualifications more a perceived difference between the more traditional O Level and the existing GCSE qualifications, while the time away from the learning environment may have its part to play. Student results for the first eight classes illustrate that not all students struggle to achieve good results. (RAF pass is set at 60) So could this purely be a staff issue and not one of the students. As the results below indicate some classes obtain reasonable results, that is to say, not all struggle. The results for the first eight classes are shown below: Maths BT1/01 BT1/02 BT1/03 BT1/03 BT1/05 BT1/06 BT1/07 BT1/08 59 66 75 56 72 66 68 62 Electronic Fundamentals BT1/01 BT1/02 BT1/03 BT1/03 BT1/05 BT1/06 BT1/07 BT1/08 68 73 82 77 73 74 59 While these classes passed the respective subjects, there are some low scores in maths for classes 1, 4 and 8. Electronic Fundamentals produces better results, however class 1 and 7 have still scoured low marks. This information is not entirely conclusive as can be seen from the results, some classes did well. Findings The hypothesis has been refuted through the data collated from staffs responses to questions and the student data, all be it limited in nature this research has been shown to support the staffs comments. The analysis of the questions suggests a lack of ability on the students part, this however does not seem to be predicated on qualification. The staffs perceptions of students abilities seem to suggest the students are not sufficiently prepared to attend this course, more over they are not used to the training methods utilised within the MOD. These facts when grouped together cause the students and staff some problems, however this is not to say that large numbers of students are failing to achieve a pass in these subjects, therefore is there a problem? On the face of it, no. However modifications to the training methodology and some additional sessions may improve some of these issues. This research has investigated a broad range of issues relating to new students entering the RAFs BT1 training program, their ability to cope with the academic pressures of the course and their ability to complete the work to the required standard. It would appear many students, although qualified on paper have some difficulty when it comes to the Maths and Electronic Fundamentals phases. Some of the underlying problems relate to the methods of delivery on the course as it is unlike traditional academic institutions. This means that the students take time to adjust to this training methodology and as the Maths and Electronic Fundamentals phase of the course is at the front end, it does not allow sufficient time for this adjustment to take place. On the subject of time between learning, many students left school twelve months before joining the course and have not practiced these skills for some time. As with the maths unless a student continues to use these skills they are quickly forgotten. However this does not explain why students do not remember when prompted. Perhaps this could point to a lack of understanding at the initial point of learning and may require further research to substantiate this theory. Recommendations This piece of research has been limited in its nature, however it has allowed the researcher to gain a wider perspective on these issues, to further improve this work and make the findings more valid it is proposed to include the students in any future research. The students were excluded in this case to speed up the data collection and to reduce any ethical issues that may arise from the research. Further research could be developed from the fi

Stonehenge Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are few ancient structures in the world that captivate the imagination and the critical mind of both the scholarly and ordinary individual as Stonehenge. This intriguingly mysterious Neolithic monument is located near Amesbury in Wiltshire, England and draws thousands of spectators to its arena each year. The oldest part of Stonehenge, called Stonehenge I (constructed ca. 3100 BCE), consists of little more than a circular ditch dug in the soil of the Salisbury plain, with the excess soil piled up to make an embankment approximately six feet tall. This area is approximately three hundred thirty feet in diameter, and encompasses â€Å"Stonehenge proper† – the familiar circles of massive stones that once stood upright as well as the large horseshoe arrangement of standing stones near the center of Stonehenge. (Trefil 48) The outer ring of Stonehenge proper, also known as the â€Å"sarsen circle,† consists of several upright sarsen (gray sandstone) stones. According to the text of Art History, each stone in this circle weighs up to fifty tons and stands up to twenty feet tall, and was once â€Å"capped by a continuous lintel.† To accomplish this architectural structure, the builders used the technique of mortise-and-tendon joints to join and ensure the security of the lintel sections. With this technique, a projecting pin (tenon) located on a lintel fits tightly into a hole designed for it (mortise) on an upright stone. (Stokstad 59) Inside the sarsen circle was once a ring of bluestones. These special stones consisted of various grades of bluish dolerite, which (many individuals conclude) were only found one hundred fifty miles away in the mountains of southern Wales. The inner horseshoe arrangement of five paired lintel-topped uprights, or trilithons, dominates the center of Stonehenge. These sandstone trilithons range in height of up to twenty-four feet, weigh up to forty-five tons, and radiate the mysterious majesty of the megalithic structure. (Stokstad 59) Whatever the method by which the stones arrived on Salisbury Plain, they were apparently set up in about 2800-2700 BCE in either the unfinished circle or the incomplete horseshoe open to the south-west. A century or so later, (ca. 2500 BCE) the great sarsen circle was constructed, and the bluestones were dragged from their holes only to be returned some centuries later to form the i... ...few miles from Stonehenge where there was a convenient glacial deposit of the only stones used for Stonehenge. (Burl 22) However, the view remains that the massive stones of Stonehenge were, indeed, transported hundreds of miles to Salisbury Plain. Assuming that the bluestones were brought from Wales by hand and not transported by glaciers as Aubrey Burl has claimed (or moved by the magical hand of Merlin), various methods of moving them relying only on wood and rope have been suggested. During 2001, in an exercise of experimental archaeology, an attempt was made to transport a large stone along a land and sea route from Wales to Stonehenge. Volunteers successfully pulled the massive stone on a wooden sled over land, but it was ultimately lost in rough seas after being moved to a replica prehistoric boat for its journey across the Bristol Channel. (Burl 21) As we have observed, legends about the origin and purpose of Stonehenge are many in number. It is quite possible that we may never discover the truth behind the mysterious circles of stones on Salisbury Plain, yet it is also true that the intrigue and fascination that accompanies the existence of Stonehenge will surely remain.

Life Role Essay -- Personal Narrative Roles Essays

Life Role For every role that is â€Å"performed† in one’s life, the antithesis of that role also is performed. As I examine my many roles that I play in life, I realize that the majority of my time spent on this planet has been filled with learning. We all are eternal students, I guess you could say; this would at least be true in an ideal world. And for every individual whom consumes his or herself with being a student, that person also is a teacher. Too often the definition of teaching gets associated with a labeled person- a person with chalk-stained hands and a bright red apple upon a desk. I believe that teaching goes far beyond any one person who can stand in front of a classroom and program minds with information that will help pass standardized tests, information that will be vastly useless in the â€Å"real world†. More useful in our day-to-day reality are the lessons we take from regular people in our lives. Our parents are our first teachers and the ones that we probably obtain the most information from. Yet most of them do not have a degree in education. And those same parents will learn more from their children than they could have ever been taught in a classroom. The point here is that from the day we are born, we are students and teachers all at the same time. And these are the roles that I feel are most important to discuss as far as their application to my life. It is difficult to pinpoint the social influences that molded my role. Rather than being shaped from a handful of individuals, I think it was affected more by a collaboration of everyone I have encountered throughout my life. Just as everyone, in their own little way, make an impression on one’s life, so do they impact the role that we will continue to play throughout our lives. Obviously, though, some people are more important in this formation process. These people, of course, are our parents, schoolteachers, close friends, confidants, siblings, and anyone else whom we are relatively close to throughout our lives. Much like everything else in life, you may be good or bad at any certain role that you play. As far as teaching goes, some are good and helpful whereas some are destructive. Teaching does not always have to be a positive effort. A younger sibling may pick up bad habits from his or her older brother or sister, etc. It is likely that a strength or weakness in our te... ...clearly defined roles. Maybe this is just because that person chose to exemplify a certain role by making it a career, or maybe it’s because that person has become obsessed with one of their roles in life. They may forsake things in their own life in order to carry out this role. This is well illustrated in a quote by an opera singer named Mary Garden, who was never married or had friends of her own because she worked so hard to create the facade of whatever character she was playing at the time. She stated, â€Å"The others ‘acted’ a role; I was the role. She who was Mary Garden died so that it might live. That was my genius ... and my sacrifice. It drained off so much of me that by comparison my private life was empty. I could not give myself completely twice.† There are many roles to play in this drama that is life. It’s an impressive feat to be able to juggle all of these roles. To me, the most important lesson is to keep one role ongoing even though you may have to do the opposite side of it. What I mean by this is never stop being certain because of a question and never stop doctoring if you have to be a patient and never stop teaching while you feel that you must learn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Caribbean Literature Essay

The evolution of Caribbean Literature started centuries before the Europeans graced these shores and continues to develop today. Quite noticeably, it developed in a manner which transcended all language barriers and cultures. Today the languages of the Caribbean are rooted in that of the colonial powers – France, Britain, Spain and Holland – whose historical encounters are quite evident throughout the region. The cosmopolitan nature of the region’s language and cultural diversity develop from the mixture of European languages with Native American languages (mainly the Caribs and Arawaks) in the formation of creoles and local patois (hybrid languages) and those of Africans brought to the Caribbean as slaves, not withstanding the contributions of Asians mainly from India and China, and Middle Easterners. The fabric of Caribbean Literature is woven with the historical issues of enslavement and forced migration, the related themes of home and exile, and colonialism and decolonization. The social and cultural themes of tradition, landscape, culture and community are also encompassed by Caribbean Literature. It also addresses such universal questions as identity, sexuality, family life, pain, joy, and the uses of the imagination. It is virtually impossible to keep Caribbean Literature only within the confines of writings produced within the Caribbean Islands. Caribbean Literature also transcends the borders of Central and South America extending to the shores of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana; and coastal areas of Colombia, Nicaragua, Belize and Honduras. Evidence of aspects of Caribbean Literature can also be seen in literary works produced in various areas of the USA including Miami and New Orleans. Works of Caribbean Literature have also been produced by people of Caribbean ancestry who live primarily in Europe and major urban centers of the United States. ORAL LITERATURE Oral literature can be considered as the earliest form of Caribbean Literature consisting mainly of rich folk- tale traditions, legends and  myths, songs and poetry. Today this legacy is resplendent in popular music such as the CALYPSO, the Cuban SON, and the Puerto Rican BOMBA; in the traditions of storytelling originating out of West Africa and India; and in supernatural tales from African religions, including SANTERIA, LUCUMI,VODUN (vodoo), and SHANGO. Proverbs, riddles, and sayings that reinterpret African, European, and East Indian traditions are also most prominent in Caribbean literature. Among these are Anancy (a cunning spider) stories; animal dilema tales, which typically teach a moral lesson; stories of village life or evil women; tall tales; and rhetorical flourishes, such as boasting, toasts, and speeches. PRE AND POST INDEPENDENCE LITERARY WORKS Autobiography and poetry were the most prevalent literary works from the 16th century to the mid – 19th century. In these works were introduced themes that became common in Caribbean literature; exile, migration, displacement and questions of identity. The history of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave, (Related by Herself), is the most prominent of these writings in English. Early Caribbean writings in Spanish saw that of the autobiography of the slave Juan Francisco Manzano of Cuba in the 1820’s and 1830’s, Jose Maria Herida Placido ( a slave who was executed in1844 for his role in a slave uprising) and the Cuban anthropologist Miguel Barnet. Max Urena of the Dominican Republic produced nationalist works in the 19th century. The French speaking Caribbean saw works by Emeric Bergeaud and Desmevar Delorme. Distinct national literary traditions began in the 20thcentury because few Caribbean countries gained their independence before this period. Twentieth century Caribbean literature can be divided into three periods: the first thirty years during colonial rule; the years just prior to independence between the 1940’s and 1960’s or later, and the period after independence. During the fledgling years (1930’s) a movement celebrating African culture and values rose to prominence. The movement originated in France and was called NEGRITUDE. However, its founders include Leon Gontran Damas of French Guiana and Aime Cesaire of Martinique. Rene Maran of Martinique won the Prix Goncourt (a French literary prize) with the novel Batouala (1921) which called for identification with black culture. In the Spanish – speaking Caribbean African themes were presented in a most exotic manner, highlighting African and black identity for artistic inspiration. Prominent writers in this movement include Luis Pales Matos from Puerto Rico and Emillo Ballagas from Cuba. The works of Cuban poet Nicolas Guillen from the 1930’s share sentiments with the politics of NEGRITUDE and address issues surrounding the struggle against colonialism. Alejo Carpentier, also of Cuba, achieved recognition with his novels in which he explores the history and sources of Caribbean culture. The English – speaking Caribbean abounds with prominent writers including Jamaican novelist Tom Redcam (Thomas Macdermot), Claude Mckay, Jamaican born poet, and perhaps the best known writer of this generation internationally. Mckay later became one of the leading writers of Harlem Renaissance, a flowering black culture in New York in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Other writers who rose to prominence during this period are C. L. R. James of Trinidad, whose works protest against colonialism and help to define the anticolonial political and cultural struggles of his time. He was also instrumental in the formation of the literary magazines Trinidad (founded 1929) and the Beacon founded (1931); these publications were instrumental in the development of a Caribbean literary tradition. Alfred Mendes and Ralph de Boissiere (Trinidadians) both contributed articles and poetry to the magazines. PRE – INDEPENDENCE RENAISSANCE This period saw the emergence of a generation of writers whose works sought after liberation and presented a distinctive portrait of Caribbean culture. The Jamaican Vic Reid, looks forward to a â€Å"new day† of independence with his novel New Day (1949); the displaced, downtrodden, urban population of the Caribbean is portrayed by Roger Mais also of Jamaica. He also experiments with jazz rhythms in his language, while Una Mason, a Jamaican poet uses blues rhythm in her poetry collections. A vivid portrait of Guyana’s countryside and society is presented by Edgar Mittleholzer in his novel A Morning At The Office (1950). On the other hand, one of the first and most important Caribbean works dealing with childhood and coming of age in a colonial context was produced by George Lamming, from Barbados, in the novel â€Å"In The Castle Of My Skin† (1953). This novel focuses on the struggles of three young boys with poverty, a colonial education, social change and the forging of an identity; hovering in the background is the promise of migration to the metropolitan centers. The mythology of Native Americans and Africans is emphasized in Wilson Harris’s novel Palace of the Peacock (1960), while Martin Carter’s Poems of Resistance seek liberation from colonial rule. During this period a number of female writers were also very active. Beryl Gilroy of Guyana wrote novels, children’s stories, and an autobiography. Sylvia Wynter of Jamaica incorporates elements of folk culture into her work. From Dominica, Phyllis Shand Allfrey won recognition for her analysis of colonial power in her work, while Jean Rhys received critical acclaim for novels about women caught in situations they are unable to change. POST INDEPENDENCE This period saw the emergence of poets from the English – speaking Caribbean; Derek Walcott from Saint Lucia is perhaps the best-known Caribbean writer internationally. In 1992 he won the Nobel Prize for literature. In addition to poetry, Walcott is well known as a playwright. At the same time Eduard Kamau Brathwaite challenged the formal structures of European poetry by adopting the rhythms, references, and language of the African and Afro- Caribbean traditions. Brathwaite broadened the possible use of language in his works for a number of subsequent writers, including Jamaican oral poets Mutabaruka, Linton Quesi Johnson, and John Binta Breeze. Earl Lovelace and V. S. Naipaul count among other noted English – language writers born in Trinidad and Tobago. Naipaul received recognition for novels that focus on East Indians living in the Caribbean. Lovelace whose works won a Commonwealth prize wrote on issues of poverty, education, and village life. The French – speaking Caribbean saw prominent contemporary writers in Daniel Maxim of Guadeloupe and Edouard Glissant and Patrick Chamoiseau of Martinique. Chamoiseau explores issues of black identity, and creole cultural identity. The latter was produced along with Jean Bernabe and Rafael Confiant. Chamoiseau won the Pri Goncourt for his novel Texaco (1929). Noted female writers are Maryse Conde of Guadeloupe who is considered a significant voice among female writers, having won several French prizes for her literary work. Simone Schwarz -Bart, also of Guadeloupe, writes of the search for identity while Nancy Morejon of Cuba is recognized as a leading poetic voice. Her collection entitled Cuaderno de Granada 1984 (Grenada Notebook, 1984) honors those who participated in Grenada’s socialist revolution in 1983. Caribbean writers have impacted greatly on the international arena and have gained worldwide recognition for their numerous works. Literary critics are also recognizing the Caribbean roots of some African American writers who are explicit about their Caribbean parentage

Leadership and Organization Behavior Essay

There are many business organizations that are started on various occasions, but only a few turn out to be successful organizations. The success or failure of an organization can mostly be associated with leadership. Leaders make a very big impact in the organization. The importance of leadership is recognized when the organization is going through some moments like crisis or serious changes, depending on how the issue will be handled. We can not just assume that leadership in the organization is shown at the top management, but even to the lower levels in the organization. Despite the importance of leadership, there has been no agreement on the definition of leadership in the organization. However, leadership can be defined as a means used to coarse people in the organization, without applying force, to work towards the attainment of the organizational goals, by motivating them. Non coercive method implies the leaders should make the people to follow them on a voluntary basis (Glasser, 2008). A leader influences a particular group to work towards achieving particular goals. Leadership does not depend on a formal authority or the title, but rather they carry out their tasks by applying leadership attributes such as; values, believes, knowledge, character, ethic and skills. The position of a manager, supervisor, leader etc give them the authority to accomplish certain goals and tasks in the organization, the power of manager lead or supervisor to accomplish organization goals does not make them leaders but simply they make themselves bosses. Leadership makes the followers want to make higher goals. Selfless services and honorable characters to the organization form the basis of good leadership. Respected leaders concentrate on what they know (such as jobs tasks and human nature), what they are (such as character and believes) and what they do (such as motivating implementing and providing directions. ). The qualities of a leader influence the followers to follow him. Followers want to be guided by the people whom they respect and have clear sense of directions. Leaders must be ethical in order to gain respect from their followers. Sense of directions among the leaders is achieved through conveying a strong vision of future (Glasser, 2008). Employee satisfaction in an organization can be predicted by the level of confidence and trust in the top leadership and effective communication. Effective communication helps to win organization confidence and trust which occurs through making the employees to become aware and understand the overall strategies of the organization, assisting the employees understand their roles which can contribute to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives and the information sharing between the employees and the leaders on how the organization is performing and how their departments are doing relative to the strategic goals of the organization. Therefore a leader must be able to communicate the vision of the organization and must be trustworthy. Good leaders need to concentrate the three attributes of leadership i. e. what they are, what they know and what they do. These attributes can be achieved by following the leadership principles. According to principles of leadership a leader is supposed to know himself and seek room for self improvement. A leader can know himself if he understands the principles of leadership. Seeking room for self improvement means that the leaders have to continuously strengthen their attributes. This can be achieved through interaction with others, reflection, self study and formal classes. Secondly the leaders must be technically proficient. Leaders are required to have a solid familiarity with their follower’s tasks and know their job (Nelson & Quick, 2007). Leaders must seek and take responsibilities of their action. They must such ways in which to guide their organization to achieve new heights. When things in the organization goes wrong leaders are not supposed to blame their followers or their fellow leaders but rather they should analyze the situation and come up with corrective response and be prepared to move into the next challenge. Leaders should make timely and sound decisions by use of good strategies of decision making solving problems and planning tools. Good leaders should set good role models by setting examples to others. They must see what they are expected to do not only hearing the changes they want to see. Leaders should know their people and care for their well being. They should know the human nature and take the responsibility for caring for their followers. Leaders are supposed to establish good communication with their followers. Communicating is a key responsibility in making sure that tasks are accomplished, supervised and understood. Team building and development of team spirit assist the leaders in employing their sections, organization, department etc to their fullest capabilities. Leaders should have an honest understanding of leadership attributes. They must also understand that determination of whether a leader is successful or not lies on the followers and not upon themselves. Followers are likely to get inspired if they lack confidence or trust in their leaders. Leaders are supposed to convince and set good example to their followers in order to become successful and be followed. Leaders lead through a two way communication between them and their followers sometimes communication between these two parties is non verbal. An example is when a leader sets a good example to the follower. The leader in this case does not necessarily require asking the follower on what to do about what himself is not willing to do. The way and how the leaders communicate with their followers improve or harm the relationship between them. Leaders are supposed to understand their followers in order to apply their leadership skills different followers would require different leadership styles. This means that a new employee may require more guidance and supervision than an experienced one. Also non motivated workers would require more motivation than motivated workers. Therefore the leader must understand the human nature through establishing the follower’s emotions, motivation and needs. Leader’s requiring to develop strategies on the possible cause of action for different situations (Nelson & Quick, 2007). The success of any leadership is determined in the degree in which the leaders are able to motivate the others. Motivation among the employees leads to work satisfaction. An organization may incur big losses if it looses its employees and therefore the key function of the leaders and the managers should be motivating the right people to remain and join the organization. Motivation directly affects the out put of an organization and this concerns both the quality and the quantity. The leaders and managers therefore need to understand how to motivate the followers according to the roles they play (Miner, 2005). The survival of an organization is determined by the motivation of the employees. On the other hand reinforcement focuses on the maintenance of motivation. The basic assumption in motivation are that the positive behavior among the followers that resulted to rewarding will be repeated and therefore negative behavior that resulted to negative consequences are less likely to be repeated. Certain behavior can be intensified and strengthened through reinforcement. Rewards and punishment are applied depending on whether certain behaviors occurred or did not occur. The role of the leaders is to strengthen the positive behavior through reinforcement (Miner, 2005). The employees and the leaders working in an organization have different characteristics. Leaders must learn how to manage the employee in their organization. The leadership skills that are acquired in schools are not sufficient to lead and manage the employees. Therefore training is important in order to ensure that individual objectives are aligned with organization objectives. To achieve this skills and knowledge are imparted to individuals. Goal setting on the other hand helps in defining the organization, give the direction to be followed and avoid chaos. Setting of organizational goals can help the leaders to motivate the employees by communicating what the organization have planned to achieve and through providing basis for recognition, success and achievements (Nelson & Quick, 2007). Goal setting helps in effectiveness of recruiting the followers. Team building results to many potential benefits which include; consensus building brain storming, looking at the problem from different perspective, trial and error, expert knowledge etc. employees are more encouraged to bring their work at the conference table and therefore they are likely to work harder. Leaders must ensure that there is an attitude of respect and tolerance for the ideas of the team member in the organization culture. The employees feel free in sharing their ideas with the team members when they help each other to succeed. Effective leadership helps in the success of the organizations. If there is no good leadership the organization may move too slow, become stagnant or even loose their direction. Timely decision making ensures that the running of organization is going on well. Leaders must ensure that decision making are correct, complete and involves all the stakeholders for the success of the organization (Nelson & Quick, 2007).

Should People in the Public Eye Expect Their Privacy to Be Respected by the Media?

Journalism is a field of work that requires an individual to balance the ethical aspects of invading another person’s privacy with getting the information they need to cover a specific story. It is becoming increasingly common to find out what a certain celebrity has said or done yesterday in today’s newspaper and magazine tabloids. Our society has become so fixated in watching and reading about others, that sometimes we forget that celebrities should have some privacy of their own. Stories in the headlines can range from what a certain celebrity orders from a fast food restaurant to information concerning a divorce settlement between couples. Every solitary move a famous individual makes in his or her life is documented in a photograph, editorial, or headline on a TV show dedicated to exposing their life. If famous celebrities cannot receive any amount of privacy, why should individuals like ourselves be guaranteed that our personal lives are not exposed to the world? Should not all human beings be able to keep certain aspects of their life personal? Journalists and photographers should realize that celebrities are human beings that would like to keep certain parts of their lives to themselves, and not have their lives consumed with photographs and editorials devoted to exposing all details of their life good or bad. The definition of public eye is people in the one, which consist of politicians, athletes, celebrities and other individuals who are famous. For my presentation we will be concentrating on the public eye and whether they should expect their privacy to be respected by the media. Media comes in various forms, with the more common ones being newspapers, tabloids, radio, paparazzi, internet, social media and many more. With the amount of attention numerous celebrities receive from the media, invading their privacy is just another part of a journalist’s job description. Such actions as going through another individual’s trash can lead to the next big headline on tomorrow’s magazine. Some journalists will ultimately dedicate their life to exposing someone else’s in magazine editorials and articles. The media is certainly abusing the rights they are given by exposing details of famous individual’s lives. Anything from celebrity scandals and breakups to private matters like divorce are always shown on TV shows featured on E News, which show the latest and most up to date stories. These shows will provide viewers with hard evidence including paper documents and photographs that depict a certain story. Stories dealing with breakups, for instance, the popular divorce between Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston after seven years of marriage, are sold to specific magazines for a large amount of money. Public eye privacy being invaded – a question that has been discussed over and over again in the media itself, the debate intensifying after the latest tragic break-ups by famous ex-actor and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger was caught having an internal affairs with his maid is to believed his privacy being invaded. Sought by celebrities, anonymous informers as well as ordinary citizens, privacy should be respected by members of the press – too often do journalists use techniques that show disregard for others' distress in order to â€Å"get the story†. However, in other cases, it is due to the publication of â€Å"private† details that hidden agendas and acts of corruption are brought to light. It is the amount of public interest involved that is more important in determining whether or not the press is justified in overriding privacy. The press – all members of the printed media, including newspapers, magazines, and tabloids – plays the important role of informing the public of what they need to know. This freedom of speech in the media is central to our democracy, as it means that the public's main source of information is independent of any of the authorities, and is thus more likely to present information in an unbiased manner. As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, â€Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. â€Å"It is the right to know, the publics right to access information, which allows us to keep a critical eye on our society and ensure the fair running of our country. However, another basic human right is the right to privacy â€Å"freedom from intrusion and public attention† as defined in the Oxford Dictionary. This includes privacy for the person, conversation, seclusion and personal information. That is, one should be able to lead a life without others following one all the time, eavesdropping on what one says, having one's every move under surveillance, and making public one's personal details. Such two basic human rights come into conflict when matters are to be reported in the media. What the press sees as information that ought to be made public may be considered private by the individual. 997 figures showed the privacy complaints made by both public personalities and private citizens, having tripled since 1994, stood at 9% of the total number of complaints lodged to the Press Council. Often when confronted with such accusations of intruding upon one's privacy, the journalist's defense is that it was in the â€Å"public interest†. This term, however, is rather vague. Many tend to define it as what the public is interested in – the kind of sensational news that increases circulation and sells papers. Yet this sacrifice of the individual's privacy for the entertainment of the general public is not â€Å"public interest†. In fact, it is the necessity of the public, as citizens, to have access to essential information. A great proportion of those mentioned in the media are ordinary citizens who, because of their experience of extraordinary circumstances, become significant. These people are most likely to be victims of crime or tragedy. In such cases, names, addresses, photographs and other details that would lead to the identification of the victim should not be published without consent. It is not imperative for the public to know the name of the victim because, after all, stories reported in the media are often far removed from the readers' daily lives that the name is of no more interest to them than a piece of trivia. Yet to the victim and his or her family and friends, publication of the name could mean embarrassment, harassment or even death threats from the criminal. In conclusion, the most basic form to freedom of expression and encourages the journalists to have public responsibilities as an honest and efficient journalist that respects the rights of others. The 8th code of ethics in MEAA is to ‘use fair, responsible and honest means to obtain material and never exploit a person’s vulnerability or ignorance of media practice’, meanwhile the 11th code of to ‘respect private grief and personal privacy. But again, it does actually depend on what situation that the public eyes are going through. Is it bad or good thing that journalism should report a story regarding on their private life or its just counted as an entertainment values as in the public interest that will do the rating of a certain story to put in the tabloids.

Multigrade Teaching Strategies Essay

Every student has their own aspirations on life and that is the reason why some students are working by virtue of aiming their own aspirations. Students of SSCT also have their own aspirations. Some of them are lucky that they belong to the economic-stable families where their family can support them in all aspects that they need compare to the students who work while studying. Academic performance of the students depends on the factors that affect it. These include various aspects that they need to adjust in order to attain their goals in life. Full time students have their advantages when it comes to their performance in school because they only focus on their own works especially in school activities. They are most capable in joining some activities pertaining to improve their various skills that lead them to excel their performance academically. Full time students do not worry on the things that they do and they will do because their time are not divided when it comes to household chores and school activities. They are lucky not because they are not working to sustain their school needs but because they are used to only focus on their aims that they set in life and how to attain it. They are also free on the things they want to. They can easily cope with school problems that need a lot of efforts to adjust on the situation. When it comes to financial aspects they easily pay for it without any doubt to tell to their parents and ask for it. Full time students are really blessed as they only focus on the right track that leads them to the road of success. On the other hand, working while studying is a burden among working students. They have to give up and set aside their social needs. Working students give their time in working and studying their lessons in school. Most of them have lack of sleep but still need to work and go to school. Due to school works, working students do not have time for themselves even on their personal needs. Most of them do not care on how they look as long as they enter school and listen to the discussion of the teacher. Because of their eagerness to finish their studies, they forget to care about their health. They almost forgot to spend their social life with friends, to live life, to experience their youth and do things that a normal person does. With their eagerness to succeed in life, they let the years go by without even thinking the present. Thus, full time and working students are both have the eagerness to a success but differ into various aspects on traveling the road of success for they have their own advantages and disadvantages to carry on to their road of success. Review of Literature Today, students can put dope in their veins or hope in their brains. If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude (Jackson, 2006). Socio-Economic Factor Education provides individual children with the knowledge and skills necessary to advance themselves and their nation economically. Socioeconomic factors, such as family income level, parents’ level of education, race and gender, all influence the quality and availability of education as well as the ability of education to improve life circumstances (Jennifer, 2007). Danesy (2006), complimenting environmental and socio-economic factors to produce high academic achievements and performance include good teaching, counseling, good administration, good seating arrangement and good building. High level of illiteracy, poverty and low socio-economic status coupled with high rate of paternal and maternal deprivation of student academic needs, which was necessitated by poor socio-economic situation of the country has thrown many farmers and old rural dwellers into untold financial problems such as poverty, lack of money to purchase necessary textbooks and working materials for their kids. Also many rural and suburban dwellers can no longer pay the school fees of their wards. These ugly situations have promoted young school students to drop out of school to engage in subsistence farming and become housemaids or engage in other menial jobs to support their academic pursuit. Hence, many students have since taken schooling as a secondary assignment and school attendance on rotational basis. Socio-economic factors like attendance in the class, family income, and mother’s and father’s education, teacher-student ratio, presence of trained teacher in school, sex of student and distance of school are also affected the performance of the students (Raychauduri, 2010). Physical Factor Regardless of the reason for working, trying to meet the multiple and sometimes conflicting simultaneous demands of the roles of student, employee, parent, and so on often creates high levels of stress and anxiety, making it less likely that students will complete their degrees (Kasworm 2010). There is a possibility a working student will have trouble finding time to study. If you have a job, you automatically have less time to do everything you want to (Corbett 2009). Mental Ability A typical response from faculty members and administrators who are asked how much undergraduate students should work at paying jobs while attending college. Available research supports this recommendation. Quantitative studies consistently show that retention rates are higher for students who work a modest number of hours per week (ten to fifteen) than they are for students who do not work at all or those who work more than fifteen hours per week. Research also shows increased academic success for students working on rather than off campus. Umbach (2005), associate professor of higher education at North Carolina State University, and his co-authors demonstrate the educational benefits to working students when their instructors encourage cooperative learning, set high expectations for student achievement, and create assignments that require students to demonstrate deep learning. A campus teaching center may also support faculty efforts to help working students. Family Factor Guidance is of the factor through which a student can improve his study attitudes and study habits and is directly proportional to academic achievement. The students who are properly guided by their parents have performed well in the exams. The guidance from the teacher also affects the student performance. The guidance from the parents and the teachers indirectly affect the performance of the students (Hussain, 2006). Students academic accomplishments and activities, perceptions of their coping strategies and positive attributions, and background characteristics (i. . , family income, parents level of education, guidance from parents and number of negative situations in the home) were indirectly related to their composite scores, through academic achievement (Noble 2008). Environmental Factor There are so many factors that can contribute to your academic performance. Noise, distractions, etc. can affect you in studying. Light, review materials, and others should be conducive to lear ning. However, there are some cases that students choose to have a bit of distractions. For instance, a student might want to listen to music while studying. Others might want to watch TV while doing this. It’s actually a case-to-case basis (Debate Society, biology professor, etc. 2008). The academic environment is the effective variable for students and has positive relationship with fathers education and grade level (Kirmani & Siddiquah, 2008). The student has to have an advantageous atmosphere to learn, not one which is disadvantageous to learning. If the student feels the need to participate, rather than being forced to and possibly be humiliated as a result, the student is apt to learn that much more (Bea 2009). How do you expect a student to perform great if they are sitting in a dimly lit room where they can’t hardly see what the professor is writing on the whiteboard, in room located next to an extremely busy train station or to have only a chair (to sit on) making it difficult to take notes or even open a book (Linda, 2010). Young, 2010), held the view that student performances are linked with use of library and level of their parental education. The use of the library positively affected the student performance. The students who are actively engage in the learning process are observed to have a positive correlation with the CGP. A Study effort from student and the proper use of the facilities provided by the institution to the student, a good match between learning style of the students and are positively affect t he performance of the students (Ali, 2009). Karemera, 2005) found that performance of the students is significantly correlated with satisfaction with academic environment and the facilities of library, computer lab and etc. in the institution. With regard to background variables, he found a positive effect of high school performance and school achievement he found no statistical evidence of significant association between family income level and academic performance of the student. Synthesis.  The above mentioned reviews are related to the present study in the same that it accounts for the similarities of findings specifically on the factors affecting the academic performance of the 2nd year and 3rd year BEED students in SSCT. Conceptual Framework The factors that affect to the academic performance of the 2nd year and 3rd year BEED students are complex and numerous. Hence, the researchers only need those that are commonly encountered by the students. This study is anchored in some related concepts for its framework. It includes the respondent’s profile in terms of age, sex, student status, religious affiliation and occupation of parents and the factors affecting the academic performance of the 2nd year and 3rd year BEED students that will be basic to come up with a quality research output. Each individual has its potential and capability to conduct a certain research study. However, these are some factors or aspects that would affect in doing this kind of work. It must be considered by the researchers in order to have a better result.