Play dough activity Essay

I DISCUSSED WITH MY MANAGER THAT I WAS GOING TO CARRY OUT A PLAY ACTIVITY. THE PROJECT I HAVE CHOSEN TO DO IS THE MAKING OF PLAY DOUGH. I HAVE CHOSEN THIS ACTIVITY BECAUSE I FEEL THIS IS A GREAT PASTIME AND A GREAT EXPERIENCE BETWEEN ME AND THE CHILDREN. I SAY THIS BECAUSE THE CHILDREN CAN ACTUALLY TAKE PART IN THE MAKING OF THE PRODUCT. I THINK THIS ACTIVITY WILL HELP THEM TO LEARN ABOUT COLOURS, SHAPES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. MY MANAGER CONFIRMED THE ACTIVITY AND SHE WAS REALLY PLEASED WITH IDEA AND SHE ALSO THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE CHILDREN. I  ALREADY HAVE A RECIPE ON HOW TO DO PLAY DOUGH, BUT MY MANAGER CONFIRMED ONE MORE TIME ALL THE INGREDIENTS: FLOUR, FOOD COLOURING, SALT, OIL AND WATER. I MAKE THE PLAY DOUGH ACTIVITY WITH FOUR MONTESSORI CHILDREN. THE FIRST THING I DID IT WAS TO GET ALL MY MATERIALS READY: SMALL BASIN, LARGE SPOON, FLOUR, SALT, OIL, WATER, PAINT, SHAPE CUTTERS, ROLLING PIN. IN THIS ACTIVITY CHILDREN CAN DEVELOP MOTOR SKILLS -USING PLAY DOUGH HELPS A CHILD PRACTICE USING CERTAIN PHYSICAL SKILLS WITH THE HANDS WHEN THEY MANIPULATE THE DOUGH WITH THEIR FINGERS. CHILDREN CAN PRACTICE SKILLS SUCH AS PINCHING, SQUEEZING OR POKING WHILE THEY  PLAY WITH THE DOUGH. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT-USING PLAY DOUGH HELPS A CHILD PRACTICE USING IMAGINATION AND OTHER COGNITIVE ABILITIES SUCH IMITATION, SYMBOLISM AND PROBLEM SOLVING. THIS HELPS THE CHILD LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS ENVIRONMENT AS HE MAKES AND MIMICS EVERYDAY OBJECTS WITH THE PLAY DOUGH. EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT-USING PLAY DOUGH MAY HELP A CHILD TO CALM DOWN WHEN FRUSTRATED OR ANGRY. HOLDING AND SQUEEZING THE PLAY DOUGH CAN PRODUCE A CALMING EFFECT ON THE CHILD AND IS USEFUL FOR TEACHING ANGER MANAGEMENT SKILLS. ADDITIONALLY, CHILDREN MAY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE EXPRESSING THEMSELVES  IN OTHER WAYS WHILE THEIR HANDS ARE BUSY. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT-USING PLAY DOUGH MAY HELP A CHILD DEVELOP SOCIAL SKILLS AS SHE PLAYS ALONG WITH OTHER CHILDREN WITH THE DOUGH. ADDITIONALLY, MAKING PLAY DOUGH IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A CHILD TO PRACTICE COOPERATION AND SHARING WITH A CAREGIVER. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. USING PLAY DOUGH MAY HELP A CHILD TO DEVELOP MOTOR SKILLS NEEDED FOR WRITING AND DRAWING. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT. BECAUSE OF THE INTERACTIVE NATURE OF PLAY DOUGH USE, CHILDREN NEED TO LISTEN, UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNICATION OF OTHERS, SPEAK, AND  PRACTICE THEIR ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS AS THEY MOLD AND MANIPULATE THEIR PLAY DOUGH CONSTRUCTIONS. SCIENCE UNDERSTANDINGS. THE TACTILE EXPERIENCE OF MANIPULATING PLAY DOUGH HELPS CHILDREN DEVELOP A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MATTER CHANGES (PHYSICS) AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO USE SCIENTIFIC THINKING AS THEY OBSERVE CHANGES, MAKE PREDICTIONS, AND TALK THROUGH DIFFERENCES IN THE MATERIALS THEY ARE USING. MATHEMATICS CONCEPTS. MIXING UP A NEW BATCH OF PLAY DOUGH WITH ADULTS IS ONE WAY IN WHICH PLAY DOUGH ENGAGES CHILDREN IN MATHEMATICAL LEARNING AS THEY MEASURE AND COUNT RECIPE INGREDIENTS. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SHAPE, RELATIVE SIZE (GREATER THAN, EQUAL TO, OR LESS THAN), HEIGHT, LENGTH, AND WEIGHT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO DEVELOP MATHEMATICAL UNDERSTANDINGS. LITERACY LEARNING. WHEN PAPER AND WRITING UTENSILS ARE ADDED TO THE PLAY DOUGH AREA, CHILDREN CAN MAKE SIGNS, LABELS, AND CREATE STORIES RELATED TO THEIR PLAY EFFORTS. EXPLORING AND THINKING- CHILDREN USED THEIR SENSES, THEIR MINDS AND THEIR BODIES TO FIND OUT ABOUT AND MAKE SENSE OF WHAT THEY SEE. THEY USED THE IMAGINATION TO CREATE NEW SHAPE OR DIFFERENT MONSTERS FROM PLAY DOUGH; THEY  ARE IMITATING IN SPECIAL THE MOTHERS IN THE KITCHEN WHEN ARE COOKING; ARE MAKING GESTURES AS ADULTS ;ARE PLAYING AND TALKING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE. IDENTITY AND BELONGINGS-CHILDREN BUILD RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS; THEY EXPRESS THEIR OWN IDEAS, PREFERENCES AND NEEDS, AND HAVE THESE RESPONDED TO WITH RESPECT AND CONSISTENCY; THEY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A PLACE AND A RIGHT TO BELONG TO THE GROUP; WELL-BEING-IN THE PLAY ACTIVITY CHILDREN WERE HAPPY AND PLAYFUL; THEY WERE INTERACTING TO EACH OTHER; THE GROUP ACTIVITY MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONTENTS. COMMUNICATION-CHILDREN USED A RANGE OF BODY MOVEMENTS, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, AND EARLY VOCALISATIONS TO SHOW FEELINGS AND SHARE INFORMATION; THEY INTERACT WITH OTHER CHILDREN BY LISTENING, DISCUSSING AND TAKING TURNS IN CONVERSATION; CHILDREN USED LANGUAGE WITH CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE FOR GIVING AND RECEIVING INFORMATION, THEY ASKED QUESTIONS AND REQUEST TOO. THROUGH THIS ACTIVITY I FOUND THE CHILDREN HAD GREAT FUN. CHILDREN WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HELP ME MAKE THE PLAY DOUGH. THEY WERE FULL OF ALL DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. OVER ALL I FELT THE ACTIVITY WENT VERY WELL

Birmingham Letter Illusions Essay

Letter from Birmingham Jail Allusions in Section 3 Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is one of the most well known documents in American history. King’s profound ability to articulate important ideas, values, concepts and Biblical perspectives made for some of the most powerful and inspirational pieces of American literature ever produced. One technique that King used in his public speeches and letters was his allusions to historical figures, the Bible and opposing congressmen. During the 60’s when cultural prejudice still held strong roots in Congress, it was King’s talent to inspire the public that revolutionized America’s racial injustices. King’s frequent use of allusions in his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail proved his intelligence and greatly attributed to his success and popularity during the 1960’s. His allusions demonstrated his referential capabilities while also making his messages readily relatable to the public. It was often said that it was not King’s intelligence that made him seem so acumen, but that he was â€Å"well read†(knew much from reading). His frequent allusions to major documents and famous statements in contest to his adversaries ultimately lead to his dominance in public speech. In the paragraphs 12 through 14 when king references the election of mayor Albert Boutwell, he states, â€Å"We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor will bring the millennium to Birmingham† in paragraph twelve. The millennium is an allusion to a specific verse from the Bible’s book of Revelation interpreted as the 1,000 years in which Jesus comes back to earth to restore peace. He made many correlations to the Bible and major public documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to make his arguments accurate and mainly understandable by restating vital rules and quotes that even the illiterate could comprehend. In these paragraphs he quoted the Bible by using phrases like â€Å"moral light, â€Å"abyss of despair† and â€Å" unjust posture. † King used the word â€Å"wait† in this section of the letter multiple times as a allusion to the current denial of rights to African Americans that had been going on for the last 340 years. He also stated that â€Å"justice too long delayed is justice denied† in correlation to the current racial dilemma in America at the time. All of these direct references made for some of the most significant and powerful American literature ever created and made Martin Luther King one of the most successful authors in this period of civil revolution. By reinforcing his argument with allusions that the public could relate to, King was able to greatly impact the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and ultimately bring around the social turning point of the century that provided racial equality to all and smother prejudice in America thereafter.

Critiquing Current Educational Issues Essay

Matters of education, like any other sociological issues, can cause a lot of controversy if they are handled in a manner that does not represent or take into account the views of all the stakeholders (ABC, 2010). This has been the case with the My school website in this country. Long before the My school website came into operation, support as well as opposition could be clearly witnessed from different stakeholders including teachers, the Australian Education Union (AEU), and the government through the independent Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) which is charged with the responsibility of making available to the public data about schools that is nationally comparable. However, the most controversy has arisen after the website became operational. The issues of contention vary depending on the particular sides embroiled in the debate. However, regardless of the views that are being raised, the effects that the controversy about the My school website has generated have been dire not only to students and their schools but also to teachers in the Australian education curriculum, the parents, as well as investors who need to finance education programs in the country. This paper critically discusses the sociological issues that have surrounded the My school website prior to and after its inception. This is with a view to establishing the extent to which the controversy has affected the various stakeholders in the education sector in the country. The My School Website My school is a website which profiles close to a thousand Australian schools. All these schools may be searched by any interested person or organization using filters such as the location of the school, its sector, or even the name. Perhaps the most important information to be found on the website is that of statistical and contextual nature; but also included is information about the results by the National Assessment Plan for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). These results allows for comparisons to be done for schools; particularly those that are statistically similar. Therefore, the My school website allows for the searching for schools across the nation; finding local schools in one’s own area; comparing schools that are statistically similar; viewing school-level results by NAPLAN; and identification of schools’ performances so that there is an allowance for sharing successful strategies (Peatling, 2010). Contentious Issues Proponents of My school, who mainly comprise of the government, NAPLAN, and a section of parents, argue that the website has allowed parents and other people an opportunity to assess schools on the basis of key indicators, particularly on literacy and numeracy, so that they can make informed decisions about where to enroll their children. They also argue that through the site parents can monitor the performance of their children and so be better placed to advise them accordingly. The site has also been lauded for bringing together all schools across the nation so that finding information about school performances and other records is no longer difficult (Peatling, 2010). This site, they argue, has enabled the results of schools on national tests to be better understood in a manner that is both meaningful and fair. The site has also enabled schools seeking to enhance their performance to learn from others which have similar populations. By providing extensive information on Australian schools, the My School website introduces a new level of transparency and accountability to the Australian school system. However, the opponents have forwarded a number of critical issues which they believe are actually making the education sector to suffer. The first contention and one which has generated the most opposition is the use of particular indices to rank schools (Peatling, 2010). These indices have apparently failed to present to the public what the actual facts about schools are because it has been proved that some schools that are known widely to be underperformers have been ranked or placed in the same category as other elite schools whose national record has been known by the people to be very high. A notable example that has been widely quoted is the grouping together of Bulli High School, Wollongong, and Trinity Grammar, Summer Hill; as well as ranking of Scotch College which is among the most prestigious schools in the country alongside Epping North Public School. This issue has particularly caused a lot of concern among teachers, led by the Australian Education Union, who have used it to reiterate their allegation that the My school website is deeply flawed and cannot be relied upon for its inaccuracy, invalidity, and incompleteness (Peatling, 2010). Another key issue has been the margin of error that has been identified in the ranking of the schools in the test results by KAPLAN. In some cases, it has been found that the margin of error has been as wide as 34 – pointing out that there was no way the website could be relied on to convey the correct information to the public. From the AEU’s perspective, the site is only a source of conflict and serves to create tension and unnecessary competition among teachers and schools. The union reiterates the need for the education sector to be made rather autonomous so as to avoid events that can compromise the quality of education (Peatling, 2010). AEU holds that tests ought not to be used to rate the student’s ability but only as a means to ascertain where a child or learner is up to. Sociologically, tests results ought to be the secret of the learner because the test was done that one learner alone. Exposing such results to other people, especially when the results are poor, serves to embarrass the learner and cause one to be less confident in school. The overall outcome is a tendency to continue failing in successive tests. Another issue that has raised a storm about the My school website is that it is being used to discriminate against certain ethnic communities, particularly the Aboriginal students (ABC, 2010). This lament, mainly from parents, has stemmed from the system used where schools have been listing the number of Aboriginal students enrolled there as part of the statistics posted on the My school website. This, the parents contend, is discriminatory as it tends to bring to the fore the notion that the Aboriginal students are responsible for the poor performance of schools so that the more of them a school has the lower it is likely to perform on the KAPLAN index. This can never be farther from the truth (ABC, 2010). The Clash Between Government Policy and Public Opinion Even on the international scene, there have been constant clashes between the policy of governments and what the public feels is the best. In matters of education in particular, there has been a series of policy frameworks that governments have put in place without considering their effects on the other stakeholders. For instance, issues regarding the performance of educators in learning institutions like schools and colleges have been hotly contested because while the policy might require teachers and other educators to be appraised based on their performance, the indices used in certain cases never really depict the actual input by these educators. For instance, teachers can be assigned to students who are hard of learning for a reason or more and so such teachers, if rated on the basis of the performance of their students alone, never really get justice done. Similarly, it is not appropriate for the government to continue using indices to rank schools and publishing such information on the My school website without considering other factors. The effect this has on teachers is that they are likely to become demoralized and put less effort in their work for they know the evaluation of their work is not at all fair. For parents, the use of the My school website has had different effects (Peatling, 2010). First, it may help them to ascertain the best performers among schools and so enroll their children in such ones. However, there is another more critical issue about what parents whose children are in poor-performing schools can do. The natural inclination of such parents is to withdraw their children from these poor performing schools and have then enrolled in other schools with better performance indices. This, if allowed, would cause a mass exodus of students from some schools into others, eventually causing another problem of overcrowding and subsequent declining in the quality of education in those schools initially ranked highly. But since the government is not prepared to allow such migrations, continuing to use the My school website might only cause parents a lot of anxiety from knowing that their children might never be able to make it in life because they are in lowly-ranked schools. For the students, they will get discouraged if they learn that their school does not perform well in comparison to others. As AEU has claimed, education is not all about literacy and numeracy but more about individual students’ ability to learn to do many other things in life. Students in lowly-ranked schools might be led into the false belief that their teachers are not competent enough and so give up trying to improve their performance. However, the My school website has had the positive effect of creating a competitive environment in schools so that low performers are compelled to work harder to improve while the best performers try their level best to maintain or improve their performance record (Peatling, 2010). Conclusion The My school website is bound to continue eliciting a lot of debate in the days to come with varying effects on the society, the students, teachers, and the government. What is clear in this debate is that there has been no attempt to have the feuding parties to work together to sort out their differences. Instead, every side has been unilateral in its decisions and has not cared about the implications of its actions on the students, teachers, and parents. While the government is downplaying the opposition to the My school website by AEU and citing it as any other opposition that happens whenever there is change, the fact is that the union has key sociological issues that ought to be addressed if the education standards in this country are to be kept high. Sociologically, therefore, the feuding parties ought to work together to find ways of ironing out their differences before the matter gets out of hand.

One-Way Analysis of Variance with SPSS Coursework

One-Way Analysis of Variance with SPSS - Coursework Example Using results from the Tukey HSD test, it is observed that there are several comparisons listed in the table. For instance, in the first row, we can see the comparison between group 1 and the other two groups. Following this table across, we see that the difference of means between group 1 and the other two groups is significant. However, the difference in means between group 2 and 3 is not significant (p-value = 0.999). The results are consistent with our findings based on the ANOVA test in which the p-value was significant as it is less than 0.05. The significance of the p-value (from the ANOVA test) is observed due to the significant difference of means between groups 1 and 2 and 1 and 3. Using results based on main effects and post-hoc statistical test, in this case Tukey HSD test, we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a significant difference between the three groups. In other words, there is a difference between the means of the three

Finding a theme in a story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finding a theme in a story - Essay Example the life lesson of Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell is that very often, one have to make a choice between what is morally right and what one is expected to do or should do, especially in accordance with the law. In the essay, Orwell presents the conflict between the main character’s conscience and the law. The narrator is an imperial police officer, the representative of the conqueror and, consequently, is hated by the natives as â€Å"an obvious target† (Orwell). It is a difficult task for him to endure his job and hostile attitude of the conquered towards him. At the same time, he hates imperialism and the British Empire for the way of life he and the natives have to lead. As Orwell puts it, â€Å"theoretically – and secretly, of course, – I [the narrator] was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British†. In fact, this is the first conflict between the narrator’s conscience and what he is supposed to do / feel. The matter is that as he is a citizen of the British Empire and, more importantly, is at public service, he is supposed to admire his country, its political strategy and ideology. The narrator chooses to hate Britain a nd pity the Burmese though. The second collision between what is morally right and what one is obliged to do is central in the piece under consideration because it is the one that leads to the main character’s deep reflection on his behavior in the situation and in general. What is meant here is the main decision the police officer makes, which is whether to shoot or not to shoot the elephant. As it follows from the essay, the choice is not the easy one for the narrator. He himself tries to justify what he is going to do. He understands that killing the animal is not correct: â€Å"As soon as I saw the elephant I knew perfectly that I ought not to shoot him† as â€Å"at that distance, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow† (Orwell). At the same time, the narrator feels the

Reasons of the speedy growing and futher problems of Indian Economic Research Paper - 1

Reasons of the speedy growing and futher problems of Indian Economic - Research Paper Example After these areas have briefly being looked at, I shall then delve closely into the major areas of discussion where I shall touch briefly on each of the following areas: i. Reasons of the speedy growing of Indian economic. ii. Further problems of India because of high speed economic growing iii. Can India exceed China economically? These two major groups of discussions shall pave way for major components of the essay to begin. Reasons for the speedy growing of Indian economy - 3 India is fast becoming a force to recon with in world economic terms. Not as before, India is more stable and growing rapidly in terms of economic growth. This of course has reasons as to every effect, there is a cause. This part of the essay shall therefore be dedicated to looking at the reasons for the speedy growing of Indian economy. To talk about the reasons, a brief background to India’s current economic status shall be given. Next, I shall dig deep into the history of Indian economy. This aspect will be very relevant because it will help readers to identify that indeed the economy of India has its own roots. The discussion of the historic background would also help in creating timelines for major achievements and events in the history of India’s economy. ... World history has it that there are nations who once had very graceful economies. Their gross domestic product grew at rapid rate, their inflationary rates where always down and the rate of their currencies were forces to recon with. However with time, due to poor economic management and because factors or reasons that led to their economic growth were not sustained. It is against this backdrop that this aspect of the essay shall not only consider the reasons for the speedy economic growth but also ways of sustaining the growth. Further problems of India because of high speed economic growing – 4 There is no denying the fact that there is an effect – positive and negative for that matter to every situation. Even though it is a good thing that India’s economy should develop at a very speedy rate, this comes not only with positive repercussions but negative ones as well. This part of the essay shall therefore be a progress of the previous aspect, which was on the r easons for the speedy growing of Indian economy. Three major problems that are likely to affect India’s economy as a result of its current economic growth shall be treated. The problems shall not just be stated but stated with possible solutions. The problems to be looked at would include: i. Unlawful migration to India – (The Indian Analyst, HVK ii. Taking advantage of booming economy to become the hub of counterfeit, low quality and fake products. – (The Lancet, Democratic Underground iii. Pressure from dependant nations – (The Economic Times, The Economic Times These problems have carefully being chosen because there are enough proofs that the problems have affected other countries that have attained economic growth and freedom. In worse cases,

Film Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis - Assignment Example The qualifiers are the concepts of empowerment and life satisfaction of the recovery model versus the rigid medical model traits and practices of the medical model. It means that the claim does not reject medical treatment through medicine, but focuses on the limitations of the medical model instead. a. The long shot during the voting shows empowerment as it includes all nine patients raising their hands in favor of the vote of watching the World Baseball Championship in contrast to only Nurse Ratched who is against it. 2. Backing: Cheswick points out to Ratched that he would like to watch the baseball series. The close-up shot of his face shows determination in discussing this matter with Ratched. He says that watching it can be â€Å"good therapy too† (Forman, One Flew). Cheswick shows his demand for life satisfaction through entertainment. Another example is the music that plays when McMurphy pretends to watch the baseball game. 2. Backing: Before the second round of voting for the watching of the baseball series, Cheswick argues that Ratched should not impose analysis on Billy because he does not want to talk about his problem anymore. He asks: â€Å"Why are you pressing him? Why can’t we go on to some new business, huh?† (Forman, One Flew). During this time, Nurse Ratched answers that the â€Å"business† of the meeting is â€Å"therapy† (Forman, One Flew). She is in medium-shot which shows how she firmly holds on to her pen as if she is controlling her anger because her patients are questioning her authority. She is emotionally detached to the concerns of the patient and she prefers professional distance by focusing on therapy than her patients’ current concerns on life satisfaction. 4. Backing: Even when nine patients already voted for the watching of the baseball show, Ratched includes other patients, even

Montessori and Child Early Learning and Development Essay

Montessori and Child Early Learning and Development - Essay Example The Montessori approach in itself is scientific both in its aim and substance. The Montessori approach at the Early Years Foundation Stage offers children a chance to establish their motivation and exercise their independence within the favorable environment of the classrooms. The calm atmosphere, freedom within limits and respectful attitudes encourage and promote self-respect and self-esteem (Isaacs 2010, p. 78). This kind of environment promotes the development of the child’s personal, social and emotional aspects of his or her life. The Montessori approach offers a child a great opportunity to learn, explore and develop. The early years learning goals of children include the emotional, social, and personal development of the child, the child’s physical development, creative development, development of the child’s knowledge and understanding of the world and development of the child’s language communication and literacy. The Montessori approach provides a conducive environment, materials and activities for the sole purpose of achieving these primary goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is critical to have an understanding of a child’s development in order to have an understanding of the Montessori approach. According to Smith, Cowie, & Blades (2003, p. ... She believed that it was an escape from reality and was primitive. Jean Piaget, on the other hand believed that play had a role in the cognitive development of a child. He believed that adaptation depended on assimilation and accommodation processes and that children acted out an already established behavior, in play, and adapted reality to fit these. Vygotsys approach to play combined the cognitive and affective aspects of development. He believed that play is fulfillment of wish, not, however the isolated wishes, but generalized affects. He believed that the affective drive force behind play is the imaginary and illusory realization of the desires that are unrealizable, not with specific impulses but in a general sense to do with children’s mastery and confidence. He believed that play was the main source of development in children during preschool years. Clearly, based on the beliefs of Montessori, Piaget and Vgotsys, play is of great value in the development process of a c hild. In these paper we examine three activities that children can engage in and demonstrate how the Montessori approach supports the early learning and development d goals of a child. Three activities are analyzed closely. They include the rolling and unrolling of a mat, spooning grains and zipping and unzipping. Each of these activities has a sole purpose of enabling children enhance their learning and development and in the long run meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The learning should occur primarily due to the interests and abilities of the children and that any planning done for purposes of learning should take this aspect of development and learning into account. Unrolling and rolling of mat According to Montessori for there to be personal,

Articlo p865 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Articlo p865 - Article Example hat a patient could be in any cleanliness operatory in any city the nation over and be diagnosed with periodontal sickness and treated in a steady way. We have different components ready for this perspective is executed from. The principal issue includes the way in which hygienists were prepared. Undoubtedly, hygienists get a magnificent instruction in the universities and colleges the nation over. The second element included is the calendar driven nature of the dental calling which demonstrates that greatness, tenderness, time administration, kind disposition and friendly is the center esteem the extent that the calling is of concern. The third component includes the elements of progress and initiative that makes dental specialists concentrate on fabulous remedial and restorative dentistry. From my perceptions the extent that disposing of the cleaning woman disgrace is of concern, specialists assumes a basic part in the genuine conclusion of the infection. The hygienist`s part is to assemble precise information, educate the specialist and patient of the discoveries, finish the case presentation, and perform the genuine help. Morally, the consideration of dental specialist executes the quintessence of harmony and smooth subsequent to without the contribution of all allies, this methodology will come up short. Likewise, we must teach the staff on the momentum research and new methodologies to perio cleanliness, and in addition encourage the progressions important to give fabulous here of the dental practice. A sorted out, orderly approach to ahead of schedule periodontal malady is our territory of mastery. Promoting the dental cleanliness calling is a twofold recommendation: It obliges an advertising battle to clarify who we are, our main thing, and what accreditation we have for doing these things and afterward hoisting the calling through a positive authoritative "advancement." Our advertising fight is the first step. Dental hygienists are frequently seen in

Finland Healthcare System versus United States System Term Paper

Finland Healthcare System versus United States System - Term Paper Example The American health care reform has been regarded as a great stride towards fixing the country’s 2.8 trillion dollar American healthcare industry. Finland has an effective and highly decentralized three-level public health care program alongside a smaller private health-care industry. This essay will compare and contrast the Finish and American healthcare systems. America lacks a universal healthcare system. In the country, the role of the federal government in healthcare delivery is complex, and commences to evolve (Patel &Rushefsky, 2014). Health insurance coverage is highly fragmented, with many public and private sources as well as extensive gaps in coverage rates across the American population (National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2012). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides the Medicare program (a central program for those of age 65 and older, a few of the disabled, as well as those with end-stage renal ailments (Patel &Rushefsky, 2014). The unit works in collaboration with state governments to direct Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (combined state-federal programs for particular low-income residents). Private insurance is moderated at the state level, but gener ­ally is permitted wide discretion in creating benefit packages (Patel &Rushefsky, 2014 ). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Actof 2010 was signed into law and it is meant to increase insurance coverage to legal inhabitants by 2014. The act provides for federally delegated health insurance to be executed in America with the Federal government subsidizing legitimate resident households with revenues up to 400% of the Government poverty level. In comparison, the population of Finland was about 5.6 million in 2013. A universal right to healthcare and social welfare services characterizes the country’s

Pre-Negotiation Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pre-Negotiation Planning - Essay Example If I can't meet the deal with IAAPA, I will find the second-hand machines from the Chinese exhibition that is going to be held the next month after IAAPA exhibition. Nevertheless, attending the Chinese exhibition, I need to inspect the machine carefully if I want to purchase the machines from the Chinese exhibition. It is because the second-hand machines are vulnerable.This is the long-term relationship because IAAPA is an annual event. It is held every year and we frequently buy previous gaming machines from them. So I will try to make a deal with them since it is going to have a positive impact on Mr. Games and IAAPA relationship, but I still need to consider the cost of the machines. If it is too high then I will politely reject their offer, but I still need to maintain the relationships.Possible conflicts:- IAAPA sets up a price more than $150,000, it is because this machine is highly demanded by gamers around the world, so they will not sell this machine for the cheap price. - W e are not going to meet at our target price, and we are having conflict to meet our target price.- As a marketing chair of the Mr.Games Company, I am having a responsibility to give the rational answer on why we are purchasing their product, or why we are not meet the deal. I will tell them that IAAPA has a good standard, and the quality of the gaming machines so we will be satisfied if we can reach deal with them. Mr.Games is going to have 10 additional Maximum Tunes for their arcades gaming station. We also are going to tell IAAPA where we are going to purchase the products if we are not meet a deal with them. I believe by being open for both sides we are going to maintain the trust. It is going to be not ethical, if finally they know we are not buying the machines from them because the price is too high, and buy from Chinese dealers instead. *QUESTIONS Is there any discount for buying 10 gaming machines? How does the maintenance of the Maximum Tune 3? *OFFERS -Anchor 10 Maximum T une 3 for $ 155,000 -Re-anchor We are Mr. Games company, a loyal customer since 1994. We have bought a lot of gaming machines from IAAPA. I hope that this can be a consideration to get a cheaper price, and we will purchase 10 gaming machines directly. Furthermore, we always provide the payment on time, and pay the whole sum in cash. We will not take a credit to pay for the Maximum Tune 3 gaming machines. *Priorities on purchasing gaming machines (based on cost) 10 Gaming Machines with cheap price *The end of meeting As the ending, I should thank them for their time. No matter reaching a deal or not I should thank

How Nothings Changed and Two Scavengers deal with social injustices Essay Example for Free

How Nothings Changed and Two Scavengers deal with social injustices Essay Both Nothings Changed and Two Scavengers deal with social injustices, however, there are some big differences between them. Nothings Changed is set in Cape Town, Africa and focuses on the segregation of black and white people, after an apartheid was made. It is an autobiographical poem by Tatumkhulu Afrika. The poem is about how District Six used to be a place for blacks and whites to live together. But when that changed, Tatumkhulu left in anger (and prison). Now he has returned to his old home after many years and has discovered that the segregation has gotten wider and worse. The social injustice in the poem is the black and white segregation. On the other hand, Two Scavengers deals with the social segregation between the classes in America. At a set of traffic lights, early in the morning (9am), a garbage truck has stopped next to a couple in a Mercedes. The garbage men then ponder on the class system and how they are less respected by people like this couple. They wonder if theyd ever be seen as equals as they wonder if the democracy of America really works. The social injustice in the poem is the way the different classes are each treated differently. The first stanza of Nothings Changed is setting the scene as the writer walks towards his old home. We can tell that the area is now a wasteland by what the writer treads over (like the cans and weeds) on his walk back home. We can tell hes angry from how his old home has turned out from when he says, The hot, white, inwards turning anger of my eyes, as he knows he has returned home. Although all of the stanzas use commas a lot, the second stanza uses and after each comma. I feel that the commas are used to in order to add more expression as you read, and as you pause at each comma, you wonder whats coming next, thus creating suspense even though, in my opinion, the poem is not that exciting or interesting enough for it to have any use. On the other hand, the ands that are used throughout the second stanza, instead picks up the pace as we experience what he is going through at the same time that he is going through his feeling, since the poem is wrote in first person, as if he is actually reliving these memories, making us feel more emotional and connected to the writer. In the fourth stanza, there is only one line, but one that I feel is a very important line for comparing the poems.No sign says it is: but we know where we belong.This line shows us that although no one is saying that whites are treated better (new restaurant) than blacks (working mans cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½), this line shows us that the blacks know that the segregation is still there. The writer says of how his, Hands burn for a stone, a bomb, to shiver down the glass of the whites only restaurant. We know that this is the same reason why the writer was sent. to prison all those years ago, but we are unsure whether this is that memory he is reliving or if he is speaking of the present day.The next and final sentence of the poem has the writer commenting that, Nothings Changed. This, Id like to believe, tells us that, either way, the writer is willing to risk prison (or worse?) in order to vent his anger at the segregation. The first stanza of Two Scavengers sets the scene by introducing us to the characters and telling us what they are doing.The garbage truck is described as bright yellow while the garbage men are described wearing red plastic blazers, both of which would stand out anywhere in San Francisco at nine in the morning. I feel that this tells us that no matter how hard the government might try to hide the garbage men, they are going to get noticed at some point. The writer says of the garbage men, one on each side hanging on, in reference to where they are on the garbage truck (back stoop).This makes me think that the writer is trying to make out that the men are struggling to hold on to this job, even though it is such a looked down upon job. The writer then says that the two garbage men are looking down into an elegant open Mercedes with an elegant couple in it. In that section, the writer has took the literal meaning of looking down but we also think of the figurative meaning and then are meant to wonder if the garbage men are in fact better people than the couple and so their position should be swapped. From the fact we know that the couple are heading to his architects office while the garbage men are on their journey home, shows us that the couple and garbage men are like night and day, both there, but never at the same time. This emphasizes the segregation between the different classes. In the second stanza, the writer describes the older of the two garbage men as some gargoyle Quasimodo, Quasimodo being the title character of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the main theme of the book being the cruelty of social injustice.Quasimodo led a tragic life, being kind and loving despite his ugliness. However, he dies of a broken heart. Quasimodo means almost finished or half made.From this, I believe that the writer is backing up my point about the garbage men perhaps being better people than the couple and that what we are seeing of the garbage men is only the tip (no pun intended) of the iceberg. In the second stanza, the writer describes the older of the two garbage men as some gargoyle Quasimodo, Quasimodo being the title character of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the main theme of the book being the cruelty of social injustice.Quasimodo led a tragic life, being kind and loving despite his ugliness. However, he dies of a broken heart. Quasimodo means almost finished or half made.From this, I believe that the writer is backing up my point about the garbage men perhaps being better people than the couple and that what we are seeing of the garbage men is only the tip (no pun intended) of the iceberg. The last stanza is made almost entirely of a metaphor, one part of which grabs my attention because it is an oxymoron, the part being small gulf.The metaphor describes how even though there is not much of a gap between the two vehicles, making it easy for one person to climb into the other vehicle, theyll never be able to do so because of the class system and how, because of it, they are always going to be looked down upon. Of course, the two poems are similar in the way that they both deal with social injustices (Class system and Segregation), but, in the same way, different because the two place settings (San Francisco and Cape Town) are so far apart. In Nothings Changed, as previously mentioned, the writer uses a lot of commas to slow down the pace in order, I believe, to add suspense.On the other hand, the writer of Two Scavengers doesnt use any punctuation, instead stopping the line whenever he wants the reader to stop and let what theyve just read sink in. Because of the punctuation, the structure of Nothings Changed looks less pre-prepared and more straight from the heart, as the plot would suggest.However, Two Scavengers is neater in its construction, despite the lack of punctuation, thus giving off the opposite feel to Nothings Changed. After studying both poems, although I feel that I wouldnt need to, its obvious to me that Nothings Changed shows far more anger, raw as it might be, than Two Scavengers.The reasons for this being that in Nothings Changed, there is a constant reminder of how angry the writer is as he walks around his old home, in the end, of course, wishing he had a bomb to blow up a whites only restaurant.But, in Two Scavengers, the two garbage men look at the social injustice in hope rather than anger, as seen by when they wonder if theyd ever be able to reach in to the Mercedes and start a normal conversation with the couple, like old friends.

McDonalds top five critical success factors

McDonalds top five critical success factors Executive Summary This report will lay out the importance of McDonalds top five critical success factors which has made the company this successful. Firstly, the history and background of the company will be established to get the mood and feel of the restaurant, this will include the positioning of the company within the market as well. Secondly, the critical success factors of the company will be elaborated in this section. Thirdly, the report would give examples of the downfalls of McDonalds as well, as every product and company has its declining stage, and how it overcame the situation. And lastly, insights and conclusions will be stated to give a broader sense of the importance to why it is important to discuss about such company. Introduction to McDonalds McDonalds has become a wide spreaded company in the world today. It would be interesting to look into the factors to what made the company so successful. However, before going into details of any insights and findings, we must first establish understanding from the background and histories of the company first. McDonalds Background It is probably safe to say that McDonalds existence and expansions has been one of the prominent events in revolutionizing the eating habits and lifestyles of people globally. Located in 119 countries world-wide, it is estimated that more than 46 million people dine at one of the 31,000 outlets everyday. (xxx) While 9,000 of the venues are owned and operated by the corporation itself, others are managed by franchisees or affiliates. (xxx) McDonalds History Originally, the McDonalds business was started by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonalds in 1940. At that time, the restaurant in California was using eight of Ray Krocs Multimixer milkshake machines. Curious about the learnings to his great sales success of his Multimixers to the McDonalds company, Ray Kroc decided to find out more details of the restaurant. During the time of Krocs visit, he witnessed the restaurant at its peek. Families were much attracted to the concept of the restaurant, for it was a simple self-served, streamlined operation that had a simple menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, shakes, soft drinks, and apple pie. (xxx) The most attractive aspect of the restaurant had to do with the workers efficiency level, because each workers steps were formatted in such a way that resembled the assembly line, it allowed the savings in preparation time which directly related with the increasing in volume, ultimately resulting the restaurant to lower the price of a hamburger from 30 cents to 15 cents. (xxx) A clear price competitive advantage over its competitors at that time. With the success of McDonalds in 1954, Ray Kroc foresaw bigger and better potential growths for the company by means of franchising the name out. Indifferent and unbothered by the plan, the brothers allowed Kroc to get on the mission by himself using their restaurants name. (xxx) McDonalds first advertising campaign Look for the Golden Arches, made its way in 1960 with great achievement. In that year, McDonalds became larger and larger, which could be linked to the vast growth of U.S. automobile industry that came with suburbanization. (xxx) The following year, Kroc decided to embark the journey alone with the McDonald brothers, he bought out the restaurant for $2.7 million USD and made it a mission to make McDonalds the number one fast-food chain in the country. (xxx) McDonalds amazing growth continued in 1970. Fast service was always preferred by the Americans and McDonalds was fastest at its service. By 1972 it crossed the profit margin of 1 billion in annual sales and by 1976 McDonalds sold as much as 20 billion hamburgers for which the sales exceeded $3 billion. It broke new ground in breakfast by introducing Egg Muffin in 1973 when market research point out that quick breakfast would be preferred. And 5 years later it introduced a full breakfast menu and by 1987 maximum breakfasts of USA were ordered from McDonalds By 1970, McDonalds had restaurants in all fifty states and a few in Canada and the Caribbean. Foreign operations exploded during the 70s and 80s, as the company expanded into Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. Kroc counted on the expertise of local companies to help them adapt McDonalds food and service to other lands. Only within the first 30 years after the establishment of the company, McDonalds dominated the domestic market with more than 10,000 restaurants throughout the states of USA. In 1980, about 28% of new McDonalds restaurants were opened outside the United States market borders, this number increased to 40% in 1986 and went up to nearly 60% in 1990. In 2000, McDonalds collected about 21 billion dollars from 28,707 restaurants located in the external market, made up for 53% of total revenue of 40 billion. According to statistics in 2000, with each 25,000 American, there was a McDonalds restaurant, this rate made the competitors in the fast-food industry admire and envy. By 1992 almost 40 percent of the companys sales came from overseas. Today, McDonalds has more than 31,000 chains across 119 countries around the globe. In 2007, McDonalds served more than 16 billion customers, equivalent to one lunch and one dinner for everyone on the world. With revenues of 4 billion worldwide, McDonalds became the largest provider company of food worldwide. (DAVID) McDonalds Position in the Market The simple yet profound concept in which is still being used today was established in the early developmental stages of the new franchised outlets of McDonalds, under Ray Krocs supervision, which is: Quality, Service, Cleaning and Value. This standard procedure was enforced in order to obtain maximum quality and standards. (xxx) Unsurprisingly, their vision and mission statements of the company followed such statement. The Vision: McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. (xxx) The Mission: Be the best employer for our people in each community around the world Deliver operational excellence to our customers in each of our restaurants; and Achieve enduring profitable growth by expanding the brand and leveraging. (xxx) Even though the earlier stages of McDonalds attracted more families than it did other categories, nowadays, McDonalds has made it clear that it positions itself to target and cater people of all backgrounds. Suitable for people of various needs and wants; from families to young children, to people who love to enjoy life to people who are on the go, and meat lovers to vegetarians, virtually anybody and everybody can find something on the menu for themselves. Critical Success Factors for McDonalds Aggressive Business Goal Hello, Im the new McDonalds supervisor . . .Were going to run you out of business was infamously said by Ralph Lanphar to a competitor near by. Although this saying might come out as aggressive and rude, looking at it from a different perspective, it could very much be a manifestation of pride and the eagerness to grow bigger and stronger. From this statement, it is evident that McDonalds was committed to build the strongest superior operation firm. This pride and eagerness has been carried on until today. All staff, employees and top management have been engrained in their early stages of training to love the company, to understand that there are benefits for them and that together McDonalds and they can grow together. They should take pride in the success. Even to this day and age, the mission to instill loyalty to the company could be seen today. Charlie Bell, McDonalds CEO in 2004, used to say that the people at McDonalds people must be proud of where we work, proud of what we do, proud to wear the McDonalds pin, proud of our food offerings, proud to eat our food offerings and proud to be part of McDonalds. Going back to the point where McDonalds has a strong and aggressive business plan, McDonalds plans to make everybody in the world know McDonalds (from the video) Uncompromising Standards One of the most influential factors that made the initial set of McDonalds possible would have to be credited to the restaurants extreme commitment to their aimed standards of consistency and their motto of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. In which both were created by Kroc himself. Even customers knew that no matter where they travelled, they could rely on those qualities at every McDonalds they visted. Tom Peters said keeping it simple in amdist of the growing complexity. Uniformity. (from the video) Consistency In 1955, Kroc incorporated his company as McDonalds corporation and opened his first very own restaurant in Illinois. Placing his concern over the consistency and uniformity from store to store, he decided to establish strong restaurants first before franchising them out. (xxx) Wants McDonalds to be a multi local and not a multi national corporation. (from the video) QSCV For example, cleanliness is one feature of the McDonalds corporate system that needs no explanation; clean toilets are universally appreciated. McDonalds is widely credited with starting a revolution of rising expectations among East Asian consumers who had never experienced high standards of public hygiene in the catering trade. In Taipei, Beijing, Seoul, and Hong Kong, local restaurateurs had to match this new standard or watch their customers go elsewhere. Young people began to draw an equation between the condition of a restaurants toilet and the state of its kitchen. Willingness to Adapt McDonalds success is dependant on adapting to its consumers needs and demands McDonalds franchise business has not only survived but thrived through boom times and recessions and has successfully reacted to consumer trends. It was one of th first franchise restaurants to post nutritional information about its menu, and now offers salads and other healthy options in recent years. Also, the key to McDonalds worldwide success is that people everywhere know what to expect when they pass through the golden arches. This does not, however, mean that the corporation has resisted change or refused to adapt when local customs require flexibility. In Israel, after initial protests, Big Macs are now served without cheese in several outlets, thereby permitting the separation of meat and dairy products required of Kosher restaurants. Similarly, McDonalds restaurants in India serve vegetable McNuggets and a mutton based Maharaja Mac. Innovations that are necessary in a country where Hindus do not eat beef, muslims do not eat pork. In Malaysia and Singapore, McDonalds underwent rigorous inspections by muslim clerics to ensure ritual cleanliness; the chain was rewarded with a Halal certificate, indicating the total absence of pork products (Watson, 1997) This also includes the fact that McDonalds needs to take the environmental factors and the changing world into consideration as well. McDonalds continually seeks for innovation and they need to adapt to new market conditions according the fast paced globalize world. For example, in 1963, McDonalds introduced the Filet-of-Fish sandwich in the Cincinnati area for Catholics who were restricted not to consume meat on Fridays. This new offering was later on implemented to the standard menu, then to the national menu and lastly world wide. In 2005, another adaptation to the times and consumer demand was the provision of WiFi with Nintendo in select locations; and delivery service in Singapore, where customers can phone in their order and have it delivered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company has also departed from its standard free-standing units, and installed quick service kiosks in busy places, like malls and airports. Valuing People Approach The real secret to successful operation system is not found in its regimen but in the way it enforces uniform procedures without stifling the entrepreneurship of franchises. For example, in Japan, without the freedom of franchisees and suppliers to exercise their entrepreneurial instincts, to test their own ideas. . . it would lose touch with the market place. (from the video) think of people. Everybody from below to top. Also, McDonalds views people, including the maintenance people, partners, corporate managers, hostess in the restaurant, suppliers etc. what to see our associates grow. If one example of a family succeeds, we all succeed. Franchisees/ Associates/ Partners His idea was to start the franchisee without paying the franchisee charges. This was the start of Mc Donalds success. First, make your partners rich. Though Kroc focused more closely on the burger than others, his real innovation was to turn the business of franchising on its head. Typically, franchising deals were struck by firms that wanted to get rich quick by being paid up front for licensing their brand name and menu and supplying products. They were not confident in their long term survival, so they wanted to pocket money now Kroc burst with confidence in McDonalds future and thats why he was willing to get rich at a slower pace, if it meant that his franchisees would prosper. Kroc felt that his competitors cared only about jamming profitable stuff down the throats of their partners, rather than long term growth. He noticed how casually and negligently the companies supervised their stores. Kroc felt passionately that his job was to make his franchisees rich by cutting thir cos ts and improving their products. (Buchholz, 2007) Krocs business model required an extra helping of patience. Kroc trusted a bunch of novice franchisees. Kroc may have been confident, but not completely naà ¯ve. He slowly distributed the stroes, testing and training the franchisees and requiring them to meet his excruciating standards for QSCV. Because other companies were eager to collect big bucks fast, they sold off vast statewide territories to rich speculators. Kroc sold just one at a time and refused to sell a second franchise to an operator unless his performance was stellar. Wanted the corporation to have control over its franchisees, the local business people who paid the corporation to run its restaurants. Other chains let franchisees buy the right to open as many stores in a region as they could. Kroc sold his franchisees just one store, so he could make sure they kjnew how to run a McDonalds the way he wanted it run. He made sure his franchisees did well, their success served his interests, since the corporation earned money on their restaurants sales. Also, from his background knowledge of being a successful salesman, he understood that he would not be a supplier to his franchisees, for it would jeopardize the relationships between the two because of profits. You cannot be a partner and a supplier at the same time says Kroc. Because it creates beaucracy. Do it another way and it builds trust.Kroc was adamant in helping out his franchisees as much as possible, as he knew that McDonalds growth was highly dependant on their success. He trained franchisees in McDonalds methods at the companys hamburger university. As John Love writes in McDonalds behind the arches, In the end, the genius of Ray Kroc was that he treated franchisees as equal partners. Suppliers Kroc wanted to tame his suppliers by making them rich. He wanted better prices and better quality. . Ray Krocs plan to do business with outside suppliers was giving many small but new companies a chance to make a profit on high volume orders. Kroc negotiated better deals with small suppliers who were hungry for his emerging business. Kraft had the McDonalds cheese account early on, but when Kroc requested a sharper- tasting cheddar for the burgers, Kraft was too busy or too comfortable to develop a new recipe. When Kroc went looking for good-quality beef, major players like Armour and Swift refused to extend credit. So Kroc made mulitimillionaires of the quick and hungry suppliers. When Kraft failed him, Kroc turned to a cheesehead in Green Bay, Wisconsin, named L.D. Schreiber. Today the Schreiber company is a multibillionaire dollar firm. Kroc could not negotiate great deals with Wesson oil and Procter Gamble. Instead he turned an upstart named Harry Smargon into a very rich man. Staff McDonalds saw the importance of doing an internal marketing plan. Explaining that external plans and programs will not be as successful if you put the outside world before your own people. Employees come first (xxx) When im loving it was first globally launched, McDonalds launched it internally first before a single consumer saw the advertising and experienced the marketing. This demonstrated that the people were the most important elements for making the revitalization of the McDonalds brand work. They wanted im loving it to become an internal rallying cry, and not just an external slogan. Charlie Bell recognized that proud employees provided greater service, which can make an incredible impression that will have an impact on a customers loyalty. Also, they initiate staff to go out and be creative, contribute to the company. Fred Turner, I want you to go out there and make mistakes. Better than doing nothing and being concern free. Learn but dont do the same mistakes twice. (from the video) Currently, approximately 1.6 billion people all over the world are employed or own a franchise at McDonalds. Though much of the success could be contributed from the sharp eyes of Ray Kroc and his management team, we cannot deny that one of the contributers to the success lies within the employees inside the organization. Since employees play such an essential role in the main activities of the company, There have been surveys conducted concerning employees and staff of the growing popularity of this chain of restaurants and employees contribution to it. One of the most important points is that employees are motivated in their work and duties. Company provides with a set of benefits for their internal staff, such as: Employees are allowed to eat for free; Employees have a month of paid holidays; Employees have an access for private health care; Employees have discount card; Employees are awarded for servicing for 3, 5, 10, 15 and more years; Employees have an opportunity to get sponsorship program, etc. Moreover, training sessions are provided for the internal new coming staff. These training sessions are properly structured and highlight the main values and principles of the company Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSCV). Newcomers and freshmen are trained how to provide the better service to customers and clients. What is more important is that the training sessions are constantly updated, to become more modern and realistic. McDonalds has went further and established its own education center for learning and training classes, called Hamburger University, in which is now opened in many parts of the world . In this university there is a centralized system of education, which teaches new staff about the importance of people in marketing management, the sense of employee training and so on. That is why even every day new technologies appears, McDonalds remain the number one in the fast food providers. The career ladder is very attainable for everyone who wishes it in McDonalds. Approximately 20% of the top management staff passed through the very beginning position in the kitchen. For example, If the person really has a willing to be promoted further, he always can reach it. Everything in the hiring and promotion people in McDonalds depends on ability and hardworking skills of a particular person. For a new coming employee there is a set of stages he/she should take in order to have a desired position within the company. People taking high positions within the company and willing to know all internal processes need to pass through them by themselves. They should clearly understand all the details their subordinates report to them so that they do not only rely on their results, but can estimate what has been made incorrectly or in improper way. McDonalds exactly gives such an opportunity for people to start from the early steps and grow till the desired point of destination. Nowadays, more and more students come to interviews trying to get the job in McDonalds. It becomes popular among the youth to have a part time job and the companies like McDonalds also benefits it as they offer a little bit higher the industrys average minimum salaries. Students have several benefits working for McDonalds; they have free meal and have the opportunity to earn their own pocket money. McDonalds, on the other hand, should have trained employees, whom they need to teach immediately, and accurately introducing to the existing process and paying them less. To reach the goal of fast training and not disturbing other employees from their routine work, managers of McDonalds decided to implement the E-learning system for freshmen, consisting of videos, role plays, newspapers and so on. Employees are the most essential part in every organization. McDonalds wholly understands the importance and contribution of every one person within the organization; that is why there is well known principle: The result is done by a man. In order to fulfill the requirements of the company Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSCV) McDonalds considers each employee as the vital part for success in achieving the above mentioned characteristics. In the desire to fit the reputation of brand as number one fast-food restaurant, McDonalds tries to follow four simple rules to help their employees to improve, such as: The company has to maintain different kind of motivation to different departments within the organization; Every member of the staff has to have one goal, which will be reachable and clearly viewed; As a particular employee grow in his positions, his goals should also be changed, so that every position up will spread his goals broader; An increase in salary should be attractive for an employee. This will be a good motivation technique. McDonalds uses different aspects of motivation tools, which include financial, non financial and social ones. Variety of motivation methods were chosen for implementation because the research conducted internally in the company showed that people need not only monetary refunds, but social recognition too. They should not be separated, but rather combined for serving as the strong motivation technique. The results of conducting the survey clearly underlines that although the motivation tools were based on the theory of Maslows hierarchy of needs, in the reality employees need the mix of all aspects of motivation, not excluding some of them, in order to improve the performance of people and as the result increase the productivity of the whole activities of McDonalds. (NADIYA) Giving Back to the Community Kroc became extremely wealthy following McDonalds enlisting in the stock market in 1965. . Kroc believed in giving something back to the community where you do your business This extreme wealth did not stay with him alone, he decided that he would like to share his wealth amongst others too. The Kroc foundation, which supports researches on diabetes, arthritis and multiple sclerosis, is a testimonial of that. Other wealth sharing opportunities known was that he gave 8 million USD to some of his top employees. Over the years, the corporation also donated food and money to many charities, and the company encouraged local franchisees to get involved in their communities. The best known charitable effort is the Ronald McDonald house, which is located near hospitals where families can stay for free while their children receive medical treatment. . In 1974 McDonalds first opened the Ronald McDonalds house in Philadelphia thus following Krocs philosophy to provide the home away from home for the families of children in nearby hospital followed by 100 similar McDonald houses all over US after 12 yrs Kroc makes it a mission to give back to the people, as it reflects on the consideration and serves as a thank you to those who have always been supporting McDonalds. Facing Hardships and Overcoming Them In Feb 2006, McDonalds stock traded at 27 times earning. However, only one year afterwards, McDonalds second quarter profit growth was just 4% with a 2% decline in earnings from the US businesses. In 2002, after McDonalds stocks have been declining for three years, the board of directors replaced Jack Greenburg with Jim Cantalupo as CEO. Mcdonalds sales were in decline, market share was shrinking, franchisees were frustrated, employee morale was low, and customer satisfaction was even lower. On the plus side, McDonalds had one great asset: People recalled their happy experiences at McDonalds as a child. The problem was that the majority of consumers did not have recent fond experiences. Now, looking back into the unfortunate event, we can see that there were three areas to where McDonalds has neglected. Which were, the restaurant lacked, renovation, innovation and marketing (xxx) When the image of the brand was declining, instead of investing in brand experience renovations and innovations, McDonalds focused merely on monthly promotions. Completely neglecting the means of brand building. The aforementioned three basics guidelines to profitable growth were mistakenly seen as to place focus on more cost reduction methods, instead of properly managing quality growth of the top line. For example, the teeny beanie baby promotion in the US had kidss dragging parents in for the toys while tossing the food into trash bins. But, this had the unintended consequence of reinforcing the image of happy meals as a toy with food as an incidental attachment rather than as a great tasting food with a toy promotion attached. With a decline in food quality, poor service, etc. It was not surprising that opportunitic monthly promotions became the dominant marketing focus. Happy meals had become a promotion of a desirable toy, rather than a promotion for desirable food. This is not a way to build an enduring brand. Overemphasis on the deal rather than the brand results in customers becoming deal loyal rather than brand loyal. For brands to live forever, they must be loved forever. McDonalds leadership fell out of love with the McDonalds brand, and consumers franchisees, employees and the financial community also fell out of love with the McDonalds brand. However, fortunately, Denis Hennequin has brought modifications and redesigned interiors for McDonald are giving it a warmer, more eco-friendly look. This brought in more customers, as the new look generated a fresher image to McDonalds in Europe. Also, Charlie Bells idea of McCafe to offer quality coffee, tea and pastries in a quieter, more attractive atmostphere also made McDonalds competitive with the other fastfood joints, as it offered more than just burgers and fries, it offered coffee in which many restaurants were not able to give the customers such variety. Insights to Other Critical Success Factors Now that McDonalds critical success factors and how it dealt with hardships is established, we can now clearly see that there are some essential parts that must always be intact in order to sustain a business. In contrary to many beliefs, although McDonalds is regarded as a fast food restaurant, the profit made from the goods sold within the restaurant is not actually what keeps McDonalds rich. It is actually the real estate business that is doing it. Even in Fortune Magazine they said that McDonalds is considered as the largest estate in the world (from the video) . It earns revenues as investor in properties, a franchiser of restaurants and an operator of restaurants. Most of the income was coming from 1.9% of service tax from the franchisee. Initially the franchisee fee was only $950 which is currently approx $45000. McDonalds started averaging an annual sale of $200000 in the early 1950 only which shows how people started liking the food and service of it. $1000 went as a royalty to the McDonalds brother and thus the average franchisee was making an operating profit of $40000.Its now making a profit of 1 billion on system wide sales. It was the real estate business which converted McDonalds into a real money machine. The real estate investment strategy is the most important reason why McDonalds boasts a plan that is not close to being equalled in the food service business. Mr Sonnerborn the top financial officer never tried to follow the Kroc-Turner operating system which is the reason why McDonalds is what now. He came up with an idea of money making on real estate that Mc Donalds would lease to its franchisees. He started implementing this plan of making McDonalds a separate real estate company which would locate and lease restaurants sites from land owners which would also be leased to the company. He also had this idea which helped for its major success is that it sold food equipment and food supplies to licensees charging a minimum of $840 per month with interest. In addition to franchisee fees and marketing fees McDonalds collect rent calculated as a percentage of sales. The joint has made a good profit percentage even in the recession making a profit of 23million dollar after tax. Also, the huge size of McDonalds could be factored into one of the biggest critical success factors of all. Because of the humougous size of the corporation, it allowed it to do many things which other franchisees or small businesses could not do on a large scale. Along side its philosophy, vision and mission statements, McDonalds has definitely managed to beat the mediocre standards during the earlier stages, allowing it to take off and penetrate quicker into the fast food market than its rivals. This is mainly by its Attributes of speed: Initially, this was the main factor to McDonalds success. Even from the earlier days, McDonalds has earned a reputation for serving meals efficiently fast. In comparison to other similar fast food competitors, such as Hardees and Rex Burger joints, McDonalds was always developing its method behind the counters to speed up their process of delivering the goods. Types of products offered: A variety of goods catered to all types of people in every region of the world. In India, for example, McVeggie has become a popular delight among the locals, as the majority of the population is vegetarians. Prices of products: Affordable to everybody. This was hugely contributed by the speedy process of the food preparation time. Since it took less time to cook, assemble and serve the burgers and fries, this only meant that McDonalds was able to sell more products in a shorter time as well. Hence, the economy of scale, prices were able to fall lower than its main competitors. Level of service: Consistency of the services. Ray Kroc understood that the uniformity and precision was key to a successful franchise. He made sure that there were rules set and abided, by carefully creating a manu

Theme of loneliness and rejection

Theme of loneliness and rejection The Consequences of Societys Rejection in Frankenstein by Marry Shelley Frankenstein is Marry Shelleys masterpiece, written when she was only 18 years old. The novel explores of theme of loneliness and rejection. The monster created by Victor Frankenstein is rejected by human society because of his appearance. Mary Shelley explores the feelings of creature totally ignored and abused by the society. The novel became a reflection of the inner state of Mary Shelly. It reflects sufferings and looses of the author. As notes Anthony Badalamenti in his article Why did Mary Shelley Write Frankenstein: : â€Å"She was also the product of her own past, suffering three successive losses in her early life that reveal why themes of being alone and abandoned run through the novel†(Badalamenti, 431). All these sad events and constant feeling of loneliness helped Mary to create a very deep and powerful character. Victor does not think about possible results of his experiments. He does not think what will happen when he finally succeeds and created a living creature. He is severely punished by his attitude when the creature created by him turns to monster. The author illustrates that the guilt for murders can not be put only on Frankensteins creation. Society and social norms finally result in feeling of loneliness and estrangement. â€Å"The monster complains that his maker and mankind are moving his nature from goodness and benevolence to wrath and violence. He attempts the company of men and is rejected with horror, fear and abuse† (Badalamenti, 432). Victor Frankenstein is driven by his ambition when he creates his monster. He does not think about the consequences but rather makes experiments: â€Å"One of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal endued with life† (Shelley, 46). Victor does not think about the feelings of the creature he produces. He is concerned only with scientific tools which give him control and power. â€Å"Frankenstein so beautifully explores the consequences of living and working in isolation. After cloistering himself to bring dead flesh to life, Victor Frankenstein condemns his creature to loneliness. The creature does the same to him in revenge. Solitude makes monsters of both† (Thomas). Victor creates a monster but he doest not understand true meaning of his actions. Loneliness and alienation is one of the main themes of the novel. It is notable that all main characters of the novel experience feelings of loneliness and alienation. The Monster, Victor and Walton experience these feelings. Victor Frankenstein, does not have good relations with his family. He does not keep in touch with his father and sister despite they really want to have good relations with him. The author describes in great detail good relations in Victors family and their desire to keep in touch with Victor. Despite this fact Victor does not make any attempt to support any relations with his family. He dedicates all time and effort to science but it does not bring him enough moral satisfaction. Victor can not find the way out for his negative feelings and uses since and experiment as a way to entertain himself and to get rid of loneliness. The author uses the old theme of Faust when the search for technical progress and scientific advances results in the loss of humanity. Vict or does not possess feeling of love and compassion. The Monster notes for several times that he wants to find these feelings in his creator but constantly fails. He compares himself to other people who deserve love and understanding of God, who created them, and states that his creator has abandoned him: â€Å"Sometimes I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathizing with my feelings and cheering my gloom; their angelic countenances breathed smiles of consolation. But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adams supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, andin the bitterness of my heart I cursed him†. (Shelley, 111) Sad irony that the monster is not deprived of human feelings in contrast to his creator. The monster feels loneliness and alienation. It seeks for understanding and love but can not find a living creature which would share its feelings. Physical appearance becomes the main barrier for the creature. It does not allow it to build normal relations in the society. People do not make any attempts to find out about the inner world of the Monster after they saw how it looks. The creature readers works by Goethe and Milton and feels even more lonely and frustrated. The more it finds out about the world around, the more it hates it. â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitantsand have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.† (Shelley, 98). Feeling of alienation and loneliness only grows with the flow of time. Victor, the creator, turns off from the thing he has created He doest not want to take response for his actions and he rejects the thought that the creature may feel pain and other negative emotions same like other people do. Victor can not come in terms with his emotional side. He dies alone and looses all his dear people. The theme of social rejection is one of the main themes of the novel. The author shows the consequences of social opinion. The creature created by Victor turns to monster because it can not find understanding and compassion in the society. People do not give the creature any chances only because it looks terrible to them. In her novel, Mary made an attempt to express her own frustration and to turn attention of people to the theme of social deprivation and rejection. She was recording instead her reflections and feelingsher grief, her loneliness, her thoughts of the future, her wish to die (Nitchie, 49). Mary knows what she write about since she had to pass many personal hardships and looses. She wants her readers to understand the feelings of creature which knows no compassion or understanding. The monster was created by Victor only physically. In reality it was crated by the society. Indifferent attitude and disgust finally resulted in the birth of real monster which threatens its creator and society. Works Cited Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus. New York: Doubleday, 1999. Badalamenti F. Anthony, Why did Mary Shelley Write Frankenstein? Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Fall, 2006), pp. 419-439, http://www.jstor.org/stable/info/27512949?seq=1type=ref Vincent, Patrick, Mary Shelleys Fictions: From â€Å"Frankenstein† to â€Å"Falkner.† Studies in Romanticism, 01-01-2003 http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=searchdictionaryClick=secondaryNav=groupid=1requestid=lib_standardresultid=17edition=ts=17C3927A2C2AC8AB18B9C85D443AD211_1272266531597start=1publicationId=urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B92045209 Thomas, Louisa, Their Love Is Alive, Newsweek, 09-14-2009 http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/elibweb/elib/do/document?set=searchdictionaryClick=secondaryNav=groupid=1requestid=lib_standardresultid=3edition=ts=17C3927A2C2AC8AB18B9C85D443AD211_1272266531597start=1publicationId=urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B170737047 Nitchie, Elizabeth, Mary Shelley: Author of â€Å"Frankenstein† Greenwood Press, 1970. http://www.questiaschool.com/read/3455777?title=Mary%20Shelley%3a%20Author%20of%20%22Frankenstein%22 Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe Paul Sherwin PMLA, Vol. 96, No. 5 (Oct., 1981), pp. 883-903 http://www.jstor.org/stable/462130?Search=yesterm=Frankensteinlist=hidesearchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DFrankenstein%26wc%3Don%26dc%3DAll%2BDisciplinesitem=6ttl=8505returnArticleService=showArticle Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the Spectacle of Masculinity Bette London PMLA, Vol. 108, No. 2 (Mar., 1993), pp. 253-267 Published by: Modern Language Association http://www.jstor.org/stable/462596?Search=yesterm=Frankensteinlist=hidesearchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DFrankenstein%26wc%3Don%26dc%3DAll%2BDisciplinesitem=9ttl=8505returnArticleService=showArticle

A Tale of Two Hearts in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

A TALE OF TWO HEARTS While an artist uses a variety of colors and brushes to create a portrait, Charlotte Bronte used contrasting characters and their vivid personalities to create a masterpiece of her own.   In her novel Jane Eyre, Bronte uses narration and her characters to portray the struggle between a society’s Victorian realism and the people’s repressed urges of Romanticism.   In order to discern between the Victorian and Romantic themes, Bronte selects certain characters to portray the perfect stereotype of each theme.   Mademoiselle Celine Varens is the model of the Romantic attitude.   Varens a â€Å"French opera-dancer† found herself as the â€Å"grande passion† of Mr. Rochester.   The amour between Rochester and Varens started in a â€Å"complete establishment of servants, a carriage, cashmere, diamonds, dentells, etc.† and ended with Rochester â€Å"finding her out† with another man.   Varens’ irrationality did not only affect Rochester, but also her child: â€Å"she abandoned her child and ran away with a musician or singer.†Ã‚   Celine Varens, a woman in a daring profession, led a life of passion, freedom and irresponsibility.   Her life was ballad of adventure idolized by Romantics but frowned upon by society.   Mrs. Reed is the perfect representative of Victorian realism.   She had all t he visual attributes found in a Victorian styled lady.   She possessed gentry as the mistress of Gateshead Hall and her material wealth was made obvious by the luxuries found in her home –â€Å"a bed supported on massive pillows of mahogany, hung with curtains of damask†Ã¢â‚¬â€and in her children â€Å"in their Muslim frocks and scarlet sashes.†Ã‚   Besides wealth and gentility, Mrs. Reed also maintained Victorian characteristics of insularity and censoriousness.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Eliza, John and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the drawing room: she lay reclined on the sofa by the fireplace and her darlings about her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mrs. Reed literally maintains insularity – snobbishly creating an island of her and her children, detaching themselves from Jane.   Lastly Mrs. Reed exercised censoriousness towards Jane on a continual basis until Jane was left with â€Å"a habitual mood of humiliation, self doubt, forlorn depression.†Ã‚   Jane’s state is the result of the Victorian need of moral severity, which was expressed by blame and disapproval.   Bronte uses Varens and Reed to paint the contrast between the Romantics controlled by emotion, freedom and imagination and the Victorians who exhibit middle-class stuffiness and pompous conservatism. But any author can capture the essence of two societies and illustrate the opposites in two opposing characters.

Why the Greeks Won the Greco-Persian War Essay -- Greco-Persian War Gr

Why the Greeks Won the Greco-Persian War There are times in history that something will happen and it will defy all logic. It was one of those times when a few Greek city/states joined together and defeated the invasion force of the massive Persian Empire. The Greeks were able to win the Greco-Persian War because of their naval victories over the Persians, a few key strategic victories on land, as well as the cause for which they were fighting. The naval victories were the most important contribution to the overall success against the Persians. The Persian fleet was protecting the land forces from being outflanked and after they were defeated the longer had that protection. While the Greeks had very few overall victories in battle they did have some strategic victories. The Battle of Thermopylae is an example of a strategic success for the Greeks. The morale of the Persian army was extremely affected by the stout resistance put up by King Leonidas and his fellow Spartans. The Greeks fought so hard against overwhelming odds because of what they were fighting for. They were fighting for their country and their freedom. They fought so hard because they did not want to let down the man next to them in the formation. Several things contributed to the Greeks success against the Persian invasion that happened during the Second Greco-Persian War. The main reason that the Greeks were able to win the Second Greco-Persian War was the fact that their victory on the sea dealt a crippling blow to the land army. The Greeks owe their naval success to a man named Themistocles. If it had not been for him then Athens would have not used some newly found silver to build 200 new ships for their navy. These ships were later used in the war against the Persians. The two forces were working in unison and they were dependent upon each other for victory. The Persian naval forces were there in order to protect the flank of the army's advance. If the Persian navy were not present then the Greeks would have been able to get on ships and sail to a spot behind the Persian lines and outflank them. They also delivered supplies to the armies that were necessary for its survival. The deathblow was dealt at the Battle of Salamis. It was a culmination of misfortune for the Persian navy. The Persians lost many ships to bad weather conditions. That is the only thing that allowed the G... ... This would put added pressure on the other man to make sure he doesn't look like a coward. The phalanx depended on every single individual in order to work right. The Greeks were able to repel the overwhelming and seemly unstoppable Persian Empire. They were able to do so because of the victories won thanks to the Athenian navy in the Aegean Sea, the hard fought and strategically important battles that the Spartans just would not give up during and they were able to put aside their differences in order to face the greater threat for the good or their culture. Each major city/state contributed what it was good at. It was a nice display of teamwork. Works Cited Herodotus. â€Å"Greece Saved from Persian Conquest.† Readings in Ancient History. Eds. Nels M. Bailkey and Richard Lim. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Herodotus. The History of Herodus. MIT. December 10, 2004 . Herodotus. â€Å"Greece Saved from Persiam Conquest.† Reading in Ancient History. Eds. Nels. Bailkey and Richard Lim. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Nagle, D. Brendan. â€Å"The Second Persian Invasion† The Ancient World; A social and Cultural History. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.

Blood And Excerise :: essays research papers

Blood and Excerise Type II muscle fibers oxidize lactate at a very fast rates. When muscle contraction produces a significant amount of lactate, it is then released into the central circulation of the blood, and within seconds it is made available to that muscle for energy. Therefore, 75% of the lactate produced from high intensity exercise is made available for energy production in type II muscle fibers. The remaining 25% of lactic acid is used for energy in the heart, the make up of liver glycogen, and the supply of energy to inactive muscles. A good example of this would be a runner who is exceeding his or her planned race pace in a 10k. The excess lactic acid accumulated in the contracting muscle from insufficient oxygen is then made available to inactive muscles (e.g., the arms) from the central circulation of blood. The remaining lactic acid that is not directly oxidized for fuels is sent to the liver, where it is stored as glycogen. In the process of exercise, glycogen is released into the blood stream to form glucose. Lactate is Good As coach and athlete you must learn how to teach the body to handle lactic acid. It is imperative, if you want successes in today's highly competitive field of athletics to train your muscles, body and mind to accomplish gains in performance even in the presence of lactic acid. Coaches and athletes should design training programs with this being a primary focus. This is done by two basic components of training. Long Slow Distance (LSD) training beyond the normal racing distance, will develop tissue enzyme adaptations that will rely upon the use of free fatty acids for energy production, which will result in less lactic acid being produced. LSD training will also increase the rate of lactic acid removal from the blood and muscles. During continuos steady state exercise, you increase capillary density and mitochondria function in skeletal muscle, These two peripheral adaptations brought on by LSD training will enable your body to handle lactic acid much more efficiency. High intensity training will develop the cardiovascular system to increase the rate of oxygen transport to the contracting muscles so there is less reliance on carbohydrate breakdown to lactic acid. High intensity training such as intervals., and variable pace workouts, will increase your functional capacity (Max VO2). This means that in actual competition you will produce less lactic acid, because your muscles are relying mostly on the use of free fatty acids for fuel. The lactic acid that is produce will be removed by the tissues that can use it as fuel, such as the

English Language Teaching and Ict

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND ICT BY BANDELE ADEBOYE SOGBESAN SENIOR LECTURER IN ENGLISH, DEPT OF LANGUAGES, TAI SOLARIN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, IJEBU ODE. INTRODUCTION Language has been described by various scholars over the years according to the perceived roles it plays in different circumstances. Sapir (1921) sees it as a system of arbitrary vocal signs and symbols used for the purpose of communication. It can also be seen in the light of Christophersen’s (1981) view as a conventional tool of self expression adopted by a society in carrying out its socialising functions. Language in both its written and spoken forms, is a vehicle through which man relates with and interpretes the world in which he lives. Various human groups and societies are typified by the language they speak, hence a Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, French or Ghanaian is identified not just by the geographical boundaries which separate them, but also by the distinct linguistic instrument by which they express themselves. Cultures are integral parts of languages, and it is almost impossible to fully express one cultural experience in another language. It is a mainly human attribute which, going by Chomsky’s claim, is however not inherent but is learned or acquired as part of the normal maturational process. In a second language situation as the English Language is in Nigeria, the learning of a target language is not as easy or involuntary as a first language (L1); apart from the deliberate, planned and largely artificial process of teaching and learning, both teachers and learners are constantly searching for improved ways of acquiring cognitive, affective and psychomotor perfection in the new language. It becomes understandable therefore why over the years, there have been changes in pedagogical approaches to language teaching, ranging from the traditional practice of teaching the rules of the target language, through emphasis on practice and repitition without teaching the rules (Williams, 1999), to the more recent integrative approach. This approach combines the inclusion of useful aspects of various theories with contemporary practices and influences in the wider society. It is in this light that we shall examine the relationship between Information and Communicatins Technology (ICT) with the teaching and learning of English Language at the basic level of education in Nigeria. THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE POLICY The National Language Policy as enunciated in the National Policy on Education (1998 Review) prescribed the language of the environment as the medium of instruction in the first three years of formal schooling while English was to be taught as a subject. English was to become the medium of instruction from the fourth year of schooling upwards. The intent of the policy formulators was to enable the child attain a reasonable level of linguistic competence with its attendant cultural awareness. Ironically, the average Nigerian parent appears to prefer their going ‘straight for English’, a factor which could have engendered the mushrooming of private schools in the country and painting the picture of a failing public school system (Sogbesan. 2006). Unfortunately, a large part of the teaching workforce in the private schools are not so much academically quallified or experienced for effective teaching results. LANGUAGE TEACHING AND ICT In Nigeria, English Language has proved to be the most viable link to the outside world. Myriad textual materials, including books and periodicals, videos, journals exist alongside various softwares on the computer and internetwhich enhance the abilities of teachers and learners alike to improve their mastery of English both as a subject and as a service subject. It is expected that with increased ICT awareness, even the pedagogy of English with the various innovations and new avenues for retraining are available online. Some of the accessible ICT facilities that the English Language teacher can avail himself of accross language skills include; The virtual library, This online library provides access to thousands of books and journals which government, schools and private subscribers can consult regularly to update their knowledge and abilities. Packages like Mirosoft Encarta, Encyclopaedia Britannica e. t. c. provide both online and offline acess to vital information in the areas of content and pedagogy. (instantiate) Audio tutoring facilities like radio, television, e. t. c. The information highway also provides access to news and educational materials on a regular basis. Some of the language teaching-learning uses to which ICT can also be put to include; Aural/Oral drills- e. g. phonetic symbols are available on the computer, words and sentences can be heard in the L1 form. (demonstrate) Vocabulary Development and Semantics- e. g. Online / Offline dictionary, Spell Check, Grammar Check, Translator, e. t. c. Where direct contact with original English language forms is required, various softwares are available for both teachers and students to use. Essay Writing- Models and formats are available and teacher/learner can join groups or networks to exchange essays or have them assessed online and offline (e-pen). Furthermore, imaginative recreation, the hallmark of a good essay, can also be enhanced via access to news (print and electronic), great public speeches and events, e. t. c. Also, creative and interesting drills through games like ‘Scrabble’, ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’, e. t. c. are available. Advantages of ICT teaching/learning include; i. It is largely interractive and individualised- The teacher or learner does not need to go through a period of tutelage to master the use of programmes. He masters the various dimensions of use as he goes along. Each learner can therefore develop at his own rate. ii. It is learner –centred, learner- friendly and often exciting to use, thus making sustained contact with subject content less cumbersome. The young learner is encouraged by the excitement of self actualisation and is easily motivated to carry out independent study. ii. It guarrantees consistently high quality of instructional matter that meets global standards. This is moreso because new packages are constantly being turned out for consumers in a seemingly unending race towards perfection. iv. Information provided is quite contemporary and new trends in pedagogy, as well as quick, cheap and easy exchange of new information is guaranteed. Disadvantages of ICT teaching/learning include; i. ICT hardware and packages ma y not be easily affordable to many students in the public school system. The teacher should however be creative and the school should make available at least the minimal materials needed for teaching and learning. Government and the other stakeholders should be quick to come to the aid of needy schools as the need arises. ii. The erratic nature of public power supply could be frustrating to the average teacher or student, but schools should endeavour to procure necessary support materials to enhance subject delivery. Teachers and students should also visit private service providers like cyber cafes as may be necessary. iii. Many teachers are averse to change . There is therefore an urgent need to continuously reorientate teachers accross all levels of basic education to enhance receptivity to modern trends. iv. Unguarded exposure of underage children to the information highway could expose them to items of information which could be distractive or even destructive for them. CONCLUSION In conclusion, teachers and students at various levels of basic education in Nigeria need to endeavour to catch up with the global trend not only to facilitate teaching and learning, but to also package for the future a generation of Nigerians who are able to hold their own in the contemporary world. REFERENCES Rufai, K. I. (2008). ‘Computer in Human Endeavours’ in Sotonode et al (eds) Effective Teaching and Learning of Primary Science Practicein Public Schools in Ogun State. Ijebu Ode. ACUFES Prints. Sogbesan, B. A. (2006). ‘Teaching in The English Language in a non- native situation:Problems and Prospects in Nigerian Education’ in Ayodele et al (eds) Aspects of Language and Literature: A text for Tertiary Institutions. Ibadan, Olu Akin. Williams David(1999). English Language Teaching: An Integrated Approach. Lagos, Spectrum.