Capital Punishment`s Cost Essays - Penology, Capital Punishment

Capital Punishment`s Cost How do you feel about the saying, "an eye for an eye?" Do you feel that it is a good saying to run a nation by? Or do you agree with Gandhi who added to that statement, "--and everyone is blind?" There have been many controversies in the history of the United States, ranging from abortion to gun control; however, capital punishment has been one of the most hotly contested issues in recent decades. Capital Punishment is the execution of a criminal pursuant to a sentence of death imposed by a competent court. It is not intended to inflict any physical pain or any torture; it is only another form of punishment. This form of punishment is irrevocable because it removes those punished from society permanently, instead of temporarily imprisoning them, this is the best and most effective way to deal with criminals. The usual alternative to the death penalty is life-long imprisonment. Capital punishment is a method of retributive punishment as old as civilization itself. The death penalty has been imposed throughout history for many crimes, ranging from blasphemy and treason to petty theft and murder. Many ancient societies accepted the idea that certain crimes deserved capital punishment. Ancient Roman and Mosaic Law endorsed the notion of retaliation; they believed in the rule of "an eye for an eye." Similarly, the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, and Greeks all executed citizens for a variety of crimes. The most famous people who were executed were Socrates (Saunders 462) and Jesus. Only in England, during the reigns of King Canute (1016-1035; Hoyt 151) and William the Conqueror (1066-1087; Miller 259) was the death penalty not used, although the results of interrogation and torture were often fatal. Later, Britain reinstated the death penalty and brought it to its American colonies. Although the death penalty was widely accepted throughout the early United States, not everyone approved of it. In the late-eighteenth century, opposition to the death penalty gathered enough strength to lead to important restrictions on the use of the death penalty in several northern states, while in the United States, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island abandoned the practice altogether. In 1794, Pennsylvania adopted a law to distinguish the degrees of murder and only use the death penalty for premeditated first-degree murder. Another reform took place in 1846 in Louisiana. This state abolished the mandatory death penalty and authorized the option of sentencing a capital offender to life imprisonment rather than to death. After the 1830s, public executions ceased to be demonstrated but did not completely stop until after 1936. Throughout history, governments have been extremely inventive in devising ways to execute people. Executions inflicted in the past are now regarded today as ghastly, barbaric, and unthinkable and are forbidden by law almost everywhere. Common historical methods of execution included: stoning, crucifixion, burning, breaking on the wheel, drawing and quartering, beheading and decapitation, shooting, and hanging. These types of punishments today are banned by the eighth amendment to the constitution (The Constitution, Amendment 8). In the United States, the death penalty is currently implemented in one of five ways: firing squad, hanging, gas chamber, electrocution, and lethal injection. These methods of execution compared to those of the past are not meant for torture, but meant for punishment for the crime. For the past decades, capital punishment has been one of the most hotly contested political issues in America. This debate is a complicated one. Capital punishment is a legal, practical, philosophical, social, political, and moral question. The notion of deterrence has been at the very center of the practical debate over the question of capital punishment. Most of us assume that we execute murderers primarily because we believe it will discourage others from becoming murderers. Retentionists have long asserted the deterrent power of capital punishment as an obvious fact. The fear of death deters people from committing crimes. Still, abolitionists believe that deterrence is little more than an assumption and a naive assumption at that. Abolitionists claim that capital punishment does not deter murderers from killing or killing again. They base most of their argument against deterrence on statistics. States that use capital punishment extensively show a higher murder rate than those that have abolished the death penalty. Also, states that have abolished the death penalty and then reinstated it show no significant change in murder rate. They say adjacent states with the death penalty and those without show no long-term differences in the number of murders that occur in that state. And finally, there has been no record of change in the rate of homicides

Peer Assessment as a Teachers Motivating Strategy

Peer Assessment as a Teachers Motivating Strategy Re-orientation Addressing the reading issues that low ability students face in an English class is an essential step towards increasing the academic potential of these students.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Peer Assessment as a Teacher’s Motivating Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order to study the ways for improving the students’ progress, it is appropriate to propose the intervention based on implementation of the peer assessment into a teaching strategy. The class selected for the intervention includes a group of thirteen year seven low-ability students. It should be noted that the whole class consists of twenty students. Among the specified group of students, two students face problems communicating English as they are ESL students (English as a Second Language); 12 students are with special educational needs (SEN); additionally, one student out of five in the group has eith er dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Their knowledge of grammar and syntax rules is of concern and requires attention and improvement (previous results ranged from 3c to 4a; however, the KS2 results showed a tendency of 4a to 5a). Though, compared to the initial test results, the final ones can be discussed as a minor improvement, the current evidence points to the need for the students to work on new skills acquisition and memorising skills development. The literature review provides opportunities to define methods for addressing the needs of the students in question. In their research, Falchikov and Goldfinch (2000) note that students usually lack understanding of the role of peer assessment as well as the significance of providing accurate evaluations of their peers.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Zingaro (2013) also focuses on the rol e of peers in conducting assessments. These discussions support the necessity to provide students with a detailed explanation on the process of evaluation of their peers’ success as well as with a close supervision of the specified procedure. Moreover, it has also been noted by Cox and Maher (2007) that peers usually need to provide each other with positive reinforcement so that they could feel motivated to achieve better results. Focusing on low achieving students’ needs, it is also relevant to refer to Carter (2014) who states that these students need graphic data in order to understand the mechanics of the learning process better. It is also suggested by Murayama, Perkin, and Lichtenfeld (2012) that the incorporation of an element of a game into the learning process is helpful to address the specified issue in the learning process, and the introduction of differentiated assignments allowing the choice of interesting tasks proposed by Burguillo (2010) can also enhanc e the learning process among low-ability students. The review of these sources has resulted in designing the intervention oriented to low-ability students and their peers with high scores responsible for providing assessment. Moreover, an overview of the existing literature has shown that students need positive reinforcement from their instructor in order to succeed during the intervention. Thus, the study by Falchikov and Goldfinch (2000) shows that it is the teacher’s responsibility to guarantee a positive outcome of the peer assessment. The findings are important support the design and implementation of the effective intervention. Intervention The intervention lasted two weeks, including the observation of students during ten days. In the course of the intervention, lessons in English were conducted, and the students were asked to assess each other’s reading skills with the focus on peer assessment.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Peer Assessment as a Teacher’s Motivating Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first lesson started with the introduction of the students to the idea of peer assessment, and detailed instructions were provided. The students were given a set of statements for the evaluation of their peers, while the teacher explained what each part of the assessment addressed. The teacher suggested that the students should read the questions out loud and ask if anything was not clear. As soon as every student understood the purpose of the questions, they were divided into pairs; then, the reading of the first excerpt from the book for Reading in English started. After the reading, the students were asked to evaluate their peer’s reading skills according to the previously mentioned criteria and instructions and write down the results. Students answered the questions concerning the contents of the excerpt and the new vocabulary; evaluated their peers’ responses assessing the accuracy of the vocabulary use and correctness of the factual information. During two weeks of the intervention, lessons ended with a game or other appropriate activities. One game was based on locating words in a grid filled with letters and defining these words. The students then evaluated their peers’ skills based on the amount of words found and the time taken to locate the words (the students were given fifteen minutes, a minute per word). The basing on the findings of Knight et al. (2014), the teacher scaffolded the students throughout the assessment helping them measure their peers’ success to help the students to feel more confident. The specified model was repeated throughout the conducted lessons in reading with slight alterations because the game could be replaced with a similar crossword activity.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the end of Week 1, students were asked to answer open questions from the questionnaire. Thus, students were asked to answer Questions 5, 7, 8 (Appendix A). The procedure was repeated at the end of Week 2 in order to ensure comparing the answers with the help of the qualitative data analysis. Being asked to answer questions, low ability students displayed keen interest and genuine excitement about the activities only during the second week because they hesitated to grade each other during the first week of the intervention. However, as soon as the teacher assured them that the grading by peers would not affect their actual score calculated by the teacher, they became rather enthusiastic about the process and reflected these emotions in their answers. Still, high achieving peers seemed to be quite bored after they realised that the pace of the lesson was not going to be accelerated during Week 1 and Week 2, and they informed the teacher about that fact. According to Wadesango Baya ga (2013), the fact that motivation can drop among high ability students in the process of the intervention points at the necessity to introduce the set of activities that would keep the attention of high achieving students and at the same time be approachable for low ability students. As a result, the games to conclude lessons were changed to address the needs of high-ability students. The use of a game as a type of activities that both low and high ability students may participate in seemed to have worked quite well within the specified setting. Following Dominiquez et al. (2013) and Connolly et al. (2012), the success of the strategy can be explained by the fact that games presuppose the incorporation of a competition factor and, thus, make the learning process more engaging for high achievers. Question 6 from the delivered questionnaire was answered by the students at the end of Week 1 in order to state the motivating factors for low achievers to adapt to the peer assessment (Ap pendix A). These students seemed to lack confidence when carrying out their first evaluation of their peers, and were more lenient to each other than the standards required. As a result, the students who were obviously scoring lower than the rest of the class did not feel willing to make greater efforts. As a result, the focus on helpful tips for students was important for the further analysis of the data. At the end of the second week of intervention, the students were asked to answer Questions 1, 2, 3, and 4 from the questionnaire in order to demonstrate their attitude toward the peer assessment and conclude about improvements and motivation (Appendix A). During all ten days of the intervention, the observation was conducted, and the results were fixed with the help of the Observational Checklist (Appendix B). It was important to discover any changes in the activity of low achieving and high achieving students associated with the use of peer assessment at lessons. Changes in activ ities were noted for the further analysis. It was noticed that low ability students and high ability students demonstrated different levels of involvement during Week 1 and Week 2, and the further observation was important to explain these notes. According to Lavy, Paserman, and Schlosser (2011), in order to develop new skills and not only retrieve but also process and remember new information, low ability students have to engage into the meta-cognition process. In other words, the students must understand how they acquire new skills and information, as well as use this knowledge for their further studying process. Peer reviewing, in its turn, allows students to understand how they perceive the world around them. In this context, the observation was necessary to understand how cooperation and interaction with peers could influence the collected results (Cohen, Manion Morrison 2011a; Cohen, Manion Morrison 2011b). Data Analysis The qualitative data aim to represent changes in the s tudents’ perception of peer assessment, whereas the quantitative data aim to demonstrate the changes in the low-ability students’ progress in numerical terms. Qualitative Data Analysis Questions 5, 7, and 8 provided in the used questionnaire are open, and the students were asked to describe their thoughts on the experienced peer assessment in their own words. Students answered these questions after the first week of intervention and after the second week. Table 1 represents meaningful details taken from the students’ answers typical for Week 1 and Week 2 as well as identified themes and emotions. Table 1. Details Taken from Students’ Responses, Themes, and Emotional Colouring Week Question Details from Responses Themes Emotional colouring 1 Why do we peer mark each other’s work? â€Å"Because it’s a new task† Emotions, engagement rates, self-esteem and performance Positive emotions, self-actualisation â€Å"Because we need to know more† â€Å"Because we will make serious mistakes otherwise.† Anything else that might help â€Å"I have problems telling letters like b and d apart† Fear, confusion, unwillingness Negative emotions; uncertainty, fear of failing â€Å"My previous teacher told me I was slow thinking† â€Å"I won’t do the homework, because I have no time for it† Any other comments â€Å"Don’t rate me too low, I have ADHD† Fear, curiosity, enthusiasm insistence, responsiveness Mixed emotions: fear of making a mistake and willingness to succeed in class â€Å"I’m going to be a tough grader.† â€Å"Is there a way to get a better score if my peers rate me too low?† 2 Why do we peer mark each other’s work? â€Å"Because we need to learn on each other’s mistakes† Responsiveness, enthusiasm, pride, cheer Positive emotions: self-assurance, certainty in future success â€Å"Because this he lps us learn new stuff† â€Å"Because we must help each other understand the subject† â€Å"Because it is fun† â€Å"Because it brings us together† â€Å"Because we have to know how far we’ve gone† â€Å"Because it helps us learn about our own progress† Anything else that might help â€Å"I liked the class, especially the evaluation part† Enthusiasm, pride, defensiveness Mixed emotions: fear of performing poorly, enjoyment of the class â€Å"rated my paper unfair† â€Å"I want to have more classes like this† â€Å"I feel I’m much better at writing now† Any other comments â€Å"I’d like to have more of these tasks† Curiosity, enthusiasm, pride, insistence, responsiveness Mixed emotions: enjoyment and the acknowledgement of simplicity â€Å"The assignments became tedious at the end† â€Å"I would like to solve more complicated problems.† â€Å"Tha nks! Now I know how to memorise stuff† Table 1 indicates the coded responses of the students on the purpose of the peer assessment and their overall perception of the task. The responses are coded in relation to the emotions and attitudes experienced by students during the two weeks of intervention and presented in Table 1 as â€Å"Themes†. The generalised discussion of identified emotions is presented in the table in the column titled â€Å"Emotional Colouring† in order to ensure comparing of the students’ emotions, attitudes, and motivation typical for Week 1 and Week 2. According to Table 1, about 75% of students experienced such negatively coloured emotions as uncertainty, fear, and confusion associated with peer assessment during Week 1. Only 35% of students could restate the purpose for peer assessment told by the teacher in instructions. The table also shows that during Week 2, 80% of students formulated the purpose easily and demonstrated such p ositive emotions as enthusiasm and pride. 15% of students felt bored because of the task’s simplicity. According to Acosta and Ward (2010), emotional colouring is important to be checked by instructors in order to determine the emotions that students feel when participating in the class activities. Adopted in the qualitative data analysis, the focus on emotional colouring helps to analyse the students’ answers in terms of their attitudes and emotions. During Week 1, the students were rather reluctant to accept the new approach in learning. The situation differed during Week 2. Thus, following Bryman (2008), the emotional reaction of the students towards peer assessment, as well as the final testing process, can be divided into two major groups, positive and negative emotions. According to Jordan et al. (2013), negative emotions such as fear of making mistakes, lack of initiative and engagement in learning, confusion, and unwillingness are associated with high ability s tudents’ adaptation to the new task. Positive emotions like curiosity, enthusiasm, and pride typical for Week 2, represents students’ achievements in relation to skills acquisition and responsiveness to the teacher’s instructions (Jordan et al. 2013). Quantitative Data Analysis Questions 1 and 2 presented in the questionnaire are related to each other, and the main focus is on Question 2 asking about students’ confidence regarding peer assessment and marking the other students’ work. At the end of Week 2, all students reported that they know how to conduct the peer assessment, and Figure 1 provides the visual representation of the percentage of students feeling confident or non-confident while marking the work of their peers. Differences in the level of their confidence were assessed with the help of the 5-point Likert scale measuring confidence from 1 â€Å"No confidence† to 5 â€Å"Very confident†. Figure 1. Students’ confi dence on how to peer mark another student’s work (%) Figure 1 demonstrates that 70% of students described their attitude as â€Å"Very confident†, 20% of students assessed the level of confidence as good, and 10% of students noted that they were rather confident in terms of peer marking the other students’ work. The results demonstrate that there were no students indicating low levels of confidence in procedure. Denton at al. (2013) note that students are inclined to demonstrate high levels of confidence in peer assessment after a period of practice, when fears are changed with first successes. Therefore, at the end of Week 2, students can reasonably discuss themselves as confident in marking each other’s work. Question 3 asks students about the overall usefulness of using peer marking or peer assessment. Figure 2 demonstrates the percentage of students discussing peer marking as a useful or non-useful strategy after the second week of intervention while utilizing the 5-point Likert scale measuring usefulness from 1 â€Å"Not useful† to 5 â€Å"Very useful†. Figure 2. Students’ opinion on usefulness of peer marking other students’ work (%) Figure 2 shows that 35% of students discussed peer marking as useful, and the other students stated that the procedure was very useful (65%). No students discussed peer marking as useless or ineffective procedure, allowing conclusions about the overall usefulness of peer assessment conducted in the group of students. Lavy, Paserman, and Schlosser (2011) state that peer assessment is highly useful strategy used in the class to improve students’ learning and interactions. Students’ answers to the question about the peer assessment’s usefulness support this idea in terms of students’ perception and experience. Question 4 is directly related to evaluating the usefulness of peers’ comments and assessment to improve the other studentsâ⠂¬â„¢ work. Students were asked to evaluate the impact of peer assessment on achieving improvement with the help of the 5-point Likert scale, measuring usefulness from 1 â€Å"Not useful† to 5 â€Å"Very useful†. Figure 3 shows how students regard usefulness of their peers’ comments in percents. Figure 3. Students’ opinion on usefulness of peers’ comments on students’ works (%) The majority of students (55%) evaluated the usefulness of peers’ comments as â€Å"Very useful†, 40% of students agreed that the comments are useful, and 5% stated that the comments were slightly useful to improve the work. The results demonstrate the students’ positive attitude to the peers’ comments, and they are important to conclude about the role of peer assessment for improving the students’ work. According to Lurie et al. (2006), peers’ comments are usually discussed as the valuable tool to improve the other student s’ performance in different areas. Answers to Question 4 are helpful to conclude that most students are inclined to perceive the peer assessment practice as effective to promote improvement of the work. The key to discussing the improvement of students’ performance influenced by peer assessment is the focus on factors that can motivate students to improve peer marking and guarantee higher results. Question 6 asks students about factors that can improve peer marking and understanding of the requirements. The influential factors are â€Å"Clearer instructions†, â€Å"Sentence starters†, and â€Å"Marking anonymously†. Figure 4 represents choices of helpful factors to motivate understanding by low-ability and high-ability students. Figure 4. What helps students to improve peer marking and their understanding of the task (number of students) According to Figure 4, about 98% of helpful factors to improve peer marking was selected by low achieving stude nts, when only 2% of all factors were chosen by high achieving students. The results show the interest of low ability students in using clearer instructions and making peer assessment anonymously, when sentence starters are chosen as helpful by only 10% of students. In order to improve results in peer assessment, students need to understand the task completely, and certain factors are identified by Murayama, Perkin, and Lichtenfeld (2012) as influential for the effectiveness of peer assessment. Thus, to guarantee improvements in the work, students need to use certain markers of factors to make the whole process of peer marking easier. Figure 5 represents the data collected with the help of the Observation Checklist. It was important to assess the changes in students’ activity and its types during Week 1 and Week 2 in order to conclude about their motivation and involvement into peer assessment. Figure 5. Types of students’ activity during Week 1 and Week 2 (number of t imes active) As Figure 5 shows, most students expressed their willingness to participate in assessment by raising hand. The action was observed 22 times during Day 5 and about 18-23 times during Days 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. During all 10 days of the intervention, students asked the teacher to explain the material 3.9% of the whole number of instances, responded emotionally 13.7%, competed with other students 14.7%, asked for clarification 11.8%, volunteered for peer assessment 10.8%, and asked about the grade 12.8%. The number of students saying â€Å"I don’t know† in response to the activity reduced in 27%. Students often need support and clarification when the new activity is integrated in the lesson, as it is noted by Falchikov and Goldfinch (2000). Thus, students asked additional questions about peer assessment and needed clarification during the first five days of the intervention. The situation changed during Week 2, as students became more active, raising hands an d asking for participation as evaluators. Figure 6 also represents changes in the students’ involvement and interest in peer assessment with the focus on differences in behaviours of high-ability and low-ability students. Figure 6. Activity and involvement of low and high ability students in peer marking during Week 1 and Week 2 (number of times active) In Figure 6, the data is based on the information from the Observation Checklist. Thus, low ability students demonstrated the increases in engagement into the peer marking in about 34% during the second week, when high ability students seemed to be discouraged because their activeness decreased in 15%. The changes in activeness of the students can be explained by the fact that the challenge of completing a difficult task such as peer marking decreased during the second week for high ability students. According to Lai and Law (2013), the responsibility for carrying out peer assessment cannot trigger the high achievers’ initiative during a long period of time. In contrast, activeness of low achieving students increased with gaining confidence and becoming more engaged in the process. Discussion The results of the intervention support the prediction that peer assessment is a motivating and encouraging practice for low ability students, but it can be discussed as boring for high ability students when the challenging component of the practice is not referred to. The qualitative data show that the high achieving students lost interest in the peer assessment during the second week of intervention. Falchikov and Goldfinch (2000) state that the key problem of peer assessment as a means to improve the score of low ability students and motivate them can depend on the scaffolding process. The scaffolding strategies used by the teacher can be discussed by the high ability students as tiresome and irritating (Falchikov Goldfinch 2000). The low ability students usually do not pay attention to the scaffolding p rovided by the instructor; however, the manner in which the instructions are delivered may serve as the trigger for the students to develop absence of responsibility. Thus, the qualitative data analysis points at the need to deploy a different scaffolding approach that will presuppose a more active participation of the students (both high and low ability ones) in the assignment. According to Shin (2010), the effectiveness of peer assessment depends not only on the students’ successes in performing the activity but also on the nature of proposed tasks. In this study, tasks in reading proposed for students could be changed to make results more representative. Thus, most high ability students demonstrate lack of enthusiasm due to the simplicity of the tasks, and it will be appropriate to create a set of assignments that become increasingly difficult as a student proceeds with their completion. The specified approach towards developing tests will allow low achieving students to t est their abilities and knowledge to the extent of their capacities and high achieving ones to maintain their academic progress in an appropriate manner. The intervention results reveal the students’ performance was not altered significantly, but the students’ attitude towards acquiring new knowledge and skills changed positively. The purpose of the intervention was to examine peer assessment as a motivating tool for improvement in low ability students. Quantitative data demonstrate that the students became more proactive in their participation in class activities, and they were able to cope with the fear of making mistakes which appeared to be the major barrier for showing the good performance for them. As Wadesango and Bayaga (2013) explain, the ability grouping, as in the setting under research, leads to the development of stronger ties between students and, therefore, it leads to eliminating the fear of being considered negatively. Comfort (2011) notes that low-abi lity students can develop enthusiasm in learning when they understand the task and can demonstrate immediate positive results. The intervention conducted during two weeks allowed decreasing in the level of stress and increasing confidence in performing tasks that these students lacked before the intervention. The study shows that the adequate choice of helpful factors to motivate and support students is effective to promote their involvement and improvement. Limitations The study has certain limitations that restricted reliability. First, the outcomes of the study cannot be applicable to every single instance of low ability students’ training through peer assessment. Indeed, the setting in question was specific and might conflict with the goals and assets of another educational setting as well as the adopted strategy oriented to the selected class. In other words, the approach was tailored to meet the needs of the students that suffered from ADHD and other disorders, had a di fferent ethnic or national background, and experienced difficulties adjusting to the school environment. Comfort (2011) pays attention to determining general and case specific results while conducting the study. It was found that although the research was aimed at testing the idea of using peer assessment coupled with scaffolding in general, it was limited to provide results appropriate for generalising. The number of participants is another limitation that prevents the researcher from considering the implications of the study in a wider context. Since the research demanded the choice of a rather close setting with a relatively small number of participants, the intervention results were rather narrow and suitable for applying only to a specific group of students. Thus, the research has its limits, and needs improvement in terms of involving larger groups of students from different environments. Thus, it is possible to refer to the peer assessment as the intervention in several class es with low-ability students in order to compare results regarding the motivational power of peer marking to improve these students’ successes and involvement into class activities. In terms of methodology, the tools used for collecting the data, such as the questionnaire and Observation Checklist, are rather effective to provide the qualitative and quantitative data for the further analysis. Creswell (2005) notes that a questionnaire is the frequently used tool for qualitative studies to conduct interviews, when checklists are appropriate for observation sessions to collect the numerical data. The limitations of these tools are in the number of questions proposed for students that could be changed depending on variations in the purpose of the future study. In order to guarantee the anonymity and confidentiality following the British Education Research Association (BERA) Guidelines, before the experiment was conducted, teachers and departments were contacted by the author of the study and provided with the informed consent for their students to participate in the research. Thus, the provision of complete anonymity was one of the key conditions of the study. None of the students was named directly in reports throughout the study, and no personal data were disclosed in the process of analysing the case. Therefore, the research complied with the BERA Guidelines, and it did not affect the participants negatively. Implications for the Future Development and Research The outcomes of the study set the premises for carrying out a major analysis of the use of peer assessment along with scaffolding at a more general level, with the focus on involving the larger number of students and possible incorporation of innovative technology, as it is mentioned in the studies by Carter (2014), Connolly et al. (2012), and Knight et al. (2014). It is also possible to refer to the more active use of games in order to motivate students to participate in peer assessment. Accordi ng to Cho, Lee, and Jonassen (2011), students can show improvement in their abilities during these games. Therefore, it may be suggested that games along with the further evaluation may serve as an incentive for the students to achieve the better performance. Moreover, the low scoring students can demonstrate enthusiasm when they perceive the activity as a game and can adapt to less rigid demands which can become a threat to their further performance, as it is discussed by Munro, Abbot, and Rossiter (2013) in their study. As a result, it is important to propose a variety of peer assessment activities in a form of game and other tasks in order for high ability and low ability students to demonstrate change in their progress and motivation. In spite of the fact that the intervention was conducted in the specific and limited setting, it is possible to adapt to the wider audience. It is appropriate to focus on conducting the study that will incorporate students of different social, cult ural, and ethnic backgrounds, and it is imperative to test the effects of peer assessment supported by the teacher’s scaffolding in the larger school area while identifying possible means for improving the current strategy. As the outcomes of the intervention showed, the students became more aware of the stages that they passed as they acquired a specific piece of information or trained in an essential reading skill. This important new knowledge served as a tool for enhancing the learning process for the students, therefore, allowing them to develop the necessary skills within relatively shorter amount of time and apply these abilities in a manner speedier than their previous records showed. Thus, it is important to modify the intervention in order to test changes in the students’ motivation and improvement in a larger context. Conclusion The results of the conducted intervention can be discussed as successful in terms of supporting the idea that peer assessment can be used as an important motivating factor to stimulate the low-ability students’ involvement in class activities and progress. It is possible to propose the interventions based on this one in order to implement in the school environment for improving the participation of low-ability students in class activities. However, some of the hypotheses formulated during the research still need testing because the intervention was based only on the reading tasks, it involved the comparably small number of participants to discuss the received results as rather valid, generalised, and reliable. Nevertheless, the results support the assumption that high ability students may lose motivation for peer assessment and studying according to the specified pattern due to the repetitiveness of the pattern, lesson design, and the overall simplicity of the assignments oriented to low-ability students. Connolly et al. (2012) state that assignments and proposed task for peer assessment need to be highly varied in order to address the needs of students with different levels of academic achievements. The results of the intervention support this idea. Therefore, the tools for involving the high ability students into activities during a long period of time need to be discovered in the future. Still, the results of the intervention support the main hypothesis of the research and answer the question about the role of peer assessment to motivate low-ability students in order to become involved in the class activities and improve their progress. Peer assessment positively affects low-ability students’ motivation and can be used to improve their performance because it is associated with cooperation and the period of adaptation to the new interesting task, as it was previously stated by Knight et al. (2014). The results of the research also have the positive effect on teaching in terms of theoretical discussion of the nature of low-ability students’ motivation and practical us e of peer assessment in order to enhance involvement and learning at lessons. The intervention is helpful for teachers to refer again to the need of motivating not only low ability students because of the academic failures but also high ability learners who need challenging tasks. Thus, it is important to focus on the introduction of differentiated assignments and, therefore, introduction of certain challenges to the relaxed setting associated with peer assessment if students discuss this task as too simple. The study has also shed some light on the specifics of addressing the needs of students from different backgrounds and with different learning difficulties. More attention should be paid to developing skills in the sphere of teaching students with different potential, capacities, needs, and expectations. Reference List Acosta, J C Ward, A J 2010, ‘Achieving rapport with turn-by-turn, user-responsive emotional coloring,’ Speech Communication, vol. 53, no. 9-10, pp.1 137–1148. Bryman, A 2008, Social research methods (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Burguillo, J C 2010, ‘Using game-theory and competition-based learning to stimulate student motivation and performance,’ Computers and Education, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 566–575. Carter, C S 2014, ‘Using technology and traditional instruction to teach expository text in the sixth grade reading classroom: a quasi-experimental study,’ Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Paper, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 1–58. Cho, Y H, Lee, J Jonassen, D H 2011, ‘The role of tasks and epistemological beliefs in online peer questioning,’ Computers Education, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 112–126. Cohen, L, Manion, L Morrison, K 2011a, ‘Action research. in L Cohen, L Manion K Morrison (Eds.), Research methods in education (7th ed.) (pp. 344–361), Routledge/Falmer. London, UK. Cohen, L, Manion, L Morrison, K 2011b, ‘Codi ng and content analysis,’ in L. Cohen, L. Manion K. Morrison (Eds.), Research methods in education (7th ed.) (pp. 559–573), Routledge/Falmer, London, UK. Comfort, P 2011, ‘The effect of peer tutoring on academic achievement during practical assessments in applied sports science students,’ Innovations in Education and Teaching International, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 207–211. Connolly, T M, Boyle, E A, MacArthur, E M, Thomas Hainey, T Boyle, J M 2012, ‘A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games,’ Computers Education, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 661–686. Cresswell, J W 2005, Educational research, Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Denton, C A, Tolar, T D, Fletcher, J M, Barth, A E, Baughn, S Francis, D J 2013, ‘Effects of tier 3 intervention for students with persistent reading difficulties and characteristics of inadequate responders,’ Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 105, no. 3, pp. 633–648. Dominiquez, A, Saenz-de-Navarrete, J, de-Marcos, L, Fernndez-Sanz, L, Pagà ©s, C Martà ­nez-Herris, J-J 2013, ‘Gamifying learning experiences: practical implications and outcomes,’ Computers Education, vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 380–392. Falchikov, N Goldfinch, J 2000, ‘Student peer assessment in higher education: a meta-analysis comparing peer and teacher marks,’ Review of Educational Research, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 287–322. Jordan, C H, Logel, C, Spenser, S J, Zanna, M P, Wood, J V, Holmes, J G 2013, ‘Responsive low self-esteem: low explicit self-esteem, implicit self-esteem, and reactions to performance outcomes,’ Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 32, no 7, pp. 703–731. Knight, V F, Wood, C L, Spooner, F, Browder, D M O’Brien, C P 2014, ‘An exploratory study using science e-texts with students with autism spectrum disorder,’ Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Di sabilities, vol. 28, no. 3, p. 115–126. Lai, M Law, N 2013, ‘Questioning and the quality of knowledge constructed in a CSCL context: a study on two grade-levels of students,’ Instructional Science, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 597–620. Lavy, V, Paserman, M D Schlosser, A 2011, ‘Inside the black of box of ability peer effects: evidence from variation in the proportion of low achievers in the classroom,’ Economic Journal, vol. 122, no. 559, 208–237. Lurie, S J, Nofziger, A C, Meldrum, S, Mooney, C, Epstein, R M 2006, ‘Effects of rater selection on peer assessment among medical students,’ Medical Education, vol. 40, no. 11, pp. 1088–1097. Munro, J, Abbot, M Rossiter, M 2013, ‘Mentoring for success: accommodation strategies for ELLS,’ Canadian Journal of Action Research, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 22–38. Murayama, K, Perkin, R Lichtenfeld, S 2012, ‘Predicting long-term growth in students’ mathematic s achievement: the unique contributions of motivation and cognitive strategies,’ Child Development, vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 1475–1490. Saldana, 2008 Shin, S J 2010, ‘Teaching English language learners: recommendations for early childhood educators,’ Dimensions of Early Childhood, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 13–21. Wadesango, N Bayaga, A 2013, ‘Ability grouping as an approach to narrow achievement gap of pupils with different cultural capitals: teachers’ involvement,’ International Journal of Educational Sciences, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 205–216. Zingaro, D 2013, ‘Student moderators in asynchronous online discussion: a question of questions,’ MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 159–172.

Yahoo's Organization Structure Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Yahoo's Organization Structure - Research Paper Example For example Executive Vice President, Service Engineering & Operations demonstrates division by function while Executive Vice President, Americas and Senior Vice President & MD, EMEA Region show division by geography. Yahoo has been too reliant on its U.S. business over the years which mean that the approach it uses in the US would not be the same as what it needs to use in the other regions where it is still growing its market share. This makes it sensible to separate the US business unit from those of other geographies. For an organization of its size with more than 13,700 employees division by function makes it easier to demarcate responsibility for revenue targets and expense management. What is your company’s strategy? Is it successful? Yahoo demonstrates two strategies. In its dominant US market, the company is pursuing organizational renewal to reverse organizational decline and put the firm back on a more appropriate path to success. The company’s decline was la rgely due to over-expansion of its product line and inability to deal with shifts in consumer demand for platforms that are provided by its major rivals: Facebook and Google. Yahoo’s new CEO plans to do away with about 50 properties to enable the company refocus on its core business (Scott Para 1). According to the new CEO, Yahoo has been doing way too much of which only a few things were being done really well (Scott Para 5). The second strategy that Yahoo is pursuing is growth through international strategy. Yahoo’s internationalization is for market-based reasons. Currently Yahoo is too reliant on its U.S. business. The company seeks to capture part of the market share of the growing middle class in emerging economies. Part of this international market development strategy will be through offering of country-specific services. So far none of these two strategies have been implemented long enough to evaluate whether they are successful or not. Does your company o perate within NAFTA or the European Union? Do those free trade agreements/ free trade union benefit or harm your company? Yahoo operates both within NAFTA (US, Canada, Mexico) and the European Union (Germany, Italy, Scandinavian countries etc.). Through its numerous offerings Yahoo is essentially a service-provider. NAFTA eliminated trade barriers in most service sectors and a couple of products as well. This reduction / eliminations of tariff increases trade within the region and hence give confidence to more individuals to use Yahoo platforms to advertise or sell their products or services within the region. This way NAFTA benefits Yahoo. Using the same argument one could say that by increasing trade within continental Europe, the European Union also indirectly benefits Yahoo by increasing the need for an intercontinental platform to advertise or trade in products and services. The company acknowledges as much, though indirectly, in its annual report where it highlights that fluct uations in foreign currency exchange rates as a possible risk factor. Does your company operate in low or high labor rate countries? How does your company try to reduce labor costs? The majority of Yahoo’s staff is located in the US. The company does not have a specific policy geared towards obtaining low or high labor rate countries. Moreover, the company’s core business is largely dependent on proprietary software which is mostly developed in the US. The company has however in some instances purchased technology and license intellectual property rights (Yahoo, Yahoo! Annual Report 2010 11). Yahoo’s solution to lowering labor costs is to eliminate non-performing business units and then to reduce headcount. The company has conducted six

Drug testing on welfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drug testing on welfare - Essay Example Most of the states, which passed this legislation, did so because of the belief that those who received welfare used it to get drugs (Davidson). The legislation was therefore, introduced to deny them the means of getting drugs, something that was thought to be commendable at the time. However, this assumption was found to be untrue, because of all the welfare applicants tested for drugs, only two percent of them tested positive. This automatically confirmed that this law was ineffective, due to the fact that its intended targets were found to be innocent of what they had  been  accused. It has now been confirmed that welfare recipients are not the majority drug users in the United States, and this makes the drug testing for welfare policy unconstitutional. The drug-testing program is an extremely expensive process for those states, which have instituted it into their welfare system. The welfare applicants are required to pay for their own tests, and if they are found to be negative, then the state has the obligation to refund them. This procedure has turned out to be extremely expensive because the majority of applicants have tested negative. The states, therefore, end up spending more than they normally would have if the program had not been put in place. Moreover, this program also has administrative costs, such as paying the staff that run it as well as for the facilities. All these costs are footed by the states, an unnecessary expense; the money would have been put in better use expanding the welfare program to cater for people who need it. These added costs to the state governments with little result have ensured ineffectiveness of this program. The  drug  testing  for  welfare  program  was  put  in  place  to  ensure  the  deterrence of people  who  have  applied  for  welfare. It was estimated that a large number of people who applied for welfare

Marketing Segmentation - Demographic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Segmentation - Demographic - Essay Example The inclinations of the consumers are different for the same goods and services produced in the economy. Thus, it becomes crucial to categorize or segregate the buyers possessing same characteristic features of tastes and preferences. This process of grouping buyers in terms of several common determinants is known as market segmentation (Wind and Douglas, 1972). Market Segmentation It is believed by many scholars that market segmentation is an alternative of product differentiation. In today’s world, market segmentation plays a vital role for formulating all marketing strategies adopted by a firm. It creates different samples of buyers with same type of demand patterns that helps a company in designing separate marketing plans for each group and thereby facilitates them to win over customer loyalty for all the divisions. A particular market can be divided or categorized according to psychological, demographics, geographic and behavioral determinants. A proper marketing mix for mulated by a firm would help it to suffice the demands of each segment separately, in an economic and efficient manner. This paper will implicitly explain the concept of market segmentation based on demographics (McDonald, 2012). ... raphic determinants, an organization can create excellent strategies of marketing that would help it to park potential customer base in its retail segment. It becomes very convenient to apply demographic methodology of market segmentation because it is easy to calculate the demographic variables during the procedure of market segmentation. Moreover, the factors on the basis of which demographic market segmentation is introduced can generally be used for almost all the products (Tyan, 1987). Life-cycle and Age It is analyzed by the economists that the nature of demand created by a buyer changes with age and time in the life-cycle process. The companies while making their business plans target consumers on the basis of age to sell their manufactured products. If a firm produces land line telephones, then it should realize that the potential buyers of such a product would be consumers of age group 60 years and above. This is because the old consumers will have less skill to use modern c omplicated technologies in the mobile phones. On the other hand, it would be wrong on the part of the company to analyze that the buyers of landline phones would be young in age in general. So the market is segmented on the basis of landline and mobile phones, age and life-cycle becomes a vital mode of market segmentation (Hoek, Gendall, and Esslemont, 1995). Gender There is a significant difference in the likings of men and women. Thus, while marketing a product a company must first segregate the marketplace on the basis of sex. Men and women possess separate attitudes about same type of a commodity. Companies dealing with cosmetics, magazines etc should always segment their market while launching marketing strategies and plans. Like, if a company desires to sell a foundation base in

Owning A Guinea Pig As A Pet

Owning A Guinea Pig As A Pet ABSTRACT Have you ever owned a guinea pig as a pet? These small animals make a perfect family pet and enjoy spending quality time with their owners. Snuggling, eating, and playing are all things that guinea pigs generally love doing. With some knowledge of guinea pigs and how to care for them, owning a pet guinea pig can be a very enjoyable experience for both you and your pet. GLOSSARY Diagnose: to determine the  identity of a disease or illness by a medical  examination Gastrointestinal tract: the stomach and intestine as a functional unit Homeostasis: the tendency of a system, especially the  physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal condition or function. Husbandry: the science of breeding, rearing, and caring for animals. Neuter: having no organs of reproduction; without sex; asexual. 1 INTRODUCTION Just like any other domestic pet that we see today, guinea pigs have a long history of domestication. Guinea pigs are a member of the rodent species, but have their own unique physical and behavioral characteristics that set them apart from other rodents. There are a lot of special needs that guinea pigs share to maintain a happy and healthy life. Good husbandry is the best way of assuring that a pet will live to its full potential. Understanding guinea pigs is a great start to a long fulfilling relationship between an owner and their special little pet. HISTORY OF THE GUINEA PIG Origin Guinea pigs, also known as cavies, originated from the Peru region of the Andes Mountains where it is referred to as cuy (Forstadt, n.d., para.7; para. 9). It is here that the familiar rodent can be found roaming freely in the wild just like our everyday squirrel. The wild guinea pig prefers a variety of habitats including rocky, swampy, and woody areas. Being most active at night, they prefer to rest in their burrows during the day (Forstadt, n.d., para. 6). They live in colonies usually with one male and six to seven females. In a wild guinea pig colony, the presence of more than one male usually leads to the males fighting to the death (Hirst, n.d., para. 4). Why They Were Domesticated Domestication of the guinea pig is thought to have begun around 5000 years B.C.; however, some parts of their history are a little blurry. Physical records have been found showing evidence of guinea pig domestication as early as 900 B.C. (Forstadt, n.d., para. 7). In their native land, guinea pigs are used for many different purposes, but seldom kept as pets. The people of the Andes Mountains rely on breeding guinea pigs for meat. In most cases, a mating pair of guinea pigs will be gifted to a newlywed couple and then cared for mostly by the women and children of the family(Forstadt, n.d., para. 11; para. 12). By raising them personally, an Andes Mountain family can usually produce approximately twelve pounds of meat per month (Hirst, n.d., para. 5). Though meat is their main purpose to the Andes Mountain people, guinea pigs are also used in religious and other cultural ceremonies. They are also used in medicine, both to diagnose and treat those considered to be ill or weak. Though they are bred mainly for food, guinea pigs are crucial to, and respected in, the Andes Mountain culture (Forstadt, n.d., para. 14). How They Became Pets After domestication in its native land, the guinea pig was later introduced in Europe where it became popular as a household pet. The cause of its popularity is said to be Queen Elizabeth I keeping one as a pet. From this point on, domestication of the guinea pig continued turning the small rodent species into a very popular choice of pet in many parts of the world (Forstadt, n.d., para. 8). CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GUINEA PIG Behavior From personal experience I can inform you that guinea pigs make excellent pets. Unlike other domestic rodents, guinea pigs are naturally timid and love companionship. In the wild, guinea pigs are very social animals and they require the same companionship when they are kept as pets (Social life, n.d., para. 2). There are many distinct behavioral characteristics that guinea pigs share that set them apart from other rodent species. Their unique vocalizations, humorous actions, and cuddly nature are sure to amuse any pocket pet lover. Guinea pigs seem to have their own unique language. There are many different sounds that can be heard when in the presence of these small rodents and all of these sounds have different meanings. Knowing what these sounds mean will help the owner to better understand their pet and assist in building a stronger relationship between them (McLeod, n.d., para. 1). One of the most common vocalizations of the guinea pig is called wheeking, this habitually corresponds with excitement for food or attention (McLeod, n.d., para. 3). Another sound that is frequently heard from a content guinea pig is called purring, this sound signifies that the animal is having a pleasurable experience, usually when being petted or while cuddling (McLeod, n.d., para. 4). If you ever hear teeth chattering it usually means that the animal is annoyed or angry and this is sometimes followed by showing of the teeth or a bite. Though it is uncommon for a guinea pig to display this type of aggressive behavior toward a person, it sometimes occurs when introducing two males. If this behavior occurs during an introduction, then the two males should be separated before one gets a chance to attack (McLeod, n.d., para.6). When guinea pigs are extremely frightened or hurt they will project a sound called shrieking. This is a very loud, high pitched, repetitive sound and if it is ever heard then the guinea pig should be thoroughly examined for any signs of injury (McLeod, n.d., para. 9). There are many other sounds that a guinea pig can produce, but they are heard less frequently or, in some cases, not at all. Guinea pigs also communicate by using body language that sometimes goes hand in hand with the distinct sounds they produce. Some gestures signify playfulness, whereas others may be a warning. Whatever the gesture may be, knowing what these actions mean will also help an owner to understand their pet. One gesture frequently observed is called popcorning. With a well deserved name, the animal will pop itself up into the air, often repeatedly, while tossing their head upward and kicking their hind legs back. This gesture is most frequently seen in younger guinea pigs and it signifies a very happy and playful animal (McLeod, n.d., para. 13). Among many other playful gestures that may be observed, there are also some behaviors that are intended to warn when a guinea pig is upset. When agitated, a guinea pig may stiffen its legs and head while rising its body up higher than usual, this is usually a good time to back off and let the animal have some space. Any number of aggressive behaviors may be combined depending on the severity of annoyance. Some of these behaviors include, but are not limited to, hissing, fluffing of the fur, and showing of the teeth (McLeod, n.d., para. 17). Once an owner has an understanding of their guinea pigs personality, both parties will share a very healthy and happy relationship. Appearance Guinea pigs usually grow to lengths of approximately ten inches long and weigh one to two pounds (Hirst, n.d., para. 2). They have stout bodies with a large and elongated head that is equivalent to approximately one third of their entire body length. Guinea pigs do not have tails and their ears are large and rounded (Pavia, 2005, p. 18). They have short stubby legs and small padded feet. Though guinea pigs may have little variance in shape and size, their coats come in a variety of colors, texture, and length. The wild cavy is usually only found in shades of gray or brown and generally have short to medium length fur. Through years of domestication, an outburst of different colors and coat types has been created (Forstadt, n.d., para. 6). There are many different breeds of guinea pigs but only 13 are recognized in the United States (Nash, n.d., para. 1). Each having their own unique physical characteristics, some breeds are Skinny, American, Coronet, and Texel. Ranging from almost hairless to very long hair, these breeds all have similar body types but look very different. The Skinny guinea pig is almost completely hairless but may have some patches of fur (Guinea pigs, 2008, para. 16). The American guinea pig is shorthaired and has a very smooth looking coat (Guinea pigs, 2008, para.8). Coronet guinea pigs have an extremely long coat that has a smooth appearance and requires special grooming, and the Texel guinea pig has a long coat that is very crimpy and wavy (Guinea pigs, 2008, para.4; para. 5). Seeing all of the different breeds that have been genetically mastered through intricate breeding portrays the passion that people have for these small pocket pets. GUINEA PIG HUSBANDRY Housing Providing an adequate clean space, a fresh wholesome diet, and meeting grooming needs are all essential for keeping a happy and healthy guinea pig. Guinea pigs are social animals, having a cage mate can do a lot for their health. It is recommended that males are not kept with other males; however, if they are litter mates they may get along nicely. Females and males get along great, as do females with other females. Guinea pigs can reproduce rather quickly, unless neutering is an option, it is not recommended to house a male and female together (Guinea pig care, n.d., para. 4). A minimum of four square feet should be kept for each guinea pig in the cage. They need room to exercise and get away from each other if they need too (Guinea pig care, n.d., para. 5). Guinea pigs sleep the best if they have their own covering to crawl in, providing some sort of cubby or dome for each animal in the cage is essential for good health. Besides providing a cage mate, hiding spaces and toys appropriate for guinea pigs in their habitat may help keep them from getting too bored (Guinea pig care, n.d., para. 8). It is essential to keep their environment as clean as possible with good ventilation. The bottom of a guinea pig cage should be solid with no wire or mesh lining; these types of surfaces are good for sanitation but can injure the animals feet. Glass aquariums do not provide enough ventilation, a solid plastic or metal base with a wired top is a great guinea pig environment (Guinea pig care, n.d., para. 5). The bedding used in a guinea pig cage should not be cedar or pine. Both of these woods contain oils that are bad for the animals health. Other types of wood shavings, hay, or grass may be appropriate (Guinea pig care, n.d., para. 7). Personally, I use an all natural paper bedding which, in my opinion, is the most safe and comfortable. It is thick and cotton ball-like and it produces little to no dust. Supplying everything in the guinea pigs cage to keep them comfortable and entertained is crucial. Diet Guinea pigs love to eat and they have some special needs when it comes to their diet. They have sensitive gastrointestinal tracts and providing an unlimited amount of timothy hay or orchard grass aids in their digestion (Vital vittles, 2009, para. 4). Commercial pellets should be fed everyday; however, only one eighth of one cup should be provided (Vital vittles, 2009, para. 2). Approximately one cup of a fresh leafy green mixture should be served daily as well as small amounts of fresh fruit and other fresh vegetables (Guinea pig feeding, 2009, para. 4). Some leafy green vegetables that should be offered on a daily basis are kale, mustard greens, spinach, romaine, and parsley (Vital vittles, 2009, para. 14). Vegetables that are good to feed, but less frequently, are carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes (Vital vittles, 2009, para. 15). Fruits should not be offered in large quantities because they contain excess amounts of sugar. Fruits are usually served as a treat and may include app les, pears, blueberries, kiwi, and strawberries (Vital vittles, 2009, para. 17). Not all fruits and vegetables are healthy to a guinea pig. Some foods that are not good for a guinea pigs health are iceberg lettuce, seeds, nuts, collard greens, bok choy, and beans (Vital vittles, 2009, para.16; para. 20). Guinea pigs need a lot of vitamin C to support their immune system, adding a supplement to their water and supplying vitamin C to their everyday diet is crucial for maintaining homeostasis (Vital vittles, 2009, para. 5). Grooming Grooming branches off into different things that prevent certain conditions that could potentially affect the animals health. Having continually growing teeth, the guinea pig lays at risk of a very painful condition. If proper materials to help wear down their teeth are not provided, their teeth can become over grown and possibly grow into other areas of their mouth. This condition could also prevent the animal from eating, resulting in starvation (Guinea pig pet care, n.d., para. 6). Personally, I provide things such as untreated wood blocks, toilet paper rolls, and a daily supply of hay to help keep the teeth a healthy length. In some cases, providing these items for the guinea pig may not work well enough and manual filing may be required. Just like the teeth, toenails can also become overgrown and uncomfortable. Toenails may be worn down naturally if a hard surface is provided in the cage, but sometimes they have to be trimmed manually (Guinea pig pet care, n.d. para. 5). Having a hairless or short haired guinea pig is less demanding then having a long haired guinea pig. They are generally clean animals and bathing is not required often; however, longhaired guinea pigs require frequent brushing to prevent knots from forming in their fur (Guinea pig pet care, n.d. para. 9). CONCLUSION Despite their original purpose in their native land, guinea pigs make excellent family pets. Their wacky gestures, unique sounds, and stout appearance are sure to make anyone crack a smile. Guinea pigs are the happiest when paired with another guinea pig. Providing good husbandry will reduce the risk of disease in any animal. While caring for a guinea pig does have some special demands, it is worth it.

Essay --

Jackson 1 GOOD COMMUNICATION IN THE BUSINESS WORLD In today’s competitive business world, effective communication is more important than ever. Everything done in the workplace involves communication. Effective relationships with staff, clients, vendors and superiors are critical. It also has an impact on a company’s overall profitability and longevity. In a workplace environment, where many people of different backgrounds and personalities interact on a daily basis, the ability to effectively communicate becomes critical to the success of the department and the company. George Bernard Shaw said, â€Å"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.† To effectively communicate, you must â€Å"speak the language† of many others. That could be as extreme as learning a foreign language, but is usually making sure that what has been said is positively received and processed by the listener. The speaker must use proper grammar, enunciation, and vocabulary, and then evaluate the effectiveness by the listener’s reaction. In the business world, it is unlikely that o...

A Culture of Resistance: The Chipko Movement

Society as a collective entity could easily influenced an individual but in the same manner the society could also be shaped by people. This is exemplified through the idea of cultutral resistance which is a political activity that enables individual to create or change political discourse and eventually political practices (Duncombe, 2002). The Chipko Movement of India is a good example to better understand this.The Chipko Andolan also known as hugged the trees movement is an environmental activist that started in the grassroots level. Its origins could be traced back in March 1973 at Gopeshwar   in the Chamoli district, in Uttar Pradesh, India.A group of citizens hold each other hand in hand to create a human chain and hugged the trees to prevent a sport company from cutting it down. The same incident took place in the village of Reni in the Himalayas during the year 1974.Women coming from this village also protected the trees by hugging them despite the license given by the Gove rnment Department of Forests that enables the contractors to cut them. Ever since the Chipko Movement attracted attention coming from other people in India (Dwivedi, 1996).The Chipko Movement addresses the problem of inequality that is happening in the distribution of natural resources. The usage of commodities like trees creates a conflict in the country of India because of the contradicting demands for it. The marginalized minority utilizes this resource as a means that would support their livelihood. On the other hand, trees are needed in order to address the demands of commerce and industry (Shiva & Bandyopadhyay, 1986).The inequlity in this situation is not only in terms of the unequal distribution of natural resources but also in terms of the power and influence that big corporations have as compared to the marginalized citizens of India. It is something that usual political practices could not solve and sometimes even tolerate as in the case of the 1974 incident in the Reni V illage, which is why the Chipko Movement decided on a new method of addressing the problem.In order to fully comprehend this movement as well as the tactics that it utilized there should first be an understanding of Mahatma Gandhi's ideology when it comes to conflcit as well as the diverse religion of India. Gandhi is famous for leading non-violent forms of struggle that overthrew the colonial rule of the British in India.He was able to combine the idea of â€Å"ahimsa† meaning â€Å"no harm† or â€Å"wanton killing†Ã‚   with social struggle. This non-violent activists deems that the truth will eventually emerged as long as one party is committed in standing for it (Kamieniecki, 1993).Gandhi's â€Å"Satyagraha†or the search for truth was adapted by the Chipko movement through the â€Å"Forest Satyagraha† which means the continuous search for truth in terms of the rights of trees. This movement follow the idea of non-violence in fighting for their c ause that goes as far as including non-human forms (Dwivedi, 1996).Forest Satyagraha does not only answer economic and environemtal problems because it also has its religious aspect. The major religions in India promotes compassion for all life regardless of its contribution to human beings (Kamieniecki, 1993). Its religious basis also comes from the fact that this movement is participated and led by women. Women play a very vital role in the family particularly in the Himalayan area.They are more in touch with the natural environment because they have the task of gathering woods and other agricultural products for their family while their spouses leave them behind to work in urban areas.Himalayan women are also more religious than their male counterparts which is why they believe that green trees are the dwelling place of â€Å"Hari† or the Almigthy Father. Every tree has their own â€Å"Vriksadevata† or tree god and that the goddess of the forests, â€Å"Van Deviâ⠂¬  will assure the safety of their family (Dwivedi, 1996).Mahatma Gandhi strongly believes in the importance of India's various values and cultures. He deems that the problems they are facing could find its solutions in the very ideals that they have. His concept of â€Å"Satyagraha† which was later on used by the Chipko movement as â€Å"Forest Satyagraha† is a clear example of how non-violent form of resistance could work against unequal and cruel foes like large corporations.This method that they have utilized is rooted in the very culture of India which is their strong religious belief that gives importance in valuing all forms of life (Dwivedi, 1996).The tactics that was used by the Chipko Movement tends to reform the issue of inequality in the local and structural level. It is well-known that Hindus practice the caste system wherein its citizens are divided according to particular groups (Perez, 2004).This kind of structural system already paved the way for ine quality to propagate. There are people who enjoy the privileged and powerful position and those who are marginalized. Being the case, inequality in the distribution of natural resources is bound to happen with such kind of system.The Chipko Movement strives to change this very inequality that is embedded within India's structure and it became evident in a more localized level in the issue of logging. This movement started tackling inequality in the issue of the utilization of trees in the grassrootsbut this problem is just an effect of what is really happening in the structural level.Their actions started in giving immediate response in what is happening in the local level but the attention it acquired enabled it to highlight the root cause of the problem in the upper level. It does not only stop within the state institutions of the Indian government but it also reach the international level.Many states are using the ideals of   the Chipko movement as an example on how the pressin g problems in ecology and environmental sustainability could be deal with. (Agarwal, _).Using a non-violent method to addressed the causes that the Chipko Movement is advocating for reflects that they decided to take a different approach in solving problems. It is an approach that   embodies their very culture and ideals.Their understanding of the problem is dependent upon the thinking that its solution would come from these factors that they uphold. This is supported by Gandhi's same belief in the power of India's rich cultural heritage and its capability to solve the dilemma that their country has (Dwivedi, 1996).This social movement greatly believes in non-violence and the preservation of all forms of life. These beliefs influence their understanding of the problem and the path that they chose to addressed it.They saw the importance of trees in their livelihood that is why they protected it through the embraced tree tactic. This non-violent form of resistance symbolizes their u nderstanding that to be able to solve this dilemma compassionate means should be practiced.If they decided to find solution to the problem by using adversarial tendencies then they contradict the very ideal that they are fighting for. It is the Gandhian principles of â€Å"ahimsa† and â€Å"satyagraha† that they based their movement on. They have to uphold these principles in the decisions that they make and in the actions that they take.

To Open a Pandoras Box

To Open a Pandoras Box To Open a Pandoras Box To Open a Pandoras Box By Maeve Maddox Ive found an expression that annoys me more than deja vu all over again. Its a box of Pandoras. Denmark has tumbled into a box of Pandoras. Meryl may regret having opened this whole box of Pandoras (language site, discussion of the difference between can and may) My, I do seem to have opened a can of worms (or a box of Pandoras) here. (the topic is the music of Chopin.) In many places the expression is attributed to former governor of New Mexico Bruce King: His [Kings] most famous malapropism, frequently repeated by legislators during floor debates, was the time King said that a legislative proposal would open a whole box of Pandoras. (Santa Fe-New Mexican, Nov. 14, 2009) Ive also seen it attributed to Casey Stengel, Al Gore, former Arkansas Governor Frank White, and former Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry. Ideas about nature are famously malleable. Try to take just a peek, and Shazamm!you have opened what Casey Stengal [sic] once called A Box of Pandoras. (excerpt at Amazon from a published book about Nature) We dont want to open up a box of Pandoras. Vice-President Albert Gore, Jr. (comment at a site called TruckNet) â€Å"We dont want to open a box of Pandoras.† That was said by Marion Barry, the former mayor of Washington, D.C. He was referring to the Greek Pandoras’ Box. (a blog called Dahn Batchelors opinions) As former Gov. Frank White of Arkansas once put it, the president thus opened a whole box of Pandoras. (article by Frank Perly at WashingtonTimes.com, May 18, 2010) The expression to open a Pandoras box has long been used to describe an act that may have unforeseen and unpleasant consequences. It derives from a Greek myth in which the woman Pandora, driven by curiosity, opens a jar (or a box) containing various human evils, unintentionally loosing them on the world. The distortion to open a box of Pandoras may owe its galloping popularity to its similarity to opening a can of worms. As a figurative expression, opening a box of Pandoras may have sounded amusing the first time it was used, but as an ongoing expression it gets old fast. NOTE: the word Pandora on its own enjoys a huge popularity as a product name and in other contexts. Someone opening a delivery of electronic gadgets might have reason to declare that he was opening a box of Pandoras. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsUse a Dash for Number Ranges5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

My Left Foot, The Elephant Man, And Mask Essays - Fiction, Film

My Left Foot, The Elephant Man, And Mask Essays - Fiction, Film My Left Foot, The Elephant Man, And Mask My Left Foot, The Elephant Man, and Mask The Movies My Left Foot, The Elephant Man, and Mask are all movies about people with disabilities. These three movies depict the lives of three men and the way society treats them and their disabilities. My Left Foot is about a man who can only use his left foot because of cerebral palsy and alcoholism. The Elephant Man is about a man who has very large, severe tumors on his whole body. Mask is about a young man who has a very large face that looks almost like he's wearing a mask. Society doesn't realize how important the little things are to people with disabilities. The Elephant Man, John Merrick, was displayed in a freak show as a beast. He was really a very gentle man who loved everyone, the only thing wrong with him, was he wasn't as healthy or pretty as everyone else in society. Society basically avoided him, and when they did see him, they ran, screamed, pointed, or stared. John dealt with his disability by locking himself out from the world. One day, he went to the opera, and that was the most important thing in his life. Many people take things like going to the opera for granted, but to John, there couldn't have been a greater pleasure. In the movie Mask, Rocky was a boy with a disfigured face. Doctor's told him that he was going to die, since he was three, but he lived for much longer than three years. Rocky was a very nice boy, and a lot of people liked him. Society looked at him as a funny creature because of his large face, but because of his strength, he made most people get past that and see the real him. Rocky had a great attitude and was very big on joking around, so he used comedy as his defense in tough situations. I think to Rocky one of the most important things he got to do was go to a school with normal children. Most people don't realize how important being with normal people is when you're disadvantaged. In the movie My Left Foot, Christy Brown was forced to overcome cerebral palsy and alcoholism. Society was very rude to Christy and many people looked down upon him in the beginning. He became a world-renowned author and artist. The most important thing to Christy was being able to write and draw due to his disability of only using his left foot. Many people can write, but few are forced to do it with only their left foot. Society doesn't realize how important the little things are to people with disabilities. All three of these movies were very good. I think they depicted the disabilities of the characters well. I believed that every one of these actors had the disabilities that they were acting the part of. Movies like this kind of make you think about how good you have things and how lucky you are. Many of us take too many things for granted and these movies make you step back and look at life and how good you have things.

A BUSINESS PLAN FOR ROXE APPAREL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A BUSINESS PLAN FOR ROXE APPAREL - Essay Example These initial costs will be used for rent, recruitment, salaries and start-up expenditures. While serving the whole family, Roxe Apparel will focus more on the younger people aged between 16 and 35, because they are the cream of the clothing market. Introduction The apparel industry in the UK is a very lucrative one. However, it also has many barriers to entry. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities due to a number of possibilities that the fashion subsectror in the industry offers. Starting a business in the industry can be challenging but also highly rewarding. In this regard, it is prudent and worthy to start a clothing company in UK. The following is a business plan for starting a clothing company in the UK. The company will be called Roxe Apparel and will seek to serve the UK market as a medium class apparel company. The market for middle class clothing is very big in the UK, and it will be easier for such a new firm to commence its operations. The firm will concentrate on t he younger generations as the main market niche, but will also serve the whole family. Competitor Analysis The environment The clothing industry is a very competitive industry due to the fact that it is affected by some special factors which do not impact other industries (Gwilt and Rissanen, 2011). Popularity is a very important issue in the clothing industry since customers always buy from the clothing companies they are already used to. Unlike other basics needs, clothes are some of the few basic products which people choose carefully where they buy because that also matters. In other words, an individual may choose to buy from a more expensive store if the store is popular, and not to buy the exact same product from a cheaper one if the store is regarded lowly (Shishoo, 2012). This is especially so in the UK clothing market where competition is so tough and there are so many already established clothing firms. At the same time, most UK people are loyal customers, who choose to f ollow one brand and not to try many different ones. Creating the balance between branding the company as a popular one and giving the customer the best price is always a challenge in the clothing industry, and this is going to be a bigger concern for Roxe because it is a new firm. No clothing firm wants to be regarded as cheap, but at the same time, it is necessary to give the customers the best price. This makes already established firms more popular and entry into the industry very difficult. The main competitors that Roxe Apparel will face include established firms. These businesses already stand firmly on the ground and have a well established rapport with the customers in terms of knowing what the customer wants and expects. They have also been able to relate well with suppliers, which is a very important thing with regard to the fact that it determines how successful a business is going to be in the market. Economies of scale The other competitors are well established and have achieved higher economies of scale, which Roxe Apparel will not be able to reach in its initial months. This will mean that they will be able to compete more strongly in the market. As Briscoe (1971) argues, economies of scale are important for any business in the clothing industry because this is the only way to beat the market challenges. Customer service Most of the competitors rate very lowly in this respect and cannot make their customers happy. This is because most of them are large firms and therefore find it harder to create useful customer service. Large firms are also quite old, which increases the risk that they have not evolved enough to apply the concepts appropriate to the modern business environment (Kotter, 1998).

Teaching science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teaching science - Essay Example Not only does the technique influence the amount of understanding a child gets, it likewise has its effects on the manner by which a child develops his thinking and decision making skills. The method by which science is taught is highly relevant to the amount of learning of that the student gets. However, teaching science is not as simple as it may seem. Teaching science, most especially to children requires more than reading from textbooks and writing down lectures on the board. Various considerations need to be made in order to successfully make students scientifically proficient. Part of determining the best way to teach science is to understand the importance of several elements. These elements help define what the student learns and how he learns. As previously mentioned, these two principles are both important for they both have their own functions later on in one's life. One of these elements is the development of a student's scientific habits of mind. Teachers must realize the value of developing a child's scientific habits of mind to his total scholastic development and scientific learning as well. Basically, one's scientific habits of mind describe the essential thinking skills which serve as tools for both formal and informal learning in science and for life-long participation in society. These skills include problem solving, reasoning, communication, and making connections. These habits of mind are valuable skills that are necessary for a student to develop his scientific knowledge. More importantly, these skills are valuable to the total development of an individual's mind. As such, teachers must inculcate these values in students. In learning science, an individual goes through the process of inquiry. (Golberg, 1997) Many pedagogy experts have suggested that science is best learned not by the traditional methods of learning from the book but through an inquiry-based model. With such a model, one's scientific habits of mind are developed and are necessary tools in the learning process. The student learns by active participation through asking questions and discovering scientific knowledge on his own. Teachers need to see this as an opportunity to teach children not just about science but about essential lessons that are integral parts of one's life as well. (Golberg, 1997) The development of a child's scientific habits of mind is not only beneficial to the total development of the child; it is likewise a valuable tool that teachers can use in order to facilitate better learning. With the development of such skills, the teacher can concentrate on using the inquiry-based model. In doing so, she lessens the strain on her teaching skills since learning science becomes a process of self-discovery rather than the traditional teacher-centered methods. (Golberg, 1997) Another important element in teaching science is active science discussion. This requires the active participation of the students in the learning process. In an active science learning environment, there is less emphasis on book-based learning and more weight is placed in learning by inquiry specifically through a discussion with the teacher and with peers. (Golberg, 1997) In the traditional methods of teaching, the teacher dominates the classroom since