Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene Essay Example

Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene Paper Saving Private Ryan is a film that was made in 1998. It has an impressive line-up that includes people such as, Stephen Spielberg as director, who has since directed other hugely successful films like King Kong and Lord of the Rings. Also there is Tom Hanks a very popular American who plays Captain John H. Miller the main character, in this Historical Drama, he has also taken part in some other hugely successful movies. Stephen Spielberg has decided that in this film he would go against the traditional conventions of other war film genres, and to use some other very effective techniques to create the atmosphere of war. He used techniques such as using a desaturated colour in the film to create the effect that you werent just simply looking back on History, but as if you were actually there and as if you were at threat of being shot! Back in those days all televisions were black and white therefore the news on the television would also have been in black and white, this shows us that the film is not just a made up story, but that these thing actually happened. We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Saving Private Ryan impact of the opening scene specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The threat of you feeling as though you are really there fighting the war, and being scared of the opposition shooting you is also exaggerated by the use of hand-held cameras. This helps as it can show how the camera is shaking with being so scared aswell as the physical shaking of the ground from explosions. Plus, the camera is violently moving to show the chaos and how everybody is constantly on guard. Stephen Spielberg also creates a realistic nature during the battle scenes, he does this by showing the battles from both the Germans point of view, who are simply mowing down row after row of Americans, and the Americans point of view who are just desperate to avoid the constant shower of bullets. Showing this helps the audience to see how small the soldiers chances of survival are in such a big battle. There are four scenes in the opening battle sequence of the film. The first is The transition from present to past. In this scene realism is achieved by created an emphasis on the music, this is exaggerated further by using a military style of music. The music used for waking the men in the battle fields. The emphasis is created on the music by not using any dialogue. There are long shots of the massive number of graves that are in lines, this shows that there was huge numbers of deaths. This all happens as the family are walking towards the grave, but then as they reach the graves and the man kneels down the music continues but the camera gradually zooms in from a Medium shot on the man to an extreme close-up on his face. It ends up with just the mans watering eyes. From the watering eyes you can tells that obviously something horrific happened or his may have remembered something that is sad. Then as the camera stays focused on the eyes the music stops and you hear the thundering noise of crashing waves. This crashing leads us to think that there is going to be a build up to something. After this the camera changes to a close-up of a shaking hand. This shows how the person is very scared of what is coming. Also there are people throwing up showing us that they are extremely nervous and scared and are therefore getting sea sick. There is still no dialogue to emphasis watching what is being shown, how scared people are and that isnt going to be a pleasant memory, also the use of no sound creates tension. The second scene is the instant chaos as the soldiers arrive at the beach. This is shown by a sudden burst of guns being shot and bombs exploding, as the first soldiers jump off the boats. Also the soldiers are jumping of the boats and being shot before they hit the water, this shows how small a chance of survival there is. The German perspective is also shown, it shows the rows after row of Americans being shot down with machine guns, this shows how vulnerable the Americans were. Colour also plays a big role in this scene; grey skies are used to show the depressive feelings, and the camera colour is very much black and white, with the brightest colour being red, this is an effective way of showing the large amounts of blood. Throughout this scene there is a constant flood of bullets everywhere even underwater, this shows us how nowhere is safe at battle. The third scene is the initial reaction of Captain Miller. Initially Captain Miller becomes completely confused, this is shown in lots of different ways throughout the scene. Slow motion and muted sound is used to show how he doesnt really have a clue about what is going on around him, as well as the muted sound shows how he has almost gone deaf from the loud racket of firing guns. Shots of him looking in lots of different directions explains to us that he is confused, and is looking for help or for someone to tell him what to do. Millers point of view shots are also shown, they can tended to be blurred with some shots of horror, showing he is scared. There is a lot of screaming and shouting, but most of it you can not understand, this shows that his thoughts are just a big blur. The fourth scene is the end of the battle. Everything becomes more clear. You can hear the waves; this exaggerates that the noise of the battle has gone. The music slows down, this shows us that the chaos has ended. There is another extreme close-up on Millers eyes. This helps us see that he is in deep thought. The sea is also shown as being really red this shows how there is a lot of blood. There is a long shot of all of the bodies as the camera moves up the beach showing the huge numbers of killings. Then there is a close-up on an individual dead American, this helps us to see that there werent just huge numbers of mass killings but that there were huge numbers of individual killings. In conclusion I believe that Stephen Spielberg definitely succeeded in creating a shocking and realistic atmosphere. I believe that the most effective way that he did this was by using handheld cameras to create the feeing that you were there, this was extremely shocking as you could easily feel how scared the soldiers were. Also there was a high rate of death shown throughout, which helped the audience to see that there was a very small chance of survival. This really makes you think about scary it would be to have to go to war. It also is effective in making you want to watch more! I think Stephen Spielberg does a really good job with this film.

Klansman and Dictator essays

Klansman and Dictator essays The Ku Klux Klan was very prominent and active in Southern Illinois in the 1920s. Many head officials and authorities were sympathizers of the Klan or part of the Klan themselves. However, one might ask how the Klan rose to such a high position in this area of the country during the time period, especially in the town of Herrin, Illinois. Because the Klan promised many different improvements to the people of Herrin, the Klan was able to control the town as its own and was accepted as ultimate authority. In 1923, when the KKK rose to power in southern Illinois, their beliefs were eye to eye with the townspeople. Both were primarily Protestant, and both hated and resented immigrants, especially Italians who drank wine and made up twenty percent of Herrin s population. Among the Klan rose fear of all who were not Protestant, calling all other religions crazy. Patriotism was also a key element of the Klan in post World War I era, and hatred for immigrants from Europe was popular and in full force. The Klan slogan of 100 percent American became a common saying and allowed others to take out their misfortunes on the immigrants. Because of a similar religious and cultural background and an overwhelming patriotism, the Klan was able to prosper in southern Illinois. After the passing of the 18th amendment, Prohibition, crime was at an all time high. Bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution were common, especially at roadways and other secret hideouts. Gangsters such as Charlie Birger and the Shelton Brothers enjoyed extreme power and were often above the law due to bribes and corruption. The crime ring seemed to center around Williamson County, Illinois, and the townsfolk grew restless as it struggled continuously to control it. In spite of this drastic problem, the Klan offered a simple and swift solution. They proposed that a series of raids would take place under federal authority, and stop all ille...

A Kindergarten Lesson Plan for Teaching Non-Standard Measurement

A Kindergarten Lesson Plan for Teaching Non-Standard Measurement Class: Kindergarten Duration: One class period Key Vocabulary:Â  measure, length Objectives:Â  Students will use a non-standard measure (paper clips) to measure the length of several objects. Standards Met 1.MD.2. Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit end to end); understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps. Limit to contexts where the object being measured is spanned by a whole number of length units with no gaps or overlaps.​​​ Lesson Introduction Pose this question to students: I want to draw a big picture on this piece of paper. How can I figure out how big this piece of paper is? As students give you ideas, you can write them down on the board to possibly connect their ideas to the lesson of the day. If they are way off in their answers, you can guide them closer by saying things such as, Well, how does your family or the doctor figure out how big you are? Materials One inch paper clipsIndex cardsPieces of 8.5x11 paper for each studentPencilsTransparencyOverhead machine Step-By-Step Procedure Using the transparency, the index cards, and the paper clips, show students how to work end to end to find the length of an object. Place one paper clip next to another, and continue until you have measured the length of the card. Ask students to count out loud with you to find the number of paper clips that represents the length of the index card.Have a volunteer come up to the overhead machine and measure the width of the index card in paper clips. Have the class count out loud again to find the answer.If students don’t have paper clips already, pass them out. Also, pass out one sheet of paper to each student. In pairs or small groups, have them line up the paper clips so that they can measure the length of the piece of paper.Using the overhead and a piece of paper, have a volunteer show what they did to measure the length of the paper in paper clips and have the class count out loud again.Have the students try to measure the width of the paper on their own. Ask students wha t their answers are, and model for them again using the transparency if they arent able to come up with an answer that is close to eight paper clips. Have students list 10 objects in the classroom that they can measure with a partner. Write them on the board, students copy them down.In pairs, students should measure those objects.Compare answers as a class. Some students will be way off in their answer- recheck those as a class and review the end-to-end process of measuring with the paperclips. Homework and Assessment Students can take a small baggie of paperclips home and measure something at home. Or, they can draw a picture of themselves and measure their body in paper clips. Evaluation As students are working independently or in groups, measuring the classroom objects, walk around and see who is needing help with the non-standard measures. After they have had repeated experiences with measurement, choose five random objects in the classroom and have them measure those in small groups so that you can assess their understanding of the concept.

Guy Body Image Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Guy Body Image - Research Paper Example As a result, the society is forced to try to attain the physical unattainable perfection as featured prominently in the mass media (Government of Western Australia 1). The influence has been significant in as indicated in various researches. For example, a study carried out showed that looking at fashion magazines for a moment lowered the self-esteem of over 80 percent of women (Government of Western Australia 1). The media have failed to acknowledge that both males and females come in all different shapes and sizes. Therefore, the representation of one body type as being ideal is unrealistic (Government of Western Australia 1). This leads to adoption of harmful behavior to both males and females as they try to attain the images depicted on the media. Moreover, the worry about body image has also manifested in males. There have been an increasing number of males under pressure to maintain a high level of fitness and physical perfection. As a result, most males have been spending most of their money and times in gyms, beach, and sporting clubrooms. Moreover, they have adopted some strange feeding habits, and use of drugs to enhance body image (Government of Western Australia 1). Media have a profound impact on the female body. The influence is usually rampant to the teenagers. The media have led to the notion that the value of women is based on the outward appearance (Serdar 1). The images depict an impractical standard of feminine beauty (Serdar 1). This in the end has a powerful influence on the way women view themselves. According to the view of the mass media, thinness is considered perfect, and a key thing for women to be attractive (Serdar 1). The figure has been commonly highlighted through various ads. Such images in the ads, television, and music portray the perfect woman (Serdar 1). Moreover, the media have been full of images of females that possess these unique attributes. As a result, this makes it usual

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Psychology - Essay Example There is an innate urge to acquire satisfaction at the physical and physiological levels. The physical needs of humans are to acquire adequate shelter, food, clothes, education, health, and prosperity. The psychological needs seek to acquire independence and autonomy through the development of various competencies and skills (Bridges, 2004). The humanistic approach argues that individuals strive to use their experiences and circumstances to develop particular beliefs and values. Self development occurs when the individual is able to have confidence in personal feelings and qualities. It is the natural desire of human beings to achieve contentment and realization so that objectives can be met. The formative years help children to develop behaviors and actions that are taken from parents, siblings, friends, and teachers (Bohart, 2001). The child desires to have recognition and appeal so that an inner satisfaction can be generated. Rogers argued that the gaps between the ideal and real conditions create psychological problems. These problems can hinder the mental and physical development of individuals. It creates obstacles that prevent the individual from achieving contentment and satisfaction in life. Implicit memory is a term used to describe the subconscious motivation that helps in the accomplishment of goals and objectives. The subconscious process is guided through individual experiences in a systematic and logical manner. Implicit memory seeks to understand the intrinsic and innate processes that help human beings to perform tasks in an efficient and effective manner (Roediger, 2003). It can be empirically analyzed and assessed by using a psychological technique called priming. This technique introduces test subjects to specific incentives and motivators. The stimulus can either be visual, auditory, or imaginary but it produces the desired result. An individual will be able to perform a task using subconscious processes. This strategy helps individuals in developing a number of skills and competencies. A number of tasks can utilize implicit memory that is beneficial for human beings. The process of reverse reading or completing jigsaw puzzles is examples of implicit memory (Chun, 2000). The individual uses subconscious experiences in order to accomplish such tasks. Other tasks could include processes that require the intricate analysis and assessment of new problems. Explicit memory requires the use of conscious in order to complete certain tasks. It requires high levels of awareness and perception in order to achieve the desired results. However implicit memory utilizes subconscious memories and processes to complete tasks. Reber argued that implicit memory can help individuals to gain satisfaction and contentment with the surrounding environment. It can play a crucial role in the acquisition of complex skills and competencies (Chun & Phelps, 2000). Change Blindness Change blindness refers to situations in which individuals cannot identify modifications and alterations in the visual environment. Barriers and obstacles retard the ability of the human eye to accurately monitor changes in the environment. Visual short term memory (VSTM) can induce change blindness in a number of ways. The human being might make a visual error by failing to accurately record the changes in the en

Higher Education Essay Example for Free

Higher Education Essay The tasks of the ENIC/NARIC offices in Denmark, Sweden and Norway include work on issues related to education from India. All three offices receive applications and questions concerning recognition of education from the country both from institutions, representatives from the labour market and other stakeholders. The number of applications and enquiries are growing. All three countries have relatively large populations of persons of Indian origin settled in their countries, Denmark about 4,300, Norway 7,000 and Sweden 13,600 (2005). A need to learn more about the country and especially the system of education has been felt for some time. The most important motivation for a study tour was to facilitate the work of giving advice concerning education from India and daily credential evaluation work. In addition to this, the Nordic ENIC/NARIC offices wished to achieve closer future contact and cooperation with different educational organisations in India. The visit was planned and implemented in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy in India, the Nordic Center, both located in New Delhi, and the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) in Bangalore. The main focus was to gather information about the educational system in the country; the financing of education, information about public and private education and how they are governed; how the authorities plan and implement quality assurance work (QA), and how the institutions deal with these challenges. Information about future plans for education in India was also of great interest. The delegation visited the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Association of India Universities (AIU) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) as well as various institutions of higher education. The first two organizations mentioned are responsible for the higher education sector while the rest of the boards and councils organise and work with the development and maintenance of intermediate and secondary education, technical education and teacher education. The study tour was planned as a joint visit by the ENIC/NARIC offices in Denmark, Sweden and Norway to both India and Pakistan from 24 September to 6 October 2005. The delegation consisted of 8 representatives. Report Structure The report is based on information and impressions which the delegation obtained during the study tour. Information was also gathered from sources such as the websites of the organisations and institutions visited and from agencies including the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) in Australia, World Education Services (WES) in the USA, IAU and UNESCO/IAU among others. At several places in the text, sources have been specifically mentioned. An additional list of sources can be found in the appendices. 3 The report describes the system of education in India and the quality assurance system. Chapter 1 introduces the administration of the school system and the organisation of primary, secondary and higher secondary education, while Chapter 2 provides information about technical and vocational education. Chapter 3 outlines the system of higher education by reviewing the institutional structure with a discussion of both public and private education. Information on degree structure and grading systems is included, as well as examples of some bachelor degree programmes. In Chapter 4, teacher training at higher secondary level and at university level is described. Chapter 5 presents India’s response to globalisation in the higher education sector. The last chapter deals with the quality assurance work in education, both at secondary and higher level. Impressions and reflections about the education system and how it functions are incorporated into the report in frames where appropriate. Country Profile India is one of the world’s oldest civilisations, dating back to 2,500 B. C. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded the country in about 1,500 B. C. ; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursion starting in the eighth century and Turkish in the twelfth century were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late fifteenth century. By the nineteenth century, Great Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru helped end British colonialism through non-violent resistance. India achieved independence in 1947. The Republic of India was established in 1947 and comprises 32 states and Union Territories, the latter controlled by the central government. The country covers about 3. 3 million square kilometres with a population of 1. 029 billion and dominates southern Asia. It is slightly larger than one-third the size of the United States. India is home to 17% of the world’s total population, accommodated in an area that is 2. 4% of the world’s total area. India has the world’s twelfth largest economy and the third largest in Asia behind Japan and China, with a total GDP of around $570 billion. Services, industry and agriculture account for 50. 7%, 26. 6% and 22. 7% of GDP respectively. The United States is India’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in 2003 was $18. 1 billion. There are some 16 official major languages and 844 dialects. Among these languages, English enjoys associate status, but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people. The other official languages are Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language. Hinduism (80. 5%), Islam (13. 4%), Christianity (2. 3%), Sikh (1. 9%) are the major religions in the country. The literacy rate is 52% (of the total population of age 15 or older). 4 Chapter 1 General Education. Administration of Education The central and the state governments have joint responsibility for education, with freedom for the state governments to organise education within the national framework of education. Educational policy planning is under the overall charge of the central Ministry of Human Resource Development which includes the Department of Elementary Education and Literacy and the Department of Secondary and Higher Education. The Ministry is guided by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) which is the national level advisory body. The education ministers of all the different states are members of the board. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) (1961) defines the National Frame Curriculum for classes I XII. It also functions as a resource centre in the field of school development and teacher education. State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) are the principal research and development institutions in all the states. At secondary level, school boards at state level affiliate schools and set examination standards in accordance with the national framework. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) cover all India besides the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). National Policy on General Education Under the national constitution, education was a state matter until 1976. The central government could only provide guidance to the states on policy issues. In 1976 the constitution was amended to include education on the concurrent list. The initial attempts of designing a National Education Policy were made in 1968 but it was only in 1986 that India as a whole had a uniform National Policy on Education. The National Policy on Education 1986, modified in 1992, defines the major goals for elementary education as universal access and enrolment, universal retention of children up to 14 years and substantial improvement in the quality of education. The National Policy of Education of 1992 also aims at vocationalisation of secondary education and greater use of educational technology. The policy has been accompanied by several programmes such as the District Primary Education Program (DPEP) launched in 1994 and the National Campaign for Education for All (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) launched in 2001/2. A proposed bill on the right to education (draft, November 2005) stresses the right of all children from age 6 until their 15th birthday to receive elementary education either in school or non-formal education (NFE). The Indian government is preparing the universalisation of secondary education (USE). The main aim is to provide high quality secondary education to all Indian adolescents up to the age of 16 by 2015, and senior secondary education up to the age of 18 by 2020. 5 Crucial problems in India are teacher absenteeism, noted by UNESCO in 2005; high teacherpupil ratios; and inadequate teaching materials and facilities, particularly in rural areas. At the other end of the scale, children attending urban schools, especially middle and upper class children in private schools, are subjected to extreme competition from a very early age in order to qualify for admission into the best schools. In 1979-80, the Government of India, Department of Education launched a programme of Non-Formal Education (NFE) for children of 6-14 years age group, who cannot join regular schools drop-outs, working children, children from areas without easy access to schools etc. The initial focus of the scheme was on ten educationally backward states. Later, it was extended to urban slums, and hilly, tribal and desert areas in other states. Source: UNESCO: India, updated August 2003 and Annual Report 2004/5, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (overview). Newsletter, October-December 2005, International Institute for Educational Planning, UNESCO. Learning without Burden, NCERT, 1993, reprinted 2004. Annual report 2004/5, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (annexes). School Education. A uniform structure of school education, the 10+2 system, has been adopted by all the states and Union Territories (UTs) of India following the National Policy on Education of 1986. Elementary school, Class I – VIII, is recognised as the period of compulsory schooling, with the Constitutional amendment making education a fundamental right. A majority of the states and Union Territories (UTs) have introduced free education in classesI-XII. In states/UTs where education is not free for classes IX and above, the annual fee varies considerably. The pre-school covers two to three years. The elementary stage consists of a primary stage comprising Classes I-V (in some states I-IV), followed by a middle stage of education comprising Classes VI -VIII (in some states V-VIII or VI -VII). The minimum age for admission to Class I of the primary school is generally 5+ or 6+. The secondary stage consists of Classes IX-X (in some states VIII-X), and a senior secondary stage of schooling comprising classes XI-XII in all states. In some states/UTs these classes are attached to universities/colleges. The number of working days of school education in a year is generally more than 200 days in all the states/UTs. Participation in primary and secondary education The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which indicates the number of children actually enrolled in elementary schools as a proportion of child population in the 6-14 years age group, has increased progressively since 1950-51, rising from 32. 1% to 82. 5% in 2002-03, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in India. The rate of increase in GER of girls has been higher than that of boys. The dropout rate at the primary level (Classes I-V) declined from 39% in 2001-02 to 34. 9% in 2002-03. However the GER only covers 61% of children from classes VI to VIII. 6 In 2002/3 the dropout rate was estimated at 34. 9% at the end of lower primary classes and 52. 8% at the end of upper primary. The dropout rate was 62. 6% at the end of secondary school (Class X). There are wide disparities among the different states in the number of children completing primary and secondary school from less than 20% to more than 80%, according to the central statistics from the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Source Selected Educational Statistics 2002-03. Provisional. Ministry of Human Resource Development, India Annual Report 2004/5. Ministry of Human Resource Development, India Secondary Education. Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (information on the Departments website) National Curricula The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) formulated the first Curriculum Framework in 1975 as a recommendation to the individual states. NCERT was accorded the responsibility of developing a binding National Curriculum Framework through the National Policy on Education (NPE) (1986). NCERT reviews the curriculum every five years on the basis of consultations within the whole school sector. The core areas of the curriculum are common. Teaching of English is usually compulsory in classes VI-X in most of the states/UTs. NCERT published a New National Curriculum framework in 2005. The New National Curriculum will be introduced in textbooks in three phases: Phase one, 2006-07: classes I, III, VI, IX and XI. Phase two, 2007-08: classes II, IV, VII, X and XII Phase three, 2008-09:classes V and VIII NCERT has gradually been changing the curriculum from traditional information provision to be more learner-oriented and competence-based. National Curriculum Framework 2000 The National Curriculum Framework 2000 operates with the concept of the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLLs) identifying certain essential levels of learning for each stage of school education. Pre-primary education The National Policy on Education defines the objective of early childhood care and education (ECCE) as being the total development of children in the age group 0-6 years. Early Childhood Education (ECE) or pre-primary education (2 years), part of the ECCE, shall prepare children for school. Teaching at this stage, according to the National Curriculum Framework, comprises group activities, play–way techniques, language games, number games and activities directed at promoting socialisation and environmental awareness among children. Formal teaching of subjects and reading and writing are prohibited. However, NCERT strongly criticised the actual pre-school programmes for exposing children to structured formal learning, often in  7 English with tests and homework, in the introductory notes to the new National Curriculum Framework 2005. The competition for the best education starts at a very early age. Newspapers from September 2005 in India report of tremendous pressure on three-year old children being prepared by their parents for nursery interviews and competing with a huge number of other children for places in the most prestigious private pre-schools. The newspapers report on private persons/institutes that offer help to parents in preparing their children for nursery interviews. Other newspapers report the need for psychological support for children having developed speaking difficulties after having been exposed to onerous preparation by their parents for nursery interviews. Primary education At the primary stage, emphasis is on the process of understanding, thinking and internalising. The National Curriculum contains the following subjects: Subject Language(s) Lower primary Classes I-II The mother tongue/regional language Lower primary Classes III-V The mother tongue/regional language Upper primary Classes VI-VIII. Three Languages — the mother tongue/the regional language, a modern Indian language and English All kind of creative activities including the childs own creations Essentials of mathematics for every day activities, including geometry Art education Mathematics Art of healthy and productive living Woven around the world of the learner Creative education, health and physical education, work education, value inculcation Integrated approach Environmental studies Health and physical education Science and technology Social sciences. -Work education Integrated approach to music, dance, drama, drawing and painting, puppetry, health and physical education, games and sports, yoga and productive work Experiences to help socio- emotional and cultural development with a realistic awareness and perception of phenomena occurring in the environment Games and sports, yoga, NCC and scouting and guiding Key concepts across all the disciplines of science, local and global concerns Social, political and economic situation of India and the world, including Indian cultural heritage. Academic skills social skills and civic competencies Agricultural and technological processes including participation in work situation Source: National Curriculum Framework 2000 8 In all language education programmes, the stress is placed on the ability to use the language in speech and in writing for academic purposes, at the workplace and in society in general. The duration of a class period may be around 40 minutes and, according to NCERT, the school year should be a minimum of 180 days, and â€Å"†¦A primary school should function for five hours a day out of which four hours may be set aside for instruction. For the upper primary and secondary schools, the duration of a school day should be six hours out of which five hours should be kept for instruction and the rest for the other routine activities. † Secondary education (2 years, grades IX-X) In grades IX-X the scheme of studies should include the following subjects: three languages (the mother tongue/the regional language, a modern Indian language and English), mathematics, science and technology, social sciences, work education, art education, health and physical education. Foreign languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, German, Arabic, Persian and Spanish may be offered as additional options. The curriculum in mathematics should take into account both the learning requirement of learners who will leave school for working life, and of students who will pursue higher education. According to the NECRT Secondary School Curriculum 2002-2004 (Vol.1, Main Subjects) the suggested number of weekly periods per subject in grade X is as follows: Subject Language I Language II Mathematics Science and technology Social science Work education or pre-vocational education Art education Suggested number of periods in grade X 7 6 7 9 9 3 + 2 to 6 periods outside school hours 2 The boards, however, according to NCERT, often offer limited or no optional courses: two languages (one of which is English), mathematics, science and social sciences are the typical examination subjects. A few boards encourage students to choose an optional course from a range that includes economics, music and cookery. Higher secondary/Senior secondary education (2 years, grades XI–XII) The curriculum at this stage is divided into an academic stream and a vocational stream. Academic stream The objectives of academic courses are to promote problem-solving abilities and convey higher levels of knowledge. The curriculum at this stage comprises foundation courses and elective courses. Foundation courses consist of (i) language and literature, (ii) work education, and (iii) health and physical education, games and sports. The study of language prepares a student to both learn and use language in the classroom, the community and the workplace. The choice of the language to be studied is decided by the learner. Work education includes e. g. developmental projects in a village or city. Generic Vocational Courses (GVC) aim at developing employment-related generic skills regardless of the persons’ occupations. The student should choose three elective courses out of the subjects 9 prescribed by the boards. Elective courses may include bridging courses between the academic and vocational streams. The list of courses may include modern Indian languages, Sanskrit, classical European languages and their literatures, English (academic and specialised), other foreign languages, subjects in the sciences and mathematics, computer science, accountancy, business studies, engineering, political science, history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, fine arts and others. NCERT prescribes that courses should be listed together without dividing them into mutually exclusive groups. Nonetheless, several boards restrict the combinations in the form of a science stream, arts stream and commerce stream. Some schools tailor their classes to medical and engineering courses. Universities restrict admissions based on the subjects and combinations of courses studied in the +2 stage. Sixty percent of the instructional time is devoted to the instruction of elective subjects and forty percent to the foundation course. Vocational stream The introduction of the vocational stream was recommended by the central Kothari Commission (1964-66). The National Policy on Education, 1986 (revised 1992) set a target of twenty-five percent of higher secondary students in vocational courses by 1995. So far, enrolment is far below this. The courses for the vocational stream consist of: †¢ A language course †¢ A general foundation course †¢ Health and physical education, and †¢ Elective vocational courses Vocational education covers areas like agriculture, engineering and technology (including information and communication technology), business and commerce, home science, health and para-medical services and humanities. Language courses are organised to cover the grammatical structures and additional vocabulary particular to the trade or vocation. The general foundation course for the vocational stream comprises general studies, entrepreneurship development, environmental education, rural development and information and communication technology. Vocational electives are organised according to employment opportunities. Practical training is an essential component of the vocational courses, according to the National Curriculum Framework, with seventy percent of time devoted to vocational courses. The certificate issued should mention the competencies acquired and the credits earned. Organisation The organisation of teaching is based either on an annual or semester system. In most cases, a year’s course is divided into two parts to be covered in the two halves of an academic session in the annual system. Marks are accorded to a certain number of periods; the total mark is an average of marks accorded to the different parts of curriculum in an annual or semestrial examination (e. g. a paper corresponding to a 3-hour written examination). 10 The example below copied from the Senior School Curriculum 2007 (Central Board of Secondary Education) illustrates a typical curriculum (in history) and the maximum marks accorded to the different parts of the curriculum. History/Class XI Paper One Unit Part A Ancient India 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. . 30. Total Introduction Paleolithic Cultures and Beginning of settled Life Harappan Civilization The Early Vedic Period Later Vedic Phase and Iron Age South and North-East India Religious traditions Mahajanapada Mauryas Society, Economy and Culture during Mauryan period Post-Mauryan India The age of India from Guptas and after The Society and Culture in the age of Guptas and Harsha Project Work 100 marks 8 4 8 8 5 2 10 4 10 6 6 8 8 . 5 8 9 5 2 7 7 Time: 3 Hours Periods 100 Marks Marks. In the semester system, recommended by NCERT, students take a number of credit hours corresponding to their requirements and capacity, and at their own pace. However, only a few institutions have adopted the semester and credit system. National Curriculum Framework 2005 The National Curriculum Framework 2005 points out the need for plurality and flexibility within education while maintaining the standards of education in order to cover a growing variety of children. The Framework recommends that learning shifts away from rote methods and that the curriculum reduces and updates textbooks. Peace education is included as a dimension in education. The new curriculum proposes a broader spectrum of optional subjects, including the revalorisation of vocational options. Courses may be designed to offer optional modules, rather than trying to cover everything and overfilling courses too much. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 also proposes changes within the examination system (examinations for classes X and XII) allowing reasoning and creative abilities to replace memorisation. The children should be able to opt for different levels of attainment. Textbooks 11. Most states have legislated to create bodies for the preparation of syllabi and textbooks. The states have established various mechanisms for the preparation and approval of textual materials. However, a study in 2005, undertaken by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), of textbooks used in government schools (not following the CBSE syllabus) and in nongovernment schools (including social and religious schools) showed that many textbooks reinforce inequalities and neglect rural, tribal or female realities. According to NCERT Newsletter, in 2005, CABE proposed the institution of a National Textbook Council to monitor textbooks. Source: National Curriculum Framework 2000, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India National Curriculum Framework 2005, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India Newsletter July 2005, National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), India Senior School Curriculum 2007, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), India, 2005 Examination and Assessment In all the states and Union Territories, public examinations are conducted at the end of classes X and XII by the respective State Boards of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. Ministry of Human Resource Development has published a list of recognised state boards for secondary and higher secondary education. The minimum age for admittance to the Secondary School Examination generally varies from 14+ to 16+. The minimum age for Higher Secondary School Examinations varies from 16+ to 18+ years. Some states/UTs do not have an age restriction. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), established by a special resolution of the Government of India in 1929, prescribes examination conditions and the conduct of public examinations at the end of Standard X and XII. The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), Delhi, was established in 1958 by the University of Cambridge, Local Examinations Syndicate as a self-financing national examination board. The Council conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (Standard X) and the Indian School Certificate (Standard XII) examinations. CISCE affiliates schools using English as a medium of instruction. The title of the final qualification varies depending upon the examining body. The titles used by the central examining boards are: CBSE: †¢ All India Secondary School Certificate (Standard X). †¢ All India Senior School Certificate (Standard XII). 12 CISCE: †¢ Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE Standard X). †¢ Indian School Certificate (ISC Standard XII). †¢ Certificate of Vocational Education (CVE XII). Information from the procedure of the All India Senior School Certificate (Standard XII) (extract): The Board conducts examination in all subjects except General Studies, Work Experience, Physical and Health Education, which will be assessed internally by the schools based on cumulative records of students periodical achievements and progress during the year. In all subjects examined by the Board, a student will be given one paper each carrying 100 marks for 3 hours. However, in subjects requiring practical examination, there will be a theory paper and a practical examination as required in the syllabi and courses. A candidate may offer an additional subject that can be either a language at elective level or another elective subject as prescribed in the Scheme of Studies, subject to the conditions laid down in the Pass Criteria. A candidate will get the Pass Certificate of the Board, if he/she gets a grade higher than E in all subjects of internal assessment unless he/she is exempted. Failing this, result of the external examination will be withheld but not for a period of more than one year. In order to be declared as having passed the examination, a candidate shall obtain a grade higher than E (i. e. at least 33% marks) in all the five subjects of external examination in the main or at the compartmental examinations. The pass marks in each subject of external examination shall be 33%. In case of a subject involving practical work a candidate must obtain 33% marks in theory and 33% marks in practical separately in addition to 33% marks in aggregate in order to qualify in that subject. A candidate failing in two of the five subjects of external examination shall be placed in compartment in those subjects provided he/she qualifies in all the subjects of internal assessment. A candidate who has failed in the examination in the first attempt shall be required, to re-appear in all the subjects at the subsequent annual examination of the Board. A candidate who has passed the Senior School Certificate Examination of the Board may offer an additional subject as a private candidate provided the additional subject is provided in the Scheme of Studies and is offered within six years of passing the examination of the Board. A candidate who has passed an examination of the Board may reappear for improvement of performance in one or more subject(s) in the main examination in the succeeding year only; however, a candidate who has passed an examination of the Board under Vocational Scheme may reappear for improvement of performance in one or more subject{s) in the main examination in the succeeding year or in the following year provided he/she has not pursued higher studies in the mean time. He /she will appear as private candidate. Candidates who appear for improvement of performance will be issued only Statement of Marks reflecting the marks of the main examination as well as those of the improvement examination. Central Board of Secondary Education Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of the three national boards of secondary education in India. CBSE has affiliated around 8,300 schools including government and independent 13 schools. It also affiliates schools in some 20 African and Asian countries. About 200 new schools are affiliated each year. Study teams conduct regular inspections of the affiliated institutions. CBSE has a central office and 6 regional offices. Permanent affiliation is obtained after a number of years. Affiliation is granted according to strict criteria. A list of affiliated schools can be found on CBSE s website: http://www. cbse. nic. in. The major objective is to prescribe conditions of examinations and conduct public examinations at the end of Classes X and XII and to grant certificates to successful candidates of the affiliated schools. All affiliated schools follow the national scheme of 10+2. Here is an example of testimonial for All India Senior School Certificate Examination from 2000: CBSE is regulated but not financed by the central government. Financing is assured by fees from the affiliated schools. CBSE accepts private candidates. CBSE develops its curriculum on the basis of the national curriculum framework. The curriculum is revised every 5 to 10 years. Two of the front line curriculum subjects are revised every year. According to CBSE, it strives notably to adapt current teaching methods and content of teaching to an innovative and creative society in the form of subjects such as functional English, bio-technology, entrepreneurship, life skills education, and disaster management. An important objective is the destressing of education, including no homework or examinations in grades I and II and only achievement reports in grades III-V. Information technology is compulsory in grades IX +X. Language studies include a possible 27 different languages besides Hindi and English. One teacher may teach four subjects up to grade X.

Essay --

From Poverty to Powerhouse: Michael Oher’s Story Michael Oher was from an all-black neighborhood located in the third poorest zip code in the country. By the time he was a sophomore, he’d been to 11 different schools, he couldn’t read or write, and he had a GPA of 0.6. In his first-grade year alone, he missed 41 days of school and ended up repeating both the first and the second grade; he didn’t even go to the third grade. Oher was one of the thousands of children that have been identified as having four or more of the at-risk factors mentioned by the National Center of Education and Statistics (NCES). According to the NCES, poverty and race are high on the list of things that negatively affect students’ ability to succeed at school. Other risk factors include changing schools multiple times and being held back from one or more grades. Oher’s biography, The Blind Side by Michael Lewis, proves how socioeconomic status impacts a child’s academic success because placed in perspective, educati on is not as important as the hardships of reality. Before explaining how The Blind Side depicted the effects of socioeconomic status on Michael Oher’s education, it is important to make clear what it means to â€Å"prove.† According to Oxford Dictionaries, â€Å"prove† means â€Å"to demonstrate one’s abilities or courage† (â€Å"Prove† 1.5). The Merriam Webster Dictionary gave other definitions including â€Å"to show that (someone or something) has a particular quality or ability (â€Å"Prove† 1); â€Å"to test the worth or quality of, specifically: to compare against a standard† (â€Å"Prove† 2b), and â€Å"to show oneself to be worthy or capable of† (â€Å"Prove† 4). All of the above definitions of â€Å"prove† have a form of the words â€Å"quality† or â€Å"ability† in them. An example of this is when... ...nomic status. In 2012, 26.5 million (13.7 percent) of people ages 18-64 were in poverty. Also in 2012, 16.1 million (21.8 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty. The hardships this creates causes education to suffer. It has to take a backseat to finding food or a place to sleep. These children’s families are at-risk for dropping out of school compared to higher socioeconomic students. That number is going to continue to grow with the current rate of population growth. In contrast, children from higher socioeconomic families do better in school. When the Tuohy’s brought Michael into their life, his opportunities for education improved. What happened to Michael Oher was unique because of his special abilities, his courage, and the help from the Toughy’s. Michael’s story shows how socioeconomics can impact students’ academic success. Appendix

Carnival Competition and Swot

COMPETITION Carnival Corporation is part of different industries and sectors: on one hand we have the cruise industry, which is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. Carnival is the largest cruise operator in the world, so it’s the most important player of the cruise industry. On the other hand the company is also part of a bigger sector: Hotels, Resorts and Cruise Lines, in which the competition list grows, having hotels and motels and the largest segment with 92. 4% share of the sector’s value. As a company Carnival has 11 brands distributed among the segments of the cruise ship industry.These segments are based on class, average price and number of passengers per ship. The mass-market segment also known as contemporary consists of 45 ships, an average of 2,400 passengers and a price of $114. 87. As company Carnival has the largest share of this segment with two different brands, Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Cruises with 21 and 2 ships respectively, a share of 52%. Royal Caribbean, has 9 ships and a total of 21% of share in this segment, the company has a total of 40 ships that are operated under five different brands.Norwegian Cruise Line takes third place in the segment with a share of 18% and a total of nine ships, it is jointly owned by Star Cruises, the dominating company in the Asia-Pacific Market. Norwegian is known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, with little requirements. MSC Cruises is fourth with four out of a total of 12 ships, and a share of 9%, it sails throughout the Mediterranean and offers a wide range of itineraries in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, South America, among others.Carnival also plays an important role in the also known as premium segment, consists of 54 ships, an average of 2,390 passengers and a price of $167. 50; with four brands and a share of 54%, a total of 28 ships. Princess Cruises, holds 26%; Costa Cruises, 18%; Holland America Line, 8%, and Carnival Cruise Lines, only o ne ship and a share of 2%. Second places goes to Royal Caribbean and three of its brands, Celebrity Cruises, 18%; Royal Caribbean International, 14% and Pullmantur with 3% and two ships.MSC Cruises is third with only 6 cruises and 11% of share. As part of the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, Carnival’s competition increases. The rivalry level is high thanks to the dependence of intense characteristics of the sector capital, management, marketing, personnel, energy, maintenance, and technology, affect the final result. Worldwide the sector reached a value of $623. 2 billion in 2011 with a growth of 8. 2%. Hotels and motels is the largest segment of the sector, it accounts for 92. % of the total value, followed by cruise lines with 4. 7%, and resorts with 2. 9%. Even though Carnival Corporation is part of a smaller segment, it still is the leading player in the sector, generating 2. 5% share of the total value. Competing with Marriot International who holds 2%, a diversif ied hospitality company with a broad portfolio of hotels, lodging facilities, corporate housing properties and timeshare properties under various brand names.Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriot, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz Carlton, among others, are part of the portfolio that recorded revenues of $12,317 million during the financial year ended December 2011. Accor comes in third place with a share of 1. 4%, French hotel group, which operates in over 91 countries with 4,426 hotels ranging from economy to luxury, some of its brands includes, Motel 6 and Sofitel Hotels and Resorts. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide holds 0. 9%, with 1,103 properties in nearly 100 countries.Westin Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and W Hotels, are among the diverse portfolio that recorded revenues of $5,624 million. Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the largest cruise and vacation companies in the world, operating through four segments: North America, Europe, Australia and Asia cruise brands. The company is the most important player in both the Cruise Industry and in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, in a market where buyers and consumers are price sensitive and willing to switch to a new player if a better offer is presented. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths:Carnival has the largest fleet and passenger capacity in the cruise industry, being the largest operator in the world operating 99 cruise ships, 2. 4 the number of ships of its closest competitor Royal Caribbean. Being the worlds largest cruise operator enhances the company’s bargaining power with suppliers, which results in large economies of scale and significant cost advantage over competitors. The large portfolio of widely recognizes brands, which cater to different lifestyles and budgets, also targeted to different cultures and demographic groups addressing people’s diverse entertainment and preferences.The company has a solid marketing strategy that communicates the value proposition of each bra nd to the target audience intended. Having as the main theme ‘Fun Ships’. Investing heavily in print and television media, to project itself as the ultimate entertainment destination. In addition to advertising, Carnival uses different methods to encourage new customers and travel agents with discounts and commissions, this aggressive marketing and promotion techniques highlights the different brands in a highly competitive industry and sector.Weaknesses: Even though Carnival is the leading provider of cruise vacations in the majority of the largest markets, it shows and overdependence on the North America region because it’s the originator of most of the company’s revenues. Creating vulnerability to the economic situations and uncertainties of the American economy. Opportunities: As an industry there is an opportunity to further penetrate into the European cruise market.Although the cruise industry has grown significantly over the past decades it still oc cupies a very small proportion of the global vacation market, 4. 7%. With more opportunity to further penetrate the European cruise market, especially in Western European countries where the trend is moving in favor of cruise vacations. In addition a changed in demographics has been seen, with a growth in population of over 65. Marking the importance of the general trend where the majority of cruising passengers ranged from 45 to 65 years. Threats:New tax regulations announced by the United States, as a measure to address offshore tax avoidance, Carnival Corporation would be affected because it is incorporated in Panama and Carnival plc in the UK, so its exempt from taxation earnings because they come from operations of a ship documented under the laws of a foreign country. As cruise line company it also pays minimal corporation tax because it holds overseas status. Around 48% of the company’s revenues are generated from non-US regions and are reported in US Dollars, as a res ult there is a large dependence on the fluctuations of the dollar against all other major currencies.

Neuroscience of personality

This paper will deal with the question of whether or not neurosciences and neuroanalyses would provide scientists and researchers with a clue about one’s personality, and why one does the things that he does. Can neuroscience provide an answer to how psychological capacities develop and function in the social world? The paper will also talk about the fact that the nervous system of the human being is confirmed in one’s personality, and that today, it is possible to tackle personality as a scientifically backed concept, rather than as a philosophical mystery that nobody can really comprehend.Neuroscience of personalityMost scientists and psychologists alike feel that personality, and the study of human personality and behaviors occupies a strange and lowly position among the annals of human psychology, despite the fact that the topic of ‘personality’ and ‘traits’ crops up quite often during the course of even a normal conversation between two ad ults.As a matter of fact, the study of personality changes even induces disdain among some individuals, perhaps because of the extremely subjective nature of the subject, and also because of the historical tendency to describe the structure of personality rather than the intrinsic nature of personality. However, with the development of neuroscience over the years, it may possible at last for the study of personality to undergo a ‘scientific makeover’, and to study the human brain through imaging, in the hope that the molecular genetics causing variations in human neuro-transmission would be able t provide an idea into the most pressing questions that exist today on human personality.   (Pickering D Alan, Gray A Jeffrey (1990)The question here is whether or not neuroscience would be able to provide the answer to the critical issue of the manner in which a typical human personality develops and functions in the social world. Caspi, Berr and Elder (1989) provide importan t research on the relationship that exists between personality and socio economic conditions, and one interesting example was the personality changes observed in people who happened to grow up during the years of the Great Depression.Most of these people exhibited a tendency to temper and great anger, aggression, short temperedness and so on, and further research revealed the astonishing fact that economic outcomes during one’s childhood would influence one’s personality through the years, and one would show ill temper if one had been economically deprived during one’s childhood. This would also influence their occupational status as they matured, and it was found that those individuals from higher class households would in all probability enjoy a higher occupational status when they were adults, while those who grew up in a deprived atmosphere would display a lower occupational tendency when they were older.Recent research has revealed the fact that within a so cial situation, a human being will at first interpret the situation, before he responds to it, and this in itself would explain the ways in which his psychological capacities develop and function in the social world, rather than a study of the anatomy of the brain as in neuroscience. The importance of a particular social situation may differ from one individual to another, and it is important to remember that many situations do not have a fixed meaning; the meaning would depend on the person within the context.Take for example a situation in which a person tells jokes: while it may be fun for one person, it may be an anxiety provoking situation for another, while for another; it may be some sort of competition. Those personality theorists who work within a psychoanalytic, behavioral, and trait-theory context may find that they are able to successful identify certain principles of personality functioning that would transcend the social circumstances in which the individual finds hims elf, in much the same way that a biologist may make an attempt to identify the basic principles of human anatomy and physiology that would transcend social circumstances. (Pervin, Cervone and Oliver (n.d.)Katherine Kalliel states that in their book ‘Neurodynamics of Personality’, authors Grigsby and Stevens discuss the commonality to be found between personality development and neurosciences and neurodynamics, and she also states that the authors offer the opinion that â€Å"personality reflects the emergent properties of a dynamic, hierarchically ordered, modular, distributed, self-organizing functional system, the primary objective of which is the successful adaptation of the individual to his or her physical and social environment†. (Kalliel, M Katherine Ed.D (2000) This would bring one back to the question, â€Å"Can there be neuroscience in personality?†The answer, in all probability, appears to be ‘Yes’ in today’s situation and gi ven today’s modern research and growing interest in the subject. In my own family, this may well manifest itself in my behavior at times of stress. While it is wide knowledge that stress would cause numerous health problems in an individual, like for example, elevated blood pressure and a suppression of the immune system, it is with the help of neurosciences that this aspect of human behavior has been analyzed, and a solution found.Today, when I feel my stress coming on and increasing because of a particular situation, and I am able to feel my personality changing as a result, I can believe that neuroscience has helped me cope with a situation over which I may have no control, but for the knowledge that it is my own behavior that is elevating the stress levels in my body, and that it is I who must learn to control it successfully. (Navasaria, Neha (1998)This in effect is what neuroscience has been able to achieve, in its research on human personality and on personality change s.References1.Pickering D Alan, Gray A Jeffrey (1990) Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research Google Book Search Retrieved on January 14, 2008http://books.google.com/books?id=2s_c4uMgM-YC&pg=PA277&lpg=PA277&dq=neuroscience+of+personality&source=web&ots=q8kc8JFVgO&sig=tsuXQ7TNbkq9_yJKRnWC5M5vSjM2. Pervin, Cervone and Oliver (n.d.) Theories of Personality Retrieved on January 14, 20083. Kalliel, M Katherine Ed.D (2000) Neurodynamics of Personality American Psychiatric Foundation Retrieved on January 14, 2008http://www.psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/52/6/8474.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Navasaria, Neha (1998) The Understanding of Behavior and the Brain Serendip Retrieved on January 14, 2008http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper1/Navasaria.html

Canandian book publishing industry essays

Canandian book publishing industry essays As the manager of this business, it is my responsibility to create a strategy that will help Spaulding books and other small Canadian book publishing companies increase profitability. Spauldings profit margins are low, there is little capacity for expansion in the Canadian market and they are undercapitalized which makes this company a very unappealing investment for other companys to acquire. Canadas foreign ownership restrictions wont allow a foreign firm to acquire more than 25% of a Canadian publishing house. Initially these restrictions were put in place to protect small publishing houses from competition with the huge foreign conglomerates, but in fact these restrictions made it virtually impossible for Spaulding to recoup his individual investment. So without foreign competition small publishing houses will never get back the personal investment they put in to start the company. The industry right now would be virtually non-existent without the help of government subsid ies, loans and grant programs. The book publishing industry has to reach a point where it does not have to rely so heavily on government aid. Freer trade allows companies greater opportunities to eliminate issues of economies-of-scale by serving more markets. The basic factors that compel a firm to seek international trade and enter the international market are to increase profitability and to expand and reach more consumers. The larger the market is the more you create an economy of scale, in which the cost of the product is lower and the consumer base is larger. Evidence suggests that longer print runs decrease costs, larger companies with longer print runs have lower costs and fewer losses (pg.440). Canadian companies are so small they cant benefit from the same economies of scale as their American counterparts. U.S. competition is so large they can spread production costs and research and development costs over a larger...

Admiral Graf Spee - World War II - Kriegsmarine

Admiral Graf Spee - World War II - Kriegsmarine Admiral Graf Spee - Overview: Nation: Germany Type: Heavy Cruiser/ Pocket Battleship Shipyard: Reichsmarinewerft , Wilhelmshaven Laid Down: October 1, 1932 Launched: June 30, 1934 Commissioned: January 6, 1936 Fate: Scuttled on December 17, 1939 Admiral Graf Spee - Specifications Displacement: 14,890 tons Length: 610 ft., 3 in. Beam: 71 ft. Draft: 24 ft. 1 in. Speed: 29.5 knots Complement: 951-1,070 men Admiral Graf Spee - Armament Guns (as built) 6 Ãâ€" 28 cm (11 in.) SK C/28 (2 x 3)8 Ãâ€" 15 cm (5.9 in.) SK C/288 Ãâ€" 53.3 cm (21 in.) torpedo tubes Admiral Graf Spee - Design Construction: A Deutschland-class panzerschiffe (armored ship), Admiral Graf Spees design was intended to nominally conform to the naval restrictions set forth by the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I. These limited future German warships to 10,000 long tons. Though the vessels of Deutschland-class exceeded this displacement, the German designers devised numerous methods to reduce weight. These included the incorporation diesel propulsion and the large-scale use of welding. The class armament centered on six 11-inch guns mounted in two triple turrets. As a result, the Deutschland-class ships were able to deliver a potent attack despite their relatively small size. As a result of this, they became know in other navies as pocket battleships. Capable of around 28 knots, they were able to out-gun many of the foreign warships that were fast enough to catch them. Laid down at Reichsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven on October 1, 1932, the new panzerschiffe was named for Vice Admiral Maximilian Reichsgraf von Spee who had defeated the British at Coronel on November 1, 1914, before being killed at the Battle of the Falklands a month later. Launched on June 30, 1934, the vessel was sponsored by the late admirals daughter. Work continued on Admiral Graf Spee for another eighteen months. Commissioned on January 6, 1936, with Captain Conrad Patzig in command, new cruiser drew much of its crew from the old battleship Braunschweig. Departing Wilhelmshaven, Admiral Graf Spee spent the early part of the year conducting sea trials. Upon their completion, it was designated flagship of the German Navy. Admiral Graf Spee - Prewar Operations: With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, Admiral Graf Spee entered the Atlantic Ocean and commenced non-intervention patrols off the coast of Spain. After conducting three patrols over the next ten months, the cruiser put into Spithead in late May 1937 to take part in the Coronation Review for King George VI. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, Admiral Graf Spee returned to Spain where it relieved its sister ship, . Returning home late in the year, it participated in fleet maneuvers and made a goodwill call to Sweden. Following a final non-intervention patrol in early 1938, command of the ship passed to Captain Hans Langsdorff in October. Embarking on a series of goodwill visits to Atlantic ports, Admiral Graf Spee also appeared in a naval review in honor of Hungarian regent Admiral Miklà ³s Horthy. After visits to Portuguese ports in the late spring of 1939, the ship returned to Wilhelmshaven. Admiral Graf Spee - World War II Begins: Anticipating the beginning of World War II, German leader Adolf Hitler ordered Admiral Graf Spee to sail for the South Atlantic to be in position to attack Allied shipping. Departing Wilhelmshaven on August 21, Langsdorff steered south and rendezvoused with his supply ship, Altmark, on September 1. Alerted to the beginning of hostilities, he was directed to stringently adhere to prize law when attacking merchant vessels. This required the raider to search ships for war materials before sinking them and ensuring the safety of their crews. On September 11, one of Admiral Graf Spees floatplanes spotted the heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland. Successfully evading the British ship, Langsdorff received orders on September 26 directing him to initiate a campaign of commerce raiding against Allied shipping. On September 30, the cruisers floatplane sank the steamer Clement. To ensure the crews safety, Langsdorff radioed Brazilian naval authorities and informed them of the attack. Alerted to the pre sence of a German raider in the South Atlantic the Royal and French Navies formed eight groups consisting of four carriers, two battleships, one battlecruiser, and sixteen cruisers to hunt down Langsdorff. Admiral Graf Spee - Raiding: On October 5, Admiral Graf Spee captured Newton Beach and two days later sank the cargo vessel Ashlea. Though the former initially was used as a prisoner transport, it proved too slow and was soon discarded. Taking Huntsman on October 10, Langsdorff retained the steamer and took it to a rendezvous with Altmark a week later. Transferring prisoners to his supply ship, he then sank Huntsman. After sinking Trevanion on October 22, Langsdorff steered for the Indian Ocean in an attempt confuse his pursuers. Sinking the tanker Africa Shell on November 15, Admiral Graf Spee turned for the Atlantic in order to refuel from Altmark. While rendezvousing on November 26, the cruisers crew made efforts to alter the ships silhouette by building a fake turret and a dummy funnel. Continuing his campaign, Langsdorff sank the freighter Doric Star on December 2. In the course of the attack, the Allied ship was able to radio for aid and relay its position. Receiving this, Commodore Henry Harwood, commanding the Royal Navys Force G, steered for the River Plate anticipating that this area would be Admiral Graf Spees next target. Harwoods command consisted of the heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and the light cruisers HMS Ajax (flagship) and HMS Achilles. Also available to Harwood was Cumberland which was refitting in the Falkland Islands. The sinking of Doric Star was quickly followed by an attack on the refrigerator ship Tairoa. Meeting a final time with Altmark on December 6, Langsdorff sank the freighter Streonshalh the next day. On board, his men found shipping information that led him to decide to move against the River Plate estuary. Admiral Graf Spee - Battle of the River Plate: On December 13, Admiral Graf Spee spotted masts off the starboard bow. While Langsdorff first believed these to be convoy escorts reports soon informed him that it was a British squadron. Electing to fight, he ordered his ship to maximum speed and closed with the enemy. This proved a blunder as Admiral Graf Spee could have stood off and hammered the out-ranged British warships with its 11-inch guns. Instead, the maneuver brought the cruiser within range of Exeters 8-inch and the light cruisers 6-inch guns. With the enemys approach, Harwood implemented a battle plan which called for Exeter to attack separately from the light cruisers with the goal of splitting Langsdorffs fire. At 6:18 AM, Admiral Graf Spee opened the Battle of the River Plate by firing on Exeter with its main guns while its secondary armament targeted Ajax and Achilles. Over the next half hour, the German vessel hammered Exeter disabling both its forward turrets and starting several fires. In return, the British cruiser hit Admiral Graf Spees fuel processing system with an 8-inch shell. Though his ship appeared largely undamaged, the loss of the fuel processing system limited Langsdorff to sixteen hours of usable fuel. To aid their compatriot, the two British light cruisers closed on Admiral Graf Spee. Thinking the British ships to be making a torpedo attack, Langsdorff turned away. The two sides continued the fight until around 7:25 AM when the action came to an end. Pulling back, Harwood decided to shadow the German ship with the goal of attacking again after dark. Admiral Graf Spee - Scuttling: Entering the estuary, Langsdorff made a political error in anchoring at Montevideo in neutral Uruguay rather than the friendlier Mar del Plata, Argentina to the south. Putting in a little after midnight on December 14, Langsdorff landed his wounded and asked the Uruguayan government for two weeks to make repairs. This was opposed by British diplomat Eugen Millington-Drake who argued that under the 13th Hague Convention Admiral Graf Spee should be expelled from neutral waters after twenty-four hours. Advised that few naval resources were in the area, Millington-Drake continued to press for the ships expulsion publically while British agents arranged to have British and French merchant ships sail every twenty-four hours. This action invoked Article 16 of the convention which stated A belligerent warship may not leave a neutral port or roadstead until twenty-four hours after the departure of a merchant ship flying the flag of its adversary. As a result, these sailings held Admiral Graf Spee in place while additional naval forces were gathered. While Langsdorff lobbied for time to repair his ship, he received a variety of false intelligence which suggested the arrival of Force H, including the carrier HMS Ark Royal and battlecruiser HMS Renown. While a force centered on Renown was en route, in reality Harwood had only been reinforced by Cumberland. Completely deceived and unable to repair Admiral Graf Spee, Langsdorff discussed his options with his superiors in Germany. Prohibited from allowing the ship to be interned by the Uruguayans and believing that certain destruction awaited him at sea, he ordered Admiral Graf Spee scuttled in the River Plate on December 17. This decision infuriated Hitler who l ater directed that all German ships were fight until the end. Taken to Buenos Aires, Argentina with the crew, Langsdorff committed suicide on December 19. Selected Sources Panzerschiffe Admiral Graf SpeeGerman Navy: Admiral Graf SpeeLangsdorff of the Graf Spee

Roles of AdministratorsWK3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roles of AdministratorsWK3 - Essay Example Staffing is one of the differentiators between both types of administrations, as private administrators can command their will freely in the staff management. Change management, on the other hand, is not easy to handle regarding policy shifts in public administration. Employees create a number of hurdles. The private sector uses the tools of profit and loss smartly to enhance performance. Coming to preferences, budget is very critical in public administration. There are procedural similarities, but cost planning is given higher importance in private management. Compare and Contrast the Roles of Administrators in the Public and Private Sectors Definition of Public Administration The core elements of public administration are policy management, resource management, and program management. These functions of public management are defined by the Interagency Study Committee on Policy Management Assistance. According to Mushkin’s Report, public management also includes personnel man agement, workforce planning, shared bargaining and union-management relations, appraisal of production and execution, organization, financial control, and examining study, program, and control audit. Regarding case studies, the public domain is in the learning stage only while analysis of case studies is one of the leading methods to manage functions in the private sector (Allison Jr., 2006). Similarities Between Public and Private Administration The general management functions, as summarized in the acronym POSDCORB, are similar: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting. All these functions are not necessarily connected and related (Allison Jr., 2006). Organizing and Staffing Organizing and staffing are integral functions to control internally. The manager creates structures and processes for shared functions. Staffing goes side by side by appointing the right individuals in the related job, both in public and private administration (Allison Jr., 2006). Directing Personnel and the Personnel Management System The strength of an organization, whether public or private, is reflected through the expertise and awareness of its workforce. It is the function of the personnel management system to recruit, finalize, train, reward, and punish the staff by showing the pink slip to a human resource. Such human resource functions, similar in both sectors, help an organization in achieving its aims by taking particular instructions from management (Allison Jr., 2006). Managing Performance Different management information systems such as operations and capital budgets, accounts, reports, and statistical systems, performance evaluation and product approximation help managers in both sectors in decision-making and in valuing growth in the realization of aims (Allison Jr., 2006). Differences Between Public and Private Administration Some labels could be similar in both public and private administration, but the meaning is different. Tal king about the differences in the internal segments of administration in the private sector, it is the topmost critical task of a chief executive officer to make a judicious selection of employees. Both private and public sector organizations can work remarkably when responsibilities are shouldered by right people (Allison Jr., 2006). The pathways of executives of both sectors in staffing are different. Private sector administrators can lock plants, shift leading managers, hire and fire at will. On the other hand, policy changes are