Loan Processing at Capital One Essay

This marketing effort, which was planned to take the form of a major mail drop, was designed to increase the volume of funded loans in about six weeks when potential customers start returning these applications. It was clear to everyone at Capital One that the operations of loan processing would play a major role in determining if the upcoming mail drop would be a success. With 14 funded loans processed per associate every month and a total of 25 associates on the team, the department does not have the capacity to handle the application volume leading to our target of 700 funded loans per month that we set following our increased marketing effort†, observed one of the managers working for Rick, â€Å"What we need is a significant increase in staff. We also need to heavily invest in information technology to further increase the productivity of the existing staff†. While it was clear that the forecasted increase in loan applications would provide a serious challenge for the underwriters, there was no consensus on what actions should be taken. As was observed by one of the executives in charge of consumer loans: â€Å"When I benchmark the productivity of our underwriting team with other companies in the industry, 14 funded loans per associate per month is not a number we can be proud of. It takes about 3 hours of actual work to fund a loan, and that includes everything from the initial interview to underwriting, quality inspection, and closing. We have 25 associates, that each works about 150 hours per month. So each associate should be able to process 50 applications per month, which gives us 1250 applications per month for the team. Even if we fund only every other loan that we underwrite, we would just need a little bit of over time to get 700 units funded. † Several others at Capital One agreed. As it was put by one of the associates in charge of direct marketing: â€Å"Frankly, if you asked me, there seems to be a lot of potential for improving productivity in our processes. I am optimistic that our upcoming mail-drop will lift productivity and utilization scores in the underwriting process since there will be a lot more work coming in. † As the person in charge for operations management, Rick had mixed feelings about these comments. On the one hand, it was true that his department’s productivity metrics had not been stellar in the past. But his associates worked very hard and were very capable. This case was developed solely as the basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management. All data in the case has been disguised. Rick was relatively new to this role, though he was a highly accomplished operations manager with a history of taking on tough challenges and producing strong results by redirecting his teams towards better prioritization, teamwork and focus on strategically important activities. As he looked over the marketing forecast and the target of 700 funded loans for the next month, Rick wondered what the upcoming mail drop would do to his department? And, more importantly, what could he do to help Capital One grow its consumer loan business in the most optimal way? Capital One: Background Information After graduating first in class from the Stanford business school in 1981, Richard Fairbank joined Strategic Planning Associates (SPA), a strategy-consulting firm. In 1986, Fairbank met Nigel Morris, a young associate at SPA. While analyzing the operations of a major money center bank, the two reviewed the firm’s credit card operations. Both of them were struck by the enormous profitability relative to the rest of the bank. The young consultants concluded, â€Å"Credit cards are not banking – they are all about collecting information on 200 Million people that you’d never meet, and, on the basis of that information, making a series of decisions about lending money to them and then hoping they would pay you back. † Fairbank and Morris recognized the potential of customizing credit card products based on characteristics and behavior of their customers and taking advantage of the technological advances in computers that offered companies the ability to record, organize and analyze large amounts of customer data. They realized that few products in the credit card industry were being direct marketed and that even fewer firms were fully exploiting the power of statistical analysis. Fairbank and Morris were able to convince the bank to run a test using this strategy. The test worked remarkably well, however, the bank was unwilling to adopt this new strategy. Convinced that they were onto something really big, the two pitched their idea to more than 20 national retail banks before Virginia-based Signet Bank invited them to launch its Bank Card division. Over the next several years, Fairbank and Morris ran thousands of statistical tests and eventually introduced the first balance transfer product in 1991 that revolutionized the credit card industry and saved a struggling Signet Bank. Four years later, in 1995, Signet spun off its credit card division to create the publicly held Capital One. Recognized for its innovation, customer service, information technology, and financial management, Capital One now is one of the largest issuers of Master Card and Visa credit cards in the world. Today, the company’s global customer base is close to 49 Million with managed loans totaling over $83 Billion. From its IPO in 1994 to 2005, Capital One’s stock price had increased more than 1400%. In recent years domestic diversification has become a primary component of Capital One’s strategy. After going public, the company progressed on geographic and This case was developed solely as the basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management. All data in the case has been disguised. product line expansion through organic growth in credit cards and a series of acquisitions in non credit card businesses. In 1998, the company acquired Summit Acceptance Corporation, an auto loan provider. In 2001, it acquired the nation’s largest online provider of direct auto loans – People First, and a leading provider of financing solutions – Amerifee. The acquisition of Onyx Acceptance Corporation ® made Capital One Auto Finance the second-largest independent auto lender in the United States. The company also acquired Kansas City-based eSmartloan, an online originator of home equity loans and mortgages; Hfs Group, a home equity loan broker in the United Kingdom; and InsLogic, an insurance brokerage based in Tennessee. A number of these diversified businesses along with some organically grown businesses reside in the Global Financial Services (GFS) organization of Capital One. The Loan processing center is one such business that supported a variety of loan products such as small business loans, Line of credits and Jumbo loans. The Loan Approval Process In the division in charge of consumer and small business loans, the marketing department solicits potential customers through direct mail and/or email campaigns, that highlight the loan product features and specials of various products that are offered by Capital One. These campaigns, which are typically carried out at a nationwide level, have an information card that can be returned by the customer. The customer uses this card to provide information concerning their name, the type of loan they are interested in and the phone number/time range that is best to reach them. Customers who respond by sending this information back enter the process and are referred to as an â€Å"App†. Each App flows through a process that consists of five steps: Interview, Workflow Coordination, Underwriting, Quality Assurance (QA) and Closing. Exhibit 1 shows the process flow with a brief description of the activities and the number of associates in each role. Interview The interview step consists of seven associates who call the telephone number specified on the information card. On a typical day between 200 and 500 potential customers are called depending on the incoming volume of customer requests. Federal privacy regulations require that financial institutions can speak about the loan only to the person who actually requested the loan. Hence, if this person is not home at the time of the call, the call has to be repeated at a later point. During the call, the associate interviews the applicant about her loan needs. Based on the customer needs, the associate offers a range of products to the customer and the loan terms such as the maximum loan amount and the interest rate associated with each product (usually a range of interest rates is provided). This case was developed solely as the basis for class discussion. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, source of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management. All data in the case has been disguised. If the customer is interested in one of the products, she will start an application process with the associate. The associate follows a scripted questionnaire and enters the information being provided by the customer into a computer system. The interview associate sets the expectation with the customer on the next steps: if additional information is necessary to complete processing and approving the application, an underwriter will get in touch with the customer in 2-5 business days to get the necessary information. If all the information is complete and accurate, the applicant will receive a phone call from an Underwriter in approximately 5-10 business days outlining the next steps in the closing process. Exhibit 2 summarizes some sample data that was collected over the course of a week. The Exhibit shows it takes on average 22 to 24 minutes for an associate to process one extra app. This includes the time the associate spends talking with the applicant. It also includes the time it takes the associate to reach the applicant.

Principles of communication in adult care setting Essay

Outcome 1 There are many different reasons that people communicate this maybe to let someone know that they are hungry or to say that they are unwell, it maybe that someone would just like to have a talk, people often communicate to voice their opinions and sometime to influence and motivate others. Communication is a major part of our active lives and is a social activity. It maybe verbal though speech, reading and writing or nonverbal though body language. Good communication throughout adult social care can only have a positive outcome. It creates a good working environment for both staff and the individuals we support, it can help all involved to relay messages to one another and other professionals to help the individuals we support, giving confidence and trust. Read more: Reasons to communicate  essay Outcome 2 Every Individual is an individual and should be treated so. However in some circumstances this may be difficult to overcome immediately. You need to establish if an individual is deaf/mute, or suffers from other disabilities which may impair there language and or communication skills. These can be overcome when you make an effort to establish the needs of an individual. Speaking slowly and clearly and whilst looking at the individual, will allow the individual to respond according to their needs/preferences. A range of communication methods are: Body language, eye contact, facial expressions, non verbal and verbal communication. Tone of voice, pitch of voice, gestures, hand and body, and British sign language. It is important to respond to an individual’s reactions when communicating because of the individual’s needs. So you can provide an accurate response, to promote empathy and a shared understanding to avoid the individual becoming more distressed, frustrated or con fused. Outcome 3 Individuals from different backgrounds will use communication in different ways by interpreting things in different ways, what may be accepted to one  culture may be completely different to another. It is important to refer to care plans to ensure that individual cultural beliefs are respected. Some barriers can be difficult to overcome, in many communications, the message may not be received the way that the sender originally intended. It is vital that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message was clearly understood. Barriers may occur at any stage in the communication process, messages may become distorted or misunderstood, this can cause confusion, the use of jargon, over complicated or unfamiliar words. Lack of attention, interest or distractions. Physical disabilities, such as hearing or speech difficulties. Non-verbal communication. Unfamiliar accents/ language. Overcoming barriers in communications can be done by ensuring that individual’s needs and/or disabilities are known thoroughly and time and care is taken to ensure the correct message or instructions are heard and/or understood. Misunderstandings can be avoided or clarified, by ensuring you are communicating to the Individuals needs. Talking slowly and clearly. Using the correct terminology, and the correct facial expressions. There are many ways for individuals to access extra support to enable individuals to communicate more effectively, this can be through colleagues, individual’s family, friends, social worker, their GP, specialist nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist, psychologist, psychiatrist. There are support groups available including translation services, interpreting services, speech and language and advocate services. Outcome 4 Confidentiality is a set of rules or a promise that limits access or puts restrictions on certain types of information. In day to day communication, confidentiality is a must. Things that you are told confidentially should be kept that way unless you are discussing the matter with an agreed other. Like a nurse, colleague or social worker. You do not talk about work related topics or individuals as idle gossip. There could be possible tension if you were ask to not say anything but due to duty of care, you have to let the agreed others know of the situation. I would seek advice from my manager  or supervisor during a supervision or confidential meeting if I felt that a service users information was being used in a incorrect way I would report this to my senior as soon as possible.

Ansoffs Product Market Expansion Grid Making Tool

Ansoffs Product Market Expansion Grid Making Tool Strategy plays a huge role in a business’s success or failure. A strategy has to be chosen in accordance to a company’s vision, mission, goals and objectives. One of the major decisions that today’s marketing managers have to take is to follow what strategy and when is the right time to implement the strategy. With the ever-increasing competition in the market, along with the continually changing customer interests, it has become difficult for managers to decide upon a strategy which can ensure a substantial amount of success, even if steps are taken carefully. The more than ever informed customers are also forcing managers to change on a regular basis. This report explains the basic fundamentals of Ansoff’s Product Market Expansion Grid and the four strategies that can be deployed after using the grid. The grid can be used to predict any growth opportunities that may exist in the market for the company to expand its business, either in terms of market or in terms of products. Based on the strategy indicated to by the grid, the managers can decide on further actions which should be taken to be more profitable. The later phase of the report describes how Etisalat, the United Arab Emirates telecom giant, entered the Nigerian market in the fifth place and still were able to penetrate the market deeply within a significant small amount of time. The managers could successfully learn from their experiences in the Egyptian market they had entered before embarking their journey of Nigeria, and that proved to be very helpful. The report also discusses the various promotions that were undertaken by Etisalat and the reason those promotions were chosen. The report emphasises on the importance of research and using the findings of the same to enhance business profitability and success. Introduction With the ever-changing lifestyles of customers in the contemporary world, businesses have realised the importance of customers in the success or fail ure of the organization. To get along with the changing business environment and customer interests, companies are transforming themselves. Today, customers are ruling the business practices and telling the companies about the type of products and services that they desire. As a result, companies have also transformed from being product oriented to being customer oriented. They are now focusing on customers, tracking them, collecting personal information about them, which would help them to understand them better and provide customized offers. Bottomline: customer is the king. One of the main reasons for this is the fierce competition existing in the markets in which these businesses operate. With the on-going changes in the organizational practices, there resides the need to revive the strategies that a company work upon, of which marketing forms a major part. Good marketing has evolved to be vital component for any successful business. It needs careful planning and execution. To i ncrease the probability that a business will succeed, companies are continually revamping and reforming their marketing practices. One of the tools helping the companies to refine their business practices is the Product-Market Expansion grid, proposed by Ansoff, to detect new intensive growth opportunities.

PROTEST AND REFORM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PROTEST AND REFORM - Essay Example Malcom X supported his belief by using intensity within his argument that separation of White and Black Americans is the only way to achieve success for the Negros. The use of voice inflection, hand gestures, and body language are important factors in this style of speech oration. Continual repetition of facts that Negros were not welcome in the United States further stressed the message being delivered to the public audiences (The Ballot, 2000). While Malcom X was suggesting that solution was segregation, King was offering love and unity to solve the problem. Compare and Contrast Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Fredrick Douglass, Rosa Parks, and Oliver Brown supported the Civil Rights Movement that allowed African American individuals the right to every benefit afforded the White population. Fredrick Douglass was named the father of Civil Rights as he pushed for the abolishment of slavery in the 1800s (Fremarjo, 2011). Rosa Parks was a black woman who refused to give up her s eat on a bus to a White person and move to the back of the bus (Parks, 2012). Her actions sparked monumental actions toward desegregation. Oliver Brown petitioned the school to allow his student to attend a school that was closer to their home. The ruling on this court case â€Å"Brown vs. ... Even though it did not happen overnight, women did earn the right to vote and were allowed into the workforce. Susan B. Anthony was a staunch supporter of Women’s Rights from the beginning of the idea. For over 50 years, she promoted the idea that women suffrage was needed (Lindor, 2001). In 1872 Anthony saw her voting ballot drop into the ballot box. The trial that ensued allowed her to spread her message to a larger audience than previously encountered. Elizabeth Stanton named her occupation as a Women’s Rights Activist. Not only did she promote the right to vote for women, but she also supported the abolishment of slavery. Stanton delivered speeches that accused the bible and men of denying women their rights. Stanton published a critique of the bible and received considerable from religious groups and community members alike (Stanton, 2012). The difference between the Civil Rights Movement and Women’s Rights was that one dealt with ethnicity rights and the ot her dealt with gender rights. The similarities existed in the fact that each group was fighting for the right to benefit from all the privileges afforded to other individuals who were not confined by color or gender. The use of violent and nonviolent protests were present in each movement. The individuals who supported the movements were in danger of jail or torture in each historical event. Persuasive Attempts Many types of persuasive action has been enacted to convince another person of accepting or changing beliefs that were not originally their own. Influence has been the practice of orators around the world. Techniques that have been used throughout history include: Getting the audience’s attention Creating or identifying a need, problem, or desire Offering a solution

Understanding Information report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Understanding Information report - Essay Example From a consideration of the correlation coefficients obtained (Table 1) it was clear that r being greater than 0.8 in all the cases, the correlation was generally strong with all the predictors. However, the variable relating to the number of cinema screens yielding the highest r value of 0.985 could be considered as the best predictor for the gross box office earnings. On the other hand, the number of cinema sites was not as good a predictor since some cinema sites might house multiple screens (â€Å"multiplexes†). Similarly, the gross revenue was more influenced by the cinema revenue per admission (r = 0.972) than the total number of admissions (r = 0.956) because the value of each ticket (i.e., admission) can differ. However, other important determinants such as the actors/directors/category (comedy, tragedy, action) of the film have not been taken into consideration in this study. Scatterplots are helpful in visually identifying relationships between any two variables. In the case of gross box office earnings and the number of cinema screens, the regression line on the scatterplot (Fig. 1) being a straight line shows that the two variables have a strong positive linear correlation (r = 0.985). A straight line depicts a linear trend in the data. This means that by increasing the number of cinema screens, the gross box office earnings can be enhanced. Also, since there is significant linear correlation, the line can be used to estimate the gross box office revenue (dependent variable) for any given value of the number of cinema screens (independent variable). The equation obtained for the regression line from the scatterplot is: This equation signifies that for every additional screen, the gross revenue will increase by 0.2674 million pound sterling. This is because the term -179.41 in the equation which is a constant, does not have any practical meaning as such; it is just the point on the graph where

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example The most striking feature of international human resource management is the incorporation of two key ideas in the department. On one hand coordination of human resource management policies in all the subsidiary branches is ensured to bring harmony in operations. On the other hand, there must be some element of flexibility in order to accommodate policy differences that arise from business and cultural variations (Sims, 2002). International human resource management is primarily similar to domestic human resource management, but modifications are made to ensure that international scope of operations is comprehensibly taken care of. According to Schuler et al as cited in Sims (2002), while domestic human resource management influences come from internal forces, international human resource management is influenced by more external sources. A greater level of risk element is involved in international human resource management than its counterpart. The management functions become numerous and more heterogeneous due to the constant changes in business perspectives at the international arena. An engineering service providing company which is mainly capital intensive in comparison to many other service industries has critical questions to address (Becker et al, 1997, p39). The human resource director at Mango, a British Engineering multinational company with headquarters in London, highlights the following preparations for the creation of new a plant in Perth, Australia. The general manger will conduct the job analysis for a general manager in order to come up with a job design specifying that the manager will be a UK national currently located in the UK. The reason for nationality criteria is to ensure that the manager has sufficient understanding of operations of the company. The business cultural setting of the company in the UK bears an important role in the job design

Applying principles of stakeholder management to analyse Essay

Applying principles of stakeholder management to analyse organisational practice - Essay Example Based on the first principle of Clarkson’s principles of stakeholder management, managers are obliged to acknowledge and monitor the personal concerns of all Facebook’s legitimate stakeholders. Specifically in the case of the general public, it becomes the sole responsibility of the company to protect the privacy and security of its active and inactive users. Upon analyzing the organizational practices of Facebook, this study will not only apply Clarkson’s first principle of stakeholder management to the case of Facebook but also identify and provide concrete evidences on how Facebook continuously violates the main concern of its valuable users. Contextualization of the Issue As a social networking company, Facebook is earning its profit out of its advertising gains. Aside from its advertising business, the company is also earning large sum of revenues out of selling virtual goods like US$1 in exchange for Facebook’s electronic and personalized greeting ca rd, etc. It means that the more active users Facebook could gather each year, the company’s ability to earn more from its investment value increases. Considering the fact that the business model of Facebook is to indirectly earn revenues from its active subscribers, Swartz (2010) revealed that Facebook is not focus on protecting the privacy of its valuable users. ... Furthermore, the use of koobface, malware, and botnet increases the risk wherein Facebook users are at risk of other forms of computer viruses, adware, worms, spyware, crimeware, Trojan, and scareware among others (Damballa, 2010; Skoudis & Zeltser, 2004, p. 2). Since Facebook encourages its users to share their personal date to the public, its valuable users become at risk of becoming a victim of these computer viruses (Sizemore, 2010; Swartz, 2010). Aside from the risk of computer viruses, it is safe to conclude that the private information gathered by this particular social networking site are most likely being use to assist its advertisers in search for a more accurate target market. Without the knowledge of the active Facebook users, advertisers and sellers of various products and services are able to enjoy the benefit of learning more about another person’s online behaviour and personal preferences (Swartz, 2010). In worst cases, Facebook users can be at risk of becoming a victim of cybercrimes like cyber bullying or cyber terrorism (Donahue, 2010) or even increases the risk for security data breeches (Sizemore, 2010). Since there are a lot of negative consequences associated with the use of Facebook, there is a growing scrutiny about Facebook users’ privacy and security. The issue behind Facebook users’ privacy and security is an on-going concern of many people. In fact, Mui (2011) revealed that Facebook is now being considered as a â€Å"worldwide photo identification database†. For these reasons, countries like China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Syria, Vietman, and Uzbekistan has already banned the use of this particular social networking site (Cooper, 2010;

Knit of the 19th century in two different cultures Essay

Knit of the 19th century in two different cultures - Essay Example This essay discusses that it is also important to speak about the changes brought by the French Revolution as well as wars in England that disrupted the knit trade. In general, â€Å"the knitting industry began to decline in the 19th century†. Despite this fact, people continued to knit clothes for personal use.Thus, one may arrive at a conclusion that English knitting was more developed and organized. It is due to the fact that there were great differences between these two countries. It is patent that Britain of the 19th century was a powerful independent Kingdom dominating all over the globe. At the same time, there was no such a notion as the country of Iceland. At that time, its territories were dependent on the Denmark. Nevertheless, one cannot deny the fact that both cultures have something in common when speaking about the production of knitted clothing. In both cultures, men along with women were involved in it. In addition to that, the end of the century for both cul tures signified the switch to the knitting machines (Davis, 2014). Despite it, they tried to make use of certain cultural traditions to satisfy the demands of the market. Besides, they both preserved their unique features and traditions that the knitters apply to this very day. What is more important is that even when these cultures witnessed the decline of the knit manufacture, they continued to produce the knitted clothes for themselves, as they were aware of that these ones became a part of their identity.

Production Management Principles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Production Management Principles - Assignment Example The construction process is to take place in a college that is also near a rural village. The project will therefore have both disruptive and beneficial effects on the community. This section provides the corrective measures and methods that should be put in place, where feasible, to minimize the amount of the resulting disruption. Generally, the company has set construction practices that take into consideration the direct impacts of the construction process and also provides for measures to minimize and if possible eliminate their effects. The Company will seek to provide an assurance to the students, residents and businesses in the nearby village that it intends to work hand in hand with the community, so as to make the construction project as least disruptive as possible. The following are the direct impacts that the constructions of the student bar and student service centre may have on the locality and the measures which the company will undertake to ensure that the disruptions are at a minimum. Impacts arising from noise and vibration Noise and vibrations will arise from the use of heavy machinery during construction. The company will undertake all available measures to ensure that these impacts are minimized. Generally, the company will use the ‘best applicable means, approach to minimize emissions of noise and vibrations. This is where;... he effects of noise vibrations: a) Adding sound absorbing materials or mufflers to noisy equipments b) Citing noisy equipments away from workers, students and residents e.g. in secluded places. c) Building barriers e.g. ply wood with noise absorbing materials around noisy equipment. d) Maintenance of old equipment. 2. Impact on the air quality. These effects will be temporary and will arise from emissions from diesel powered construction machines as well as dust. The measures that the company will undertake to minimize these effects are: a) Use of watering to control air pollution arising from the creation of dust arising from creation of airborne particles. b) Where possible, the company will use electricity to power machinery instead of diesel. 3. Impact on the water quality Measures will be taken to minimize the impact of the construction activities on water bodies. To achieve this, all sediments will be treated before being released to the environment. 4. Impact on traffic During the construction period, traffic in the area may be affected. There may arise instances where roads will be diverted or closed as well as private accesses such as foot paths and water ways. The company will implement all appropriate measures in both the design and construction of the project to ease delays and disruption to users of these roads throughout the project. Maintenance of traffic will be best achieved through planning and scheduling so as to reduce delays. Where appropriate, signs will be used to provide notice to the travelling public about any road closures as well as any other pertinent information. Notices about construction-related activities that may inconvenience the community and road closings will put in advance to enable the public to plan on alternative travel routes

Lesson on Crime Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lesson on Crime - Assignment Example Expected Proceedings of the Class: When the class begins, the students will probably be stiff and very wary of the teacher. They will be reluctant to open up and communicate. There will be some students who will try and open up and enhance communication. The teacher will initially react to the exuberant students and then gradually ask leading questions to gradually do away with the inhibitions of the class. It is the teacher's responsibility to ask leading questions to the non responsive students so that all round class participation is assured. The warmer should comprise general interaction with the students. Once the attention of the class is ensured the teacher can then proceed with the next part of the lesson where it is introduced and the students are asked to mention the one major hazards in the Universities of the USA. This will hopefully elicit the word crime or shooting or terrorist activity. This dialogue should increase confidence of students. Of course there will further comments like tutorials or rampant sex or night life or many other words which have no link with the topic. The Teacher has to steer the response of the students to relevant discussion. The Teacher hones down on the word crime and pronounces it deliberately and writes it on the board. T then asks SS to give words which sound like Crime If above activity doesn't elicit any target class T asks class 'Why don't you take each alphabet and try and form a word that sounds like Crime T-SS, SS-T S-T T-S S-T T-SS SS-T To expose SS to Lexical items. This will hopefully elicit the word crime or shooting or terrorist activity. This dialogue should increase confidence of SS. To allow the word CRIME to play on the minds of the class To elicit words like dime, mime, rhyme, lime, grime etc. from other members of the class. Hopefully this will give the above words PRE-TEACH VOCABULARY 5 T shows appendix A - Flash Cards Tells them that all words may not spell similar but they sound similar T-SS To ensure that SS is introduced to every word used PRESENTATION 10 mins T writes sentences on board, using each of the words (See Appendix B) Brief chorus of material from board, T corrects if necessary. Individual drilling of similar examples, varying subject of sentences T-SS SS-T To provide the meaning of each of the words To check pronunciation and to provide the opportunity for group members to practice the phrases together to gain confidence. Gauges SS level of appreciation of the usage of the different words CONTROLLED PRACTICE 10mins T divides SS into pairs and instructs them to complete matching activity in appendix C T monitors SS feedback to T with answers, T corrects any serious problems and answers any queries T-SS, SS SS-T Consolidates knowledge of form and function within a less demanding exercise. To check understanding of instructions. To ensure that exercise is being carried out correctly and that no-one is confused at this early stage. To ensure that any problems are corrected. GUIDED PRACTICE 10 MINS T plays the tape Appendix D and asks SS to repeat after every word together in a chorus and then individually at random T corrects each student as and when necessary T-SS SS-T - SS To reinforce knowledge, to give SS the opportunity to practice phonetics in an exercise that becomes gradually more difficult to provide a verbal record of structure and to allow SS to work without fear of

My Technologically Challenged Life Essay Example for Free

My Technologically Challenged Life Essay Monica’s parents play a huge role in limiting her access to technology. They choose to not use technology which I think is the main reason why they wouldn’t buy a computer for their daughters. Their reasoning sounds extremely familiar to me because my parents have done the same kind of thing to me. I begged my parents for a cell phone from seventh grade until my sophomore year when I finally bought my own but they would always tell me I don’t need a cell phone while my mom had one and my dad had THREE for his work. Anyways, I can relate to Monica on many levels. 2. I don’t think Monica is to blame for her technological difficulties at all. I think the main reason she is having troubles is her parents except for the lack of technology in her car which is obviously the manufacturers doing and not her parents. The lack of technology at the health-care facility is a pretty big issue if you ask me. The technology the workers could be and probably should be using would greatly improve the efficiency of the jobs they do. 3. Wunderlich’s reference to the weekend when terrorists were â€Å"supposed to be blowing up† the bridges in san Francisco was her way of adding some comedy to the story because there was probably a bomb threat that day and she could have potentially died simply because she didn’t have a GPS and got lost. If she had owned a GPS at the time, she wouldn’t have gotten so lost and never would have been on both of the bridges on accident.

Why Expand Breadtalk in Japan Essay Example for Free

Why Expand Breadtalk in Japan Essay * Executive summary In this assignment The focus would be on why I would suggest BreadTalk to have its presence in Japan along with supporting sources and references broken down into introduction, market trend, environment analysis, marketing mix with 4ps and competitors analysis, implementation, evaluation and control, overall report, justification and references. * Introduction The first flagship store that BreadTalk started from was from a little humble store in Bugis Juction located in the City of Singapore. It was in July 2000 started with a dream fuelled by the desire to bring a new concept of bread making to a whole new level by introducing their signature see thru kitchens which allow their chefs to showcase their expertise upfront, sharing the preparation of the freshly browned breads. ( BreadTalk, 2012)  BreadTalks mission is to be Leading a new lifestyle culture with new, innovative changes and creative differentiation to craft products with passion and vibrancy (BreadTalk,2009) BreadTalks Vision Establish BreadTalk as the foremost international, trend-setting lifestyle bakery brand (BreadTalk,2009) In 2012 their vision statement changed to We have a shared vision to be an international trend-setting lifestyle brand. To this end, we have taken bold strides in introducing new food culture with revolutionary changes and ingenious differentiation. Our products are also crafted with passion and vibrancy to the highest quality. We are confident that our strategies will lend us a distinct competitive advantage and a platform for continued growth. (BreadTalk, 2012) * Market Trend environment analysis(Macro Analysis) eating habits Why Japan Why? It is long known that Japan is a fast pace city filled with convenient store popping up almost every corner of the street in Japan by taking an example of the success of 7-11 in Japan which is now own by Seven I Holdings Co., Ltd. 7-11 in Japan have 14005 stores based on 29 February 2012 as compared to North America which have only 7149 stores based on 31 December 2011.(7i 2012) Its sale of food items make up of 64.9% of total sales. (7i 2012) Based on an article publish on 2 April 2012 titled Wave of Grain by slate.com have suggested that wheat based products like bread and noodles are more popular then rice products in Japan Adding on to the trend of demand for bread, in 28 September 2010 an article written by Juniper Foo for CNet with the title of Make bread out of rice with Sanyos Gopan noted that bread is such a popular consumed product in Japan that Japanese inventor manage to turned rice into flour that is suitable to make rice breads and the machine was sold out despite its high cost of about 50,000 Yen. Western influence on Japanese have more Japanese choosing to dine out rather than the old tradition of eating at home and have chosen more American food over Japanese food. Food such as Beef are constantly becoming a primary diet for Japanese to eat. (CafeTerra, 2008) In an old article called Sweets in disguise back in 2005, It was suggested that Japan consumer like things that are sweet especially to the younger generation of women in Japan. (Trends in Japan 2005) When it comes to behaviour trends, Japanese  consumer are seen to be cutting on spending and like dinning out and holidays and shown an increase on instant food consumption as shown in Research done by 500 consumer both genders nationwide, aged 16 and above (Research Panel Asia May 2011) On top of that, Japanese consumer are also seen to be hunting for the cheapest deal and flocking online to cut cost (Brian Salsberg, March 2010) Green tea culture is still strong in Japan based on a research data realise in 2009 shows that Japanese consume about 80000 tons of green tea yearly (S.C August 2009) Other trends on Japanese eating habit includes a shift to healthier more organic food as mention in this article called just what the doctor ordered. (Trends in Japan August 2008) adding onto both eating habit and organic food, in another report done by Oceanus, titled Japan’s Consumer Trends and Opportunities have suggested that mother play a big role in deciding what food is for the family and with the continues scare of disaster and radiation leak etc, they become really particular with what inside the food contain. (Oceanus Marketing March 2012) Last of all, there is a growing trend of families in Japan becoming smaller with the increase of singlehood and people living alone or with a friend/etc over the past few years. base on the figure taken from Euromonitor This suggest more people would eat out in Japan instead (gov.mb.ca, March 2010) Base on http://data.worldbank.org, it stated that Japans average annual income per person is about $45,180 USD for 2011 which translate into about 3.53161885 million Yen Base on japan-guide.com, an average meal price can range from 500 yen to 1000 yen and more expansive meals can cost 1000 Yen 3000 Yen. (do note as of 30 july 2012 exchange rate is 1000 yen to $15.96) * Marketing Mix 4Ps with competitor analyzes Place When it comes to location, BreadTalk is known to set up its stores in high human traffic location and its concept of enable customer to pick and purchase fresh ready to eat bread conveniently within a very short time is what pulls customers to their shop taking example from Singapore outlets like 313 Somerset shopping mall which is high in human traffic and strategically place near the entrance of Somerset MRT also known to be the  train transport station. (BreadTalk, 2012) So based on a figure of retail rental fee in Singapore as compared to Tokyo published on July 2012 by Barbara Farfan, Singapore rental retail space is about $455 USD in 1Q 2012 per sq feet annually as compared to Tokyo which is $1025 USD per sq feet annually (Barbara Farfan, July 2012) As for their competitors like Bread studio which is well establish in Japan, they also place themselves in high human traffic area like their train station. As the map on the left shows where Bread studio is located which is at Amagasaki station (Kobeya Baking, 2011) (Kobeya Baking, 2011, Google map) Whats More, Tokyo would be the best start up place in Japan as its filled with the highest population of 8.956 million residents compared to its second highest city Yokohama which have 3.690 million (Yasunori Sato May 2012) Product BreadTalk is an established brand with presents spread out internationally with 17 countries mostly in Asia countries and its famous for its best selling bread known as the Floss which is a unique soft light bread with flavoured with egg cream and topped off with lots of pork floss. (BreadTalk 2009) Hence a suggestion for a product should be focus on having a stronger and sweeter taste for its bread as suggested earlier in the report based on current trends in Japan. BreadTalk could consider Having a range of organic product that would be target to very heath conscious customers in Japan with a possible light packaging stating any possible chemical or preservative as mention above under the current trend section with the article title of Just what the doctor ordered. Another new possible resource product opportunity is that BreadTalk can utilized Sanyos Gopan rice to bread making machine to launch new bread product line that is safe for those allergic to Wheat based products. (Slowfoodrocks.com,2011) Especially When the machine which was first launch in October 8 2010 and was completely sold out even with the price tag of 50,000 Yen. Do show the demand of Rice base bread in the market of Japan. (Juniper Foo, 2010) Another great selling point of BreadTalk  would be its wide variety of different unique creative creation of bread that appeals to many consumers as it focus is on being different from the rest. Unlike Many Japanese bakery product that is heavily and beautifully packaged like Kobeyas bread which is part of Bread studio Japan (BreadTalk potential competitor in Japan) as seen in the image on the left One competitive suggestion that BreadTalk have is simplicity. Where the actual product display like the one on the right should be able to sell (source image: Kobeya,2012) (image source:BreadTalkme.com) without any heavy packaging at all that cover the product up or even no packaging. Promotion As mentioned earlier since BreadTalk is such an established brand in Asia countries, having to set up a foot print of one of the must visit city in the world, Tokyo city which have seen a record of 8.6,million tourist in 2010 and out of it 2.44 million are south Korea visitor which BreadTalk is established in along with 1.41 Million from China which BreadTalk existed in and 1.27million from Taiwan which BreadTalk is established as a Joint-Ventura with Lin Cheng Yi in Taiwan back in 2005 (BreadTalk 2012) Does show a lot of potential BreadTalk patrons tourist in Tokyo to visit a BreadTalk establishment in Tokyo. (Mayank Gupta, January 2011) Naturally, Japan is normally cited for crazy wacky ideas. A suggestion of how BreadTalk should promote their products is though an electric paper/flyer. As a limited one time offer for market penetration and that should make a bigger impact on consumers mind of a new upcoming brand in the market (Amar Toor, March 2012) Price. Like any other bakery especially dealing with competitive low price products, the issue with inflation is always looming around with possible price influx  of prime stall rental rates, change is resource price like flour, eggs, etc and possible new demand on worker pay increase and changes in utilities bill. Take for example based on the static price history of flour from (ers.usda.gov, 2012) its shows that in Jan 2010, prices of flour were $153USD per metric ton but in Jan 2011, the prices rose to $272USD per metric ton. As of mentioned earlier regards to rental fee in Singapore and Tokyo, $455 USD compared to $1025 USD in Tokyo do suggest that whichever item that BreadTalk is selling in Singapore have to sell it at double the cost which is surprising competitive in the Japanese market take for example a simple slice of bread with butter would cost 150 Yen which is about $2.40SGD (Heart-Bread shop) up to 1365 Yen for a loaf of Bread which is about $21.70SGD (shop.gnavi.co.jp) Hence pricing for BreadTalk going into Japan wouldnt be of an issue. * Implementation, evaluation and control 1.First 3 months. Selecting a High human traffic area with easy transportation system like beside/inside a train station located at the very heart of Tokyo and bringing the same open concept store setting where it enable curious onlooker to see the operation of creating a perfect BreadTalk bread. Also building a brand imagine with customer and bringing some Singapore cultural taste like the floss Bread into Japanese daily diet with a twist of taste adjustment of the product to be a little stronger for Japanese liking. To create a more lasting impression, a suggestion of issuing electrical paper flyer for the first month of operation as a limited edition advertising item as people may be tempted to keep it due to its uniqueness and with each time potential consumer look at it, Theres a possibility they would try it and with those who have already tired BreadTalk, there is a chance that they may return to buy it again. To create more awareness, electric paper advertisement should be place inside train station and inside the train itself as public train transport is the main and economical way of travelling around in Tokyo. (Japway.com) and maximized band exposure for the next 6 months. To build Japans BreadTalk website, have a channel of collecting customer feedback in-stall by either filling feedback forums or  dropping off e-mails at the Japans BreadTalk website By the end of 3 months. i suggest that the way to measure success would be based on the ability to pay the shop rent, resources and the staff working in the shop a long with some advertisement fee. If earning falls short, i suggest having a free bread day to create more brand awareness and hopefully get people more addicted to BreadTalks product. 2.Following 6 months This following 6 month would be use to bring in more Breadtalk Varieties based on customers feedback on what food items is prefer in terms of taste and also use existing sale figures to determine whats the best selling product and develop more varsities on it for example if the Japanese love BreadTalk cream cheese bun, how about coming out with wasabi favour cream cheese buns? It can be done by a series of promotion like having 1 free wasabi bun for every 3 buns purchased. Also the introduction of free small bun sampling would be effective to let consumer try new type of products. As mention in the earlier part of this report writing, to stand out from other competitors is have loaf of bread made from rice flour to target customer who are allergic to wheat base product. Factor to determine if success or not would be based on not only the ability to make profit but also cover at least half of the start up fee. If target is not met, the suggestion of having all day student and senior citizen rates for BreadTalk products to be implemented to drive up sales. 3.The next 3 months. It would be focus on Expansion on of BreadTalk outlets to other high human traffic areas that area are near to transportation hubs and the implementation of home and office delivery system via walking to those customer who stay nearby the outlets within and to those who stay near train station within Tokyo City. To create more awareness of the delivery system, advertisement should be carried out in train station around Tokyo to tell consumer that delivery is now possible. success would be based on popularity of delivery service used and at the same time sustainability of outlets  profit. If profit falls into loss, the company may want to consider having contracts with schools and offices to supply fresh buns as a mean of stable income. * Conclusion Based on the report and all reference and suggestion and marketing ideas, It seem to me that Tokyo would be an ideal place to start up a new outlet for BreadTalk as opportunity with a potential pool of 8.956million customer is available not counting the tourist figure of 8.6million that visited the city during 2010. Its concept of being like a convenient store just like 7-11 would possibly bring in good profit and expand in no time with the trend shifting to fresh fast quick healthy cheap and convenient food products not forgetting the good infrastructure in place for easy access to customers citywide. Reference List: http://breadtalkindia.com/html/aboutUs.htm ( 2009 vision and statement) http://www.breadtalk.com.sg/ourstory.php ( concept and vision statement change 2012) http://www.7andi.com/en/ir/pdf/annual/2012_05.pdf ( Number of 7-11 stores in Japan compared to North America) http://www.7andi.com/en/ir/pdf/annual/2012_13.pdf ( Food sales percentage in 7-11 Japan) http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2012/04/wheat_in_japan_how_the_nation_learned_to_love_the_american_grain_instead_of_rice_.html ( Japanese prefer Bread over rice ) http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20017956-1.html (rice to bread flour machine and bakery) http://breadtalkindia.com/html/breads.htm (Floss Product) http://www.breadtalk.com.sg/loc_central.php (location) http://www.ers.usda.gov/datafiles/Wheat_Wheat_Data/Yearbook_Tables/Domestic_and_International_Prices/WheatYearbookTable20.pdf (price flour change) http://www.cafeterra.info/2008/11/food-and-health-in-japan.html (Japanese chose to eat out more and more beef in their diet) http://web-japan.org/trends/lifestyle/lif051221.html ( Sweet Trend) http://www.researchpanelasia.com/newspr/pressrelease/2011/may_11th.html (total spending cut) http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_new_Japanese_consumer_2548 (new Japanese consumer trend) http://www.teatronaturale.com/article/952.html (green tea demand) http://web-japan.org/trends/07_food/jfd080808.html (Trends in Japan ) http://www.oceanusmarketing.com/2012/03/24/japan%E2%80%99s-consumer-trends-and-opportunities/ (organic food and possible food danger in japan) http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/statistics/agri-food/japan_consumer_report_en.pdf (statics on living household) http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD (average annual income per person) http://retailindustry.about.com/od/famousretailers/a/Highest-Retail-Store-Rental-Prices-In-The-World-Global-Comparison-2007-2012.htm (Retail rental fees)

Environmental Pollution In Malaysia

Environmental Pollution In Malaysia Malaysia is rapidly developing towards being an industrial country. Many industries such as heavy and light industries, small and medium industries and backyard industries have been growing in the last ten years. The increase in industrial and agricultural activities has created a new demand in housing, urbanization, transportation and medication as the population increase. All these will contribute to environmental problems especially pollution due to the accumulation of hazardous chemicals such as heavy metals in environment. Environmental pollution has become a major issue that requires immediate action as it may effects human health. Pollution can take many forms such as water and air that we breathe. Urbanization in developed and development country, civilization and industrialization make the situation of the environment worsened as such that there is no more safe place to live. From the chemistry dictionary, pollution can be define as an undesirable change in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of the natural environment, brought about by mans activities. It may be harmful to human or non living things. Basically there are two main classes of pollutants which are biodegradable which means it can be rendered harmless by natural processes and need therefore cause no permanent harm if adequately dispersed or treated such as sewage. Another type is nonbiodegradable which cannot be decomposing by microbial activity. For example heavy metals such as lead, DDT and other chlorinated hydroca rbons used as pesticides, which eventually accumulate in the environment and may be concentrated in food chains. Pollution also can be describes as the introduction of foreign substances into the biosphere. It may affect the soil, rivers, seas, or the atmosphere. The pollutants that are released from the anthropogenic activities such as agricultural industries, open burning, solid waste disposal, sewage treatment plants and transportation produce hazardous and poisonous pollutants such as SO2, NOx, heavy metals and hydrocarbon compounds that effects not only human but also both plants and animals that can cause death. Some of these hazardous pollutants find their way into the human system through the food web. They may undergo biotransformation, metabolism and excreted without the risk of toxicity depending on the chemical characteristics of the compound and the dose in human body. However, some of the pollutants resist chemical and biological transformation and accumulate in the tissues, including the nerves, to cause toxicity. The adverse effects of these pollutants on the nerves system give rise to neurotoxicity. Rana et al.,(2004); Katranitsas et al., (2003) found that there is evidence that increasing exposure to toxic elements in marine and terrestrial organisms is having adverse toxicological consequences. Therefore heavy metals pollution become serious issues that must been concerned. Unlike other pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons and domestic and municipal litter which may visibly build up in the environment, trace metals in the environment may accumulate unnoticed to toxic levels. Generally, human health problems associated with trace metal contamination have been well-highlighted in the literature. In spite of the relatively low level of industrial activity in less developed regions there is nevertheless a high potential of toxic heavy metal pollution. The distribution of metals in the environment is a result of natural processes (volcanoes, erosion, spring water, bacterial activity) and anthropogenic activities (fossil fuel combustion, industrial and agricultural processes) (Florea and Busselberg, 2006). Heavy metals such as arsenic lead, copper, cadmium, or zinc are released from the earthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s crust into the environment through anthropogenic sources such as non-ferrous metal industry or non-renewable energy consumption. These substances can cause major damage to human health or to ecosystem stability even at low concentrations in soils. To overcome this issue, many countries have taken numerous initiatives especially the developed country. For example, in 2001 the European Union council signed the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution on Heavy Metals (Europa, 2007). Therefore there are many methods to evaluate and assess the presence of these substances. One of them is biological used. The application of biological forms as the indicators is the best ways to evaluate the environmental condition. According to (Szczepaniak and Biziuk, 2003; Bargagli, 1998), in order to detect, evaluate and minimize the effects, there has been an emphasis in the use of natural bioindicators to monitor atmospheric quality in both urban and rural environments. Examples of bioindicators are lichens, fish, and mosses. One of the bioindicators that can be used is lichens. Lichens are widely known as an excellent indicator to assess our environment. Lichens play importance roles to forest communities. Lichens represent a rare source of readily digestible food at all times of year and in diverse environments due to their ability to survive in extreme climate condition. More generally, lichens act as pioneer species in barren or disturbed environments; their growth on rock surfaces is one of the primary stages of soil formation in such environments (BrÃÆ' ¥kenhielm, 1998; Cooper, 1953 in Dawson, 2008). Lichens are small, non-vascular plants consisting of a fungus and an alga growing together in one tissue. Normally lichens are found on the bark of trees, or the reindeer lichens growing on the ground, but many other species grow on rocks, fences, roofs, tombstones, and other objects. The characteristic of lichen that sensitive to the changes of the surrounding makes them as an excellent bioindicator s and biomonitors for air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide pollution, since they derive their water and essential nutrients mainly from the atmosphere rather than from the soil. A lot of studies towards lichens had been done related to pollution especially air pollution in most Europen countries and North America Asia. During the period 1973-1988, approximately 1500 papers were published on the effects of air pollution on lichens Richardson (1988) cited in Ahmadjian (1993), and many general reviews of lichens and air pollution have been compiled (Ahmadjian, 1993). The legislation about air quality that they made has been passes through out the countries especially in developing countries where air pollution is bad. In Malaysia, several studies has been conducted (Mokhtar et al., 2006) to determine the heavy metals pollution level using lichen at difference places. From the research, they found out that the sensitivity of lichens towards heavy metals vary from each species. Most of species of lichen have a wide geographical distribution, which allows for a study of pollution covering wide areas and its high capacity to accumulate metals (Burton, 1986). Hutchi nson et al., (1996) stated that lichens do not have seasonal variations and therefore accumulation of pollutants can occur all year-round. Lichens and mosses usually have considerable longevity, which led to their use as long-term integrators of atmospheric deposition (Sloof, 1993). The benefits of using lichens as quantitative biological monitors of air metal deposition compare to conventional air sampling techniques rise from that lichens are present in most terrestrial habitats, are perennial, inexpensive and easy reproduced (Baffi et al., 2002). Problem statement Nowadays the level of heavy metals in the environment increasing day by day as the world becomes much more developed. This is because the uncontrolled released of heavy metals leads to the pollution due to the excessive anthropogenic activities. The continuous loading of heavy metals into inland and coastal water make the situation worsens. Anthropogenic activities such as mining, smelting and agriculture have locally increased the levels of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and nickel (Ni) in soil up to dangerous levels for plants, animals and human beings. Although with the forest around us, the status of heavy metals level quite crucial as the result of human daily activities, dense population area near the forest and also an increasing of the transportation. These activities give adverse effect to the life being as they enter into the environment. Other than that the regulations provided by Malaysian government which is the Env ironmental Quality Act 1974 by Department of Environment, still not fully been forced due to the involvement other parties such as local authority to take action when the level of pollutants exceed the standard given especially in coastal area. This is due to the different department have different responsibilities. Nevertheless these parties can be work together to create a better life. Meanwhile due to the lack of studies towards the lichens in our country, the data obtained can help the local authority in decision making process thus maintained the quality. Besides that, it would help to make an assessment about the environmental condition and perhaps to improve environmental quality status. Objective This study was carried out in order to achieve as the followings: To quantify the heavy metals present in lichens. To evaluate the level of heavy metals in lichens. To establish the correlation of heavy metals pollutants in lichens with the surrounding environment. Significant of study By knowing that different species has different sensitivity towards heavy metals, it allow bettering understanding about the sensitivity of lichens towards heavy metals at surrounding environment. The presence or absences of species in areas can give better understanding about the sensitivity of lichens towards the pollutants. The data obtained also can be used to assess the toxicology effects not only to the lichens but also on human. Heavy metals can very toxic if the level of the pollutants higher than the limited given. The data also can create the distribution patterns of lichens at that place. The pollution level and status place also can be determined. This study provides a reference record for conducting further biomonitoring studies. Thesis organization The determination of heavy metals in lichens as bioindicators is a thesis based on previous research in different sampling location. Overall, this thesis consists of five chapters which are to assist in understanding and ease to organize through writing process. The chapters in this thesis have been organizing as follows: Chapter 2 generally discuss about the used on lichens as bioindicators. In this chapter, it also has detailed explanation on the morphology of lichens that play important role in accumulate heavy metals. It also include the history on the scientific research on lichens, the significant role on absorb the heavy metals and the effects of air pollution and metal pollution towards lichens. Chapter 3 is more focusing on research methodology. In this part, it is divided into three parts which are the description on area of study, sampling collection and lastly laboratory analysis which is the procedure to determine heavy metals using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Chapter 4 is focusing on the results obtained and discussion. In this chapter, it discuss about the data obtained after analyze by ICP-MS. It also include the statistical tools to analyze the precision of the data obtain in order to have a good data. It also states the results and the data interpretation between the samples. Chapter 5 is the last chapter which is the conclusion. In this part, it concludes for the whole chapter in the thesis. It related on the objective of the study including the recommendation to improve the research on lichens.

College Admissions Essay: I Will be an English Teacher :: College Admissions Essays

I Will be an English Teacher "Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor." -- Robert Frost I felt trapped, immobilized, confused. It was my senior year in high school. My friend Nancy aptly described me as laboring under a "stupor of thought." Finally, I did the one thing that held any promise of relief - I decided to become an English teacher. I didn't just switch oars in the middle of the stream; I switched to an entirely different river. Throughout high school, instructors and classmates have said to me, "You know, you'd make a great teacher." That's nice, I'd say, but I already have a plan, a nice, sensible plan: earn a degree in accounting, marry my love of music to my skill with numbers and computers, and become the financial manager for a non-profit music arts organization. I outlined my plan in essays. It was a good plan, a sensible plan, a righteous plan. I can't change now. It's too late, too late! It's too late...isn't it? After three years of resistance, my passion for learning and literature and my experiences as a student finally defeated my sensible plan. I decided it was not too late. I would become a teacher - truth be told, I already was. Outside the classroom, I wore teacher-ness on my sleeve. Volunteering in the school office, I'd chat with the students about their classes. They'd moan about the speech class they intended to put off as long as possible. I'd counter with tales of giving my instructional speech on Japanese style gift-wrapping - the women in the class produced beautifully wrapped gifts, but the men were all thumbs! "Gee, you make it sound cool. Have you ever thought about teaching?" Oh no, not me. I'm going to be an accountant. The drive to learn more and share what I learned exposed me. After fulfilling the algebra requirement, I realized that I enjoyed algebra. So I took more math classes, just for the fun of it. I stayed up late, working additional problems, caught up in the thrill of understanding. I became an unofficial tutor, helping my classmates with factoring and linear equations. It was fun helping them learn. Whipping around the room from one student to the next was exhilarating! "Have you ever thought of becoming a math teacher?

Rock And Roll Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"America. betaking herself to formative action(as it is about time for more solid achievement, and less windy promise), must , for her purpose, cease to recognize a theory of character grown of feudal aristocracies, or form’d by merely literary standards, or from any ultramarine, full-dress formulas of culture. polish, caste, &c., enough, and must sternly promulgate her new standard, yet old enough, and accepting the old, the perennial elements, and combining them into groups, unities, appropriate to the modern, the democratic, the west, and to the practical occasions and needs of our own cities, and of the agricultural regions.†1 Walt Whitman wrote this poem back in 1855. A hundred years before rock and roll was invented, people like Walt Whitman could sense that a change needed to happen in America. In the 1880’s, the Robber Barons had a dramatic impact on America. Some of them, such as Andrew Carnegie showed that people could rise from rags to riches. The 1920’s were called the Roaring 20’s, partly because people were carefree and willing to have fun. Jazz became the dominant form of music. Finally along comes the 1950’s. America has gotten out of WW2 and is now ready for a new evolution. People are feeling how they did back in the 20’s; carefree and willing to do anything for fun. On March 5, 1951, a rhythm-and-blues band, Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, recorded â€Å"Rocket 88†, a frenetic, toe-tapping tribute to a customized car.2 This was the birth of Rock and Roll. The music didn’t catch on until 1955 though, when Bill Haley produced â€Å"Rock Around the Clock†. The song soared up the pop charts, and became the first rock and roll song to ever-hit number 1. From the music of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, to Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, no other style of music has so greatly impacted the lifestyle of the American people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elvis Presley was the most recognized and the most influential rock and roll artist that ever lived. In 1956, Elvis made his way into the national spotlight with his single â€Å"Heartbreak Hotel†. He set in stone the image and sound of rock and roll that would endure as long as the music lived.3 With the swivel of his hips, the slur of his voice, and the curl of his lip, he evoked the force and feeling of youth and sex and the rebellion that would become the image of rock and roll. He also stamped ... ...sten to rap, sca, hip hop, etc., but our parents hate it. They are doing the same thing to us that their parents did to them in the 50’s. Even today, we are advancing. Dress styles that were banned 20 years ago are standard today. Music has influenced our lives from the very start. It is who we are. Rock and roll is a symbol of America. It is a national pastime. If it were not for Elvis Presely or Buddy Holly or Jerry Lee Lewis or any of the rock and roll artists of the 50’s, our grandparents and parents may not have realized the need for change and we would probably still be listening to jazz and opera all the time. A quote by Gilbert Ostrander tells how the younger generation of America always finds something new to latch onto. When they get bored with that, they move on to something else. â€Å"The younger generation is at all times simultaneously appearing on the field and moving off the field and trying to stay on the field while turning into something else. N o sooner have the rules of the game been officially explained by the younger generation, than another game is discovered to be in progress on the same field under different rules by a somewhat different younger generation.†19

In the Skin of a Lion Essay -- essays papers

In the Skin of a Lion Historical Obliviousness in Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion narrates the forgotten stories of those who contributed to the building of the city Toronto, particularly immigrants and marginal individuals. In the very first page of the novel, Ondaatje stresses the concern with personal narratives and the act of storytelling: "This is the story a young girl gathers in a car during the early hours of the morning [...] She listens to the man as he picks up and brings together various corners of the story..." (4). Similar to Crossing the River, there is a framework story, that of a man telling a story to a girl, that opens and ends the novel and gives coherence to the many personal narratives. Patrick has an audience at two narrative levels, namely, Hanna at the textual level and the reader at the extra textual one. The reader is the recipient of the macro story, which is Patrick's act of storytelling, as well as of the micro stories contained in it. Like Phillips' novel, Ondaatje's has a circular quality that makes stories transcend time and space; In the Skin of the Lion ends where it starts. The structure of the novel resembles a Chinese box since a series of interrelated stories form concentric circles, all of which converge in Patrick's act of telling a story to Hanna. He saw himself gazing at so many stories [...] He saw the interactions, saw how each one of them was carried by the strength of something more than themselves [...] His own life was no longer a single story but part of a mural, which was a falling together of accomplices. Patrick saw the wondrous night web --all these fragments of a human order... (145) Simil... ...y. In the Skin of a Lion creates an intimate space where the silenced, marginal and ex-centric author and tell their own stories. Ondaatje's characters comprise a polyphony of voices; even if not all the characters are narrators of their own stories, the reader gets to know their perspectives. He/she has access to the psychic and spiritual life of most of them mainly through Patrick Lewe's story and through a third person narrator. The stories are fragmented and somehow indeterminate. There are many silences and absences that call for an active participation on the part of the reader who tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together. As in Phillips' novel, the privileging of fragmented plural perspectives is an effort to avoid the closure and totalisation that characterise master narratives and celebrate the openness and heterogeneity of human experience.

Political and Socioeconomic Essay

The communication gap between First and Third world feminist, as expressed by Narayan lies within a cultural setting: though Western feminism is still an upholding to the rights of women, Third world feminism speaks towards a culture’s specific issues, as Narayan writes, â€Å"I am arguing that Third-World feminism is not a mindless mimicking of ‘Western agendas’ in one clear and simple sense – that, for instance, Indian feminism is clearly a response to issues specifically confronting many Indian women† (13). Thus, feminism is explicit to country and cultural beliefs, not hinging upon a predetermined, or in this case Western view. There are many people, mostly women, who have been fighting for their equal rights – and we now commonly call this as feminism. Feminism started not merely on 19th century, but even during the 17th to 18th century. This is the very reason why feminists have gotten so much attention from well respected organization and government officials. With this idea in mind, many are now asking, who are the women who started the feminist movements and what prompted them to initiate such action? By digging deeper to what the real meaning of feminism is, it can also be identified the first few women who fought and strived really hard just to show the world that feminism is indeed worth fighting for. These women have their own issues that they highlighted and it all boils down to the fact that females are not just a decoration for males, instead, they are people who can be effective even in dealing with other important aspects of he society like the government. Feminists’ ideas started during the time of the infamous Enlightenment, with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and the Marquis de Condorcet who initiated championing women’s education. The first scientific society for women was founded in Middleberg, a city in the south of the Dutch republic, in 1785. Journals for women which focused on issues like science became popular during this period as well. Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the first works that can be called feminist, although by modern standards her comparison of women to the nobility, the elite of society, coddled, fragile, and in danger of intellectual and moral sloth, does not sound like a feminist argument. Wollstonecraft believed that both sexes contributed to this situation and took it for granted that women had considerable power over men. Indeed, it was during the late 17th century to the early 18th century that the earliest works on the so-called â€Å"woman question† criticized the restrictive role of women, without necessarily claiming that women were disadvantaged or that men were to blame (Deckard, 1975). When 18th century came, the movement is generally believed to have begun as people increasingly came to believe that women were treated unfairly under the law. The feminist movement is rooted in the West and especially in the reform movement of the 19th century. The organized movement is dated from the first women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848 (Deckard, 1975). This feminism started not on one place or country, but coincidentally, a lot of women from various countries around the world fought for their rights as and equal and rightful members of the society. Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the founders of the suffragette movement and aimed to reveal the institutional sexism in British society, forming the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Often the repeated jailing for forms of activism that broke the law, particularly property destruction, inspired members went on hunger strikes. Due to the resultant force-feeding that was the practice, these members became very ill, serving to draw attention to the brutality of the legal system at that time. In an attempt to solve this the government introduced a bill that became known as the Cat and Mouse Act, which allowed women to be released when they starved themselves to dangerous levels, then to be re-arrested later. (Deckard, 1975). Meanwhile, the Feminist movement in the Arab world saw Egyptian jurist Qasim Amin, the author of the 1899 pioneering book Women’s Liberation, as the father of Arab Feminist Movement. In his work Amin criticized some of the practices prevalent in his society at the time, such as polygamy, the veil, or women’s segregation, and condemned them as un-Islamic, and contradicting the true spirit of Islam. His work had an enormous influence on women’s political movements throughout the Islamic and Arab world, and is read and cited today (Deckard, 1975). Various women were able to raise their voices during that time. They were able to capture the attention of many and hear out their grievances. Let us take a closer look at each of the famous and most influential women during this Abolition Movement, and create a more prominent appreciation on their ways and methods of fighting for their cause. Among the most influential women whose actions were all aimed at highlighting the feminist rights, the Grimke sisters (Sarah Grimke and Angelina Grimke Weld) topped the list. Motivated by religion and a desire to live a useful life, they were among the first American women to speak in public. They wrote a number of tracts against slavery and for woman’s rights. To abolitionist acclamations, Angelina became the first American woman to address a state legislature. Both sisters would remain abolitionists and woman’s rights activists for the remainder of their lives with Angelina concentrating on the abolitionist movement and Sarah concentrating on the woman’s rights movement (Lerner, 1998). Sarah Grimke offered the best and most coherent Bible argument for woman’s equality yet written by a woman. She was also able to identify and characterize the distinction between sex and gender; she took class and race into consideration; and she tied the subordination of women both to educational deprivation and sexual oppression. She identified men, individually and as a group, as having benefited from the subordination of women. Above all, she understood that women must acquire feminist consciousness by conscious effort and that they must practice asserting their rights in order to think more appropriately (Lerner, 1998). Angelina, on the other hand, in several of her pamphlets and speeches, developed a strong argument for women’s rights to political equality. In her insistence on women’s right, even duty, to organize for political participation and to petition, she anticipated the practice and tactics women would follow for the rest of the century. In both her â€Å"Appeal to Southern Women† and in her â€Å"Letters to Catherine Beecher† she fashioned a defense of women’s right to organize in the antislavery cause which connected it with the causes of white women and influenced the practice of several succeeding generations (Lerner, 1998). It is therefore in culture that the main difference between First-World and Third-World feminism lays. The treatment of women in India is one filled with hypocrisy. In Narayan’s essay, the India chastises Western civilization for their treatment of women; for instance, Indian women were permitted to attend higher education classes decades before the English even considered the aspect. Indian’s say that they treat their women as goddesses, while the West treats their women far less as equals, but this in turn is duplicitous, in examples Narayan gives of the treatment from men received by her grandmothers, and her mother (chastisement, beatings, and submissiveness, and silence). Narayan gives childhood examples of how she became a feminist, and they are not dominantly rooted in the idea of Westernization, but culturally in a Third-World view, as she writes, â€Å"†¦though I cannot bring myself to it, of her pain that surrounded me when I was young, a pain that was earlier than school and ‘Westernization’, a call to rebellion that has a different and more primary root, that was not conceptual or English, but in the mother-tongue† (7). This then gives insight into how feminism isn’t dependent upon the introduction of Western culture in liberating women, but is in fact contingent upon a witness’s own account of oppression and their reaction to that oppression, that is that Narayan’s own rebellion was a response to her mother’s sadness in being trapped by her mother-in-law and her marriage. This exemplifies the difference between First-World and Third-World feminism, the fact that Narayan must contend with the paradigm of Western feminism instead of simply revered as representing her own culture’s fault; Narayan is not representing Western ideas but is only supporting equality and fair treatment for her fellow Indian women. In the Indian culture, women are perceived to become wives first and their own identity as a person is wiped away by such a paradigm, this is true for the incentive of women’s movements, the West included. Indian wives are submissive and the Third-World culture enhances this notion by parlaying women into marriage at the age of thirteen (as Narayan’s grandmother had done), and treating them as Other rather than as Self. Narayan writes of the predominant sentiment found in India in regards to women, â€Å"They were anxious about the fact that our independence and self-assertiveness seemed to be making us into women who lacked the compliance, deference, and submissiveness deemed essential in good â€Å"Indian† wives† (8). The wife and mother ideas of women are predominant in most cultures, and the concord factor between First and Third world feminism is united in this fact, and their rebellion against such submissiveness. The culture of feminism is presented as one that has great bonds with politics. For both First-World and Third-World feminism there is no difference in the root of feminism when it is in politics, and political campaigns that women are often secluded: in schooling, voting, and citizenship, women have been treated secondarily in both First and Third world cultures. Therefore, Narayan’s generation of Third-world feminist aren’t rebelling because of Westernization, but because in their own politics women have been forgotten in India and in the West, â€Å" It takes political connections to other women and their experiences, political analyses of women’s problems, and attempts to construct political solutions for them, to make women into feminists in any full-blooded sense, as the history of women’s movements in various parts of the world shows us. † Therefore, the dichotomy of First-World and Third-World feminism finds harmony in this political connection. The westernization of Indian has been blamed for the rebellious nature of feminism and even the introduction of the women’s movement, but in fact, it is the own culture’s deviant nature that gives rise to the necessity of feminism. Narayan gives example of her cousin being tortured with cigarettes and being locked away while in another country and keeping silent about it for years until a relative came to visit. The silence is the devastating part of the story; in Indian culture, it is supposed and indeed ingrained in Indian women to hold their tongues, and be submissive, and not innocent, but obedient. Yet, western culture was seen to pervade the Indian traditional way of living, â€Å"Veiling, polygamy, child-marriage, and sati were all significant points of conflict and negotiation between colonizing â€Å"Western† culture and different colonized third-World cultures. In these conflicts, Western colonial powers often depicted indigenous practices as symptoms of the â€Å"backwardness and barbarity’ of Third-World cultures in contract to the â€Å"progressiveness of Western culture. † The figure of the colonized woman became a representation of the oppressiveness of the entire ‘cultural tradition’ of the colony. â€Å" (17) The effect of this colonization of Indian women was one of conflicting progressiveness. Traditions of Indian culture were already bred with English sentiments (such as the sari) and English clothing was continually being upgraded and introduced into Indian culture; in fact men were wearing suits long before women were allowed to change into less traditional clothing. In one example Narayan gives, she and her family went on a vacation in a more rural part of the country and she was instructed to wear her Indian clothing and not her Western clothes because she had hit puberty (though in the city nothing was wrong with such clothes), Narayan writes, â€Å"My story reveals that what counted as ‘inappropriately Western dress’ differed from one specific Indian context to another, even within the same class and caste community†(27). The effects of Westernization therefore and colonization give rise to differing ideas of what constitutes traditional wear from one part of the country to another. In conclusion, Narayan gives insight to how differing opinions of feminism are still spurned from similar ideals. Third-World feminists are not ‘outsiders within’, that is, they are not denying the tradition of their country, but instead, feminists need to challenge some of the more patriarchal rules of India. Third-World feminists are not denying their culture, but are asking for change. Work Cited Ahmed, Sara (2004). â€Å"The Cultural Politics of Emotion†. Routledge Publishing Boydston, Kelley, Margolis, The Limits of Sisterhood, p. 178. Deckard, Barbara. 1975. The Women’s Movement: Political, Socioeconomic and Psychological Issues New York: Harper & Row. p. 253. Gerda Lerner. 1988. The Grimke Sisters from South Carolina: Pioneers for Women’s Rights and Abolition. Oxford University Press. Narayan, Uma. Speech and Silence in the Mother Tongue. Yee. Shirley J. Abolitionist Movement. February 2002. Sunshine for women.

Chapter 4 questions Essay

1. How do relative ethics compare to universal ethical standards? Should ethics ever be relative? Provide a rationale for your response. Ethics are a set of beliefs about right and wrong, good and bad. Universal ethical standards are norms that apply to all people across a broad spectrum. These six core values being trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Ethics should never be relative because their ethical standards shift depending on the situation and how it relates to them. This kind of two-face thinking is dangerous because it can help people rationalize bigger and bigger ethical deviations. 2. What is an ethical dilemma? Give 3 examples of ethical dilemmas that workers or managers might face in a business setting. An ethical dilemma is a decision that involves a conflict of values; every potential course of action has some significant negative consequences. Some examples of ethical dilemmas could be: Noticing an employee stealing from the company, Employees bending the rules of the company, or a supervisor demanding that you do something illegal. 3. Compare the role of the individual and the role of the organization in ethical decision making. How can business promote an ethical climate? As an individual you will have factors that come into play as you face ethical dilemmas. Your personal needs, your family, your culture, your religion, and your personality traits like self-esteem, self-confidence, independence, and sense of humor all play a significant role. As an organization the CEOs, and managers must communicate their personal commitment to high ethical standards and consistently drive the message down to employees through their actions. Business can promote an ethical climate by setting the best example for the employees. Communication will help promote an ethical climate, as well as enforcing consequences for violations of the ethics policy. 4. When might the need for social responsibility conflict with the need to maximize profits? When the needs conflict, how should a firm decide which  path to pursue? Social responsibility is the obligation of a business to contribute to society. A company’s goal is to make profits and without company profits other contributions are impossible. A company can choose to make no contribution, a responsive contribution, or a proactive contribution depending on the businesses values, mission, resources, management philosophy, and ultimately its position on social responsibility. 5. Do you believe that employers should respond to employee needs for work-life balance? Why or why not? What are the trade-offs? Yes, employers should respond to employee needs for work life balance. It creates a workplace environment that respects the dignity and value of each employee. It ensures that hard work, commitment, and talent pay off. It moves beyond minimal safety requirements to establish proactive protections. The best employees respond to the ongoing employee search for balance between work and personal life. The employees will work harder for the company and keep longer term jobs. People will appreciate the extra mile the company goes for its employees, giving you more highly qualified applicants to choose from. 6. What are the 4 consumer rights originally outlined by President Kennedy in the early 1960s? How would you rank those rights in terms of importance? Why? The four consumer rights are: The right to be safe, the right to be informed, the right to choose, and the right to be heard. I rank these in importance as follows: 1- The right to be safe (I don’t want to be hurt or lose my life due to faulty products.) 2- The right to choose (I want to be able to choose where and when I purchase products to best suit the needs of my family.) 3- The right to be informed (It is important to me that I know the companies I deal with are legit and ethical, as well as what goes into the products I buy.) 4- The right to be heard (I think it is important to be able to express your complaints to a company and that they learn from customer experiences.) 7. Define the concept of planned obsolescence. Is this strategy ethically unsound? Why or Why not? Planned obsolescence is the strategy of deliberately designing products to fail in order to shorten the time between purchases. This strategy is ethically unsound because it thins the consumer wallets and abuses consumers trust. Consumers are willing to pay more to buy products from a socially responsible company. 8. What is the difference between corporate philanthropy and corporate responsibility to The community? Which do you think is better? Why? Corporate philanthropy is all the donations a business has made to nonprofit groups including money, products, and employee time. As where corporate responsibility is business contributions to the community through the actions of the business itself rather than donations of money and time. I think corporate responsibility is better because the company is taking action itself to contribute to the community, rather than just throwing money at the problem. It shows more heart, and more effort, and more dedication to the community. 9. Define sustainable development. What are 3 examples of successful companies that have pursued sustainable development programs? Sustainable development is doing business to meet the needs of the current generation, without harming the ability of future generations to meet their needs. McDonalds (recycling cooking oil and cardboard), Dell (going fully carbon neutral), and Pepsi (cutting emissions from fertilizer) are three examples of successful companies that have pursued sustainable development programs. 10. How can domestic companies that outsource manufacturing to foreign factories ensure that their vendors adhere to ethical standards? Companies can bring together their own values with the laws of both the United States, and their host countries. Most socially responsible companies establish codes of conduct for their vendors setting clear policies for human rights, wages, safety, and environmental impact. Codes of conduct work best with monitoring, enforcement, and the commitment to finding solutions that work for all parties involved.

Research countering the student-teacher ratio effect Essay

Graddy and Steven (2005) examines several studies of secondary school performances throughout the U. K. and concluded that there is little to no effect of the student-teacher ratio on the achievement of students. Borland, Howsen & Trawick (2005) also found no noticeable connection between student achievement and either reduced or enlarged class sizes. The Congressional Budget Office presented results and analysis of 1986 SAT scores. Analysis revealed a relationship between student performance and student-teacher ratios. Lower student-teacher ratios were consistent with lower SAT scores (as cited in Hanushek, 2000). School size, which is another important consideration that also affects the student-teacher ratio, does not demonstrate an effect on student performance either, according to Lamdin (1995). There is also very little long-term effect of student-teacher ratio on student performance and lifelong achievement. Though Vignoles (1998) found a slight correlation between student-teacher ratio and student performance on O Levels exams in the United Kingdom, the observed effect was so small as to be insignificant. In fact he argues that true effect on student achievement is actually non-existent. This conclusion is based on the finding that the effect of a lower student-teacher ratio was not reflected in later years on the job market and in terms of earnings 17 years later. True achievement, he argues, is measured not by the standard of achievement tests, but by later success in life. He safely concludes therefore that there is no true effect of class size on student accomplishments. Schweitzer (1991) suggests that moves by institutions to decrease the pupil-teacher ratio are counterproductive and will only result in additional government spending with little effect on student performance. He believes that the old-fashioned method of â€Å"hard work on the part of the student, good teaching by the faculty, and strong motivation by both† (Schweitzer, 1991, p. 297) are the key ingredients to improved student achievement. Thus, as Gursky (1998) surmises, there is very little magic to class size or student-teacher ratio. Some researchers have proposed that the optimal size for any classroom is between 15 and 17 students. What the research is confirming is that there is presently very little in the way of consensus on the issue of whether or not reduced student-teacher ratios result in improved student performance. In the comprehensive review conducted by Hanushek (2000), 14% of the researches showed that there was a positive relationship between increased student-teacher ratio and a similar 14% found the opposite association. The remaining 72% found the relationship to be too insignificant to matter (p. 5). It is fallacious to suppose that all factors that may impact student performance can be isolated and controlled in order to discover a causal relationship between the variables of lower or higher student-teacher ratios and higher student performance. As researchers such as Hanushek (2000) and Preece (1987) would argue, there are a myriad of home-environmental and societal factors over which the state or school have very little control but which may impact student performance in either direction regardless of existing student-teacher ratios. Without a doubt the family background from which the students come plays a significant role in impacting achievement. Dustmann et al. (2003) proposes that the financial resources of the family, the quality time parents spend with children, the size of the family, a child’s birth order and the interest the parent shows in the child’s performance are important in analyzing factors that influence success in school. The socioeconomic context and location in which the child resides could also be a constraining factor. Preece (1987) adds that another factor, the heterogeneous nature of the classroom could be a significant key in understanding student achievement. He proposes that more homogeneous classrooms foster a better learning environment for students, regardless of class size or student-teacher ratios. Research has not proven either side of the debate but has demonstrated the possible merits of both. Educators seem determined, despite the lack of evidence to support the claim, to reduce the student-teacher ratios in an effort to impact student achievement. These educators are not completely misguided in their position however. It is a combination of factors too complicated to isolate that determines the how well each student achieves individually. Reduced class sizes have not proven to be harmful to any significant extent and thus existing policies to continue to reduce the student-teacher ratios cannot possibly do any notable amount of harm. ferences Alspaugh, J. W. (1994, Summer). The relationship between school size, student teacher ratio and school efficiency. Education, 114(4), 593-601. Borland, M. V., Howsen, R. M. & Trawick, M. W. (2005, Mar). An investigation of the effect of class size on student academic achievement. Education Economics, 13(1), 73-83. Colorado Association of School Boards, Colorado Association of School Executives & Colorado Education Association. (n. d. ). Believe in a better Colorado. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www. believeinabettercolorado. org/images Dustmann, C. , Rajah, N. & van Soest, A. (2003, Feb). Class size, education, and wages. Economic Journal, 113(485), F99-F149. Ehrenberg, R. G. , Brewer, D. J. , Gamoran, A.& Willms, J. D. (2001, Nov). Does class size matter? Scientific American, 285(5), 78-85. Graddy, K. & Stevens, M. (2005, Apr). The impact of school resources on student performance: A study of private schools in the United Kingdom. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 58(3), 435-451. Gursky, D. (1998, Oct). Class size does matter. Education Digest, 64(2), 15-18. Hanushek, E. A. (2000, Aug). Evidence, politics, and the class size debate. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from http://www. utdallas. edu/research/tsp/pdfpapers/paper19. PDF Lamdin, D. J. (1995, Apr). Testing for the effect of school size on student achievement within a school district. Education Economics, 3(1), 33-42. Morisi, T. L. (1994, Jul). Employment in public schools and the student-to-employee ratio. Monthly Labor Review, 117(7), 40-44. National Center for Education Statistics. (2001, Sep). Elementary and secondary school enrollment. Education Statistics Quarterly, 2(2). Retreived November 19, 2007 from, http://nces. ed. gov/programs/quarterly/Vol_2/2_2/q3-3. asp Preece, P. F. (1987, Jul/Aug). Class size and learning: A theoretical model. Journal of Educational Research, 80(6), 377-379. Sable J. & Garofano, A. (2007, Jun). Public elementary and secondary school student enrollment, high school completions, and staff from the common core of data: School year 2005-06. Retrieved November 19, 2007, from, http://nces. ed. gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo. asp Schweitzer, T. T. (1991, Summer). Collective bargaining, teachers, and student achievement: Comment. Journal of Labor Research, 12(3), 297-298. Vignoles, A. (1998, May). Raising standards in our schools: Does class size really matter? Economic Outlook, 22(3), 18-23.