Co-curricular Essay

Co-curricular is one of the activities being neglected in most schools in the past years. Our school being one of them had for long been emphasizing heavily in class work. By doing this, we could not realize our talents which are very basic in making us whole. Activity carried on 4th March last-term made each member of this school to change his or her mind. We witnessed how students have wonderful talents. Our school was among the top competing school in sports activities in this region. Sports has been one of the activity in school that that the administration has been overlooking. The school noted the need to change our strategies and came up with plans which will give students a chance to realize their talents. The school used to conduct classes from eight in the morning to four in the evening. After this, students moved to evening group discussions and thereafter they went back again to their classes for evening preps. These activities made us busy throughout the day before retiring to bed. The school has come up with a strategy that will ensure that students are trained both in class and in the co-curricular activities especially in sports. The School’s schedule is now flexible, as it will now allow students to get involved in these sports activities. Thanks to the students who participated in this event because due to their enthusiasm, passion and spirit in sports the administration made a sensible consideration and made sure that it has allocated time for these activities. I am grateful for this action as it will serve as an example to other learning institutions. Sincerely, References Cooperating School Districts. (2010). Programs and Services: Communications Crisis communication-Letters Assistance. Retrieved on 9 July 2010 from http://www. csd. org/vnews/display. v/ART/44abd0116f2d7

Report on Air Asia Essay

The route map of all the destinations covered by Air Asia and Air Asia X are also shown. Booking services Once the destinations are selected the flight times and the base prices will be displayed AirAsia GoAir Asia Go ensures customers to book flights and the hotel rooms in their preferred destinations at the click of the mouse. AirAsia Credit Cards With the Air Asia credit cards, each customer is entitled for great deals and discounts on selected flights and purchases from Air Asia. AirAsia Insure Air Asia has its own travel insurance, which is Air Asia Insure travel protection. AirAsia CourierWith Air Asia Courier, the courier rates are 50% lower than the nearest competitor prices. It has two main services, that is Delivery to Door and Airport to Airport services. AirAsia RedTix An online ticket service in which customers can buy tickets for upcoming sporting events, theatre shows, and many more. Air Asia RedTix partners with premier event organizers to bring customers the world of high class performances and entertainments. Red MegastoreA merchandise service from Air Asia in which you can browse and shop for exclusive merchandise from the comforts of your home. Exclusive Air Asia merchandise, collectibles, exclusive cosmetics and fragrances are available for customers to choose from. AirAsia. cafeThis is an in-flight experience that is specially tailored to cater to the needs of the customers’ needs and expectations. Food and Beverages, AirAsia Merchandise, and in flight entertainment. Figure: 8 Product & Services of Air Asia (Accessed on 25th May 2010) http://www. redmegastore. com/webshaper/store/viewCat. asp 3. 0 Mega Environment Mega environment are the general condition outside an organization. Mega environment have 5 elements. These are Technological, Economic, Legal Political, Social culture and International. In this particular time our group will be explaining about Technological and Social Culture. 3. 1 Social/Culture Brand culture With the tagline ‘Now everyone can fly’, Air Asia’s philosophy of low fares is aimed to make flying affordable for everyone. Air Asia also aims at making travel easy, convenient and fun for its guests Malaysia is a multiracial country, boasting races of Malays, Chinese, Indians and others. Malaysia’s state religion is Islam, but people are free to choose their religion. Malay is the official language in Malaysia, as English is also widely used. Fernandes’s management style to build on the basis of culture, creating a strong brand, and usinghis own unique way. He stressed that the departments are closely linked, and also the importance of distinguishing. He explained in the aviation industry, â€Å"The pilots think they are God, and also the engineers as these are very important people. † Air Asia’s philosophy is: not only affordable flights, but also interesting and fun experience in each flight.

Online Education

ONLINE EDUCATION: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES by Jarrod Novicke ABSTRACT Online Education is a rapidly growing field within a highly competitive educational market. With the advances in technology over the last several years, more universities are offering an online curriculum to a diverse range of students. The increased demand for an educated workforce; has increased the need for additional means of education beyond the traditional in-classroom experience. Due to this increased demand, institutions are being tasked with developing a reputable form of online education.The program needs to meet the needs of the faculty responsible for delivering the material, a growing student base, and also prospective employers. This study will look at the perspectives and problems faced by both the faculty and students as this medium for education continues to grow. In doing so, we will take a brief look at the history of online education and how its growth has affected students and faculty, both ne gatively and positively. INTRODUCTION Colaris, Gibson and Harris (2008) defined distance education as asynchronous or remote; computer based, and has an instructional system that supports it.Contrary to what many people believe today, distance education did not begin with the electronic age. The first recorded instance of this form of education was much earlier. Distance education began in the United States as early as the 1800s, when the University of Chicago introduced the first major correspondence by mail program based on the fact that the teacher and student were in different locations (Seibold, 2007). From these early beginnings, distance education has thrived in the U. S. for many reasons such as the expansive geographical distance between U.S. citizens from institutions, the great thirst of our citizens for education, and technologies’ rapid advancement (Casey, 2008). The technological advancement can be seen while tracing the origins of distance education. From the t ime of the first correspondence program in Chicago, technology has played a major role in the advancement of distance education. During the World Wars, our federal government granted radio broadcasting licenses to over 200 universities. This in turn allowed the use of radio as a medium to provide education delivery to flourish.By the early 1940’s, several schools were using both radio and mail correspondence to educate their students (Seibold, 2007). By the 1970’s and thru the 80’s cable and satellite television became a popular form of educational delivery to distance education students. With the invention of the World Wide Web in 1992, a form of distance education referred to as online education has now become readily accessible (Harasim, 2000). One can define online learning courses as a course that has at least 80% of the content delivered via the internet without traditional classroom interactions (Dykman & Davis, 2008).Over the past 20 years, the innovatio ns and technological advancement of the internet has caused an exponential growth and expansion in the delivery of online education. While at first glance this may seem like a positive advancement, there are many problems associated with this new form of distance education. This paper will focus on the growth of this online learning aspect of distance education and will address these perceived pros and cons, along with the perspectives of faculty and students alike. LITERATURE REVIEWDykman and Davis (2008) wrote a series of three papers and in the second one, used for this research paper, the focus was answering the question of how online teaching is different from conventional methods. The article discusses topics including online course planning and organization, teaching constraints and guidelines, tutorials versus lectures, relationships among teachers and students, and student performance assessments. Bejerano (2008) looked at the increasing trend among colleges and universitie s of accepting the internet as a new medium of education.The shift from traditional classroom learning to online learning was studied to see whether or not the students who are taking the online courses are getting a similar quality of education as the traditional face to face students. Bejerano also looks at the universities that offer online learning and the students who enroll in these courses. In the article College Distance Education Courses, Lei & Gupta (2010) evaluated the benefits and costs from the perspectives of the faculty, student, and institutions.Through their studies they have found and suggested that online education maximizes and facilitates learning more efficiently than traditional student learning. They write that although the benefits of online learning are great, there are also some costs that must be carefully evaluated and considered. Mohamed, Hassan, and Spencer (2011) they looked at and tried to measure the perceived risks student’s feel with online education. Their study developed a valid and reliable scale to measure risk of online education by using both quantitative and qualitative techniques.This study showed that the perceived risks of online education has five risk dimensions and the authors list and explain these five dimensions. In the research paper written by Seibold (2007), the author looked at the pros and cons of online education from several perspectives. In doing so, a brief history of online education was given from its early beginnings as distance education through the mail to the online education we a familiar with today. Also discussed is technologies impact on the growth of online education. GROWTH OF ONLINE EDUCATIONFaculty and students are turning to the Internet and online education more and more each year to supplement, or in some cases even replace conventional approaches to classroom teaching. With the advancements in both communication technologies and the computer itself, the internet has turned on line education into a powerful new tool for teaching and learning. Many say that these advancements in technology have the possibility of revolutionizing higher education with a wider reach in the marketplace for education and increased access to educational services for the students of various institutions (Dykman & Davis, 2008).Online education via the collegiate level has risen at an astounding speed, and it is doing so in ways no one would have foreseen years earlier (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Research done by Allen & Seaman (2009) illustrates that for six consecutive years the number of students enrolled in at least one online class has continued to grow at a rate in excess of the growth rate of higher education enrollments overall. Their research showed that for the fall of 2008, 4. 6 million students were enrolled online which represented a 17 percent increase over the fall of 2007. In contrast, there were 1. million students taking at least a minimum of one online course in the fa ll of 2002. The growth of students from 2002 to 2008 represents a 19 percent annual growth rate. Over that same time period the vast majority of the collegiate student body increased at a growth annually of only 1. 5 percent. As of 2008, over twenty-five percent of all higher education students enrolled in at least one course online (Allen & Seaman, 2009). Several of these students are considered to be off campus learners and have a wide range of work experience, ages, and family circumstances.At a number of institutes of higher learning however, close to half of the online students are estimated to be in school full-time and are students that are traditionally educated in the classroom that enrolled in an online course for reasons of scheduling or that of convenience. Most of these students are enrolled at public state-run universities, community colleges and other colleges which all offer at the very least a portion of online education (Mayadas, 2009).Virtually all of the institut ions of higher learning that have the desire and capabilities to add online courses to their curriculum are currently doing so. The small number of schools that still might launch their first programs online is for the most part, small, and has a minimal impact on the overall online enrollment figures. So who is benefitting from the latest growth in online enrollments? The answer to this question is that the majority of online enrollments are coming from the large, more established schools.These schools are in a better position to be able to increase their offerings of online education. The larger institutions on average teach more students online than any other size of school. The mean number of students who are enrolled online per institution has a correlation positive to that of the actual size of the institution. The pattern may be true for both graduate and undergraduate enrollment levels’, however there is a stronger relationship among the undergraduate population.The l arger institutions show a pattern of bigger online enrollments which result in a greater concentration of its online students at just a few universities. As an example, 89 percent of all the online students are studying at universities with more than one thousand online enrollments even though these institutions only make up 38 percent of the ones that offer some form of online education (Allen & Seaman, 2009). The institutions that offer these online education programs are actually both public and private, as well as institutions that are for-profit like the Universities of Phoenix, Capella, and Kaplan for example.Overall, the highest rates of growth in online education are located at community colleges and also at the aforementioned institutions that are for-profit. While the for-profit institutions are growing at a fast rate and definitely meet a big need, online enrollment is still dominated for the most part by the more traditional universities who have acquired the skills, fac ulty acceptance, and infrastructure to allow them to compete effectively (Mayadas, 2009). CONS OF ONLINE EDUCATIONAlthough online education has grown rapidly over the past several years, to the benefit of many, it has not done so without its share of costs/criticisms. One of the factors of online education that is having a major negative impact to the overall acceptance of distance education is the relative ease to which anyone can purchase a degree that is actually fake. The advancement of the internet has created a rise in a new form of graduate school, the diploma mill.It has become extremely easy to create a fake university online that looks like a credible major university simply by using fancy computer graphics and optimizing the search engine so that the school comes up on the first page of any online college searches (Seibold, 2007). Diploma mills are considered any institutions of higher learning that are unregulated and grant degrees with basically few academic requirement s, if any.Due to these so called diploma mills, other legitimate institutions offering online courses are having a hard time establishing their credibility. It was estimated in 2002 that the sale of fake degrees topped the $200 million dollar mark around the world. Commercialization is another aspect in higher education resulting in a negative impact to the perception of online education. Commercialization among institutions is on the rise and several universities are now considered to be teaching toward a job.Many see higher education and specifically online education as becoming more and more controlled by business rather than government and because of this, courses are focused on strictly preparing for the job. This may not necessarily be a bad thing, but many say that this intense focus on job preparation leads to a less rounded student (Vukelic, 2011). With the growth in online education, faculty members see many cons in this relatively new form of online learning. First and fo remost among faculty concerns is the risk of academic dishonesty increasing.Students that want to cheat will find a way to cheat regardless if the class in online or in a classroom, however research found that it is much easier for a student to cheat in an online class (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). The eCollege system of course management continues to make changes in regard to its software packages, however students can simply use screenshots of their test questions and save them to share with other students. For this reason, faculty must think of new ways to assess their students to ensure the validity of the test results (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011).Faculty also might find that online teaching is extremely time consuming and not as rewarding as they would like. Instituting an online class demands a good deal of organization and continuous monitoring during throughout the course. In the beginning, instructors may not be familiar or trained with the tools and the technology that are available to them which makes the job of developing and translating the good practice’s of the classroom they are used to seeing, difficult to achieve (Bejerano, 2008).Once the course is created, instructors might find the rewards associated with the daily interaction and student contact which is immediate in the classroom, is now lost because of time and space. Instructors often lose their chance to mentor, lead, advise, and become a role model amongst students because of the loss of personal interaction and communication with the student on a daily basis. This doesn’t mean that teacher and student interaction totally disappears, it is just not as rich of an interaction because the online environment is more restrictive in nature.Faculty members that enjoy teaching and are excellent at motivating and engaging their students, often do not find the same dynamic with online education that allow them to show their passion and experience the joy and excitement that yo u get from teaching face to face (Bejerano, 2008). From a student’s view, there are also cons associated with online education. One of the major issues is that not all students or potential students have access to nor can they afford new computer technology.In some instances a teacher might want his or her students to participate in a chat session on the web or discussion on the web, however a number of students might not have the ability to immediately access the internet or the means financially to obtain a computer with high speed internet, Skype, or chat capabilities (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Students are also required in many cases to have an excellent understanding of technologies and advanced skills with a computer.Oftentimes students do not have the patience for difficulties with technology that pertain to a sluggish internet connection or certain other issues related to a computer which results in a high level of anxiety from students evident through frequent email and vo icemail messages especially at the beginning stages of an online course. Students are afraid that they may have missed important assignments or that they are not sure of their responsibilities (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Another argument of online learning is that the chances for student’s social and academic assimilation into the learning environment or institution are minimized.These are factors that are a known contributor to student success. Basically, students taking an online course miss the campus experiences which link them to other students and faculty. Since this integration with peers and faculty is lacking, some students begin to feel isolation and alienation which could lead to students not completing their degree. However, many of these students are not aware of how important social and academic integration is and thus view online classes as a replacement to in class learning and they in turn miss the face to face educational experience.The traditional classroom settin g provides students with not only a great education, but it gives them a community of their peers where they can engage, interact, and be supportive of one another (Bejerano, 2008). Although there are many cons associated with online education, growth has been staggering which leads us to believe that the pros are outweighing the cons. PROS OF ONLINE EDUCATION Around the world universities and colleges are turning to the internet as a new method of instruction at a rapid rate as seen from the rapid growth stated above. Recent research has shown that the effect of online learning has been positive.Studies conducted in the area of legal, communication and social work reported no difference of significance between the traditional forms of education and that of online learning. This is true so long as the student has the proper technology and the technology works well (Seibold, 2007). In fact, the technological skills that are gained through the virtual classroom benefit the student and have become a second learning outcome. In terms of the positive effect online education has had on educational institutions, there are important and significant benefits that have led to the significant growth levels we see today.It has become apparent to educators involved in higher learning that the continued growth and demand of online education is changing the way instruction is delivered in a major way. Probably the most significant positive impact of the technology of online learning is that the limitation of space and time that used to exist has been removed for the most part by networking capabilities. Even during the major budget crisis of the past several years, universities are still embracing the same philosophies and educational missions which are to educate their students.The offering of online courses has allowed institutions to meet the educational needs of those students. Online classes tend to reach a broader audience with students from varying geographic areas th an do the conventional classrooms. Online courses can help students who are isolated geographically, disabled, or have extremely busy schedules actually obtain a quality education. Additionally, online learning does wonders to decrease classrooms that have become overcrowded.The online classes allow faculty and institutions to present additional courses at the most popular times demanded throughout the course of the week, which maximizes the resources available that are in short supply by increasing the flexibility of scheduling class. Students that may have had a schedule conflict can simply enroll in an online course. While comparing costs between educating a student in a traditional classroom versus an online course, the latter can decrease the costs of paper as well as the costs associated with photocopying since the majority of communication is done via email.Institutional costs also lessen as its students grow to be more knowledgeable about the multiple resources that are made accessible on the internet. Universities can now communicate effectively with their students and faculty by electronic means which reduces costs of printing class schedules, bulletins, upcoming campus and academic events as well as other forms of advertisements. Students and educators alike believe that by using online learning technology that they are promoting the green revolution, giving them the benefit of personal satisfaction of being socially responsible (Lei & Gupta, 2010).An institution’s faculty can also benefit from the use of online learning as a tool for education. An important benefit of online education for faculty is that the online environment is both place and time independent. Online learning provides professors with flexibility and convenience (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). Due to the decreasing demand of work, an institution’s faculty is now able to present papers, attend conferences, and take part in university recruiting.An additional benefit o f the online learning environment is that it trains students in the same technology that is giving global corporations a competitive advantage and allows them to build communities of international knowledge at the same time. Another positive impact of the steady rise of online learning is that this medium provides opportunities for students and faculty to interact as well as students to interact with each other during online discussions which might promote critical thinking and deep learning.By using online teams and round table type discussions students are sure to develop the sharing of knowledge and the construction of global communities of knowledge (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Many faculty members feel that there is a personal dialogue that occurs among them and their students in an online classroom setting that they simply do not get in the traditional classroom. Faculty reported that by using electronic communication, students are able to be involved more than they are in a tradition al in-class setting. In general, aculty perceive that students often are more relaxed and open in expressing their ideas when they are blogging and chatting via the internet, as opposed to face-to-face interaction in the classroom. While there are many positive aspects of online education for the institutions and faculty, students also see the positives as well. Students rely heavily on the computer and internet applications when learning in online courses. The teachers have limited face to face communication which may remove any misinterpretations that may occur due to possible poor communication skills by an instructor.Students enrolled in an online class can take the class wherever they are in the world. If they are taking a traditional campus course, they have to become accustomed to different classroom cultures, and form various learning styles to accommodate their professors. Students often can do away with this bias through online learning (Lei & Gupta, 2010). Another positiv e in the eyes of students is the flexible nature of the course and the independence they have to work at their own speed. Online students also have the ability to hold a full-time job during the day, managing their schoolwork and studying at night and on the weekends.Students can access courses and engage in online learning from anywhere in the world. Many universities are beginning to account for students with busy family and work schedules. Since many students rely on a steady stream of income to cover bills and other expenses, several universities have turned their marketing efforts to take into account the working adult’s lifestyle. Many accredited institutions are recognizing the need for a program that is time sensitive and are adjusting their curriculum for that reason.If students have certain family and job responsibilities but still wish to carry on with learning and developing in their career, online learning is an excellent option. Students also no longer have to w orry about daily parking and commuting issues associated with driving to campus. Not having to drive to class is a positive aspect to a student that is trying to live a more frugal and greener lifestyle. Since the materials, coursework, and teacher is accessible anytime and anywhere, there is not a need to commute to campus which thusly translates to lowering carbon emissions.Without having to travel to class, students are able to save money on gas and are able to decrease the amount of wear and tear that commuting puts on their vehicle (Nagel, Maniam, Leavell, 2011). As you can see, there are several positive factors that have led to the growth in online education FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES Whether you see online learning in a positive or negative light, it is continuing to grow at a rapid pace and many faculty members have strong feelings and perspectives about it.Faculty members are attempting to adapt to the increasing demand for online education while universities and other institutions of higher education are steering toward online methods of course instruction as an answer to increasing number of student enrollments. Innovation in online education is imperative to not only meet the growing need in the marketplace for higher education, but also to sustain the continued advancement and growth of today’s institutions. In a traditional, classroom-setting education, faculty generally implements a standard 40-40-20 to their workload. This is in reference to the total hours spent instructing a course.Teaching in the classroom accounts for 40% of time spent, 40% spent on course-related research, and the remaining 20% of workload is dedicated to service (Mupinga & Maughan, 2008). This formula for teaching, however, can bring about obstacles when applied to instruction of web-based courses. The inherent nature of a successful online course requires a certain level of technical â€Å"know-how†, technical support capabilities, a need for inf rastructure, and an altered course organization from that of a traditional course format, which can create a significant disconnect between time spent and compensation earned.It is not difficult for one to clearly understand the concerns that faculty face when expected to provide online course instruction. Unfortunately some professors who have never instructed an online course have mistakenly believed the process would be fairly easy, and flexible, unaware of the significant challenges that exist in the creation of the course program. However, often times, professors are very well aware of the technological difficulties related to online course delivery causing them to be apprehensive over participating in this method of education. Colaris, Gibson, & Harris, 2008) Some feel that with the increased demand of time required to effectively educate students through an online course, there should be an increase of compensation to match. However, it is commonly understood by most instruct ors that additional compensation will not be paid for teaching an online course. Most likely it is the case that additional pay would only be applied if the course enrollment numbers become unmanageable or if the technology tools necessary for course development are not provided.These very issues of workload and pay are those that universities and other institutions absolutely must address in order to sustain successful efforts to provide an answer to the needs of online education, while maintaining a focus on achieving their own unique goals within the world of education (Orr, Pennington, & Williams, 2009). Additionally, as universities are continually expanding their reach, and aiming to bring in higher numbers of enrollment, further hiring of faculty is necessary to serve the student body as well as redesign and devise innovative methods of online education (Good & Peca, 2007).Older generations of students are continually seeking out both new skills and new knowledge to adapt to an ever-changing marketplace and economic landscape, adding to the demand for institutions and universities to provide effective and relevant options for online education (Kolowich, 2009). Simultaneously, institutions of education are continually looking for creative solutions to sidestep tuition hikes as they suffer the microscope of tight budget constraints.Aside from the technological, budget, and staffing concerns that go along with an online course, an important question to ask for faculty members responsible for providing quality online instruction is whether or not the institutions where they are employed are effectively responding to the obstacles facing them in both planning and executing the courses. Overall, most faculty members feel that the institutions are doing a satisfactory job in addressing the concerns, though there are still some specific areas that need adjustment and improvement as this sector of education becomes higher in demand.In terms of compensation and a llowance of time off, faculty are well-pleased. These are not however, typical motivating factors for educators. The faculty members at institutions of higher education tend to genuinely enjoy their profession, and are committed to furthering their careers in education. Excelling in the realm of online education instruction only adds to, and broadens the spectrum of their experience, helping them remain competitive in today’s market of higher education where online instruction is no longer just an option, but an expectation of most students seeking higher education.In large part, educators are motivated by concern for meeting education needs of the students, leaving this to be the main factor that drives ongoing dedication. They hold a strong interest in making sure there are ample avenues for students to acquire their degrees and complete their education in a timely fashion. Faculty of higher education believe that they are morally and ethically obligated to provide alternat ive learning formats for the benefit of the students, while some also feel it is important for students to take part in, and experience what the environment of online learning has to offer.Generally, professors share a similar set of values, with compassion, caring, and commitment to their students’ education at the core, fueling the motivation for teaching. Naturally, the effective development of a quality online course is a legitimate concern across the board. Simultaneously the concern of adequate time allotment is consistently a concern at hand with faculty members. When it comes to online education, a member of faculty serves both as role of instructor as well as the role of facilitator.For an instructor to make a quality online learning experience possible for the students, there is the prerequisite of a higher time commitment from that faculty member. Clearly this concern could be mitigated by additional support staff to take part in the workload of online course devel opment. The professors must be involved with the development of online courses at various levels of the process. They are the sole individuals responsible for the content to be taught in the class, but this allows them a solid understanding of course structure.There are many institutions that are beginning to provide teams of developmental support to work alongside faculty members, to remove some of the pressure, as they will then have the ability to delegate much of the basic development activities to the support staff. For some professors who are accustomed to the freedom and creative flexibility of teaching in a traditional setting, learning to adapt to collaboration with a course facilitator or online course development team can be somewhat of a difficult adjustment.For these, the open access to their course through the online system by administrators or other faculty can cause them to feel uneasy, making it the change in course medium quite challenging to accept. A loss of cont rol at some degree exists, so this challenge to their teaching habits and preferred style of course conduct is still very real to many, even after mastering the technology involved with instructing an online course (Dykman & Davis, 2008). However, as a professor gains experience with the technology, process, and systems of online course development, the amount of required ongoing support from other staff will decrease.Many professors feel that the learning curve in transitioning into online course instruction may be significant, but moving forward into this method of educating students is pertinent to the ongoing growth of their careers as well as the future success of their institution. In order to support and enhance an instructor’s success with online classes, it is best that the faculty members have a clear understanding of exactly how their programs work into the bigger picture of the institution’s efforts (Orr, Pennington, & Williams, 2009).The members of faculty need to have clarity and specification of their institutions goals and direction to truly be fully committed to online learning. It is then possible for an instructor to ensure that his or her efforts of designing an online course fit nicely within the framework of their institution. Just as traditional classes, it is very important for online courses to fall in line with the objectives of the school goals. By insisting that these objectives be met, an institution can communicate an unambiguous message of the value and significance of the activities crucial to web-based learning programs.This sets up the instructors for a greater level of focus in designing and implementing an online course with the same degree of passion in educating online students, as they express in instructing a traditional classroom. This can likely lead to higher student success and personal satisfaction of faculty. In addition to creating an environment to encourage internal gratification of educatorsâ€⠄¢ efforts, it is essential for universities and other institutions to provide substantial outward recognition of instructors’ online teaching efforts by department.By instilling a stronger system of recognition for online instruction and providing an outline of how opportunity for promotion is possible, instructors are more likely to increase their skills and master online course development in such a way that meets the institutions standards and goals, ultimately fulfilling the student body’s growing expectation of high-quality online education. It is also critical that institution solicit input from the teaching faculty when addressing various quality concerns of online courses and the reality of student learning outcomes.The majority of professors want to ensure that their students receive an excellent education experience, therefore are open to accepting suggestions to improve the overall efficacy of current programs. This cooperation between instructors, staff su pport and administration will enhance every aspect of the overall design and delivery of online courses. In planning for an increase of online education courses to meet today’s demand, it is imperative that institutions take into account the motivation behind faculty charged with instructing them.By clearly understanding why an instructor is driven to educate, an institution can help show them the value of teaching online. It is then possible to lead faculty members to appreciate exactly how online learning programs are critical in accomplishing the institution’s ability to offer a diversity of courses required to meet the students’ educational needs. Aiding faculty in understanding the true value of online education will increase their proficiency of online class development as well as instruction.This type of support and motivation is a key element in teaching a course online, as faculty members in general need to feel a sense that their efforts add value to t he institution where they teach. Online education has become a proven method for fulfilling the learning needs of today’s students. This can be seen from its exponential growth over the past few years, and for universities and colleges planning to further develop and enhance online education courses, they stand to benefit greatly from ongoing research into methods of faculty motivation. STUDENT PERCEPTIONS & PERSPECTIVESWith online education growing like it is in universities, students are now granted the choice to attend traditional face-to-face classes or choose an online option. Today’s online education opportunities allow students to meet their educational goals in a convenient, flexible, and cost effective manner. While having a bevy of educational options open to them is great, there are many risks that students perceive to go along with the positive aspects of an online education. There is no such thing as a typical student, however online education courses tend to attract mature students hat have several demands on their time so they tend to be in particular fairly discerning regarding their courses. This is the result of the conflicts the course could potentially create with the students’ personal and professional commitments and also because there is a tendency for students to either pay for their own education or be sponsored by their employer. Therefore institutions that provide online education must be conscious of the fact that they are dealing with a student body that value their education and are more than willing to criticize the courses they feel are wasting valuable money and time.These students share in the fact that they invest a substantial amount of time, money, and effort so they are conscious of the way that their investment is being used and/or misused (Tricker, Rangecroft, & Long, 2001). As demand for online education continues to rise, online students are seeking programs with the best reputations, so it is impe rative that educators strive to meet the highest standards in this regard. The risks a student perceives while making the decision on whether or not to take an online class are many, especially considering those students who are new to the concept of online courses.The student may be attracted to this type of education because of its convenience, but at the same time, they may be concerned about course effectiveness, their ability to interact and communicate with their classmates, and the likelihood of their success. Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer (2011) define risk as â€Å"the variation in the distribution of possible outcomes, their likelihood and their subjective values† (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011). The decision to take an online class can involve some risk because in doing so, there could be uncertain or unexpected consequences which may be negative in nature.Potential students might wonder if they will be able to learn online as well as they do in a traditional class room setting, whether or not they will have communication with their teachers and/or peers, if their grades may suffer, and whether they will be able to finish their course on time and so on. The perception of these various issues, accurate or not, will likely affect potential student’s intention to enroll in an online course. There is a perceived psychological risk that reflects the concern regarding the tension and discomfort that might arise due to enrollment in an online education ourse. Research has shown that some online students often feel more isolated, anxious, frustrated, and confused than a traditional student does (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011). In addition, online education students can also experience a reduced feeling of belonging to the class and may miss the participation and discussions associated with a traditional university classroom. It is very important that instructors stay sensitive to the needs of the students, and have programs in place to reduc e these emotional reactions by creating a culture of involvement.Finally, there is some research that suggests online students might fear they will be unable to complete their course work because of lack of discipline, self-motivation, and writing skills. Today the attrition rates for online students are 10 to 20 percent higher than those of students in a traditional classroom setting (Dobs, Waid, & Carmen, 2009). Performance risk is related to concerns of whether the program will deliver benefits promised or perform as desired. Many students experience some form of technical problems during their course (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011).And at times, online students perceive instructors to be less prepared, use teaching methodologies that are not appropriate, and often give bigger workloads than are given in traditional classrooms. Online students also show less satisfaction than their counterparts on campus with the degree of interaction with their instructor and it primarily occ urs when they did not grasp the material in the lecture. Additionally, online students have reported that their understanding of the subject increases at a lesser rate and the course held less value than the students participating in a traditional classroom.Further, the perceived risk of time demand involves the fear surrounding the required amount of time and the effort that is required to complete the online course. Many students see the convenience and flexibility of taking online courses as a major benefit, however for those that are full time employees or have obligations with their family; concerns often arise about the demands on their time. In a study of student perceptions in online learning performed by Eom and Wen, the study participants often complained about losing work that was previously saved, the length of assignments, and the slow times of screen loads.Another item of note reported by online students is the frustration they felt with the time that was spent doing o nline administrative service tasks like ordering textbooks, advising, and library access (Eom & Wen, 2006). Students also feel a form of social risk that is related to the concern they have regarding what others will think about their degree. Students might fear that their online degree will not be accepted well by family, friends, or most importantly by employers.This perceived risk is an important hurdle that institutions face in attracting online education students. Finally, the last source of perceived risks that students face is source risk. Source risk is the concern for the credibility of the institution that is offering the online education course. When students are deciding on whether or not to enroll in an online course they often worry about the reputation of the institution, the institution’s location, and whether the online program will accept other institutions transfer credits.The students also may worry that potential employers might question the value of the online education institution in comparison to an education in a traditional manner (Mohamed, Hassan, & Spencer, 2011). CONCLUSION Through the research conducted for this paper, it is evident that online education is not only here to stay but growing at a rapid pace. From the beginning of distance education in the early 1800’s to today’s online learning, the advancements in technology have been immense.This advancement in technology has opened up education possibilities to student’s from all walks of life and connected students from all over the world. The first people to embrace this new revolution of online learning were the educators and now with the new and improved online learning tools and amplified opportunities in education, society as a whole is being influenced in ways never seen before. As we delve into the 21st century, the implications behind this newfound educational conversion are beginning to be recognized by the public at large.With it we have se en an extraordinary level of investment, changes in public feelings, and a fury of (sometime not realistic) expectations regardless of the progress that has been made in altering pedagogic and institutional strategies. As we move forward, online education is no longer supplementary or peripheral, it has turned into a vital part of mainstream society (Smith & Mitry, 2008). Though we have seen that there are many pros and cons as well as varying perceptions among students and faculty, no one can deny the level of growth in online education over the years.It is obvious from the growth seen that the pros are outweighing the cons as well as the rewards outweighing the risks for both faculty and students alike. Only time will tell when this explosion of growth in online enrollment and the technology advancements will level off but for now online education is here to stay and growing rapidly. Dedication to advancement and growth in online course development by institutions and instructors alike are pertinent to the future of today’s student. References Adams, J. , & DeFleur, M. (2006). The Acceptability of Online Degrees Earned as a Credential for Obtaining Employment.Communication Education, 32-45. Allen, E. , & Seaman, J. (2009). Learning on Demand. The Sloan Consortium, 1-24 Bejerano, A. (2008). The Genesis and Evolution of Online Degree Programs: Who Are They for and What Have We Lost Along the Way? Communication Education, 408-414. Casey, D. (2008). The Historical Development of Distance Education Through Technology. Tech Trends, Vol. 52, No. 2. Colaris, S. M. , Gibson, S. G. , & Harris, M. L. (2008). Technology Acceptance in an Academic Context: Faculty Acceptance of Online Education. Journal of Education for Business, 355-359. Columbaro, N. & Monaghan, C. (2009). Employer Perceptions of Online Degrees: A Literature Review. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Vol. 7, No. 1. Conceicao, S. C. O. (2006). Faculty Lived Experiences in the Onli ne Environment. Adult Education Quarterly, 26-45. Dobbs, R. , Waid, C. , & Carmen, A. (2009). Students’ Perceptions of Online Courses – The Effect of Online Course Experience. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 9-26. Dykman, C. , & Davis, C. (2008). Online Education Forum. Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 19, No. 1. Eom, S. Wen, J. (2006).The Determinants of Student’s Perceived Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction in University Online Education: An Impirical Investigation. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, Vol. 4, No. 2. Good, K. & Peca, K. (2007). The Hidden Hypocrisy of University Faculty Regarding Online Instruction. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 267-277. Lei, S. & Gupta, R. College Distance Education Courses: Evaluating Benefits and Costs from Institutional, Faculty, and Students’ Perspectives, Distance Education Vol. 130, No. 4. Maughan, G. R & Mupinga, D. M. (2008), Web-Based Instruction and CommunityCollege Faculty Workload. College Teaching, 56. Mayadas, A. (2009). Online Education Today. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, Vol. 13, No. 2. Mohamed, F. , Hassan, A. , & Spencer, B. (2011). Conceptualization and Measurement of Perceived Risk of Online Education. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, Volume 15, No. 4. Nagel, S. , Maniam, B. , & Leavell, H. (2010). Pros and Cons of Online Education for Educators and Students. International Journal of Business Research, Vol. 11, No. 6. Orr, R. , Pennington, K. , & Williams, M. R. (2009). Institutional Efforts to SupportFaculty in Online Teaching. Innovative Higher Education, 34, 257-268. Seibold, K. (2007). Employers’ Perceptions of Online Education. The University of Oklahoma Thesis, 1-130. Smith, E. , & Mitry, D. (2008). Investigation of Higher Education: The Real Costs and Quality of Online Programs. Journal of Education for Business, 147-152. Tricker, T. , Rangecroft, M. , & Long, P. (2001). Evaluating Distance Educa tion Courses: The Student Perception. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 26. Vukelic, B. (2011). Employer’s Evaluation of Online Education. DAAM International, 1471-1472.

Pros and cons of outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pros and cons of outsourcing - Essay Example Total outsourcing means the decision to transfer IS assets, leases, staff, and management responsibility far delivery of IS services from an internal IS function to a single third party vendor which represents more than 80 per cent of the IS budget. Millar (1994 cited Greaver 1999) defines four basic types of outsourcing arrangements: General outsourcing encompasses three alternatives: (1) selective outsourcing where one particular area of IS activity is chosen to be turned over to a third party, such as data centre operations; (2) value-added outsourcing where an area of IS activity is turned over to a third party who is thought to be able to provide a level of support or service which adds value to the activity that could not be cost-effectively provided by the internal IS group; (3) co-operative outsourcing where some targeted IS activities are jointly performed by a third party provider and the internal IS department. Researchers discovered that many companies investigated outsou rcing as a consequence of IS managers' failure to demonstrate the value of IS to various stakeholders within the organization. Many different stakeholders (senior managers, business unit managers, IS managers, IS staff, and end users) possessed different preferences, expectations, perceptions, and agendas for IS. Form post-modernization point of view, the enthusiasm for IS outsourcing in the trade press is not unique-any new management trend promises to be the panacea to organizational problems. Through radical change, be it business process re-engineering, total quality management, virtual corporations, etc, practitioners are offered yet another utopia. Such positive press tempts many senior executives to jump on the latest bandwagon, and subsequent research shows that many organizations improve radically (Burnett, 1998). Financial Benefits of Outsourcing Many senior managers cite financial reasons for outsourcing. In particular, senior managers view outsourcing as a way to cut costs, improve cost control, and restructure the IS budget. Many companies expect that outsourcing would save them money. They perceive that vendors enjoy economies of scale that enable then to provide IS services at a lower cost than internal IS departments. In particular, senior managers believe that a vendor's unit costs are less expensive due to mass production efficiencies and labor specialization (Greaver 1999). Another financial rationale for outsourcing is gaining control over IS costs. As any IS manager will attest, IS costs are directly related to IS user demands. In most organizations, however, IS costs are controlled through general allocation systems which motivate users to demand and consume resources excessively. General allocation systems are analogous to splitting a restaurant tab--each dinner companion is motivated to order an expensive dinner because the cost will be shared by the other parties. Participants saw outsourcing as a way to control costs because vendors implement cost controls that more directly tie usage to costs. In addition, users no longer call their favorite analysts to request frivolous changes, but instead must submit requests through a formal cost control process. This results in the curtailing of excessive user demands and thus reduces overall IS costs.

Tree-Species Density across Environmental Gradients Zones Research Paper

Tree-Species Density across Environmental Gradients Zones - Research Paper Example Vegetative populations proliferate in a given section of land when conditions of moisture, temperature, and soil composition favor certain species at the expense of others. Experiments of this sort are crucial to enhancing our understanding of species diversity. Â  Similar ecological conditions can exist between both mountainous regions and ravine systems. Either of these landscape systems can yield effects on communities of vegetation, providing niches where they may not otherwise exist. Landscape effects can be hydrological, thermal, and these locations are known to produce microclimates with influences on soil moisture and nutrient availability. Â  The hydrological cycle in the region can experience variations in water infiltration within the soil, proclivities towards erosion/soil retention, movements of air fronts and dry adiabatic lapse rates; all relating to the slope of the terrain, or lack thereof. Terrain slopes affect soil types, which impact the growth of a variety of plants, which itself influences sunlight availability, which influences the success of subsequent vegetation. These combinations cause vegetation to arrange in communities favoring undergrowth/ground cover, shrubs, and canopy trees. Trees are of specific importance for this study, which will document tendencies of five species to colonize either of three environmental gradient-levels upon sloping terrain. Â  These gradient-levels form zones that will naturally distribute similar plants along a horizontal axis to take advantage of the slope conditions most favorable to them, while the most variation will occur along a vertical axis, as soil and air conditions vary with elevation. Â  

Legal Based Analysis of The Leveson Inquiry Essay

Legal Based Analysis of The Leveson Inquiry - Essay Example By extension, this inquiry serves as the starting point within which a framework for regulating the media can be based and then modalities developed to handle any malpractices within the press. Although the inquiry started with a narrow area of scope, it soon snowballed into an enigma revolving around media ethics or its absence within journalism. Journalism and press are synonymous with each given their close association. It follows then that when either of them is brought into disrepute, then automatically the other one is also adversely affected. In the case of Lord Justice Leveson inquiry, a lot of dirt was dug out with regards to the rot within the British press. This rot was evidently brought by tabloid journalist s hungry for recognition at the expense of high ethical standards that have existed within British Press. On the sides, the police and the politicians turned a deaf ear to the declining ethical standards all the while assuming casual demeanour. A close scrutiny of Lor d Leveson’s inquiry1 reveals a tinge of mediocre and serious issues that affect the society at large. In large parts of the report, the matters being focussed are less serious like tabloid journalism. However, this does not in any way let the mainstream press of the hook since the rulings and recommendations will affect all forms of press across the board. One of the concerns about the report is that, it tries to compare and handle journalism like other professions like medicine or engineering. This is partly because every profession has got different ethical standards to observe and these standards are not directly transferable to other professions. To say the least, there is very little articulation about the new technologies of communication which is very similar to journalism. Take for instance someone who is blogging or posting information on the internet is more or less a reporter. There appears to be thin line between mainstream journalism and tabloids which is the foc al point of the report. First off, the mess and decline of the ethical standards within the British Press have been largely caused by tabloids and exacerbated by both politicians and police. The latter two have failed to act swift and nip the problem at the bud which has led to them being caught up and entangled within this elaborate web of decay. As a way of affirming the guilty of the tabloids and their insensibility to the reality of the matter, both the politicians and police have been apt in siding and backing up the findings of the report. However, their swift move does not exonerate them from their shortcomings and failure which they have propagated within the past couple of years. It would seem seldom sensible to act fast to mop up the rot since much of the ethical practices carried by the parties adversely mentioned in the inquiry are outlawed within the law. Some of these unlawful undertakings include; phone tapping, harassment among other equally heinous acts within the p ublic domain. Of interest in all these subtle crimes within the press and reporting sphere is the fact that despite the existence of legislations outlawing such activities, they happen unabated by the law. One of the most astounding recommendations of by the report is to replace the

Rare earth-Business Globalization Research Paper

Rare earth-Business Globalization - Research Paper Example as shown at Fig-1.The same can be inferred from Table-1 showing the production of rare earth from 1983-2003.The geographical location of major rare earth mines are shown at Fig-2.China, which produced 120,000 tonnes or 97% of world output of rare earths in 2009, is undeniably the largest producer of rare earths globally, with India trailing far behind at a distant second place producing only around 2% of the global output(Humphries,6),(Rare Metal Mining, Nov 7,2010). The Baotou’s Bayan Obo mines in Inner Mongolia of China, containing 40,000,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides hold the largest estimated deposits of rare earths in the world, producing 55,000 tonnes of rare earths annually, which is more than 50% of rare earths presently extracted in China. Neodymium and Lanthanum are produced from left-overs of iron ores at these mines(Forbes.com). The US company Moly Corp at Mountain Pass, California is the topmost rare earth producing plant outside of China, with 6 tonnes daily ou tput of rare earth oxides which approximates to 40-67% of rare earths extracted outside of Chinese mainland(Lifton J, Rare Earth Crisis-Part-1). China, Japan, Korea and the EU are supposedly following a policy of maintaining reserves of rare earths. The European Union has identified as strategic and critical, 40 metals for safeguarding and stockpiling purposes( Lifton J, Rare Metals,5).China, has only recently embarked upon a similar policy of establishing and maintaining rare earth reserves to stabilize their prices. It has been reported that China has plans to store 200,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide reserves spread over 10 strategically located reserves(Deloitte,3). China appears to have become concerned about its rising domestic consumption of rare earths, fuelled by rapid industrialization of its metallurgical sector and consumer demands in varied other sectors such as wind turbine, and electronic goods such as cell phones, laptops and in green energy technologies.

Vision and mission of the Knights Templar in the 21st Century Essay

Vision and mission of the Knights Templar in the 21st Century - Essay Example Considering the religious zealously of the Middle Ages, the Holy Land was a prominent, if not the most prominent, focal point of political change, both in Europe and the Muslim Middle East. The conquest of the Arabs provided the Pope Urban II to make a rallying call to all European nations to embark on the Holy Crusades. The First Crusade resulted in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099, and this prompted an increase of the already substantial number of pilgrims that came to visit the sacred Christian places in the Holy Land. However, even though the large city centers, like Jerusalem, were secure from local criminals, the Outremer, the territory between these city centers was heavily plagued by robberies and murders. Hugues de Payens and Godfrey de Saint Omer in 1119 proposed the creation of a monastic order with the purpose of protecting the pilgrims. Therefore, The Knights Templar was created, which in 1129 was officially endorsed by the Catholic Church at the Council of Troyes. The p urpose of the Knights Templar, was therefore, closely linked to the Christian control of the Holy land and this purpose did not change in the three century history of the Order. The unchanging purpose of the Order, however, did not reflect the status, structure and grandeur of the Order. Beginning as poverty-stricken order consisting of only a few knights, it quickly developed into one of the most successful military and monastic orders of the Middle Ages. Its members were sworn to poverty, but accumulated and controlled a vast wealth, consisting of the estates of members which were nobles and the growing interest in the new system of protection, which consisted of pilgrims placing their finances with the Templars in Europe and retrieving their finances from Templars in the Middle East. The relative successes of the Crusades and the Templar's contribution further improved their wealth and status. It must be emphasized that the major contributions of the Knights Templar to society of the Middle Ages, as well as the Modern Age, such as the early forms of banking and the many building projects consisting of towers, public buildings and especially castles revolved around the basic purpose of the order- protecting the pilgrims in the Middle East. The failure of the several crusades had a detrimenting effect on the support for the order, and the political influence of some of the more powerful European leaders which were seriously in debt to the order, led to their decline and eventual demise. It is from this point that the influence of the Order on modern chivalric orders must be considered. Many of the symbols of the order were adopted by various masonic and charitable chivalric organizations, which take into account the fact that the main purpose of the Knights Templar cannot be resurrected and preserved considering the political and social situation on a global scale. Instead there is a more humane and charitable alteration to this purpose, which is more or less present in the statuses of all orders that bear the name and symbols of the Knights T

AT&T sales management plan - BODY ONLY no abstract or conclusions Term Paper

AT&T sales management plan - BODY ONLY no abstract or conclusions - Term Paper Example The AT&T organization holds workshops for the different managers in the organization. These workshops enable them to acquire adequate skills in using the sophisticated equipment the organization sells. The management is also able to have a feel of what their customers require. The organization should focus on a few areas such as increasing their negotiations for sales with their customers. They should use online training to enhance support among their users’ performances. The sales team should also been assigned with the task of tracking the results of their sales and reporting them to the organizations management. This will in turn enable the management to make improvements on the products that are performing dismally. The sales team will rely on building more stable and accountable relationships with their customers to ensure their sales remain high. The organization has entered into an agreement with other producers of technology to improve on their product’s quality. This ensures that their sales and profitability levels remain high (Still, Cundiff and Govoni, 2006). An example of such an agreement was entered into with Cisco systems, which was meant to create products that were compatible with their widely used technologies. They should enter into similar agreements in future to enhance their productivities and profitability. The sales management is charged with the responsibilities of planning, controlling, directing and staffing the sales team activities. They are left to plan the strategies the team will use in order to accomplish the organizations objectives. This is because the sales team mingles directly with the customers and understands their needs better. They are left to control the teams activities to ensure their activities reach a wider market. The sales team has experience in the field and should employ methods that increase the

A Street Car Named Desire Essay Example for Free

A Street Car Named Desire Essay Everyone sees each other in a different way; some see others as good people and others may not see a good person in anyone. We also see ourselves in a different light than others may see and may glorify ourselves to an extent. Stanley Kowalski from the play â€Å"A Street Car Named Desire† by Tennessee Williams, is no exception this statement. At the very start of the play, he sees Blanche DuBois as a cheat and a liar from the first moment he saw her. Part of the hostility and tension between Stanley Kowalski and Blanche DuBois derives from their differing class backgrounds. Blanche, the delicate offspring of a once-wealthy Southern family of landowners who formed the aristocracy of that society, encounters the animalistic Stanley. His crude language and articulated perceptions of Blanche to disturb her fragile nature. Blanche sees Stanley as a working class man who enjoys sex, drinking, bowling, poker playing, violent and most importantly as an animal. Stanley however sees himself more as the â€Å"King of New Orleans† and as a man who should be treated with respect. The question still remains however to what extent should we judge others and ourselves. At the start of the play we see how Stanley enjoys sex. He uses the meat and throws it at Stella to imply how he wants to have sex with her. With this image we are able to see Stanley through Stella’s eyes and how she perceives him. Once Stanley meets Blanche we see yet another time how he only cares about looks and sex when he says Blanche isn’t all that bad looking as he is being suspicious of her losing Bell Reave. We also see Stanley rape Blanche in scene ten showing how he only cares about sex. Another example would how he reaches into Stella’s blouse at the end of the play. â€Å"[He kneels beside her and his fingers find the opening of her blouse]†. Drinking is another image that describes Stanley’s character. Within every scene that Stanley is in involves alcohol. Stanley’s drinking habits causes him to reflect his other characteristics for example he becomes violent towards Stella in scene three after a night of alcohol and gambling. Stanley’s alcoholic behavior is usually induced when he is playing poker, celebrating, or during social gatherings. He is also shown in scene ten that Stanley becomes â€Å"in the mood† when he is intoxicated, because he rapes Blanche after he has drank many beer. â€Å"[Stanley appears around corner of building, he’s had a few beers and is carrying some quart bottles with him]†. Though it is not seen as a very important towards the perception of Stanley’s character, bowling is seen as one of the abundance of activities that he relishes. Throughout the play we see little tidbits of Stanley bowling. Bowling could be seen as an escape for Stanley because he seems to go bowling whenever hostility is about to commence. In scene eight he uses bowling to escape Stella’s anger towards him when he bestows the bus ticket upon Blanche for her birthday. Stella: â€Å"She is. She was. You didn’t know Blanche as a girl. Nobody, nobody, was tender and trusting as she was. But people like you abused her, and forced her to change. [Stanley crosses into bedroom, ripping off his and changing into his bowling shirt, she follows him] Do you think you’re going bowling now? † Poker is shown to be a man’s territory in the play and because Stanley is a manly man, the card game is a part of his character. Poker, like bowling, can be seen as an escape for Stanley and a chance for him to get some man time with his friends. However it is more like an addiction than a night with the boys. Mitch: â€Å"Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women. † Violence is shown as a norm within the play. Though Blanche was not used to the violence in scene three she becomes accustom to the violence later in the play. Stanley is shown as a person whom has anger management issues that leads him to his violent outbreaks. He also uses his violence to assert his dominance within every situation. Activities that Stanley enjoys, also stimulate violent behavior when he gets frustrated or irritated. â€Å"Stella: Your face and your fingers are disgustingly greasy. Go and wash up and then help me clear the table. [he hurls a plate to the floor. ] Stanley: That’s how I’ll clear the table! Don’t ever talk that way to me! â€Å"Pig -Polack – disgusting –vulgar – greasy! † – them kind of words have been on your tongue and your sister’s too much around here! What do you two think you are? A pair of queens? Remember what Huey Long said – â€Å"Every Man is a King! And I am the king around here, so don’t forget it! [he hurls a cup and saucer to the floor] My place is cleared! You want me to clear your places? † The final characteristic of Stanley is his animal like behavior. His violence as well as his sexual tenancies are the key players in his behavior. Stanley is shown as a person that does not care about others feelings or what they say. In scene two when Stanley interrogates Blanche about Belle Reave, he does not care for the letters or her possessions when he was searching through her belongings. When Stella tells Stanley that Blanche is very fragile, he just answers her with a â€Å"so? † to show his indifference to Blanche’s feelings. â€Å"Stanley: I don’t care if she hears me. Let’s see the papers! † All of these perceptions of Stanley are major in the development of his character. Stanley uses his different perceptions to create an atmosphere of dominance around those around him making him the â€Å"King of the jungle†. With trying to create this atmosphere, Stanley ups his status as king. This brings us to the conclusion that self-judgement may create a good self-esteem but will diminish other’s judgement.

Child labor in Egypt

Child labor in Egypt Child labor in Egypt Child labour is work that may harm children or keep them away from education. It is a disaster on edge, a world wide known scene is the working child. You can see them every where especially in developing countries, rural areas. To the degree that you can forget that its a big catastrophe that really concerns our families and communities. Our hope in those children fades into a black ugly future. Child labor is work that harms children or keeps them from attending school. I do believe that Poverty and the lack of education are the most important reasons for child labor, especially in the agrarian sector. Other reports show that the policies of market liberalization contribute greatly to the spread of this phenomenon and the violation of childrens rights to care and protection. More over Consequences of child labor are crystal clear which do affect the psychological state and their health; causes are varied according to the community, needs, traditions and the knowledge raising level. However solutions are always available if we do care to reach them. This essay examines the problem of child labor and its causes and effects, together with the required measures needed in order to prevent the serious issues that could be disastrous and life threatening on Egyptian children. First we have to define the word child; the meaning could be based on different aspects, some can refer to puberty age as a quite end of childhood thus boys of 13 and girls of 10 are supposed to be mature and not children anymore, in my opinion this is the peek of injustice. Other can refer to the education years, so that after secondary education you are more of a man knowing that you completed about 16 years old, much better opinion yet not really satisfying. Others do prefer the medically word reaching, being mature by 21, and that is quite fair but it wont ever be considered as a minimum working age in our country. So the word actually differs from one culture to another, and as a result laws should be imposed on that part which I think that its effective when discussing that problem, the real age of working should be settled under the supervision of lots of medical and psychological doctors to reach the optimum age where we can say that working man is not more a child labor. When thinking about it, there are a lot of complexities and considerations that should be taken wisely and handled carefully to achieve the best results. First we have to know or even passing by the psychology of the child. It is well known that his psychology and his mental state structure are really different from the mature ones, they had their own thinking and their own bright colored captivated world, it should be mingled with joy and happiness, play and developing themselves step by step but in insuring way, to discover their own world through their families, their bodies and souls. An important stage that will surely affect our lives in the future, what if that part of his life is removed, depriving him from his rights, but even adding a lot of responsibilities on his back? They will surely age quickly and die much younger. Few can consider it a benefit that working early in your life would grow the reliability and the responsibility features in the kid of 8 years, Im totally against it, they think that those arent human but more of computers, the more you give, the more you take, its more like feeding a new born baby the usual meals of a grown man. Being a thief, that what someone can call himself when he orders a kid to work, stealing his best part of his life, his childhood, he is aging him so early that the child could come to a certain point and got lost just from tiredness. â€Å"Children are bullied, isolated and shut out of school. They are missing out on education. They are missing out on medicines. Children are missing your love, care and protection.† (Jackie Chan) Children have special needs that should be fulfilled first before going to work like basic needs of food, shelter, emotions, and love and caring. It is believed that the last one is the most important thing to produce a reasonable state and a man later. The fact of choosing has to be considered also, had the child has the right of choosing being a labour or not, most of them had been ordered to work either by their parents or any other member of their family. What can a child aged 6 years offer to a family or even his country? Nothing actually he loads on it. Thus parents should think for the best of their children and stop selfishness and lust for money. Some families may send their own children to what is called an easy work, like a delivery guy or something rather than sending them to hard work like coal mining work and all that work concerning efforts and great deals of concentration. But actually work is a work, whether its easy or hard, physical or mental involved work. All work involves a challenge and still those easy worked labors do called child labors. Parents and the government are fully responsible for the appearance of such devastating scenes in the street and it huge spread. The few pounds that a child earns really would never make such a big difference. Normally children are paid fewer wages than adults, this does not make parents feel proud to see their child working and spending his money on satisfying the basic needs of the home, or greedy aims that had turned family members into monsters that can deprive their child from the colorful and respectful life again, even animals do not let their children hunt food or go on their own. Thus fear do control our children, they can do everything even the impossible just to feel safe no more. Parents also fear their hidden entrusted future, so they use their children as a life grasping tool in order to overcome the worse which is life. They do refer that they care about them the most and at the same time they are driving them to hell, moving them out of schools, creating small rude bullies deprived from any good manners that we really need to plant it in our children those days. Some may sympathies with those parents; one may say that they got nothing but their children to make their living. Maybe the parents were too old ore even disabled, thus there is no way from abusing and seducing their children. Birth control is a huge issue that threatens the futures of all children. This will increase the level of poverty which forces kids to leave education and go to work to support their families There is abject poverty in Egypt, so families use children as breadwinners, (Nevine Osman Dec 4, 2006). There will be lack of job chances with more competition in case of failure to control birth. Starting campaigns to tell people about ways of controlling birth and what are the problems of having lots of children. They will also know how to change their lifestyle and their way of thinking in life which will help them generally in their lives. Traditions play a very important role here, for example land lord, and would prefer to move his child out of school to help him in planting and cropping fields. Not a money need problem, but a tradition that a son should be always be his fathers eyes and soul, he should imitate him, stick at his back, moving out of his personality and wear his fathers, depriving him from his right of choice, being a copy cat of his father, being of no use in the whole community. He would fail to success and he would fail to return to him self once more which could trigger a lot of psychological problems in those children when they grow up. Jealousy could rush out extremely which would be very dangerous on the child, he would turn into a greedy person, who envy his friends if he would still have any, also he will hold a lot of greed towards his family. And it is not his fault, but his parents. In many rural areas where education is not strong enough there to make a difference; because of the lack of schools or it is too expensive to afford, some families may not trust education, they were not educated and thus they introduce to the new world arrogant people that will surely be a load on the whole community. This practice is considered exploitative by manyinternational organizationsand is illegal in many countries. Child labor was exploited to varying extents through most of history, but entered public strife with the arrival ofuniversal education, with changes in working conditions during theindustrial revolution, and with the emergence of the concepts ofworkers andchildrens rights. During theIndustrial Revolution, cant imagine that young children of only four were employed in production factories with horrible, and almost fatal, working conditions.Based on this issue of abusing children, now developed countries turned to be ahuman rightsinfringement, and are outlawed, however some poorer countries may accept or even encourage child labour. Charles Dickensfor example worked at the age of 12 with his poor family in a blackening factory of a certain prison and his suffering really appeared in his writings from Oliver Twist and others. Supple boys were employed by the chimney sweeps; tiny children were entitled to crawl under machinery to retrieve cotton seeds; above it children were ordered to work incoal minesto scramble through low and narrow tunnels which cant be reached by older men. They worked as undertaking boys, crossing sweepers. They do deserve your deepest pity and mine too. A high number of children also worked asprostitutes.Children as young as three were put to business. In coal mines children began work at the age of four and regularly died before the age of 24. Many children worked over than 16 hour days. Some of those poor creatures worked as tourists guides, entitled to bring in business for shops and restaurants and there they may work as well as waiters. They are given a lot of tedious and repetitive jobs like assembling boxes, polishing shoes, pilling up a stores products. However, most child labor occurs in the informal sector, selling many things on the streets, at work in agriculture orhidden away in houses—far from the reach of official labor inspectors and from media scrutiny. (Mubarak, Susan (2002)). And all the work that they did was done in all types of weather; and was also done for minimal pay. As long as there is family poverty there will be child labor. According toUNICEF, there are about 158 million children aged 6 to 14 in child labors worldwide, excluding child domestic labor. TheUnited Nationsand theInternational Labor Organizationconsider child labour exploitative,with the UN stipulating, in article 32 of theConvention on the Rights of the Childthat: States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the childs education, or to be harmful to the childs health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.(Convention on the Rights of the Child 29thDecember 2009). Also globally there is an estimated count of 250 million children working. Concerns have normally been raised over the buying publics ethical conspiracy in buying products gathered or even produced insome developing countrieswith child labour; on the other side others have raised concerns thatboycottingproducts manufactured using child labour may direct these children to more back-breaking or gruelling professions, such as prostitution or even peculation. Child labor is a pressing issue in Egypt and the world, Egypt is well known of its high quality cotton and its enormous cotton fields, thus most of families in delta do rely on farming. Researches showed that the children employed there work long hours, routinely face beatings at the hands of foremen, and are poorly protected against pesticides and heat. Working eleven hours a day, seven days a week. The children inspect cotton plants for leaf worm eggs and manually remove infected portions of leaves. Actually children were cheaper to hire, more obedient, and had the appropriate height for inspecting cotton plants. Majority of them are between the ages of seven and twelve who earn on average three Egyptian pounds (less than one U.S. dollar) each day. Knowing that Temperatures in Nile Delta cotton fields can reach 40 degrees Celsius. Added to it, Requests for water are granted at the discretion of the foremen. Most of children recounted routine beatings with wooden switches by foreme n whenever a child was perceived to be slowing down or overlooking leaves. They are humiliated, we were alarmed, but where is the action? Children resumed work on cotton fields either immediately after pesticide spraying or after twenty-four to forty-eight hours, a period that falls short of the recommended intervals for reentry after the use of certain pesticides registered for use in Egypt. Article 124 of the Egypt Labor Act No. 91 of 1959 stipulates that no child under 12 years of age may be employed under any circumstances and sets the minimum age at 15 years for some hazardous industries. Labor Law 137 of 1981 states that children between the ages of 12 and 15 are allowed to work 6 hours a day, but not after 7:00 p.m. Decrees No. 12 and 13 issued by the Ministry of Manpower and Vocational Training in 1982 specify various hazardous jobs and industries where the employment of children under 15, in a few cases, and 17, in other cases, are prohibited. (Child Labor in Export Industries) The government is currently considering revisions to its labor code. Where the draft legislation being discussed would raise the minimum age for work to 14 years and would establish a number of conditions and protections for working children between the ages of 14 and 17. In the formal sector, particularly in the state-owned factories where most of export production is concentrated, local trade unions report that Egypts labor laws were well enforced. By contrast, there appears to be little effort by the government to oversee conditions in the informal sector. Small factories and workshops are occasionally subject to labor inspections although working conditions for children, as well as adults, often remain in violation of labor laws.The Ministry of Manpower noted that its 2,000 labor inspectors cited 72,000 violations stemming from 500,000 site visits in 1993.On the other hand, independent studies and interviews indicate that many employers view the inspectors as ineffective, at best. The most recent effort to address child labor in Egypt was the 1994 child labor workshops for government labor inspectors, jointly sponsored by the ILO International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) and the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower and Training. UNICEF also has an active program which conducts and sponsors research on child labor. Interviews with several trade unions, the Egyptian Trade Union Federation and the Arab Labor Organization revealed little activity regarding child labor. The unions are active in the formal sector of the economy where they say child labor does not exist. Egyptian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focus primarily on research and action to ameliorate the worst aspects of child labor. For example, groups conduct training sessions to teach children a marketable skill in non-hazardous industries, such as sewing. They operate health clinics and literacy programs as well as child care centers for working mothers. Campaigns are underway to raise public awareness of the detrimental effects of child labor. Still other NGOs work to promote government enforcement of existing child labor laws, particularly prohibitions against children working excessive hours, at night, or in hazardous industries. Government should pay monthly salaries to the families who live beyond the poverty lines and others who are incapable to work, to help them bare with their childrens education fees and replace the salary that children used to take. They should know that in case of making their children also work besides the salary the already take, they will not be able to have the monthly salary. Also medical services should be available in cheap prices to cure the effects of labour on children before they go to school to benefit education to the most and also be able to deal with new people from higher or lower levels and how to not get affected by lower ones and get forward to try to be like higher levels. â€Å"When the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses.†- Carol Bellamy. Child labour inspectors should be hired by the government to trace any child labour and report labourers who deserve to be prosecuted like any other criminal. Summing up, child labour is an unacceptable and an inhumanly issue that we should deal with it with much care, it always pushes people to think about the causes of poverty, lack of education, families strictly unbearable lust for wealth; and the consequences from creating a whole uneducated bullies of generations, of no use for our community but it also perpetuates poverty and affects national economies through losses in competitiveness, productivity and potential income. Withdrawing children from child labour, providing them with education and assisting their families with training and employment opportunities contribute directly to creating decent work for adults and put them as Egyptians on the top of the world where it can be considered as an essential step to grab the worlds attention to our efforts in order to be a well developed country, Egypt will no more be a third world country. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_labor http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Child_labor Bellamy, Carol, (1995-2004) Executive Director of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) (Child Labor in Export Industries) retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/egypt.htm (Convention on the Rights of the Child)Retrieved (29thDecember 2009) from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm) (Mubarak, Susan (5/5/2002) The first Global Report on Child Labor (A future without child labour) retrieved (3rdJanuary 2010) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_labour). Osman, Nevine (Dec 4, 2006) Egyptian children trade childhood for money retrieved from (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSP22649220061204)