Social Media Campaign (350 Points) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Media Campaign (350 Points) - Essay Example The analysis of the Starbucks Company in the advertising World will be based on media planning, media buying and interactive marketing section of the Austin’s advertising website (University of Texas, 2015). The Starbucks Company has a media planner whose role is to determine the best advertising options for the company’s coffee brand. These options can be traditional like the use of newspapers or the modern methods that entail the use of facebook and twitter handles. The determination on which method of advertising to choose from depends on the seasons as depicted in sales. Mobile (social media), print, broadcast, outdoor, public service, product placement and online advertisement are used by planners. This is used as communication tools between the planners and the clients that they represent. The media platforms are also used for advertisement campaigns (University of Texas, 2015). The media buyers, who are the clients’ deal breakers, normally reach the clients through social media among other means. This facilitates easy, efficient and effective communication as they make suitable deals for their clients. They advise the customers on the best products to buy through providing information on the available products and their prices. Most of the skilled buyer’s time is normally spent on advertising Starbucks’ products where they get some commission upon selling a particular product. However, for sales to get to the negotiation point, the advertisement must have been fully done through the social media and other avenues including websites. The online advertising campaigns are normally marketed as per the market dynamics, thus need for the buyer to be fully aware of the local market. The media buyer role is to negotiate the best placement of Starbucks’ brand on online advertisement (including social media), local TV, outdoor or radio ad vertisement of their brand (University of Texas, 2015). Twitter,

History and Evolution of Dogs Essay Example for Free

History and Evolution of Dogs Essay Domestic dogs inherited complex behaviors from their wolf ancestors, being pack hunters with complex body language. These sophisticated forms of social cognition and communication may account for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations, and these attributes have given dogs a relationship with humans that has enabled them to become one of the most successful species on the planet today. Although experts largely disagree over the details of dog domestication, it is agreed that human interaction played a significant role in shaping the subspecies. Shortly after domestication, dogs became ubiquitous in human populations, and spread throughout the world. Emigrants from Siberia likely crossed the Bering Strait with dogs in their company, and some experts suggest the use of sled dogs may have been critical to the success of the waves that entered North America roughly 12,000 years ago, although the earliest archaeological evidence of dog-like canids in North America dates from about 9,000 years ago. Dogs were an important part of life for the Athabascan population in North America, and were their only domesticated animal. The divergence date of roughly 15,000 years ago is based in part on archaeological evidence that demonstrates the domestication of dogs occurred more than 15,000 years ago,and some genetic evidence indicates the domestication of dogs from their wolf ancestors began in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. But there is a wide range of other, contradictory findings that make this issue controversial. Archaeological evidence suggests the latest dogs could have diverged from wolves was roughly 15,000 years ago, although it is possible they diverged much earlier. In 2008, a team of international scientists released findings from an excavation at Goyet Cave in Belgium declaring a large, toothy canine existed 31,700 years ago and ate a diet of horse, musk ox and reindeer. Prior to this Belgian discovery, the earliest dog fossils were two large skulls from Russia and a mandible from Germany dated from roughly 14,000 years ago. Remains of smaller dogs from Natufian cave deposits in the Middle East, including the earliest burial of a human being with a domestic dog, have been dated to around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. There is a great deal of archaeological evidence for dogs throughout Europe and Asia around this period and through the next two thousand years, with fossils uncovered in Germany, the French Alps, and Iraq, and cave paintings in Turkey The oldest remains of a domesticated dog in the Americas were found in Texas and have been dated to about 9,400 years ago.

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Tonight is a turning point in our lives. We've struggled through 12 longs years together to make it to this stadium -- to wear these ridiculous looking caps and gowns as our families watch us proudly. But tonight is more than just a ceremony, it is the closing of a chapter in our lives, the end of our public education. Our education has been a time of maturing, goal-setting and self-discovery. Mostly this has been positive. Time sure flies, so my parents say, but I think it's been a long 12 years -- 13 if you count kindergarten when our parents first put us on that big yellow school bus. As time passed, we discovered that school wasn't so bad. We learned reading, writing, arithmetic, and of course, our most scholarly class: recess. Junior high was another story. We were very eager to discover ourselves and to mature -- perhaps too eager. Above all, we learned to think a lot about ourselves and not much about anything else. High school has been a time of self-discovery for all of us. Suddenly, in high school we got responsibility -- more than we wanted. We balanced jobs, sports, family, friends, and of course, homework. We also found ourselves busy with school assignments -- chasing down butterflies for our biology insect collections, parallel parking the family car for driver's ed., going to the library to actually do research and pulling all-nighters to write our term papers. It is not surprising that by the middle of 12th grade we began to develop a little syndrome -- sometimes referred to as senioritous. However, we managed to trudge through the last part of this year to achieve the dream and goal that we've worked so hard for. High school has really been about setting goals and accomplishing them. As this chapter closes in our lives, it gives way for the opening of many more chapters to come; all of which will bring new challenges. Accomplishing our dreams is what gives meaning to life. The poet Carl Sandburg said, "Nothing happens unless first a dream.

Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Essay

The arrangement of health care system has reciprocated in regard to provide quality and modest care. The treatment of healthcare facilities have changeover at different levels in speciality care and acute illnesses to defensive health plan. The changes have seized effective direct approaches and delivery care. With the effort to balance the demands of patient needs in health care, many considerations are made including adjustments with budgets, decreasing excessive costs, and practicing effective means of delivery care. Nurses are challenged to keep up to a work environment that requires continual changes. The nursing industry today faces shortage, as many nurses have low job satisfaction, high compassion fatigue, and the patient ratios levels associate immense acuity. Furthermore, these factors have resulted in patient satisfaction and medical reimbursements. Notwithstanding all the identified issues and its effects, few nursing facilities are growing to next level to identify and p romote nursing skills by setting framework to endeavour to gain Magnet status. This paper will focus in comparing and contrasting the expectations of the nursing managers and leaders approaches that may use in regard to magnet status. Magnet status is best defined by Miriam Hospital as ‘ a designation that is rewarded to hospitals for the concept of Magnet Culture; it is a working environment which enables nurses to practice and focus on skilful nursing, involving bedside decision making, nursing development and involvement, competent education, and promote nursing leadership skills (Miriam Hospital, n. d. ) The birth of magnet status undertook in beginning of 1980’s when some hospitals were practicing new retaining ideas for nursing staff with motivation for patient care. Therefore, this concept was developed after few researches and finally it was made official through an article named: â€Å"Magnet Hospitals: Attraction and Retention of Professional Nurses,† written and published in 1983 by Dr. McClure president of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), professor at New York University, and a member of the original task force (Hawke, 2004). Statistics prove that Magnet hospitals have superlative patient satisfaction scores, protected patient environments, minority of repeat admissions, and improved patient outcome. It is vital that various pre-requisites and qualifications must be met and maintained to execute the concept of Magnet status. The nursing leadership  and management work in synchronization with their defined roles to achieve the goals of completing the tasks by establishing nursing staff participation needed to achieve skilful nursing. In order to receive accurate results, it is essential to define roles and target essential outcomes. According to Huber (2010), the aspect of management is to cater the resources that are required to achieve the target goal of organisation. A manager is expected to plan, organise and implement strategies from an organizing high level to enable the outline of requirements to meet the goal. The manager is responsible to practice the policies and procedures and carry them appro priately. In order to achieve Magnet status, the nurse manager needs to survey the patients and staff to identify and construct the areas of weakness that would improve the patient satisfaction. Some of the basic actions include financial stability by reducing the amount of waste, safeguarding medical reimbursement with patient satisfaction, and nursing practices that mirror decisions like bedside reporting, friendly patient care education, and timely rounding. The nursing leader is expected to provide assistant to the nurse manager in achieving goals by promoting smooth work flows through communication, and provide better understanding of their overall vision, and reasoning why these adjustments are necessary. The nursing leader can accomplish this by promoting trust and endeavouring mutual consent while managing issues (The difference between leadership and management, 2012). In comparison and contrast of the nursing managers and leader approaches there are few points to be considered. In ma nagement, the goals are carried out with the help of managers within the organisation. Whereas the leaders help to identify and develop new approaches to the issues emerging in the organisation. The managers work to fulfil the goals and continue to do, whereas the leaders undergo risks to challenge people and new ideas to break the chain (The difference between leadership and management, 2012). Frellick (2011) states that Magnet concept is created to facilitate and empower shared decision-making and accountability process. To achieve success in this concept, the healthcare facilities need to master in the regulations well known as the ‘Fourteen Forces of Magnetism’, it consists of the new levels in nursing management, encouraging strong participation, and place where nurses are recognised and are able to contribute to the top management. In addition, one more key to success if  the interdisciplinary relationships; it means the members of each department of healthcare are able to co-ordinate and work together; such as nurses, physicians, pharmacists and t herapists. Leadership aims on mutual consent of all team members and promotes respect and involvement of all departments, shared responsibilities and leadership style for actions. It is an necessary personal approach of the writer that personal involvement is the key for building working relationships between management and leadership professionals as they both promotes the organisational goals. If the nursing professionals have opinions and ideas that matters for the wellbeing of the patient satisfaction, then an extra effort to highlight the need is essential. Any new idea is difficult to execute without the commitment and facilitation of the managers and leaders and also among the other parties involved. Real efforts and success can be achieved by working together as a team, and aiming to contribute in a continuous methods in healthcare facilities for total patient satisfaction. References Frellick, M. (2011). A Path to Nursing Excellence. Hospitals & Health Networks. Advance online publication. Retrieved from Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Magnet. (2013). Retrieved from Hawke, M. (2004, January). Magnet Status Attracts Mettle. Nursing Spectrum, 19-21. Retrieved from Huber, D. L. (2010). Leadership and Nursing Care Management (4th ed.). Retrieved from Miriam Hospital. (n.d.). Retrieved from The difference between leadership and management. (2012). Retrieved from

Contribution of agriculture in the economy of Bangladesh Essay

The economy of Bangladesh is primarily dependent on agriculture. About 84 percent of the total population live in rural areas and are directly or indirectly engaged in a wide range of agricultural activities. The agriculture sector plays a very important role in the economy of the country accounting for 31. 6 percent of total GDP in 1997-98 at constant (1984-85) prices. The agriculture sector comprises crops, forests, fisheries and livestock. Of the agricultural GDP, the crop sub-sector contributes 71 per cent, forest 10 per cent, fisheries 10 percent and livestock 9 per cent. The sector generates 63. 2% percent of total national employment, of which crop sectors share is nearly 55 %. Agricultural exports of primary products constituted 10. 4% of total exports of the country in 1997-98. In the past decade, the agriculture sector contributed about three percent per annum to the annual economic growth rate. The agriculture sector is the single largest contributor to income and employment generation and a vital element in the country’s challenge to achieve self-sufficiency in food production reduce rural poverty and foster sustainable economic development. The Government has therefore accorded highest priority to this sector to enable the country to meet these challenges and to make this sector commercially profitable. Agriculture has been playing a vital role in socio-economic progress and sustainable development through upliftment of rural economy, ensuring food security by attaining autarky in food gains production, alleviation of poverty and so on. In FY-2004-05, the combined contribution of all sub-sectors of agriculture (crop, livestock, forestry and fisheries) to GDP is 21. 91 percent (table 7. 2). The crop sub-sector alone is projected to contribute 12. 10 percent to GDP and fisheries sub-sector accounts for 5. 03 percent. Of the total labor force in Bangladesh, 5. 17 percent are engaged in agriculture (BBS labor force survey, 2002-2003). The contribution of agriculture products (including raw jute, jute goods and tea) to the total export of the country is 5. 79 percent (FY2004-2005). In terms of value addition, the contribution of agriculture to the national economy is immense. Contribution of agriculture in GDP. Declining trend of contribution of agriculture sector to the Gross Development Products (GDP) continued in the present outgoing fiscal year. The growth of agriculture sector in the GDP has also gone down drastically in the last three years. National Economic Survey 2004 showed despite rise in crop production by six lakh metric ton and Taka 300 crore allocation for agricultural subsidy in the fiscal year for 2003-04, the contribution of agriculture sector in GDP has declined by 0. 54 percent from the last year. (2002-2003). After the fiscal year 2000-01, crop production did not witness any significant growth in the last three years like the growth during 1996-97 – 2000-01. Due to high volume of crop production, total food production rose to 267. 57 lakh metric tons in the FY 2001-01 from 203. 37 lakh metric tons. Even in the year of severe flood in 1998, food production increased by 12 lakh metric tons. Financial Year Contribution of Agriculture 1991-92 28. 70 1992-93 28. 21 1993-94 27. 30 1994-95 26. 02 1995-96 25. 68 1996-97 25. 87 1997-98 25. 34 1998-99 25. 28 1999-00 25. 58 2000-01 25. 02. 2001-02 23. 98 2002-03 23. 47 2003-04 23. 08 2004-05* 21. 91 Fig 1: Contribution of Agriculture in GDP In the last two fiscal years, the food production has gone down from the level in the Fiscal Year 2000-01 (FY ’01). Though the growth was slightly over one percent this year compared to last year, experts think that the growth was not sufficient in the last three years. Food production rose to 273 lakh metric tons in the current fiscal year (2003-2004). Growth rate in agriculture sector has gone down to 2. 41 percent in the FY 2003-04 from 5. 5 percent in the FY 2000-01. Agriculture growth had witnessed a negative growth of about 0. 6 percent in the following fiscal year 2001-2002. Fig: Growth of Agriculture. In the last five years, the highest growth of 6. 9 percent in agriculture sector was achieved during 1999 – 2000 when the growth in crop production was 8. 1 percent. During the year of negative growth, individual growth in crop production was also negative – 2. 4 percent. Comparatively, when the growth in agriculture sector was the highest during 1999-2000, crop production was also the highest in the last 10 years. In that year, crop production had yielded 8. 1 percent growth. Growth in crop production was much higher during FY ’00 and FY ’01 in the last 10 years. During the FY ’01, the growth in crop production was 6. 2 percent. Even in the year of severe flood, growth in crop production was 3. 1 percent. During FY ’94, FY ’95 and FY ’96, the growth in agriculture sector was -0. 7 percent, -1. 9 percent and 2 percent. In FY ’97, production started to rise and achieved 5. 6 percent in that year with 6. 4 percent growth in crop production. The trend of food production in the last ten years as charted in the Bangladesh Economic Survey 2004 has projected that food production was stagnating around 190 lakh metric tons from FY ’94 – FY ’96. But from FY ’97 to FY ’01, food production had increased from 203 lakh metric tons to 267 lakh metric tons. Contribution of Agriculture sub sector on GDP of Bangladesh Total agriculture sector is explained under four sub-sectors. They are- Growth rate in Agricultural Sector (In percentage) Budget Year Agriculture &Forestry Average Fishery Average 1991-92 1. 39 0. 44 8. 24 7. 76 1993-94 -0. 65 0. 44 7. 91 7. 76 1994-95 -1. 93 0. 44 6. 79 7. 76 1995-96 2. 03 0. 44 7. 39 7. 76 1996-97 5. 57 4. 58 7. 67 6. 18 1997-98 1. 63 4. 58 8. 98 6. 18 1998-99 3. 24 4. 58 9. 96 6. 18 1999-00 6. 92 4. 58 8. 87 6. 18 2000-01 5. 53 4. 58 -4. 53 6. 18 2001-02 -0. 62 1. 67 2. 22 2. 92 2002-03 3. 29 1. 67 2. 33 2. 92 2003-04 4. 38 1. 67 3. 09 2. 92 2004-05 -0. 37 1. 67 4. 02 2. 92 Contribution of each sub-sector in the economy of Bangladesh is discussed below.

The Meno Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato, Meno

The Meno Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato, Meno The Meno The Meno asks the question what is virtue and can it be taught?. Menos conversation with Socrates is an attempt to know exactly what virtue means and how it can be defined to come to the decision of whether or not it can in fact be taught to others. But as Meno finds, contrary to his original perceptions as an ethical relativist, he does not know what virtue is, and in his new state of ethical absolutism, cannot therefore teach Socrates what virtue is, for how can one teach what one does not know? It becomes the conclusion amongst the two, that virtue is a divine gift to those who are virtuous, and cannot be taught as it is not knowledge and it cannot be said that there are teachers of it. However, Socrates, through his refutations of Menos questions and arguments, does not justify his conclusion that it cannot be taught. Several logical fallacies are present within the argument put forth by Socrates. And as Meno states, he has a numbing effect on those around him, such that they might not even notice his failings until a later examination. After exhausting all definitions he has for what virtue is, all of them being countered by Socrates and determined to be inadequate definitions, one of the problems Meno then has with understanding what virtue is comes from this paradox: How can you try to find out something, when you have no notion at all about what it is? However, the problem Meno has here is not clearly stated. Does he suggest that you either know what youre looking for, and therefore do not need to inquire into it, or you dont know what youre looking for, and therefore cannot inquire into it, because you dont know it? This leads to the question of whether what you know is either the question you want to ask, or the answer to that question. One obviously cannot both know and not know the same thing. However, one can know the question but not the answer. Therefore, you can inquire into something you do not know of, if you know the question you wish to ask. And from this question, you would follow whatever steps are necessary to get the answer, and end up knowing which you did not previously know. However, Socrates puts forth a different perspective here, by attempting to demonstrate his Recollection Theory. This theory purports that inquiry can be impossible in some instances, but what is seen to be learning is in fact the recollection of something previously known. Though Socrates puts forth an admirable effort to support his recollection theory, there is a flaw in his argument. He uses a slave boy to exemplify how the theory works. He sets forth the geometrical problem to the slave boy simply enough; however, with each wrong answer from the boy, he proceeds to lead him closer to the correct conclusion. The boy makes guesses, that Socrates dismisses in small conversation bits with Meno to one side. Right away, this would suggest that he is, in fact, teaching the boy something, whether he will admit to it or not. When the boy suggests the length of the lines be doubled to four to make a square of eight, Socrates immediately speaks with Meno and asks if he is correct , to which Meno replies that the boy is wrong in his assumption. Socrates draws this new square and specifically asks Is four times the old one double? to which the boy replies no, it is four times. This information was given to him by Socrates. After the boy unsuccessfully tries to determine the answer to Socrates puzzle again by saying that the line should now be three, Socrates gives the boy the answer by drawing lines bm, mi, ig, gb (top of page forty-nine) and asking him if that is not the answer, to which the boy replies in the affirmative. It is almost puzzling as to why Meno agrees with Socrates that the boy simply answered the question on his own, when he so obviously did not. It could be speculated that given the stature of Socrates at the time, Meno simply couldnt bring himself to disagree, or was so sure of Socrates wisdom, that he accepted his example as truth. Had it not been for the help of Socrates, the boy might never have known the answer.

Essay comparing and contrasting different techniques to convey the thesis used in essays

Essay comparing and contrasting different techniques to convey the thesis used in essays Women rights, still a controversial issue in todays equal partnership world, are the thesis of both essays. Both essay state a women role in the society, My Mother Never Worked also states if a womens work is recognized or not. Donna Smith-Yakel, who wrote, My mother never worked, describes her mothers as strong woman, housewife, mother and then a grandmother. I want a wife written Judy Brady, also describes womens role towards the household compared to man, and the opportunities they are presented with in life. In My Mother Never worked, a daughter remembering her mothers past, files for her mothers death benefit check. Yakel is asked for details of her mother, which she proudly states was a housewife. Yakel writes this essay in slouched but indignant tone, because her mothers work, as a housewife, is not recognized as Work by the Social Security office, as it denies her request. She writes this essay in protest of how society devalues womens work. Yakel uses a lot of dialogue, when talking to the operator at Social Security Office; this is done to bring a sense a reality to the text and appeal to readers. Yakel also takes full paragraphs (Para 12) out of her mothers diary, to make an emotional connection between the reader and Yakels mother. This also helps the readers directly relate to Yakels mother by including dialogue that show exactly how her mother is feeling. Yakel also describes her mothers work in details, My town bred mother learned t set hens and raise chickens, feed pigs, milk cows... (Para 13), to make the readers recognize, appreciates and even relate to her mothers work as Yakel does. And not discard years of service and hardship towards her family, as Social Security did. For the same reason she describes the most smallest of the details from her diary, She raised ...

Mr. and Mrs. and More

Mr. and Mrs. and More Mr. and Mrs. and More Mr. and Mrs. and More By Mark Nichol This post details the permutations of abbreviations for courtesy titles. As mentioned in this post, mister developed as a variant of master. (Interestingly, the newer title came to pertain to married men, while master, once a title of respect for a social superior, was reserved for unmarried men and boys.) Originally, both master and mister were abbreviated Mr. before a person’s name as a courtesy title, but as master fell out of use, Mr. came to be applied solely as an abbreviation for mister. Mrs. was originally a generic abbreviation of mistress before a name, but it developed into a courtesy title specifically for a married or widowed woman, while Miss, with no abbreviation, was adopted as an honorific for unmarried women. Ms. began as a variant abbreviation of mistress as a courtesy title in the 1600s but fell out of favor. (At the turn of the twentieth century, it was proposed as a substitute form of address for a woman whose marital status is unknown, but the idea did not gain traction, nor did the abbreviation catch on fifty years later when a couple of business publications brought the issue up again. However, after feminist and journalist Gloria Steinem adopted the abbreviation as the title of a new magazine for women in 1972, its use quickly spread.) Because no native plural form of Mr. or Mrs. developed in English, the French abbreviations Messrs. (Messieurs) and Mmes. (Mesdames) were borrowed; Mses. developed in imitation, and the plural form of Miss, Misses, like the singular form, did not acquire an abbreviation. Because of the decline in use of such honorifics, the plural forms are rarely seen anymore. As a reference to a man who embodies a certain quality, Mr. appears in such references as â€Å"Mr. Right† (the ideal man for a woman to marry) or â€Å"Mr. Big† (a man of significant authority and/or status). Missus, a derivative of mistress based on a casual pronunciation of the latter word, and Miz, a spelling based on the pronunciation of Mrs. or Miss in the southern United States, should generally be used only in dialogue in historically or geographically appropriate fiction. However, â€Å"the Mrs.† or â€Å"the missus,† spelled as shown as humorous references to one’s wife, are appropriate in informal writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections"Confused With" and "Confused About"The Difference Between "Phonics" and "Phonetics"

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Personal Statement Example I will be the first to admit that I was not always interested in a career in music. As a child, my activities leaned more towards the child like interests such as roller skating. As a teenager, I loved to take long drives in the countryside with my friends on weekends. But because my mother enrolled me piano lessons as a child, I had no choice but to follow her orders. As I progressed with my piano studies though, I discovered that I was slowly coming to love the art of music, hence the reason why I chose Music as my college major. As an international student, the biggest challenge I have faced would have to be my communication abilities .I am at a disadvantage because I am not a native English speaker. Since we have a number of Chinese students enrolled in my current school, I have come to understand the difficulties of learning a language far removed from ones own. Since translators are not always available and translations do not always work in conveying the original thoughts and emotions of a person. So I am working hard on improving my English skills in order to ensure that that I can overcome this problem that I am facing. As I previously mentioned, there are a number of Chinese students currently enrolled in my school. Being foreign students, they have a great difficulty in communicating with the others in our class and expressing themselves in oral reports. Such experiences send them into isolation because they feel intimidated by our classmates. I have gone out of my way to make friends with the foreign students and help them overcome their language barrier with the others in our class because I know that the time will come when I will be needing the same help from others. So I am paying it forward for now. My goal in life is to complete my college studies in Music and then go on to further training at internationally renowned musical institutions where I can catch the eye or ear of notable names in the music

National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) Policy Simulation Paper Essay

National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) Policy Simulation Paper -Counterintelligence - Essay Example In this battle which has social, budgetary, political, and political and also military sizes – the potential outcomes of counterintelligence disappointments could be quick and destroying, putting in risk our countrys crucial data, base, military powers and an extensive variety of US investment, innovations and faculty far and wide (Goldman, 17-23). In 1978, an arrangement of informal trade visits between US atomic weapons specialists and their Peoples Republic of China (PRC) partners started. The PRC authorities endeavoured to grow close associations with specific US specialists. Over the consequent 23 years, as a consequence of this trade, the PRC made real strides in the improvement of atomic weapons, including the neutron shell. Starting in 1998, US media sources started reporting about continuous examinations of four instances of suspected Chinese surveillance against the United States going over to the 1980s. The most genuine case included Chinas claimed securing of key data about our countrys most developed (The Central Intelligence Agency). US atomic warhead, the W-88, and additionally genuine security breaks at the Department of Energys (DOE) Los Alamos Laboratory between 1984 and 1988 Early in 1998, Congressional center turned to US satellite fares to China. A US Department of Defence grouped report reasoned that researchers from Hughes and Loral Space and Communications, included in concentrating on the 1996 accident of a Chinese rocket propelling a Loral satellite, gave experimental skill to China that prominently enhanced the dependability of Chinas rocket propel capabilities. After this data was distributed in the US media, an extraordinary House Select Committee and various Senate panels researched US innovation exchange approach regarding China. The effect was the arrival of the Report of the Select Committee on U.s. National Security and Military/commercial Concerns

Solid modeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Solid modeling - Research Paper Example The invention of the technique of solid modeling gives room for the mechanization of many complicated engineering calculations that are performed in the design process. The historical progress of solid modeling is seen in the perspective of the entire history of computer-aided design. The major milestone of this progress was the development of the system of research known as BUILD, and the commercial supplement of the system, known as Romulus (Siu and Tan 41) This system influenced the development of ACIS, Parasolid, and later solid modeling system. One of the very first developers of computer aided design ASCON, started the internal improvement of its individual solid modeler back in 1990’s (Siu and Tan 42). In 2012, the scientific division of the ASCON turned into a separate corporation and was called C3D labs (Siu and Tan 42). It was given the duty of creating the C3D modeling system as a separate product. Other significant contributions originated from Mà ¤ntylà ¤, particularly his GWB, as well as from GPM project that brought about hybrid modeling systems in the early 1980’s (Siu and Tan 43). It was during this time that the pr ogramming concept of solid modeling known as PLaSM was invented at Rome University. The discovery of 3D CAD/CAM, however, is attributed to Pierre Bezier, a French engineer (Siu and Tan 44). In the period between 1967 and 1968, he came up with UNISURF after his mathematical study about surfaces. This invention was meant to ease the process of designing tools and parts of the automotive engineering. Later, UNISURF developed into the working foundation for the subsequent generation of computer-aided design software. Another influential happening in the development of solid modeling was the establishment of Manufacturing and Consulting Services in 1971 (Li et al. 23). Dr. Hanratty founded this MCS. As computers progressively became more affordable, there has been a gradual expansion of the application areas. The development of

Do employment consultants need to be trained when dealing with the Essay

Do employment consultants need to be trained when dealing with the unemployed - Essay Example An employment consultant is the link between a job seeker and the company where a vacancy exists. The consultant has the unenviable job of not only matching the skill sets of the applicant with the position, but also to judge the mental make-up and socio-psychological responses of the applicant in different situations. A highly qualified and well-experienced person might be unsuitable for an opening because of his temperament. On the other hand, a lesser qualified person, but with a different temperament might be right for the job. Not everyone is capable of managing people. The person needs to be outgoing, be able to perceive the unspoken needs of the clients and co-workers. Similarly, not everyone is suited for research. A candidate might have the required qualifications, but no desire for knowledge or curiosity. In my opinion, a lesser qualified person, but with an intense desire for knowledge would be better suited for the job. Thus, it would not be only the degrees and certificates that need to be verified during an interview, but also the attunement of the candidate for the mentioned opening. The social background of the candidate and exposure to various situations also holds a key to the candidate’s behavior under different life-situations. Then again, there could be gender differences. Aspirations and dedication to different kinds of jobs could be different in men and women. Though traditionally, men might be suited for a particular job, an enterprising woman might be able to do more justice to it. Similarly, while society might consider a particular job as â€Å"lady’s job, some men might be more suitable for the same. Thus, it is the consultant’s job to sense and discover these aptitudes in the candidates and offer them suitable openings. (iii)The ways in which we look at the world, are known in the literature as â€Å"paradigms†. These influence how we perceive problems and their solutions, and what we choose to

Personal health and safety at the construction site Essay

Personal health and safety at the construction site - Essay Example A high level of risk is inherent in the construction work. The heavy equipment, channels of electric supplies, and mechanical operations all make construction work very risky from the point of view of safety. Almost a third of all fatalities in the construction projects happen during the execution of a project (hes.gov.uk, n.d.). If the CDM coordination is not done appropriately, the finished structure might be unsafe for use and maintenance, and lack its potential to deliver good value for investment to the client. Ideally, the CDM coordinator is appointed while the project is in its conceptual stage before the completion of the initial design work of the project (hse.gov.uk, n.d.). This provides the CDM coordinators with an opportunity to decide the feasibility of the project and identify possible constraints related to client’s expectations and project’s execution. It is crucial to appoint a CDM coordinator before the commencement of the detailed design. The client h as to appoint a CDM coordinator when the duration of a project is more than 30 days or when the number of person days of work exceeds 500 (cdm-regulations-uk.co.uk, n.d.). This requirement also stands for the planning supervisor, though a CDM coordinator, unlike a planning supervisor, needs to help the client fulfill the duties, particularly the adequacy of arrangements of other duty holders. Before the appointment of a CDM coordinator, nothing more than the initial design work should be completed. The CDM coordinators that are appointed on the construction sites assume the responsibilities declared in the CDM 2007. These responsibilities include cooperating and coordinating with the organizations for the personnel’s health and safety benefits. The CDM coordinators need to ensure that their training is up-to-date and the work is done safely. They need complete briefing before doing work that is high in risk. The CDM coordinators should get appropriate certifications to do the work competently (newlifecleaning.com, n.d.). A CDM coordinator can provide a principal contractor with assistance in numerous aspects of health and safety including development and implementation of a documented plan and rules of the construction site, advice on the facilities of site security, evaluation of the appointees’ competence, and advice on the site induction training (SHERWOOD SURVEYORS, 2013). Evaluation of the duties and responsibilities of a CDM coordinator suggests that he assumes a major role in the entire project life-cycle starting from the concept of the project through to the feasibility studies, design, execution, monitoring and control, and the delivery of the project. As the name of this job suggests, the CDM coordinator ensures coordination between the design, construction, and management of the project. This includes all aspects that are directly or indirectly related to the work, such as management of health and safety of the personnel, protection o f environment, and flow of communication between the project parties. Analysis of these responsibilit

Evidence Based Practice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evidence Based Practice - Research Paper Example 167-168) state, Privacy can be seen as an individual’s freedom and having private space to be by oneself, being protected against physical and psychological intrusion, having the opportunity to achieve emotional release, ensuring that certain personal information is protected from others, and controlling how personal information is handled† and â€Å"Altman defines privacy as ‘the selective control of access to the self’ and Westin10 as freedom of choice. These are important notions in the context of the research discussion as they provide an overarching framework within to examine the nature of privacy in the emergency setting. The research goes on the articulate the core notions of privacy as consisting of autonomy and confidentiality. With the implementation of computer technology the research notes that there is increasing concern with patient privacy. As a result, the study examined privacy issues within this context. The research analyzed patient sati sfaction with current medical privacy levels. The study was a descriptive analytical approach that involved 360 patients within three emergency departments. The study measured three areas of privacy: physical, informational, and psychosocial. The study results demonstrated that over half (50.6%) of the respondents believed that their privacy was either weak or average. Conversely, 49.4% indicated that their privacy was ‘fairly good’ or ‘good’. There were also demographic factors that correlated to some of the privacy statistics. Finally, the study demonstrated a strong correlation between perceived privacy and satisfaction. Shepherd, Ho, Shepherd, and Sivarajasin (2004) further considered patient privacy questions through the investigation of confidential registration in health services.... The research discussion revealed a number of pertinent information that can be applied to the investigation of HIPAA violations. In terms of HIPAA privacy violations, Nayeri and Aghajani established medical notions of privacy as being highly important to the functional medical environment. Their study measured three areas of privacy: physical, informational, and psychosocial. The results demonstrated that over half of the respondents believed that their privacy was either weak or average – a statistically significant figure. While this study established patient concern and desire for privacy, Shepherd, Ho, Shepherd, and Sivarajasin examined the issue in more specificity considering its implementation in confidential registration of health services. This study implemented control and intervention patients as a means of statistically determining patient perspectives on medical privacy when speaking to a receptionist. The results proved significant in that many patients in the co ntrol group expressed a desire for increased privacy. The applicability of these results are such that allowing increased privacy levels could have a corresponding benefit for patient confidence and satisfaction; notably this is a theme that was also echoed in the research by Nayeri and Aghajani.

Personal health and safety at the construction site Essay

Personal health and safety at the construction site - Essay Example A high level of risk is inherent in the construction work. The heavy equipment, channels of electric supplies, and mechanical operations all make construction work very risky from the point of view of safety. Almost a third of all fatalities in the construction projects happen during the execution of a project (hes.gov.uk, n.d.). If the CDM coordination is not done appropriately, the finished structure might be unsafe for use and maintenance, and lack its potential to deliver good value for investment to the client. Ideally, the CDM coordinator is appointed while the project is in its conceptual stage before the completion of the initial design work of the project (hse.gov.uk, n.d.). This provides the CDM coordinators with an opportunity to decide the feasibility of the project and identify possible constraints related to client’s expectations and project’s execution. It is crucial to appoint a CDM coordinator before the commencement of the detailed design. The client h as to appoint a CDM coordinator when the duration of a project is more than 30 days or when the number of person days of work exceeds 500 (cdm-regulations-uk.co.uk, n.d.). This requirement also stands for the planning supervisor, though a CDM coordinator, unlike a planning supervisor, needs to help the client fulfill the duties, particularly the adequacy of arrangements of other duty holders. Before the appointment of a CDM coordinator, nothing more than the initial design work should be completed. The CDM coordinators that are appointed on the construction sites assume the responsibilities declared in the CDM 2007. These responsibilities include cooperating and coordinating with the organizations for the personnel’s health and safety benefits. The CDM coordinators need to ensure that their training is up-to-date and the work is done safely. They need complete briefing before doing work that is high in risk. The CDM coordinators should get appropriate certifications to do the work competently (newlifecleaning.com, n.d.). A CDM coordinator can provide a principal contractor with assistance in numerous aspects of health and safety including development and implementation of a documented plan and rules of the construction site, advice on the facilities of site security, evaluation of the appointees’ competence, and advice on the site induction training (SHERWOOD SURVEYORS, 2013). Evaluation of the duties and responsibilities of a CDM coordinator suggests that he assumes a major role in the entire project life-cycle starting from the concept of the project through to the feasibility studies, design, execution, monitoring and control, and the delivery of the project. As the name of this job suggests, the CDM coordinator ensures coordination between the design, construction, and management of the project. This includes all aspects that are directly or indirectly related to the work, such as management of health and safety of the personnel, protection o f environment, and flow of communication between the project parties. Analysis of these responsibilit

The medieval era and The Renaissance Era Research Paper

The medieval era and The Renaissance Era - Research Paper Example The Middle age was followed by the Renaissance movement which evolved in the 14th century. Renaissance is divided in to three important periods that are the Early Renaissance, High Renaissance and Late Renaissance or Mannerism. There was a substantial turn over in arts during this period as it was given more financial attention compared to the former Era. The art groomed and flourished as the artists paid more attention to the perspective. The paintings, sculptures and drawing were realistic and a sense of emotion was expressed in the art. Human body was given immense importance. The beauty of human physique was appreciated through arts. The artists of the Renaissance movement played with colors. They applied the techniques of light, color and space used by the ancient Roman and the Greek. Their focus was more worldly and secular. The artists drew paintings that manifested the social life and routine activities of the people. The concept of linear perspective was also introduced whic h helped the artists to create illusions of space and distance on a level surface. Hence art was exuberated. The art in this Era was modernized. The paintings now exhibited man studying philosophy and math rather than praying to God. This drastic change in the field of arts was attributed to the diminishing belief of the people in religion. For instance the painting of Jan Van Eyck depicted a couple being married in a room rather than a church. Although people adopted the modern style of arts there was an indelible relation.

Ballet or football Essay Example for Free

Ballet or football Essay Ballet and football are both difficult sports to master; however, someone once said, â€Å"If ballet were any easier, they’d call it football. † What makes for a good sport? Every sport has rules and regulations that one must follow in order to play. The sport requires specific skills such as strength, coordination, and speed. A good sport has a certain level of safety to keep the participants safe and requires a lot of teamwork so that every is playing together. I personally think ballet is the more technical of the two. Ballet is much more complex than football. Every sport requires you to follow certain guidelines. In football, the player can’t grab the opponent in certain ways or a yellow flag will be thrown on the ground to indicate holding or some penalty that no one has even heard of before. Football has rules that the team must obey. On the other hand, ballet is less restricted than football. They are no rules in ballet. Ballet is a form of art; there are no limitations on art. Ballet is not about winning or following any rules; it is about expression through movement. Although there is more freedom in ballet, there is a lot of technique required. You must hold your arms a certain way so that they do not droop, and you must always remember the turn out of your thigh when you tendu. Ballet may not have rules, but there are still plenty of little details to remember. Strength is a major component of almost any sport. In football, the quarterback relies on two hundred and fifty pound linemen to block so that he can get the ball in the end zone. The defensive linemen have to use their upper body strength to hold the opposing team and keep them from getting to the ball. They use their lower body to stand strong to hold their ground like grabbing a bull by the horns. Ballet requires a totally different kind of strength than football does. Dancers use their upper bodies to hold their arms above their heads in a perfect beach ball shaped fifth position while still keeping their shoulders down for thirty minutes at a time. They use their lower body strength to push out of a plie to a pique turn and have to maintain the core strength, so they do not wobble too much. Football does not require much coordination. It wasn’t a sport that was meant to be pretty. It was meant to be rough and rugged for the manliest of men. While watching the game, half of the time you don’t even know if they meant to fall down or if they just happen to be clumsy enough to fall over their own two feet. It tends to be one big dog pile play after play. In ballet, coordination is everything. Dancers must make sure they are in the exact spot that they are supposed to be at and be in sync with every other dancer on the stage. Pierce Brosnan said, Love is a lot like dancing; you just surrender to the music (Willcutt). Every beat must be a white flag waving and show complete dedication to the music. Dancers have to be coordinated enough to do long elaborate pieces of choreography while still maintaining a smile on their faces. Ballerinas must make every single movement appear effortless. In football, speed is very important when a wide receiver is trying to run the ball down the field. It is his speed that helps him to pass by the other players in lightning speed so fast that they do not even know what hit them. I know what you’re thinking†¦. why would you need speed in ballet? However, not one ballerina would ever dream of doing a slow fouette, a move in which you whip your leg around to spin. It would be a disaster. Fouettes are meant to be fast to get your body around faster to make your pirouettes prettier. Speed and extreme focus is what makes a ballerina capable of turning. Although countless football players get hurt yearly, they have equipment that is specifically designed to keep them from serious injury. Football players risk injury every time they step foot out on that field, but if they fall down, their equipment is there to take the majority of the impact. Safety is important in any sport you play; that is why in football the players wear pads and helmets for protection. However, dancers must maintain a flawless posture to keep from injuring themselves. There is no special equipment for a dancer to use to keep themselves to safe. A dancer must rely on stretching to warm up his or her muscles. Dancers have to take every good care of their ankles and knees because they are constantly at risk of injury. If a dancer twists her ankle on stage during a performance, she doesn’t call in the second string. She sucks it up, puts on a brave face, and keeps on dancing. Teamwork is important in football because if you don’t read your guards, then you are liable to screw the entire play up. The player must know what the play is and what exact role everyone is going to play. The players huddle up before each play to strategize against the other team. They break off and have to rely on their teammates to do what is required of them. Vince Lombardi said, â€Å"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society† (Family of Vince). When you think of the word team, you don’t exactly picture a group of ballerinas dancing on a shiny hardwood stage. You stereotypically think of the Pittsburg Steelers or some other NFL team. However, in ballet, every dancer is part of a team. You have to be so in tune with one another that as soon as the music begins, everyone begins to dance as if a bunch of puppets moving on strings. If one â€Å"teammate† loses rhythm then the whole performance suffers. Dancers rehearse with their fellow dancers for weeks and weeks to perfect their dance so that it will be flawless. In the end, ballet and football require a great amount of passion and determination. If you do not have the heart, you will not be willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to pursue the sport whole-heartedly. Although football may be a little easier, both sports demand a lot of hard work. Works Cited Family of Vince Lombardi c/o Luminary Group LLC. â€Å"Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi. † Vince Lombardi. 2010. Web. October 4, 2012. Willcutt, Sara. â€Å"Dance Quotes 3. † Ascending Star Dance- An Internet Dance Magazine. 2007. Web. October 4, 2012.

Riding The Train Essay -- essays research papers

Riding the Train (Description Essay ENC1101) Anytime a person experiences something for the first time, that experience can reside in their mind forever. Their first kiss, first love, and first look at the sunrise may permanently float among their cherished memories. My mind contains many of these memories. Although my first train ride occurred over 15 years ago, I still recall every wonderful detail from preparing for the trip to discovering the inside of the train and the beautiful five hour ride.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was a breezy day in the summer of 1985 and after spending a week visiting my grandparent’s home in Sebring, Florida, I prepared for my first train ride home. Recalling many old movies I’ve watched with tearful lovers embracing on rain-soaked platforms, I carefully chose my train-riding outfit: a simple, tailored white dress, a pair of lace gloves reaching only to my wrists and a braided straw hat complete with a thick red sash tied neatly around the crown with an exploding bow draping down behind me. I settled into the back of my grandfathers Cadillac and my mind filled with visions of how my first train ride would be. Arriving at the station, I tearfully kissed my grandparents goodbye a bit more dramatically than necessary. As I strolled confidently towards the train platform, I felt like Audrey Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman and was quite certain many eyes rested upon my grace and followed me through the crowded terminal. Pushing open the heavy glas. ..

Democracy Essay -- miscellaneous

Democracy This essay will now discuss the different forms of government, which are monarchy and aristocracy. In this essay I will also answer the question â€Å"Is Democracy the Best Form of Government?† My basic answer to that question is yes, I do think it is the best form of governments. I will be giving reason to back up my answer to this question. This essay will now discuss the different forms of government and the answer to the question â€Å"is Democracy the Best Form of Government?† in more depth and detail. One of the forms of government that we would be discussing is monarchy. A monarchy is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State, political power which belongs largely to one ruler, generally called a king or queen, who receives his or her position by claim of divine or inherited right. This basically means that there is one ruler for the common good. An example of this is Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Monaco. However, the prevision of a monarchy is a tyranny. This happens when the one man who is a dictator governs for his or her self and not for the interest of the common good. An example of tyranny is Greece where Hippias (last tyrant of Athens) ruled. Another form of government is aristocracy. An aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an "upper class" known as aristocrats. The aristocrats are a few of people which are the most elite of men that are chosen to run the country. The word aristocracy implies the meaning of...

Having a Healthy Life

Health is the optimal aim that every person is looking for. However, having a healthy life is not easy. Researchers believe that more than half of disease is linked to individual's behaviors (Ryan ; Sawin, 2009). People can reduce the probability of being sick or living with chronic symptoms by engaging in health behavior and controlling their desires and habits (Ryan ; Sawin, 2009). From this perspective and by reviewing a ten years peer-reviewed published papers, Ryan, a post-doctoral student, was thinking of developing a theory that assists individuals to reach a sustainable change in their unhealthy behaviors.Integrated Theory of Health Behavior Change (ITHBC) is an example of descriptive midrange theories that concentrate on practice. In contrast, grand theories are more generalized and not focused on practical section (Ryan ; Sawin, 2009). ITHBC is compiled from multi concepts from deferent theories. For instance, the theory of reason Action which focus on intention, health belief model, and social cognitive theory that consider environmental factors to impact behavior change (Ryan ; Sawin, 2009). ITHBC is a patient-centered intervention that is more effective than standardized interventions in facilitating health behavior change.ITHBC assumed that behavior change is a repeated, changeable theory. Also, it is mandatory to have a desire and to be motivated by behavioral change. In addition, self-evaluation maintains progress and social support influences individual's desire. The theory has a short-term outcome which is engagement in healthy behavior, and it has a long-term outcome which is health improvement (Ryan & Sawin, 2009)The Primary constructs of ITHBC are knowledge and beliefs, self-regulation skills and abilities, and social facilitation. All the three components assist to emerge in a behavior of self-management which is the proximal outcome in order to reach the distal outcome which is good health status. Knowledge and beliefs construct is composed of behavior-specific knowledge, self-efficacy, outcome expectancy and goal congruence. The construct of self-regulation skills and abilities comprises the processes of decision-making, planning for and engaging in specific behaviors, self-monitoring and reflective thinking, self-evaluation, goal setting, and the management of physical, emotional, and cognitive responses associated with health behavioral change. Social facilitation contains the concepts of social support, social influence and active collaboration related to health outcomes among individuals, relatives and health practitioners (Ryan & Sawin, 2009). The study of testing the Integrated Theory of Health Behavioral Change for postpartum weight management aimed to investigate the relationship between the constructs of the ITHBC and how they influence weight self-management of women after giving a birth. (Ryan et al., 2011). The sample size was 250 postpartum women. Only 179 women completed the follow-up questionnaire and they were, African American, Latina, and White women, and they were classified based on their weight into normal weight, overweight, and obese.The strength of this paper is by giving a view of weight self-management after having a baby requiring active engagement and management. Further, The THBC is a good tool in framing weight self-management in the context of health behavior self-management, and it supports the impact of race on weight self-management. In contrast, the weak points are the study constructs need a tool to measure the components of the theory for postpartum weight management. In addition, it did not test the whole theory constructs like the distal outcome.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Five

November 2, Saturday Dear Diary, This morning I woke up and felt so strange. I don't know how to describe it. On the one hand, I was so weak that when I tried to stand up my muscles wouldn't support me. But on the other hand I felt†¦ pleasant.So comfortable , sorelaxed. As if I were floating on a bed of golden light. I didn't care if I never moved again. Then I remembered Stefan, and I tried to get up, but Aunt Judith put me back to bed. She said Bonnie and Meredith had left hours ago, and that I'd been so fast asleep they couldn't wake me. She said what I needed was rest. So here I am. Aunt Judith brought the TVin,but I don't care about watching it. I'd rather lie here and write, or just lie here. November 3,Sunday (10:30 p.m.) I've just read over yesterday's entry and I'm shocked. What was wrong with me? I broke off in the middle of a sentence, and now I don'teven know what I was going to say. And I didn'texplain about my new diary or anything. I must have been completely spaced out. Anyway, this is the official start of my new diary. I boughtthis blank book at the drugstore. It's not as beautiful as the other one, but it will have to do. I've given up hope of ever seeing my old one again. Whoever stole it isn't going to bring it back. But when I think of them reading it, all my inner thoughts and my feelings about Stefan, I want to kill them. While simultaneously dying of humiliation myself. I'm not ashamed of the way I feel about Stefan. But it's private. And there are things in there, about the way it is when we kiss, when he holds me, that I know he wouldn't want anybody else to read. Of course, it hasn't got anything about his secret in it. I hadn't found that out yet. It wasn't until I did that I really understood him, and we got together, really together, at last. Now we're part of each other. I feel as if I've been waiting for him all my life. Maybe you think I'm terrible for loving him, considering what he is. He can be violent, and I know there are some things in his past that he's ashamed of. But he could never be violent toward me,and the past is over. He has so much guilt and he hurts so much inside. I want to heal him. I don't know what will happen now; I'm just so glad that he's safe. I went to the boarding house today and found out that the police had been there yesterday. Stefan was still weak and couldn't use his Powers to get rid of them, but they didn't accuse him of anything. They just asked questions. Stefan says they acted friendly, which makes me suspicious. What all the questions really boil down to is: where were you on the night the old man was attacked under the bridge, and the night Vickie Bennett was attacked in the ruined church, and the night Mr. Tanner was killed at school? They don't have any evidence against him. So the crimes started right after he came to Fell's Church, so what? That's not proof of anything. So he argued with Mr. Tanner that night. Again, so what? Everybody argued with Mr. Tanner. So he disappeared after Mr. Tanner's body was found. He's back now, and it's pretty clear that he was attacked himself, by the same person who committed the other crimes. Mary told the police about the condition he was in. And if they ever ask us, Matt and Bonnie and Meredith and I can all testify how we found him. There's no case against him at all. Stefan and I talked about that, and about other things. It was so good to be with him again, even if he did look white and tired. He still doesn't remember how Thursday night ended, but most of it is just as I suspected. Stefan went to find Damon Thursday night after he took me home. They argued. Stefan ended up half-dead in a well. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened in between. I still haven't told him that I went looking for Damon in the graveyard Friday morning. I suppose I'd better do it tomorrow. I know he's going to be upset, especially when he hears what Damon said to me. Well, that's all. I'm tired. This diary is going to be well-hidden, for obvious reasons. P.S. I wonder who our new European history teacher will be? She tucked the diary under her mattress and turned out the light. Elena walked down the hallway in a curious vacuum. At school she was usually peppered with greetings from all sides; it was â€Å"hi, Elena,† after â€Å"hi, Elena,† wherever she went. But today eyes slid away furtively as she approached, or people suddenly became very busy doing something that required them to keep their backs to her. It had been happening all day long. She paused in the doorway of the European history classroom. There were several students already sitting down, and at the chalkboard was a stranger. He looked almost like a student himself. He had sandy hair, worn a little long, and the build of an athlete. Across the board he had written â€Å"Alaric K. Saltzman.† As he turned around, Elena saw that he also had a boyish smile. He went on smiling as Elena sat down and other students filed in. Stefan was among them, and his eyes met Elena's as he took his seat beside her, but they didn't speak. No one was talking. The room was dead silent. Bonnie sat down on Elena's other side. Matt was only a few desks away, but he was looking straight ahead. The last two people to come in were Caroline Forbes and Tyler Smallwood. They walked in together, and Elena didn't like the look on Caroline's face. She knew that catlike smile and those narrowed green eyes all too well. Tyler's handsome, rather fleshy features were shining with satisfaction. The discoloration under his eyes caused by Stefan's fist was almost gone. â€Å"Okay, to start off, why don't we put all these desks in a circle?† Elena's attention snapped back to the stranger at the front of the room. He was still smiling. â€Å"Come on, let's do it. That way we can all see each other's faces when we talk,† he said. Silently, the students obeyed. The stranger didn't sit at Mr. Tanner's desk; instead, he pulled a chair to the circle and straddled it backward. â€Å"Now,† he said. â€Å"I know you all must be curious about me. My name's on the board: Alaric K. Saltzman. But I want you to call me Alaric. I'll tell you a little more about me later, but first I want to give you a chance to talk. â€Å"Today's probably a difficult day for most of you. Someone you cared about is gone, and that must hurt. I want to give you a chance to open up and share those feelings with me and with your classmates. I want you to try to get in touch with the pain. Then we can start to build our own relationship on trust. Now They stared at him. No one so much as moved an eyelash. â€Å"Well, let's see†¦ what about you?† Still smiling, he gestured encouragingly to a pretty, fair-haired girl. â€Å"Tell us your name and how you feel about what's happened.† Flustered, the girl stood. â€Å"My name's Sue Carson, and, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took a deep breath and went doggedly on. â€Å"And I feelscared. Because whoever this maniac is, he's still loose. And next time it could be me.† She sat down. â€Å"Thank you, Sue. I'm sure a lot of your classmates share your concern. Now, do I understand that some of you were actually there when this tragedy occurred?† Desks creaked as students shifted uneasily. But Tyler Smallwood stood up, his lips drawing back from strong white teeth in a smile. â€Å"Most of us were there,† he said, and his eyes flickered toward Stefan. Elena could see other people following his gaze. â€Å"I got there right after Bonnie discovered the body. And what I feel is concern for the community. There's a dangerous killer on the streets, and so far nobody's done anything to stop him. And – † He broke off. Elena wasn't sure how, but she felt Caroline had signaled him to do it. Caroline tossed back gleaming auburn hair and recrossed her long legs as Tyler took his seat again. â€Å"Okay, thank you. So most of you were there. That makes it doubly hard. Can we hear from the person who actually found the body? Is Bonnie here?† He looked around. Bonnie raised her hand slowly, then stood. â€Å"Iguess I discovered the body,† she said. â€Å"I mean, I was the first person who knew that he was really dead, and not just faking.† Alaric Saltzman looked slightly startled. â€Å"Not just faking? Did he often fake being dead?† There were titters, and he flashed that boyish smile again. Elena turned and glanced at Stefan, who was frowning. â€Å"No – no,† said Bonnie. â€Å"You see, he was a sacrifice. At the Haunted House. So he was covered with blood anyway, only it was fake blood. And that was partly my fault, because he didn't want to put it on, and I told him he had to do it. He was supposed to be a Bloody Corpse. But he kept saying it was too messy, and it wasn't until Stefan came and argued with him – † She stopped. â€Å"I mean, we talked to him and he finally agreed to do it, and then the Haunted House started. And a little while later I noticed that he wasn't sitting up and scaring the kids like he was supposed to, and I went over and asked him what was wrong. And he didn't answer. He just – he just kept staring at the ceiling. And then I touched him and he – it was terrible. His head just sort offlopped †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie's voice wavered and gave out. She gulped. Elena was standing up, and so were Stefan and Matt and a few other people. Elena reached over to Bonnie. â€Å"Bonnie, it's okay. Bonnie, don't; it's okay.† â€Å"And blood got all over my hands. There was blood everywhere, so much blood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sniffed hysterically. He stood up and paced around the center of the circle, his hands opening and shutting nervously. Bonnie was still sniffling softly. â€Å"I know,† he said, the boyish smile coming back full force. â€Å"I'd like to get our student-teacher relationship off to a good start, away from this whole atmosphere. How about if you all come around to my place this evening, and we can all talk informally? Maybe just get to know each other, maybe talk about what happened. You can even bring a friend if you want. How about it?† There was another thirty seconds or so of staring. Then someone said, â€Å"Your place?† â€Å"Yes†¦ oh, I'm forgetting. Stupid of me. I'm staying at the Ramsey house, on Magnolia Avenue.† He wrote the address on the board. â€Å"The Ramseys are friends of mine, and they loaned me the house while they're on vacation. I come from Charlottesville, and your principal called me Friday to ask me if I could take over here. I jumped at the chance. This is my first real teaching job.† â€Å"Oh, that explains it,† said Elena under her breath. â€Å"Does it?† said Stefan. â€Å"Anyway, what do you think? Is it a plan?† Alaric Saltzman looked around at them. No one had the heart to refuse. There were scattered â€Å"yeses† and â€Å"sures.† â€Å"Great, then it's settled. I'll provide the refreshments, and we'll all get to know each other. Oh, by the way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He opened a grade book and scanned it. â€Å"In this class, participation makes up half your final grade.† He glanced up and smiled. â€Å"You can go now.† â€Å"The nerve of him,† somebody muttered as Elena went out the door. Bonnie was behind her, but Alaric Saltzman's voice called her back. â€Å"Would the students who shared with us please stay behind for a minute?† Stefan had to leave, too. â€Å"I'd better go check about football practice,† he said. â€Å"It's probably canceled, but I'd better make sure.† Elena was concerned. â€Å"If it's not canceled, do you think you're feeling up to it?† â€Å"I'll be fine,† he said evasively. But she noticed that his face still looked drawn, and he moved as if he were in pain. â€Å"Meet you at your locker,† he said. She nodded. When she got to her locker, she saw Caroline nearby talking to two other girls. Three pairs of eyes followed Elena's every move as she put away her books, but when Elena glanced up, two of them suddenly looked away. Only Caroline remained staring at her, head slightly cocked as she whispered something to the other girls. Elena had had enough. Slamming her locker, she walked straight toward the group. â€Å"Hello, Becky; hello, Sheila,† she said. Then, with heavy emphasis: â€Å"Hello, Caroline.† â€Å"What's going on?† she demanded. â€Å"Going on?† Caroline was obviously enjoying this, trying to draw it out as long as possible. â€Å"Going on with who?† â€Å"With you, Caroline. With everybody. Don't pretend you're not up to something, because I know you are. People have been avoiding me all day as if I had the plague, and you look like you just won the lottery. What have you done?† Caroline's expression of innocent inquiry slipped, and she smiled a feline smile. â€Å"I told you when school started that things were going to be different this year, Elena,† she said. â€Å"I warned you your time on the throne might be running out. But it isn'tmy doing. What's happening is simply natural selection. The law of the jungle.† â€Å"And just whatis happening?† â€Å"Well, let's just say that going out with a murderer can put a cramp in your social life.† Elena's chest tightened as if Caroline had hit her. For a moment, the desire to hit Caroline back was almost irresistible. Then, with the blood pounding in her ears, she said through clenched teeth, â€Å"That isn't true. Stefan hasn't done anything. The police questioned him, and he was cleared.† Caroline shrugged. Her smile now was patronizing. â€Å"Elena, I've known you since kindergarten,† she said, â€Å"so I'll give you some advice for old times' sake: drop Stefan. If you do it right now you might just avoid being a complete social leper. Otherwise you might as well buy yourself a little bell to ring in the street.† Rage held Elena hostage as Caroline turned and walked away, her auburn hair moving like liquid under the lights. Then Elena found her tongue. â€Å"Caroline.† The other girl turned back. â€Å"Are you going to go to that party at the Ramsey house tonight?† â€Å"I suppose so. Why?† â€Å"Because I'll be there. With Stefan. See you in the jungle.† This time Elena was the one to turn away. The dignity of her exit was slightly marred when she saw a slim, shadowed figure at the far end of the hallway. Her step faltered for an instant, but as she drew closer she recognized Stefan. She knew the smile she gave him looked forced, and he glanced back toward the lockers as they walked side by side out of the school. â€Å"So football practice was canceled?† she said. He nodded. â€Å"What was that all about?† he said quietly. â€Å"Nothing. I asked Caroline if she was going to the party tonight.† Elena tilted back her head to look at the gray and dismal sky. She remembered what he had told her in his room. He could see better than a human, and hear better, too. Well enough to catch words spoken down forty feet of corridor? â€Å"Yes,† she said defiantly, still inspecting the clouds. â€Å"And that's what made you so angry?† â€Å"Yes,† she said again, in the same tone. She could feel his eyes on her. â€Å"Elena, that's not true.† â€Å"Well, if you can read my mind, you don't need to ask me questions, do you?† They were facing each other now. Stefan was tense, his mouth set in a grim line. â€Å"You know I wouldn't do that. But I thought you were the one who was so big on honesty in relationships.† â€Å"All right. Caroline was being her usual bitchy self and shooting her mouth off about the murder. So what? Why do you care?† â€Å"Because,† said Stefan simply, brutally, â€Å"she might be right. Not about the murder but about you. About you and me. I should have realized this would happen. It's not just her, is it? I've been sensing hostility and fear all day, but I was too tired to try and analyze it. They think I'm the killer and they're taking it out on you.† â€Å"What they think doesn't matter! They're wrong, and they'll realize that eventually. Then everything will be the way it was again.† A wistful smile tugged at the corner of Stefan's mouth. â€Å"You really believe that, don't you?† He looked away, and his face hardened. â€Å"And what if they don't? What if it only gets worse?† â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"It might be better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stefan took a deep breath and continued, carefully. â€Å"It might be better if we didn't see each other for a while. If they think we're not together, they'll leave you alone.† She stared at him. â€Å"And you think you could do that? Not see me or talk to me for however long?† â€Å"If it's necessary – yes. We could pretend we've broken up.† His jaw was set. Elena stared another moment. Then she circled him and moved in closer, so close that they were almost touching. He had to look down at her, his eyes only a few inches from her own. â€Å"There is,† she said, â€Å"only one way I'm going to announce to the rest of the school that we've broken up. And that's if you tell me that you don't love me and you don't want to see me. Tell me that, Stefan, right now. Tell me that you don't want to be with me any more.† He'd stopped breathing. He stared down at her, those green eyes striated like a cat's in shades of emerald and malachite and holly green. She never got to finish the sentence. It was cut off as his mouth descended on hers.

Not Always Right

Brooke is a stunning, red-haired, fair-skinned, girl with dazzling blue-green eyes. On her skinny figure she wore light distressed Jeans and a long-sleeve grey sweater? she rocked It. I had never talked to her In my life and I had never heard anything bad about her; I Just made assumptions of my own. Before asking her anything, I told her that she could tell me anything and that it would be safe with me and I meant it. She has good grades, likes photography, and says that she doesn't typically have issues with her friends.Then, I asked her if she was self-conscious and she said yes; she also said yes when I asked her if she considered herself to be depressed. She told me that she had family issues and that her and her parents do not get along?to this I relate In so many ways. We talked about family problems for the entire first half of our conversation. When this topic came to an end I asked a question that I'm sure she saw coming. I asked her is she cut and she said, â€Å"l used t o but things have gotten better for me. She started cutting in 7th grade because of self-hatred, depression, ND family issues. I wasn't surprised because too many freshman girls do this as well, including me. The main things I learned about her were that I was wrong and that we have a lot In common. To be honest, I learned more from this experience about myself than I learned about Brooke. When I asked Brooke to speak with me, I had an Idea that the assumptions about her in my head were no doubt, correct. Because I had judged her so roughly, I did not think she would be able to change my mind?call me stubborn.Also, I came to realize that Brooke and I have a lot in common: the way we deal with problems, being self-conscious, and being required to adjust to family issues. This made me realize that I tend to Judge people who I share similarities with; I also found other relationships where I did or do this. I do this because I try so hard to be myself and be original, but being complet ely unique is hard to do in a world of 6,973,738,433 people. She is a gorgeous girl and I am insanely jealous of her; I know for a fact that I edge people am jealous of.When we were talking, I found my original idea of her completely deteriorating. The more I think about my colonization with Brooke, the more I realize that I am wrong. Now, I realize that I enjoy talking to her. I hope we keep talking and maybe even one day become friends. I hope that eventually she will see me as someone she can talk to about her problems instead of cutting herself. When I spoke with her, I felt like I could be honest and be myself and I rarely feel this way with anybody.I'm surprised y my slight ability to open up more than I usually do during that conversation because I always hold everything in. For example, when she asked me if I cut, my good friends. I'm thankful for the change to begin getting to know Brooke, and I hope that we continue getting to know each other. I will not say that I am goin g to stop Judging people because Vie tried to do so before?it doesn't work, but from now on I will try my best to get to know a person to a fuller extent before Judging them. I'm glad I got this chance to figure out that I was wrong about Brooke.

Green buildings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Green buildings - Essay Example For example, the solar panels installed in green buildings are very energy efficient because their source of energy never depletes. Quality of water and air in the green buildings is better than what it is in the non-green buildings. Levels of air pollutants indoor are generally much higher than their levels outdoor. Many of these pollutants, like the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) originate in the materials that are used in the construction of buildings, yet there are other pollutants like the smoke that is generated by humans. Likewise, Asbestos is a material that is used for insulation purposes. It is made up of extremely minuscule fibers that are light enough to float in the air and are taken to the lungs with breath where they can cause serious damage to the lungs. Till 1980s, Asbestos was widely used as a construction material. However, as people began to gain awareness of its potential threats to health, they abandoned its use in construction. Green building makes sure that no such materials are used so that the environment both inside and outside the building becomes conducive for better health. Green buildings reduce waste. They mostly make reuse of materials or use renewable materials including sustainable lumber and plant matter. Recycled metal and stone are some of the primary building blocks of green buildings. Some green buildings even reuse byproducts of industries such as foundry sand, combustion materials as well as debris. One potential outcome of green buildings is that they inculcate motivation in the occupants to save resources and not waste things. Green buildings have a proper mechanism of disposal of waste. In addition to that, â€Å"green building furthers the... Since the onset of urge in people to make the buildings greener, architects have been adding numerous piecemeal elements for saving water and reducing the use of electricity in buildings. The structure of green buildings is not much different from the traditional buildings. They do not have to be designed in such a way that would make them look different from the conventional structures. In fact, green buildings have to be very much like the ordinary structures. It is only the addition of certain elements and avoidance of others that lends the â€Å"green† tag to a building. Such elements include installation of a solar panel for capturing sunlight, storing and converting it into the mechanical power. It is more of the occupants’ style of living that makes a building greener than installation or removal of elements. Occupants of a green building are very prudent in their use of things. They tend not to waste water, gas, or electricity. A building can not be expected to be green if the occupants living in it adopt such practices that are not consistent with the requirements of sustainable living. Nevertheless, there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration while designing a green building. For example, there is sufficient water and heat proofing in the green buildings. In these structures, the roofs are covered with thick layer of soil to maintain a low temperature in the building and save it from the effect of hot weather. This obviates the need to install expensive and environment unfriendly HVAC equipment.

Critical debates in planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critical debates in planning - Essay Example sents a violation of the principles of equal rights, but that this situation, although highly advantageous to certain economic interests, has been justified by government by the first assertion related to instrumental participation. It follows therefore that, if third-party rights of challenge can be shown to have relevance beyond self-interest, in principle the inequality of rights cannot be justified. It cannot be ignored that, although rights are problematic as a contested concept, they generally represent a valuable and accepted mechanism for safeguarding fundamental attributes of liberal democracies. A key difficulty, however, is that, within planning, rights discourses tend to have emphasized rights as vehicles for expressing interests, rather than emphasizing the values that they seek to protect. As a result, the invoking of rights becomes seen as a problem of how to manage competing interests in the context of other models of accountability for example representative democrac y. This has been justified by the fact that it is possible to challenge the grant of planning permission in the h high court by judicial review. This argument stems from the fact that judicial review the in the high court is very different from an appeal planning inspector and involves for greater costs. Barclays also points out that there’s need for third party rights because of perceived injustice in the procedures for participation in planning in that prospective developers may appeal against refusal whereas third parties cannot appeal against approval. There should be an opportunity for those disadvantaged and aggrieved by planning approvals to seek redress from an independent body. A third party right of appeal is not really necessary because by default they are involved in the planning process right from preparation, application and planning appeal. He reinforces his arguments by dismissing the fact that developer rights in planning evolve and are not sacrosanct because

Philosophy Compare Derrida and J.L. Austin's views on langauge Essay

Philosophy Compare Derrida and J.L. Austin's views on langauge - Essay Example Austin's ideas precede those of Derrida, and in many ways may be seen as the foundation that Derrida and his fellow post-structuralists seek to dismantle. The basis of Austin's ideas is that language can be divided between two broad categories. These are performative acts and performative utterances. Take the example that I have just stood on your toe. Two possible verbal reactions are possible. One, I say "I apologize for stepping on your toe". Alternatively, I might say "I am sorry for stepping on your toe". The first sentence is an example of a performative act: I have performed the 'act' of apologizing for stepping on your toe. The second sentence is not an act however - as I am just stating what I feel about stepping on your toe. I may be apologizing, but on the other hand I may not be - it may be just what I feel on the inside. This appears to be a very simple distinction, but from this basic premise, Austin moves into increasingly complex examinations of the structure of language in the form of acts/utterances. Essentially, the words that we use rely upon a whole series of other facts, realities, possibilities and assumptions in order for them to have meaning. For example, I say to you, "I am going to marry you tomorrow". In some ways this is a performative act - it is a direct statement of what I will do, as opposed to a feeling. However, the act definition depends upon a number of outside factors. It remains an act if we are both unmarried, if you the opposite gender from me, if we are both of age, if we live in a place where you can get a marriage license within 24 hours . . . . etc. But if either of us is already married, or perhaps we are already married, if we are the same gender etc. then the act becomes an utterance because there is no way of the act really occurring. From this start, Austin moves through a detailed examination of performance acts and utterances, and eventually uses his analysis to counter some of the very bases of all philosophy. One of his most important arguments is that the obsession of philosophy with whether something is "true" or "false" is in fact what he calls a "tyranny" (Austin, 1976). Because any statement depends upon the hierarchy of facts, realities, feelings that was outlined above, the idea that it can be easily categorized as "true" or false" is absurd. It all depends upon the overall environment within which the statement exists. Austin calls this "a dimension of assessment" (1976). While eventually Austin rejects the idea that all language can be divided between performative acts and utterances, the basic structure remains in place. A particular sentence is either an act or it is an utterance. This is what can be referred to as a Cartesian worldview of opposites. Derrida comes from a very different viewpoint. As the very title of his famous book suggests, he seeks to understand the world from the "margins" of philosophy. He seeks to philosophize from the point of view of what he calls both/and (Derrida, 1985). For Derrida the attempt to divide language into either/or reduces the situation through simplifying it. He finds it much more interesting if a word or sentence can be both an act and an utterance. Derrida works through a system of paradox in which the speaker, far from using words that reflect his intention, in fact has his intention determined by the words that he is using. This is the direct attack that Derrida lays against the ideas of

Employability skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employability skills - Essay Example The company offers a range of products to clients depending on clients needs. They run care homes, health centers, dental centers, and hospitals, offer personal and company health insurance and provide home health care, workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services including health coaching. The organization employment structure ranges from the top echelon to the bottom depending on employees skills such as professional level. As an erstwhile employee of the institution (saved as a financial adviser), I was tasked with the responsibility of marketing policies of the company to the clients. It is a position that requires certain skills and competencies as well as professionalism to effectively and efficiently deliver in terms of performance ( Bupa, 2015). Personal skills in the modern workforce especially in private institutions are considered to be profitable. There are those who subscribe to the school of thought that personal skills are generic hence its passed from one generation to the other. It is further from the truth as scientific proof show that traits can be acquired. As a financial adviser, I developed my responsibilities by grooming appropriately and in an acceptable manner to the eyes of the clients as well as to the codes and ethics of the institution. Besides that, reporting punctually to workstations would give ample time for proper preparation. Punctuality and strict time observation enable a financial adviser(FA) to identify the appropriate client prospecting methods with the sole purpose of meeting the client’s needs and convincing them into consenting on preferred products. In addition to that it enhances the self-respect, good self-management, honesty to the unit manager and team members and ones work. Ca rrying out duties responsibly boosts confidence in ones work, and that correlates with the

Unit 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 6 - Assignment Example For the sake of customer safety and service, a similar language needs to be in place. The employees need to maintain excellent public relation patterns with the target customers. In doing so, customers feel welcomed and valued. It also promotes the business sales. In another way, a few employees without English knowledge may feel left out and alienated from others who are quick in expressing themselves in English. They may think they are being gossiped in the workplace. Differences in workplace subsides managers institute such changes. The disciplinary action needs to be clear to everyone. The disciplinary policy in workplace ensures that every member sticks to the directives. The employees are hence aware of the repercussions that accompany breaking of the law. Knowledge of the effects of law breaking will deter them from poor acts in the workplace. Therefore, in personal view, measures enforcing English speaking only at the workplace are good if implemented well. They result to good customer care and an improvement in public relation patterns (Ekkens and Winke 270). Ekkens, Kristin, and Paula Winke. â€Å"Evaluating Workplace English Language Programs.† Language Assessment Quarterly 2009 : 265–287. Retrieved from

Organizational Chart Essay Example for Free

Organizational Chart Essay Staff Training Crew Crew Members Crew Members Website Designers Website Designers Delivery Staff Delivery Staff Customer Service Customer Service Cleaners Cleaners An organisational chart shows the main parts of the organisation, and the relationship between the various parts. McDonalds’ organisational chart is hierarchal. It’s also tall because it has more than 3 levels. The reason why this is a tall structure is because McDonald’s is a big company with restaurants all over the world, so they need people in every country to make sure that the businesses is making profit and progress. Organisational structure Organisational structure set out important aspects of how communication will take place. For example: managers, supervisors and assistants would report to senior managers where they would report to board of directors. Also board of directors sets out the strategy, then senior managers are giving targets to staff that works in McDonald’s so they can achieve them. The purpose of organisational structure is to share the work so everyone knows what they are doing and to establish lines of control and communication. McDonald’s divided people into: managers, team leaders, staff training crew, cleaners, customer service, restaurant manager, etc. It helps to control organisational activities. Types of organisational structure: * Geographical area: McDonald’s has its restaurants all over the world. In order to make it work they had to hire people to run the business in every country that they operate. * Function: Span of control Span control is the amount of employees a manager has direct line authority over. Organisational chart- MacMillan Cancer Support

Language Learning Strategy Instruction Education Essay

Language Learning Strategy Instruction Education Essay Language learning strategies are the conscious thoughts and actions taken by learners to achieve a learning goal (Chamot, 2004). On the other hand, Language Learning Strategy Instruction (LLSI) or better known as learner training is a key way for teachers to help learners learn autonomously. It includes two important areas. They are raising learner awareness of how languages are learned and providing them with the skills they need to do it (Logan Moore, 2004). This article provides an overview of language learning strategies instruction and discusses the definitions, importance, past and recent research, types of language learning strategies instructions, employing language learning strategies into their daily language classroom and models of language learning strategy instruction. Keywords: language learning, definitions, importance, research. types, models Introduction Language learning strategies are employed by learners to complete listening, vocabulary, speaking, reading, and writing activities presented in language lessons. When a task has to be completed or a problem need to be solved, language learners will use metacognitive, cognitive or social/affective strategies that they possess to attend to the language learning activity (Oxford, 1990). While experienced language learners can approach language learning problems in a systematic way and are successful in selecting appropriate strategies to complete a language-learning task, novices may be less efficient at selecting and using strategies to task (OMalley Chamot, 1995). Irrespective of language learning experiences, both groups of learners will need instruction on how to use strategies efficiently to develop their language learning and language performance (Wenden, 1987, OMalley Chamot, 1995, Cohen, 1998,). One way to guide learners towards the effective use of learning strategies is to i ncorporate Language Learning Strategy Instruction into daily language lessons (Kinoshita, 2003). This article addresses the following questions: What are the definitions of language learning strategy instruction or LLSI? What does past and present research say about language learning strategies instruction? What are the types of language learning strategy instruction? What are the models of LLSI? How to integrate LLSI into a language classroom? Definition of Language Learning Strategies Instruction Language Learning Strategy Instruction (LLSI) is also known as strategy training, learner training, learning to learn training, learner methodology training and methodological initiation for learners (Oxford 1990). Language learning strategy instructions are the initiation, structuring and control of the singular individual steps as part of the whole language learning process. In other words, language learning strategies instruction is the operationalization and implementation of strategies to improve the progress in developing language skills (Green Oxford 1995). LLSI are also procedures that facilitate a learning task. Strategies are most often conscious and goal-driven, especially in the beginning stages of tackling an unfamiliar language task. Once a learning strategy becomes familiar through repeated use, it may be used with some automaticity, but most learners will, if required, be able to call the strategy to conscious awareness (Chamot 2005). According to some scholars, LLSI is a key way for teachers to help learners learn autonomously. It includes two important areas. These are raising learner awareness of how languages are learned and providing them with the skills they need to do it (Logan Moore 2003). Tudor (1996) describes LLSI as the process by which learners are helped to deepen their understanding of the nature of language learning and to acquire the knowledge and skills they need in order to pursue their learning goals in an informal and self-directed manner. The Importance of LLSI Research shows that learners who receive LLSI or strategy training generally learn better than those who do not, and that certain techniques for such training are more beneficial than others (Oxford 1990). Lee (1995) in her study pointed out that second language learner can become more autonomous in the language learning process. The results not only showed that students gained better final exam grades than mid term exam grades but also confirmed the previous studies by OMalley et al (1985b). Her findings also revealed that language learning strategies instruction for second language learner is an efficient means for helping college students at the beginning level. With strategy training, students can learn how to study a second language, improve their learning and language skills, monitor and evaluate their performance, and become more aware of what helps them learn the language they are studying (Cohen 2000). By examining the strategies used by second language learners during the language learning process, we gain insights into the metacognitive, cognitive, social, and affective processes involved in language learning. Besides, less successful language learners can be taught new strategies, thus helping them become better language learners (Grenfell Harris, 1999). Research on Learning Strategies Instructions Research on language learning strategy instruction has been interested in verifying the effectiveness of particular strategy training. Researchers have experimented with instructing language learners to use selected learning strategies as a way to improve language performance (Kinoshita, 2003). Cohen and Aphek (1980) trained learners of Hebrew on how to recall new words by using paired associations and found that learners perform better in recalling tasks when they form associations (Ellis, 2002). In a study by Weinstein (1978), students in the ninth grade were trained to use a variety of strategies and apply them to reading comprehension and memory tasks. The positive results showed that students trained in elaboration strategies significantly outperformed the students who received no training (OMalley Chamot, 1995). Wenden (1987) describes that providing students with a checklist of criteria to self-evaluate their oral production resulted in successful use of self-evaluation as a learning strategy. The consensus of these investigations and others (Bialystok 1983; Gagne 1985; Sano 1999; Dadour 1996) tell us that language learning strategies are teachable and training language learners to use selected learning strategies can lead to positive effects on task performance in the language learning process. Research on strategy instruction has also investigated the instructional sequences used by language instructors to implement strategy instruction into foreign language lessons. One of the research interests of Chamot et al. (1988) was to discover how three regular classroom teachers integrated strategy instruction into their Spanish and Russian foreign language class activities. The results showed that although each participating instructor had an individual way of providing learning strategy instruction (OMalley Chamot, 1995), all three instructors opted for direct instruction (informing students of the purpose and value of strategies) and followed a structured sequence of introducing, practicing, reinforcing and evaluating strategy use each language activity (Kinoshita, 2003). Research by Robbins (1996) and Grunewald (1999) provides insights into instructional sequences and teaching approaches. Robbins (1996) renders a qualitative description of the instructional sequence used to implement strategy instruction at two universities in Kyoto, Japan. As a framework for strategy instruction, he used the Problem-Solving Process Model. Students were instructed to use the model to plan, monitor, use and evaluate strategies as they attended to language learning tasks. The instructional sequence for each lesson are modeling, explaining, encouraging, and prompting the use of strategies. Grunewalds action research (1999) shows evidence of how strategies instruction can been integrated into foreign language lessons. Grunewald developed an optional supplementary system of useful language learning techniques or strategies. Supplementary learning strategies were identified for each language skill presented in the course book and direct instruction of these language strategies were integrated into the weekly language lessons. The teaching approach used for strategies instruction includes awareness raising, explicit naming of strategies, practice and self-evaluation and monitoring Types of Language Learning Strategies Instruction Language learning strategies instructions can be taught in at least three different ways namely awareness training, one time strategy training and long term strategy training (Oxford, 1990). Awareness training Awareness training is also known as conscious raising or familiarization training. In this situation, participants become aware of the language learning strategies and the way these strategies can help them accomplish various tasks. This training should be fun and motivating so that participants can expand their knowledge of strategies. Participants can be teachers, students or anyone else interested in language learning processes (Oxford 1990). One time strategy training One time strategy training involves learning and practicing one or more strategies with actual learning tasks. This kind of training normally gives the learners information on the value of the strategy, when it can be used, how to use it and how to evaluate the success of the language strategy. This training is suitable for learners who have a need for a particular and targeted strategy that can be taught in one or a few sessions. In general, this strategy is not as valuable as long-term training (Oxford 1990). Long term strategy training Long term strategy training involves learning and practicing strategies with actual language tasks. Students learn the significance of a particular strategy, when and how to use it, how to monitor and evaluate their own performance. Long term training is more prolonged and covers a greater number of strategies. This strategy is most likely to more effective than one time training (Oxford 1990). LLSI Models Research on the learning strategies that second language students generate and strategies that can be taught is of great significance in understanding the operation of cognitive processes during second language acquisition (OMalley Chamot, 1990). Instructional models and materials are helpful in illustrating the ways in which research findings can be converted into practical classroom activities. LLSI Model by OMalley and Chamot OMalley and Chamot (1990) model is based on cognitive theory. The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is designed to develop the academic language skills of limited English proficient students in upper elementary and secondary schools. The theoretical model on which CALLA is based, suggests that language is a complex cognitive skill. It requires extensive practice and feedback in order to operate at an autonomous level. The CALLA lesson plan framework incorporates learning strategy instruction, content area topics, and language development activities. Learning strategy instruction is both direct and embedded. In CALLA, new learning strategies are introduced and familiar ones are practiced (OMalley Chamot 1990). CALLA lessons include both teacher directed and learner centered activities. They specify three types of objectives, namely, content objectives, language objectives, and learning strategy objectives. Each CALLA lesson is divided into five phases: preparation, presentation, practice, and evaluation and expansion activities (refer to Figure 1.1). Theses phases are often recursive and the teacher may wish to go back to earlier phases in order to clarify or provide additional instruction. Preparation Expansion Activities Evaluation Presentation Practice Figure 1.1 LLSI Model by OMalley and Chamot (1999) Preparation In the preparation phase, the teacher finds out , through brainstorming, what students already know about the concepts in the subject area to be presented and practiced, what gaps need to be addressed and how students have been taught to approach a particular type of learning activity. The lessons objectives are explained to students and new vocabulary is developed. The learning strategies most commonly taught in this phase are elaboration, advance organization and selective attention (OMalley Chamot 1990). Presentation In the presentation phase, new information is presented and explained to students in English that is supported by contextual clues such as demonstration and visuals. Teachers make sure that students comprehend the new information so that they will be able to practice it meaningfully in the next phase of the lesson. Some of the learning strategies taught and practiced in this phase are selective attention while listening or reading, self monitoring, inferencing, elaboration, note taking, imagery and questioning for clarifications (OMalley Chamot 1990). Practice The practice phase of the lesson is learner centered. Students engage in hands on activities to practice the new information they were exposed to in the presentation phase. The teacher acts as a facilitator in helping students assimilate the new information and use it in different ways. Cooperative leaning in heterogeneous teams is particularly effective during the practice phase, as students can work together in small groups to clarify their understanding of the information previously presented. The learning strategies in this phase are self monitoring, organizational planning, resourcing, grouping, summarizing, deduction, imagery, auditory representation, elaboration, inferencing, cooperation and questioning for clarification (OMalley Chamot 1990). Evaluation In this phase, students check the level of their performance so that they can gain an understanding of what they have learned and any areas they need to review. Evaluation activities can be individual, cooperative or teacher directed. Learning strategies practiced in the evaluation phase are: self evaluation, elaboration, questioning for clarification, cooperation and self talk (OMalley Chamot 1990. Expansion activities In the expansion phase, students are given a variety of opportunities to think about the new concepts and skills they have learned, integrate them into their existing knowledge frameworks, make real world applications and continue to develop academic language. This phase also provide the opportunity to exercise higher order thinking skills such as inferring new application of a concept, analyzing the components of a learning activity, drawing parallels with other concepts, and evaluating the importance of a concept or a new skill. LLSI Model by Oxford Oxfords eight-step model (refer to Table 1.1) for strategy training focuses on the teaching of learning strategies. It is especially useful for long term strategy training. It can also be adapted for one-time training by selecting specific units. The first five are planning and preparation steps, while the last three involve conducting, evaluating and revising the training. Table 1.1: Strategy Model by Oxford (1990) Determine the learners needs and the time available Select strategies well Consider integration of strategy training Consider motivated issues Prepare materials and activities Conduct completely informed training Evaluate the strategy training Revise the strategy training Step 1: Determine the Learners Needs and the Time Available The initial step in a training program is to consider the needs of the learners and determine the amount of time needed for the activity. Consider first who the learners are and what they need. Are they children, adolescents, college students, graduate students or adults in continuing education? What are their strength and weaknesses? What learning strategies have they been using? Is there a gap between the strategies they have been using and those learners think they have to learn? Consider also how much time learners and learners students have available for strategy training and when learners might do it. Are learners pressed for time or can learners work strategy training in with no trouble? Step 2: Select Strategies Well First, select strategies which are related to the needs and characteristics of learners. Note especially whether there are strong cultural biases in favor or against a particular strategy. If strong biases exist, choose strategies that do not completely contradict what the learners are already doing. Second, chose more than one kind of strategy to teach. Decide the kinds of compatible, mutually supporting strategies that are important for students. Third, choose strategies that are generally useful for most learners and transferable to a variety of language situations and tasks. Fourth, choose strategies that are easy to learn and valuable to the learner. In other words, do not include all easy strategies or all difficult strategies (Oxford 1990). Step 3: Consider Integration of Strategy Training It is most helpful to integrate strategy training with the tasks, objectives, and materials used in the regular language training program. Attempts to provide detached, content independent strategy training have been moderately successful. Learners sometimes rebel against strategy training that is not sufficiently linked to their own language training. When strategy training is integrated with language learning, learners understand better how the strategies can be used in significant, meaningful context. Meaningfulness makes it easier to remember the strategies. However, it is also necessary to show learners how to transfer the strategies to new tasks, outside of the immediate ones. Step 4: Consider Motivational Issues Consider the kind of motivation teachers will build into a training program. Decide whether to give grades or partial course credit for attainment of new strategy. If learners have gone through a strategy assessment phase, their interest in strategies is likely to be heightened. If a teacher explains how using a good strategy can make language learning easier, students will be more interested in participating strategy training. Another way to increase motivation is to let learners have some say in selecting the language activities or tasks they will use, or let them choose strategies they will learn. Language teachers need to be sensitive to learners original strategy preferences and the motivation that propels these preferences. This means that teachers should phase in very new strategies gently and gradually, without whisking away students security blankets. Step 5: Prepare Materials and Activities The materials that can be used for strategy training are handouts or handbook. Learners can also develop a strategy handbook themselves. They can contribute to it incrementally, as they learn new strategies that prove successful to them. Step 6: Conduct Completely Informed Training Make a special point to inform the learners as completely as possible about why the strategies are important and how they can be used in new situations. Learners need to be given explicit opportunity to evaluate the success of their new strategies and exploring the reasons why theses strategies might have helped. Research shows that strategy training which fully informs the learners, by indicating why the strategy is useful and how it can be transferred to different tasks, is more successful than training that does not. Most learners perform best with completely informed training (Brown et al., 1980a). In the very rare instances, when informed training proves impossible, more subtle training techniques might be necessary. For example, when learners are through cultural influences, new strategies need to be camouflaged or introduced very gradually, paired with strategies the learners already know and prefer. Step 7: Evaluate the Strategy Training Learners own comments about their strategy use are part of the training itself. These self assessments provide practice with the strategies of self monitoring and self evaluating, during and after the training, own observations are useful for evaluating the success of strategy training. Possible criteria for evaluating training are task improvement, general skill improvement, maintenance of the new strategy, transfer of strategy to other relevant tasks and improvement in learners attitude. Step 8: Revise the Strategy Training The evaluation phase (Step 7) will suggest possible revisions. This leads right back to Step 1, a reconsideration of the characteristics and needs of the learners in light of the cycle of strategy training that has just occurred. How to Integrate LLSI into Language Classroom? LLSI may be integrated by teachers into their daily language classroom. LLSI is needed to enhance listening, speaking, reading, or writing course in language learning and teaching. There are three steps in implementing LLSI in the classroom according to Clouston (1997). Step 1 : Study your teaching context Step 2: Focus on LLS in your teaching Step 3: Reflect and encourage learner reflection Step 1: Study Your Teaching Context By observing students behaviour in class, teachers will be able to see what LLS they are using. Talking to students informally before or after class, or more formally interviewing select students about these topics can also provide a lot of information about ones students, their goals, motivations, and LLS, and their understanding of the particular course being taught. Teachers should study their own teaching methods and overall classroom style. One way to do so is to look at their lesson plans and identify if they have incorporated various ways that students can learn the language (Cloustan 1997). Step 2: Focus on LLS in Your Teaching Focus on specific LLS in your regular teaching that are relevant to your learners, your materials, and your own teaching style. LLS may be used in learning to write or in writing, and filling in the gaps with other LLS for writing that are neglected in the text but would be especially relevant for your learners. Provide students with opportunities to use and develop their LLS and to encourage more independent language learning both in class and in out-of-class activities for your course (Gardner and Miller 1996). Step 3: Reflect and Encourage Learner Reflection In implementing LLSI, purposeful teacher reflection and encouraging learner reflection form a necessary third step. On a basic level, it is useful for teachers to reflect on their own positive and negative experiences in language learning. After each class, one might reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson and the role of LLSI within it. In addition to the teachers own reflections, it is essential to encourage learner reflection, both during and after the LLSI in the class (Cloustan 1997). Conclusion When including strategies based instruction in a second language curriculum, it is important to choose an instructional model that introduces the strategies to the students and raises awareness of their learning preferences; teaches them to identify, practice, evaluate, and transfer strategies to new learning situations; and promotes learner autonomy to enable students to continue their learning after they leave the language classroom (Cohen, 2003). It is important that learning strategies research continue, both in these and other directions, for only through a better understanding of the learning and teaching process can more language learners achieve the level of success that currently characterizes only a small proportion of all students studying a second or foreign language around the world. Language learning strategy instruction can contribute to the development of learner mastery and autonomy and increased teacher expertise, but additional research in specific language learning contexts is essential to realizing its potential to enhance second language acquisition and instruction.