How to Be an Amazing and Successful Substitute Teacher

How to Be an Amazing and Successful Substitute Teacher Substitute teaching is one of the most difficult jobs in education. It is also one of the most important. It takes a remarkable person to be able to adapt effectively to all the situations that will be thrown at them as a substitute teacher. Substitute teachers are used in virtually every school across the country every day. It is vital for school administrators to compose a list of top notch people who can successfully substitute teach. Flexibility and adaptability are probably the two most important characteristics that a substitute teacher must possess. They must be flexible due to the fact that they are often not called until the morning of the day they are needed. They must be adaptable because they could be subbing in a second-grade classroom one day and a high school English class the next. There are even times when their assignment will change from the time they are called to the time they actually arrive. Although it is beneficial for a substitute to be a certified teacher, it is not a requirement or necessity. A person without formal training in education can be a successful substitute. Being a good substitute teacher starts with an understanding of what you are expected to do and also knowing that the students are going to test the waters to see what they can get away with and be equipped to deal with any obstacles. Before You Sub Some school districts require new substitutes to attend some type of formal training before they are placed on the substitute list while others do not. No matter the case, you should always try to schedule a short meeting to introduce yourself to the building principal. Use this time to let them know who you are, ask them for any advice, and find out any specific protocol they may have for substitute teachers. Sometimes it is impossible to meet with the teacher but always do so if you have the opportunity. Although meeting the teacher in person is ideal, a simple phone conversation can be extremely beneficial. The teacher can walk you through their schedule, provide you with specific details, and give you a lot of other relevant information that will make your day go smoother. Always try to obtain a copy of the school’s student handbook. Have a solid understanding of what the school expects from their students and teachers. Some schools may even have a substitute policy designed to protect substitutes from poor student behavior. Carry the student handbook with you and refer to it when necessary. Don’t be afraid to ask the principal or a teacher for clarification. It is essential to understand that every district has its own unique student handbook. While there will be similarities, there will also be significant differences. It is essential that you learn each school’s procedures for emergency situations such as a fire, tornado, or lock-down. Taking the time to have a firm understanding of what is expected of you in these situations can save lives. In addition to knowing the overall protocol for an emergency situation, it is also vital that you have knowledge of emergency routes specific to the room you are subbing in as well as how to lock the door if necessary. Being professional starts with how you dress. Make sure that you know the district’s dress code for teachers and adhere to it. It is equally crucial to understand that you are working with minors. Use appropriate language, don’t try to be their friends, and don’t get too personal with them. Meet with the School PrincipalVisit with the TeacherKnow the Student HandbookKnow Emergency ProtocolBe Professional While You Sub Arriving early is a key component of your day. There are so many things a substitute needs to do to ensure that they have a fantastic day before school begins. The first thing they need to do is to report to the appropriate place. After checking in, a substitute should spend the remainder of their time looking over the daily schedule and the lesson plans, making sure that they have a clear understanding of the material they will be required to teach that day. Getting to know the teachers in the rooms around you can provide you with a lot of assistance. They will likely be able to help you with questions specific to the schedule and the content. They may also be able to give you additional tips specific to your students that could benefit you. Finally, it can be beneficial to build a relationship with these teachers because you may have the opportunity to sub for them at some point. Every teacher runs their room different, but the overall makeup of the students in the room will always be the same. You will always have students who are class clowns, others who are quiet, and those that simply want to help. You want to identify the handful of students that will be helpful throughout the day quickly. These students can assist you with finding materials in the classroom, making sure you stay on schedule, etc. The classroom teacher will be able to tell you whom these students are if you are able to visit with them beforehand. This is the single most crucial component of being an effective substitute teacher. Students of all ages are going to push a substitute to see what they can get away with. Start the day off by setting your own expectations and rules. Don’t let them get away with anything. Hold them accountable for their actions and don’t be afraid to assign them consequences. If this doesn’t get their attention, then go ahead and refer them to the principal. Word will spread that you’re a no-nonsense substitute, and students will begin to challenge you less and less making your job much easier in the long run. The single biggest thing that will bother a regular classroom teacher about a substitute is for the substitute to deviate from their plans. The teacher leaves specific assignments that they fully expect to be completed when they return. Deviating or not completing these activities is seen as disrespectful, and you can bet that they will ask the principal not to put that substitute back in their room. Arrive EarlyGet to Know Surrounding TeachersIdentify the HelpersBe StrictStay on Task After You Sub A teacher wants to know how your day went. It is beneficial to include students that were helpful as well as the students that gave you problems. Be detailed including what they did and how you handled it. Address any issues you may have had with the curriculum. Finally, let them know that you enjoyed being in their classroom and give them your phone number to contact you should they have any additional questions. It is important that you leave the room in as good of or better condition than it was when you arrived. Do not let students leave materials or books strung out all over the room. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to have the students help pick up trash on the floor and get the classroom back in order. Leave a NoteStraighten the Room

Dave Chappelles †Block Party

Dave Chappelles – Block Party Free Online Research Papers In the summer of 2004, one man had a vision. This man, a comedian and actor named Dave Chappelle, wanted to throw a giant block party in the heart of the Bronx. Chappelle compiled a variety of acts to play at his concert, ranging from contemporary stars like Kanye West to unlikely reunion acts such as The Fugees. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is a good movie because it breaks away from many stereotypes associated with hip-hop. Bell hooks, an infamously outspoken writer, composed an essay dealing with white supremacy in our society. Hooks, writing about the romanticized myth of Christopher Columbus, states, â€Å"Indeed, the invitation to celebrate Columbus was for some of us a compelling call to educate the nation for critical consciousness- to seize the moment to transform everyone’s understanding of our nation’s history† (Columbus, p. 198). Hooks believes that â€Å"civilization† is synonymous with â€Å"whiteness†, and together they both stand for domination (Columbus, p.199). Hooks asserts that people of color should embrace principles of solidarity to stand against this domination (Columbus, p. 204). â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† epitomizes this notion of solidarity. Chappelle’s film has a good social message because it defies many cultural stereotypes. Hip-hop culture traditionally glorifies a hedonistic lif estyle, objectifies women, and perpetuates a thuggish attitude. The ideas and themes present in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† go a long way in dispelling some of these assumptions about hip-hop. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is an extremely unconventional motion picture for several reasons, and perhaps this explains the limited success it found in theaters. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† was filmed in the style of a documentary; the events happening on screen are unscripted. For example, many scenes showcase candid conversations between many of the performers during rehearsals for the concert. The live, unedited nature of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† creates a raw, visceral experience that is for the most part absent from cinema today. In an era of over-produced, big budget Hollywood blockbusters, this movie with zero special effects or computer animation separated itself from the crowd. However, movie attendees were not attracted to this low budget concert documentary. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† was met with abysmally poor reception in theaters. The film made less than twelve million d ollars during its theatrical run, which barely exceeded a month. Over fifty percent of those twelve million dollars came in the opening weekend, and each following week both the ticket sales and the number of screens showing the movie nationwide dropped significantly (Box Office). Whether purposefully or not, Chappelle seemed to directly address the film’s financial woes when, speaking on behalf of the performers at his concert, he declared â€Å"’We all have a message we want to get across, †¦ and its not just about making money’† (Benedikt, â€Å"Movie†). Chappelle wanted to throw a concert for the underprivileged youth of the inner city ghetto, and he did not care in the slightest whether or not he would be turning a profit. An entertainer giving back to his fans in such an idealistic way is rare in today’s popular culture, and the party that Dave Chappelle throws in the slums of the Bronx is an inspiring example. While the film did quite poorly in theaters, it was met with much critical praise. The fact that critics supported the movie but ticket sales lacked so severely presents an interesting conundrum. Some may say that the disjointed, choppy nature of the film was a turn off to people going to watch a movie. Others may maintain that the genre and coarse nature of the live music performances that are a central part of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† simply did not appeal to the mass market. Another distinct possibility is that perhaps the social message that â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† asserted was unwelcome in mainstream popular culture. In one scene of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, a group of black college students talk candidly with a famous musician. This artist, Wyclef Jean, tells them that they have an opportunity to better themselves. He warns them that by blaming the â€Å"white man†, many young, poor, black kids convince themselves that they will never better their situation. Jean angrily dispels that common excuse and shouts that the â€Å"white man ain’t responsible for s***† (Gondry). Jean inspires the group to refuse to blame the â€Å"white man†, and to go out and make something of their lives. Hip-hop artists are not known for giving rousing speeches to under-privileged students about the importance of continuing their education. Another key scene in the film showcases Talib Kweli performing his song â€Å"Get By†. Kweli is a well-known, successful singer in the hip-hop community. He sings, â€Å"They [people] need somethin to rely on, we get high on all types of drug?/When, all you really need is love† (Kweli). Here Talib Kweli discourages the use of drugs, a mainstay of the generic hip-hop stereotype. He also advocates love. Hip-hop artists often seem to not even be aware of the concept of love. According to the general stereotypes, hip-hop is all about instant gratification and pleasure. The fact that this extremely successful artist is singing about love from the stage to all of these impoverished youth is supremely noteworthy. These scenes show a completely different side to hip-hop. Another common stereotype of the hip-hop that â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† challenges is the objectifying of women. In the mass majority of hip-hop music videos, women’s entire purpose is to gyrate and rub against the microphone coordinators. These ladies are always scantily clad, and they consistently send out an extremely sexual vibe. In â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, there are several instances where women are shown in an extremely positive light. Not only are these women not shown in an overtly sexual light, but also they are portrayed as promoting good, constructive ways for female African Americans to enjoy the hip hop culture without degrading themselves. One particular scene features critically acclaimed hip-hop singer Lauryn Hill display her child with much parental pride. After a riveting performance, Hill declares, â€Å"This is where I’ve been!† as she points to her barely on stage young child (Gondry). Hill is referring to the long break she took from her musical career to have and raise her baby. Typically hip-hop promotes the idea that women are nothing more than play things to be used by men and discarded without any further consequences. By showing Lauryn Hill as a proud mother, â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† advances the idea that hip-hop vixens are nothing more than worthless skanks. The moment in the movie is brief; Lauryn Hill’s child is only seen on camera for a fleeting instant. However, the message rings loud and clear. The editors of â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† could have easily left Lauryn Hill’s child out of the final version. By choosing to leave the footage of Hill pointing out her child in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, Chappelle again asserts that his film has a good social message. The next stereotype of hip-hip that is demystified in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is the pro-thug life attitude that many people commonly associate with modern hip-hop. Many successful contemporary hip-hop artists are famous for flaunting their street credibility. This may mean that a rapper has a history of crime. Some of the biggest stars in hip-hop today have made their entire careers rapping about being former drug dealers and battling against the police. Others brag about acts of violence committed against rival rappers. The hip-hop community is known for taking advantage of conflicts between two famous rappers and making money off of their disputes. The entire hip-hop industry is fueled by this idea that the more a rapper is involved in illegal activity, the more marketable he will be to the mainstream audience. Many hip-hop artists come off as uneducated, trouble making street hoodlums. In â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party†, this en tire notion of hip-hop being full of thugs is absent. The artists that perform are, for the most part, very different from the stereotypical hip-hop star. Instead of appearing as mumbling hooligans, these artists seem to be legitimate singers and songwriters. Throughout the film, scenes of conversations between the concert’s various performers show the artists to be thoughtful, literate people. The dress of one particular performer in â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† is sure to surprise many critics of the hip-hop industry. One rapper named Common is known for his unique sense of fashion style within the hip-hop community. Instead of the all too conventional baggy jeans, baseball cap and chain, Common adorns himself in a newsboy cap, fitted designer jeans, and a collared shirt and tie under a nice sweater. This is hardly the dress of an up-to-no-good street thug. The hip-hop community has its standards, and â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† does not attempt to change any of those. Instead, Dave Chappelle simply tries to show the public that there is more to hip-hop than thugs and gangsters. â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† has a great social message. It challenges many of the stereotypes that the average person associates with hip-hop. In doing so, this film shows that it is full of hope. A little girl watching rap videos may see â€Å"Dave Chappelle’s Block Party† and realize that there is more to being a woman involved in hip-hop than a rear-shaking dancer, and it is okay for her to want to raise a family. This movie could teach young boys that they do not need to be drug-dealing murderers in order to be successful rappers. The sense of hope at the end of the film is truly inspiring. The attendees of the concert all seem to have had a memorable experience. Chappelle himself called the block party â€Å"the best single day of my career† (qtd. in Benedikt). Coming from a man who has had a hugely successful career, this means a lot. Chappelle must have realized the lives that he touched that rainy day in the Bronx. The oppo rtunity to see all of those wildly successful hip-hop acts perform live, for free, will most likely never present itself to any of the people at the concert again. After all, the block party was in a bad neighborhood in the inner city Bronx. In an interview with Todd Gilchrist, a well- known online journalist, Chappelle spoke about one of the lasting effects of the movie. He says, â€Å"One of the things in the movie for me, one of the bigger things, was the feeling of community† (Gilchrist). Clearly Chappelle must have realized some sense of the larger implications of his block party. Inspiring all of those African American people with pride in their culture, pride in their race, and pride in themselves is a truly great achievement. Chappelle must know that the lives he touched that rainy day September will forever remember that there is more to their race than the accepted hip-hop stereotype. Thanks to the video release of the documentary, hopefully that message will continue to reach more people. Research Papers on Dave Chappelle's - Block PartyWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtCapital PunishmentThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationOpen Architechture a white paperAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Lifes What IfsMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Social Media, and how dose it effect the community Research Paper

Social Media, and how dose it effect the community - Research Paper Example Social media have made significant and changes in communication or interactions in the community, among the individuals and organizations. This study examines ways in which social media has influenced the community both negatively and positively. Social media differ from traditional media in the terms of usage, quality, accessibility, permanency, etc. (Piskorski 42). In the modern world people from all diversity spend more time on social media sited such as twitter, Google plus, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. Studies have established an increased usage of social media in terms of time spent on the social media sites as well as increasing number of users (Dijck 57). The increasing use of portable internet enabled devices such as smartphones are the main contributing factors to increasing use of social media. For example, in 2011 the total time spent on social media by US residents amounted to 66 billion minutes depicting a 99% increase in social media usage to 121 billion minutes in 2012 (Jones 1). Therefore, social media have resulted to the establishment virtual community in which people exchange information more often and are to control content of information that they share. Social media have increased business development and expansion (Piskorski 24). Most companies have set their presence in the social media to enable the clients to comment about the products. Sometimes companies reward customers by awarding points to customers for commenting on their products or referring new customers (Dijck 83). An example of a company that has used social media to reward customers is McDonalds, which issued $5 and $10 gift cards randomly to 100 clients who checked-in one of their restaurants (Dijck 84). The offer increased check-ins from 2,146 to 2,865. The company received several new blog posts, articles and comments from new clients. The Social media have become one of the most effective means on obtaining customer feedback that has helped

Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Statistics - Assignment Example For ratio or interval scale data, the median is suitable than the mean if the sample or population size is small and the data is scattered (Cohen 229). The concept is interesting because it identifies ignorance that lead to unnecessary or inaccurate data description that is common in statistical reports. It has informed me of the need for precision in reporting data through selection of a single and suitable descriptive statistics for reporting. Pearson correlation helps in investigating and understanding possible associations, strength of association, and directions of associations between a pair of variables. Investigating the relationship between households’ weekly income and corresponding weekly expenditure is a potential study for the Pearson correlation. In the study, weekly income is the independent variable, X, while weekly expenditure is the dependent variable, Y. A stratified random sampling design is be used to identify participants from different ranges of income and paired data recorded for each household. Area of residence, with the effects of social class, is the basis of stratification and correlation analysis informs data analysis with r and r2 values as the key statistics. A positive r value, such as +0.7, is expected and this shows that household income and income expenditure have a strong positive correlation. This means that increase in the value of one variable leads to corresponding increase in the value of another. The r2 value indicates reliability of the proposed relationship and shows percentage of the data that the relationship explains. In this case, r2 is 0.49 and means that the correlation coefficient explains 49 percent of the analyzed data (Weinberg and Abramowitz 130). T-test for independent samples can be used to investigate effects of training on an organization’s sales representatives. Two groups would be involved in the study. One group, the treatment group, is a sample of 20 sales representatives from a

Victorian London Essay Example for Free

Victorian London Essay Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, but spent most of his time in London and Kent. He grew up not being particularly wealthy, especially after his father was arrested for debt when dickens was nine years old. Charles Dickens knew poverty, especially poverty in London, and wanted to better himself through his writing. However he also wanted to educate the educated. At that time the only people who could read were the upper and middle classes as they were the only people who could afford to go to school. But most of London and indeed the countrys population were made up of poor, uneducated people. Dickens wanted to show the wealthy people what others suffered and wanted to tell them what life was really like for the poor. However, Dickens had to be very careful not to alienate his readers. If he produced a story that was too harsh then his readership simply wouldnt believe it. He had to tell them gently otherwise he would fail. I am going to examine whether dickens was successful in his aim of educating his readership, and whether he was accurate in his description. We meet the character of scrooge immediately, during dickenss description of Marley, scrooges ex-business partner. We can tell two things from the quote, even Scrooge was not particularly cut up by the sad event [Marleys death], but that he was an excellent man of business. The first thing we can tell from the source is that scrooge is a man of business and therefore of the middle class. The second is scrooges lack of heart; he does not care very much about Marley, his business partner and friend. Dickens is telling us that scrooge is representative of the middle classes. Dickens then describes scrooges personal characteristics. He is a tight fisted hand at the grindstone. We are being told how much of a heartless person he is through a vile description of his character and when scrooge talks about Christmas he is shown to be even more heartless. Not even Christmas could warm his spirit. This is inferred to us through the quote, no warmth could warm him, no wintry weather could chill him. His clear distaste for Christmas, every idiot who goes out with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding with a stake of holly through his heart. This makes dickens readers realise that scrooge has to change. Dickens then moves on to give his first, albeit brief, description of the life of the poor in Victorian London. A man arrives at scrooges office collecting money for charity. Scrooge is surprised and asks the man if there are any prisons. The man replies that there are. Scrooge then asks if there are any Union Workhouses. The man replies that there are. Scrooge asks finally if there are the treadmill and Poor Law in full vigour. The man replies that they are very busy. In Victorian times there were very few places the poor could go to get help. They would steal or get involved with other crime or go to a workhouse where they would labour for gruel (a kind of porridge) and a space on the floor to sleep. Families were split up and children sent away. Scrooge is happy with these solutions and does not care if they are inhuman or not. Scrooge then sums up the attitude at the time by saying, but besides I dont know that. Just because scrooge does not know acknowledge the dreadful conditions he feels that he has no need to want to change them and rejects basic provisions for the poor. However at the time his was not an extreme view, especially in the middle classes. They had mostly worked their way up the social ladder and feel that if they did it then others can do it -why should they have to pay through higher taxes and charity. The basic message is that the middle class doesnt want to pay, mainly because they think that the existing system is fine. Another view of scrooges is represented in the quote if they had better die they had better do it quickly and decrease the surplus population. Scrooge clearly thinks that these poor people are a waste and it is their fault for having too many children, a system is in place and if they dont like it then tough. Dickens wants his readerships attitude to change and he has decided to do it through four ghosts, and four lessons. This is because he cannot tell them himself or he would never have got the book published as it would have been too risky, and so he got around this by using a third party the ghosts. The ghost of Marley appears and confronts scrooge. Scrooges way of judging people is by how good a businessman they are, just as Marley had done. In death Marley realises this is wrong, the first lesson. In order to change he has to receive three ghosts otherwise he cannot hope to shed the path I [Marley] tread. Not only is dickens telling his character to listen to the ghosts and learn the lessons, he is saying it to the readers as well. The first ghost, the ghost of Christmas past, visits Scrooge and shows him up to a point where he could have chosen to go down a different path. Immediately after seeing how a simple act can make people happy Scrooge changes and wishes to say a word to Bob Cratchit and apologise. Scrooge is then shown what he has lost. He sees Bell who had left him because he spent too much time at work. Bell is married with children and he sees what he could have had and then what he has been missing out on Christmas celebrations. Scrooge is then met by the ghost of Christmas Present. At first Dickens describe the houses as black enough, and the windows blacker, showing the poorest part of London for what it really is. But then he changes showing the shops in London full of food, as if the poor have no problem getting all this food in a happy congruously festive atmosphere. The sentence, steeples called good people all, to church and chapel. Dickens even throws in the idea of going to church to appease his readership and make them feel more charitable if the poor were seen as good Christians like they believed themselves to be they would feel more charitable towards the poor. He even talks about the bakers ovens cooking geese, almost saying they arent that poor because they can afford geese and implies that everyone is the same and generalises the poor. This is before we consider the poor living conditions. Dickens then further identifies the poor with the Cratchits by establishing the identity off Tiny Tim. Scrooge is the introduced to his nephews party and scrooge enjoys being there so much he doesnt want to leave. This is the first real clue as to how much scrooge has changed. The ghost then produces the hideous figures of want and ignorance. To make the blow hit harder they are depicted as children. They are Dickenss way of telling his readers what actually goes on in the perversion of humanity. They are not actually real, rather symbolic representations like cartoon characters and they are different from what scrooge is being told about them. Dickens tells his readers through the ghost to look out for them, particularly ignorance but at the same time he cannot tell his readers the truth. The last ghost appears and shows scrooge his own funeral, but scrooge fail to appreciate the meaning of it. Then the ghost shows scrooge his own grave. Scrooge then tells the ghost that he is a changed man, but is uncertain if the future can be changed. We are also shown the picture of Bob Cratchit weeping over the loss of his son Tiny Tim. Even in death we are not shown a picture of Tiny Tim suffering, there is no illness. Dickens uses this sentimental effect to show how he will be missed. When scrooge wakes up the change is immediately noticeable. He visits his nephew to reunite the family; again this is something his readers will approve of, and makes the Cratchits lives happier. The main message of the book is be charitable and give money to the poor. Dickens is so aware of his readership, however, that he has to insert the mechanical point telling his readers that Tiny Tim did not die. In conclusion Dickens does not describe the social conditions of the poor in London adequately. The proof of this is in Mayhew, who described the social and other appalling conditions in London for the poor. It shows that dickens is not being truthful. He shows the poor homogenously, grouping them together but there is a substantial between dickens version of Victorian London and reality. Dickens needs to get his point across about changing but he can only do so if he provides a sanitised version for his readers. In reality the Cratchits are very well off for people of their class, they have a respectable home and Bob Cratchit has a good job that pays fifteen shillings a week, which is a huge amount for a poor family. I think that dickens wanted to show London as it truly was for the poor but he couldnt do that because people were too sensitive about their own position and standing and felt vulnerable so he inserts pictures such as going to church and no suffering whilst alerting his readers to the problems. To a certain extent he is successful as he shows that there are problems in London but he does not go far enough to show the reality and alienate his readers.

Diversity Statement - I am Korean :: College Admissions Essays

Diversity Statement - I am Korean My first interaction with the cruelty of the "real" world was in fourth grade, in a small suburban town in South Carolina. "You Chinese freak! Come on, use your karate against me!" boys would shout mockingly, then start spouting phrases of nonsense as if they meant something. Pshaw. I was, am and will always proudly be a Korean. When I interact with new people, they spend their time guessing my heritage. Chinese and Japanese are always the first nationalities they guess. Others who are familiar with people of my ancestry catch on more quickly. And then there are those who automatically assume. A very small number of people can guess correctly on their first try. We live in a country that drills into our heads ideas about freedom and equality. Wars have been fought, violence has been used and many have suffered so that this country can live up to its ideals. Could such a great country make false promises and hopes? Perhaps, because, after all, the U.S. is run by humans, and that means mistakes will be made. But shouldn't the U.S. have learned its lesson by now and not make the same mistakes repeatedly? In 1997, a Civil Rights lawsuit against the City of Atlanta was brought by Korean-American store owners about riots that took place in their business. Police watched the destruction and did nothing. The city's attorney argued that the Federal Civil Rights statues were written exclusively for the protection of African-Americans, not other minorities, including Korean-Americans. Atlanta's position in this matter was rejected by the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, but many are appalled that a city so involved in civil rights could hold such an insulting view against our "certain unalienable rights." Their view was not only discrimination against Korean-Americans, but against descendants of other minority groups residing, visiting or working around Atlanta. Koreans, as well as other minorities in Atlanta, might have to deal with the fear that we will not be protected by the laws of the city because of prejudice. Signs of prejudice are everywhere.

Philippine’s Political Dynasty Essay

The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines states in Article II Section 26, â€Å"The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law. † How can we define political dynasty? Political dynasty is a family, clans or group that maintains power for several generations. These clans root themselves into our national and local governments for many decades. Almost every position in the government has been posted either by relatives, or friends who are indebted to the clan for appointing them into position. In a sense, they have already established political kingdoms throughout the country. In the course of the rising and expanding political kingdoms ruling over the country, it has become hard to tell where democracy is to be found. With rules unclear and morality questioned, people can never tell if they deserve more than what they are getting from the government. Political dynasties inhibit democracy, further adding instability and weakness of political institutions that are supposed to be working on their sense of rationality and individualism for the country. With political dynasties, it is no longer a question on qualifications and slogans, it will now be a question on connections and guns. The establishment of political dynasties is an effective way of monopolizing and perpetuating power. With various seats in the government occupied by a single family it would be easy to manipulate the system to benefit their family. The concept of check and balance will be thrown out the window. More often than not, politicians get to be elected not because of their merit, but because they belong to a family that is been in the government for generations.

Operational Budgeting and Profit Planning Essay

Introduction: Why Budget? While a budget planning is a laborious process it is crucial for the success of any company. The budgeting process forces managers to be proactive in planning for the future while fostering communication and coordination within a company. Different departments must work together in order to develop a proper budget. A properly formulated budget will aid to define a company’s objectives and provides guidelines to avoid wasted actions. Also, risk can be mitigated when objectives and action plans are clarified through the budgeting process. This article will identify the key components of a budget as well as the methodologies involved in the budgeting process. The influences of management behavior will be discussed followed by a brief example of bad budgeting practices and its consequences. Master Budget The master budget is a summary of a company’s plans that sets concrete targets for sales, production, distribution and financing activities. Companies prepare cash budget not only for operating activities but also for investing and financial activities. This is because management should be aware in advance of any borrowing needs and when loans can be repaid. Budgets are interdependent because the figures of one budget are conventionally utilized in the preparation of another. Budget estimates are dependent on the nature of the business, its products and services, processes, organization, and management needs. It is a detailed model of the firm’s operating cycle that includes all internal processes which is developed into a cash budget, a budgeted income statement, and a budgeted balance sheet. Advantages The Master Budget defines the organizations objectives and strategies. As well as allowing the company to realistically project future cash flows, it also smoothens the functioning of organizations operating cycle. Disadvantages Disadvantages of developing a master budget is that it is both time consuming and highly complex. However, it should be noted that the advantages of a proper Master Budget far outweighs the disadvantages. Components of the Master Budget The Sales Budget includes the forecast of sales revenue, sale units and sales collection in the future market conditions. The Purchase budget would include purchase of merchandise for sale and raw material for manufacturing. It is expressed in terms of sales dollars. The Selling Expense Budget presents expenses the organization plans to incur in connection with sales and distribution. The General and Administrative Expense Budget presents the expenses the organization plans to incur in connection with general administration such as the accounts department, the IT department, law etc. The Cash Budget summarizes all cash receipts and disbursements expected to occur during the budgeting period. After a company makes sales predictions, an organization uses information regarding credit terms, collection policy, and prior collection experience to develop a cash collection budget. Other items included are an allowance for bad debt, cash sales, sales discount, allowance for volume discounts, and seasonal changes of sales prices and collections. The cash budget shows cash operations deficiencies and surplus expected to occur at the end of each month, which is used to plan for borrowing and loan payments. Budgeted Financial Statements are pro forma statements that reflect the â€Å"as  if† effects of the budgeted activities on the actual financial position of the organization. It reflects the results of operations assuming the budget predictions. Budget Development in a Manufacturing Organization Manufacturing organization converts the raw materials into finished goods and sells it to the customer for consumption. It prepares the master budget before production to make the organization successful and survive in a competitive environment. For example, a Bicycle manufacturer will plan a Master Budget in the following fashion: A Sales Budget will be based on the anticipation of sales of the Bicycle and pricing policy, expected number of units to be sold and the revenue generated. Once the sales budget is completed the Production Budget will derive the total volume of Bicycle units to be manufactured based on the targeted sales and inventory required to maintain sales. For example, if the expected number of sales of Bicylces for the month of January is 500 units, the production budget will plan for 650 units (Sales projected (500) + inventory as per company s strategy (30%)). The Purchase budget will be obtained based on volume of Bi Cycles to be manufactured, material required to manufacture a single unit and the cost of materials. As per the above example, the material required for 650 units will be budgeted for the month of January. The Manufacturing Cost Budget will be derived from the cost of making 650 units of bicycles using the design of product and process used to manufacture while considering the raw material cost, direct labor cost and manufacturing over headed cost. Finalizing the Budget For efficient and effective budgeting two questions must be addressed: Is the proposed budget feasible? Is the proposed budget acceptable? To be feasible the organization must be able to implement the proposed budget. Possible actions include obtaining equity financing, issue long-term debt, reducing the amount of inventory on hand, or obtaining a line of credit. Constraints for infeasibility are availability of merchandise and production capacity for a manufacturer. When evaluating the budget, management must consider various financial ratios such as return on assets, profit margins, etc. The company must compare the return provided by the proposed budget, the past budget and industry average as well as the organization’s goals. Budgeting Methodologies Input/Output Approach Companies using the Input/Output approach calculate the required input or resources through estimating the potential output or performance. For example, if a microchip manufacturing plant requires 5 grams of metal to create one microchip and each gram costs $2, then each microchip costs $10 of material. Thus, a projected output of 1000 microchips would cost $10,000 and 5 kilograms of material. This approach is mainly used for industries with a measurable relationship between effort and return, such as manufacturing, service, and merchandising but is not compatible with industries that are inelastic to unit level changes. Activity-based Approach The Activity-based Approach is subset of the Input/Output which reduces the potential for error by determining cost through evaluating the cost of each activity in the manufacturing process rather than focusing on inputs such as machine or labor hours. Thus, the approach provides a more accurate picture of costs involved by providing costs at each level of production. It results in a more efficient budget by allowing the identification of the optimal set of activities. However, it is far more time consuming to produce. Incremental Approach A budget prepared using the previous year budget as a base with some percentage increase or decrease is called incremental budget. Budget  justification is to be given only for the percentage change not for the base amount (previous year’s budget). This type of budget is best suited for non-profit organizations, government organizations or in organizations in which the amount of output is weakly correlated to the money spent. For example, the Boston Public School budget for FY12 increased by 1.2% from the FY 11 and for FY11 it increased by 0.4% of the FY 10 budgets (OBM 2011, 2012). The increase in both budgets was justified as improving opportunities for English Language learners, arts and physical education, but not for their existing programs. The advantages of this budget are that it is easy to practice, quick preparation, stability and conflict avoidance between departments due to different budget approval. Some of the main disadvantages are there is no incentive to red uce expense as peopmsle are tempted to spend the allotted expense so that their future budget is not affected. Also, no room for innovative changes to the budget is given. Minimum Level Approach In this type of approach a minimum budget level is fixed for carrying out ongoing projects and activities and anything above the budget should be justified. For example, the R&D budget in a pharmaceutical company is fixed for ongoing projects and new projects must be approved by the management. Main advantages are ongoing projects will not be disturbed due to budget changes and last year budget will not be approved without revision as in the case of Incremental approach. The Minimum level approach is considered as Zero Level Budgeting in some organizations in which for every amount spent, justification must be (TWF n.d.). For example if an R&D department of an Electronics manufacturer puts forth many project proposals to the management , based on the market trend and project feasibility, the management will approve the most profitable project. Advantages of this method are that allocation of resources is very efficient and detects inflated budgets. However, this method consumes a significant amount of time and resources. Manager Behavior Top-down vs. Bottom-up In addition to macro methods of budgeting (Input/output, activity based, incremental, and minimum level) there is also a distinction between top-down/imposed and bottom-up/participative budgets. These two methods represent opposite extremes of a spectrum of which a company’s budgeting procedure may fall on any point. As the name suggests, a Top-down Budget is formulated by a small number of high ranking managers who make all decisions regarding a company’s objectives which are then received by the lower managers who implement the plan. Because only a few people are involved in the decision making, it is quick and saves time. It also avoids the cushion that is lower management tend to build into their budgets. However, because only a few people are involved in the decision-making process, those not involved may lack the motivation and commitment to properly implement the plan. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Bottom-up process of budgeting. It begins at the lowest possible management level, whose budget plan is then integrated with the proposals at the next level. The process is continued until a comprehensive holistic budget is developed for the company. The Bottom-up process ensures that managers at each level clearly understand their roles in meeting company objectives. Therefore, budgets are usually far more accurate and employees are more committed to their self-made budget. However, inefficiencies tend to occur with a bottom-up process. Managers tend to provide a budgetary slack (understating revenues or overstating expenses) in order to provide a cushion against underperformance or unfavorable reviews. While this may cause inefficient spending, it can provide funds to reduce risky activities of which there is insufficient information. Budgeting Periods There are three types of budgeting periods used by companies: Fixed-length, Life Cycle and Continuous/Rolling Budgets. The type of period used is determined by the context of the budget. Most companies use fixed-length budgets determined at the beginning of a specified period. However, for single projects, a Life Cycle budget is more attractive, where a company  determines the budget for the entire project; especially if the project occurs within a period or over multiple periods. A continuous budget may be more useful than a fixed-budget as it forces managers to be continually updating their budget. Where a one-year budget plan is only available at the beginning of the year, a 4 quarter rolling budget requires managers to continually have a budget plan for a whole year at the beginning of each quarter, thus, sustaining the budgets relevancy. Forecasts, Ethics, and Open Book Management In addition to deciding methodologies of budgeting, a manager must also consider company forecasts, ethics and employee support. A manager must allow for the development of various forecasts and consider them during the budgeting process. Industry forecasts, such as economic conditions, as well as internal forecasts, such as collection periods, should be factored into the budget. Because ethical issues regarding budgeting are rarely illegal, there is a strong incentive to either pad the budgetary slack or overstate performance. Organizations should be firm in their rules against unethical behavior as it is easy to fall into a moral gray area. Finally, in order to properly motivate employees by gaining support for the budget, many companies have adopted an Open Book Management approach. The approach involves interacting with employees by sharing information and teaching employees to understand the relevant financial information. Sample Analysis A well formulated budget is crucial in order to facilitate a company’s operations. However, when a company’s budget is poorly formulated, it can have disastrous consequences. An example is OGX Petrà ³leo e Gà ¡s Participaà §Ãƒ µes S.A. owned by Eike Batista. At the company’s peak in 2009, it achieved an IPO of $3 billion (Spinetto et al. 2013). However, the company filed for bankruptcy on Oct. 30, 2013 with debts of $5.11 billion with Batista being sued for violations of disclosure ruels (Fontevecchia 2013). While its failure was due to a variety of factors, we will argue that poor budgeting  is a crucial factor. Within the petroleum industry, the exploration and production process is both a high risk and high expense venture where predicted outputs require complex calculations (Suslick et al. 2009). Even after production has begun, the projected output may change depending on a variety of variables (Katusa 2012). OGX had calculated potential output at 4.8 billion barrels and therefore invested heavily into the required infrastructure based on this estimate (Spinetto 2013). However, these decisions were made before the wells were operational which resulted in final outputs at roughly 50% of the initial amount (Katusa 2012). Management decisions at OGX were made by Bastista and a small group of managers and its inputs were based on an estimation of outputs (Katusa 2012, Spinetto 2013). In addition, performance was highly overstated due to â€Å"[Batista’s] tendency to shoot the messenger† (Spinetto 2013). Therefore, OGX should have adopted a bottom-up minimum level approach of budgeting as well as adopting a policy of reporting performance after confirmation. A bottom-up approach would have generated a much more precise picture of performance and costs while a minimum-level approach would have required confirmation of projected outputs before beginning operations at the cost of time. In addition, reporting performance after confirmation would have avoided any overstatements of performance. Conclusion To be successful in a competitive environment a company must develop proper Master Budget in order to promote proactive thought, communication and coordination within a company. It is also an important aide to planning and risk management. In order for a company to run smoothly, the Master Budget must balance all the variable constituents of a company’s operational activities. In addition, methodologies used, while utilized at the management’s discretion, should reflect the context of the company’s operations. As illustrated in the OGX example, failure to properly develop a budget can have catastrophic consequences to a company. References City of Boston: Office of Budget Management (OBM). 2011. Summary Budget. Retrieved Oct. 2013 from http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/02%20Summary%20Budget_tcm3-16341.pdf City of Boston: Office of Budget Management (OBM). 2012. Summary of Budget. Retrieved Oct. 2013 from http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/02%20Summary%20Budget%20A_tcm3-24767.pdf Easton, P.D., Halsey, R.F., McAnally, M.L., Hartgraves, A., & Morse, W.J. 2013. Financial & Managerial Accounting for MBAs 3rd Ed. Cambridge: Cambridge Business Publishers. Fontevecchia, A. 2013. Death of the Brazilian Dream: Ex-billionaire Eike Batista’s OGX Files for Bankruptcy. Forbes, Oct. 30. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2013/10/30/death-of-the-brazilian-dream-ex-billionaire-eike-batistas-ogx-files-for-bankruptcy/ Katusa, M. 2012. Brazilian Oil Dreams Get a Sobering Reality Check. Casey Research, July 2012. Available at: http://www.caseyresearch.com/cdd/brazilian-oil-dreams-get-sobering-reality-check Spinetto, J.P., Millard, P., & Wells, K. 2013. How Brazil’s Richest Man Lost $34.5 Billion in a Year. Bloomberg Businessweek. (October): 60-65. Suslick, S.B., Schlozer, D., & Rodriguez, M.R. 2009. Uncertainty and Risk Analysis in Petroleum Exploration and Production. Terrae 6 (1): 30-41.

The Scarlett Letter Essays (1445 words) - English-language Films

The Scarlett Letter Essays (1445 words) - English-language Films The Scarlett Letter The Effective Use of Symbolism The novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an intriguing account of a Puritan community that experiences a breakdown in beliefs. The story deals with a woman, Hester, who commits adultery with a Calvinistic minister resulting in the birth of a child (Martin 110). As compensation for her crime of passion and her refusal to name her lover, Hester is sentenced to wear an embroidered scarlet letter on her bosom. It is this letter, or secret sin, that becomes the emphasis of the novel and assumes many different roles (Martin 111). Hawthorne starts the novel by portraying the literary reality associated with the different aspects of the letter (Martin 110). From the start, Hawthorne seems to say, this is a scarlet letter; because of that, it is capable of further meaning. The letter will have to carry the burden of the tale (Martin 111). Hawthornes use of symbolism is fully developed in the multi-meanings hidden in the scarlet letter through a variety of characters. The scarlet letter represents different ideals to different people and should be given the proper consideration (Martin 114). In the Puritan community, the letter is viewed as a moral obligation to inform others of Hesters sin, one that they feel should be dragged out into the sunshine (Hawthorne 43). They believe the letter symbolizes psychological and religious truth. The Puritans are a people amongst whom religion and law were almost identical, and in whose character both were so thoroughly Foti 2 interfused, that her mildest and severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful (Hawthorne 40). It is said that meager, indeed, and cold, was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders at the scaffold (Hawthorne 40). The Puritans are firmly against Hesters actions and feels that she has disgraced them along with herself. They feel that she must take responsibility for her actions. The effect of her punishment however is not what the Puritans had hoped to achieve. Hesters sin has grown from that of passion to one of purpose. Even with Hesters sympathetic attitude, she was not filled with regret and therefore the letter had not done its task (Martin 122). To the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the scarlet letter contains a whole new meaning. He views the letter as a constant reminder of his sin and cowardice. His guilt continues to grow as a result of his not being able to come forth in front of the community and take responsibility for his actions. His guilt and sin become magnified by his inability to stand beside Hester at the scaffold. Dimmesdale, also is ironically charged with questioning Hester and trying to convince her of the importance of identifying her fellow sinner (Hawthorne 52). He begins to feel more and more grief and it begins to affect his mental and physical state. He soon becomes weak; however, it is believed by the community to be because of his too unreserved self-sacrifice to the labors and duties of the pastoral relation (Hawthorne 80). When Dimmesdale is believed to be near death, the community again believes it is because the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet (Hawthorne 88). Dimmesdale se ems to be haunted by Satans emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth. This diabolical Foti 3 agent had the Divine permission, for a season, to burrow into the clergymans intimacy and plot against his soul (Hawthorne 94). Chillingworth proposes to Dimmesdale that a sickness, a sore place, if we may so call it, in your spirit, hath immediately its appropriate manifestation in your bodily frame (Hawthorne 99). However, Dimmesdale denies and refuses to discuss it with him. Dimmesdale becomes weaker and weaker because by the constitution of his nature, he loved the truth, and loathed the lie, as few men ever did. Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self! (Hawthorne 105). Before Dimmesdales death, he finally confesses to his sin on the scaffold and frees his soul and conscience. Spectators have testified to seeing on the breast of the unhappy minister, a SCARLET LETTERthe very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynneimprinted in the flesh (Hawthorne 182).

The Two Meanings of Apprehend and Apprehension

The Two Meanings of Apprehend and Apprehension The Two Meanings of Apprehend and Apprehension Although spelled in the same way in each case, apprehend can be used to mean two different things. The same is true of apprehension. Get up to speed with how these terms should be used so that you can write with flair and confidence. Apprehend (Understand or Capture) The verb apprehend has two main meanings. The first is to understand or learn something. If we were struggling to understand someone, for instance, we might say: I cannot apprehend your meaning. The second sense of apprehend is to arrest and detain a suspected criminal. When used in this context, the word would appear in a sentence like this: The suspect was apprehended at midnight, carrying the stolen goods. Apprehension (Understanding or Anticipation of Misfortune) One common sense of the noun apprehension corresponds to the first definition of apprehend above, as it refers to understanding something: Your son has good apprehension of algebra. The second meaning of apprehension is anticipation or misfortune, usually characterized by fear or anxiety about the future. When used in this context, it would appear in a sentence like this: Mary was full of apprehension before taking to the stage to perform. Although apprehension can be used to describe apprehending (or capturing) a criminal, it is an unusual term in this context. If you would like more advice about word use, or to have a 500-word sample of your writing proofread for free, get in touch with the professionals at Proofed today!

Case study (enron case) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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