Research Papers in Computer Science Essay

Since we recently announced our $10001 Binary Battle to promote applications built on the Mendeley API (now including PLoS as well), I decided to take a look at the data to see what people have to work with. My analysis focused on our second largest discipline, Computer Science. Biological Sciences (my discipline) is the largest, but I started with this one so that I could look at the data with fresh eyes, and also because it’s got some really cool papers to talk about. Here’s what I found: What I found was a fascinating list of topics, with many of the expected fundamental papers like Shannon’s Theory of Information and the Google paper, a strong showing from Mapreduce and machine learning, but also some interesting hints that augmented reality may be becoming more of an actual reality soon. The top graph summarizes the overall results of the analysis. This graph shows the Top 10 papers among those who have listed computer science as their discipline and chosen a subdiscipline. The bars are colored according to subdiscipline and the number of readers is shown on the x-axis. The bar graphs for each paper show the distribution of readership levels among subdisciplines. 17 of the 21 CS subdisciplines are represented and the axis scales and color schemes remain constant throughout. Click on any graph to explore it in more detail or to grab the raw data.(NB: A minority of Computer Scientists have listed a subdiscipline. I would encourage everyone to do so.) 1. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (available full-text) LDA is a means of classifying objects, such as documents, based on their underlying topics. I was surprised to see this paper as number one instead of Shannon’s information theory paper (#7) or the paper describing the concept that became Google (#3). It turns out that interest in this paper is very strong among those who list artificial intelligence as their subdiscipline. In fact, AI researchers contributed the majority of readership to 6 out of the top 10 papers. Presumably, those interested in popular topics such as machine learning list themselves under AI, which explains the strength of this subdiscipline, whereas papers like the Mapreduce one or the Google paper appeal to a broad range of subdisciplines, giving those papers a smaller numbers spread across more subdisciplines. Professor Blei is also a bit of a superstar, so that didn’t hurt. (the irony of a manually-categorized list with an LDA paper at the top has not escaped us) 2. MapReduce : Simplified Data Processing on Large Clusters (available full-text) It’s no surprise to see this in the Top 10 either, given the huge appeal of this parallelization technique for breaking down huge computations into easily executable and recombinable chunks. The importance of the monolithic â€Å"Big Iron† supercomputer has been on the wane for decades. The interesting thing about this paper is that had some of the lowest readership scores of the top papers within a subdiscipline, but folks from across the entire spectrum of computer science are reading it. This is perhaps expected for such a general purpose technique, but given the above it’s strange that there are no AI readers of this paper at all. 3. The Anatomy of a large-scale hypertextual search engine (available full-text) In this paper, Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page discuss how Google was created and how it initially worked. This is another paper that has high readership across a broad swath of disciplines, including AI, but wasn’t dominated by any one discipline. I would expect that the largest share of readers have it in their library mostly out of curiosity rather than direct relevance to their research. It’s a fascinating piece of history related to something that has now become part of our every day lives. 4. Distinctive Image Features from Scale-Invariant Keypoints This paper was new to me, although I’m sure it’s not new to many of you. This paper describes how to identify objects in a video stream without regard to how near or far away they are or how they’re oriented with respect to the camera. AI again drove the popularity of this paper in large part and to understand why, think â€Å"Augmented Realityâ€Å". AR is the futuristic idea most familiar to the average sci-fi enthusiast as Terminator-vision. Given the strong interest in the topic, AR could be closer than we think, but we’ll probably use it to layer Groupon deals over shops we pass by instead of building unstoppable fighting machines. 5. Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction (available full-text) This is another machine learning paper and its presence in the top 10 is primarily due to AI, with a small contribution from folks listing neural networks as their discipline, most likely due to the paper being published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks. Reinforcement learning is essentially a technique that borrows from biology, where the behavior of an intelligent agent is is controlled by the amount of positive stimuli, or reinforcement, it receives in an environment where there are many different interacting positive and negative stimuli. This is how we’ll teach the robots behaviors in a human fashion, before they rise up and destroy us. 6. Toward the next generation of recommender systems: a survey of the state-of-the-art and possible extensions (available full-text) Popular among AI and information retrieval researchers, this paper discusses recommendation algorithms and classifies them into collaborative, content-based, or hybrid. While I wouldn’t call this paper a groundbreaking event of the caliber of the Shannon paper above, I can certainly understand why it makes such a strong showing here. If you’re using Mendeley, you’re using both collaborative and content-based discovery methods! 7. A Mathematical Theory of Communication (available full-text) Now we’re back to more fundamental papers. I would really have expected this to be at least number 3 or 4, but the strong showing by the AI discipline for the machine learning papers in spots 1, 4, and 5 pushed it down. This paper discusses the theory of sending communications down a noisy channel and demonstrates a few key engineering parameters, such as entropy, which is the range of states of a given communication. It’s one of the more fundamental papers of computer science, founding the field of information theory and enabling the development of the very tubes through which you received this web page you’re reading now. It’s also the first place the word â€Å"bit†, short for binary digit, is found in the published literature. 8. The Semantic Web (available full-text) In The Semantic Web, Tim Berners-Lee, Sir Tim, the inventor of the World Wide Web, describes his vision for the web of the future. Now, 10 years later, it’s fascinating to look back though it and see on which points the web has delivered on its promise and how far away we still remain in so many others. This is different from the other papers above in that it’s a descriptive piece, not primary research as above, but still deserves it’s place in the list and readership will only grow as we get ever closer to his vision. 9. Convex Optimization (available full-text) This is a very popular book on a widely used optimization technique in signal processing. Convex optimization tries to find the provably optimal solution to an optimization problem, as opposed to a nearby maximum or minimum. While this seems like a highly specialized niche area, it’s of importance to machine learning and AI researchers, so it was able to pull in a nice readership on Mendeley. Professor Boyd has a very popular set of video classes at Stanford on the subject, which probably gave this a little boost, as well. The point here is that print publications aren’t the only way of communicating your ideas. Videos of techniques at SciVee or JoVE or recorded lectures (previously) can really help spread awareness of your research. 10. Object recognition from local scale-invariant features (available in full-text) This is another paper on the same topic as paper #4, and it’s by the same author. Looking across subdisciplines as we did here, it’s not surprising to see two related papers, of interest to the main driving discipline, appear twice. Adding the readers from this paper to the #4 paper would be enough to put it in the #2 spot, just below the LDA paper. Conclusions So what’s the moral of the story? Well, there are a few things to note. First of all, it shows that Mendeley readership data is good enough to reveal both papers of long-standing importance as well as interesting upcoming trends. Fun stuff can be done with this! How about a Mendeley leaderboard? You could grab the number of readers for each paper published by members of your group, and have some friendly competition to see who can get the most readers, month-over-month. Comparing yourself against others in terms of readers per paper could put a big smile on your face, or it could be a gentle nudge to get out to more conferences or maybe record a video of your technique for JoVE or Khan Academy or just Youtube. Another thing to note is that these results don’t necessarily mean that AI researchers are the most influential researchers or the most numerous, just the best at being accounted for. To make sure you’re counted properly, be sure you list your subdiscipline on your profile, or if you can’t find your exact one, pick the closest one, like the machine learning folks did with the AI subdiscipline. We recognize that almost everyone does interdisciplinary work these days. We’re working on a more flexible discipline assignment system, but for now, just pick your favorite one. These stats were derived from the entire readership history, so they do reflect a founder effect to some degree. Limiting the analysis to the past 3 months would probably reveal different trends and comparing month-to-month changes could reveal rising stars.

Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Essay

I did not understand why I had to take a research class when all I wanted to do was be a staff nurse in a critical care unit. Research? Evidence-based practice? Why are these topics in the nursing program? I have enough to do just learning all the content in my clinical courses. What do research and evidence have to do with developing my nursing abilities? I trust the faculty, the textbooks, and clinical experience to prepare me for nursing. I’m already getting what I need to know. That was my earlier attitude. Now that I am practicing, I have a new appreciation for nursing research and the evidence it provides for application to practice. I have an entirely different way of addressing clinical questions. I’m starting to ask questions about how I can improve the care I give to patients and how I can be involved in my workplace’s efforts to improve care for the patients it serves. I have discovered by purposeful reading in my practice area that research reports and research summaries contain many implications that apply to practice in the critical care unit.  ¦ QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER: 1 How can faculty encourage students to read research journals? 2 How does research affect nursing practice? 3 How can nurses motivate colleagues to base their practice on research? KEY TERMS Clinical nurse researcher (CNR) An advanced practice nurse who is doctorally prepared and directs and participates in clinical research. Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) An advanced practice nurse who provides direct care to clients and participates in health education and research. Clinical practice guideline (CPG) an evidence-based guide to clinical practice developed by experts in a particular ? eld for direct application in clinical environments. Control group Subjects in an experiment who do not receive the experimental treatment and whose performance provides a baseline against which the effects of the treatment can be measured. When a true experimental design is not used, this group is usually called a comparison group. Data collection The process of acquiring existing information or developing new information. 104 Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice CHAPTER 6 105 Empirical Having a foundation based on data gathered through the senses (e. g. , observation or experience) rather than purely through theorizing or logic. Ethnography A qualitative research method for the purpose of investigating cultures that involves data collection, description, and analysis of data to develop a theory of cultural behavior. Evidence-based practice The process of systematically ? nding, appraising, and using research ? ndings as the basis for clinical practice. Experimental design A design that includes randomization, a control group, and manipulation between or among variables to examine probability and causality among selected variables for the purpose of predicting and controlling phenomena. Generalizability The inference that ? ndings can be generalized from the sample to the entire population. Grant Proposal developed to seek research funding from private or public agencies. Grounded theory A qualitative research design used to collect and analyze data with the aim of developing theories grounded in real-world observations. This method is used to study a social process. Meta-analysis Quantitative merging of ? ndings from several studies to determine what is known about a phenomenon. Methodologic design A research design used to develop the validity and reliability of instruments that measure research concepts and variables. Naturalistic paradigm A holistic view of nature and the direction of science that guides qualitative research. Needs assessment A study in which the researcher collects data for estimating the needs of a group, usually for resource allocation. Phenomenology A qualitative research design that uses inductive descriptive methodology to describe the lived experiences of study participants. Pilot study A smaller version of a proposed study conducted to develop or re? ne methodology, such as treatment, instruments, or data collection process to be used in a larger study. Qualitative research A systematic, subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning. Quantitative research A formal, objective, systematic process used to describe and test relationships and examine cause-and-effect interactions among variables. Quasi-experimental research A type of quantitative research study design that lacks one of the components (randomization, control group, manipulation of one or more variables) of an experimental design. Randomization The assignment of subjects to treatment conditions in a random manner (determined by chance alone). Secondary analysis A research design in which data previously collected in another study are analyzed. State-of-the-science summary A merging of ? ndings from several studies concerning the same topic. Examples include meta-analysis with a quantitative approach and integrative review with a descriptive approach. Survey A nonexperimental research design that focuses on obtaining information regarding the status quo of a situation, often through direct questioning of participants. Triangulation The use of a variety of methods to collect data on the same concept. LEARNING OUTCOMES After studying this chapter, the reader will be able to: 1 Summarize major points in the evolution of nursing research in relation to contemporary nursing. 2 Evaluate the in? uence of nursing research on current nursing and health care practices. 3 Differentiate among nursing research methods. 4 Evaluate the quality of research studies using established criteria. 5 Participate in the research process. 6 Use research ? ndings to improve nursing practice. 106 UNIT ONE The Development of Nursing CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter provides basic knowledge regarding the research process and the ultimate importance of evidence-based nursing practice. The intent is to inspire an appreciation for nursing research and to show how it can improve nursing practice and how results can be translated into health policy. Nursing research is de? ned as a systematic approach used to examine phenomena important to nursing and nurses. A summary of major points in the evolution of nursing research in relation to contemporary nursing is presented. A description of private and public organizations that fund research is given, and their research priorities are listed. Major research designs are brie? y described, and examples of each are given. Nurses of all educational levels are encouraged to participate in and promote nursing research at varying degrees. The process of locating research and evidence for practice is reviewed. Students are introduced to the research process and guided in the process of critically appraising published research and research syntheses. Ethical issues related to research are examined, and historical examples of unethical research are given. The functions of the institutional review board (IRB) and the use of informed consent in protecting the rights of human subjects are emphasized. DEFINITION OF NURSING RESEARCH Research is a process of systematic inquiry or study to build knowledge in a discipline. The purpose of research is to develop an empirical body of knowledge for a discipline or profession. Speci? cally, research validates and re? nes existing knowledge and develops new knowledge (Burns and Grove, 2007). The results of research process provide a foundation on which practice decisions and behaviors are laid. Research results create a strong scienti? c base for nursing practice, especially when deliberately and carefully evaluated for application to speci? c clinical topics (Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt, 2005). In recent decades the nursing discipline has begun to pay much greater attention to the necessity of participating in research. Nursing research is a systematic approach used to examine phenomena important to nursing and nurses. Because nursing is a practice profession, it is important that clinical practice be based on scienti? c knowledge. Evidence generated by nursing research provides support for the quality and cost-effectiveness of nursing interventions. Thus recipients of health care—and particularly nursing care—reap bene? ts when nurses attend to research evidence and introduce change based on that evidence into nursing practice. The introduction of evidence-based change into the direct provision of nursing care may occur at the individual level of a particular nurse or at varied organizational or social levels. In addition to nursing research aimed at affecting the direct provision of nursing and health care to recipients of nursing care, nursing research also is needed to generate knowledge in areas that affect nursing care processes indirectly. Research within the realms of nursing education, nursing administration, health services, characteristics of nurses, and nursing roles provides evidence for effectively changing these supporting areas of nursing knowledge (Burns and Grove, 2007). Today the importance of nursing research to the discipline is recognized. However, much nursing history underlies the current state of acceptance. EVOLUTION OF NURSING RESEARCH Nursing research began with the work of Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War. After Florence Nightingale’s work, the pattern that nursing research followed was closely related to the problems confronting nurses. For example, nursing education was the focus of most research studies between 1900 and 1940. As more nurses received their education Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice CHAPTER 6 107 in a university setting, studies regarding student characteristics and satisfactions were conducted. As more nurses pursued a college education, staf? ng patterns in hospitals changed because students were not as readily available as when more students were enrolled in hospitalaf? liated diploma programs. During this period, researchers became interested in studying nurses. Questions such as what type of person enters nursing and how are nurses perceived by other groups guided research investigations. Teaching, administration, and curriculum were studies that dominated nursing research until the 1970s. By the 1970s more doctorally prepared nurses were conducting research, and there was a shift to studies that focused on the improvement of patient care. The 1980s brought nursing research to a new stage of development. There were many more quali? ed nurse researchers than ever, widespread availability of computers for collection and analysis of data, and a realization that research is a vital part of professional nursing (Polit and Beck, 2006). Nurse researchers began conducting studies based on the naturalistic paradigm. These studies were qualitative rather than quantitative. In addition, instead of conducting many small, unrelated research studies, teams of researchers, often interdisciplinary, began conducting programs of research to build bodies of knowledge related to speci? c topics, such as urinary incontinence, decubitus ulcers, pain, and quality of life. The 1990s brought increasing concern about health care reform, and now in the twenty-? rst century, research studies focus on important health care delivery issues, such as cost, quality, and access. Research ? ndings are being used increasingly as the basis for clinical decisions. Evidencebased practice (EBP) can be de? ned as the process of systematically ? nding, appraising, and using research ? ndings as a basis for making decisions about patient care. The rise of technology and the worldwide access and ? ow of information have transformed the decision-making processes of practitioners. Helpful informational websites for busy practitioners are listed in Box 6-1. No longer do nurses simply compare outcomes of patient care with other units in the B O X 6–1 Helpful Websites l f l b i National Guideline Clearinghouse—resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines www. guidelines. gov US Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Practice Guidelines www. healthquality. va. gov AHRQ Healthcare Innovations Exchange—innovations and tools to improve health care www. innovations. ahrq. gov/index. aspx The Evidence-Based Medicine Education Center of Excellence—extensive list of databases, journals, and textbooks http://library. ncahec. net/ebm/pages/resources. htm U. S. National Institute for Health Consensus statements http://consensus. nih. gov Centre for Evidence-Based Nursing, based at University of York—United Kingdom www. york. ac. uk/healthsciences/centres/evidence/cebn. htm The Joanna Briggs Institute, based at Royal Adelaide Hospital and the University of Adelaide, Australia—multiple evidence resources for practice www. joannabriggs. edu. au Cochrane Center—resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines www. cochrane. org 108 UNIT ONE The Development of Nursing same hospital. Nurses and other health care professionals are more likely to look for solutions, choices, and outcomes for patients that represent the best available knowledge internationally (Hamer and Collinson, 2005). RESEARCH PRIORITIES Why set priorities for research in the nursing discipline? Can nurses do research in areas that match personal areas of interest? The answer to the second question is, yes, certainly. But nursing exists to provide high-quality nursing care to individuals in need of health-promoting, health-sustaining, and health-restoring strategies. The main outcome of research activity for a nurse is to eventually put the knowledge gained to work in health care delivery. Research priorities, often set by groups that fund research, encourage nurse researchers to invest effort and money into those areas of research likely to generate the most bene? t to recipients of care. Of course the funding opportunities offered by such groups do not hurt the research enterprise either. Research costs money. Thus nurses engaged in research often match personal interests with funding opportunities that are available during the planning phase for a proposed investigation. Two major sources of funding for nursing research are the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (formerly known as the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research [AHCPR] and reauthorized as AHRQ by Congress in 1999). Both of these organizations are funded by federal congressional appropriations. Private foundations and nursing organizations also provide funding for nursing research. National Institute of Nursing Research As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NINR supports research on the biologic and behavioral aspects of critical health problems that confront the nation. The NINR’s research focus encompasses â€Å"health promotion and disease prevention, quality of life, health disparities, and end-of-life† (NINR Strategic Plan 2006-2010, 2006). A small sampling of potentially supported research topics includes those aimed at: ? Determining disease risk and treatment through utilizing genetic information ? Determining effective health-promotion strategies for individuals, families, and communities ? Discovering approaches that encourage people to effectively take responsibility for symptom management and health promotion ? Assisting in identi? cation and effective management of symptoms related to acute and chronic disease ? Improving clinical settings in which care is provided ? Improving the quality of care giving in settings such as long-term care facilities, the home, and the community ? Understanding predisposition to disease, socioeconomic factors that in? uence health, and cultural health practices that either protect from or expose to risk for health problems ? Improving symptom management for those at end of life The areas of research emphasis published by the NINR are useful guides for investigators developing proposals but are not considered to be prescriptive in nature. Investigators bring to bear their own unique expertise and creativity when proposing research in harmony with NINR priority research areas. Annually the NINR conducts a roundtable discussion with multiple nursing organizations to obtain the feedback of the disciplines regarding the need for continued or new research Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice CHAPTER 6 109 emphases. Information obtained is used in setting future research agendas and making decisions about funding of proposals submitted by researchers (Of? ce of Science Policy and Public Liaison, NINR, 2009). The NINR website details current announcements regarding research priorities (www. ninr. nih. gov/ResearchAndFunding). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality The AHRQ broadly de? nes its mission as â€Å"improving the quality, safety, ef? ciency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans† (AHRQ, 2009a). As an agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the AHRQ’s health-related aims are to reduce the risk of harm by promoting delivery of the best possible health care, improve health care outcomes by encouraging the use of evidence to make informed health care decisions, transform research into practice to facilitate wider access to effective health care services, and reduce unnecessary costs (AHRQ, 2009a). Since the inception of the agency in 1989, strategic goals have centered on supporting improvements in health outcomes, strengthening measurement of health care quality indicators, and fostering access to and cost-effectiveness of health care. The 1999 reauthorizing legislation expanded the role of the agency by directing the AHRQ to: ? Improve the quality of health care through scienti? c inquiry, dissemination of ? ndings, and facilitation of public access to information. ? Promote patient safety and reduce medical errors through scienti? c inquiry, building partnerships with health care providers, and establishment of centers for education and research on therapeutics (CERTs). ? Advance the use of information technology for coordinating patient care and conducting quality and outcomes research. ? Establish an of? ce on priority populations to ensure that the needs of low-income groups, minorities, women, children, the elderly, and individuals with special health care needs are addressed by the agency’s research efforts. The research-related activities of the AHRQ are quite varied, but a recent shift emphasizes a more deliberate translation of research evidence into practice. In a process similar to that used by the NIH, investigators are invited to submit research proposals for possible funding through grant announcements. A listing of current areas of the agency’s research interests can be found online at www. ahrq. gov/fund/portfolio. htm. The AHRQ actively promotes EBP, partially through the establishment of 14 EBP centers (EPCs) in the United States and Canada. EPCs conduct research on assigned clinical care topics and generate reports on the effectiveness of health care methodologies. Health care providers may then use the evidence in developing site-speci? c guidelines that direct clinical practice. AHRQ also actively maintains the National Guideline Clearinghouse (www. guidelines. gov), an website that makes available to health care professionals a wide array of clinical practice guidelines that may be considered in health care decision making. Another recent addition to AHRQ’s initiatives is the Healthcare Innovations Exchange (2009b), which provides a public source of information about innovations taking place in health care delivery. Submitted innovations are reviewed for the quality of achieved outcomes, providing evidence as a foundation for decision making by others who may be searching for or considering similar innovations. Although most AHRQ activities are intended to support health care professionals and institutions, the agency supports health care recipients by designing some information speci? cally for dissemination to the lay public (AHRQ, 2009a). 110 UNIT ONE The Development of Nursing Private Foundations Federal funding is available through the NIH and the AHRQ. However, because obtaining money for research is becoming increasingly competitive, voluntary foundations and private and community-based organizations should be investigated as possible funding sources. Many foundations and corporate direct-giving programs are interested in funding health care projects and research. Computer databases and guides to funding are available in local libraries. In addition, grant-seeking enterprises often purchase subscriptions that allow computer access to enhanced listings of funding foundations that include information about the types of projects those foundations typically fund. Though subscriptions are expensive, costs are often balanced by the ef? ciency with which suitable funding prospects are identi? ed. An example of such a service is Prospect Research Online (www. iwave. com). Private foundations, such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2009a, 2009b) or the W. K. Kellogg Foundation (2009), offer program funding for health-related research. Investigators should be encouraged to pursue funding for small projects through local sources or private foundations until a track record is established in research design and implementation. After several years of experience in the research arena, investigators are more likely to be successful in securing funding through federal sources, such as the NIH. Nursing Organizations Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the American Nurses Association (ANA), and the Oncology Nurses Society (ONS), are a few of the nursing organizations that fund research studies. STTI makes research grant awards to increase scienti? c knowledge related to nursing practice. STTI supports creative interdisciplinary research and places importance on identifying â€Å"best practices† and benchmark innovations. Awards are made at the international and local chapter levels. The ANA awards small grants through the American Nurses Foundation. Specialty nursing organizations offer grants to support research related to their specialty. For example, the ONS awards grants that focus on issues related to oncology. To summarize, multiple potential sources of funding are available for research projects. The individual or group wishing to conduct research will need to carefully develop a proposal, search for a possible funding source, and submit the proposal. Libraries and the Internet provide ample information about the many foundations and organizations interested in funding research endeavors. Most research institutions establish of? ces that help in the search and procurement of funding. Thus researchers are supported in their work of knowledge building. COMPONENTS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS The research process involves conceptualizing a research study, planning and implementing that study, and communicating the ? ndings. The process involves a logical ? ow as each step builds on the previous steps. These steps should be included in published research reports so that the reader has a basis for understanding and critiquing the study (Box 6-2). STUDY DESIGNS Study designs are plans that tell a researcher how data are to be collected, from whom data are to be collected, and how data will be analyzed to answer speci? c research questions. Research studies are classi? ed into two basic methods: quantitative and qualitative, two distinctly different approaches to conducting research. The researcher chooses the method based on the research question and the current level of knowledge about the phenomena and the problem to be studied. Quantitative research is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numeric

PressureToday

Today in our modern society cheating in school is growing at a rapid rate, but who is to blame, is it the school system is it students or is it the teachers. I strongly believe that it is not only the student's fault but the school systems as well. To begin, cheating among students has rapidly increased. The numbers are crazy; statically 2 out of every 3 kids have cheated on a test, homework, ect. â€Å"Cheating in school is rampant and getting worse 64% of students cheated on a test in the past ear and 38% did so too or more times up from 60% to 35% in a 2006 survey'(David Crary).Which raises the question why are so many students cheating. Its not like they don't know everybody knows that cheating is wrong, you learned that as a kid and you constantly here it till you are out of school. I believe that students cheat because they want a good grade and that they don't trust themselves enough to write down what they think when they can Just look over there shoulder and get an answers they think s better than theirs so they can get a good grade, because in this day and age the difference of one A or B can mean a good collage or a great one.As the demand for higher educated people grows so does the pressure and that's why students cheat, because they can easily take a C, D, or even an F if they wanted to and not cheat, but their logic is why get a easy F when you can gets a easy A. Next is the school system and how it works, and how I believe it greatly impacts and influences the students of are modern generation to cheat.To explain, are school ystem is revolving around grades and scores and if you get a A then you are considered smart and you fully understand the topic and are more likely to get accepted into a good school, but since we are seeing so many students cheat because of this system that we are initially hurting are generation and really only making more of are generation not as smart as the previous generations. Part of the reason high school students cheat is to get into a good University, but as the universities get more competitive and raise their standards even higher it really nfluences and pressures us high school students to cheat.So we can do good and initially get into the universities we want. I believe we should change the school systems to a system were there are no grades and we should Just focus on trying to make are students understand the material as opposed to Just getting a good score not knowing if the student understand the material of Just cheated to get a good grade to pass on to the next grade and initially get into a good University later on in his or her future. pressure By sammy2314

Garment Manufacture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Garment Manufacture - Essay Example Although tariffs will still be in place, the liberalisation of the T&C sector by means of quota abolition is a decisive step towards free trade. But just what does the liberalisation of T&C sector mean to the market and its players (David Birnbaum, 2005) This is where the role of the buyer becomes immensely vital. Manufacturers will need to source raw materials that meet their quality standards and at the same time keep track of competitive prices to keep their brand alive and kicking. Buyers are trained professionals whose hand first-hand information on market trends and vendors. It is in their hands the future of a garment manufacture lie. Garments are an essential part of man's existence. During the age of cavemen, men and women wore the skin of the killed animals to protect them from cold. Gradually, this changed and they began to use plant leaves, and other materials to cover their torso. Though the purpose remains the same, men and women now wear dresses made out of wool, cotton, nylon, synthetic, rayon and silk. Style became a part of society and designers began to showcase their talent through designer wear. Fashion became more pronounced around the 1950s and has since, shown an upward trend. The names of Jean Paul Gaultier, Carolina Herrera, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Carmen Marc Valvo, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, and Elie Saab, to name a few, are breakfast names. So what makes them different from others Design and texture, of course! Garments that are worn by people like you and me are in most cases, imitations of what is shown on the ramp. Designer wear are exclusive and cost a fortune. However, garment ma nufacturers the world over, design dresses that are look-alike to their more illustrious cousins on FTV. 3.0 Market Trend For any garment business to succeed or sustain their presence in this highly competitive field, the manufacturer needs to obtain raw materials and at competitive prices. If there is one area of concern, the manufacturer will suffer great lose. Raw materials are an essential aspect of production. If supplies remain unpredictable or truncated, production will seize and the business, doomed. Similarly, if prices escalate and demands grow, there must be a stand-by to cover this. Prices fluctuate periodically and this can affect supplies and pricing. This has to be a very important part of planning. No manufacturer can work on a day-today basis. Orders that are placed over a long period of time need to be executed and at contracted prices. This is when the service of the buyer (sourcing) remains critical. It is never easy for one to identify and maintain continuity with just one supplier. There must be at least a few more alternatives to meet contingency. An important aspect in managing contemporary fashion business is supply chain management. Once an order is placed, the manufactured product needs to reach the designated store or consumer. Retail environment constantly undergoes changes, and unless the product reaches the wholesaler or retailer on time, it could have severe economic and consumer pressure. Market

Desiree's baby by kate chopin literary analysis Essay

Desiree's baby by kate chopin literary analysis - Essay Example However, fate was soon to prove what kind of a lover Armand really was. Yet, the irony lies in how he quickly judged his wife, saying she was not white when in the end, he was to discover that he was the quadroon. After Armand’s mother died, his father brought him from France to Louisiana when he was just eight years old. He met Desiree when they first went to the place however he seemed to notice her or never felt any strong feelings toward her until the day he saw her standing against the stone pillar while he was riding by. The man is described to have such strong feelings toward the maiden such that he seemed to have been â€Å"swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles† (Chopin). Perhaps the love that the young felt toward the woman was really strong so that he did not mind her background but was even willing to get her the best gifts for her wedding, patiently waiting for them to arrive from Pari s. Moreover, Armand’s love for the woman made him a better man as exemplified by the way he treated his servants from the time he married Desiree. It is also mentioned that the man’s face â€Å"had not often been disfigured by frowns since the day he fell in love with her†. ... He accused his wife of being Black because of their child who was growing to show the features of black people. He became cold toward Desiree and never bothered to hold his son again. He even was very willing to let go her wife and son just because of his suspicions. He did not show any interest in his wife or his son and he showed how strongly decided he was with his perceptions about her race when he never even stirred to stop the woman when she left the house with her son. As mentioned earlier, Armand is seen as a racist whose feelings toward his wife changed because of the color of his son’s skin. He assumed that Desiree might have come from a Black bloodline and this made him dislike her. However, reading through the end of the story, one cannot help to think that Armand’s reactions toward Desiree might have been deliberately done to hide what he might have felt about himself. The story does not clearly show if the letter of Armand’s mother confessing about her race was discovered even before Desiree and her son left. It is possible that Armand might have felt ashamed about his forebears and was embarrassed to even admit about it therefore he might just have made his wife the excuse to explain the color of his son. Armand became a man who was too proud to admit he was black or he might have been afraid about how he would be treated if his family background became known. As a master who was hard on his Black servants, he might have felt ashamed about himself. It is also possible that Armand might have felt afraid that Desiree will leave him if she learned about his mother and henceforth, he chose to hurt her instead of waiting for her to hurt him. Perhaps he was too

Is the MENA region assigned a peripheral place in the global economic Essay

Is the MENA region assigned a peripheral place in the global economic systemOr is the region so diverse that we cannot talk in such generalised terms - Essay Example According to Allan (2001) these world crises have tackled regions with certain reasons following them such that most of the renowned economists had not anticipated the crisis and thus concluded that the models they used could not adequately explain the situation. It is for this reason that the governments of different nations, businesses, unions and institutions are now anxiously in search of solutions that will not only solve the problems but also prepare the entire global community for the future outcomes. The crises have several effects on the multilateral trading system and this has led to the regional dialogue on current and future challenges for multilateral trading system - Development Perspectives from MENA region. The discussion intends to connect various stakeholders found in the MENA region and is to be conducted through the exchange if analysis and information necessary in debating on several questions which include; what the above crises mean to the multilateral trading system and development perception of MENA region and what the pros and cons of WTO attainments of MENA countries comprise (Barnett and Rolando 2002). MENA region refers to the Middle East and North Africa which is mostly applied in business and academic scripts. The region covers Morocco to Iran and basically includes all the countries found in Arab Middle East and North Africa. Its population constitutes 6 percent of the world’s population. The region has enormous reserves of petroleum and natural gas that enable the region to be a major source of the global economic stability. Study show that the region has 60 percent of world’s oil raw materials as well as 45 percent of world’s natural gas. Â  It is true that MENA region is so diverse that it can not be referred to in generalised terms this is because it comprises of many countries with the common contributor for economic development. It is therefore not possible to talk of the region as

Financial Analysis of St. Vincents hospital Essay

Financial Analysis of St. Vincents hospital - Essay Example The St. Vincent’s hospital was a major health providing institution within the Manhattan area and it had been serving the local community since being formed in the year 1849, besides the health care facility, a medical college was also on the offerings. St. Vincent’s hospital was closed on April 30, 2010 and it was found that the hospital owed billions of dollars; hence it had to file for bankruptcy. As of April 30th, the hospital had to sack 3000 employees because of its closure. This led to a huge hue and cry amongst the employees of the hospital as the 3000 employees had to face the grudging effect of the loan and that too in a very stiff economic environment where job cutting was a major feature (NY1 News, 2010). Many attempts were made to stop the closure of the hospital but all of these attempts went in vain. U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Jerrold Nadler were all involved in forwarding an application to the U.S. Department of Housi ng and Urban Development (HUD) so that the hospital could be saved from bankruptcy. This request was made to the HUD department because of the department’s ability to offer mortgage insurance. The senators along with the congressman explained that the hospital had a long history of offering major emergency and other health care services in that area and it would be difficult to diversify the emergency patients of St.

Proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Research Proposal Example mpany improves conditions of their vehicles by servicing them after three months thus offering excellent services to their customers and minimizing damage on the environment. They have come up with new technology in their vehicles that do not consume a lot of fuel so thus reducing carbon dioxide emission (JÃ ¸rgensen, 2009). Vehicles in this company have achieved high emission standard throughout Europe. In addition, Stagecoach Company has set targets on carbon emission strategies as the main goal in their green program. This has been achieved by introducing an accounting and control system of carbon emission. This program has been linked to their business agenda to ensure transparency to their customers and realize control of carbon emissions. The title going green with stagecoach gives a reflection of the goal of the company. This shows that the company besides making profit from transportation it also cares about the environment. The title passes strong messages to other company on the importance of conserving the environment and sustainably using natural resources for the sake of coming generations. Both the employees and managers of Stagecoach Company will work toward realizing their goal in relation to their title. Our surrounding environment is very important because it carries a lot of natural resources. These resources include forests, rivers, swamps and biodiversity. Human should protect forests because they are habitant of many animals thus destroying forests interferes with biodiversity. These resources have both positive and negative impacts to the environment. Planting of trees help in water catchment as well as preventing soil erosion. Rivers are a source of water to human beings and habitant to aquatic animals like fish. It is also a source of food for both animals and human beings. There are rivers with beautiful scenery that attract tourists hence help in generating revenue. Natural resources should be use sustainably by the current generation

Criticism on William faulkner on the short story A Rose for Emily Research Proposal

Criticism on William faulkner on the short story A Rose for Emily - Research Proposal Example Life was not easy for the members of the upper class either, with their clinging to obsolete customs and traditions. It will be shown that Miss Emily Grierson in Faulkner's "Rose for Emily" took advantage of her upper class upbringing at the same time becoming a victim to the same tradition of class difference. "A Rose for Emily" is a seminal work by William Faulkner in which he has portrayed the various characters in a small town in America. Set in the period between the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, the story is steeped in tradition. This short story was the first of Faulkner's stories to be published in a national publication, when it was published in the Forum in 1930. He narrates the story of Emily Grierson and her doomed love affair. Using a technique not much used in those days, Faulkner goes back and forward in time making the story very effective .Emily Grierson belonged to a wealthy upper class family which had lost all their money, but not their iron pride. Thinking her too good for the local young men, Emily's father had never allowed her to date anyone." None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such."(Faulkner) When the father dies, Emily refuses to accept his death. Soon after, Emily's unsuitable suitor Homer Barron, who did not belong to her class arrives .He goes about with her in spite of the disapprobation of the towns' people. The minister trying to advise Emily and the minister's wife writing to Emily's cousins about the unsuitable Homer Barron, the Yankee foreman are typical of the class distinction which was prevalent in those days. The cousins arrive, and Barron is seen no more except once. Emily buys arsenic ostensibly to kill some rats, which leads the townspeople to think that she will commit suicide. After that Emily shuts herself up in her house with the old negro servant to care for her. She adamantly refuses to pay taxes citing a long expired grant by a former mayor. In a macabre end to the story, after Emily's death, the townspeople discover the skeleton of Homer Barron in the locked up bedroom upstairs, with a strand of 'long gray hair' in the pillow next to it. Faulkner has used the inherent class distinctions prevalent in the small towns of the American South to develop the story. He begins the story with Emily's death." And now Miss Emily had gone to join the representatives of those august names where they lay in the cedarbemused cemetery among the ranked and anonymous graves of Union and Confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of Jefferson." (Faulkner) Only in death did the 'august names' and the anonymous soldiers come together. Emily was a tradition in herself for the town with not many other 'august names'. Faulkner's preoccupation with heredity is evident in his works. His characters are haunted by their traditions .He draws upon his observations in Oxford, a small town in the American South where he lived. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Oxford provided Faulkner with intimate access to a deeply conservative rural world, conscious of its past and remote from the urban -industrial mainstream". (E.B.)We see the town of Jefferson portrayed by Faulkner has all the characteristics of a deeply conservative world. Emily goes on ignoring the notices to pay taxes,

Enterprise System Essay Example for Free

Enterprise System Essay This report analyses a fast moving goods companys information systems. The report analyses the companys major types of information systems, including a more detailed assessment of its Decision Support System and issues relating to hardware and software technology and telecommunications. The company that will be analysed in this report is a subsidiary of large international fast moving consumer goods company. The business of the subsidiary company is the bottling and selling of mineral water in Vietnam. Information for this report is based on 2 interviews held with the recently retired Chair of the company (to be referred to as the Chair). The Chair had some reservations about being interviewed for this assignment due to possible commercial in confidence issues. Ron Williams agreed that neither the actual names of the subsidiary company (to be referred to as FMCG Ltd nor the international fast moving goods company (to be referred to as International Ltd) have to be used in the assignment. The report also includes an analysis of the Canberra Institute of Technologys website. Question 1 (a) Introduce the organisation. Describe the organisations features such as business processes, culture, structure, environment, business strategy FMCG Ltd has been operating for some 6 years in Vietnam and was the first entrant into the mineral market there. FMCG Ltd is managed separately from International Ltd and has an entrepreneurial culture and a flat management structure. It is highly profitable. The spring water market in Vietnam is now saturated, with a number of imitation products available locally. This makes further growth in market share by the company difficult to achieve. The companys main strategy is to increase profits through efficiencies in its supply chain. This has been achieved, in part, due to an improvement in business Information Systems (IS) through the establishment of an Enterprise System, which will be discussed in this report. The information system enables the company to maintain close control of the supply chain. FMCG Ltd has recently introduced its own sales staff to supply the retailers of its products. This has been critical in ensuring the products are effectively placed and promoted. This has enabled the company to increase its sales dramatically. The use of the companys own sales force allows important sales information to be gathered and fed into the companys information system. This information assists the company, the wholesalers and the retailers. The company closely supervises and assists the wholesalers, retailers and the company that is responsible for collecting the mineral water at its source. The Chair said that the Enterprise System is the heart of the company. The company uses the system to increase the companys efficiency and profitability. Fahy discusses the benefits of strategic enterprise systems (Fahy, 2001). He emphasises the importance of the management issues as well as the technical challenges associated with introducing such a system. The Chair said that he agreed with this comment. The Chair also said that the benefits of such a system as outlined by Laudon (Laudon, 2002) were experienced by FMCG Ltd .

Dream Of Becoming An Engineer English Language Essay

Dream Of Becoming An Engineer English Language Essay The man-made world which consists of machines and devices aroused my curiosity since I was a child. I used to always keep wondering of how a machine operates and how every part of a machine compliment with each other to function well. As a child, I thought that the creators of these machines must have been magicians who are able to command supernatural powers to make a machinery works. And the reason grows along my age. Despite this, I still believe that engineers are magicians; they are the last remaining practitioners of this art in an increasingly modernised world. They continue to amaze and captivate the world with their creations. And they never seemed to be running out of tricks from their sleeves. The thought of how great the profession of engineering keeps lingering in my mind, and I think it will be the same for everyone. [1]Take a glimpse look around you; can you jot down anything that is not relying to certain degree on the work of engineers? I bet anyone would struggle on it. Because of that particular reason I chose to be on this lane, to serve community with a better technology that will shape the century and change the world. However, it was the entire previous story because right now I have been on the platform of the sound tertiary education that will provide me with the best experience the embryonic engineer can have. Only one problem remains; how to grab this chance to make the dream of becoming an engineer come to reality. Time is said to be precious because it is irreversible. Others said that it is eternal. But the main point here is what is done today is not tomorrow, and what is in the past cannot be in the present because time moves. You cannot predict what will happen today or in the future because it is yet to come but you experienced yesterdays event however it is not in your jurisdiction to change that occurrence. That is why it is said that time resembles gold caused by its preciousness. This principle goes well with engineers life. Time management is not something that you can let it happen by itself, it needs a proper planning. Even though people said that time changes things but, actually we have to change them ourselves. Professional engineer is someone who knows how to juggle many things at one time. They work to enhance welfare, health and safety of all and make professional commitments to boost the wellbeing of society through the exploitation of knowledge and the management of creati ve terms. But, frankly speaking, I was a student who practised procrastination in my study. I kept saving all the works given on the eleventh hour this was during the high school era, and in the early life as a university student. However, the hectic life of first year student with assignments and tests educates me that engineers will not just be an idle person but need to devote themselves in acquiring and cramming a brand new technology in physical world. However, what happens if I keep saving all the work till the last minute? Will I be able to prepare myself then to discover some new knowledge? These kind of thoughts that kept wandering in my mind, helped me to get a picture that no matter how eventful my life with works is, I need to get them done once I got assigned. So I decided to make an improvement to my study style. I made a to-do list bright and early, as the first task of the commencement of my day; on a clear white paper to prevent me from wasting any time worrying ab out anything that I might forget. Therefore my whole activities throughout the day tend to follow this list without even a second being wasted. This forces me not to make a group meeting turns to a worthless chat, or whenever I bump into someone it will not become a reunion party because every single second counts. Thus, sometimes I need to say no for a certain matter although it is a very hard thing to do for most people but I believe that it has a tremendous reward. Normally my whole night is filled with either twittering, facebooking or watching drama (since I am a drama enthusiast), however, the to-do list that I made has replaced those times with something beneficial to my study; either preparing for laboratories, tests, or make a quick revision for the next lectures. For instance, assignment given to SESM1015 Professional Engineering students (absolutely this essay) makes my night more meaningful. 30 minutes watching drama has been replaced by 15 minutes essay writing even t hough at first it was a bit hard to get used to. Engineers are meant to not just please themselves but also others since they are the one who will succour people towards better life. So in order to do that they need to know what they are working on or objectives of the job they are doing at the moment. [2]But my problem is how to adapt to the transition between school and university environment. The way on how the teaching goes on is totally different; you need to do everything on your own, without having any teacher attends you personally to make sure that you understand what you have learned, or keep an eye on your attendance to every class it is totally on you. Since my secondary school, I have heard about this tittle-tattle and that scared me a bit. However, I am very indebted to the existing university student there at that time who gave me a clear grasp about how a university environment is; and get me prepared earlier. Even though the nervousness of a fresher in a new situation is still there but I need to get up and help myself first so that I will familiarise with the university atmosphere quicker. Thus, the way how I confronted this problem for the past three month is that I keep preparing myself for the next lecture with a quick revision. At least I need to know the objectives of my learning for the next lectures, so that I can groom my understandings about that topic in the class. To get to know the topic in detail, my friends and I made a study group, and we discuss certain problematic topics because I need to know my subject well so that I can relate the subject with the current application in the world. Whenever we have come to a conclusion we will verify it with a lecturer or senior students so that our discussions will not go wrong. Before that, I need to discipline myself with this new lifestyle as this is how a professional engineer should become, because sometimes I am bombarded with so many distractions that will disrupt my mood and concentration. Sometimes when I was indulged in a dist raction, it will drag up to 1 hour period (unfortunately it is normally caused by watching drama). Most importantly is how you change those distractions into actions [3]. I need to restrain myself from all unnecessary matters by considering which activities will benefit me more; giving some rates to those actions before doing it is the best selection for now. Besides that I need to constantly learn new things as technology is always changing [4]. Just look at the gap between the release of the two phones by the worlds third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia; Apple it is not even a year after the release of iPhone 4s, they have already released iPhone 5. Maybe because of the rapid civilisation, proponents of technological determinisms make a strong case for letting self-accelerating technologies to follow their own life cycle. So as an engineer-to-be, I need to keep myself up-to-date with the current technologies since an engineer needs to have accuracy and vigour. Hopefully, by watching documentaries or educational channels in the television, for instance Mythbuster and Top Gear, they deepen my understandings on how the situation is on the current world. Being an engineer needs me to work not only with machines but with people too. There are a lot of surveys made by different kind of companies reveal that apart from a flying colours result, employers are looking for someone who does well on communicate articulately on both writing and verbal forms or sometime is called as interpersonal skills. [5]The ability to communicate effectively, builds rapport, persuade people of your position or ideas without alienating them, get along with a wide variety of people, be an effective contributor on teams, and leads team to achieve exceptional results this is what the term soft skills or interpersonal skills mean. Engineer is not someone who only stuffing their life with machines but they need to know how to deal with people. But, seems like at first this was the hardest things to do communicate with local student with British slang is easier said than done. Truthfully, to seize the understandings given by the lecturer in a class need me to s pare some great efforts. So I take same actions by watching same British TV Shows to improve my capability in listening and conveying messages to others. Yet, it is still in the to-do list, the time spent for watching TV shows is fixed (normally when I am having my lunch or dinner). Furthermore, I am actively involved in Table Tennis Club which predominantly by local student; so sometimes I initiated a simple conversation to practise my communication skills. As for social skills I am grateful that I was able to improve my interpersonal skills when I was in a Board of Prefect in my secondary school. I learned how to deal with personal problems, anger and dissatisfaction within the student ranks; plus within a team environment I acquired the skills to lead others and motivate them when they are in their dead end or discouraged for I know that each individual is a component in the machinery of an organization. One deficient component creates an inefficient machine. To sum up, all the confusions about how to become a decent engineer might be resolved if I kept practicing all the steps; whether in communicating with others, time management or continuous learning. The most importing thing for me is not to rush things because even if I am not following all the advices there is no one who will correct them for me. I am not an individual who will only serving the consumers only, but also the government, firms, industries and global environment. The 4 years in university life must be spent wisely so that the result would be great. The dream to become an engineer can be achieve with a proper practical on every days matter.

Death for John Walker Lindh :: essays research papers fc

Death for John Walker Lindh Death Penalty should be the only choice, no alternatives. John Walker Lindh knows the difference between right and wrong. He also knows the difference between an American Citizen and a traitor. This article describes John Walker as a person with a cold heart. It portrays Walker, as showing no remorse for the people who lost loved one’s due to the tragedy of September 11th, however thousands of others have. The article states he chose to fight alongside the Taliban regime and therefore he should be delt the penalties of being a traitor. â€Å"We may never know why he turned his back on our country and our values, but we cannot ignore that he did,† Attorney General D. Ashcroft said. Why even talk about ignoring what he did. Thousands of people are dead and more are hurt due to the actions of the al Qaeda network. Such loses and pain can not be ignored. He turned his back on the United States and people from all over the world. Terrorism is unacceptable not just to American’s but to all nations who endure the rite of freedom and security. Therefore John Walker should be tried in a court as if he were Osama bin laden him self. John Walker may have not been directly connected to the September 11th, but he did indeed learn from one of his instructors that Osama bin laden had sent people to the United States to carry out several suicide operations. I do not understand how a human being born and raised as an American can later grow up to fight against innocent people and watch as all American lives get turned upside down. He found out from an instructor that Osama bin Laden had plans in-store for the States yet did nothing to even contact his own family nor let anyone know. Maybe this could have been prevented. Or just maybe the next time I go back to my hometown, New York City, as I am driving towards my grandmother’s house instead of seeing just a lonely, empty blue sky; I would be able to see the World Trade Center as it once was months ago.

Health, Safety and Nutrition Essay -- Health Nutrition Pyramid Diet

The reason I chose to do my project on a game that can hit all three areas safety, health, and nutrition, is because all three areas are important to children and their families. As a parent I can easily justify the role a teacher has on the lives of our children. It is usually a parent does not know anything and the teacher is always right. In the eye’s of a child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many times well most of the time what you teach a child it usually stays with them, and if it is presented in a fun way it is almost certain that to stay with them longer. More important children like to share their new information with their families, some of the information may be new. So not only are you teaching their children you are also teaching them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before I introducing this game I would send out information to each child’s family so they will be familiar with some of the questions. Of coarse it is important not to send to much information so it will not become overwhelming. It is also important to get the families input, any way to get parents involved is important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why safety? Safety is important no matter where your child may be. Any information that a child learns in safety can easily be reinforced. From talking to strangers to playing with fire. This is important everywhere, not only in school but at home or in public places. Many times parents as well as teachers tend to overlook simple things like how unsafe playing with sharp objects, can be, such as pencils. Also taking simple precautions, as covering outlets, or not leaving cords hanging from drapes. This is why safety is important and why it can be life saving to many families.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not long ago, many safety issues were not addressed the way they are now. Why has it changed so much in the past several years? I stop and look back at my life as an infant and a child many things have changed drastically. When I was a infant car seats were not required, to think the safety of my life was at risk, I can recall a time being involved in a accident and I was lucky I did not fly out of the windshield, being that I use to like to stand up o... ...e a good choice or a family member makes a good choice. Sometimes it takes something like a game with fact to have families more aware of the choices that they make the good and the bad. We are only human and we can easily fall off track, I know that I am thankful when my children put me back on the correct track. It is also a good feeling to know that they are aware of their choices and that sometimes we don’t always make the correct ones. It also reassures our children that we as parents, grandparents, and teachers, also make mistakes and sometimes bad choices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Still I feel that the most important thing is to model for children, take the time to talk to them and of coarse to listen to them. We all like to be heard at some point in our lives even when were small. Work Cited http://www.llu.edu/lluch/safekids/safek4.html 5/2/05 http://www.cdu.gov/nccdphp/hnpa/5aday/faq/important_3.htm 5/2/05 http://www.nut.safe._heatlh/faq/safe4ki.html 5/2/05 http://ific.org/publications/bro/tentipkids.cfm 5/7/05 http://safeforchildren.families/ 23.htm Http://www.llu.edu’‘lluch/safekids/safek8.html 5/7/05 Robert Gonzales 5/9/05 Dorthoy Aguilar 5/9/05

Culture Arises from Human Nature :: Mirror for Man Essays

In his book, Mirror for Man, Clyde Kluckhohn presents his views on the development of culture. Kluckhohn believes that culture develops out of a combination of human nature, human biology, and the laws of nature. There are vast differences in the habits of the different peoples of the world. An example could be the eating patterns of Americans compared with those of Europeans. Another could be the attitudes of American students compared with the attitudes of Asian students. At the same time, there are some characteristics which are present in all societies, such as peer pressure. In my opinion Clyde Kluckhohn is correct when he states that human behavior is affected by both human nature and human biology. Kluckhohn gives several examples from his life experience illustrating how two cultures can have very different behavior patterns. During a recent trip to West Germany, I encountered a similar difference. I quickly discovered that the most striking difference between the eating habits of Americans and German was the way in which the knife and fork were used. In Germany most people eat with their fork in their left hand and their knife in their right hand. In addition the fork is almost always used upside down and the knife is used as a "pusher", much like Americans use bread. When I questioned a German friend about this difference I was surprised by her response. She explained that the "German" style of eating was the only "civilized" way and that the "American" style was "sloppy" and "Barbarian". Another example of cultural differences could be the educational attitudes of Americans as opposed to those of many Asians. Many people in the United States are surprised and alarmed by the high test score and college admissions averages of Asian students in contrast to the falling averages of students of other ethnic backgrounds, including white. This discrepancy is directly related to cultural differences between American and many Asian nations. In most Asian cultures education is strongly encouraged and supported and has been for generations. On the other hand, in America education is often a low priority. Many American students look at school as a burden rather than a chance to gain knowledge. At the same time, many American parents reinforce this attitude because they were raised with a similar belief. Kluckhohn is careful to point out that there are characteristics which are present in all cultures.

Amway Japan Essay

Amway Japan Limited Executive Summary In 1996 Amway Japan Limited (AJL) was the leader in direct selling market, and the most successful company within the entire Amway group. In the first half of  1997, AJL experienced a net sales decline of 11. 6% and net income to 27. 6% from the first half of the previous year. The Japanese economy and declining value of  the Yen relative to the U. S. Dollar has decreased AJL’s sales volume and profit margin. The Japanese government recently passed laws that confused AJL’s distributors and discouraged potential consumers from buying certain product lines. Furthermore, AJL suffers from a negative public image with over 70% of their customer base having either a neutral or negative opinion of the company. In order to rebuild growth in the second half of 1997 and achieve AJL’s long-term sales goal of ? 300 billion by FY2000, the following strategies must be implemented. AJL must strengthen the overall Amway brand image in Japan by promoting high quality products with a competitively fair price. In addition, AJL needs to target their public-relations campaigns to specific groups by promoting individual products and product lines to build upon their brand equity. AJL will undertake a focused extensive distributor training program which emphasizes distributor ethics, techniques on building correspondent down-line relations, and a greater understanding of Japan’s door-to-door sales laws and regulations. AJL will improve  the internal marketing strategy by extending target-marketing initiatives toward specific demographic distributor groups to add upon their success with the Artistry cosmetic brands. AJL will successfully capture their momentum to reach their target revenue goals by implementing the solutions offered above.

apanese Cinema and Western Audiences

Japanese Cinema and Western Audiences: Why a Foreknowledge of Japan's Social, Cultural and Historical Background Is a Necessity in Order to â€Å"Properly† Appreciate Japanese Cinema and Western Audiences: Why a foreknowledge of Japan’s social, cultural and historical background is a necessity in order to â€Å"properly† appreciate Japanese Cinema. Discuss the claim that Japanese cinema cannot be properly understood by Western audiences without a wider understanding of Japanese history, culture and society. In this essay I intend to prove that a foreknowledge of Japan’s social, cultural and historical background is a necessity in order to â€Å"properly† appreciate Japanese Cinema.With reference to films such as Ugetsu Monogatari and Tokyo Story, my aim is to use my illustrative examples, analysis and references to scholarly sources to clearly show that in order to â€Å"properly† understand Japanese Cinema, a foreknowledge of Japanese histor y, culture and society is a definite requirement a western audience. The concept of world cinema has become commercially a genre. This genre creates the concept of the ‘other’; this is because it is other to what a western audience is used to (which is Hollywood or European cinema). It is also categorized as â€Å"third cinema†, with â€Å"first cinema† being Hollywood.This grouping normally means that the film is in a foreign language (non-english), it is culturally specific to the culture that produces it and is pre-occupied with culture and history or specific social and political ideas. These forms of categorization alone are evidence that western audiences consider Japanese cinema outside of their understanding of traditional cinema. To begin the argument we can relate to one significant theorist. Donald Richie moved to Japan during the occupation in order to study Japanese films, in order to gain an understanding of the Japanese national character, t o assist in defeating the Japanese military forces.In his long stay in Japan, he familiarized himself with Japanese theatre, art, culture, cinema and society. This allowed him to play the role of â€Å"mediator† between Japanese cinema and the west† Without Richie’s knowledge of Japanese culture, history and society, his appreciation for Japanese cinema would be sparse. Fumiaki Itakura commented on Western audiences â€Å"Japaneseness† was invented just one hundred years ago, and were based on cultural nationalism. They are not likely to understand the ideology of this â€Å"Japaneseness. † It is clear that Japanese cinema is too culturally specific for a western audience to ‘fully’ appreciate.Kenji Mizoguchi’s films have been put forward by critics and scholars as perhaps the most culturally specific Japanese films. His film â€Å"Ugetsu Monogatari† (1953) is a Jidai-geki film, (a period drama) for which he has become rec ognised as an auteur. Themes revolving around wealth, family and spirituality play a main role in the film. Freda Freinberg described the film as â€Å"Totally other to the world we knew† in relation to western audiences. The geisha dance scene would be completely disregarded by a western audience. Firstly her singing is very culturally specific, and is a Japanese form of chanting.According to Leger Grindon in reference to the â€Å"Realms of the Senses† , the geisha functions as a sign of the Japanese forbidden, and the surrender of emotions in replacement of sexual passion. Genjuro has left his wife, and is being seduced by Lady Wakasa. The camera work is very insignificant to how the dance is portrayed. The camera stays at a mid-shot whilst she performs, only following her movement. The dance is a Japanese traditional dance, it’s very slow paced, as she dances she waves a fan. During this scene the attention is never on Genjuro. We can see in back ground of t he shot that he is hypnotised by her dancing.Mizouchi wants the audience main focus to be on the dance. The traditional dance and song of this scene is very culturally specific, a western audience would not be able to â€Å"properly† appreciate it without a foreknowledge of Japanese Culture. The most significant part of this scene is the voice of her father. A low chant begins to accompany Lady Wakasa singing, this shocks the mistress and stops her from singing. The camera is still only focused on Lady Wakasa, the audience don’t see where the voice is coming from. The camera then pans slowly to their statue.Lady Wakasa falls to Genjuro using very exaggerated and expressive movement. This is inspired by traditional Kabuki theatre, which a western audience wouldn’t appreciate without foreknowledge. Lady Wakasa claims that it’s the voice of her late father. He is expressing his happiness for his daughter. These strong spiritual and religious themes are commo n in Japanese culture. Buddah, evil spirits, the omen, ghosts and after life are all common themes of Japan’s beliefs of spirituality. Leger Grindon comments on religion that â€Å"in few cultures is it taken seriously and as it as much a part of daily life as in Japan. This scene would be disregarded, and not ‘properly’ appreciated by a western audience, without a further insight to Japanese culture. Lady Wakasa’s spirit is used as a representation of Japan’s past. Genjuro is seduced by a spirit, this is a representation of being seduced to return to their fugal past. i Here Mizoguchi is using form to represent the past. A understanding of Japanese History is significant when viewing Japanese Cinema. In â€Å"Ugetsu Monogatari† there is a lot of narrative revolved around Tobei, who longs to be a Samurai, as it is a respected role society.The samuri status has also been criticized in â€Å"Life of Oharu†, as Oharu is disgraced by her family due to falling in love with a Samurai, which leads to her fate of prostitution. In â€Å"Ugetsu Monogatari† Tobei’s spots a famous general’s vassal behead his lord. Mizoguchi’s use of camera work means that the beheading is hidden from the shot. The main focus is not on the camera work and editing, (as it does in Hollywood) instead the camera work works around the action. Long takes and wide shots allow the action to tell the story. This gives the impression that we are viewing the scene in real time.Critic Freda Freiberg stated that â€Å"Mizoguchi is one of the masters of the long take. † A long take, pans out from the vassal as he begins to walk away. Dues to Tobei’s desperation to become a samurai, he kills the vassal and steals the head. To a western audience the idealisation of the samurai would not be understood without a wider understanding of Japans history. This means that an audience could not ‘properly’ apprec iate the film without a foreknowledge of Japans history. Yasujiro Ozu has been considered by David Bordowell as â€Å"quintessentially Japanese† . His films are made up of small domestic stories, shot mainly in interior sets.Unlike the Hollywood system, Ozu prioritised space over narrative. i In his film â€Å"Tokyo Story† (1953), he directly confronts the idea of where Japan is going after the war, in terms of national identity. He effectively documents a Japanese life at this time, and touches on the idea of society changing through their past, present and future. Tokyo Story really deals with three generations passing through life, but mostly with the generation that is passing out of it. The scene when the grand parents arrive at the house, they enter wearing traditional Kimonos and bow when greeting.This juxtaposes with their son who is dressed in a suit. Already we can see the grand father and the son playing representation of the changing generations: the grandf ather representing the past, and his son of the present. In another scene, the grandson is pictured studying English as a desk, wearing a baseball cap. This representation, as small as it is, shows the future for Japan and where it is headed. Baseball is an American sport that was adapted by the Japanese during the occupation. Also, by sitting the boy at a desk, Ozu is making a statement about what Japan’s future holds, in this he is relating to westernization.Relating to westernization is a common idea in Japanese films. For instance Seijun Suzuki’s â€Å"Tokyo Drifter† features night clubs influenced by western music, and even involves western characters in one of his scenes, making a statement about Japanese westernization. All of these representations would mean nothing to a western audience without foreknowledge of Japans social traits. In a later scene feature the grand father and his friends, he says â€Å"young people today have no backbone, where is th eir spirit? † He is touching on younger generation having no ambitions, and how times are changing.Ozu’s films commonly deal with role reversals, mostly between generations. As example the scene where the grandmother wishes to spend time with her grandchildren, we can see that the mother has little control over her son. He spins around in his chair and kicks his legs about as his mother tries to convince him to accompany his grandmother. At the end of the scene the mother (Fumiko), gives in and leaves her son to spin in his chair. In the case of the grandparents, their children are to preoccupied with their own lives to spend time with them, instead they send them away to a spa.These are two examples of how roles have been reversed, with younger generations gaining the most control. This is a representation of where Japan is headed, and that it’s in the hand of the younger generation. Without a previous understanding of the Japanese social state, a western audien ce would not be able to ‘properly’ appreciate the film to it’s fullest. Women’s status in society is commented on in the film, how their roles are changing. Noriko is seen working a desk job, she lives by herself and is only dependant on herself. She is seen throughout the film in a skirt and shirt, rather than the traditional Kimono.This is stating how women’s roles are changing. However Noriko appears to be clinging on the memory of her late husband. The grandmother asks of her to move on from the memory of her son, and find another partner. Socially, Japanese have presented a hierarchy with the male above the female. This is a dominant theme in â€Å"Ugetsu Monogatari† and â€Å"Life of Oharu†(1958) women are left in ruins because their man has abandoned them. In â€Å"Tokyo Story† it presents a modern picture of women in society, and show that although their roles may have changed, they still are classed below men.Noriko is still dependant on her husband, even after his death. Kishi Matsuo commented on women’s role in society â€Å"comparing today with the Ginkgo and Nara periods, I don’t find much difference, women have always been treated like slaves. † Without a wider understanding of Japanese society, the representation of women would be misunderstood. What the analysis of Mizoguchi’s â€Å"Ugetsu Monogatari† and Ozu’s â€Å"Tokyo Story† has clearly shown is that it is entirely right to claim that Japanese cinema cannot be properly understood by Western audiences without a wider understanding of Japanese country’s history, culture and society.Japanese cinema is too culturally specific that a western audience wouldn’t be able to ‘properly’ appreciate it. Japanese history, culture and society are all commented on throughout Ozu and Mizoguchi’s films. The content of this essay has explained that what is being commented on is too complex for a western audience, meaning they could not ‘properly’ appreciate these films, and Japanese cinema overall.

Fitt’s and Posner’s Phases of Learning Essay

Describe â€Å"Fitt’s and Posner’s† phases of learning and explain how you would structure practises to enhance a performance In this essay I will explain Fitt’s and Posner’s phases of learning and how I would structure practises to enhance performance. By practising a skill we can become better. Fitts and Posner theories were that everyone has to go through stages of learning, known as the cognitive, associative and autonomous stages of learning. Depending how good a person is at a particular sport, they will fall into a certain category. An example of this is Wayne Rooney. At a young age he was introduced to football and played amateur football from a young age, becoming one of the youngest strikers in football history. However by learning a skill in sport involves the development of skills by practice. An example of this is shooting practise – you can only become good by practising to kick the ball in between goalposts. Until a person becomes confident enough that they score a goal, they will naturally fall into the next category. The three stages of learning can be divided into two main categories; associationists and cognitivists. Associationists views learning of a sport as the link of particular stimulus and particular responses. Cognitivists see it as a function of the brain, where we learn through the understanding and knowledge of the sport. There are 3 stages of learning according to Fitts and Posner. They are: Cognitive v Associative v Autonomous Cognitive This is the initial stage of learning and is essential if the learner is to process successful through the other stages and is to move a stage where the skill can be performed. The cognitive stage involves formation of a mental picture of a skill. The most efficient way is from a demonstration, which allows them to see the key requirements and to work through the performance mentally. Visual guidance is one of the best ways to make others understand, and so that the person learning can see the correct method to perform the skill. They will then attempt to perform. Success rate is usually 2/3 out of 10. The cognitive stage initially concentrates more on the skill, rather than the game. There is a lack of control and consistency. Trial and error is also a key way to learn. Reinforcement of this can be by giving positive feedback. Questions will arise when learning skills of a sport if the skill is not correctly learnt. The learner will be confronted with some very specific, cognitively oriented problems. Examples of this are, â€Å"How do I score?† â€Å"What is the aim of this game?† â€Å"If so, where are the positions for players?† If the mental picture is not correct the skill will not develop. It is important that the coach explains very thoroughly what is required of each athlete. Associative Learning at the associative stage means that the skill is becoming more consistent, but there are still some errors. The simple element of the skill has been grasped however the performer still refers back to the mental picture. The performer can begin to detect errors and begin to realise his/her mistakes. Feedback should encourage a ‘feeling’ of a well performed skill. This means that the performer will begin to enjoy the sport. Success rate is 5/7 out of 10. Verbal guidance is essential as it is used in the associative stage. Some people never exceed this phase. An example of this is a semi-professional shot-put thrower. Some performers return to the cognitive stage to refer to the mental image of the skill. Also, some professional players return from autonomous stage to the associative stage if they have an injury – they need to work hard and rise up to the expected standard of an autonomous performer. Autonomous Learning at the autonomous stage is where the skill is done without conscious thought. The movements of the performer are fluent, consistent and athletically pleasing. There is an advanced stage of learning where the elements of the skill have become part of long term memory and are automatically produced in response to a an appropriate stimulus. The skill is automatic. The attention of the performer focuses on the next movement, for example tactics. Consistent practise is required to reinforce being at the autonomous stage. Success rate is 9/10 out of 10. In tennis for example a player would be able to perform a serve whilst contemplating what their opponent will do next, rather than being focusing on the technical side of the serve. Not all performers reach the autonomous stage in all skills. For those who do, if practise is not maintained revision to the associative stage will occur. Closed skills such as throwing events can be finely tuned so that a high level of performance can be produced. â€Å"Learning in its simplest form is the development of a position where we can’t perform a skill to a stage where we can perform it.† Knapp, 1973 The quote means that learning is a more or less permanent change in performance brought about by experience. Knapp is suggesting that once something is learnt, it remains with us, thus supporting the statement: Once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget’. Learning in sport involves the development of skills through practice, hence the saying: ‘Practice makes perfect’. Fitts & Posner recognised that as we learn, we do not move directly from â€Å"can’t† to â€Å"can†. They suggest that the learning process is sequential – we move through specific stages/phases as we learn. These stages are hierarchal, in other words each stage must be passed through before the next one is achieved. Ivan Pavlov was a scientist who conducted experiments on the response of dogs. He taught them that when a bell was rung, the dogs would learn to understand that it was time to eat. These findings link into Fitts and Posner’s phases of learning because a particular response with a stimulus can give a great benefit to sports performances. This approach can be used to mentally prepare the athlete for the sport. The player may be taught switching into the ‘zone’ whilst walking onto the pitch. However in order to achieve this, the player would need to gradually progress to that level of conditioned stimulus. In order to teach and improve somebody’s skills at a sport, I would structure a 6 week Personal Exercise Programme (or PEP). A PEP would help improve the skill of the performer, and help the learner to enhance their performance. This way the performer can test to see how long it takes him to master one specific skill. As a trainer I would encourage the performer and give feedback and give a clear understanding to the performer what they are doing right and wrong. Doing something wrong doesn’t mean its negative feedback it would just acknowledge the performer on how to improve, becoming more successful. I would ensure that the performer practices the skill consistently and monitor any improvements in their ability. In a professional football match I would help keep the players to the standard that is required by making them do drills as a team. Warm-ups are essential as they prevent muscles getting damaged. I would also make sure that the stamina of the players is always high; this can be achieved by the Cooper run. In a tennis match the athlete must be able to complete a full match. There are no substitutions so the athletes’ stamina must be high. By hitting a ball for a long period of time every other turn there must be a large amount of upper body strength. In order to help the athlete achieve this, the coach should set the athlete physical training such as sprints, press-up, sit-ups and bicep curls. Technique is needed when serving, volleying; as being able to retain balance quickly is essential. An example of this is Andre Agassi. â€Å"†¦he focused more on physical conditioning than in the past and became one of the fittest players on the tour. His upper-body strength allowed him to bench press 350 lb (159 kg), which helped him retain pace on his shots late into a match, as well as adding to his serve power. He had remarkable endurance and rarely appeared tired on court.† Golf is a sport where the athlete has to be very concentrated on the game. Having a perfect technique allows one to compete to a high level. In order to help raise concentration levels the coach must remove all apprehension and put the athlete in a confident frame of mind. To help an athlete raise concentration before a game the coach could give the athlete a structured diet. Junk food will slow down the concentration rate. Tiger Woods had a bad putting strike so he went home and perfected it. â€Å"Well, that’s one of the worst putting weeks I’ve had in a long time, very frustrating. When I get home I am going to practise until I get it right.† References: * Advanced P.E for Edexcel – Heinemann * http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html. * http://www.answers.com/topic/andre-agassi * http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=410149

Bank Internship: National City Corporation

This past summer (2002), I was an intern in the Credit Department at the corporate headquarters of National City Bank located in downtown Cleveland. During my time as an intern I was able to put my classrooms knowledge and experience into practice dealing with real world situations. Let me give you an overview of what our department basically did on a day to day basis. We were what you would call the â€Å"number crunchers† of the building. Senior Credit Officers, Loan Officers, and Secured Credit Analysts would send numerous financial statements for various companies to our floor. These financials, with the attached project (I will explain the projects/assignment later) would then be assigned by our department head to specific analysts. We were then responsible for completing the desired task that the Officer had requested by a certain date and time. Analysts would gather as much information about the company as needed and perform the various tasks in order to get the Officer’s approval of the completed product. All in all, that is basically what the Credit Department did on a day to day basis, but this is just a brief overview. I will go into further detail throughout the remainder of the paper. On my first day at the internship, I was introduced to my supervisor and Assistant Vice President of Credit, Anita Swoboda (she interviewed me and gave me the job over the phone, so we had never met) and the rest of my coworkers on the 9th floor. After the introductions were made and I was situated in my new desk, I was instructed to go to a computer in the back of the office to learn the system that the department worked off of. The instructional tour took me through the database that I would be using on an everyday basis and showed me what everything the specifics of the system. The database was constructed like an Excel spreadsheet, but it was specifically made with equations for the different data entries. After I was fully acquainted with the database (it is called FAMAS), I was given my first assignment to complete. The slang term used around the office for these financial tables was â€Å"spreads†. The spreads were the end result of the data entered into FAMAS. I was given a set of financial statements from a specific company and my job was to enter the relevant data into the necessary categories and subcategories in the system. After all of the data was entered, I had to check to make sure that the balance sheet was in balance, the income statement provided the correct net income for the period ending, and the cash flow statement was in accordance to the company’s given data. If everything was in place and all of the data was correct, I then would print off the â€Å"output†. The output gave six pages of the summarized data that I had entered. Three pages were the replicas of the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. The other three pages gave concise ratios and detailed reconciliations pertaining to the data. This, inevitably, was used by the Officer to make an accurate assumption about the stability of the company’s cash/asset/liability position. This was the most basic and most assigned project for the analysts in general. The next type of responsibility that I had was in the contents of what was called a Criticized Asset Sheet or CAC for short. These CACs were used by Officers when a company was underperforming according to National City’s standards for loan payments. These companies often times would have negative net income levels for more than one year, poor repayment practices in the past, and overall bad quality dealings with National City in general, just to name a few. The CAC required the analyst to do the assigned company’s spreads as well as a number of other pieces of financial analysis in order to give the Officer and the committee a better idea of where exactly this company stood and if it was beneficial to keep doing business with them. I was responsible for going through another database (I was taken through another step by step training session, this time with an individual) to get all of the pertinent information needed for the assessment. This new database allowed me to get detailed information on all of a company’s outstanding loans (i. e. what type of loan, when it matures, how much is outstanding, etc. ), the list of beneficiaries/individual signers on the loans as well as their financial commitment in the company, and the company’s past status on its old loans. After gathering the necessary information, it was my duty to input the data into a pre-designed word document and add verbiage to tell what each number represented (this is difficult to explain without showing you exactly what the sheet looked like). I would then send an updated copy of the CAC to the Officer (whoever it was that I was working with) and he would look over it to see if there should be anything else added and also to see if there were any mistakes that I had made. After looking over the sheet, the Officer would then send me a new copy of the CAC via interoffice email with his/her pdated section. Their section dealt mostly with notes from the last meeting, recommendations, developments, etc. which were relevant for the next meeting with the committee. I would then take this new copy and send it over to Secured Credit, where someone would derive an analysis on collateral determinants, cash flows summaries, etc. and that would then go into the CAC at the end. After I had collected all of the necessary items, I would put the CAC together with my section, the Officer’s section, the Secured Credit comments, and the spreads. I would then print out a copy and give it to the CAC secretary who would put it on the stack of other CACs to go down to the printing room for multiple copies. These copies would then be distributed to the various committee members when the CAC was due to be discussed. It was the committee’s duty to discuss the company’s situation with the Officer (the Officer was closely related with the company, meaning that he had gone to the location, spoken with the executives on several occasions, etc. to see if it was feasible or not to continue funding their outstanding loans or if they should be ended. The last responsibility I had as an intern at National City was the most detailed and the most important assignment that permanent analysts completed. Toward the end of my internship, it was noticed by my superiors that I could handle large workloads and put out excellent results. So, my supervisor decided that I should be taught how to do the main thing that permanent analysts d id on a regular basis. These assignments were called Credit Sheets. The Credit Sheet incorporated all of the things that dealt with the CACs and the spreads, but required an extreme amount of financial information and overall analysis. This sheet dealt with the loan structure, financial position of the company, statements from the CEO, industry and company analysis, future implications that may hinder the business’s performance and various other aspects of the overall picture company and its industry in general. These sheets were usually between 30 and 100 page reports and were done because a company was seeking new loans, extensions on old loans, or more borrowings. My duties were to gather all of the information that I could about the company and its industry. I would be in constant contact with the Officer so that he/she could give me any updated financial or company news in general and also so that I could let them know how my progress was coming along. I would then construct a broad industry analysis as well as a very detailed company analysis. It was also my job to provide a detailed financial analysis of the company including collateral trends, borrowing base, future commitments, 1, 3, and 5 year cash flow analysis, and projected future position. The sheet, again just like the CAC, would be passed between the Officer and myself, with him/her adding necessary information as necessary, until we were both confident with the content. The sheet would then be presented to the committee and it would be determined through discussion, whether or not the company’s request was valid according to the information presented and the committee’s feeling about the future of the company. I did also have other various responsibilities such as side projects for different people and whatnot, but basically, the things that I described above were my most important responsibilities. These duties, no matter how large or small, were an integral part of the corporation’s functioning as a whole. During my time as at National City, I, along with the two other interns and the new permanent employees, was required to take a Commercial Credit class. We would meet as a group one or two times a week with Anita, in a classroom setting, and go over the different topics we were assigned to read. There were five parts in all: Qualitative Company Analysis, Credit Risk Analysis, Cash Flow Analysis, Balance Sheet Analysis, and Case Studies. These areas were integral in the learning process of dealing with Commercial Credit in that it taught us what to look for when dealing with companies’ financial statements and allowed us to take a more in depth look at the financial process. It was an incredible learning tool because it allowed all of us to take what we were learning in the classroom and use it in a real world situation. I thought that that aspect was the best part of the internship in that it expanded on my current skills and enabled me to experience situations that cannot be taught merely in a college setting. The purpose of an internship, as I see it, is to make a person aware of the world that waiting for them after college and to give them a better understanding of what is out there in corporate America. Not only did this internship show me what could be waiting for me after college, but it also taught me a great deal about how a corporation works as a single unit. My job and status in the corporation was not looked down upon and I was not handed filing work or other types of â€Å"busy work†. I was being taught and molded in a way that was in accordance to how they train their ermanent employees. It was truly an incredible learning experience for me. The internship was very beneficial to my future professional career. I speak with employers now and they are thoroughly impressed with my experiences at National City. I have a superior knowledge of certain aspects of the financial world that has given me a leg up against the competition during the interviewing process as well as in conversations with professionals in the field. I feel more comfortable and confident with my skills and abilities than I have ever felt before. National City made me feel important and now that is the attitude that I carry around with myself. The thing that I enjoyed the most about my internship at National City was the fact that I was treated as an equal and important member of the corporation. Aside from the learning aspect of the job, I gained a sense of what it would be like to be an employee of a large company, such as a bank. I was given work that the permanent employees were doing and I was expected to perform within the same parameters. I also enjoyed the work setting in general. We worked hard, but it was a laid back atmosphere where you could really get to know the other people in the office. Plus, most of the people that I worked with were either fresh out of college or had graduated just a few short years back. There were also a few Ohio University College of Business alumni in my department which made for interesting and resourceful conversations. With all of things in mind, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed the fact that this job really taught me a lot. I know that I have already mentioned this, but the knowledge that I gained from my time at National City was priceless. I never thought that an internship could be so beneficial to me in the long run, but I was proven wrong in this case with flying colors. The internship, overall, was just an incredible experience for me and I am truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to prove my self while expanding on my skills at the same time. The College of Business has done a fantastic job in preparing me for my professional career in many ways. Many of the classes I have been required to take have given me a strong base of knowledge in particular areas of finance. I felt extremely prepared for this job when I first started just because of the fact that the finance and accounting classes that I have taken so far have taught me a great deal about the raw material in dealing with income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, etc. The course I took at National City was mostly a method of fine tuning my already present skills and also a means of allowing me to put my entire classroom learning to work in real world situations. The course that really prepared me the best for this position was the second business cluster (301i). In the cluster, I learned how to better my time management skills, work through tough situations, and gain more experience with interacting with other individuals (group work). I thought it was amusing that the permanent analysts were working on industry analyses for their projects and I was able to help them because of the fact that I had done so many of them in the cluster. I guess I really didn’t realize just how much I have truly learned until I experienced it first hand in a situation like the one I just mentioned. The introductory finance class given in the cluster (FIN 325) was also an important class that helped to prepare me for this job. I was introduced to the stock market on a more specific level and was taught about how to â€Å"analyze† the numbers (basically, what everything means). But, like I said, the overall knowledge that I gained from all of the classes I have taken here at Ohio University have been a huge benefit to my professional career. When I began my internship, I knew that I was prepared, but I didn’t know that I could be fully prepared for the task that was laid before me. To my relief, everyone around me was extremely helpful if I had any problems with anything and the Credit class also refreshed my memory about some of things that I may have forgotten over time. All in all, I was prepared enough to perform to the best of my ability and to add value back to National City. My overall outlook on my career and future has always been a concern of mine. I would always ask myself what kind of job of do I want to have when I graduate, where do I want to work, what will make me happy, etc. and it has always been hard for me to answer. To be honest with you, I never thought that I would want to work at a bank, to become a â€Å"banker†. But after experiencing a banking job first hand, I feel that it is something that I truly enjoy. I feel that banking is a great place for a finance major to start off in a career because it allows one to gain an understanding about the â€Å"meat and potatoes† of the financial world. Banking is a broad field to get into because there are so many aspects of it and so many different career paths to follow. I have interviewed with a number of companies to get a feel for what is out there for finance majors coming out f college and have found that it is mostly banking or sales. I know for a fact that I do not picture myself in a sales type position (life insurance, broker, etc. ) and that banking just seems to be the right fit for me. I have had the benefit of being able to take an in depth look at what the banking industry is all about and what it has to offer to myself i n regards to developing my professional career. I am happy to say that I am currently in the second round of interviews with National City for a Commercial Banking position. This is a position that I feel will be the most beneficial for me to begin at directly out of college. I feel that this position will give me the sound financial background that I need in order to advance in my career and develop into the professional that I have always strived to become. This internship was a great experience for me, one that gave me something more than just a paycheck. National City is an excellent corporation and deserves praise for its efforts in the internship arena. Please let me know if there are any other questions that you would like answered, for I may be able to explain myself better in spoken words (592-6294). Thank you.