Mission Statement Internet Research

The mission statement is a brief description of the company and its purpose. The mission statement is basically a brief profile of the company which should essentially show a distinct picture of the organization in limited sentences. The scope of the statement is not limited; instead the statement attempts to cover the vision for the whole organization. The statement should answer the questions as to what the company is about, what it does, who are its customers, how it operates and why does it operate in a particular manner. The length of this statement is usually from one to five sentences and energy words are usually used transmit the message.Companies do use this statement as an advertisement slogan to build relationships with the shareholders and customers; however a more common use of this statement has been to set specific strategic goals for the senior staff and employees of the company. Aside from this the mission statement is also used to resolve any differences between the business stakeholders who are essentially the shareholders, the employees, and the customers.The first mission statement to be chosen for the purpose of this research was for an accountancy firm by the name of Brinks, Hofer, Gilson and Lione. The firm provides various financial services to the customers. The mission statement for the HR department of this company was â€Å"Our mission is to treat each person as a valued customer while contributing positively to the overall objectives of Brinks Hofer Gilson and Lione.We are dedicated to providing the highest level of quality services, and support in employment, training, employee relations, benefits, Compensation and safety beyond the expectations of all employees, enabling them to better serve our external customers. We do this with a commitment of attaining the highest level of personal integrity. We seek to recruit the most qualified people while recognizing and encouraging the value of diversity in the work place. We establish, administer and communicate sound policies, rules and practices that treat employees with dignity and equality while maintaining firm compliance with Local, State and Federal employment and labor laws.† (‘Human Resource Statement’, 2007)The HR mission statement for the company does cover what services the HR department provides to the firm, how it benefits the management and how it their efforts resulting the ultimate contribution towards the company’s overall objective of providing the highest quality of service to its customers. The HR mission statement for the company however does not state how the efforts of the department help or benefit the external stakeholders, i.e., the shareholders and investors of the company. This HR statement is employee and customer oriented and does contribute towards the goals of the company itself but does not specifically depict any benefits for the stakeholders.The second mission statement chosen for this paper is that of Wharton County Junior College. The HR department of the college states that â€Å"The Human Resources Department will serve as a strategic partner along side of WCJC's administration, faculty, and staff in supporting the mission of Wharton County Junior College. The Human Resources Department will take a leadership role in providing services that support the College by promoting the concept that our employees are our most valuable resource and will be treated as such. The Human Resources Department will act as catalysts enabling all employees to contribute at optimum levels towards the success of the college.† (‘Human Resource Department’, Wharton County Junior College)The focus of the department emphasizes the optimal level of activity in the company to enable the productivity to increase to higher levels. The company also seeks to computerize its HR department to enable computerized monitoring and managing capability in the business. Aside from this statement also mentions that the department will follow the four key points of the company which are dignity, justice, service and excellence.The department seeks to provide the external the employees as well as the customers of the company with respect, fair treatment, quality and high standard of performance, however as with the mission statement for the accounting firm discussed earlier this statement also does not identify how the department looks forward to help the stakeholders and provides them with benefits. An indirect link between satisfied customers, and employees and increasing profits is there but no specific point is made in regard to the investors.The third mission statement which has been chosen for this paper is that of the HR department for The Santa Cruz City in the United States. The mission statement of the HR department for the city goes as follows:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The mission of the City of Santa Cruz Human Resources Department is to provide quality human resource services to the public and to all City departments.As we serve, we commit to: maintaining excellence, honesty, integrity and high standards in the quality of service which we provide; giving personalized, trustworthy service, courteous assistance, patience, and compassion for any client needing our assistance or service; taking responsibility as a department and as individuals for the work we do and for the image we present as representatives of the City; working as a team to develop partnerships by continuous open communication with our internal/external clients and our co-workers; promoting personal and professional growth as well as job satisfaction for all City staff, and fostering an environment in which employees' creativity, productivity and risk taking are recognized, valued and encouraged; respecting and celebrating the diverse world in which we live and work and actively promoting diversity in our workforce;Never forgetting to see the human side of our work, maintaining our sense of humor and valuing each other.† (‘Mission Statement’, Santa Cruz Human Resources Department)  The mission statement for the Santa Cruz city covers the aspects of what the HR department for the city does for the City government. The main activities undertaken by the department are highlighted and the value provided to the employees and the customers is specifically stated in the statement.Special attention has been paid top the work environment and how the improvements made and sustained in it help in contributing value and significance for the employees. However like the above depicted mission statements, this statement also does not cover as to how it provides benefits to the stakeholders of the company.Conclusively it can be seen that the mission statement for HR departments is usually much longer and detailed than the mission statement of the company. Similarly, according to all the mission statements that have been explored for the purpose of this project, al most all of the mission statements do not provide information related to any advantages and steps taken for increasing the value for the shareholders.Referencesâ€Å"Human Resource Statement†, Brinks, Hofer, Gilson & Lione, (2007), accessed 25/07/2007,

Design of the Gunma Museum of Modern Art

Gunma Museum of Modern Art The Gunma Museum of Modern art is located in the Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The building of the museum took 3 old ages from 1971 to 1974. [ one ] Arata Isozaki ( born 1931 ) was chosen to explicate the architectural designs of the Gunma Museum. [ two ] The museum is recognized as one of his most impressive signifiers of architecture and summarizes many of Isozaki ‘s architectural ideas every bit good as his accomplishments. Even today twenty old ages after its construct, it still holds an of import significance every bit far as Isozaki ‘s architectural point of view and take on conceptual every bit good as modernistic architecture. The beginnings of conceptual art are said to hold originated with Marcelle Duchamp, the â€Å"Father of Conceptual Art† . [ three ] Duchamp ‘s work had a immense impact on and influenced Isozaki. It was against this background, and the munition of 1960 ‘s conceptual art that Isozaki ‘s drama on dematerialization was manifested through the creative activity of the gunma museum. In add-on to dematerialization, the marked architecture has a great accent on regular hexahedrons for the conceptual model of the museum. Isozaki placed himself in the same comparative postion. With respect to the function of the object in conventional art as American conceptual creative persons had done in the late sixtiess. [ four ] Artists sought to make off with the object and cut down it to a simple dematerialized geometric entity. His subsequent infatuation with grid surfaces would look to hold been inspired by the superstudio group ( who began there activities in Firenze in December 1966 ) and sol lewitts minimalist sculptures, but it was an avenue which increased instead than lessened the dematerialization of his signifier. Isozaki made it clear at the beginning that it was his purpose to avoid all historical mentions and connexions with anterior designers. He has said in an interview, †i was believing much more conceptually compared to richard meier ‘s bronz developmental centre in new York, I was believing how to destruct the traditional sense of tradition and balance- those proprotions based on the humanistic system of the aureate mean from Greece, and the kiwari†the Japanese modular system† for wood constructions. Le corbusier developed proportions related to the Greek aureate subdivision and kenzo Tange trid to unite the kawari traditional proportions with the fibonnaci series to do proportions like lupus erythematosus corbusier. I wish to get away from these traditional systems of proportion. My purpose was to contradict any significances originating from the surface any connexion with alvar Aalto and gunnar aspeld were post- design.† > Herein lies the significance of the cosmopolitan grid. Its intent was to heighten the dematerialization of signifier and deny the material nature of the artefact. Dematerialization became a major concern of conceptual creative persons in the late sixtiess every bit merely in importance by the accent proccess ; what it amounted to was the purpose to do architecture as unsubstantial, unseeable, and missing weight as the mental constructs from which the signifiers sprang. This gives the visual aspect that the > museum rests lightly on the green plane of lawn in Gunma-no-mori Park. The edifice was non tethered to the Earth, and the square frame of each regular hexahedron that goes across the underside is indistinguishable to the side and top members. There was no differentiation in footings of proportion between top, bottom and sides ; there was no up or down, no narrowing of the square in acknowledgment of the anisotropy of infinite to get by with the weight of the edifice mass. The aluminum-covered regular hexahedrons appear to be weightless, drifting every bit light as helium-filled balloons. > The exterior of his concrete three-dimensional model with glistening trecherous surfaces realised by the medium of brooding aluminium home bases. In taking regular hexahedrons and take a firm standing that the strengthened concrete construction have the same dimensions throughout and the beams and columns the same subdivision, Isozaki ignored gravitation. †¦an abstract neoplatonic system that is unconnected with the demands of gravitation pure shapes like the regular hexahedron therefore connote a gravity-free environment such as outer infinite where stuffs have no weight. The suggestion of lightness was strengthened by covering the surface of the edifice and concealing the construction of columns and beams under a tight tegument of 2 millimeters thick aluminium panels, composed of indistinguishable square units. This unvarying square grid is expressed limitless extension in resistance to the three-dimensional frame whose function was to specify the museum. Buildings are of class made from heavy stuffs such as concrete, steel and glass, and are hence capable to a much greater extent than picture and sculpture to the pull of gravitation. Engineers have developed optimum subdivisions, beams that are deeper than they are broad to defy flexing minutes, columns that are square or unit of ammunition to defy the different types of compaction tonss, and frames designed to do the most economic usage of stuff. > The museums three-dimensional thesis had it roots in the earlier Oita Prefectural library and nakayama house of 1964 and it late resurfaced in the New oita prefectural library ( 1994 ) . Subsequent designs have elaborated parts of the original gunma museum strategy giving prominence to some facets at the disbursal of others. Thus the quickest and most thorough debut to Isozaki ‘s architecture is a visit to the Gunma museum. Page 22 The Gunma Museum is non symmetrical, but it looks as though it should be. It is uncomplete as it stands. From left to compensate it consists of four parts, two of which are indistinguishable A, B, C: . To finish the bilateral symmetricalness all that is needed is to add two more parts, A, B, C: C, and ( B, A ) to it. Mentally, we are prompted to provide the mirror or impudent image. The presence of ‘C’ – an indistinguishable row of regular hexahedrons on the right side, equilibrating the left side of the symmetricalness axis, strengthens the given of bilateral symmetricalness. Page 23 Isozaki violated its implied bilateral symmetricalness and this induces an air of instability. Symmetry signifies well-proportioned, well-balanced, and it denotes a harmony of the several parts. Beauty is normally associated with symmetricalness and the grasp of form. This was ignored with the add-on of a regular hexahedron to the chief entryway facade. Alternatively of finishing the bilaterally symmetricalness Isozaki broke it. There were purely practical grounds for this – the most obvious was the propinquity of Masato Otaka’s 1979 Gunma Prefactural Museum of History 15 m off. Page 20The auditorium is located on the first floor opposite the chief step. The chief step is enclosed on two sides by walls faced in reflecting marble in between which is an unpolished cardinal strip of unthinking rock that is somewhat narrower than the step. The step rises through the spread between two rows of 12 m regular hexahedrons sandwiched between the entryway hall and disposal that ploughs its manner though the museum. The breadth of the step is hard to gauge because it is reflected in the polished marble walls on either side, giving the semblance that it extends boundlessly. * Exterior Design Page 17 On the exterior, the Museum of Modern Art was stripped back so that small else remained besides the grid and sleek mirror-like sheath of square aluminium panels. The erasure of anything which might add significance was deliberate. Although the museum is deliberately impersonal and its construction assimilated within the annoyer aluminium tegument, it is non passive- instead, it urges us to oppugn what is the nature of architecture by coercing architecture on this juncture to interrogate itself. The usage of the frame as a metaphor for a museum devoted to modern art is extremely implicative in these footings. First, it detaches the museum from the landscape and limits it, proclaiming it to be a kingdom set aside from the mundane while labeling it a topographic point specifically devoted to the art experience, at the same clip that it designates it a semisynthetic infinite. It creates a new focal point in order to direct attending to the art. In Japan the frame acts as a gesture which draws the audience into its drama of semblance and, conversely, it is a agency of taking the interior into the landscape. Isozaki conceived his basic three-dimensional model as a impersonal spacial entity for plants of art, with the model puting the plants apart from the environing park. Yet it besides draws the park equivocally indoors, while stressing that the act of sing a work of art is a specialised aesthetic act in that it places the work in a new unnaturally delimited context. > Peoples tend to reject any absence of intending – where there is nil they frequently invent something in its topographic point. The more empty and blank an object is, the more it draws in intending from outside itself. The shimmering immateriality of Isozaki’s museum, its general emptiness and the upseting feeling of non-existence which emanates from it, challenges the person to add something of his ain. Ultimately we, as users and viewing audiences, provide the message and imbue objects with significance. Isozaki hence magnified the frame in its function as a device for specifying the infinite of a picture to the point that it included the museum. By extension, the museum can be seen as a cultural frame of art. Like the frame around a work of art, the museum alerts the visitant to the presence of art by extinguishing anything that might distance the person or decrease the familiarity of that experience. P13-14- & A ; gt ; isozaki was therefore runing on two degrees ; utilizing a basic construction compromised of the gunma museums three-dimensional model to modulate the infinite additively giving rise to the primary signifier. At the same clip, he deployed secondary ancillary or auxiliary constructions within the basic tructure to make multiple beds and such things as sculpturer aiko miyawaki ‘s stepped tokonoma-like object at the far terminal of the entryway hall.art today is no longer tied to one topographic point, instead it is transported around the Earth traveling from one exhibition site to another. Once art is removed from its original context and placed inside a museum, and so migrates signifier museum to museum, it loses its connexion with a specific clip and topographic point. Paintings and sculptures arrive in crates complete with their ain frames and bases and small else. the art museum might so, seem every bit little more than a big container and recepticle, for ha ving displaying, and sing progressively nomadic plants of art. Isozaki decided that the gunma museum should run mostly as an enveloping model with no explicit or associatory iconography of its ain. He reasoned back since its chief map was to expose plants of art, the museum was a phase, and, as such, it needed the equivalent of a apron arch to border the work of art in the same manner the apron arch frames the phase play in theatre in the West or the phase of a Japanese noh theater. A three-dimensional model enveloping infinite in 3 dimensions hence seemed a suited metaphor for the art museum. Squares balance the co-ordinates. Because the sides of a square are equal, no dimension is overriding and this produces an consequence of hush and repose instead than dynamic instability.

Amp of Canada

Preface Other than on-the-job training, case studies and situations are perhaps the best way to learn project management. Case studies allow the students to apply the knowledge learned in lectures. Case studies require that the students investigate what went right in the case, what went wrong, and what recommendations should be made to prevent these problems from reoccurring in the future. The use of cases studies is applicable both to undergraduate and graduate level project management courses, as well as to training programs in preparation to pass the exam to become a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP~a)d ministered by the Project Management Institute. Situations are smaller case studies and usually focus on one or two specific points that need to be addressed, whereas case studies focus on a multitude of problems. The table of contents identifies several broad categories for the casesand situations, but keep in mind that the larger case studies, such as Convin Corporation and The Blue Spider Project, could have been listed under several topics. Several of the cases and situations have â€Å"seed† questions provided to assist the reader in the analysis of the case. An instructor's manual is available from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , to faculty members who adopt the book for classroom use. Almost all of the case studies are factual. In most circumstances, the cases and situations have been taken from the author's consulting practice. Some educators prefer not to use case studies dated back to the 1970s and 1980s. It would be easy just to change the dates but inappropriate in the eyes of the author. The circumstances surrounding these cases and situations are the same today as they were twenty years ago. Unfortunately we seem to be repeating several of the mistakes made previously. Part 1 PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES As companies approach some degree of maturity in project management, it becomes readily apparent to all that some sort of standardization approach is necessary for the way that projects are managed. The ideal solution might be to have a singular methodology for all projects, whether they are for new product development, information systems, or client services. Some organizations may find it necessary to maintain more than one methodology, however, such as one methodology for information systems and a second methodology for new product development. The implementation and acceptance of a project management methodology can be difficult if the organization's culture provides a great deal of resistance toward the change. Strong executive leadership may be necessary such that the barriers to change can be overcome quickly. These barriers can exist at all levels of’ management as well as at the worker level. The changes may require that workers give up their comfort zones and seek out new social groups. Part 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT The first step in the implementation of project management is to recognize the true benefits that can be achieved from using project management. These benefits can be recognized at all levels of the organization. However, each part of the organization can focus on a different benefit and want the project management methodology to be designed for their particular benefit. Another critical issue is that the entire organization may not end up providing the same level of support for project management. This could delay the final implementation of project management. In addition, there may be some pockets within the organization that are primarily project-driven and will give immediate support to project management, whereas other pockets, which are primarily non-project-driven, may be slow in their acceptance.

Theories of Nursing Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theories of Nursing - Research Paper Example One of the central tenets of Benner’s work is the idea that care forms the central aspect of nursing, that it allows a nurse to better connect to a patient, to better administer care, and to better see possible problems and situations before they arise (Alligood, 2002, 157). Though I agree to a certain extent with the primacy of care to any practical nursing environment, I believe that care can only be of actual use to a nurse if he or she has the advantage of experience to guide them in how to best support their patients. Much of my recent practice has been as a primary triage nurse for an (unfortunately) over-crowded emergency room. This emergency department has fifty-three adult patient beds and it is up to me to decide how they are best used in most situations, only changing significantly when patients develop new symptoms or problems become apparent after the triage process has already begun. In a recent experience I had fifty-two beds filled with extremely high priority patients, something of a nightmare, and nearly simultaneously had six patients presenting the extremely distressing symptom of chest pains, all describing them in nearly identical ways. I obviously had only one bed to give until other beds cleared from patients being released or transferred, and had to make one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make as a triage nurse. I realize in retrospect that I naturally applied many of Benner’s theories of Person, Environment, Health and Nursing to the situation at hand without necessarily realizing it at the time. Obviously, in a triage situation, two of the aspects of this theory most directly applied to what I was doing in practice – Health and Nursing. In a triage setting two things are important: identifying the patient most in need of care (or in extreme triage situations, the person to whom care will be most useful) and as a nurse finding the best and most efficient way to identify the best and most effective me thods of allowing them to receive that care. So I had to identify which of these people was the most unwell, and how I could best act to make them better, whilst simultaneously trying to get the other five the care they needed as fast as humanly possible. My education certainly played a significant role in my decision. In nursing school, I learned how to differentiate between a wide variety of chest pains, to use specialized language (such as throbbing, stabbing, dull, sharp and so on) to help weed out the possible causes of a wide variety of pains, and thus by knowing their causes apply the best care to the group of six as possible, which in this case meant getting the most serious case a bed as soon as possible. Likewise, I had an academic knowledge of how to use pain scales to help identify patients based on their level of pain from one to ten, with one being nearly nothing and ten being the worst level of pain possible. Using this academic knowledge I was able to quickly dismiss two of the cases as most likely being caused by acid reflux (burning pain high in the esophagus with relatively moderate pain scale) and patients who were, though taking a good precaution by seeking medical care, probably not in need of emergency services in an urgent fashion. Following this, however, the situation became much more difficult. Two of the people I

Health Benefits of Belly Dancing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Benefits of Belly Dancing - Article Example Bossonis, â€Å"belly dancing accompanied by music is a very good ingredient at de-stressing/ stress reduction. Moreover, dancing to the music one is passionate about† (2004). In addition, the joy of it is when an individual shares how it helps reduce stress to friends. Due to how many women are busy nowadays, it is important that to treat stress reduction as a necessity other than a luxury. This is because belly dancing helps eliminate the destructive stress and thus it acts as a form of self-care. Once an individual masters the art of belly dancing, the greatest type of mental and emotional health is that it increases one’s self-esteem. A person is able to gain more self-confidence and above all one becomes more agile. On the other hand, the art of belly dancing utilizes movements that generally women are blessed with naturally. More so, as one increases the mastery of all movements of belly dancing, the movements start flowing naturally and they lead to one developin g a more positive attitude towards oneself. Akademi, â€Å"Happiness and joy develop as one attains more and more confidence. The body becomes stronger. It increases mental recovery and emotional breakdown. Belly dancing makes one feel good about their selves which leads to self-acceptance, joy, and happiness†. The positive side effects of belly dancing bring joy in one’s life enough to tackle life stresses and thus an improved mental and emotional health. Every human being spinal column contains numerous bones and ligaments than any other body part. It has thirty-three vertebrae stacked one on top of each other. Every movement of the torso is dependent on the flexibility and function of the spinal cord. Coluccia et al. state that â€Å"during belly dancing, muscles that are attached to the ligaments and vertebrae generate movement to the trunk and pelvic areas which stimulates muscle toning and flexibility†. In addition, the toned muscles help improve the body posture preventing back pain which is mostly the cause of bending.

The beginning of English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The beginning of English - Essay Example umber of branches including the Germanic branch lived somewhere between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea six thousand years ago (McCrum, Cran and MacNeil 1). This population then expanded and migrated eastward, westward and northward and inhabited most of Europe. A casual comparison between Indo-European and English reveals similarities among them (Hogg 67). By studying cognates, words of common origin in different languages, linguistics were able to make qualified guesses about what words may have looked like in a proto-language. Cognates also reveals systematic sound changes that have occurred as new languages have emerged. English has an alphabetic writing system based on the Roman alphabet that was brought to Anglo-Saxon England by Christian missionaries and church officials in the 600s AD (Hogg 55). An earlier Germanic writing system called runes, also alphabetic and originating eventually from the same source as the Roman alphabet, was used for incantations, curses, and a few poems, when the tribes were still on the continent and also after their migration to Britain, up until Christianization (Hogg 87). Crucial elements of the sound stream of a message are thus captured by a linear sequence of marks that can be sounded out to recapture the message by means of its sounds. The entire sound stream is not captured, but enough of it is to provide a prompt for lexical recognition. Other kinds of writing systems are based on written representation of other linguistic units such as syllables, words, or some mix of these (Hogg 98). The Standardization of English is divided into periods. The first is the Primitive Old English Period between 450AD and 700AD. In 500 BC, Britain was invaded by Celtic tribes, who ruled the Island (Hogg et al.). In 43 A.D., however, the islands were invaded by Emperor Claudius and Britain became part of the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire collapsed and the Roman legionaries went home, they left a power vacuum in Britain. The Scots

The analysis of the lecture about Human Rights and The Expirence of Essay

The analysis of the lecture about Human Rights and The Expirence of exile - Essay Example In particular, the Iraq Jews are an example of how human rights violation can be rampant in a political system that is not just. The presence of Jews in Islamic world can be traced back in the days of Abraham, Sarah, Rachel, Jacob, David, and Solomon. The Jews and Christians in Iraq were treated as second-class citizens because of their religious affiliation. This shows high level of religious discrimination that was experienced by these citizens who are not actually Muslims. The Jews in Iraq because of their religion were subjected to limited economic opportunities. This cuts across in all sectors of economy and even property ownership. Genocide of Jews in Germany during the Second World War is only but just an example of religious persecution. In the human scriptures though there is no exact word human rights but that does not imply that they do not advocate for equality. For instance, in Exodus and Deuteronomy the laws advocate for slave justice and equality. These scriptures try to caution that everyone is equal. The law of equality is written in every human being’s heart. This means that it should be a natural thing for a person to treat the other with equality regardless of religious affiliation. In any social set up there should be guidelines or provision that should guard or protect the right to any religion. Countries should embrace many religions to avoid religious conflict experienced in most North Africa states in the recent past. The constitution should be in the forefront to promote democracy in all aspect of life. If this is well captured in the constitution then let be assured that the society will be peaceful. Religious discrimination can lead to exemption of basic economic rights. For instance, the Jews living in Iraq, their accounts were frozen. Their schools were closed down and their property seized. This is just a demonstration of how bad the condition can get in a society that does not embrace

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Research Paper Example Usually, views on contraception varying from positive to radically negative depend directly on religious views and beliefs. However, â€Å"demographic policies and cultural efforts along with other factors can only be effective in birth control when contraception methods are used† (Dezhkam & Darvishi Tafvizi). In fact, this means that family planning and at least partial freedom in fertility help people to create firm family ties, preserve good health of women and children, and prevent undesirable pregnancies. In this area, various denominations have their own specific opinions regarding different aspects of the issue, and I would like to focus on Islam’s attitude towards birth control and religion in order to provide general overview and demonstrate that even this fundamental religion has rather reason in its attitude towards birth control. In Islam, the core belief about family is that marriage, family and relations between women and men are initially intended to serve for procreation. Thus, Muslims see the primary purpose of their sexual relationships in procreation and conceiving a child. Numerous researches even draw parallels between higher fertility of Muslims and lower freedom in birth control given to women (Morgan et al.). However, the key holy scripture of the religion, Quran, contains no direct and explicit statements about birth control and moral aspects of contraception, yet it forbids killing one’s own children â€Å"for fear of want† and strongly encourages procreation and marriage. As a result, this creates ambiguity in perception of family planning and contraception use in Muslim society: some scholars advocate for it, whereas others argue that all family planning methods should be banned. Opponents of birth control believe that it is God’s prerogative to decide on the number of ch ildren in the family. On the other hand, contraception advocates appeal to the precedents of coitus interruptus use (also called ‘azl), which is believed to

Article Critique - about a Private School Issue

Critique - about a Private School Issue - Article Example Through review and analysis of available literature concerning education, Shaw (2010) shows that education is a bad public good whose inefficiency as well as infectiveness can only be solved by competition from the private sector (education is also a private good). The article began by highlighting an economist’s assumption that at least education is in portion a public good. Since it has spillover benefits enjoyed by people although they do not pay for; and as result they are probable to be ‘free riders’ on the offered education. Under the present (or at least latest) economic theory, there is an assumption that education will be provided sub-optimally. As a result, the likely under-provision has resulted to the support of the concept that government should intervene to offer education. Today, education at all levels (apart from the initial few years after birth); the government substantially provides education almost everywhere in the world beginning with the Un ited States (Shaw, 2010). The design of the study bring into perspective studies that have discovered that the problem inherent in this development is quality of services provided by the government, education inclusive, is always poor. Provision of services by government is categorized as a public good. The government offers many services whose beneficiaries do not pay for. Those beneficiaries have a tendency of becoming free riders. They therefore do not offer the monitoring quality they would offer if they paid directly for the service. Roberts and Simpson (2011) have shown that the professional standing of education board members reflect on the overall state education ranking. This illustrates where the poor quality of the public good partly emanates from in support of this the argument that a public good is a bad public good. Referring to the impact of higher education, the author says that â€Å"contemporary education has stunted a whole person’s

Agroforestry Research Essay Example for Free

Agroforestry Research Essay Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land-use systems.[1] A narrow definition of agroforestry is trees on farms. As a science The theoretical base for agroforestry comes from ecology, via agroecology.[3] From this perspective, agroforestry is one of the three principal land-use sciences. The other two are agriculture and forestry.[4] The efficiency of photosynthesis drops off with increasing light intensity, and the rate of photosynthesis hardly increases once the light intensity is over about one tenth that of direct overhead sun. This means that plants under trees can still grow well even though they get less light. By having more than one level of vegetation, it is possible to get more photosynthesis than with a single layer. Agroforestry has a lot in common with intercropping. Both have two or more plant species (such as nitrogen-fixing plants) in close interaction, both provide multiple outputs, as a consequence, higher overall yields and, because a single application or input is shared, costs are reduced. Beyond these, there are gains specific to agroforestry. Benefits Further information: Ecoscaping Agroforestry systems can be advantageous over conventional agricultural and forest production methods. They can offer increased productivity, economic benefits, and more diversity in the ecological goods and services provided.[5] Biodiversity in agroforestry systems is typically higher than in conventional agricultural systems. With two or more interacting plant species in a given land area, it creates a more complex habitat that can support a wider variety of birds, insects, and other animals. Depending upon the application, potential impacts of agroforestry can include: †¢Reducing poverty through increased production of wood and other tree products for home consumption and sale †¢Contributing to food security by restoring the soil fertility for food crops †¢Cleaner water through reduced nutrient and soil runoff †¢Countering global warming and the risk of hunger by increasing the number of drought-resistant trees and the subsequent production of fruits, nuts and edible oils †¢Reducing deforestation and pressure on woodlands by providing farm-grown fuelwood †¢Reducing or eliminating the need for toxic chemicals (insecticides, herbicides, etc.) †¢Through more diverse farm outputs, improved human nutrition †¢In situations where people have limited access to mainstream medicines, providing growing space for medicinal plants Agroforestry practices may also realize a number of other associated environmental goals, such as: †¢Carbon sequestration †¢Odour, dust, and noise reduction †¢Green space and visual aesthetics †¢Enhancement or maintenance of wildlife habitat Adaptation to Climate Change There is some evidence that, especially in recent years, poor smallholder farmers are turning to agroforestry as a mean to adapt to the impacts of climate change. A study from the CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) found from a survey of over 700 households in East Africa that at least 50% of those households had begun planting trees on their farms in a change from their practices 10 years ago.[6] The trees ameliorate the effects of climate change by helping to stabilize erosion, improving water and soil quality and providing yields of fruit, tea, coffee, oil, fodder and medicinal products in addition to their usual harvest. Agroforestry was one of the most widely adopted adaptation strategies in the study, along with the use of improved crop varieties and intercropping.[6] Applications Agroforestry represents a wide diversity in application and in practice. One listing includes over 40 distinct uses.[3] The 40 or so applications can be roughly classified under a few broad headings. There are visual similarities between practices in different categories. This is expected as categorization is based around the problems addressed (countering winds, high rainfall, harmful insects, etc.) and the overall economic constraints and objectives (labor and other inputs costs, yield requirements, etc.). The categories include : †¢Parklands †¢Shade systems †¢Crop-over-tree systems †¢Alley cropping †¢Strip cropping †¢Fauna-based systems †¢Boundary systems †¢Taungyas †¢Physical support systems †¢Agroforests. Parkland Parklands are visually defined by the presence of trees widely scattered over a large agricultural plot or pasture. The trees are usually of a single species with clear regional favorites. Among the benefits, the trees offer shade to grazing animals, protect crops against strong wind bursts, provide tree prunings for firewood, and are a roost for insect or rodent-eating birds. There are other gains. Research with Faidherbia albida in Zambia showed that mature trees can sustain maize yields of 4.1 tonnes per hectare compared to 1.3 tonnes per hectare without these trees. Unlike other trees, Faidherbia sheds its nitrogen-rich leaves during the rainy crop growing season so it does not compete with the crop for light, nutrients and water. The leaves then regrow during the dry season and provide land cover and shade for crops.[7] Shade systems With shade applications, crops are purposely raised under tree canopies and within the resulting shady environment. For most uses, the understory crops are shade tolerant or the overstory trees have fairly open canopies. A conspicuous example is shade-grown coffee. This practice reduces weeding costs and increases the quality and taste of the coffee.[8][9] Crop-over-tree systems Not commonly encountered, crop-over-tree systems employ woody perennials in the role of a cover crop. For this, small shrubs or trees pruned to near ground level are utilized. The purpose, as with any cover crop, is to increase in-soil nutrients and/or to reduce soil erosion. Alley cropping With alley cropping, crop strips alternate with rows of closely spaced tree or hedge species. Normally, the trees are pruned before planting the crop. The cut leafy material is spread over the crop area to provide nutrients for the crop. In addition to nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and eliminate soil erosion. Alley cropping has been shown to be advantagous in Africa, particularly in relation to improving maize yields in the sub-Saharan region. Use here relies upon the nitrogen fixing tree species Sesbania sesban, Tephrosia vogelii, Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida. In one example, a ten-year experiment in Malawi showed that, by using fertilizer trees such as Tephrosia vogelii and Gliricidia sepium, maize yields averaged 3.7 tonnes per hectare as compared to one tonne per hectare in plots without fertilizer trees or mineral fertilizer.[10] Strip cropping Strip cropping is similar to alley cropping in that trees alternate with crops. The difference is that, with alley cropping, the trees are in single row. With strip cropping, the trees or shrubs are planted in wide strip. The purpose can be, as with alley cropping, to provide nutrients, in leaf form, to the crop. With strip cropping, the trees can have a purely productive role, providing fruits, nuts, etc. while, at the same time, protecting nearby crops from soil erosion and harmful winds. Fauna-based systems Silvopasture over the years (Australia). There are situations where trees benefit fauna. The most common examples are the silvopasture where cattle, goats, or sheep browse on grasses grown under trees.[11] In hot climates, the animals are less stressed and put on weight faster when grazing in a cooler, shaded environment. Other variations have these animals directly eating the leaves of trees or shrubs. There are similar systems for other types of fauna. Deer and hogs gain when living and feeding in a forest ecosystem, especially when the tree forage suits their dietary needs. Another variation, aquaforestry, is where trees shade fish ponds. In many cases, the fish eat the leaves or fruit from the trees. Boundary systems A riparian buffer bordering a river in Iowa. The are a number of applications that fall under the heading of a boundary system. These include the living fences, the riparian buffer, and windbreaks. †¢A living fence can be a thick hedge or fencing wire strung on living trees. In addition to restricting the movement of people and animals, living fences offer habitat to insect-eating birds and, in the case of a boundary hedge, slow soil erosion. †¢Riparian buffers are strips of permanent vegetation located along or near active watercourses or in ditches where water runoff concentrates. The purpose is to keep nutrients and soil from contaminating surface water. †¢Windbreaks reduce the velocity of the winds over and around crops. This increases yields through reduced drying of the crop and/or by preventing the crop from toppling in strong wind gusts. Taungyas Taungya is a system originating in Burma. In the initial stages of an orchard or tree plantation, the trees are small and widely spaced. The free space between the newly planted trees can accommodate a seasonal crop. Instead of costly weeding, the underutilized area provides an additional output and income. More complex taungyas use the between-tree space for a series of crops. The crops become more shade resistant as the tree canopies grow and the amount of sunlight reaching the ground declines. If a plantation is thinned in the latter stages, this opens further the between-tree cropping opportunities. Physical support systems In the long history of agriculture, trellises are comparatively recent. Before this, grapes and other vine crops were raised atop pruned trees. Variations of the physical support theme depend upon the type of vine. The advantages come through greater in-field biodiversity. In many cases, the control of weeds, diseases, and insect pests are a primary motive. Agroforests These are widely found in the humid tropics and are referenced by different names (forest gardening, forest farming, tropical home gardens and, where short-statured trees or shrubs dominate, shrub gardens). Agroforests, in many ways, epitomize agroforestry. Through a complex, disarrayed mix of trees, shrubs, vines, and seasonal crops, these systems, through their high levels of biodiversity, achieve the ecological dynamics of a forest ecosystem. Because of the internal ecology, they tend to be less susceptible to harmful insects, plant diseases, drought, and wind damage. Although they can be high yielding, complex systems tend to produce a large number of outputs. These are not utilized when a large volume of a single crop or output is required.

Comparing Oxygen Levels to Heart Rate Recovery and Peak Time

Comparing Oxygen Levels to Heart Rate Recovery and Peak Time Research Question How do different concentrations of oxygen provided to the respiratory system affect the heart rate and thus a subjects  athletic capabilities? Introduction Firstly, it is important to investigate how the bodys respiratory system functions. The lungs have two primary functions, releasing carbon dioxide from the body and integrating oxygen into the bloodstream 3. The lungs never reach peak capacity and are not responsible for the limitation in oxygen delivered to the muscles 1. This is important because, in the case of this experiment the limitations may be reached. There is always approximately the same amount of oxygen in the air in relation to everything else: 21%. However  as altitude increases there is less air pressure and thus less oxygen available to the lungs per diaphragm contraction cycle. Instead of changing the barometric pressure, there will simply be less or more oxygen in the air, in this experiment. This may cause an abnormal result as the body responds differently to drastically altered conditions. When the oxygen content of the air is drastically reduced, the blood will most likely be significantly less saturated and when the oxygen content of the air is drastically increased the blood should be more saturated with oxygen 2. It is then necessary to investigate how this might affect the cardiac system. The amount of oxygen that is available to the cells while they are producing ATP  to drive the body is important, because if there is not enough oxygen available for aerobic respiration, than  anaerobic respiration will take place. Anaerobic respiration will produce lactate and carbon dioxide. The lactate (lactic acid), triggers a response from the sympathetic nervous system1, 2. The noradrenergic sympathetic nervous system produces norepinephrine. The SA node (sinoatrial node), stimulated by the norepinephrine hormone increases both the rate that the heart beats and the degree to which the heart completes a systolic contraction 1,2. In addition to the sympathetic nervous system, the medulla senses the increase of carbon dioxide in the blood due to anaerobic respiration. The medulla then sends an electrical signal through the cardiac nerve to the SA node2. A live O2 machine will be used in order to carry out this experiment. It produces and stores 15% oxygen and 95% oxygen separately. These will be the two concentrations of oxygen that will be used to compare the times it takes for heart rates to peak and then recover. The independant  variable is the concentration of Oxygen. The dependant  variable is the time it takes for the subject to peak and the time it takes for the subject to recover. The experiment will be controlled by regulating the speed at which the treadmill is set to. Since the point of this experiment is to compare differences  the difference in the individuals athletic ability should not make a difference in the data. Materials Live O2 Machine Oxygen mask Treadmill Heart rate/oxygen saturation monitor Clorox and paper towels Timer Experimental Overview The Live O2 machine which will be used to create, store and deliver the two different concentrations of oxygen is comprised of an oxygen machine, storage bag with two compartments, a delivery system with a mask and a switch to change which concentration of oxygen is being delivered. The picture above, depicting the live  O2 system is the one that was used, except a treadmill was used  instead of a stationary bike as is depicted. The test subjects heart rate peak times and recovery times were first tested with the increased level of oxygen, they were then given a period of rest while another subject ran on the treadmill. Then, after the period of rest the subject would run on the treadmill again and their peak and recovery times would be measured with the restricted levels of oxygen. The threshold for the heart rate peaking was 140 bpm. The threshold for recovered was when the heart rate of the subject was within 10 of their original resting heart rate. For example, if the test subjects resting heart rate was 65 bpm, they would be considered recovered when their heart rate dropped back below 75. Procedure Step 1 First 8  willing people were found, who were athletically fit enough that there would not be any damage to their body through the testing. Then the 8  people were instructed not to drink any sort of caffeine or any other stimulant before the experiment. The mask of the live  O2 machine was cleaned with clorox  and the oxygen machine was turned on to fill up the two individual bags. Step 2 Then the resting heart rate of the subject was taken with the heart rate monitor. Ten was added to the resting number to determine the threshold that the heart rate must reach during recovery to determine whether or not the subject has recovered. The heart rate monitor was left on the subjects  finger to monitor their heart rate, Then  the oxygen was set to the 95% setting and the treadmill was set to 5 miles per hour. Then, once the subject was at 5 miles per hour the timer was started and the subject was instructed  to hold the mask to their face. The timer was stopped once the subjects heart rate reached 140 bpm. Then the treadmill was stopped and the subject was instructed to keep the mask on. Then the time it took for their heart rate to return to the predetermined resting rate was measured. Step 3 The first subject was then given rest while subject 2 performed step 2. Once subject 2 was done with step 2, subject 1 repeated step 2 with 15% oxygen instead of 95% oxygen followed again by subject 2. The mask was cleaned with clorox  between each subject. Step 4 Steps 1-3 were repeated with the remained of the test subjects and the data was recorded in a table within the lab book. Safety considerations Since this lab works with the human body and measuring its responses to what could be considered  strenuous situations, there must be precautions taken. Firstly, all of the subjects that were tested, were either in good or exceptional physical condition and had no preexisting health complications that would endanger them during the experiment. To further ensure that there was no physical harm done to the subjects, the subjects saturation was constantly monitored with the heart rate/oxygen saturation monitor. If at any point during the 15% oxygen test the saturation dipped too low (below 85% saturation) and remained there for more than a couple seconds then the 95% oxygen would immediately been switched on and that round of testing would be terminated and the subject time to rest. The mask that was being used was also constantly cleaned with clorox  to prevent the spreading of germs. Analysis Qualitative variables The two main variables that may have affected the data were: the heart rate monitor and the oxygen mask. The fact that the subject had to hold the monitor on their finger and the mask while running made the heart rate monitor slightly inaccurate and sometimes would simply not take readings. It only worked when the subject was holding onto it and this disrupted their normal running patterns. Some subjects also had trouble holding the mask to their face with enough force to hold a seal while running. This may have let some of the natural air into the mask. Holding the mask also inhibited the subjects natural running pattern. The fact that the subjects natural running pattern was inhibited made it harder for them to keep a normal running pace even with the treadmill set at a constant 5 miles per hour. Having to control all of these things at once may have also added to the strain on the subjects body, which could have affected the results. Then finally, there is also the fact that every one that was being tested was different in their biological makeup and therefore will respond slightly differently to the two concentrations of oxygen. Data Complete Peak and Recovery times (in seconds) run: 95% Oxygen Peak times (s) 95% Oxygen Recovery time (s) 15% Oxygen Peak times (s) 15% Oxygen Recovery time (s) 1 187 45 62 185 2 180 56 52 102 3 200 64 40 188 4 181 69 39 73 5 153 71 36 123 6 108 52 60 201 7 181 21 56 133 8 144 61 27 177 This table displays each run and the times in seconds associated with it. The runs where the higher concentration of oxygen (95%) was used are displayed first, on the left. The runs where the lower concentration of oxygen (15%) was used are displayed second, on the right. The peak times (the time it takes for the subjects heart rate to reach 140 bpm from resting) are displayed in the 2nd and 4th column and the recovery times (the time it takes for a subjects heart rate to go from 140 bpm back to within 10 of resting) are displayed in the 3rd and 5th column. This bar graph displays the average recovery times and peak times for the two different levels of oxygen concentration. The recovery times are listed at the top and the peak times are listed at the bottom. Average Difference in Peak and Recovery time in seconds Peak time (s) Recovery time (s) Difference 120.25 92.875 This table displays the difference between the average peak time of the 95% and 15% oxygen concentration. As well as the difference between the average recovery time of the 95% oxygen and the 15% oxygen concentrations. Evaluation Conclusion of results There is a clear difference between the times for the two different concentration of oxygen. When the subject was administered 95% oxygen their peak times took an average of 166.75 seconds, while when the average peak time when only 15% oxygen concentration was administered was 46.5 seconds. This is a difference of 120.25 seconds, so clearly when a subject is administered more oxygen it provides more oxygen for the system, this allows the body to stay out of anaerobic respiration longer and thus allows the heart to beat slower for a greater amount of time. The difference seen in recovery times was also significant. On average, with the higher 95% oxygen concentration the subjects recovered around 54.875 seconds. However when the subjects were administered the lower concentration of oxygen the recovery times took much longer, averaging out at 147.75 seconds. The difference was 92.875 seconds. This occurred because when the body was already deprived of oxygen and the saturation was low there was a large amount of carbon dioxide and lactic acid build up from anaerobic respiration. Then, after the subject stopped running, the low oxygen concentration most likely caused the subjects to stay in anaerobic respiration as the body tried to oxygenate the tissue. With the higher concentration of oxygen, the subjects body was able to quickly oxygenate the tissue and return the body to complete or near complete aerobic respiration. This would have stopped the build up of lactic acid and carbon dioxide and allowed the body to flush the two out of it s system. Once the lactic acid and carbon dioxide has either been absorbed or in the case of carbon dioxide, exited the lungs, the heart rate would return to resting. Therefore, the results matched what should have happened according to previous scientific research, outlined in the introduction. How the lab could be improved and extended The first thing that would be helpful would be to use a more accurate heart rate monitor. Most likely the best solution would be a heart rate monitor that could be taped to the finger being used in unison with a chest heart rate monitor. Using both of these simultaneously would ensure the best and most consistent results. In addition it would remove the responsibility from the subject of holding onto the heart rate monitor. Another issues that could be easily solved is the oxygen mask. The straps that were provided with the mask fell off very easily during running. As a result   the subjects had to hold the mask to their face as they ran. This hindered their ability to run smoothly and did not guarantee a complete seal around the face. Next time a full head cap could be used to ensure that a seal was maintained and would allow the subject to run normally. To further extend this experiment saturation rates could also be compared to heart rate and oxygen concentration. When the subjects were performing the test their saturation rates were monitored for safety reasons but not recorded. If the saturation rates could be recorded throughout the test at specific points along with the heart rate it would be interesting to look into how the saturation rates are correlated with the heart when very low and very high concentrations of oxygen are being administered to the subject. Works Cited Burton, Deborah Anne, FRCA, Keith Stokes, BSc PhD, and George M. Hall, MBBS PhD DSc FRCA. Physiological Effects of Exercise. Continuing Education in Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain. Oxford Journals, n.d. Web. 10 May 2016. Damon, Alan, Randy McGonegal, Patricia Tosto, and William Ward. Higher Level Biology. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. How Your Lungs Work. How Your Lungs Work. Cleveland Clinic, 13 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 May 2016. Appendix Release forms: I, Jonas Kaare-Rasmussen understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing, could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Jonas Kaare-Rasmussen I, Jack Larsen understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Jack Larsen I, Danielle Zimber understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Danielle Zimber I, Hailey Zimber understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health complications. Electronically signed by: Hailey Zimber I, Alex Kellam understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Alex Kellam I, Taso Warsa understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Taso Warsa I, Ben Voter understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Ben Voter I, Alex Alsop understand that the experiment I am involved in and the tasks that I am performing could be dangerous for my health. I assume all liability for my actions and understand that slight Oxygen deprivation may cause health problems. Electronically signed by: Alex Alsop

Analysis of Computer Use in Developing Country Education

Analysis of Computer Use in Developing Country Education Abstract This study identified the extent to which Iranian secondary school principals used computers and explored the relationship between a numbers of variables related to ICT use. These factors included high level of computer access, strong perceptions of the attributes of ICT, high level of computer competence, as well as the high level of transformational leadership behaviours, all contributed significantly to the level of computer use by principals. All four constructs are equally important but have varying impact on computer use. Therefore, all four constructs should be viewed in an integrated manner in accordance to the conceptual model proposed in this study. Keywords: ICT, Secondary school principals, Computer use Introduction One developing country that is currently pursuing the technological track in education is Iran. Irans National philosophy of Education calls for developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally balanced and harmonious. The catalyst for this massive transformation will be technology which will improve how the educational system achieves the National Philosophy of Education, while fostering the development of a work force prepared to meet the challenges of the next century. With respect to this vision, Ministry of Education provided ICT related workshops and courses for principals and teachers. The plan emphasized that they should acquire seven fundamental digital computing skills (Kousha Abdoli, 2004). Although several institutions have completed the training programmes of their staff, research studies have not been done on the efficiency of this plan, knowledge, skills, and attitude that principals and teachers acquire during these courses. In fact, national programmes in developing countries are not based on research. Hence, successes of these programmes are limited (Albirini, 2006a). In addition, the Ministry of Education in Iran has invested much more fund to facilitate integration of ICT in schools. In spite of this large expenditure of funds, the potential for ICT to alter how principals use computers for instructional and administrative purposes, how teachers teach and how children learn in Iranian schools has not been fully realized since many Iranian schools do not use ICT in their teaching and learning and administrative purposes (Jahangard, 2003). It displays that computer was provided with no supplementary measures to enable principals and teachers to develop positive attitudes toward ICT in education and to use them. Also, in exploring the literature about the implementation of ICT in schools, an area which is noticeably absent in research on ICT implementation and integration is the role of the school principals as technology leaders. Although, some research studies have demonstrated that ICT has a huge impact on the ways in which principals work (Yuen , Law Wong, 2003; Schiller, 2003), the ICT research literature has tended to overlook the role of the principal as technology leaders (Schiller, 2003; Michael, 1998; Riffel Levin, 1997). This gap in the research literature is rather strange because there is considerable literature relating to school effectiveness, school improvement and change which identifies the school principal as a key factor in bringing about successful change in schools (e.g. Hall Hord, 2001; Fullan, 2002). According to Schiller (2003), school leaders are key factors in implementation ICT in schools. They have a main responsibility for creating school change through use of ICT and facilitate complex decisions about integration of ICT into learning and teaching. Although the role of the principal in supporting technology integration is very important there are little Iranian researches on the role of the principal in the implementation of ICT. Also, little is known about the use of ICT by principals and factors that are related to their level of computer use. This article will report on these issues from an analysis of data gathered from secondary school principals in Tehran, Iran. Review of the literature Effective leadership is an important element in the success of schools seeking to implement change (Calabrese, 2002). Anderson and Dexter (2005) reported on the analysis of data from the 1998 Teaching, Learning, and Computing survey of more than 800 schools in the USA and concluded that although technology infrastructure is important, for educational technology to become an integral part of a school, technology leadership is even more necessary (p. 74). Without the support of school leaders the educational potential of information and communications technology may not be realized. They play various roles such as change agent, lifelong learner, main supporter, and resource provider in relation to ICT implementation in schools (Han, 2002). If principals want to lead effectively their school in technology integration, they should embrace technology and realize the role that technology can play in the teaching-learning process. In fact, it is difficult to imagine a leader who does not us e technology trying to convince teachers that it is important (Cafolla Knee, 1995, P.3). Therefore, principals need to understand the capacities of the new technologies, to have a personal proficiency in their use, and be able to promote a school culture which encourages exploration of new techniques in teaching, learning and management (Schiller, 2003). According to Albirini (2006a), access to computer resources has often been one of the most important barriers for the integration of technology in both developed and developing countries. Norris, Sullivan, Poirot and Soloway (2003) reported on the analysis of data from the snapshot survey of more than 4,000 K-12 schools in the USA and concluded that there was a significant and substantive correlation between level of access to computer and level of computer use. Also, Rogers (2003) stated that the perceived attributes of an innovation are one of the important factors in explaining the rate of adoption of an innovation. A large amount of the variance in the rate of adoption of innovations, from 49 to 87 percent, is explained by five attributes: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability (Rogers, 2003). The five attributes refer respectively to: (1) the degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes; (2) the extent t o which an innovation is perceived as consistent with the existing values, past experience, and needs of potential adopters; (3) the degree to which an innovation is perceived as relatively difficult to understand and use; (4) the extent to which the results of an innovation are visible to others; and (5) the degree to which an innovation is experimented with on a limited basis. Regarding the relationship between perceived innovation characteristics and computer technology adoption, Al-Gahtani (2003) conducted a quantitative research in Saudi Arabia and found that relative advantage, compatability and observability were positively related to the adoption of technology, whereas complexity was negatively correlated. Hence, innovations that are perceived by individuals as having greater relative advantage, compatability, observability, and less complexity will be adopted more rapidly than other innovations (Rogers, 2003). Principals attitudes toward ICT have been recognized as an important factor for the success of technology integration in education (Han, 2002; Mooij Smeets, 2001; Rogers, 2003). Attitude is defined as a positive or a negative feeling associated with performing a specific behaviour (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). In fact, an individual will have a favorable attitude if he or she believes that the performance of the behaviour will lead to mostly positive results and vice-versa (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). Ajzen and Fishbein (2005) indicated that attitudes consist of three elements: affect, cognition, and behaviour. The affective element refers to the individuals emotional feelings or liking of a person or an object. The cognitive element refers to the persons knowledge about a person or an object. The behavioural element refers to the persons overt behaviour towards a person or an object. A complete description of attitude requires that all three components be assess by obtaining measures of all the three response classes (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). Han (2002) conducted a case study on pre-school leaders practices in the use of ICT and found that principals who have positive attitudes toward technology are very helpful and supportive in introducing these new technologies into the school. For example, they encourage their colleagues to have ICT training, equip the school with sufficient computers and ensure staff has access to relevant technology. Apart from that, Liaw (2002) stated that no matter how capable the technology is, the effective implementation of technology depends upon users positive attitudes towards the technology. According to Noraini Idris et al. (2007), individuals with positive attitudes will have positive feelings about people and situations; have a sense of purpose, excitement, and passion; approach problems in a creative manner; make the best out of every situation; realize that attitude is a choice; feel that they have control of their thoughts; and feel that they are making a contribution through their wo rk. Therefore, principals who have positive attitudes toward ICT feel more contented using it and regularly incorporate it into their tasks (Kersaint, Horton, Stohl Garofalo, 2003). According to Rogers (2003), innovation-decision process consists of five steps which are knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. These five steps usually follow each other in a time-ordered manner. Knowledge is the first stage of the successful adoption of computer technologies and it is essential for other steps in the innovation-decision process. If principals do not have enough competent in computer use, they cannot be expected to adopt computer technologies into their instructional and administrative tasks. Without the knowledge and skill of computer technology, principals might have a high level of uncertainty that influence their opinions and beliefs about the innovation (Rogers, 2003). In line with this idea, Felton (2006) stated that competence is a key to the use of computers by principals on a daily basis. In fact, competence in operating a computer and in utilizing software may improve the quality and efficiency of administrative performance in s chools. Improved quality could lead to improved decision-making. In order to achieve high levels of principals competence in ICT, there is a need to provide training, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a great deal of literature evidence to suggest that effective training is crucial if principals are to use ICT effectively in their work (Kirkwood, 2000). If training is inadequate or inappropriate, then principals will not be sufficiently prepared, and perhaps not sufficiently confident, to make full use of technology. Hence, lack of principals competence and lack of quality training for principals can be barriers to principals use of ICT. Many technology experts have indicated that the integration of ICT in education should occur in the light of the cultural conditions of the country and the prevailing school culture (Albirini, 2006b; Govender Govender, 2009). In fact, cultural barriers, either societal or organizational, are very important among the barriers to the adoption of technology. Societies and organizations can overcome most of the technical barriers through different means of support, but cultural barriers are harder to deal with. It is widely accepted that culture, within a society or an organization, shapes individuals perceptions of innovations. In the field of education, it has been noticed that principals reactions to technology innovations are mediated by their cultural perceptions (Felton, 2006). According to Rogers (2003), a cultural perception is a very general idea of social system norms. Also, it refers to the cultural suitability of computers (Thomas, 1987). Furthermore, Albirini (2006a) carrie d out a study examining the factors relating to the teachers attitudes toward ICT. He collected evidence from high school English teachers about their perceptions of computer attributes, cultural perceptions, computer competence, and computer access. The sample consisted of 63 male and 251 female teachers. The results showed that computer attributes, cultural perceptions, and computer competence are factors that explain the greatest amount of variance in computer attitudes. Also, he stated that cultural perceptions toward different computer-related technologies are key factors related to both the initial acceptance of these technologies as well as future behaviour regarding their usage. Similarly, Lee, Choi, Kim and Hong, (2007) conducted a study on the relationship between users cultural profiles and technology adoption in the context of the mobile Internet. Their findings of large-scale on-line surveys in Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan indicate that cultural factors have a significa nt influence on users adoption perceptions of mobile Internet services. So, they concluded that cultural differences are a contributing factor in the adoption of technology, particularly in third world countries. According to Flanagan and Jacobsen (2003), leadership plays a key role in the success of technology utilization in education. Thomas (2001) stated that there is a strong link between educational technology and school leadership. Leadership style is exhibited by the leader could help or hinder technology infusion (Flanagan Jacobsen, 2003; Thomas, 2001). One of the best styles of leadership that can change and transform individuals is transformational leadership (Northouse, 2001). Transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality (Bass Riggio, 2006). In other words, transformational leadership is a process that both the manager and followers should change themselves (Northouse, 2001). Although the transformational leader plays an essential role in precipitating change, followers and leaders are inextricably bound together in the transformation process (N orthouse, 2001). This type of leadership is becoming more and more important to organizations, as workforces become more diverse, technology improves and international competition heightens. Transformational leadership is comprised of four distinct dimensions: charismatic leadership or idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration (Bass Riggio, 2006). Idealized influence (attributed) demonstrates attributes of principals that motivate respect and pride and display a sense of power and confidence; idealized influence (behaviour) refers to the principals behaviour to communicate values, purpose, and importance of mission; inspirational motivation refers to leaders that motivate and inspire others by challenging them to exert effort; Intellectual stimulation stimulates followers efforts to be innovative and creative by questioning assumptions, reframing problems, and approaching old situations in new ways; and individualized consideration focuses on development and mentoring of followers and attends to individual needs(Bass Riggio, 2006). Beatty and Lee (1992, as cited in Thite, 2000) conducted several case studies of the implementation of CAD/CAM systems in numerous British and Canadian companies in an effort to investigate the linkage between leadership and technological change in organizations. Through semistructured interviews and using a critical incident approach to assessing leadership abilities, the researchers tracked managerial involvement throughout the implementation process. The outcome of their qualitative research suggests that a transformational approach to leadership is likely to be more effective in overcoming barriers to change than a transactional leadership approach that concentrates on technical problem solving to the neglect of people and organizational issues. According to Burns (2003), transactional leadership involves exchanging one thing for another. In fact, the effective transactional leaders are expert in giving and taking. This style is useful for stable situations but is less useful for organizations that are faced to environmental turbulence or rapid change (Kirkbride, 2006). Transactional leadership was measured by contingent reward and management-by-exception ­ (active and passive). Contingent reward leaders explain the expectations of followers and the compensation they will receive if they meet their performance expectations. Management-by-exception-active leaders attend to followers mistakes and failures to meet standards and management-by-exception-passive leaders react to correct action after problems become serious enough (Bass Riggio, 2006). Regarding the importance of transformational leadership as an influence on principals use of technology, Christopher (2003) conducted a study at the University of Virginia. A self-designed instrument was used in this study. Leadership items were taken from Bass and Avolios Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Leader Form. Surveys were sent to a random sample of 397 principals throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, and 185 principals participated in the survey. Her analysis indicated that the overall extent that principals used decision support technologies was significantly correlated with their perceptions of all four transformational leadership behaviors (individual influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration). Also, she suggested that educational leadership programs should be provided to train principals to use technology as a management tool. If principals do not use technology on a consistent basis; the principal should not expec t the faculty to use technology regularly. Modeling the use of technology provides an affective method for exposing teachers to new strategies and demonstrating to the staff that it is acceptable to take risks and make mistakes, without the fear of retribution (Dawon Rakes, 2003) The study The purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which secondary school principals use computers in Tehran (a large province in Iran) and to explore factors related to level of computer use by principals. Selected factors used in this study were based on Rogers (2003) diffusion theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and previous researchs which include perceived computer attributes; computer competence; computer access; principals attitude toward computers; leadership style of principals; and cultural perceptions. Principals profiles (gender, age, and administrative experience, type of school, and academic degree, as well as information regarding background in computer training) were also included in order to ensure maximum possible control of extraneous variables by building them into the design of the study (Gay Airasian, 2000). More specifically, this study addresses the following questions: What is the level of computer use by secondary school principals? What are the principals attitudes toward computers? What are the principals perceptions of: Computer attributes? Their level of computer competence? Cultural relevance of computers to Iranian society and schools? Their level of access to computers? What is the leadership style (transformational and transactional leadership) of principals? What is the relationship between the level of computer use by secondary school principals and their perceptions of each of the above variables? What is the proportion of the variance in the level of computer use by secondary school principals that can be explained by the selected independent variables and the relative significance of each independent variable in explaining the dependent variable? Methodology This was a descriptive study of an exploratory nature. Creswell (2003) stated that exploratory studies are most advantageous when not much has been written about the topic or the population being studied (p. 30).The target population in this study was Iranian secondary school principals in the province of Tehran during the 2007-2008 school years. The list of principals was based on the secondary principals Directory. The Directory is maintained and updated on a quarterly basis by Tehran Department of Education. The total number of secondary school principals was 1312 in the Directory of the Department of Education in Tehran. Furthermore, a set of questionnaire was used to obtain the required data for this study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. Part A measured the perceived level of computer use by principals. Factors that were related to it were measured in part B. Questionnaires were distributed to 320 sample principals selected randomly from the population. In this study, stratified sampling was used because Tehran is one of the biggest cities in Iran and consists of 19 educational areas. Also, the population to be sampled was not homogeneous but, in essence, consisted of several subpopulations (Wiersma, 1995). When sub-populations vary significantly, it is advantageous to sample each subpopulation (stratum) independently. Researcher used this stratified sampling method to have less variability in selection. Two indispensable characteristics of measurement that must be considered in establishing the appropriateness and usefulness of measurement instrument are reliability and validity. Although theses instruments were valid, face and content validity of these instruments were established again by a panel of expert. To ensure that Iranian secondary school principals had a complete comprehension of the instrument used in the study, the survey was translated from English into Persian using the double back translation method to ensure the accuracy of the Persian version. Furthermore, Cronbachs alpha was used to measure internal consistency and calculated via the SPSS 15 statistical package. Cronbach alpha is the most common form of internal consistency reliability coefficient. The Cronbachs alpha coefficients for these scales were: Computer Access Scale=0.867, Computer Attributes Scale =0.909, Attitude toward ICT Scale =0.92, Computer Competence Scale=0.97, Cultural Perceptions Scale=0.611, Transformational leadership style Scale=0.812, Transactional leadership style Scale=0.596 and Level of computer use Scale=0.917. To carry out this study, first, approval was obtained from the Ministry of Education and also contact was made with the research department of Tehrans Ministry of Education A meeting was arranged to discuss the proposed study. Furthermore, a letter of introduction and a questionnaire packet were delivered to the superintendent in the research department for review. Finally, approval was received from the superintendent and permitted the researcher to attend the principals meeting in each educational area of the Ministry of Education. A total of 350 pockets were distributed among all members of the sample in these sessions. In the packet, there were materials. These materials include a cover letter, the questionnaire, and a stamped, addressed return envelope was enclosed for some respondents convenience in returning the completed questionnaires. The completed questionnaires were collected at the end of these sessions. Principals who could not fill their questionnaires completely were given approximately three weeks from that date to return the questionnaires by mail. In all, 350 surveys were distributed, 320 were returned, resulting in a return rate of 91.4%. All of the returned surveys, a total of 320, were used in the analysis. In this study descriptive statistics were used to describe and summarize the properties of the mass of data collected from the respondents (Gay Airasian, 2000). Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between each of the independent variables and the level of computer use by secondary school principals in Tehran. Furthermore, multiple regression was used to measure the degree to which the independent variables would explain the proportion of variance in the dependent variables and to identify the relative significance of each independent variable in explaining the dependent variable. By convention, an a level of 0.05 was established a priori for determining statistical significance. Findings and Discussion The findings indicated that about 51.6% of the respondents were males and more than half of the respondents (50.3%) were within the 45-54 age range. About 44.7% of the respondents had 21 or more years of experience. More than half of the respondents (53.1%) worked in private schools, and approximately 60.3% of the respondents held bachelors degrees. Moreover, the majority of the participants (95.5%) reported that they had computer training, and 83.8% of them had more than 60 hours training. In terms of the type of training, more than half of the principals participating in the study (52.8%) reported that they received their training through in-service training. Computer Use by Principals The dependent variable, level of computer use, was quantified by the score of 39 items using a five-point Likert scale. Each item was rated by respondents from 1 (Never use) to 5 (use daily). This scale was developed by Felton (2006). According to this questionnaire, four domains of computer use such as Internet use, hardware and software use, instructional use, and administrative use were measured. Table 1 Distribution of Mean Scores on the Computer Use Scale According to Table 1, the principals perceptions of the level of computer use were moderate; with an overall mean score of 3.32 (SD= 0.76). Also, findings indicated that principals spent a few times a week working on their computers. It would seem that Iranian principals need effective and extensive trainings to raise their proficiency in computer use and integrate technology into their schools. Moreover, analysis of collected data on the computer use scale showed that among the subscales of the level of computer use, Internet use had the highest mean (M = 3.49). Also, findings showed that nearly all the respondents used the Internet at home and at school , and the most frequent use of Internet was for sending and receiving e-mail (46.9% 2 or 3 times a week). It would seem that e-mail was the most accepted application among principals who were surveyed. In fact, there may be several reasons for this—e-mail is efficient, widely available, and effective. Thus, it is not surprising that email was accepted and used far more by the sample population of this study. Principals can increase their professional knowledge in the form of knowing current research, new technologies, and best teaching practices through the use of the Internet. Findings of this study showed that most of the respondents used a web browser a few times a week to explore professional and educational resources. Three reasons may underline the obtained results. The first possible reason is that low telecommunication density and very low bandwidth during peak hours sometimes makes it impossible to download files or software. Furthermore, most of the principals have little Internet experience; it was not comfortable for them to spend time on uses other than e-mail or some sort of urgent browsing. Lastly lack of knowledge and skill for searching and downloading the valuable professional and educational resources also limit the use of the Interne. In fact, the Internet can be an avenue for researching information and data. It helps principals to find information regarding their pr ofession and educational subjects in order to develop processes for effective decision-making and problem solving which result in better accountability (Felton, 2006). Therefore, trainings should be provided for principals to learn all possible Internet resources with underlying techniques of strategic browsing to enhance their Internet literacy (Atkinson Kydd, 1997). As for the hardware and software use subscale, the main use for computers was in word processing, whereas construction of spreadsheets, databases and presentations (such as Powerpoint) was used never or a few times a month. Only 2.5 percent of principals stated that they read spreadsheets daily at work with 20.0 percent indicating use 2 or 3 times a week, while 56.9 percent indicated that they had read never or a few times a month a spreadsheet. These results are consistent with Schillers (2003) study. He found that the word processing was the most frequently utilized software among the principals and they used it to create documents and slides. Regarding the instructional use domain, the majority of participants indicated that they two or three times a week used computers for recording observation; monitoring student achievement for specific objectives and grades; creating master schedules; recording discipline referrals; writing up classroom observations; monitoring achievement test data; locating curriculum resources; developing or write curriculum; and creating graphs and charts. Plomp and Pelgrum (1992) stated that one way in which computers might work their way into the school is through administrative use and that this might lead to the use of computers in instruction. An examination of data showed that mean score of the administrative use subscale was lower than another subscales, and computer use for instructional purposes was generally ahead of administrative uses. Moreover, findings indicated that within the area of administrative uses, communicating with staff, and members of the wider school, initiating and sust aining collaborative activities with colleagues within and outside their school were the areas of greatest use, while financial matters, maintaining of administrative records about students, using a programme to analyze information for solving problems, using technology to support levels of professional collaboration, and using technology to participate new kinds of professional development were the areas of least use. Therefore, the early assumption that the introduction of computers into schools for administrative purposes would spread to their use for instructional purposes was not supported by the data. Principals Attitudes toward ICT in Education Attitude scale contained 23 items that asked respondents to describe their attitudes towards ICT. This scale was developed by Albirini in 2006a and comprised of three subscales: affective domain; cognitive domain, and behavioral domain. Respondents attitudes were measured on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicated positive attitudes towards ICT while lower scores indicated less positive attitudes. Table 2 Distribution of Mean Scores on the Attitude toward ICT Scale As Table 2 illustrates, principals attitudes towards ICT were positive, with an overall mean of 4.05 and a standard deviation of 0.44. Principals positive attitudes towards ICT exhibit their initiation into the innovation-decision process (Rogers, 2003). It seems that Iranian principals have already gone through the Knowledge and Persuasion stages (Rogers, 2003) and are probably proceeding to the Decision phase. As many theorists have indicated, attitudes can often foretell future behaviours (Ajzen Fishbein, 2005). Thus, it can be concluded that principals who have positive attitudes towards ICT in education, use computer in their administrative and instructional tasks once computers become more available to them. At this stage, principals exp

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Essay -- Psychology

The case that we will be looking at throughout this paper is that of ‘Joe’ (name changed to so that he/she may remain anonymous. Joe has what is diagnosed by clinicians as narcissistic personality disorder. According to the DSM – IV –TR, this is characterized by ‘a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration and lack of empathy, beginning by early adult and present in a variety of contexts.’ The DSM lists nine criteria and Joe must exhibit 5 or more of them to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. The first one is Joe has a grandiose sense of self-importance. He is always assuring himself that his needs come before anyone else’s and that he should be recognized for all of his achievements, large or small, in his life. The second characteristic that Joe displays is being preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, and beauty. He believes that he is the most attractive male of a ll of his peers and strives to attract as many women as he can and to have a sexual relationship with all of them. He sees no flaws in himself and cannot begin to understand why every woman is not attracted to him. The third characteristic that Joe displays of narcissistic personality disorder is that he lives with a sense of entitlement. He believes that everyone should think the way that he does and the he has the answer to ever problem. The fourth characteristic seen in Joe is that he lacks empathy, showing now sense of understanding towards other’s sorrow. Lastly, Joe is consistently arrogant and haughty to the point that his social behaviors are being affected negatively. Joe is seen as irritating by many of his social acquaintances due to his arrogant behavior and attitude. When consid... ...pbringing to find a root cause of the narcissistic behavior. Also the socio-cultural models tells us to consider the individual’s cultural background and societal views in which they were modeled on. Also, the biological model suggest that brain malfunction is at the heart of all abnormal behavior, while on the end of the spectrum, the humanistic behavior believes that we all have control of our own destiny and power over any abnormality. Works Cited Association, American Psychiatric. DSM-IV-TR. Arlingtion: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. Comer, Ronald. "Models of Abnormality." comer, Ronald. Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers, 2011. 32-37. Staff, Mayo Clinic. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 4 November 2011. 25 February 2012 .

Why the court should have the right to impose a publication ban in Cana

Publication bans have been a part of the Criminal Code since 1988. A publication ban is a court law that prohibits trial information from leaving the case. Since these bans were first introduced in Canada, they have become a very useful tool in Common Law. These bans have been frequently used over the years for many purposes including avoiding the risk of adverse consequences to participants and for more accurate trial procedures. Having publication bans are beneficial, in every which-way, than not. These bans contribute positively to the environment of law and most importantly, the society within. This essay will outline why the court should have the right to impose a publication ban in Canada. It will support the debate that if Canada wishes to build towards a reputation of having trials handled efficiently, then it should not change the nature of these publication bans. It will portray the importance of these bans through a thorough explanation of how the bans work, and two solid arguments of the cause on the society and environment. First, this essay will discuss basics of publication bans and how they work. Then, this essay will point out how publication bans contribute to trial fairness in the court. Finally, this essay will touch upon how publication bans protect victims and those involved in the trials. The court, when needed, handles publication bans wisely and with care. Just like any other law, publication bans are put to use for positive outcomes and improvements, and the court assures this. Publication bans are considered to the court either by a request from a trial participant during a bail hearing, or by the decision of a judge, when he/she feels the ban is necessary (CBCN). Given this, people may speculate that ... ...or Victims of Crime. Accessed: October 23, 2011. http://www.crcvc.ca/en/media-guide/part-1/publication-bans DJC Publication Bans. Department of Justice Canada. Accessed October 21, 2011. http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/pcvi-cpcv/ban-inter.pdf GAHS Publication Bans. Government of Alberta Human Services. Accessed: October 23, 2011. http://www.child.alberta.ca/home/582.cfm OMAG Guidelines – Publication Bans. Ontario Ministry of Attorney General. Accessed: October 21, 2011. http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/pub_ban.asp LAUCL Blair, Annice. Law in Action: Understanding Canadian Law. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada, 2003. Print. STAR Tyler, Tracey.The Criminal Case You Can’t Know About. TheStar.com News. Accessed January 15, 2012. http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1080416--the-criminal-case-you-can-t-know-about?bn=1