It is not only Hamlet who is ‘transformed’ Essay

â€Å"Something have you heard of Hamlet’s transformation† It is not only Hamlet who is ‘transformed’: the concepts of transformation and decay are at the centre of the play both for Shakespeare’s audience and for modern theatregoers. Discuss. The opening scene of Hamlet is one filled with nervousness and emotional tension. Shakespeare shows this through the language of his characters. Barnardo’s first line of â€Å"Who’s there† followed by Francisco’s reply of â€Å"Nay, answer me.† reveals to the audience the agitation of the sentinels. This unstable atmosphere continues throughout the scene and the audience find out that there is a threat from Fortinbras to attack Denmark and the old king has died. Certainty dissolves into rumour showing there is also dislocation in Denmark’s society â€Å"At least the whisper goes so† as the people are uncertain about what is going to happen. The play speaks of a â€Å"strange eruption† to the state and so it could be argued that Denmark has gone through a ‘transformation’ of political power and the state itself has changed. This is because Marcellus speaks of the ‘old’ Denmark and how â€Å"hallow’d and so gracious is that time† when the nights were â€Å"wholesome†. The ‘new’ Denmark, on the other hand, is a place where the dead are restless and the future of the country is uncertain. The theme of political instability was a significant factor for a 17th century audience who had experienced similar traumas. England had struggled to raise a navy to meet the Spanish Armada in 1588. Shakespeare’s Denmark is in a state in jeopardy- just as England was after the death of Elizabeth as the public awaited to see who would succeed the throne. Shakespeare’s first audience could see a scene of their own recent history- and an unsettling reminder of their uncertain future. Like the sentinels, an audience in the 1600s would feel uneasy and sense the dislocation of Denmark. A modern audience understands the instability in the opening scene, however, they would not necessarily be fully aware of its intenseness, as there are different attitudes towards kings and the transmission of power of one regime to the next today. Nevertheless, the opening scene has a dramatic impact on both audiences and although an audience in 1600 would relate to the ‘transformation’ of the state more than an audience in 2003, both audiences understand that â€Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. † The instability of the natural world affects the different audiences in different ways. The entrance of the Ghost had particular significance to Shakespeare’s audience; religion and the state were intertwined; ghosts walked the earth and their return signified unfinished business, a threat to the state or buried treasure. In this case, the ghost is seen wearing armour showing that evil must have occurred which harmed the former king: â€Å"My father’s spirit – in arms! All is not well. I doubt some foul play. † The arrival of the Ghost establishes the break between this world and the next, the natural and the supernatural. This adds to the idea of ‘transformation’ of Denmark that has gone from a place of natural stability into a state of constant turmoil where the supernatural and natural are combined. There is a greater dramatic impact on Shakespeare’s audience when the Ghost arrives because they believed in the supernatural world and therefore would understand this unstableness in the state. Modern audiences, however, would not be fully aware of how significant the arrival of the Ghost is in the play. More people today do not believe in such things as ghosts and the supernatural realm. However, modern audiences would sense that there has been a ‘transformation’ in the natural order of Denmark, the reasons for this change such as political and moral instability would affect the audience more than the supernatural aspect of the play. Moral issues in Hamlet add to the idea that the state has been ‘transformed’. Both audiences would have been shocked to discover the marriage between Claudius and Gertrude having found out that Claudius is the dead king’s brother. Shakespeare shows us disgust through the language of his characters. Hamlet’s line of: â€Å"O most wicked speed! To post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! † has hissing sibilants that truly show the disgust of the prince and therefore the audience. Shakespeare also emphasises Hamlet’s repulsion repeatedly with vivid sexual imageries, † In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed†¦ † furthermore increasing our disgust of incest between the â€Å"Bloat King† and his queen. Some among Hamlet’s first audience would recognise this marriage as a parallel to English history. Claudius kills a king and assumes his throne. Henry VII killed King Richard III at Bosworth and founded a Tudor dynasty on a flawed pedigree. Claudius marries Gertrude his late brother’s wife as Henry VIII married his brother’s widow, Katharine of Aragon. Shakespeare’s audience knew how England had suffered because of the immoral involvement between the royals, such as incest and murder, so they could predict that Denmark will suffer because of its king as England did. By relating his play to parts of recent history, Shakespeare relies on his audience to supply the details of what is to come.

All Literature Is Protest Essay

â€Å"All literature is protest. You can’t name a single literary work that isn’t protest† was a quote said by Richard Wright. My interpretation of this quote is that through all of literature, there is protest. There is protest from the protagonists and even the antagonists. I agree with this quote because in every piece of literature there is a conflict that one faces, and characters show their dislike towards something in different forms of protest. This quote is proven to be true in â€Å"Screeno† and â€Å"In Dreams Begin Responsibilities†, both of which are short stories written by Delmore Schwartz. One way that this quote is portrayed is by using symbolism. In the short story â€Å"Screeno†, written by Delmore Schwartz, Cornelius Schmidt goes to a theatre to play the Lotto, and wins $425. However, as the manager is shuffling and counting the money, another voice from the audience yells â€Å"SCREENO!†, showing that he won the lottery as well. An old man walked down to the stage, and even though he legitimately won, the assistant manager tried talking him into believing that the number â€Å"1† on his card was actually a misprint, and read the number â€Å"7†. Great symbolism is shown here- the assistant manager and the people working at the theatre symbolize a corrupt government. The assistant manager said â€Å"’I know it is a 7.’† (page 196), showing that he was so sure of that because the cards have been prepared in advance to remove the possibility of two winners of the jackpot. This corrupt government tried to trick the old man into thinking it wasn’t a 1 on his lottery card, even though he actually did win the money. The people in the theatre symbolize a jury, and they decided to go on with the game show, without being bothered by the old man- â€Å"But the audience had decided once and for all† (pg 199). Since at the end of the story Cornelius Schmidt gives all of his money to the old man, he is a symbol of justice. The old man was trying to protest against this Lotto case, because he knew it was unfair, so he was the victim of the corrupt government. Another way this quote is shown is through conflict. The old man and Cornelius are both having a conflict of Man vs. Society, which is when the values and customs  by which everyone else lives are being challenged. Cornelius and the old man are both protesting against the assistant manager, because he was saying the old man had a misprint on his Lotto card. Cornelius wants the assistant manager to give the old guy his money so he could just leave and not worry about him anymore. However, Cornelius saw that the old man wasn’t giving up, and neither was the assistant manager, which led to a conflict of Man vs. Self. This is an internal conflict, which Cornelius then â€Å"consider[ed] matters with himself again and came to a decision† (pg 200) to give the old man all of his jackpot money. Another way this quote is portrayed is by point of view. The point if view in this story was written is 3rd person objective, which is when the narrator is an outsider who reports on what he/she sees and heard. The narrator tells us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of other characters in the scene. The narrator lets the readers be part of the story too, and be a jury, just like the people in the theatre. We could ‘judge’ the assistant manager, the old man, and Cornelius as much as we wanted to. Setting also lures the readers into being a part of the audience and judging the audience that are in the theatre because in a theater, people observe the events on stage and judge them how they want to. Since 3rd person subjective is just like â€Å"Tell it how you see ità ¢â‚¬ , this protest is real and thus supports the quote. Another way this quote is portrayed is in the short story â€Å"In Dreams Begin Responsibilities†, also written by Delmore Schwartz. The speaker in this story has a conflict of Man vs. Man, which involves a struggle, (mental or physical) between two characters in the story. The speaker doesn’t want to grow up to be like his father and make the same mistakes he has. His father put too much value in money. â€Å"My father tells my mother how much money he has made in the passed week† (page 4) shows readers that his father made his finance public, which wasn’t necessary. The author also writes that the amount of money had â€Å"been exaggerated†. The father also seems pessimistic on page 4, when he makes an announcement to the mother that ‘you have to die sooner or later anyway†. If the couple is on a date, the father shouldn’t be talking about things like them dying. This also leads to a conflict of Man vs. Self when the speaker wan ts to change how he will grow up; not to be like his parents. â€Å"Only remorse, hatred, scandal and two children whose  characters are monstrous!† show that the speaker thinks his own qualities are ‘monstrous’, and he thinks about changing them so he won’t be like his father. This quote is also supported through imagery in the story. The speaker’s parents were on a date, and while passing a fortune teller’s booth, the mother wanted to go in. The father did not want to do, and they â€Å"begin to argue about it† (pg 8). He was about to walk off and leave the mother there, which is not something a man should do when on a date with someone he is about to get married to. The father then â€Å"lets go of my mother’s arm and strides out† and the mother is â€Å"stunned† that he did such a thing. She is also â€Å"near to tears†, but she â€Å"refuses to budge†, which is an image of protest. This shows that she will not leave until they have gone to the fortune teller. Another way this quote is supported is through characterization. The speaker has really low self esteem and he doesn’t want to become like his parents. While he is watching the movie about his parents before marriage, he protests by screaming at the screen. At one point the speaker got out of his seat and shouted â€Å"Don’t do it! It’s not too late to change your minds, both of you.† (pg 6), hoping his parents would end up not getting married and having kids with â€Å"monstrous† qualities (him). He doesn’t have any pride, because he feels that his parents have made many mistakes in their relationship. He protests throughout the whole movie, trying to stop his parents from getting married, even though he knows it has already happened. At one point he even had an usher grab his arm and tell him â€Å"You can’t carry on like this, it is not right, you will find that out soon enough, everything you do matters too much† (page 9). However, it did not matter anymore, for the speaker had already woken up from his dream into the morning of his 21st birthday; in dreams begins responsibilities. â€Å"All literature is protest. You can’t name a single literary work that isn’t protest† is a very important quote said by Richard Wright. The short stories â€Å"Screeno† and â€Å"In Dreams Begin Responsibilities† support this quote and prove it to be true. Several literary elements were used in order to show this including symbolism, imagery, characterization, conflict, and point of view.

Red Cedar Redevelopment Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Red Cedar Redevelopment Project - Research Paper Example Creating eco-friendly nature trails, paths and social infrastructure such as sitting places in Parks, play grounds for children, restaurants and a movie theatre for entertainment. Another activity involves the development of passive recreation activities such as playing chess and active events such as golfing and baseball games. Zone 3 focuses on play, work, and comfortable living. The redevelopment activities proposed will include the provision of an active, welcoming social and urban environment. This will be provided through the construction of ample parking, the unity of cultures, integration of cultural values and education into the entire environmental aspects. Zone 4 will concentrate on modernizing the streetscapes. This will be achieved through making the area welcoming, dense/urban and vibrant. Urbanisation will be achieved through the construction of first-floor commercial and residential buildings to rival the current generational building structures. A variety of pedestri an friendly setbacks with ample space for social events will be included in the redevelopment plan. The redevelopment plan advocates and will use modern construction materials to achieve state of art status of the buildings and other structures to be erected. In addition, the redeveloped facilities will use art and multi-sensory experiences to attract the public to the golf course and other facilities in the town. These four zones describe the geography of the site. The community vision and values transcend the site’s redevelopment.

Dealing With Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Dealing With Disaster - Essay Example Donors from all over are also part of the people helping the survivors of the flash floods. Lead agencies that help communities recover from calamities are available to ensure the people get the physical, social and emotional help that they need. The lead agencies usually maintain a strong relationship with the government to ensure the help they provide reach each and every individual suffering. The recovery and relief programs and efforts from different bodies satisfy the community’s needs. The United Nations is one of the bodies that ensure the communities without adequate shelter or drinking water can access the commodities. The flash flood survivors have shelter and drinking water from the United Nations since the aid from the government was not sufficient. The survivors were complaining how the money and help from the government were not enough to provide all their basic needs. Appreciation to the government and other agencies is important for the recovery process from an y disaster is not easy. Dealing with disaster requires an effective strategic plan that ensures the effects of the disaster are not massive. The four strategies help to prevent further destruction of lives and infrastructure, thus saving the community the cost of rebuilding their lives. The flash floods in Chile were an unexpected disaster that caught the people by surprise. However, the community should put effective measures in place to prevent such an occurrence in the case of a similar disaster in future.

A Guide to Writing Research Papers at Bellevue College Essay

A Guide to Writing Research Papers at Bellevue College - Essay Example A close stance at a fairly large number of assignments that are submitted by students will indicate an element of academic dishonesty. This is attributed to the laziness of the modern student as compared to the 1960’s student who did not rely on Google or Wikipedia as research materials. Perhaps one after reading this statement would perceive it as originating from a polemist and is brushing off shoulders the wrong way. But isn’t this the plain truth? Academic dishonesty is repeatedly exercised in almost every level of education ranging from the elementary level to the graduate school.These assignments contain extreme examples of fabrication, plagiarism, deception among other gross examples of academic dishonesty that portray not the real identity of the student. Because the modern student is subscribed to the school of thought that there is no need to research intensively about a certain topic of study while there are search engines with spiders and crawlers that can t ap into any work, then the results are evident.Different institutions have developed different approaches towards cases of academic dishonesty. In those strict institutions, a student may be expelled out of school for participating in activities that add up to academic dishonesty. This vice has led to the degradation of educational ethics wherein most severe cases; the academic works cannot be referred to due to the lack of reliability and authenticity. This explains the decline in quality of most submitted assignments.

Global Positioning for Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Positioning for Financial Services - Essay Example In investment banking, investors were taxed on investment income but retail banking customers were taxed on savings (BROWN, 2007). The circular flow of income describes the reciprocal circulation of income between producers and consumers. The interdependent entities are producers, referred to as firms, and consumers referred to as households. These entities provide each other with factors, thus facilitating the flow of income. The firms produce and supply to consumers. The consumers intend to use the goods to meet their wants (RANDALL & MILLWOOD, 1983).Consumers’ expenditure is the income on the firms’ side. On the other hand, households provide the firms with factors of production and in return, they receive the reward which is income on their part. The structure for financial services regulation in the United Kingdom changed tremendously 1st April 2013. The then banking regulator, the Financial Services Authority was abolished and replaced with two institutions. First, the Financial Conduct Authority; mandated with watching the behavioral conduct, mainly regulating conduct related to the marketing of financial products. Secondly, the Prudential Regulation Authority; its mandate is to ensure the stability of financial services. The Bank of England was empowered to have direct supervision on the entire banking system through one of its part, Financial Policy committee (JOHNSON, 2000).

A, Critically explain an account for the equitable maxim equity will Essay

A, Critically explain an account for the equitable maxim equity will not assist a volunteer and B, Critically explain an account for the differences between equitable and common law remedies - Essay Example A donatio mortis causa is where property is transferred to another in expectation that the maker will be dying soon after the item has been transferred. The transfer is conditional that the death is imminent. Such a gift is effective form the moment it has been made subject to the death of the testator soon after making the bequest. The gift is classed as an inter vivos gift such that if the testator does not die as expected the gift will be revoked. Blackstone talks of donatio mortis causa as occurring when a person ‘in his last sickness, apprehending his dissolution near, delivers or causes to be delivered to another the possession of any personal goods to keep in case of his decease’. Swinburne identifies 3 types of donatio mortis causa, these being a gift in anticipation of death, a gift moved by imminent danger which takes effect immediately and a gift where a person in peril of death gives something to the donee that only becomes the property of the donee if the donor dies. The Lord Chancellor disagreed with this stating that only the first of these was a donatio mortis causa. The Lord Chancellor made the comment that the second type would be an inter vivos gift whilst the third type would be a testamentary disposition. ‘for an effectual donatio mortis causa three things must combine: first, the gift or donation must have been made in contemplation, though not necessarily in expectation, of death; secondly, there must have been delivery to the donee of the subject-matter of the gift; and, thirdly, the gift must be made under such circumstances as shew that the thing is to revert to the donor in case he should recover’ As a result of cases such as Sen v. Headley2 the courts have adopted a different approach to the application of donatio mortis causa. The new conditions require that the gift was made in contemplation of death, rather than expectation; that the gift is made subject to the condition that it will only

Hedging an Account Payable Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hedging an Account Payable - Case Study Example This financial agreement is a swap that involves the exchange of principal and interest in one currency for the same in another currency after a specific period of time. It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction but is not required by law to be shown on the balance sheet. In this type, there should not only be a need for our US based company to acquire Pounds but also the UK supplier needing US dollars. If such is the case, both companies could arrange to swap currencies by establishing an interest rate, an agreed upon amount and a common maturity date for the exchange. Currency swap maturities are negotiable for at least 10 years, making them a very flexible method of foreign exchange. This may be recommendable considering that the UK supplier has a subsidiary in the US which may need US dollars for its transactions. The data available to us however indicates does not contain any information regarding this. (Investopedia, 2006a); (Wikipedia, 2006a). Rather a popular form of swap, the interest rate swap is a financial agreement in which one party exchanges a stream of interest for another party's stream. Interest rate swaps are normally 'fixed against floating' but can also be 'fixed against fixed' or 'floating against floating' rate swaps. Interest rate swaps are used to change the company's exposure to interest rate fluctuations by swapping fixed-rate obligations for floating rate obligations or vice versa. To understand how each party would benefit from this   It is considered to be a foreign exchange transaction but is not required by law to be shown on the balance sheet. In this type, there should not only be a need for our US based company to acquire Pounds but also the UK supplier needing US dollars. If such is the case, both companies could arrange to swap currencies by establishing an interest rate, an agreed upon amount and a common maturity date for the exchange. Currency swap maturities are negotiable for at least 10 years, making them a very flexible method of foreign exchange. This may be recommendable considering that the UK supplier has a subsidiary in the US which may need US dollars for its transactions.  

HRM (Relative Resource Manager ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRM (Relative Resource Manager ) - Essay Example I had the impression that the group members deny my point due as they did not want me to get supremacy over themselves. With this thought, there were several conflicts in the group each trying to deny other’s outlook. As the programme goes on, I realized that there is a better way of being listened to, and that is by listening first. By learning the learning styles I got to know different physic of people, and realized that everyone cannot be a cognitive learner. The group understood the psychology of each other and that helped in getting along smoothly for the rest of the programme. Conflicts were turned into constructive debates and that turned out in exploring different dimensions over issues of failed leadership, employees’ commitment, organization politics and several other topics. Watson (1878-1958) and Wiener (1894-1964) concept of Behaviourist and Cognitive Psychology introduced the programme helped me to determine the learning process and approach of different people including mine. I perceive myself as a cognitive learner as my decisions and problem solving approach is based more on my mental understanding of the problem based on the collected information (Green, 1997; Mcleod, 2007). My approach is different from few of peers in the ALS, as their decision making ability is more based on their personal and others’ experiences and less on the available facts. It is a very relevant concept in the perspective of organizational behaviour; as the Human Resource Manager (HRM) needs to understand the different psychological approach of employees towards a problem or issue (Euromed Info, 2013). According to my perception, cognitive learning approach is more beneficial in an organization, since in the fast pace of corporate trend change, past knowledge and experiences can become irrelevant and inapplicable. One of my peers believed that the cognitive approach of learning stimulates critical thinking on topics and issues, and its permits gre ater emphasis on self evaluation and continuous questioning. Another theory that justifies this argument is the E.L. Torndike â€Å"Law and Effect theory† (1898). My understanding of this theory is that people are likely to repeat actions which are followed with a positive behaviour like praise, awards or promotion. This can be a limitation for the behaviourist learners as they would not seek for options or solutions which were followed with negative results in the past, but do have the tendency to produce positive results in the current scenario (Roeckelein, 1998). However, the Law and Effect principle is helpful in understanding the motivation behind a behaviour or action. In relation to this principle, I personally feel that every person is working for a certain reward, either it be intrinsic or extrinsic (Yoon & James, 2012). If a person wants to make people do something, he or she has to clear vision of award or achievement to the targeted person. While working in the AL S, I realized that almost all persons like to be heard and appreciated. If a person is criticized and ignored every time, there is a probability that the person quit sharing his or her views. Applying this concept to organizational behaviour, I believe that one reason of turnover of employees is due to the absence or lack of appropriate reinforcement technique. Behaviours can be driven by positive and negative reinforcements (Dalkir, 2005). For example,

Principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) Essay

Principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) - Essay Example Before going into the discussion regarding three major principles of total quality management, let us get a better understanding of what total quality management actually is. Total quality management is an approach towards improving the performance and quality of products and services so that they meet the expectations of the consumers. Quality is of integral importance for a company to achieve success in a competitive market. A company can achieve success only if it integrates all aspects of quality in its business activities and processes. The focus of the total quality management is the customers and products of a company. Total quality management requires continuous improvement in all departments of a company related to manufacturing of the products, such as, quality design and development, quality control, and quality assurance. There are a number of key principles related to total quality management. Three of those principles include customer focus, continuous improvement, and employee involvement. Let us discuss all of these in some detail. Customer Focus Customer focus is one of the primary principles of TQM. A company needs to focus the needs and demands of the customers while developing the products. Customers are the main drivers that ensure success of a company. Without customers, no company can achieve success or gain market domination in any market. Customers always opt for such companies, which provide them with excellent quality and reliability in all products and services.... If a company neglects the integration of quality aspects in a single phase of a product development process, it affects the overall quality of the product resulting in development of a compromising quality product. Therefore, a company needs to work towards continuous improvement in manufacturing and quality procedures in order to bring a high quality product in the market. Employee Involvement This principle of TQM requires continuous involvement and motivation of the top management of a company. Top management needs to motivate the employees towards ensuring quality in all aspects of their job responsibilities. â€Å"Employees should be encouraged to be pro-active in identifying and addressing quality related problems† (Murray). TQM is not just related to the integration of quality in the products and services of a company, rather it also includes all business functions and activities. The involvement of employees is of integral importance in ensuring the implementation of t otal quality management system in a company. Therefore, companies need to encourage their employees to bring improvement in their job related activities in order to ensure success of the company. Performance Measurement Performance measurement means to evaluate performance of the employees and the business processes in order to bring improvement in the organizational effectiveness and productivity. The basic aim of performance measurement is not just to evaluate the employees’ performance; rather it also focuses on increasing the organizational productivity by improving performance of the employees. Performance measurement or evaluation makes the managers of a company know where the company actually stands and what they need to do in

Employment Law HRM Strategy Essay Example for Free

Employment Law HRM Strategy Essay Employment law is critical to an organization allowing it to fulfill needs and business ventures applicable to state and federal laws. In this paper we will be discussing the laws that allow and disallow seasonal employees from another country to be able to work in the state of Georgia. In the paragraphs below I will explain to you the reader the scenario listed above, I will set a plan in accordance to the HRM situation, justify my approach to HR management, state the competitive advantage, and describe the situation that may occur from not properly following the appropriate laws. Everyone has the right to work, and there are many opportunities in this country. In order to enjoy these liberties workers need to be documented in order to be legally able to work without consequence to them, and the company that they are occupying a position. Employment law consists in the body of laws and rules regulating civil rights and non-union related conduct in the workplace (Stewart, 2012). Civil rights include a workplace free from discrimination and harassment for people who fit into one of the legally protected class (Stewart, 2012). Conduct law refers to equal and fair pay immigrant and employment at will laws (Stewart, 2012). These laws are the laws that are pertaining to the laws that are corresponding with the situation of seasonal employees from another country. The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) provides employment-related protections to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers and is administered and enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL,2012). Within the confines of the law I came up with a plan for seasonal workers, first these are the parameters that we must follow. Every non-exempt farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, and agricultural association must: * Disclose the terms and conditions of employment to each migrant worker in writing at the time of recruitment and to each seasonal worker when employment is offered, in writing if requested; * Post information about orker protections at the worksite; * Pay each worker the wages owed when due and provide each with an itemized statement of earnings and deductions; * Ensure that housing, if provided, complies with substantive federal and state safety and health standards; * Ensure that each vehicle, if transportation is provided, meets applicable federal and state safety standards and insurance requirements and that each driver be properly licensed; * Comply with the terms of any working arrangement made with the workers; and * Make and keep payroll records for each employee for three years (DOL. 012) The plan that we will use to manage the situation will be by appointing two or three HR professionals, and a project manager to oversee the project. They will coordinate events as per the MSPA which regulates the seasonal workers. The MSPA requires farm labor contractors, agricultural employers, and agricultural associations, who recruit, solicit, hire, employ, furnish, transport, or house agricultural workers, as well as providers of migrant housing, to meet certain minimum requirements in their dealings with migrant and seasonal agricultural workers (DOL, 2012). Our plan resembles closely to what is already in state as per state, federal and local legislations. Human resource is the greatest asset that any organization possesses and it must ensure that this potential is harnessed to the maximum to contribute positively towards the growth of the organization (Amillionlives, 2010). Every non-exempt farm labor contractor, agricultural and seasonal agricultural association must; disclose the terms and conditions of employment to each migrant worker in writing at the time of recruitment and to each seasonal worker when employment is offered in writing (DOL, 2012). HR management would use this information to aide in writing the offers of employment for the migrant and farm workers. There are many competitive advantages of HRM practices meets the employment laws, typically business are more competitive with a structured HRM practice in place. Having an HRM in place makes it easier to organize employment according to the laws. An effective HRM in a competitive advantage will use information provided from the Department of Labor (DOL), one instance that would be useful in this situation is Employers must provide each migrant and seasonal day-haul worker with a written disclosure at the time of recruitment that describes the terms and conditions of his or her employment. When offering employment, the employer must provide such isclosure to all seasonal workers upon request. The disclosure must be written in the workers language. If the HRM is effective they will be able to utilize different commodities of the job in order to provide the service as per employment laws and contract obligations. If the situation of the need for seasonal employees who may be from another country were not to follow proper laws could result in major fines and penalties to the company. Ethics related problems are faced by the organizations whenever there is a practice of using favoritism rather than ability or job performance for managerial decisions regarding employment, promotion, pay and discipline. These problems can be reduced and eliminated by maintaining the highest standards of professional and personal conduct, encouraging employers to make fair and equitable treatment of all. Severe penalties may arise from the state and federal departments for not following proper protocol. Immigration may also be informed of the situation due to the fact that they are dealing with non-citizen workers. In the paragraphs above I have explained to you the reader the scenario of the seasonal workers, provided a plan, justified the approach of HR management, competitive advantage, and provided the consequences that may arise from not following proper laws and protocol.

The Social Shaping Of Technology Sociology Essay

The Social Shaping Of Technology Sociology Essay The import of social and technological interaction has been a subject of controversies over the year with two sides having different view of it. Technological determinists believe that technology determines the trend in social changes and history (Chandler, 2000). But the view of Social constructivists is different in the sense that they believe the social norms dictate technology both in design and usage (Trevor, 2010). This paper will try to look into each believe using a personal experience with time technology in relation to user role. Section 2.0 will shed light into believes of technological determinist using media Technology Determinism and Techno-evolution while section 3.0 will dwell on the Social shaping of technology using the Actor Network Theory (ANT) and Social Construction of technology theory (SCOT). Also, section 4.0 will explain what methodology that was used in accessing both theories while section 5.0 will show the findings in relation to both theories. The last s ection, section 6.0 will draw conclusion on what this paper believed in respect of the two theories. 2.0 Technological Determinism The term Technological determinism was first used by an American called Thorstein Veblen in 1920s who believed that technology determines social change (Chandler, 2000). Technological determinism tends to believe that society is shaped by it most dominant technological innovation. Theories associated to Technological determinisms are Media technological determinism, Technological primacy, Technological imperative, Universalism and Techno-evolutionism (Chandler, 2000). This idea is based in two forms which are soft and hard determinism. The soft claims that technology determines social change but not absolute while the hard determinism claims that the force of technology is so big that it is autonomous (Joseph, 2004). Both ideas are based on cause which is technology and effect which is impact of it on the social norm. Also, this view tends to explain technology in linear developmental stages without taking into consideration other adjoining factors. Technological determinist views social change as a dependant of technology. For example many determinists believe that communication technology determines the direction in which the society behaviour moves towards. Marshall McLuhan (1976) believed media deprive people of their private identity. He further describes this when he was criticizing that the media has negatively affected the life of people worldwide. He gave an example of a research conducted in Germany and UK where some people were paid not to watch television for some time. He said the result the agency discovered was reduction in drug addicted people. Techno-evolutionism believes most world history is named after technological innovation. Examples of this are Machine age, age of automation, atomic age, industrial revolution, space age, communication age and so on (Chandler, 2000). This idea tends to focus on technological progress from generation to generation by the western world. Masse Bloomfield (1995) in his book Automated Society predicted that in the near future everybody will have what they want without physical effort. This he said would have serious impact on mans social system. Also Jeremy Rifkin (1995) in his book End of Work reiterated that men will be substituted by machine. All this ideas are based on human over reliance in getting everything done with technology without thinking of the consequence it will have on them. 3.0 Social Shaping of Technology The social constructivists believe that it is the society that shape technology. This theory based its own idea on different concept like the Empirical Programme of Relativism (EPOR), Actor Network Theory (ANT), Social Construction of technology (SCOT), Gender Studies (Consumption Junction) and many others. Also Social Constructivists believe users of technology determine the design and usability of it (Trevor, 2010). This paper will explain what is meant by two of the aforementioned concepts which are ANT and SCOT with examples. ANT is a concept derived by Latour and Calon and it sees technology as a kind of battle between the users and the Script embedded in technology (Trevor, 2010). The theory deals with technology inform of network of actors on it (Trevor, 2010). He further describes it as a kind of program that is done on the assumption of user behaviour but users overcome this by anti-program (Trevor, 2010). An example of this is sit belt where the programm is if it is not worn then beep but user group not convenient with it i.e. Pregnant woman will fight this back by selling a dummy to the program (Anti-program) thereby plugging the sit belt in its socket to stop the beep (Trevor, 2010). This way the user is controlling the technology. SCOT on the other part is an approach developed by both Trevor Pinch and Wiebe Bijker. It based its approach to research on Relevant Social Group, Interpretative Flexibility, Closure, influence of wider culture, Technological frame work and users as agents of technological change (Trevor, 2010). Bijeker (1997) argues using the evolution of Velocifere to Safety bicycle based on different user activity, that social group can change technology. Also Trevor (2010) argues that technology can be used for another purpose that is different from its original function. He gave an example of a car lifted up to power a washing machine. In another research work on Moog Synthesizer Trevor (2010) was able to proof that even invention is collaboration between inventor and the anticipated user. Social constructivist ideas points to Users as determinant of technology 4.0 Methodology The methodology used is based on Relevant Social Group approach by checking on users of time machine. The users include both male and female students in my class and watching of passerby students to see how they check time or whether they even have wrist watch at all. I also ask some questions from female students like what says your time to notice how it is been checked. Also the technological effect on landscape is also considered using the site sightseeing observation along Clyde River and industrial evolution society using the visit to New Lanark. The justification behind using the above approach is that it allows the researcher to use and relation with the current technology and society to bring out comparative analysis on the issue. Also the opinion will be neutral since deduction is from a different user without inclination into any of the theory of technology and society relationship. 5.0 Findings and implications In getting the real life picture of the two argument, this section will try to analyze its finding using the analysis gotten from the sight seen along Clyde bank, visit to New Lanark and engagement with the time technology. History will play a major tool of analysis in illustrating the aforementioned. 5.01 River Clyde Working along the Clyde River one will see a vivid notification of a once booming economic area of Scotland with traces of ship oil still floating on the river. The area has now been converted to recreational center due to the effect of world war two. In order to get the feel of this change this paper will start with a brief history of the River Clyde. Years ago river Clyde is an haven for port activities with ship engineers locating their presence due to ship activities going on in the area. Technology play role in transforming the port to a trade hub. This was done by development of technology on steam engine and dredging of river clyde to open avenue for large ship. The dredging allowed large vessel to sail into Broomielaw instead of stopping at port outside the city (Clyde water front heritage). However, this activity was affected after the Second World War due to intense bombing of the Clyde side. Based on the shift towards tourism the Clyde river area has been turned to a relaxation area with side attractions like the Titan crane, BBC Scotland, Digital media quarter etc. All this shows how technology can transform the landscape of a place which in turn changes the social way of doing things. Conversely, the changes are based on process in terms of the need by people. For example the idea behind the change is due to the need for improvement on sugar and tobacco trading by the people while technology also by dredging and construction of bridge change the landscape and ways of doing things. 5.0.2 Visit to New Lanark The New Lanark visit shows how the industrial revolution age (Technological Determinist way of depicting era) changes the non active environment to a busy one. This transforms the landscape and increase social presence in the area. History of New Lanark started with David Dale and his partner (Inventor), Richard Arkwright coming to the area. Both agreed in inventing in the area due to the availability of water fall to provide power for the proposed cotton mill. The idea is based on the feasibility of cotton production during the industrial revolution. Population of increased to 2,500 by the time the cotton industry started in 1786 (New Lanark Trust). Also the way the people uses power changed with the advent of transistor radio and pressing iron with villagers tapping power (ANT idea of Anti-programming). Although the power was supplied free to villager but it was later changed when the villagers were connected to the National grid due to increase in usage (Undiscovered Scotland). The clock tells the time to wake up and get prepared for work and also when the power is to be switched off and on. The whole story changed when the activities at the mill reduced and market declined. The population of villagers also decline with people moving out of New Lanark. New Lanark has now been rebuilt as a tourist center with influx of more than 50,000 tourists visiting the village per annum. The above history also shows the relationship between technology and society. Some of the workshop visit really shows how technology controls workers. An example of this is the spinning machine which moves up and down at the same workers move to work in resonance with the machine. The noise of the machine is also there, although workers may not like it but due to the power of their employer and their own aim of earning their sustenance they have no option. The emigration of people from New Lanark also shows how technology can change society. 5.0.3 Engagement with time technology Engagement with time technology through history of time measurement, and the struggle of getting accurate time in human endeavour shed more light into relationship between technology and society. Time measurement is one of fundamental to human existence. Barbara (2006) argues that our relation with time makes us human. This shows how important measuring of accurate time is important to human existence. This section will try to relate events with time and show how various usage has integrate technology as part of our ecosystem. The history of time dated back to our existence with needs for time as sensational night and day. Need to know time of birth and death also highlights an important phase in the history of time. Thompson (1967, p.58) stated that Cross River natives were reported as saying the man died in less than the time in which maize is not yet completely roasted (Cross River is a state in Nigeria) . It is noted in history of time that most nations in one way or the other use different means of measuring time. Most especially, they seems to concentrate more on use of celestial bodies like the sun, moon and different planet to measure months, season and years. Because of the variation in night and day, necessity to divide the day into hours emerged. This was solved by a mathematician Hipparchus using his shadow to do theoretical math, he proposed 24 hours (Anon, 2011). At the same time the Greek has invented the mechanical water clock to measure time. This was the era of mechanical transformation from Natural mode of measurement. Suddenly knowing the hour of the day prompted research by the Greeks into minutes by measuring the angle the sun in different city at the same hour and comparing data (Anon, 2011). This enables them to reason not only shape of the earth but the size of it as well (Anon, 2011). After solving the hour, finding time in different part of the world brings about the next problem of solving the mystery behind time. The scientists then were able to mark the latitude but longitude was a different ball game. In order to be able to measure accurate longitude you need to know the precise amount of time you wonder east or west and getting it was problematic (Anon, 2011). Problems that initiated research into longitude is the frequent lost of direction by ship on sea which most lead to it been perished (Anon, 2011). This prompted the British parliament in 1700 to offer cash reward to whoever can solve the problem (Anon, 2011). The problem was solved in 1730 by an English man named John Harrison who made the world first wine up clock power by spring (Anon, 2011). The emergence of information age led to crave for most accurate time. Other instances that led to request for better time includes the temperature problem of the old watch, time dilation effect, need for greasing of the mechanical watches, measurement of data throughput, time measurement in space etc. the first that emerged was quartz which has the ability to measure time accurately at 1 second error in 270 years (Anon, 2011). The second entrant was Atomic clock which so far is the most accurate in term of measuring time. The fuel-like component in the Atomic clock can either be Cesium or Hydrogen maser (Vickie, 2012). An example of atomic watch usage is the General Position System (GPS) where concurrently three different satellites communicate with one another using their time to synchronize one another. The time must be very accurate to transform the position of an object using it. Now it is very hard to see user like in the olden days using landmark to locate addresses, they rathe r use Google map or its equivalent to find their way around cities. Also my diary on usage of time machine shows that we use each machine in response to network effect of a dominant technology. The network effect theory talks about advantages user of technology gain from many network users of the same technology (Michael and Carl, 1985). Most people use wrist watch for show of status recently, while others like ladies uses it as ornament. For example, in my class we have six girls only two wears wrist watch consistently and when I ask for time from them they checked their phone not the wrist watch. I also ask the remaining girls they said why bordered when they are with their phone almost everywhere. The eight men in my class donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t wear wrist watch for the same reason but they accepted to wear it when going for party. Further engagement with this led me to watch most of the student passing by to see whether they wear wrist watch but discovered that most men are not wearing it but some ladies wear it. I also notice tha t most of the student are always looking down with their hand on their smart phones smiling intermittently and looking up slightly so as not to bump on other road users. Furthermore, some students have their hand in their side pocket with ear phone in their ear but this time they look up. This shows the extent to what extent technology can change the way we socialize. My view on this is that most people use their phone to check their time since they prefer to have every need in one place. They can use the phone to call, receive call, play mp3, chart, set alarm, check time, find their way etc. The usage depends on the user group view on what they want from the technology irrespective of the original function or design. 5.0.4 Implications The implication of allowing technology to do what is meant for human instead of enhancing how human do things will have negative impaction on the society. This was explained by Butler (1872) when he stated that Reflect upon the extraordinary advance which machines have made during the last few hundred years, and note how slowly the animal and vegetable kingdoms are advancing. This means that technology development while helping the manufacturers of it to generate more revenue reduces human professionalism and at the same time have effect on the environment in terms of environmental pollution. One wonders what will happen if technological machine like time stopped working without having any alternatives like natural way of calculating time. Virtually everything stops when time stops. So this kind of important necessity should not be left in the hand of technology. In manufacturing technology there is need for consideration to be taken into its effect on the society and how such change can be managed. Also, some technologies destroy the ones they met in market thereby making other users to be out of the system. Schumpeter explained this as destructive innovation (Tim, 2010, p.). Apart from user loosing the out-of-market technology, user might also have challenge in knowing how to use the new technology. 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, drawing from the above sections, it can be deduced that flows go both ways with technology having impact on social change and society have impact on technology irrespective of the idea behind Technological determinism and Social Constructivism. Both depend on each other but measure should be taken in reducing the excess of technological innovation to conform to the social safety of the society. Managers of technology in organization need to take technology as a supplement to human effort not has a supplement to the human itself. Also involvement of the frontline staff in technological implementation is paramount to management of change.

Evaluation Of Fountas And Pinnell Benchmark

Evaluation Of Fountas And Pinnell Benchmark The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, created by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, is designed to place students appropriately into a guided reading program, show the gains in student achievement, progress monitoring and identify students in need of intervention (those who are not meeting the districts proficiency levels). In short, it relates reading ability. The sub-contents addressed include: Word Analysis Skills, Reading Strategies, Comprehending Reading Materials, Literary Elements and Techniques and Literary Works. The test consists primarily of running records, in which the teacher records oral fluency, reading errors and self-correction ratios. In addition, it is followed by a retelling and comprehension conversation between the student and teacher. Finally a writing prompt (optional) is given to the student. In the setting where I am directly working with the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark, we are requiring all students to complete the writing prompt. I have addressed the reason for the issue below in the evaluation portion. The test is administered in kindergarten through eighth grade at the end of each quarter. The assessment usually takes twenty to thirty minutes. This could take longer if more than one assessment is needed to find the appropriate benchmark level. Specific features of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System allows you to determine your students independent and instructional reading levels, group students for reading instruction, select texts that will be produc tive for a students instruction, assess the outcomes of teaching, assess a new students reading level for independent reading and instruction, identify students who need intervention and extra help, document student progress across a school year and across grade levels, create class profiles and inform parents. (Heinemann, 2011) In addition to an accuracy percentage, reading rate, self-correction rate and fluency score, the assessment has a Comprehension Conversation that completes the assessment procedures. Students are required to read a text and to have this comprehension conversation, with specific prompts to obtain key understandings for three kinds of thinking- Thinking Within the Text (getting the literal meaning by processing words and stated ideas), Thinking Beyond the Text (getting the implied meaning and synthesizing information) and Thinking About the Text (responding to the authors craft). (Placeholder1) The content that is covered in the benchmark includes reading accuracy, reading comprehension, reading fluency and self-correction ratio. This is similar to the informal assessments being given to students through- out a literacy block in a reading workshop approach. This assessment can be used both formatively and summatively. It is a standardized, teacher-administered, one-on-one assessment; it is hand-scored by the teacher. The assessment should be administered by classroom teacher after they have been trained to administer the test. A video is provided to view for staff development or individual teacher viewing. This can help to ensure that the assessment is delivered in a standardized way. The BAS (Benchmark Assessment System) is based on research in language development, vocabulary expansion, reading acquisition, and reading difficulties. Five areas addressed by the National Reading Panel as fundamental to student success in literacy acquisition are assessed in the BAS. These are: phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The assessment also addresses student motivation and interest in overall reading. According to the official field study document of the assessment: The field data were collected systematically and analyzed on an ongoing basis to determine the programs achievement of its objectives. Reports were developed and used as a basis for determining the soundness, complexities, and utility of the program. Due to the process incorporating ongoing feedback gathered by field-test examiners, the program authors and developers were able to make informed decisions regarding adjustments and refinements. At the conclusion of the field study, an independent data-analysis team was brought in to evaluate the programs reliability and validity. This formative research was conducted in two phases. Phase I of the study addressed research questions 1 and 2; Phase II addressed research question 3. Prior to the formative evaluation, an editorial process was used to establish the text leveling. Field testing included a total of 497 students spanning grades K-8. Field testing of System 1 included 252 students and System 2 included 245 students. School sites from which these students were drawn were socioeconomically, ethnically, and geographically diverse. The research goal was to identify typical students. Accordingly, students were selected on the basis of their ability to read and understand texts that were written approximately at grade level or above. Participants were also proficient speakers of English. Each field test examiner determined an individual students eligibility after discussing his or her reading profile with their respective teachers. Thirteen field-test examiners were selected. All field-test examiners were educators who had extensive training in administering running records and in using other forms of benchmark assessments to assess students reading levels. Field-test examiners were not affiliated with the field sites and therefore could be objective in both identifying students and in administering assessments. Prior to the beginning of the field testing, a two-day intensive training session led by the authors, guided the field-test examiners in the formative evaluations protocols and procedures. A total of 22 different schools participated in field testing of either System 1 or System 2 (some schools participated in both field tests). Field testing took place across the following geographic regions of the United States: Boston Metropolitan area 1 examiner; 1 school / Providence, Rhode Island 1 examiner; 2 schools / Houston Metropolitan area 2 examiners; 5 schools / Los Angeles area 4 examiners; 6 schools / Columbus, OH, area 3 examiners; 5 schools / Orlando, FL, area 2 examiners; 3 schools. (Field Study of Reliability and Validity of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment Systems 1 and 2). (Fountas and Pinnell, 2011, pp. 2-3) Assessment Appearance and Content The assessment includes two options of books for each level- System 1 (Grades K-2, Levels A-N) contains 28 Books (14 Fiction and 14 Nonfiction) and System 2 (Grades 3-8, Levels L-Z) contains 30 Books (15 Fiction and 15 Nonfiction). The Fountas and Pinnell levels gradient is a defined continuum of characteristics related to the level of support and challenges that a reader meets in a text. At each level (A to Z) texts are analyzed using ten characteristics: (1) genre/form; (2) text structure; (3) content; (4) themes and ideas; (5) language and literary features; (6) sentence complexity; (7) vocabulary; (8) word difficulty; (9) illustrations/graphics; and (10) book and print features. Texts are leveled using a highly reliable process in which teams of trained teachers, working independently and then through consensus, assign a level to books after analyzing them according to the ten factors. They are then analyzed by Fountas and Pinnell. The benchmark books were actually created to pre cisely match the gradient, and they were independently analyzed using the same process. (Heinemann, 2011) The Assessment Guide to the BAS describes the administration of the assessment as follows: The students appropriate reading level for the assessment to be administered is based in the students current guided reading level, or can be determined by a Where to Start word list that was developed by the authors to assist examiners in quickly placing a student at his or her appropriate reading level. Next, the administer is to assess the students ability to read and comprehend three levels of books. They are to determine one book that is easy the students independent reading level; one book that offered just enough difficult vocabulary and/or concepts to make the reading interesting and challenging , the students instructional reading level; and a third book that was too challenging the students hard reading level. Accuracy of reading guidelines, consistent with Fountas and Pinnells framework (2006b), is as follows: independent level (95-100 percent accuracy); instructional level (90-94 percent accuracy), and hard level (below 90 percent accuracy). (Fountas Pinnell, pp. 180- 181) The assessment should be given in the classroom or other familiar setting. A reasonably quiet and comfortable environment is necessary so that distractions do not interfere with the assessment. All materials should be ready to go accessible to the teacher, so that the assessment may run smoothly with few distractions. If the student seems to be getting frustrated after reading one or two texts, it may be necessary to stop the assessment and begin at a later time. Each of the areas assessed relates to the content and sub-content (in various levels) taught to kindergarten through eighth grade students during their literacy block. The BAS lets the administrator think about, assess and identify a variety of different skills and strategies the reader may have strengths or deficits in. It is designed to measure progress in each of the sub-skills in a way that informs instruction. It is linked to a continuum of observable behaviors to assess and teach for at every level. (Heinemann, 2011) Each teacher in grades kindergarten through eighth grade has a copy of the continuum. The assessment format is similar to the informal assessments (running records and conferring with readers) used in the classroom. These informal assessments are used periodically throughout the quarter. The Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System does require a more in-depth conversation than traditional classroom conferences. The students fluency level is also assessed using the following criteria: Readers phrase or group words, through intonation, stress, and pauses. They emphasize the beginnings and endings of phrases by the rising and falling of pitch or by pausing. Students adhere to the authors syntax or sentence structure, reflecting their comprehension. Readers are expressive; their reading reflects feeling, anticipation, and character development. Once a students instructional reading level is determined, the student is engaged in a comprehension conversation about that particular book. If students are unresponsive or give an incomplete response, educators may prompt them according to a predetermined set of questions. Next, the teacher rates the students understanding of a text using the Fountas and Pinnell comprehension guidelines. The areas are rated on a scale from 0-3: Thinking within the text, thinking beyond the text and thinking about the text. Evaluating the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System A review of the benchmark assessment shows no bias towards individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender or disabilities. Students with disabilities are given the assessment that aligns with their individual progress along the literacy continuum and text gradient for the reader. At times, when the fluency level is timed, an educator may note on the side specific speech issues. All other accommodations as mandated by their IEPs are allowed. The assessment is used to determine reading ability, therefore, students with IEPs requiring that test be read for certain circumstance are not allowed this accommodation for the benchmark. The wording and content of the benchmark assessment is predominately age and grade appropriate. However, for students reading extremely below their age or grade level peers, the text may seem immature for their age. The gradient levels of difficulty of the text chosen for the assessment were carefully thought out and field tested. I feel the content validity of the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System can be improved by adding a more rigorous requirement in the writing about reading area. I do not feel that one prompt adequately show how a student can write about reading. In addition, I feel that as students move into the older grades, that comprehension should be judged more on the students writing about the text than a comprehension conversation. One other area of the assessment could be improved. There are only two books, one fiction and one nonfiction, at each level. This does not give educators much room for error or special education teachers room to reassess at a similar level, identifying strengths in a particular sub-content and not just text level gradient. There is at least one item per target, with some items having more than one item per target. Some of the sub-content areas did not have a target for each taxonomy level, but with further investigation (into the upper grade Benchmark Assessment, possibly) it would most likely cover each taxonomy level. In addition, each item does belong on the assessment and relates to a specific sub-content area/taxonomy level. The Illinois Reading Standards addressed include: 1.A.1b Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge; verify meanings with resource materials, 1.B.1c Continuously check and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, use meaningful substitutions), 1.B.2d Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy, 1.C.2b Make and support inferences and form interpretations about main themes and topics, 1.C.2d Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate to purpose of material, 1.C.2e Explain how authors and illustrators use text and art to express their ideas (e.g., points of view, design hues, metaphor), 1.C.1f Use information presented in simple tables, maps and charts to form an interpretation, 2.A.2b Describe how literary elements (e.g., theme, character, setting, plot, tone, conflict) are used in literature to create meaning and 2.B.1a Respond to literary materials by connecting them to their own experience and communicate those responses to others. Classroom Assessment Blueprint and Learning Targets The classroom assessment blueprint and the list of learning targets appear below. Assessment items and the number of the associated learning target are included in the blueprint. Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating Total Targets Word Analysis Skills 1. Identify the meaning of unfamiliar words using prior knowledge 2. Discover the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. 22. Monitors own understanding and accuracy. 20. Constructs literal meaning of the text through solving words. 4 Reading Strategies 4. Reads primarily in larger, meaningful phrases or word groups. 23. Predicts information about the text. 5. Demonstrates fluency by reading using mostly smooth, expressive interpretation and pausing guided by authors meaning and punctuation. 3. Assess and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, and use meaningful substitutions). 4 Comprehend Reading Materials 6. Recall ideas by reference to details in the text. 18. Identify the main ideas and supporting details of a story or fiction passage. 9. Summarize a story or non-fiction passage. 19. Demonstrate excellent understanding of the text through summarizing. (Includes almost all important information and main ideas.) 10. Demonstrate understanding of characters in a story or non-fiction passage (i.e. through retell). 11. Identify connections with prior knowledge or personal experiences. 25. Infers what is implied but not stated in the text. 22. Monitors own understanding and accuracy. ** Two places** 17. Tell the main idea of a non-fiction paragraph. 27. Write a response about the reading (from given prompt). 10 Literary Elements and Techniques 7. Define setting in a story or fiction passage. 8. Recall sequence of events. 12. Summarize the major events in a narrative. 29. Demonstrate an understanding of the craft and structure of a text (literary language, story structure, perspective, etc.). 16. Distinguish elements of the authors craft. 30. Support knowledge and ideas (and act on them) to include ones thinking by writing in response to text 15. Construct chronological sequence of events after reading a story or fiction passage. 7 Literary Works 24. Identify key details when summarizing a story or non-fiction passage. 28. Remember and report key ideas and details from texts, including understanding characters. 13. Point out the authors purpose. 14. Interpret how the authors purpose affects the interpretation of the reading selection. 26. Tells new information by synthesizing and changing own ideas. 5 Learning Targets Students will be able to: 1. Identify the meaning of unfamiliar words using prior knowledge. 2. Discover the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. 3. Assess and clarify for understanding (e.g., reread, read ahead, use visual and context clues, ask questions, retell, and use meaningful substitutions). 4. Reads primarily in larger, meaningful phrases or word groups. 5. Demonstrates fluency by reading using mostly smooth, expressive interpretation and pausing guided by authors meaning and punctuation. 6. Recall ideas by reference to details in the text. 7. Define setting in a story or fiction passage. 8. Recall sequence of events. 9. Summarize a story or non-fiction passage. 10. Demonstrate understanding of characters in a story or non-fiction passage (i.e. through retell). 11. Identify connections with prior knowledge or personal experiences. 12. Summarize the major events in a narrative. 13. Point out the authors purpose. 14. Interpret how the authors purpose affects the interpretation of the reading selection. 15. Construct chronological sequence of events after reading a story or fiction passage. 16. Distinguish elements of the authors craft. 17. Tell the main idea of a non-fiction paragraph. 18. Identify the main ideas and supporting details of a story or fiction passage. 19. Demonstrate excellent understanding of the text through summarizing. (Includes almost all important information and main ideas.) 20. Constructs literal meaning of the text through solving words. 22. Monitors own understanding and accuracy. 23. Predicts information about the text. 24. Identify key details when summarizing a story or non-fiction passage. 25. Infers what is implied but not stated in the text. 26. Tells new information by synthesizing and changing own ideas. 27. Write a response about the reading (from given prompt). 28. Remember and report key ideas and details from texts, including understanding characters. 29. Demonstrate an understanding of the craft and structure of a text (literary language, story structure, perspective, etc.). 30. Support knowledge and ideas (and act on them) to include ones thinking by writing in response to text.

Hawthorne Essays -- essays research papers

Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered to be one of the most substantial writers of his time. His most famous novel, The Scarlet Letter truly originated Hawthorn’s version of romantic writing. It was this novel that also originated Hawthorne’s fame. Most of his works deal with or have some relation to Puritan times. The reason for the familiarity in his works is due to the fact that it seems to be influenced by his own Puritan ancestry. It was not until late in Hawthorne’s life that he received recognition. To do this Hawthorne had to change his name and found his own stlye of writing that pertained to his life experiances. His romantic style might have been too modern for the times, but eventually he was understood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hawthorne was known for his ability to create such a compelling story in just a few pages. Within these few pages, flows an elaborate and complex story. These stories flow so steadily and with such complexity that Hawthorne seems to create his own romantic style. He does this by incooperateing many different situations that keep the reader intuned to the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In many of his short stories there seems to be a character that is infatuated with a person or an object. The reason for Hawthorne creating stories like this could stem from his own experience with infactuation. Hawthorne was a very lonley person. He lived by himself for a long time until he married later in life. In t...

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy :: My Philosophy of Education

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy As I go through lists of careers, I search for the one I will make my profession. As a freshman in college, I enrolled in Marshall University with the goal of being a neonatal registered nurse. I felt like working in the labor and delivery section of a hospital would be an amazing experience. At some point, I realized that I wanted to have a family and children someday. I want to have a life with them, but that would be difficult because as a neonatal nurse, I would be required to work through holidays, weekends, and nights. I sat down with a pencil and some paper and began to write. I wrote different professions and what they had to offer. Something kept pulling me back to the education field. At that time, life seemed difficult, so I moved back home with my parents and enrolled in Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. There I started taking classes in education and spending much of my time working with the Wyoming County Head Start Program, wher e I participated in field trips, activities, and often helped teach lessons. I loved the children. I have found that there is no greater feeling than the love of a child. Over the past year and a half, I have begun working with children in many different ways. I have begun to teach children about God at my church. One parent told me that it is the greatest compliment in the world for a parent to trust you enough to let you teach their child, and an even greater compliment if they trust you enough to let you teach their child about God. At that point everything made sense. My path in life was decided, and my goals were set. I realized I wanted to teach young children. My goals for the education profession are very simple to define. My largest priority right now is to attain my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. After my degree, I want to teach in the West Virginia Public School System. As a teacher, my largest goal is to be a good teacher. I want to treat each child equally.

Current Happenings In Music Piracy In Usa Essay

The ever continuing creation and circulation of new software through the Internet has pulled the courts deeper into a legal predicament. Due to this budding expertise, legal intellectuals and courts are vigorously debating the advantages of proving liable the gatekeepers who actually indulged in distribution of products that facilitate the violation of copyrights. According to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1988, a copyright owner can sue infringers for up to $ 1, 50,000 per offense. It also permitted the RIAA and other claimants to search the Internet histories of said copyright infringers through their Internet Service Providers [ISPs] even without the knowledge of concerned individuals. ISPs have vehemently opposed such intrusion, unsuccessfully and it is to be noted that the subpoenas have attracted criticism from congress as well. Punishing the real infringers is turning to be arduous task in digital copyright law. The question now arises as to who is the real infringer, whether the Internet users who actually download the copyrighted music or the gatekeeper or Internet Service Providers who facilitate such free downloading and infringement of copyright law. This question has become greater relevance as RIAA recently filed suits against some real infringers rather than on peer-to-peer [p2p] networks which had sent shockwaves through legal community. In this legal tussle, one district court actually declined to ban the provision of p2p software by Grokster, compelling the recording industry to file suit against real users of p2p software. However, the copyright owners are seriously appealing the decision made in favor of the software providers, looking for to influence the Ninth Circuit to view the software companies responsible and thereby desist the requirement to pursue individual infringers. MGM v GROKSTER Supreme Court of USA held in Metro-Goldwyn –Mayer Studios Inc. V Grokster, Ltd that one who distributes a mechanism with the intention of encouraging its use to violate copyrights, as demonstrated by clear expression or other confirmatory steps initiated to encourage infringement, is responsible for the violation of copyright by the actions of unrelated persons. The most advertised legal suits seem to be slackening traffic at music sites like Grokster, Kazaa and Morpheus which encouraged illegal file sharing. According to RIAA, at any given period, about 3 to 5. 1 million Internet users are on the Internet, downloading music through these gatekeepers and infringing copyright law. It has been estimated that sales have declined from $ 15 billion to $ 11 billion in the last four years itself. Though, the Supreme Court initiative to identify new rules for a digital age, the copious observations made by the Justices in Grokster case resulted in a gloomy standard with virtually no application outside the specific facts of that case. Delivering an undivided opinion mainly on the realities of the case, the Judges subsequently disintegrated on the relevance of law, held blurred observations without any practical means to control the ever-increasing contagion of online piracy while at the same time offering inconsistent applications of the earlier standard for gatekeeper liability in the Sony case. Thus, the court’s effort to solve the copyright infringement problem runs the peril of trespassing the judicial branch’s authority by shaping a lawmaking strategy issue better decided by the authority of Congress. Metro-Goldwyn –Mayer Studios [MGM] filed a suit in the fall of 2000 against StreamCast Networks and Grokster contending that the defendants wittingly and knowingly distributed their software so as to facilitate the users to reproduce and circulate copyrighted products infringing the Copyright Act. Further, MGM alleged that software offered by these two companies acted no major noninfringing intention. The software facilitated the neitzens through he use of p2p [peer-to-peer] networks, to connect with the other users and download both the noncopyrighted and copyrighted video and music. In their lawsuit, MGM not only claimed damages for the loss arising out of infringement of copyrighted products which was indulged by neitizens but also preyed for an injunction to stop the continued distribution of the software. Many of the facts offered in the case were acknowledged by either party. At the first instance, the neitizens were freely transferring music files that have copyrights which were freely accessible due to availability of software. Secondly, neitizens who were downloading the copyrighted video and music were indulged in illegitimate actions in contravention of the Copyright Act. Respondent’s argued that, under the principle followed by the Court in Sony case, the product was ‘capable of major nonifnringing use. ’ The Court rather relied its decision on the distributors’ lack of real knowledge about particular actions of violation and the product’s potentiality of major legitimate usage. On appeal, the decision of the District Court was confirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit which based its decision on the footing that a defendant was accountable for causative violation only when they had acquaintance of the infringement committed by neitizens and materially responsible for the infringement. The Ninth Circuit viewed that the software was capable of major non-infringing applications and opined that liability under the Sony principle did not occur in this case. Further, the companies were decided not to be liable for the acts of their users due to the decentralized configuration of the software. As such, the Ninth Court observed that StramCast and Grokster did not materially responsible for the actions of their users as they played no role in the search, reclamation, or storage of infringing files. According the Ninth Court, the only role played by StreamCast and Grokster was the provision of free software while the infringement was committed by the users. Aggrieved by the decision of the Ninth Court , MGM appealed to Supreme Court thereby presenting a novel legal issue to the Court: to decide ‘under what scenario , the distributor of a product competent of both lawful and unlawful usage is responsible for the actions of violation of copyright by unrelated persons exploiting the product’. The opinion of the court was authored by the Justice Souter which described that,† one who distributes a mechanism with the intention of encouraging its usage to violate copyright, as demonstrated by apparent expression or other positive steps pursued to promote contravention, is responsible for the consequential actions of violations by unrelated users. â€Å" The Supreme Court thus viewed that both the District Court and the Ninth Circuit court had bungled the Supreme Court’s verdict on Sony’s case. Thus, the lower Courts had erroneously established that a producer cannot be held contributorily responsible for the infringing exploitation of a product. Further, the Court was of the view that a lack of precise awareness of infringement and failure to act upon that lack of familiarity did not block the application of other theories of secondary liability. Justice Souter observed that under Sony, distributors or gatekeepers may not be held responsible under the hypothesis of contributory liability where the neitizens are acting upon their own will or wish. Moreover, Sony did not foreclose other avenues to liability in situations such as were presented by Stream Cast and Grokster. Justice Souter further opined that nothing in Sony case demands courts to disregard proof of objective to encourage infringement, if such evidence presents. Contrary to the views of the lower courts, Sony was not meant, to exclude principles of fault-based liability that emanate under general law. Thus, Justice Souter relied upon this finding and viewed that the Sony rule as regards to third-party accountability would not relate where evidence goes beyond a product’s features or the awareness that a product may be put to infringing applications, and instead demonstrates actions or statements directed to encourage infringement. Supreme Court held that both of the parties were not correct in their pleadings applying the Sony test to the facts of the present case. Justice Souter held that the appropriate legal principle on which rule is not the contributory liability of StreamCast and Grokster under Sony, but rather under common-law principle of ‘inducement’ infringement. The presence of evidence substantiating a meaningful inducement on the part of a gatekeeper who will trounce the unwillingness of the courts to charge a third party liable where the defendant distributes a product suitable for some noninfringing, lawful application. In this case, according to Justice Souter, there were three features of the evidence in the trial documents revealed that the respondents provoked the infringement of copyrights and acted with an unlawful intent which includes the following; ? Encouraging the illicit use of their programs through their marketing activities. ? Failure on the part of defendants to make efforts to restrain the illegal use of the products ;and ? Deriving substantial profit due to the illegal activities by users of the programs. As regard to the each of the above features, the Court observed particular qualities of the distributors especially noteworthy. Further, in this case, both the defendant companies demonstrated a longing to satisfy the demand for illegal downloading of copy righted products by explicitly endeavoring to appeal to previous users of Napster. Further, neither of the respondents installed or tried to offer any filter so as to desist the infringing activities pursued by the users of their product. According to Court, this clearly demonstrated that the respondents’ wish to help its users’ infringement. Further, the revenue, the respondents derived from selling advertising space illustrated that the respondents had a wish to augment the infringing use of their products. Hence, the Court scrutinized the totality of the scenario, observing the record in the pretext of all the evidences offered and granting no single element more weight than the others. According to Justice Souter, the intention of the case, was harmonizing the value of copy-righted creative pursuits and the value of novelty in communications and technology. Further, if much emphasis is given to safeguarding the rights of the copyright holders, then it may result in impediment in the growth of new technology. However, if more emphasis is given on permitting the free development of new products without fear of liability, the less safeguard the courts offer to the owners’ of copyrights. In this case, Justice Ginsburg made a concurring opinion. While she concurred with the holding of the case as regards to third-party liability on the theory of encouraging infringement , but had given her opinion separately on the applicability of Sony’s doctrine to the existing case. Justice Ginsburg maintained that, even under the stand laid own in Sony, there is ‘at least an ‘a real issue as to material fact and on the liability of StreamCast and Grokster, on a theory of contributory infringement. With the both defendants, there remained a substantial question as to whether the free software is capable of major noninfringing use. However, there existed only generalized or anecdotal evidence as regards to potential noninfringing application of the software. Due to this fact, the lower court were unable to conclude whether, at the time of summary judgment, the free software were capable of a major noninfringing application. According to Justice Ginsberg, the test requiring that a product be ‘capable’ of major noninfringing application necessarily involves that real noninfringing application must be demonstrated. Hence, she concluded that, if the case is not decided on remand by summary judgment in favor of MGM on the ground of encouraging infringement by StreamCast and Grokster, she would have the lower court might have annulled the summary judgment in favour of StreamCast and Grokster relying that it does not conform to the demand set off by the Court in Sony case. Though, the Supreme Court verdict is unanimous, the contradictory relevance of the Sony test and the distinctive circumstances of this particular case, manifest anything but cohesions, thereby resulting copyright owners and developers uncertain of the Court’s likely action of future cases. However, Supreme Court verdict in Grokster case was termed as a major victory for copyright holders. However, the darker side of Grokster case is that analogues cases may be filed in the lower appellate courts before the Supreme Court finalizes a contemptuous decision in the sphere of vicarious liability for third-party users. The decision in the Grokster case raises many issues like resolution of many controversial cyber law issues, the impact the decision will have on modern technology, the impact on copyright safeguard measures and the part of the judiciary in shaping the laws of cyber law. However, in Grokster case, Supreme Court did nothing to resolve the question of liability in scenarios where inducement on the part of the distributor is in existence. It is to be noted that there existed striking differences between Napster case and Grokster case. In Napster case, it was clearly established that Napster did encouraged infringement. But in Grokster case, there existed a different set of facts is tenuous at best. It is to be noted during the oral arguments in the Grokster case , Justices Scalia and Breyer deliberated the question of how the Court’s ruling would impact the inventor in his garage who does not yet aware the impacts of his technology. For instance, the inventor of a photocopier offers instruction on the operation of the machine, including instructions on how to make photocopies from the machine. At this juncture, the inventor has encouraged the users to infringe copyright by offering the mechanism, not closely monitoring the users and rather educating them on the tools of infringement. The solution to this problem remains unanswered with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Grokster. It is to be noted that Grokster case has not advanced any solution to the issue but rather made it more complex. In Grokster case, three justices, led by Justice Breyer, stating that summary judgment under Sony was rather correct whereas other three justices concurring with the Justice Souter that a discussion of the Sony standard is not required to the holding of the case. As a result, a legal quandary was rather emanated where the lower courts are left with little settled law and perhaps even more uncertainty than previously subsisted.

War Poetry Wilfred Owen

War Poetry I have studied two poems, ‘Dulce et decorum est' and ‘The Sentry' both by the poet Wilfred Owen. The first one I will study is ‘Dulce et Decorum est'. The first thing Owen does is to give us a vivid description of what is happening, he tells us that he and his men are marching away from the trenches, and the way Owen describes his men gives us a clear picture of what they have been through. â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, knock-kneed, coughing like hags† They had been in the trenches, terrible places, with bullets and shells flying constantly overhead, explosions all around, the constant fear of death.These men were leaving the hell of the front, they were going to rest. But they still have a long way to go before they are safe, they are still within the range of artillery. Despite of this, they march on â€Å"towards their distant rest†, they are walking in deep mud, which covered most of the battlefield, and for this reaso n, there are some of the men have no boots on, but still they â€Å"limp on, blood shod†. They are described as being â€Å"drunk with fatigue†, they are exhausted, but still, they march on. Then suddenly, the call â€Å"Gas!Gas! Quick boys! â€Å", a gas shell had dropped nearby. Gas was the most brutal of weapons used in the war, it burned the skin, the eyes, and when breathed in, it burnt the lungs, which the body then filled with water, bringing on a slow agonising death for the unfortunate victim. The soldiers' reaction to this attack is described as â€Å"an ecstasy of fumbling†, which is a great way of describing what is happening, the men are trying desperately to get out their gas masks before they are engulfed by the cloud.

O.M. Scott & Sons Company

DE LA SALLE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS â€Å"O. M. SCOTT & SONS COMPANY† SUBMITTED BY: ESTIMADA, ANNA GABRIELLA C. Executive Summary The O. M. Scott and Sons company was a company which first started to produce weed-free grass, but diversified into other products related to its product line: lawn mowers, fertilizers, and other garden paraphernalia. It encountered the problem of nationwide distribution, finding difficulty in the delivery of its product.The company solve this problem of nationwide distribution by first, increasing its work force to keep up with the voluminous orders. Second, by setting up dealerships which will distribute their products and lastly, establishing a trust receipt payment system in order to assure the quick returns of investments. Problem The company encountered difficulty in the distribution of its products for two reasons: the nature of its agriculturally based products necessitated the quick distribution of pro ducts upon order.The voluminous orders and distances of nationwide coverage rendered the distribution difficult. Corporate Objective In keeping up with the modernization of agricultural products and technology, the company expanded its product line by diversifying into related products and services. From grass, O. M. Scott & Sons started the production of fertilizers, lawn mowers and other products. This diversification assured the company against stagnation. Areas of Consideration Shareholders & Key Officers Sales Force The company’s success can be attributed to the efforts of the sales force since they are the ones who are improving the salesmanship of the dealers in order to be available to their prospective customers. * Dealers The dealer is one of the key players in the company’s sales since the products are made available through them. With the dealership, the company can save money from overhead expenses and other general and administrative expenses from operati ons. * ScottThe owner of the company is considered as one of the key players in the company since he had found ways to cope with the market trend. Market Profile * Product Initially, the company is only selling the country’s first clean, weed-free grass seed in 1868. Scott’s business began to grow rapidly in the local market in Central Ohio. In 1990’s, the company have expanded it’s product range from grass seeds to new chemical weed and garden pest controls and special-purpose lawn fetilizers. * Price * Place & DistributionWhen the company first started, the weed-free grass seed was available upon order over the phone and after some time, the seeds will be delivered to you house. However, as the business expanded, Scott realized that neither him nor his competitors were able to tap the potential market of lawn care. In the company’s case, this was attributed to the distribution system since the customer’s could not buy the products easily. To address this issue, the company opened its products to dealerships wherein the sales force is tasked to train dealers how to do a better selling job with the company’s products. Promotion and Advertising When the business became successful during its initial operations, the company began to advertise extensively, In 1927, the company added a free magazine called Lawn Care, which was widely distributed. Financial Profile * Profitability * The company’s profitability for the next 5 years, as computed in the projected plan, will greatly increase as computed for the gross profit rate and contribution margin rate. There is a yearly increase of 1% for both rates which is a good sign for the company. * Turnovers The turnover rate for the first projected year will not be good since it will take longer for the inventory to be converted to cash. However the succeeding projected years is seen to be improving in terms of the turnover rate. * Capacity Utilization * For the proje cted years, the rate of capacity utilization will improve as it was projected that the rate will increase by 2% yearly. * Financial Leverage * The liquidity of the company will neither improve nor worsen as projected in the plan. There was only a little difference in the yearly computed projected rates.

Emirates Airline in Dubai Essay

With the competition in the aviation industry threatening to hit fever pitch, Emirates is doing everything at its disposal to remain relevant in the sector which continues to grow tremendously. The massive growth in the aviation industry which has been largely attributed to globalization and industrialization calls for major players such as Emirates airlines to put extra efforts as far as service delivery is concerned in a bid to remain at the top. And since growth comes with its fair share of competition, to keep up with it a company must offer not only best but also unique services and be ready to commit enough resources towards customer satisfaction. It is in this spirit that Emirates through its innovative and creative strategy has remained a pace setter in the aviation industry. Pioneer In order to address the communication needs of its passengers, Emirates became the pioneer airline to launch a service of its kind which allows passengers to use their cell phones. The service which was first rolled out on 20 March 2008 on a charter plane between Dubai and Casablanca was received well by a good number of stakeholders in the industry. With this new system, passengers will now be in a position to call or send text messages to people who are on the ground. Already experts say that other airlines have gone back to the drawing board with a keen interest of embracing this new technology so as to attract more customers. Food for the soul Emirates offers what one can call a one-stop in-flight entertainment system with a wide range of options such as live international television channels, music and movies which are largely attributed to its large client base. Apart from in-flight internet services available to all classes of passengers, they are also provided with newspapers, magazines and other periodicals to inform and educate them while traveling. Generally it provides all what clients’ needs including food to music which some prefer calling food for the soul. This kind of investment in the entertainment makes customers to enjoy their journey and even consider using the same service in future hence making the Dubai based company preferred by many clients. Customer service Client satisfaction which gives Emirates competitive advantage can be attributed to its professional, young, dynamic, diligent, and dedicated cabin crew drawn from various countries. The multilingual staff uses its diverse cultural backgrounds coupled with the facilities available to serve passengers with the humility they deserve. Fully cognizant of the fact that good performance in business can only be achieved through customer satisfaction; the company has utilized this unique capability to offer best services so as to achieve the desire of their clients. This lean and well coordinated work force has seen . the airline maintain high standard of service delivery and achieve enviable goals. Although experts argue that this is a strategy aimed at cutting on costs, research shows that lean staff coupled with a simple organizational structure like the one adopted by the company leads to success. State-of–the-art The state-of-the-art fleet of planes which Emirates boasts of has enabled it to be consistent and reliable more than any other top airline. These latest planes comes in handy because it means they will be at the right place at the right time hence fits the bill of the demands of customers. Irrespective of the class of the plane, once you fly with the company comfort is guaranteed. Responsibility In this era where corporate organizations are giving back to the community in the spirit of social corporate responsibility, Emirates is not left behind. It sponsors major events across the world ranging from sports to trade. For instance it sponsors the English Premier League side Arsenal, Dubai Shopping Festival, West Australian Symphony Orchestra among others. Such gestures although can be easily dismissed by critics as public relations gimmicks, demonstrates that the company has the interests of the international community at heart bearing in mind that is where it draws its customer base from. The creativity and friendliness in which Emirates has handled its sponsored activities has really ripped off if the profits it continues to register is something to go by. Strategic position It is important to note that the strategic position of Dubai, home base of Emirates gives it an edge to do business. Strategic because one can conveniently fly to Dubai before connecting with ease to other cities like Manchester or Rome while avoiding an extra trip hence saving on costs. Apart from being a commercial hub, Dubai is a major tourism attraction a factor which makes the aviation industry to blossom. Those who fly with Emirates airlines attest that their ambitions are met a clear manifestation that that its objective of offering best services on every route it operates is fully achieved. Its value for clients has won accolades and trust from many quarters making it an airline you can bank on.