Service Management Essays - , Term Papers

Service Management PENGENALAN Perkhidmatan merupakan salah satu daripada sumber penjana ekonomi pada masa kini. Di Malaysia, sektor perkhidmatan telah menyumbang 52.1% daripada Keluaran Negara Kasar dan 25.15% daripada tenaga buruh. Kita boleh lihat berbagai aktiviti perkhidmatan termasuklah bekalan tenaga elektrik, gas dan air, pengangkutan, hotel, restoran dan berbagai-bagai lagi. Salah satu daripadanya adalah stesyen minyak, di mana ianya merupakan satu entiti perkhidmatan yang penting masa kini selaras dengan kemajuan teknologi kejuruteraan dan kenderaan. Petronas Dagangan Berhad merupakan satu-satunya syarikat carigali minyak kebangsaan, di mana ianya kini bersaing dengan 6 syarikat luar negara untuk penjualan minyak kepada pengguna. Ia kini mempunyai lebih daripada 500 rangkaian stesyen servis di seluruh negara. Salah satu daripadanya terletak di Jalan Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Di kenali sebagai Stesyen Minyak Bangsar (SMB), ianya merupakan stesyen minyak yang agak sibuk kerana kedudukannya yang terletak di Jalan Bangsar, iaitu merupakan salah satu laluan daripada Petaling Jaya ke Pusat Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur. Selain daripada tempat bagi pemandu untuk mengisi minyak, SMB juga menawarkan berbagai jenis perkhidmatan seperti kedai mini, tempat mengisi angin dan air serta pusat membaiki kereta dan menukar tayar. SMB mempunyai kawasan pasaran meliputi penduduk dari kawasan Petaling Jaya, terutamanya penduduk kawasan Pantai Dalam, Kerinchi, Bangsar dan pelajar serta kakitangan Universiti Malaya. Walaupun terdapat satu lagi stesyen minyak di kawasan tersebut, iaitu Shell, Caltex dan juga sebuah lagi stesyen Petronas di Jalan Maarof, kedudukannya di mana merupakan stesyen yang pertama dilalui sebelum stesyen minyak yang lainnya, memberikannya kelebihan untuk menarik pelanggan berkunjung ke SMB. PAKEJ PERKHIDMATAN Pakej perkhidmatan adalah kombinasi elemen yang dihantar atau disampaikan kepada para pelanggan. Ianya selalunya meliputi kemudahan sokongan, barangan sampingan, pekhidmatan explicit dan implicit. Bagi SMB, kemudahan sokongan yang diberikan berupakan stesyen pengepam, di mana kita dapati terdapat 4 buah stesyen pengepam bagi memudahkan pelanggan. Sekiranya tanpa pengepam, tentulah sukar bagi para pelanggan untuk mendapatkan perkhidmatan SMB kerana ianya adalah salah satu tunjang bagi pakej perkhidmatan SMB. Terdapat juga sebuah kedai mini dan kaunter pembayaran yang disediakan bagi pelanggan yang ingin membeli makanan ringan. Bagi barangan sampingan, kita dapati bahawa produk utama sudah tentulah petroleum bagi kenderaan pelanggan yang seterusnya dapat memberikan manfaat kepada mereka untuk meneruskan perjalanan ke destinasi mereka. SISTEM PENGHANTARAN PERKHIDMATAN Bagi memberikan pelanggan perkhidmatan yang diperlukan, maka perlulah wujud satu sistem penghantaran perkhidmatan. Ia secara keseluruhannya merupakan penentuan proses perkhidmatan serta mengawal proses perkhidmatan yang diberikan agar mencapai tahap yang dikehendaki. Di sini terdapat saling kaitan di antara peralatan, petugas, pelanggan serta persekitaran fizikal yang mana ianya merupakan sati proses interaksi bagi menyampaikan suatu pakej perkhidmatan yang sesuai. Di bawah kita boleh melihat model Sistem Penghantaran Perkhidmatan bagi SMB. Model Sistem Penghantaran bagi Stesyen Minyak Bangsar SUSUNATUR PERKHIDMATAN 1) Kitaran Perkhidmatan Kitaran perkhidmatan merupakan satu kitaran yang menunjukkan bagaimanakah suatu proses perkhidmatan bermula sehinggalah ianya tamat. Kitaran perkhidmatan ini merupakan suatu kitaran yang biasa bagi permintaan yang bukan luar dugaan, di mana ianya akan berulang bagi setiap pelanggan. Dibawah merupakan rajah bagi kitaran perkhidmatan SMB. 2) Susun atur Perkhidmatan Susun atur perkhidmatan adalah penting bagi sesuatu organisasi perkhidmatan kerana ianya menentukan kecekapan penghantaran sesuatu pakej perkhidmatan. Ianya adalah berkaitan dengan susunan peralatan, mesin serta ruang tempat pelanggan dan petugas berinteraksi mahupun menunggu. Di bawah kita dapat melihat susun atur bagi SMB. Pam Angin Tayar dan Air 2 Nombor Pengepam Susun Atur Stesyen Minyak Bangsar 3) Aliran Proses Perkhidmatan Carta aliran proses perkhidmatan dapat dapat membantu di dalam penglihatan untuk menganalisis sistem produksi. Ianya dapat membantu memberikan 2 jenis maklumat penting di mana pertamanya, iaitu apakah interaksi atau langkah yang perlu dijalankan dan keduanya bagi menunjukkan kaitan di antara sesuatu proses atau langkah. Berikut ialah carta aliran proses bagi SMB. Aliran Proses Perkhidmatan Stesyen Minyak Bangsar 4) Blueprint Blueprint merupakan gambaran mengenai suatu sistem perkhidmatan. Blueprint yang mulanya berasal daripada bidang seni bina di mana sebelum sesuatu bangunan itu di bina, pelannya akan dibuat atas sekeping kertas berwarna biru, bagi melakarkan kedudukan serta rekabentuk bangunan, menyebabkan ianya di panggil sedemikian. Berikut ialah blueprint bagi SMB. Interaksi di antara pelanggan dan petugas Pelanggan menunggu Daripada keempat-empat gambarajah serta model yang di berikan, di dapati bahawa keberkesanan dan kecekapan bagi perkhidmatan SMB adalah agak memuaskan. Namun masih terdapat ruang yang boleh diperbaiki. Pertamanya ialah perkhidmatan bagi SMB bukanlah 24 jam, di mana ianya di tutup seawal 10:30 malam pada hari biasa dan 11:00 malam pada malam Sabtu. Penduduk kawasan Kuala Lumpur boleh dikatakan aktif pada waktu malam terutamanya mereka yang

Placeholder Names

Placeholder Names Placeholder Names Placeholder Names By Mark Nichol A placeholder name is any one of several types of term used instead of forgotten, unknown, or irrelevant words. Such words perform various functions in several categories. For example, in social situations, words like buddy, dude, fellow (or fella), mac, and pal are colloquial stand-ins when addressing a person whose name is not known to the speaker. More formal variations are sir (for men), ma’am (for women), and miss (for younger women). Terms of endearment include baby, honey, dear, darling, and the like. Hon, short for honey, is also used in the American South as a casual term equivalent to buddy. Given names also fill this need. Jack, a nickname for John, for much of modern English history the most common male first name, was also employed in Jack Tar, identifying the common sailor. (The invented surname came about due to the ubiquity of the scent of tar among rank-and-file seamen.) John also became a slang euphemism for a prostitute’s client, because most men in this position wish to remain anonymous. Various hypothetical names serve in different social contexts: John Q. Public, originally used as a sample name on government forms, represents the typical American citizen; Joe Blow and Joe Sixpack are more colloquial versions implying an Everyman (that word itself is a placeholder name) with rudimentary sensibilities. George Spelvin is a name used by actors who for some reason do not want to reveal their names, or to disguise on a list of characters and the actors who portray them that a character does not appear in a play or is played by a person appearing in another role. The directorial equivalent is Alan Smithee, a name occasionally employed by a director who disowns a film because of studio interference in its production. Meanwhile, John Doe, Jane Roe, and the like are employed to stand in for plaintiffs in a legal case when the identity of the party is irrelevant or should be protected. Law enforcement agencies often use these types of terms as well, as when the perpetrator or the victim of a crime has not yet been identified. The geographical placeholder name Anytown, like John Q. Public, comes from sample versions of forms. Derogatory equivalents include Hicksville and Podunk for backward rural locations, and the name of the actual Illinois municipality of Peoria was also long frequently employed (and occasionally still is) to stand for communities populated by unsophisticated people who may not appreciate cultural offerings (â€Å"Will it play in Peoria?†); the real places Outer Mongolia or Timbuktu have been used to represent the ultimate in remote locales. The many number placeholders include â€Å"a ton,† buckets, heaps, oodles, and the like, or to represent smaller amounts, â€Å"a bit† or â€Å"a couple of† (or the slang variants â€Å"a couple-few† or â€Å"a couple-three†). Other words referring to large amounts include umpty and intensifiers of -illion such as zillion or kajillion. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should Know20 Rules About Subject-Verb AgreementForming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives

The technical procedures behind Peter Andrea's reality TV show on ITV Essay

The technical procedures behind Peter Andrea's reality TV show on ITV in the UK - Essay Example A cameraman,also known as camera operator,handles television cameras or films to record scenes for motion pictures,newscasts,live events and reality TV shows.As part of the camera crew,a cameraman works hand in hand with actors,reality show hosts,directors and other members of production team in making both technical and creative decisions As part of the camera crew, a cameraman works hand in hand with actors, reality show hosts, directors and other members of production team in making both technical and creative decisions. Basically, cameramen records events taking place for broadcasting purposes.They do so by using technical aspects of lenses, zooms, filters and other different aspects to capture scenes as per the required standards. In addition, it is the duty of a cameraman to test, clean and maintain the cameras. In this vein, they must critically analyse different potential challenges likely to be faced during filming and give advice to other members of the filming crew on the appropriate lighting, set-up and angles to set-up the cameras (Shepherd, St. John & Striphas, 2006). A cameraman can work in different settings including production studios, sports venues and television studios as well as in private events such as weddings. In this respect, the equipment used depends on the type of video being taken. For instance, filming live broadcast will mostly use stationary cameras while on the other hand recording involving motions that are recorded using track-mounted or crane mounted cameras to capture scenery and movement. Further, cameramen perform video editing using variety of computer programs. This means that those who wishes to venture into this career must be knowledgeable not only on electronic, media production and computer hardware, but also possess soft skills for different computer programs. They should also be efficient problem solvers, creative thinkers and with ability to evaluate details analytically. In this regards, this paper seeks to ex plore cameraman career in a reality TV show. Equipment To produce quality photography and films as a cameraman, latest high definition equipments are paramount. They should also be maintained to high standards. They include high definition camera for taking photographs and recording shows, and chimera sofbox for providing light. According to Livingstone (1990), Chimera sofbox is highly preferred due to its ability to generate beautiful soft light used to light presenters and interviewees. Other equipments include grip equipment for holding cameras, sound kit with two headsets for sound recording, additional lenses and a van in the event of transporting the equipment. Academic Training A bachelor’s degree is recommended for those wishing to venture in video and reality shows. Cameraman career can be achieved by pursuing a degree in video production that takes between two to four years. During this period, students are trained in-depth on sound and concept development, lighting , editing, storyboarding and more importantly motion graphics. In addition, the course covers video manipulation, basic editing, lighting and field production, sound for video and production management. Students can also train in use of software such as final cut Pro or Photoshop. Further, a student who wishes to further education can consider taking Bachelor of Arts in Television Production. Through this program, students will learn theory, history and basic forms of production. In addition, course work could include sound and picture editing, media research, broadcast news gathering, broadcast writing, visual design, advanced television production, media law and telecommunications management. Even though a cameraman requires some form of training; an individual interested in this career should be eager to learn more and with the right attitude towards the profession. In addition, a career as a cameraman requi

World Industry. Trade Barriers as measured by the MFN (Most Favored Essay

World Industry. Trade Barriers as measured by the MFN (Most Favored Nation) applied tariff rates - Essay Example Prohibitions on import of these washing machines have the purposes of promotion of competition, health, security, safety, and environmental safety. There are bans put on importing used machineries in many countries and where this ban is not in effect, seriously huge tariffs are imposed on these machinery. The use of tariff concessions and exemptions is simply an industrial policy tool to safeguard a country’s interests. There is a general discrimination when it comes to domestic sales and the excise taxes in terms of discriminating or putting trade barriers to imports and in many cases this has been engineered by the need to protect what is considered local. Countries have been seen to levy import tax and tariff-inclusive prices for goods while carrying out this policy. To the effecting country, this is a benefit derived from controlled international imports, while to those involved in the import trade is quite a heavy burden considering they are in business to make profits an d grow (Gereffi, 2001, pp. 1-5). Barriers to international trade for clothes washing machines include requirements for registration and bureaucratic documentations; tariffs; the customs valuation, imposition of minimum prices for imports and the requirements of pre-shipment inspections; other levies, taxes and various charges including domestic taxes; prohibitions slapped on imports, restrictions, issues of licensing and quotas imposed on imports; some contingency measures imposed to control market panic; and the various standards and technical requirements most of which are never met by even the local producers (Francois, et al., 2000, pp.2-58). It is thought that when we have a uniform sort of tariff structure for washing machines, it is better than having considerable dispersion where large tariffs peaks and troughs are experienced in different countries. This is because the economic inefficiency or welfare costs do increase in a tariff regime with the degree of a given dispersio n. This has been attributed to the fact that we have a considerable weight loss which increases to a larger extent than does the increase in the tariff rates. Another argument posed is that washing machines having a uniform tariff structure get a very strong support coming from a political economy given that such uniform tariffs are easier to handle and of course more transparent than the non-uniform tariff rates. This could be due to the fact that the political power influence from conflicting groups is drastically reduced. This has a lot to do with the fact that uniform tariff rates require cross-industrial consensus and are less likely to get escalated as compared to the non-uniform ones (Fleisher & Bensoussan, 2010, pp.8-156). The data in tables 1 to 10 below show tariff rates and their averages across the world as investigated by WTO on MFN for clothes washing machines (WTO, 2010). Average duties, minimum average duty, maximum average duty and mean of such averages has been cal culated and tabulated as per every year for the duration of 10 years starting from 2001 to 2010. Table 1: 2001 World tariff rates tabulations for top-loading and front loading-type washing machines, of a dry linen capacity > 10 kg Count Country Binding Year Number of TL Number of AV duties Average of AV Duties Minimum AV Duty Maximum AV Duty Duty Free TL (%) Number of Non-AV Duty 1 Egypt MFN 2001 HS96 845020 1 1 40.0 40 40 0.0 0 2 India MFN 2001 HS96 845020 1 1 35.0 35 35 0.0 0 3 Pakistan MFN 2001 HS96 845020 1 1 30.0 30 30 0.0 0 4 Jordan MFN 2001 HS96 845020 1 1 30.0 30 30 0.0 0 5 Zimbabwe MFN 2001 HS96 845020 2 2 22.5 5 40 0.0 0 6 Zambia MFN 2001 HS96 8

Organization Development and Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organization Development and Change - Assignment Example Organizational development entails harnessing individuals’ personality traits that identify them as members of a team and using these characteristics to bolster the group’s potential and performance. Realizing the importance of OD is the key to effective and efficient problem solving within any department in an organization. Ortiv Glass Corporation encourages and practices participative organizational design where the company’s branches and departments are encouraged to determine and implement their own designs. The company’s newest plant recently put together a top management team that was to act as a problem-solving apparatus. The group consisted of competent, qualified and talented person who had demonstrated the ability to deliver quality results in their respective areas of expertise. Despite the group members’ professional qualifications, the group demonstrated difficulties and inability to execute their mandated duties and responsibilities. All of the group’s members perform exceptionally on their professional duties, yet their role as an elite problem-solving group with minimal or no results. The top management meetings are unproductive, and there is no follow up on agreements made at meetings (Cummings and Worley 104). Through the application of the core components of the group, the design would work towards improving the group’s status, which would improve relationships among team members. Incorporating task structure strategies into the group’s work design by delegating each member a specific task within the group’s responsibilities would improve their relationships. This would enable better coordination by individual members and give them more autonomy in terms of behavior and reactions to different situations within the group. Regulating group composition has the ability to effect significant changes to the group.  

Science field trips | Teaching

Science field trips | Teaching Introduction For several years, many science concepts have been accepted and included into the curriculum, however more often than not these concepts are incorporated as a division of topics within a specific discipline. For example, specialty science courses like environmental biology, environmental chemistry, environmental physics, and environmental geology. Field trips to local spots of interest can be an educational and enlightening component of a science course. In spite of the complexity of arranging these and creating them into the course curriculum, they should be strongly measured. Plan field trips in advance so that the time is used efficiently. For example, if a visit to the local zoo is considered, give students some initial worksheets on animal behaviour while they are there. A visit to a local water resource, information about environment and flora and fauna should come first and follow the trip. Procedures for environment assessment are available from many sources, including the local department of natural resources, the local EPA office, or other professionals like the scenic rivers coordinator in your state. However the acceptance of science teachers on the use or the incorporation of science fieldtrips in the curriculum has been put in question. Some teachers are hesitant to conduct fieldtrips for various different reasons. Their attitude and behaviour towards this well accepted practice varies from training to a personal judge of their capacity. A study regarding the effect of training on urban science teachers perspective on the educational potential of science fieldtrips had been conceptualized to address the trend and its implication to the academe. Review of Literature The quality of learning that students acquire and the degree of experience that students have from their educational activities depend greatly on their teachers. The National Standards for Science Education has incorporated a detailed parameter for teachers and teacher preparation programs that will assist in advancing science literacy in their students. There are a very limited number of researches published that evaluates teachers opinions with regards to taking their students to natural environments such as museums to learn. The research proposes that teachers give importance to outside learning experiences but also report disincentives and significant institutional roadblocks that stand in their way. This review of studies and literatures will discuss how teachers are motivated by this other form of teaching environment and teaching mechanism. Insight from studies in the last thirty years as to what factors facilitate the learning experience for school field trips were discussed (Bitgood, 1989; Price Hein, 1991; Griffin, 1998). Falk and Dierking (1992) discuss perceptions that John Falk and associates have gained from their various studies involving field trips. They said that children begin a field trip with two programmes. The first programme is child-centered and focuses on what students imagine they will be doing: seeing exhibits; having fun travelling there; buying gift shop items; and having a day off from their normal school routine. The second programme communicates to the schools and museums expectations. These programmes are that they assume they will learn things and be meeting people who work at the museum. Field trips are undertaken with a particular reason. These purposes vary. Griffin (1998) did a study involving school excursions to museums in Sydney Australia, and found teachers stated disagreeing purposes for going on field trips. Some of the teachers viewed the field trip as a change of tempo for students and a social experience. Some teachers formulated learning oriented objectives pertaining to the curriculum presented to them. Griffin found that teachers explicit and implicit purposes may differ. There are teachers who wishes to incorporate social interaction and enrichment of previously discussed or presented topics therefore resolve the field trip in highly educated manner in which their knowledge and skills will be further enhanced. She suggests that teachers may react in this manner because they are uncomfortable with their capacity to manage their students in an unfamiliar environment. She feels that teachers are perhaps ignorant of, or unable to understand many of the pr inciples of learning in informal environments, such as learning through play and direct involvement with phenomena. In addition, she found that the teachers purpose for the field trip influences the students rationale for the visit. Therefore it can be said that students attitudes tend to mirror the teachers attitude (Griffin, 1998; Griffin Symington, 1980). Research studies by Gottfried (1980) and others support the idea that teachers view field trips as enrichment experiences (Gottfried, 1980; Brigham Robinson, 1992; Griffin, 1998). With this given analysis it presupposes that fieldtrips appeal to the educating world as means of escape to a usual habit or pattern. Sometimes it holds true that teachers are not sure of how to facilitate a learning environment outside the four corners of the classroom. As observed some may let the students wander off to the new environment without making any further information on what is seen and observed in the environment to where the educational fieldtrip is conducted. The author was quick to assume that teachers attitudes and motivation to adapt a science fieldtrip in the curriculum relies on their outlook of how they will perform or how prepared they are to facilitated and head the said trips. The accountability is overwhelming for teachers in the eyes of the author. In this case I presume that the author knows the essence or the importance of the teachers readiness to hold such responsibility in being motivated to include a science fieldtrip in their curriculum. Connections between Informal Science Sites and Schools In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the development of relationships between informal science sites and schools. This is conceptualized to the detection that informal education sites have the potential to offer more than a one-time field trip to teachers and students. According to Ramey-Gassert (1997), science fieldtrips has many potential benefits. These include improving motivation and attitudes, interactive participation, and fostering curiosity. In itself this may be reason enough for teachers to be interested in promoting connections between schools and informal education sites. In a sense, fieldtrips may encourage students to actively take part in the study. In fact the application of what is taught at school may be seen and experienced firsthand during fieldtrips. Having done so, teachers may use this to stir students curiosity and further encourage them to find means to improve or develop what they have seen. Technology is best taught if the application is seen and viewed by the students. Michie (1998) found that the environment of informal science learning, which incorporated features such as voluntary, unstructured, non-assessed, open-ended, and learner-centered (p. 248) led to heightened student interest. This open-ended learning experience can also have optimistic effects on how students feel about science learning. (Gottfried, 1980). While the most beneficial facet of informal science learning may be the often incalculable notions of appreciation and motivation for further learning, researchers have also reported gains in content knowledge by students (Gottfried, 1980; Fiso, 1982; Munley, 1991). The freedom to manipulate, operate and explore the learning environment makes learning highly conducive and interesting. This attitude may be encouraged to further stress a point or a concept. Teachers may utilize this to explore the students perception and opinion regarding a particular topic. Teachers may very well plan a curriculum under which interactive participation may be facilitated. Most importantly, informal science sites can offer teachers and students something which they often cannot experience in the formal classroom. Mullins (1998) illustrates the experience this way: it is precisely because informal science sites are informal learning settings, where attendance is voluntary. In an informal science sites, the visitor is at liberty to wander at will, taking in things that connect to previous knowledge and experience, and discovering new ideas with pleasure (p.42). The appeal of fieldtrips to students is not confound to it being compulsory and rigid. In fact as previously mentioned the idea that this environment is less strict and more open has its appeal to students more and more interesting. However, before teachers aspire to make schools more like an informal science sites, it is important to understand the inherent differences between schools and informal science sites. Despite doing a similar activity as with the classroom as students in an informal environment, there are important disparities between the assumptions that are made as the teaching/learning is taking place. Informal learning stands separately from school learning in that it is free-choice, non-sequential, self-paced, and voluntary. The formal education system was not designed in this way. Schools are designed to teach students so that they are equipped to function successfully in society. The learning requirements are set as standards that all students are expected to learn. The teaching and learning that most often occurs in schools involves obligatory learning in which learning is focused by a programmed set of requirements imposed externally by a forced authority (Falk, 2001). Unfortunately, as Falk and Dierking (1992) point out, learning has become tantamount with the words education and school where learning is perceived as primarily the attainment of new ideas, facts, or information, rather than the consolidation and slow, incremental growth of existing ideas and information (p. 98). Recognizing these disparities is vital to understanding how each approach and their associated fundamental assumptions are part of the whole learning experience for students and teachers. Instead of trying to make one institution be like the other, a suitable approach may be to recognize the strengths of both informal sciences sites and schools and to bring those resources together to better serve both teachers and students. Anderson (2004) points out that the informal and formal education communities are pursuing the same goal of educating the public even if it originates from different assumptions and inherent qualities. One way that informal science sites can contribute to this objective is by helping teachers to gain assurance in teaching science. Science teaching assurance, or science teaching self-efficacy, is an essential component of effective science teaching. Teacher effectiveness has been found to be one of the most important factors influencing teachers work (Bitgood, 1993; Lessow, 1990) and is an important factor in teacher motivation. Horizon Research, Inc. (2001a) reported that long-term association with an informal science sites can begin to shift a teachers confidence in science teaching. For example, one teacher in their study reports, This museum has done a lot for the individual teacher. I think many of us have undergone a long-term change in our teaching style, and are more confiden t and comfortable in a student-centered teaching approach (p.16). Price and Hein (1991) assures that gains in science assurance and enthusiasm by elementary school teachers after they were engaged in collaborative projects with an informal science sites. According to a national survey which appeared in 2001, only approximately 25 percent of elementary teachers feel they are well qualified to teach science (Horizon Research, 2001a). Furthermore, teachers will normally avoid situations where they qualm their ability to perform successfully. Improving elementary teachers science teaching confidence is therefore an imperative factor in the development of science education. As results of this recognition of the advantages of informal science learning, an increasing number of universities are collaborating with informal science sites in preparing their future teachers. Muse, et.al (1982) describes the many benefits includes the chance to work with children of different ages and backgrounds, the chance to work with other teachers, the chance to practice good science teaching and gain assurance, and the knowledge of science teaching resources. Across all of these partnerships, the specific strengths of the informal sites are acknowledgement and brought into the training of future teachers. As suggested by a university professor, in addition to the benefits of a unique kind of teaching and learning that occurs in informal environments, research also advocates teachers can benefit from the resources and programs offered by informal science sites. This can include interactive exhibits, educational materials and science equipment that many teachers and school districts cannot afford or do not have access to in school (Rennie, 1995). Teachers who not using Informal Science Horizon Research Inc. (2001a) established that there is nearly one informal science education institution for every 1,000 elementary school teachers in the United States. Yet these institutions serve only 10 percent of all U.S. teachers teaching science. While there has been a changing focus to heightened the numbers of these relationships with teachers, many teachers do not seem to be using museum resources in partnering ways where unambiguous links are made to classroom curricula and teachers return for additional assistance and partnership as needed throughout the school year. The literature on this subject revolves around the assumption that using informal science actually pertains to taking field trips. These studies do not openly concentrate on those teachers who continually use informal science sites in many different ways. Nonetheless, these studies show why teachers may not be as likely to take their students on field trips as other teachers. Explanations for why teachers are not taking field trips can be arranged into several categories. Logistics: transportation coordination and cost (Lessow, 1990; Michie, 1998; Price and Hein, 1991), safety concerns (Michie, 1998); and student misbehaviour and large class size (Fido and Gayford, 1982; Lessow, 1990; Price and Hein, 1991) External Support System: a lack of support from the government who see the field trip as a vacation (Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998; Price and Hein, 1991); and a lack of support from other teachers who are uncomfortable with new experiences and getting out of the classroom (Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998) Personal Motivation: such as fear of failure (Mullins, 1998), lack of energy and time (Lessow, 1990; Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998; Price and Hein, 1991) low interest (Mullins, 1998); and lack of personal knowledge of and positive experiences with informal science sites (Fido and Gayford, 1982; Michie, 1998) Availability of Resources: inadequate choice of informal science sites (Michie, 1998) Orion (1993) points out that many of the complications involved in linking informal science institutions and the formal education system can be addressed to differences in size, orientation, and mission. Informal science sites tend to be smaller than school systems, are profit oriented and are mostly private. Ramey-Gasset (1996) asserts that these obvious differences can make associations very difficult to attain. While both classroom teachers and informal science sites educators have the similar Objectives of educating students, they approach it from very different outlooks. Schools and informal science sites have not viewed themselves as equal partners; asserting that each feels that they are performing different things in terms of science education, and one does not necessarily complement the other. There is also a common view of informal science educators as pseudo-educators. Claiming that museum educators practice some of the best teaching in a community may not be entirely correct and may overestimate the teaching proficiency of these teachers (Munley, 1991, p. 14). While many informal science sites educators are superior teachers, many do not have the experience or training to serve as model teachers. For this truth, many school administrators and teachers may not view the informal community as a competent partner in science education. However, this may change. Creating standards for informal science educators has the impending to positively impact future partnership between the informal science community and schools. Factors Influencing Teachers to take Field Trips The focal point of this research is on teachers who use the resources of informal science on a regular basis. This subject appears to be focused on the actual field trip and not on using informal science resources in different ways and on a regular basis. There are numerous studies that address this concern of the factors influencing teachers to take field trips. Lessow (1990) surveyed 585 teachers on their use of informal science and used quantitative analysis to settle on the possible correlations between teacher quality and use of informal science. Some of his major findings were that teachers took more field trips when they had taken personal trips to a particular site felt that their students gained either cognitively or affectively. Lessow (1990) did not find that those teachers who assumed having a science related hobby, read science journals or attended more professional development took more field trips. And those teachers with more experience teaching also did not take more trips than other teachers. While this study had some interesting findings, it did not disclose the nature of these trips or teachers personal thoughts on taking them. While Lessow (1990) addressed the efficiency of the field trips, this was determined primarily through survey answers and focused around the use of pre-visit and post-visit activities. Therefore, ho w these teachers used these sites was not revealed. Michie (1998) interviewed 28 secondary science teachers in Australia to determine the influences on them to organize and conduct field trips. It was found that teachers who took field trips wanted to give students hands-on, real life experiences which they could not have in the classroom. He also said that while there was some perplexity on the usefulness of field trips, most teachers accepted the cognitive gains associated with the trips. There were some teachers who commented on the emotional values. In addition, six more experienced teachers elementary teacher to college professors were chosen for follow-up interviews. These expert teachers reported that they conducted field trips for three reasons. The first was because of the positive benefits they and their students receive in reference to the relationships that developed among students, between students and teachers, and between students and informal educators. Mullins (1998) reported that these relationships raised confidence , invigorated lives and enhanced their questioning and learning (Mullins, 1998, p. 165). The second reason these teachers chose to take these outdoor trips was that they acknowledged that their thinking on how learning takes place had changed after engaging in these environmentally based trips. They realized the worth of interactive learning and project-based learning where the students were involved in real-life projects. The third reason was simply because of the experiential benefits. They said that nature taught them how to teach; and that observing students attach with nature was their main purpose for having field trips. This study also reported that most of the experienced teachers all had positive field experiences as children. While the literature concerning the factors motivating teachers to take field trips is informative, there is the absence of a clear picture of teachers who choose to frequently use the resources of informal science. Further, at a time when the majority of elementary teachers do not feel well-equipped and credible to teach science and are teaching less science (Horizon Research, 2001a), hearing from those elementary teachers that do feel confident in their ability to teach science and incorporate informal science in their teaching can inform this issue. While many teachers will take their students on at least one field trip during the year, fewer will lead effective field trips where students gain both cognitively and affectively. Many teachers will use it as a form of leisure or will not amalgamate it into their curriculum (Lessow, 1990). Support for Using Informal Science Realizing how and why these teachers continually use informal science was the focal point of this study. And directly related to this is the support they receive for using informal science. An important result of this study is that the existence of support is indispensable to whether these teachers use the resources of informal science for the gain of their students. However, it is paramount that they have support. This can have significant effects on less experienced teachers. Mullins (1998) found that a teacher support system, either from peers or administrators, makes the distinction in whether a novice teacher chooses to pursue informal science opportunities. A large portion of the required assistance for using informal science is budget. This is especially the case for taking students on field trips which is the primary way in which these teachers and most other teachers tend to use informal science (Inverness Research Associates, 1995). The cost will be used for transportation and money for entrance fees. A school (or most often, the school district) allots a certain amount of field trips based on priorities and what can be afforded. These costs can be huge obstructions to teachers use of informal science. Teachers identified transportation costs as a major limiting factor to using informal science in studies by Lessow (1990) and Michie (1998). These two studies focused on teachers who did not necessarily use informal science on a regular basis. The teachers in those studies were accompanying their grade level on their allotted yearly field trips. The teachers do not directly refer to money as a limiting factor. Kaspar (1998), in his survey of administrators and teachers in regards to the use of informal science, also found that more experienced teachers did not list administrative tasks and logistics as obstacles. The teachers are experts at navigating these barriers. While funding is always important to their use of informal science, these teachers talk more about the basis of the funding. Based on the teachers stories, they are more concerned with the emotional support they receive from these sources. This importance of administrator support is reflected in Mullins (1998) study where a lack of support by the school administration was one of the most frequently mentioned obstacles to taking field trips. This is further supported in a statement made by an experienced teacher who uses informal science regularly in her teaching. Those teachers have to somehow have an administration that understands that a field trip is not just kids getting away from school; its not a play day. The administration has to understand that it is an extension of the classroom. Five hours on a field trip can be worth far more than five hours in the classroom. Administrations and school boards have to be able to see how field trips can positively impact grades and see that its okay to be different (Mullins, 1998, p. 134). Further, administrative support has been described as being extremely important to teachers ability to effectively teach science (Ramey-Gassert et al., 1996). District and state current policy on science education likely affects some teachers use of informal science. This is especially true for Betty, who expresses how the de-emphasis on science and focus on passing the state standardized tests has hindered her teaching of science and use of informal science. None of the other teachers expressed this same sort of frustration. Teaching at a school in a low-income area where passing the tests was of major concern was likely an important factor. While Greg also teaches in a high-poverty school, he is somewhat protected due to his district-approved and specially funded science-focused classroom. Without administrative support of some kind, even a highly motivated teacher will find it difficult to do the things he/she would like to do with students in science inside or outside of the clas sroom. Administrative support is narrated as a motivating factor in these teachers ability to use the resources of informal science although to different degrees among them. A teacher in a small school in a large district relies heavily on principal support, while another in a large school in a smaller district relies mainly on district level support. Administrative support is likely to be especially significant for teachers in low-income areas. Without district support of non-profit program, most teachers would have difficulty involving their class in such an extensive off-campus project with an informal science site. The success of that program has largely been due to the collaborative nature of its beginnings and the community encouragement it has received. While the fact that most teachers do not discuss it does not mean that it has not been an essential factor, it is a factor that they may have taken for granted. This is the case in the higher-income schools where there tends to be mo re parent support for these trips and projects especially in terms of funding. Parents, in turn, are able to financially support these projects and trips and since many mothers work at home, they can act as chaperones. Surprisingly, there is little in the discussions on the importance of parent support in teachers use of informal community resources. The studies of teachers use of informal science tend to focus more specifically on the field trip and not the teachers themselves (e.g. Lessow, 1991; Michie, 1998; Mullins, 1998). Further, those studies focus on either experienced science teachers from all levels of education (Mullins, 1998) or on more typical teachers on a grade level field trip (Lessow, 1991; Michie, 1998). Yet, parent support was found to be a significant authority on all of the teachers in this study. Teachers realize the significant role that parents play in making that possible. When parents are not able to pinch as much due to financial limitations or work schedules, those teachers rely more heavily on administrative and outside support and must try harder to provide informal science experiences for their students. Because the teachers in this study are often responsible for planning the field trips for their grade level, many of them express frustration at the negative attitudes of other teachers towards project involvement and science in general. On a finding supported by Michie (1998), it shows that teachers reported some resentment from other teachers if they took students on field trips. However, in Michies study, the students were in secondary school. The teachers protested because students were taken out of class or were late for another class. The teachers in this study are experienced, science-oriented, curious teachers. And unfortunately, they are not the standard in the mentoring profession. They are more like the teachers in Mullins (1998) study, even though those teachers were mostly secondary-level teachers and college professors. They were clearly passionate about teaching science. Mullins (1998) found that the more experienced teachers reported fear within the teacher to be the most significant obstacle to teachers implementing field trips. One teacher said, Its just not familiar. Teachers need someone because most of them are troubled by the idea that they are in fact clueless as to what may transpire during fieldtrips. Youre likely to do things the way youve always done them unless you have some good reason to do something differentlike if there is a real good program and someone suggests field trips and they take teachers out and then teachers say, Oh, thats not so hard, I can do this. Teachers want to; they just dont know what to do because we do so little of this in our teacher training programs (Mullins, 1998, p. 136). While the teachers in this study have ultimately been responsible for their choice to use informal science in their teaching, they are the first to admit that it has required plenty of support financial, logistical and emotional. All of these teachers claimed to require support to use informal science. It is not something they can easily do on their own. These teachers are excellent at navigating the barriers in terms of their use of informal science whether it is simply rallying parent support despite a lack of funds, holding bake sales, or finding ways to bring informal science into their classroom. And if these teachers, who are clearly exemplary science teachers, require support and encouragement, then it is likely that other teachers need even more encouragement in using informal science. As mentioned earlier, the average elementary teacher is likely to feel apprehensive about teaching science, and will lack the confidence needed to seek out informal science opportunities. The exceptional teachers in this study often found this on their own it was the emotional support that they needed in order to continue the pursuit of their science teaching goals. Based on my interpretations, providing more support for teachers in using informal science is a logical place to begin to focus energy so that more teachers are likely to look to these community resources. Highlights of the Teachers Attitudes towards Conducting Science Field Trips Field trips can be referred as one of the three ways through which science can be taught through formal classroom teaching, practical work and field trips. In the United States teachers tend to use the term field trip instead of excursion. There have been a number of challenges to define field trips. The definition used in most the researches is taken from Krepel and Duvall (1981): a trip arranged by the school and undertaken for educational purposes, in which the students go to places where the materials of instruction may be observed and studied directly in their functional setting: for example, a trip to a factory, a city waterworks, a library, a museum etc. (p. 7). The use of the term field work emphasizes some of the formal exercises which are conducted outside of the classroom, usually in biology and geology at senior high school and tertiary levels. These activities may be referred to be a subset of field trips or excursions. Much of the literature start off from museums and science centers, other noted venues such as zoos, aquariums, planetariums and field study or nature centers (see reviews such as Falk Dierking, 1992; Ramey-Gassert, Walberg Walberg, 1994; Rennie McClafferty, 1995, 1996). It often relates a range of effects on visitors, rather than students per se, Quantitative studies of the attitudes of teachers towards field trips were done and facilitated by Falk and Balling (1979), Fido and Gayford (1982) and Muse, Chiarelott and Davidman (1982). The researchers found that, in the opinion of teachers, the positive benefits derived from field trips were Ha

Married Women who Cheat on their Husbands Essay -- Marriage

Married Women who Cheat on their Husbands Marriage is a bond between two people who love each other. These are two people, who decide to become one, unite their love, start a family together, and spend the rest of their lives with each other. After explaining the significance of such an immense obligation, the question still remains .Why should a person place themselves in a situation they are not truly committed to? The answer can be one or many explanations, and just one solution may not always be the case. Love, sex, and confidence are just some of the reasons that women cheat. Some women don’t receive these things from their husbands so they feel the need to search for them in other places. In the bond of marriage a woman is giving herself to her husband .She is offering him all of her love. What happens if the love becomes weak, grows old, or turns sour? She will yearn for romance, or whatever it was that made her happy. She will search for the missing part of her marriage, and the aspects that her husband lacks will be found in another man. This will be her search to fulfillment or completion. â€Å"She wants to be dined, courted, and romanced. When she tries to be romantic with her husband, he ignores her and continues to read the newspaper or watch sports on the television.†(Norment).The same degree of love that was there in the beginning of the marriage has slowly depleted. Small factors in a marriage may lead to bigger problems in the future. If a woman’s hus...

Federated Science Fund Negotiation Essay

Summary: This was a multiparty negotiation, which involved 6 players all with very different negotiation styles. It was an exercise in which teams easily form a coalition. There were concessions about the value added each team would bring to the â€Å"table†, and my team in a situation of power saw how negatively the other teams reacted in name of fairness and how important was to share the pie. During this exercise there was a 3-stage process: individual assessment, team’s assessment and negotiation. 1) During my individual assessment: I did a thorough analysis of what I believed it was Stockman’s fair value. My reservation price was $215,000 as I did a mean value between 230,000 and 197,000. However I was prepared to accept 197,000 in case my counterparties had convincing arguments or/and have used the Sharpley’s method for distributing the pie. 2) During Stockman’s assessment, my team: My partner was comfortable with my analysis and we rapidly agreed on the strategy. He was very favorable of having a cooperative attitude. As a team, we decided to start negotiating as a group of 3 in order to expand the pie to everyone. 3) During the teams’ assessment when we reassembled: There was a consensus that we were better off together than separately, and we decided to do a simultaneous negotiation in order to guarantee that no one was left out of the deal. Everyone wanted to have an even participation. There were two main breakpoints that change the course of the negotiation: the anchoring and a vertiginous switching of power positions. What did I do right? – I did the anchoring of the thought process; I presented the scenario that was more favorable to Stockman, my team. As below:   Ã¢â‚¬â€œ I Assumed that 480 total was the fair value and started backwards by subtracting the added-value from the person that left the deal. Based on this analysis Stockman was the biggest contribution to the pie, it represented 56.25% of the conjunct agreement. – United was not receptive to this deal, and they were not impressed that at my eyes they were worth only 12.5%. United instantly turn to Turbo for a deal. That attitude was surprising to me as I was expecting a more aggressive tactic of United to do a collision with Stockman. – My initial splitting did not convince United and Turbo as in total they had less than partnering together. I knew and acknowledged that, so I offer Turbo and United some of my 270 share. That was the right thing to do, however I should have reclaimed something in exchange. One should only give up a share of the pie if it has something in return. â€Å"Free lunches turn out to be expensive lunches† in the means that people will always ask for more if they don’t feel they need to compromise. – I was not favorable at all to divide equally the pie. I knew my value and was determined to not let go what I considered my fair bit. What did I do wrong? – I started to get nervous and eventually I panic when I realized that Turbo was starting to be more interested to negotiate with United. United in the midst of an angry Turbo, took advantage and ask for a bigger pie to continue with Stockman. This was a crucial moment, which I internally panic. I should have asked for a break and set again my direction with my partner. Internally I needed â€Å"some minutes in the balcony†, to decompressed. – When I saw that Turbo and United were building up forces, I put in a table a completely new negotiation, which was very disruptive, compared to the previous one: – In this negotiation scenario, United saw their share increasing from 60 to 90 and Turbo would remain more or less the same. Turbo felt berated and betrayed, based on the equity theory they did not accepted and demanded for more. – I learn a big lesson, never radically change negotiation positions. Doing such a radical change underestimates the seriousness of your previous arguments and injures radically your position. One should take the time to negotiate and not feel compelled to do quick decisions. In this particular exercise I should have listened more. I got exposed for trying to control and leverage my position of power. Nevertheless, I managed to do a deal still within my initial reservation price. What would I like to do different? – My Stockman partner was sitting on the bench next to United I guess that made me feel in a certain point of the negotiation isolated. Adding to that, I was the only one in the negotiation with calculations and without my phone to add up and do the recalculation of the values on the spot. – I would mirror the behavior of my colleagues next time, if no one shares calculation sheets I will not show any that I have made. Next time, I will push myself more to be more spontaneous and try to use more persuasive arguments than analytical calculations during the negotiation. – Next time I will listen more and try to understand what is considered as â€Å"fairness†, for instance United just being part of the deal might have been fair per se. I lost a good opportunity to stay only with my first analysis and just duel on a psychological construct that United was a small company that developed research in an area that was not Stockman’s main interest, so being part of the deal for United was already a bonus. (I had a better relationship with Turbo). – At the end of the negotiation I just wanted to protect my reservation price at all cost, I lost control and got in the frame of the yes bias. Maybe I am not as much of a risk taker as I thought I was. – Next time, I will get in line with the intentions of my counterparty and announce my intentions and which are the concessions that I think are reasonable. It is always good to start conceding little and slowly progressively do some concessions. People love to feel they are doing progress in their negotiation and it should be gradual – higher satisfaction for the people involved. – It was good to have done an analytical analysis, however next time I will not share entirely my thought process. I should have used my good planning for my advantage during the negotiation.

Learn to Calculate Percent Change

Learn to Calculate Percent Change Percent increase and decrease are the two types of percent change, which is used to express the ratio of how an initial value compares to the result of a change in value. A percent decrease is a ratio that describes a decline in value of something by a specific rate, while a percent increase is a ratio that describes an increase in the value of something by a specific rate. The easiest way to determine whether a percent change is an increase or a decrease is to calculate the difference between the original value and the remaining value to find the change then divide the change by the original value and multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage. If the resulting number is positive, the change is a percent increase, but if it is negative, the change is a percent decrease. Percent change is highly useful in the real world, for example,  allowing you to calculate  the difference  in the  number of customers who come into  your store daily or to determine  how much money you’d save on a 20-percent-off sale. How to Calculate Percent Change   Suppose the original price for a bag of apples is $3. On Tuesday, the bag of apples sells for $1.80. What is the percent decrease? Note that you would not find the difference between $3 and $1.80 yielding and answer of $1.20, which is the difference in price. Instead, since the cost of the apples has decreased, use this formula to find the percent decrease: Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older. (3 – 1.80) à · 3 .40 40 percent Note how you convert a decimal into a percent by moving the decimal point twice to the right and tacking on the word percent after that number. How to Use Percent Change to Alter Values In other situations, the percent decrease or increase is known, but the newer value is not. This may occur at department stores that are putting clothing on sale but don’t want to advertise the new price or on coupons for goods whose prices vary. Take, for example, a bargain store selling a laptop for $600, while an electronics store nearby promises to beat the price of any competitor by 20 percent. You would clearly want to choose the electronics store, but how much would you save? To calculate this, multiply the original number ($600) by the percent change (0.20) to get the amount discounted ($120). To figure out the new total, subtract the discount amount from the original number to see that you would only be spending $480 at the electronics store. In another example of altering a value, suppose a dress regularly sells for $150. A green tag, marked 40 percent off, is attached to the dress. Calculate the discount as follows: 0.40 x $150 $60 Calculate the sales price  by subtracting the amount you save from the original price: $150 - $60 $90 Exercises With Answers and Explanations Test your skills in finding percent change with the following examples: 1) You see a carton of ice cream that originally sold for $4 now selling for $3.50. Determine the percent change in the price. Original price: $4Current price: $3.50Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older(4.00 - 3.50) à · 4.000.50 à · 4.00 .125 12.5 percent decrease So the  percent decrease is  12.5 percent. 2) You walk to the dairy section and see that the price of a bag of shredded cheese has been reduced from $2.50 to $1.25. Calculate the percent change. Original price: $2.50Current price: $1.25Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older(2.50 - 1.25) à · 2.501.25 à · 2.50 0.50 50 percent decrease So, you have a percent decrease of  50 percent. 3) Now, youre thirsty and see a special on bottled water. Three bottles that used to sell for $1 are now selling for $0.75. Determine the percent change. Original:   $1Current:   $0.75Percent decrease (Older – Newer) à · Older(1.00 - 0.75) à · 1.000.25 à · 1.00 .25 25 percent decrease You have a percent decrease of 25 percent. Youre feeling like a thrifty shopper, but you want to determine the altered values in your next three items. So, calculate the discount, in dollars, for the items in exercises four through six. 4.) A box of frozen fish sticks was $4. This week, it is discounted 33 percent off the original price. Discount: 33 percent x $4 0.33 x $4 $1.32 5.) A lemon pound cake originally cost $6. This week, it is discounted 20 percent off the original price. Discount: 20 percent x $6 0.20 x $6 $1.20 6.) A Halloween costume usually sells for $30. The discount rate is 60 percent. Discount: 60 percent x $30 0.60 x $30 $18

Free Essays on If I Die In A Combat Zone

I have chosen a book called â€Å"If I Die In A Combat Zone† written by Tim O’Brien for my book review. This book is about Tim O’Brien’s experience as a foot solider in the Vietnam War. He spent a year in combat in My Lai, Vietnam. Since this is a fictional book the names of the characters have been changed. Chapter one describes a day in the life of Tim O’Brien. He is talking to a man named Barney when Captain Johansen gave the order to move on and check one more ville for that day. They came across Vietnamese that they nicknamed Charlie. After this place was secured as good as it could be they bedded down and tried to sleep. They slept in holes in the ground called foxholes.The next day they ate C rations and got ready to move on. Chapter two tells about Tim O’Brien growing up. It tells about his parents and about the town that he grew up in. He talks about the things he did in school and how he was trying to decide if God was real or not. He graduated high school and went away to college. Chapter three tells how Tim O’Brien was drafted into the war in 1968. He had a hard time trying to decide if he would go or he would run away to Canada. He did not want to die. He finally made up his mind to go to war even though he thought the war was wrong. Chapter four tells how the soldiers spent their nights looking out over rice paddies. They had a scope that allowed them to see in the dark. They kind of played games with it and let their imaginations run away. Chapter five tells how Tim O’Brien made a friend named Erik and how they got through the first months of army life together at Fort Lewis. He did not like this training. It tells of the things that he kept his mind on just to get through it. Erik liked poetry. All the soldiers at Fort Lewis were homesick for their families. Their drill sergeant was a man named Blyton. Everyone thought he was evil. When basic training was done Erik got to go to ... Free Essays on If I Die In A Combat Zone Free Essays on If I Die In A Combat Zone I have chosen a book called â€Å"If I Die In A Combat Zone† written by Tim O’Brien for my book review. This book is about Tim O’Brien’s experience as a foot solider in the Vietnam War. He spent a year in combat in My Lai, Vietnam. Since this is a fictional book the names of the characters have been changed. Chapter one describes a day in the life of Tim O’Brien. He is talking to a man named Barney when Captain Johansen gave the order to move on and check one more ville for that day. They came across Vietnamese that they nicknamed Charlie. After this place was secured as good as it could be they bedded down and tried to sleep. They slept in holes in the ground called foxholes.The next day they ate C rations and got ready to move on. Chapter two tells about Tim O’Brien growing up. It tells about his parents and about the town that he grew up in. He talks about the things he did in school and how he was trying to decide if God was real or not. He graduated high school and went away to college. Chapter three tells how Tim O’Brien was drafted into the war in 1968. He had a hard time trying to decide if he would go or he would run away to Canada. He did not want to die. He finally made up his mind to go to war even though he thought the war was wrong. Chapter four tells how the soldiers spent their nights looking out over rice paddies. They had a scope that allowed them to see in the dark. They kind of played games with it and let their imaginations run away. Chapter five tells how Tim O’Brien made a friend named Erik and how they got through the first months of army life together at Fort Lewis. He did not like this training. It tells of the things that he kept his mind on just to get through it. Erik liked poetry. All the soldiers at Fort Lewis were homesick for their families. Their drill sergeant was a man named Blyton. Everyone thought he was evil. When basic training was done Erik got to go to ...

Coley's toxins and alternative medicine in cancer treatment Article

Coley's toxins and alternative medicine in cancer treatment - Article Example Coley’s toxins are also referred to as Coley’s vaccine and mixed bacterial vaccine. William Coley’s contribution toward bacterial immunotherapy of tumors and cancers can never be overlooked; however, the myths associated with use of Coley’s toxins have hindered the path towards understanding the exact phenomenon that Coley claimed to have observed (Nauts et al., 1953). One of the supporting claims for using the Coley’s toxins is that they activate the defense mode of macrophages (Starnes, 1992). Naturally the tumor cells in the body are not considered as antigen, and therefore, macrophages predominantly exist in repair mode (Coley and Higinbotham, 1936). Thus the injection of foreign particles or foreign agents into the body instigates an immune response, due to which macrophages target the tumor (Bickels et al., 2002). One must not overlook the success rate of Coley’s treatment; perhaps his method was more efficient than the modern day immunotherapy trials. Coley injected 104 cancer patients with his toxins, out of which 50% survived was for more than 5 years, while 20% of the patients survived longer than 20 years(Tsung and Norton, 2006). The question to ponder is what are the causes that lead to the variation in outcomes of immunotherapy? Why some patients perform better with immunotherapies, and why some struggle to cope with it? Therefore, there is a dire need for understanding the mechanism of action of Coley’s toxins. Another component of the Coley’s toxins is lipopolysaccharide, which is a component of a bacterial cell; initially it was considered that the presence of these molecules activated the tumor necrosis factor or TNF(Wiemann and Starnes, 1994). TNF is a molecule that is naturally present in the body of an organism, and it is reported to play a crucial role in i nitiating necrotic activity

Experimenter Effects Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Experimenter Effects - Research Paper Example To improve experimenter effects for this article implies the reduction of the experimenter’s personal traits, behaviour, and expectancies in the ability of using Magnet Hospital program in reducing RN shortages. To prove that this program can effectively reduce nursing shortage, the experiment would employ the use of double-blind research. In this research, several hospitals are chosen with an acute care and step-down units. Some of the RNs in the acute care or the step-down units under the supervision of the advanced practice nurse. In My opinion, this approach would reduce experimenter effects, since error is reduce from the selection of a number of hospitals. Secondly, the experiment is carried out on either the acute care or step-down unit nurses in any of the hospitals. Thirdly, the margin of biasness, assumptions, perceptions and beliefs in conclusions, would b reduced by having a number of the RN nurses under the advanced practice nurse, who may or may not have a major leadership role in decision making, policy making, or design development. This method would work since the experimenter is not aware of the subjects under the experiment, due to the variance in