Operational processes in businesses

Ten Facts About the U.S. State of Oklahoma

Ten Facts About the U.S. State of Oklahoma Population: 3,751,351 (2010 estimate)Capital: Oklahoma CityBordering States: Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas and MissouriLand Area: 69,898 square miles (181,195 sq km)Highest Point: Black Mesa at 4,973 feet (1,515 m)Lowest Point: Little River at 289 feet (88 m)Oklahoma is a state located in the central southern part of the United States to the north of Texas and the south of Kansas. Its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City and it has a total population of 3,751,351 (2010 estimate). Oklahoma is known for its prairie landscape, severe weather and for its fast growing economy.The following is a list of ten geographic facts about Oklahoma: The first permanent inhabitants of Oklahoma are believed to have first settled the region between 850 and 1450 C.E. In the early to mid-1500s Spanish explorers traveled throughout the area but it was claimed by French explorers in the 1700s. French control of Oklahoma lasted until 1803 when the United States purchased all of Frances territory west of the Mississippi River with the Louisiana Purchase.Once Oklahoma was purchased by the United States, more settlers began to enter the region and during the 19th century, the Native Americans who had been living in the region were forcibly moved away from their ancestral lands in the region to the lands surrounding Oklahoma. This land became known as Indian Territory and for several decades after its creation, it was fought over by both the Native Americans who had been forced to move there and new settlers to the region.By the end of the 19th century, there were attempts to make Oklahoma Territory a state. In 1905 the Sequoyah Statehood C onvention took place to create an all Native American state. These conventions failed but they began the movement for the Oklahoma Statehood Convention which eventually led to the territory becoming the 46th state to enter the Union on November 16, 1907. After becoming a state, Oklahoma quickly began to grow as oil was discovered throughout several regions of the state. Tulsa was known as the Oil Capital of the World at this time and most of the states early economic success was based on oil but agriculture was also prevalent. In the 20th century, Oklahoma continued to grow but it also became a center of racial violence with the Tulsa Race Riot in 1921. By the 1930s Oklahomas economy began to decline and it suffered further due to the Dust Bowl.Oklahomas began to recover from the Dust Bowl by the 1950s and by the 1960s. Massive water conservation and flood control plan was put into place to prevent another such disaster. Today the state has a diversified economy that is based on aviation, energy, the manufacture of transportation equipment, food processing, electronics and telecommunications. Agriculture also still plays a role in Oklahomas economy and it is fifth in U.S. cattle and wheat production.Oklahoma is in the southern United States and with an area of 69,898 square miles (181,195 sq km) it is the 20th largest state in the country. It is near the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states and it shares borders with six different states. Oklahoma has a varied topography because it is between the Great Plains and the Ozark Plateau. As such its western borders have gently sloping hills, while southeast has low wetlands. The highest point in the state, Black Mesa at 4,973 feet (1,515 m), is in its western panhandle, while the lowest point, Little River at 289 feet (88 m), is in the southeast.The state of Oklahoma has a temperate continental throughout much of its area and a humid subtropical climate in the east. In addition, the high plains of the panhandle area have a semi-arid climate. Oklahoma City has an average January low temperature of 26Ëš (-3ËšC) and an average July high temperature of 92.5Ëš (34ËšC). Oklahoma is also prone to severe weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes because it is geographically located in an area where air masses collide. Because of this, much of Oklahoma is within Tornado Alley and on average 54 tornadoes hit the state each year.Oklahoma is an ecologically diverse state as it i s home to over ten different ecological regions that range from arid grasslands to marshlands. 24% of the state is covered in forests and there is a variety of different animal species. In addition, Oklahoma is home to 50 state parks, six national parks, and two national protected forests and grasslands. Oklahoma is known for its large system of education. The state is home to several large universities which include the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Central Oklahoma. To learn more about Oklahoma, visit the states official website.ReferencesInfoplease.com. (n.d.). Oklahoma: History, Geography, Population and State Facts- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0108260.htmlWikipedia.org. (29 May 2011). Oklahoma - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma

Psychology of Lying Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychology of Lying - Research Paper Example The second reason why people lie could be to benefit from lying somehow and achieve a better position, socially or materialistically (McVeigh, 41). Grover (479) agrees that self-interest could be the main fixed variable when we refer to deception, as has been confirmed through various theories and research on deception. Deceiving so that self-control could be exercised over resources, where resources are viewed as a self-interest commodity, has been the moral of many organizational politics literature (Grover, 479). Grover (479) mentions a particular theory by (Schein, 1979) where he hypothesized that deception could be an instrument used to achieve power, with special emphasis on high end organizations.Then again at another instance Grover (479) recollects (Lewicki, 1983) to have considered achieving any desired outcomes through the purposeful negotiation tactic of ‘lying’. This statement is supported by two authors, Hurkens and Kartik (15), who believe that most people lie when there is an incentive available. Grover (1) gives the best example to explain how lying could provide opportunities to people. Since workers have to report the newest developments to their bosses and subordinates frequently either verbally or non-verbally. Grover (1) states that a truck driver keeps track of all the hours he has been on the road, a nurse records vital signs on charts, a certified public accountant records the amounts audited, while reporting tree census is the job of a forester. While their individual employers consider their stated report to be true, each of such people has initiatives to lie (Grover, 1). If the truck driver fakes that he followed the speed limit, while actually he exceeded it he can return home earlier; the nurse, on the other hand, can save her time and put it elsewhere by incorrectly quoting some of the recorded vital signs; by reporting that they have done voluminous amounts of work CPA's may become partners sooner; and the forester i n order to prevent deforestation may wrongly report the tree census (Grover, 1). Such initiatives to lie all fulfill selfish desires, thus, giving room to the idea which links selfish behavior to the act of lying. DePaulo et.al (980) further states that it is an established fact in the literature on ethics that, lying is frequently perceived as an act of selfish behavior. DePaulo et.al (980) mentions an assumption that landing jobs, proceeding in the corporate hierarchy, increased remuneration, as well as better grades, seem to be the main (selfish) motivators for people to lie. DePaulo et.al (980) point out that these are all financial or rather materialistic gains which satisfy the self, however, a contrasting ideology becomes evident in their opinion, since they perceive lies to be told often to achieve emotional satisfaction, such as esteem, affection, and respect, rather than materialistic satisfaction. Ekman and O’Sullivan (913) explain the intensity of different kinds of lies and what could be the dangers associated with each of them. According to Ekman and O’Sullivan (913), lies are observed in all phases of life, whether it be at home, school, or the workplace. Ekman and O’Sullivan (913) divide lies into two categories: the low-stake lies, and the high-stake lies. Considering the

Smith Radiators Organizational Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smith Radiators Organizational Strategy - Essay Example Jeff Brown’s letter to Smith informs us that other suppliers could supply radiators at a lower price than Smith Radiators. On the other hand, even though the organization had built a reputation for manufacturing reliable radiators, one cannot categorically state that Smith Radiators pursued a differentiation strategy. We cannot detect a deliberate management drive towards product improvement or innovation over the 30 or so years that it has been in existence. Secondly, it is noted that Smith Radiators has to be prompted to make an adjustment to its organizational strategy due to the external pressure from Automobiles of America, Inc. (AAI) – the company’s largest customer. Smith Radiator’s implied management failure to articulate a viable organizational strategy and its implied adherence to the particular strategy-structure relationship even though it was no longer relevant to the change in environmental conditions over the 30 years that it has had a relat ionship with AAI are consistent with factors that cause firms to resort to reactor strategies (Miles and Snow 82). That which we can detect though is that Smith Radiators’ HR practices are geared towards direct, process-based control in which the focus is on efficiency and cost containment. This strategy would have been a perfect fit if the organization pursued a low cost strategy. However, since we cannot categorically state that the organization pursues such a strategy, we cannot conclude that its HR strategy is a fit. Smith Radiators worker’s skills are not particularly unique to the firm and thus cannot serve as a differentiating source of uniqueness. The organization therefore exploited the fact that it has generic key employees to negotiate the â€Å"no layoff, no strike† policy in exchange for job security but with low wages with the union. Smith Radiators’ HR strategy and practices have so far enabled it to survive in the competitive market as i t has been able to keep its costs low. The challenge now though is that to meet the new AAI’s supplier requirements, Smith Radiators has to re-think and reformulate its HR strategy to fit the new Just-in-Time (JIT) requirements.

Building construction for the fire service essay 2 (Brannigan &

Building construction for the fire service 2 (Brannigan & Corbett, 2008 - Essay Example In addition, transporting or moving the fire fighting equipment to the building can be a problem as well (Schottke, 2012, p 34). High-rise fire requires huge resource requirement allocation. This is because a balance has to be achieved among a number of factors at play. For instance, achieving a balance between evacuating the occupants from within the building as well as allocating the necessary resources to curb the fire before it grows and destroys the property or causes loss of life. It is important to acknowledge that high-rise building fire fighting requires a huge number of experienced fire fighting personnel’s as well as sophisticated fire fighting equipment that are very expensive. A lot of coordination between the fire fighting personnel’s is also required (Schottke, 2012, p 35). Time is an important factor in fire fighting. The shorter the time of fire evacuation, the better the result and the vice versa. High-rise buildings pose a challenge to get water on target. This is simply due to the height involved, and in addition, a lot of time is lost when coordinating the various steps before the actual fire fighting commences. This increases the impacts of the fire. It is also important to note that the water is applied vertically in most cases and hence reducing its effectiveness (Schottke, 2012, p 35). Fire fighting in high-rise buildings is a dangerous undertaking. It should be carried out by skilled personnel’s and only after careful planning and consultation. The necessary equipments should as well be at play and should be used by specialized

Information Communication Technology ICT Has Revolutionized Education Essay

Information Communication Technology ICT Has Revolutionized Education Essay In the following Research, the main aim is to investigate the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Information communication Technology in Teaching English Pronunciation to Students of the Modern Language Program at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo in which the participants of the learning process would obtain when the facilitators incorporate new aids into the process of teaching. We are going to focus our investigation in the effects of using information communication technology (ICT) in Teaching English Pronunciation to Students of the Modern Language Program at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo. The reasons for this investigation are: To identify the Technology of information that the Language School provides to the facilitators, to point out the common mistakes students make when pronouncing in the target language, to determine the advantages and disadvantages that Technology of information offers to Students and to suggest the usage of Technology of information at the Language School. According to our objectives if teachers put into practice these technological aids in their programs and the advantages that those aids could have for the benefit of students and teachers too. As matter of fact, this research would help students as well as teachers to be more connected and more collaborative in a world that is constantly changing, is more creative and very demanding. Nowadays it is not a matter of getting good grades by the part of the students, but to be engaged and achieve high standards of excellence in order to be able to compete later on with increasing digital learners who have already acquired technology, and this technology has become a tool in their daily life activities. Thats why those digital learners around the world are nowadays more aware of what is happening in their surroundings because technology has revolutionized our lives, as Pope Benedict XVI said on January 25th, These (new digital) Technologies are truly a gift to humanity and we must endeavor to ensure that the benefits they offer are put at the service of all human individuals and communities, especially those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable. (2009) . Hypothesis The Students who use ICTs in English Pronunciation acquire a better proficiency that the students who dont use them. Statement of the Problem Despite the progress that has been made to develop effective methods for the instruction of a second language such as, brainstorming, guest speaker, report-back sessions, role playing, case studies, small group discussions all of this are still focus in a classroom based learning environment. A great number of students feel insecure when it comes to carry out a conversation in English. The traditional methods are not focusing enough in teaching pronunciation to students; as a consequence many students are not able to fulfill the requirements of an appropriate pronunciation once they have finished the whole program. Students are not prepared enough to deal with the challenges posed by an increasingly competitive society. It is required to come up with new strategies and ways in order to give effective response to the exigencies of the world. It is strongly necessary to provide the learner with the level of competence and pronunciation is definitely one of the most important aspects to be taken into consideration. A great number of facilitators are not willing to break the paradigms and implement new teaching aids in their teaching programs which would help students to improve their proficiency and at the same time their performance at any given time. As a consequence, a great number of students, once they have finished the whole program are not able to fulfill the requirements and they cannot vie with other professionals in the same field just because they were not taught according to the new standards in Education. Justification We decided to lead this research because we have noticed that the use of Information communication Technology (ICT) in Teaching English Pronunciation has become a new trend around the world and we have noticed that those technological resources will empower students for a more effective pronunciation performance. As a matter of fact, we have observed that the language school really needs to make some progress in this aspect and offers a standard education program according to the needs of the global community. The world is constantly changing and ICT has become part of it. It has engaged great part of human activities, work, science, health, and education can ´t be apart from it. Information Communication Technology (ICT) offers new paradigms and patterns for teaching. The new generation is demanding for students to be incorporated, to foster the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT). We have perceived that there is a gap in the bridge of the teaching process, so it has been required to integrate ICT in order to fulfill the exigencies of the modern curriculum. The decision of conducting this research is because Pronunciation is essential in a language learner and we have noticed that ICT can empower students for a more effective pronunciation performance at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo. Pronunciation is of core significance because it is important to be understood by others when speaking. Purpose To determine the advantages and disadvantages of Using ICT in Teaching English Pronunciation to Students of the Modern Language Program at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo and to foster facilitators to apply this new approach to their teaching process, so that they can contribute in the development of students knowledge more effectively. Significance We consider essential to develop this research because we have noticed that the use of Information Communication Technology at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo in order to teach English pronunciation in the whole English program is not reasonably competent. The main sources to teach such important skill are only the chalk, board and radio if it is used. While other undergraduate institutions are quite ahead in the use of technological resources such as TV, radio, slides in PowerPoint, online courses and labs. Consequently, with this research we want to highlight the importance of using these sources so that the corresponding authorities can take this into account and to allot funds to implement these core techniques. Objectives General objective To determine the effects of the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching English Pronunciation to Students of the Modern Language Program at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo. Specific objectives 1. To identify the age and sex of the population under studied. 2. To identify the Technology of information that the Language School provides to facilitators. 3. To point out the common mistakes students make when pronouncing. 4. To determine the advantages and disadvantages that information Technology offers to Students. 5. To suggest the usage of Technology of information at the Language School. 6. To determine the attitude of the facilitators and students toward the use or implementation of ICT in the teaching process. Research question What are the advantages Modern Languages Students majoring in English at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo obtain by using ICT in acquiring English Pronunciation over the ones who do not use these Technological tools? Scope of the Topic We are going to limit our research to the effects of the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching English Pronunciation to Students of the Modern Language Program at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo. In the 2012-2 semester when this investigation will be performed at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo. We will take into consideration the limitation that Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo Modern Languages School is going through with a minimum budget intended to technological sources. Definition of Terms Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo: It is a public university located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was founded in 1538. Currently, the university holds eight schools which are: Engineering, Arts, Humanities, Economic and Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Architecture, Agriculture Sciences, and Law and Political Sciences . ICT: These acronyms stand for Information Communications Technology or Information and Communication Technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology (IT), but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications, and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers, middleware as well as necessary software, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to create, access, store, transmit, and manipulate information. In other words, ICT consists of IT as well as telecommunication, broadcast media, all types of audio and video processing and transmission and network based control and monitoring functions . Pronunciation: It is the way in which a language or a particular word or sound is pronounced . Student: A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. Language School: Is a department belonging to the Humanity Faculty founded in July 1957 which offers two careers, Modern language major in English and Modern language major in French . Antecedents In our research paper about the Effects of using Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Teaching English Pronunciation to Students of the Modern Language Program at Universidad Autà ³noma de Santo Domingo. We found out that many investigators have been talking about this topic since twenty years ago General Overview In this chapter, we detail the history of computer and internet which are the main focus of our investigation. It starts with the cave drawings 30,000 years ago and continues with the advances of mathematics and science which helped to develop what we know today as computer and internet. After that, we describe how these tools were incorporated in education and the conclusions of different studies about the use of technology in the teaching and learning process. The world keeps on changing with every rotation it makes round the sun. Just a decade ago, students were taught with pens, pencils, black boards, notebooks, and chalks. But nowadays, all that have become history which no one wishes to remember. Light pens and boards, PDF notes, CD rooms have been replaced, and even as you are reading this, the world is advancing rapidly with respect to ICT technology as even computers and laptops are gradually leaving the scene for new technological devices, such as IPods, cell phones, headsets, etc. In consideration of these developments, it becomes imperative for the wise teacher to instill knowledge in students of this dispensation, utilizing fully, the facilities and opportunities availed by ICT Technology to pedagogy. This is because if teachers dont, not only will the students continue to find it difficult to assimilate (having been acclimatized to the easy-ICT world). Hence, it is unequivocal to state that every teacher needs to pull in ICT into their curriculum and methodology, or lose the interest of the 21st century student. Putting this into consideration, below is the history of ICT that for everybodys good it has increased the effectiveness of education in English pronunciation and other disciplines. History of ICT More than two decades ago, information communication technology (ICT) has been being used in schools around the world. The objective of introducing these technological resources has been to enhance and satisfy the huge demand of new generations. Due to the great increase of technology and the innovation of the World Wide Web (Internet) in 1980, schools and universities noticed the importance of information communication technology (ICT) to increase their students abilities and competence in this new digital era. Certain advances have been made in the educational system to provide students with personalized tools in order for them to fulfill their current needs. As Sunkel G. said the general perception has been that they would increase levels of educational attainment by introducing changes in teaching and learning processes and strategies, adapting to the needs of the individual students (Sunkel, 2006) . Information Communication Technology (ICT) at the beginning was not designed for educational purposes; however, after discovering its great effectiveness in different fields and in daily activities it has been transferred to the educational field. According to Watsons (2001), ICT have revolutionized the way people work today and are now transforming education systems. This is the reason why information communication technology is gaining ground in todays world . Everything started 30,000 years ago B.C in the Paleolithic Era, information communication technology started with the cave drawings near France and Spain as the first manifestation of communication among different groups of people. These drawings were painted for the purpose of art Work, and created as meaningful part of religious ceremonies; this was a meaningful advance in the history of ICT . In 510 B.C, Pythagoras a Greek citizen founded an academy where he used to teach mathematics and physics; he came up with one of his masterpiece the Pythagoras theorem that later on helped in the development of mathematics and in daily life activities but his teachings and speeches were in an oral way because at that period of time no advances were made in order to capture his teachings. As matter of fact written communication has always been important for the development of communication, the most important records are written on paper thats why China noticed the necessity and made an important contribution to humanity with the invention of the paper. According to (Twede, D. 2005) paper as we know is originated in china in 105 A.D. the earliest process known is attributed to Ts ai Lun. The manuscript transcription in 382 was an important step on the development of written communication . They were written as a way of transmitting beliefs, stories or knowledge to futures generations and cultures, they recorded the most important aspects of that era where only oral communication was used . Later on Johannes Gutenberg a German inventor introduced the Printing Press to Europe in 1450, he was the first man to use a movable type and suddenly change the history, and until that time monks and academics had the opportunity to acquire the information and were the only empowered to spread the knowledge. From that moment on more and more common people were able to buy books and also acquire information and teach their kids at home. One of Gutenbergs pieces of art was the first bible printed on a movable type also known as the 42-line Bible . In 1600 Public Education was a big step in North American society thanks to the advances that were made throughout time; it was a huge leap for the development of humanity because it gave equal rights to each person to acquire at least a decent education. The first public school in the American colonies was the Boston Latin School, students studied Latin and Greek and the elementary subjects like (Lecture, writing, reading) so forth and so on . A year later in 1700 marked the beginning of a new revolution in the teaching field because some of the first low tech devices were introduced to the teaching process as an example of these were the black board a great innovation for teachers in order to show students in a visual way what they were saying, also the chalk board slates or (writing slates) was another device that even today is very useful for divers in order to communicate under water. In 1700 a slate was very useful in school in order to practice math exercises. In 1800 Books or as Robert Darnton called them in his book What is the History of Books the social and cultural history of communication by print, were introduced for the first time in the teaching field as an innovation . Audiovisual Age Education has developed rapidly with the introduction of technology and the audiovisual resources to the teaching learning process. The audiovisual age started with the invention of the film and the sound recording in 1910. (Comenius 1632) lessons should proceed from easy to complex at a slow and deliberate pace; acquisition of new material began through the senses . The beginning of the audiovisual age marked the parameters of a new platform in the education field it was focused in the implementation of new ways of communication for example the radio created in 1910 is considered the first mass media, (Spiker 1996) radio connects individuals across geographical, cultural, and political devices. It was immediately introduced into education through special children programs to develop their listening and speaking skills, as soon as these programs become popular the radio started increasing its production . Another advance into education was the film strip projector in 1930; it was implemented in the educational system to display in the classroom frames of a strip on which images were printed, in this way students could visualized what they were been taught for their teachers. Likewise the filmstrip projector the overhead projector in 1940 was introduced to the classroom facilitating the interactive environment for teachers and students, because of the easy way teachers can prepare lectures and students can prepare notes before a lesson. Information Age (1960) The information age started in the latter part of the twentieth Century and the beginning of the twenty- first Century with new and challenging advances that demanded more from users as David S. Alberts and Daniel S. Papp stated in their book Complexity and change are the two defining characteristics of the Information Age. Our successes as individuals, families, organizations, communities, and societies will depend more than ever upon our abilities to adapt, in near real time . in this particular period of time appeared some of the most outstanding Technologies of all times for example: Television was one of the most remarkable inventions during the Information age, built 1960 by several people at first moment to entertain population but little by little was introduced as a great device for teaching purposes. Ten years later in 1970, videocassette recorder (VCR) and video home system (VHS) tapes were the new booms in the 70s because with these new devices you could record and play back peoples favorite TV programs. U-Matic was one of the first VHS tapes introduced by Sonic in 1971 to consumers and also for teaching purposes, it was very ground-breaking because in that way students for the first time had access to authentic recorded material which they could review over once and once again . In the 80s the audiotape came as the radios complement for teachers to replay or record authentic materials that later on were destined for teaching purposes; in those years audiotapes were very popular for the listening skill. Computer Age (1990) According to TechEncyclopedia (2002) computer is a general-purpose machine that processes data according to a set of instructions that are stored internally either temporarily or permanently . computers were conceived from arduous years of investigation and failures. Two of the most outstanding pioneers among others in the Mechanical Era of computers (1623-1945) were Blaise Pascal and Charles Babbage, Blaise a mathematician with the help of other colleagues designed a calculator that was able to add, subtract, multiply and divide. On its side Charles Babbage probably designed the first multi-purpose or programmable computing device in 1823 but never completed. To get to the computer age or the age where computer was first introduced to education that means 1990 many things had to happen, in order to mention some of these events for example; First Generation Electronic Computers (1937-1953), Second Generation (1954-1962), Third Generation (1963-1972), Fourth Generation (1972-1984), Fi fth Generation (1984-1990) in the fifth generation computers were more manageable and achieved a high superiority in processing besides they were more stable than their first prototypes. Computers were introduced as tool in order to help teachers perform more difficult tasks and also to present authentic materials to students for them to be competitive in a more demanding world. 1995 The Digital Age 1995 Information Exchange 2000 The Interactive Age The Role of ICT in Education The increasing presence of technology in all areas of human life leads to consider technology as an element of extraordinary importance in our society. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) are the cultural and technological events of great scope and expansion of the recent centuries, they are present in all areas of human life, and education is not excluded from this process. They were implemented in the educational systems in the early nineties, since then they have provided access to a great amount of information (Wagner et al 2005) says that  ´Ã‚ ´ICTs ´Ã‚ ´ are currently being used widely to aid education in many developing countries, and it appears that there is an increasing demand for their use in education by policymakers and parents in developing countries . The integration of ICT in education has become a priority in developing countries, because digital technologies can enhance the teaching process through innovation in teaching materials and teaching methods making more effective the learning process. Also because the challenges of education are increasing and requiring an effective learning with the implementation of new instructional strategies, according to students ´ needs. ICTs have had a major impact on education; some of these impacts are related to the need to make a change in education ´s methodology, and in its teaching-learning purpose. It is that a new methodology is required to introduce the technology in the academic field, thus achieving the transformation of educational system. ICTs have provided the educational field new pedagogical possibilities, expanding the resources of acquiring new knowledge. With the incorporation of ICT by students and teachers in the teaching-learning process is facilitated the collaborative learning due to ICT provides learners and professors tools such as chat, email, blogs etc. Which motivate the active participation in the classroom. According to Buckingham D. in his Handbook of New Media: Students Edition expressed that computers bring about new forms of learning which transcend the limitations of older methods, particularly linear methods such as print and television, and it is children who are seen to be most responsive to these new approaches: the computer somehow releases their natural creativity and desire to learn, which are apparently blocked and frustrated by old-fashioned methods . With the incorporation of computers, projectors, Internet, into the teaching-learning process it is noticeable the motivation students feel when they use them because they are projected to improve the quality of education through the diversification of contents and methods, promoting experimentation, innovation and learning stimulation. Since ICTs were introduced into the educational field they have given a new approach for those teachers who based their classes only on the green board practices and scheduled classes year after year following a monotonous curriculum. As ICTs enter the socio-cultural setting of schools, they may trigger changes in the activities, curriculum and interpersonal relationship in the learning environment, and is reciprocally affected by the changes they cause (Demiralslan and Usluel, 2008) . The use of ICTs into education look for changing old patterns of teaching focusing primarily on students in an interactive environment for learning encouraging motivation and communication methods; allowing students a greater autonomy in learning, in addition to overcoming the barriers of time and space. The rapid use of ICT in the education system makes expectations to grow about the potential of ICT and its contribution to improving the teaching learning process. ICTs have brought significant changes in our lives and especially in the education. Many schools and universities have been associated with these changes offered by technology and integrated them into its educational system to implement the changes required by the contemporary world. New tools, technologies, and skills allow innovations to be introduced to the teaching-learning process and education to continue the rapid advances and progress exposing students to new technological challenges. Advantages and Disadvantages of ICT Digital devide Advantages ICT Help to better prepare students for the constantly grow of technology. One of the most important reasons for using ICTs in the classroom has been to better prepare the current generation of students where ICTs, particularly computers, the Internet and related technologies, are becoming more and more ubiquitous:  Ã‚ ¶ Greater efficiency throughout the school.  Ã‚ ¶ Communication channels are increased through email, discussion groups and chat rooms  Ã‚ ¶ Regular use of ICT across different curriculum subjects can have a beneficial motivational influence on students learning of pronunciation.  Ã‚ ¶ Students are generally more on task and express more positive feelings when they use computers than when they are given other tasks to do.  Ã‚ ¶ Computer use during lessons motivates students to continue using learning outside school hours.  Ã‚ ¶ Higher quality lessons through greater collaboration between teachers in planning and preparing resources.  Ã‚ ¶ More focused teaching, tailored to students strengths and weaknesses, through better analysis of attainment data  Ã‚ ¶ Improved pastoral care and behavior management through better tracking of students  Ã‚ ¶ Gains in understanding and analytical skills, including improvements in pronunciation.  Ã‚ ¶ Development of writing skills (including spelling, grammar, punctuation, editing and re-drafting), also fluency, originality and elaboration.  Ã‚ ¶ Encouragement of independent and active learning, and self-responsibility for learning.  Ã‚ ¶ Flexibility of anytime, anywhere access (Jacobsen and Kremer, 2000)  Ã‚ ¶ Development of higher level learning styles  Ã‚ ¶ Students who used educational technology in school felt more successful and more motivated to learn and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem  Ã‚ ¶ Students found learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and student-centered than in a traditional classroom  Ã‚ ¶ Broadband technology supports the reliable and uninterrupted downloading of web-hosted educational multimedia resources  Ã‚ ¶ Opportunities to address their work to an external audience  Ã‚ ¶ Opportunities to collaborate on assignments with people outside or inside school Disadvantages of ICT One of the major barriers for the cause of ICT not reaching its full potential in the foundation stage is teachers attitude. According to Hara (2004), within the early years education attitudes towards ICT can vary considerably. Some see it as a potential tool to aid learning whereas others seem to disagree with the use of technology in early year settings. Blatchford and Whitebread (2003:16), suggests that the use of ICT in the foundation stage is unhealthy and hinders learning. Other early years educators who are opposed to offering ICT experiences within the educational settings take a less extreme view than this and suggest that ICT is fine, but there are other more vital experiences that young children will benefit from, (Blatchford and Whitebread, 2003). In theory some people may have the opinion that the teachers who had not experienced ICT throughout their learning tend to have a negative attitude towards it, as they may lack the training in that area of the curriculum. Another important drawback to using ICT in schools is the fact that computers are expensive. According to the IT learning exchange (2001), in most schools ICT will be the single largest curriculum budget cost. This may be seen as a good thing but on the other hand there will be little money left over for other significant costs. ICT Tools incorporated in the Teaching Process The world that we are living today has turned in a global village because the physical distance existing among humankind is getting closer, and closer due to the technological changes. These changes or technological advances such as the computer and the internet has changed the whole world quite a lot and more when this technological advances are used in education. After the internet invention a lot of websites and software have been created to develop the way people learn languages, giving them, thousands of alternatives no matter how far they are from one another, just by having a computer an Internet connection they can have access to many education sites. In this section we are going to present a series of website used for teaching English and teaching English pronunciation such VoiceThread, Manythings.org, Fonetiks.org, BBC Learning English, Learners TV so forth and so on. These sites are specifically used for teaching, learning English and English pronunciation. VoiceThread in the Classroom VoiceThread is especially beneficial within the classroom. Teachers and students are using VoiceThread as a storytelling tool, a deep thinking tool, a research tool, an expository communication tool, and even an assessment tool (Dyck, 2007). VoiceThread has brought storytelling to the 21st century and allows stories to be shared around the world. VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to leave comments in 5 ways. Through the use of comments, VoiceThread creates an interactive environment in which individuals can share common interests and ideas. It can also be used as an assessment tool for examining others opinions and as a tool for teachers. Businesses, teachers, and students use VoiceThread. It provides a creative outlet for students and encourages the sharing of ideas. But the uses of VoiceThread are not limited to storytelling. VoiceThread has unlimited possibilities in which it can include voice, type, doodling, unlimited slides or just a simple slide. It can include pictures or typed documents. It can be embedded or exported to other destinations and multiple identities can be created under one account. This is great for teachers who can establish one account and have kids use multiple identities to create and comment. VoiceThread can be used to collect information as well by uploading a simple slide and evaluating comments. Not only can VoiceThread be used as a creative outlet but it can also be used to learn more about others experiences and views. VoiceThread makes it possible to examine the thinking of others through pictures, text, doodling, and voice. VoiceThread is an online album that other VoiceThread users can directly comment on using voice, writing, video, and drawing. VoiceThreads can be used to share information, start a discussion, receive feedback, or simply tell a story. The basic VoiceT

The Lost World: Summary :: essays research papers

The Lost World: Summary The Lost World by Michael Crichton is a great science fiction novel about a group of scientists of different fields that go on an expedition to an island to bring back a rich and stubborn scientist from a test expedition that he cared about more than his life. The "lost world" is an island off the coast of Costa Rica called Isla Sorna on which a company named InGen (Short for International Genetics Corps.), genetically engineered and contrived dinosaurs which were extinct since 65 million years. This island was used as an incubator for the dinosaurs before they were shipped to another island close by called Isla Nublar. Isla Nublar was leased by InGen for a biological preserve for tourists to see the dinosaurs at a certain cost. After a tremendous tragedy at Isla Nublar, the company went bankrupt and destroyed Isla Nublar. They did not bother to mess with Isla Sorna because of publicity reasons. For six years no one knew about this lost world. Many times there were cases of large unknown animals at Costa Rica, but no one found out what they actually were or where they had come from. A rich scientist named Dr. Richard Levine performed research on some of these animals and found some clues which led him to the lost island. He set out on a test expedition with his colleague to find out exactly if he was on the right island. He missed his boat back home to the states. So, he called his friend, Dr. Thorne with his satellite phone and left a message asking him to come down to the island and get on with the expedition. Dr. Thorne, Ian Malcolm, Dr. Sarah Harding , and two kids that sneaked in with them, went to the island to rescue Dr. Levine and explore the behaviors of the dinosaurs on the island. When they get to the island, they find out that they aren't the only ones that were looking for dinosaurs. Three men led by Dodgson from another genetics company called Biosyn, were also there, looking for dinosaurs to open up their own theme park. Many things go wrong on the island. Some of the people get too close to the dinosaurs and they get into trouble, Sarah Harding takes a baby from the Tyrannasaurus's nest because it looked sick and the mother comes looking for her baby. This island was lost by InGen for six years, and it was the only place in the world that time had passed by. Since 65 million years, the dinosaurs

The True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

In Search of Goal Do you think looking forward and trying to change a bad situation into a good one for having a better life is a wrong decision? The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian is a novel written by Sherman Alexie. The novel is about Arnold Spirit; everyone calls him Junior. He is a teenage boy with a tough life who lives with his family in poverty on a Spokane Indian reservation in Wellpinit, Washington. He hates living in poverty and wants something better for himself. â€Å"I feel like I might grow up to be somebody important.An artist†(6) he claims. His living conditions are horrible; he studies in a school with a lack of resources. He considered the different aspects of moving to Reardan, he struggled about leaving the Rez. In the end Junior decided to leave the Rez and make a better life for himself. He must go somewhere else, somewhere that people have hope. In order to get a decent education he made the difficult decision to transfer to the privileged white school in the town of Reardan. Leaving the Rez for a better life had a negative impact on Junior’s relationship with Rowdy.Junior and Rowdy were friends for a long time. â€Å"He is my best human friend and he cares about me† (16), â€Å"Rowdy has protected me since we were born† (17). Rowdy was the most important person in Junior’s life. By leaving the Rez, Junior lost his friend. When Junior told Rowdy about leaving the Rez he got mad, he hauls off and punched Junior in the face and told him, â€Å"Don’t touch me, you retarded fag† (52). Rowdy was angry with Junior; he thought Junior betrayed him by making this decision.Junior was upset about what happened he felt guilty that their relationship was ruined. â€Å"I knew that my best friend had become my worst enemy†(53). In sum, Junior lost his best friend Rowdy because of the decision that he made for a better life. In addition to losing his old friend making new friends at Re ardan was hard and slow. When Junior arrived in Reardan he was scared. He didn't know what was going to happen with the other students. He was wondering what he was doing in a racist white school. Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo? I felt that Roger had kicked me in the face. That was the most racist thing I ‘d ever heard in my life† (64) He tried to protect himself when he hit Roger, and he didn’t understand why Roger didn’t try to hit him back. He was scared about the decision that he made. Arnold was the center of attention and this feeling made him uncomfortable, â€Å"They stared at me like I was Bigfoot or a UFO† (56). Most of the students rejected him, they called him names like â€Å"Chief† â€Å"Squaw Boy† â€Å"Tonto†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (64).It was the loneliest time of his life; â€Å" I just walked from class to class alone; I sat at launch alone; during PE I stood in the corner of the gym and played catch with myself† (83). He thought that he could make friends, but Reardan students didn’t want him in their school. He felt really lonely. As a result, Arnold was lost because everything in Reardan was different from the Rez; he knew that it would be hard for him to find his place in the racist school of Reardan. Although he had a lot of external problems with his new life style in Reardan, it was nothing compared to the internal conflict he suffered.Toward the end of the novel Junior was faced with an abundance of death among his family and friends. After the death of his grandmother, sister and his father’s best friend he was sad, and felt that all the bad things that happened to his friend and family were his fault. As a result he felt helpless and stupid: â€Å"I was mad at God† (171). â€Å"I was so depressed that I thought about dropping out of Reardan. I thought about going back to Wellpinit. I blamed myself for all of the death. I had cur sed my family.I had left the tribe, and had broken something inside all of us, and I was now being punished for that† (173). He carried the guilt of his sister’s death; â€Å"I had killed my sister. Well, I hadn’t killed her. But she only got married so quickly and left the Rez because I had left the Rez first. She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people. It was all my fault† (211). He took on the burden of responsibility for the death of his sister; she was killed in an accident when she was drunk; what happened to her wasn’t Junior’s fault.As result, he was terrified of losing his father, â€Å"Please God, please don’t kill my daddy† (203). Then Junior got some guidance from his father and some words of encouragement from his mother, and Junior began to understand that he made the change in his life for the better. Junior wasn’t the reason her sister died, but he had in spired her to follow her dreams as well. The upshot of all this is that, Junior’s decision about leaving the Rez and moving to Reardan for a better education was tough.He faced lot of problems; he felt lonely because of losing his best friend, and afraid of death of his tribe and family. Although he suffered from the entire bad things that happened to him, it was the best decision that he had made for his life. â€Å"I realized that I might be a lonely Indian boy, but I was not alone in my loneliness. There were millions of other Americans who had left their birthplaces in search of a dream† (217). Work cited Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, 2009. Print.

Before and Ago

Before and Ago Before and Ago Before and Ago By Maeve Maddox I came across the following sentence in a writers movie synopsis: [a man] passes away and bequeaths his shack on the island to a woman, a young girl that he met many years ago when he was in a prisoner of war hospital. The word that jars is ago where before is called for. before at some unknown time before now. ago at a certain time before, counting back from the present Another way of writing the above sentence would be to make use of a perfect tense: [a man] passes away and bequeaths his shack on the island to a woman, a young girl that he had met many years before when he was in a prisoner of war hospital. Even if the lapse of time had been specified, the sentence would still call for before: Â  [a man] passes away and bequeaths his shack on the island to a woman, a young girl that he met twenty years before, when he was in a prisoner of war hospital. Ago is for counting back from the present. The man is dead in the present described in the synopsis. Therefore before, not ago, is called for. For variation, you can use earlier or previously to indicate a time before a time already in the past. For a more detailed discussion of the uses of ago and before go here. Â   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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before Words34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better WriterWoof or Weft?

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar Free Online Research Papers William Shakespeare, the writer of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, writes many different tragedies including The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and The Tragedy of Macbeth. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, many characters face serious struggles to make Rome a better place for everyone. Throughout the whole entire play, all the characters face one another in the struggle to stop destruction and chaos from brewing in Rome. The power of all the conspirators pushes them to kill Caesar but it ends in their own death. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is named as it is because all of what happens in the story is based on Caesar and his death. In Acts I and II, the conspirators plot how they will carry out the execution of Julius Caesar. All their plans lead up to Caesar’s death in Act III, and when Caesar is killed, Brutus tells the people of Rome, â€Å"People; and senators, be not frightened. Fly not; stand still; ambition’s debt is paid† (III, I, 82-83). Brutus is telling the people not to fear, that it is Caesar’s fate to die from his own ambition. In Act III, IV, and V, Brutus and Antony both fight to stop each other. Antony is fighting Brutus to help Octavius avenge his friend Julius’ death, and Brutus is trying to prevent Antony from leading Rome in the wrong direction. Before the conspirators go off to war with the triumvirate, Brutus sees something very strange in his tent. Brutus sees the ghost of Caesar enter his tent and it tells Brutus, â€Å"To tell thee though shalt see me at Philippi† (IV, III, 281). The ghost tells Brutus that he will see him in Philippi and this foreshadows Brutus’ death. Caesar is seen and reappears over and over again throughout the whole story, thus, making him an important part of the play. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar iss named as it is because Julius Caesar is the main focus to Brutus and Cassius in Acts I, II, and III; he is the whole reason for the chaos in Rome after his death and the war at Philippi. The whole entire play revolves around Julius Caesar and that is why the play is named as it is. Research Papers on The Tragedy of Julius CaesarHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsCapital PunishmentHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionMind TravelThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Fifth HorsemanArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Where Wild and West MeetAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

State with reasons the aims which you consider are relevant for Essay

State with reasons the aims which you consider are relevant for present day education. What social factors are likely to influence learners' achievements of these aims - Essay Example The various aims could be identified and compartmentalized under the following heads: 1. Development of cognitive skills: When a child grows up into an adolescent and later on into an adult, it has to be gradually trained to observe and understand various things, principles and aspects of life. The environment teaches many things but if the learner is not properly trained to understand things in the proper perspective, then s/he is likely to misunderstand many principles which ultimately may have an adverse impact on the entire life. It is here that education steps in and assumes a responsible role of helping the learner to observe and understand things in the proper perspective. Under Instructional objectives in any learning exercise the " cognitive objectives assume primary significance and these comprise, i. Knowledge ii. Comprehension iii. Application iv. Analysis v. Synthesis and vi. Evaluation "2 ( Rashid,M 1999) The main perceptive skills of seeing, hearing, and feeling have to be gradually developed to a mature level of understanding to make the learner's jud gment faultless and worthwhile. The various subjects he studies at school, the various exercises he is put under and the instructions given by his teachers greatly help to hone the understanding skills. This helps him to perceive different stimuli properly and assimilate their import properly in his memory file, and for later reference and judgment. The periodical tests and examinations aim at evaluating how well the learner has been developing his cognitive skills so as to understand the issues involved in various problems and come up with acceptable, if not entirely ideal, solutions. If this aim of education is achieved, full credit can be given to such an education and the educators. 2. Development of analytical skills: At every point in a grown-up individual's life, whether he is an adolescent or an adult, he or she is called upon to take decisions on various issues, affecting their lives as well as those of others. Unless he takes the right decisions, his further actions cannot be expected to bear favourable results. More often than not, problems crop up in different places, mainly because some of the concerned individuals are not able to analyse problems correctly, with the result, they take wrong decisions which have an adverse impact on all persons concerned. This can be avoided only if all the persons associated with a problem have a fairly good ability to analyze things in the proper perspective and arrive at a reasonably good decisions. This is possible only when the education they had received had equipped them with proper skills to study things with patience and concentration so that they don't commit any error in understanding the issues involved. Obje ctive analytical skills is based mainly on one's ability to take in things as they are and start asking relevant questions which are likely to bring out more information concerning the issues. This way a proper understanding of the entire problem is ensured. Understanding paves the way for solutions in many problems. This is what education trains in individuals when it coaches the students with a variety of mathematical and scientific problems, which form the training ground for developing the problem solving skills to

The Impact of the Arab Spring on Egypt's Energy Research Paper

The Impact of the Arab Spring on Egypt's Energy - Research Paper Example Investment in oil production is critical to both political and economic stability of the Arab countries. Key players in the oil industry usually value political stability because it dictates the relationship between the international players and the producing countries. For instance, the relationship between BP and political regime of the ousted Egypt President Mubarak was critical to the survival of the company in Egypt. In most cases, the political influence of a country defined a relationship between the country and the international players. Policies devised the oil producing countries do not only influence the production oil and gas in this countries but also influence its supply in the international market. The political platform of most Arab countries receive its financing from oil as the major economic resource. However, some countries derive their finances from trade and labour resource, which remits funds that support these countries. The supply of trade items in this region depends on political goodwill or international politics (Youngs 136). Thus, the unstable political structure is susceptible to challenges because it lacks proper structures that could influence beneficial trade deals in the international scene. The Arab Spring is a threat to regional integration and similar cooperation. World economic report groups the Arab countries as heavily reliant on oil trade. Since the Arab countries indulged in the upheavals, they have registered economic slump, calling for international aid and humanitarian aid. Ideally, the spring has devastating effects of the political structures that are crucial to the development of the nations. Observers have remarked on the consumption trends in the international market as well as the national market and noted a change in trend in the consumption of the oil and oil products. Critically, the consumption trends owe a lot on the international politics as defined by policies that create and promote the international relation (Prausello 166). For instance, the move by the international community to step up the war against Libyan president is an indication of influence of political relation in relation to the Arab spring. It means that the threat created in the political structures of these nations would have devastating impact on the growth as well as trade among these countries and the world. Domestic Consumption in Egypt Arab countries are leading other countries in the world in oil production. In 2005, Arab oil stood at 59% of the economic oil production of world, while the production of economic gases stood at 35.8% of the total world production (BP Statistical Review 15). The quantity of oil that Arab countries took to