Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Project - Essay Example This is an example that I wish to share. My doctor told me that I had a heart condition. I became confused and upset because I am a young woman. I have a small child and I do not want to be sick and taking care of my son. My doctor told me I had to undergo additional tests to identify the problem with my heart. This process took two weeks and I kept it to myself because I did not want to worry my family. According to Untitled document (ND) this could be due to cultural differences and/or what society imposes. I know it is not healthy to keep emotions inside but I do not want to worry my family. I believe that if you want to keep your family healthy you should abstain from saying things and keep things to yourself. I have thought about this quite extensively and maybe I am wrong. Maybe I should tell my family. Perhaps there can be a better understanding and they can help out, Untitled document, (ND) suggests that help should be sought and give examples of how to deal with this issue. Problems as well as pleasures rally family. If drawing guidelines will improve my ability to communicate my emotions then I shall seek help (The Function of Emotion, 2003). I know it is important to express your feelings, to have inner peace, and to be a happy person. I may be sick for all that I have kept inside. Since I now have this heart condition, I have to think about myself and my son. I have to learn how to share my feeling with others as others have share feelings with me. I would like to open an accounting business. The accounting business will offer the following services: bookkeeping, accounts receivables, accounts payable, general ledger, trial balance, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, filing income taxes for individuals and corporations, and incorporation and dissolution. For this type of service I must become a (CPA) and have a license

Consumer attitudes towards supermarkets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer attitudes towards supermarkets - Essay Example They buy goods in bulk and they also sell items in bulk, as a result they are in the long run, able to offer fresh produce and larger quantities at lower prices. However, the supermarket also creates an impersonal atmosphere, where consumers do not enjoy any close interaction with the people from whom they buy their goods and this could possibly contribute to a negative attitude towards supermarkets. When combined with other aspects developing in the retail sector, such as e-commerce, this provides an indication that factors such as the lack of time or the desire to avoid close personal contact may be affecting consumer attitudes and preference for supermarkets. It also appears likely that the greater range of products available under one roof and the lower prices may also be affecting consumer attitudes towards shopping at supermarkets. The objective of this research study is to examine the growing prevalence of supermarkets and to examine consumer attitudes towards them. At the outset, the attempt would be to determine whether consumers have a predominantly positive or negative attitude towards them and then determine the reasons for such an attitude. In order to gain an understanding of consumer attitudes towards supermarkets, the researcher will apply the Fishbein Model to measure the affective component of a consumer’s response to supermarkets. The research question which is proposed to be examined is therefore: The evolution of the super market was therefore the result of economic considerations shaped as a result of urban growth and technological innovations. The phenomenon of mass production that characterized the industrial era spilled over into mass marketing as well. Earlier, bartering, wholesale buying and serving customer needs was all carried out within the premises of the small store. (Mayo, 1993:43), but a broader range of products with enhanced shopping

A Philosophical Review of Nature's and Animal Rights Essay

A Philosophical Review of Nature's and Animal Rights - Essay Example In contrast, Tom Regan disputes that there is a difference between ‘having an interest in something’ and ‘taking an interest in it’ (Varner, 1998, 55), which then implies that domestic species, being mindless species, have innate biological interests. Regan thus defined biological interest in this way: â€Å"the two senses really are logically distinct: A being can be interested in something that is not in his interests, and something may be in a being’s interest despite the fact that he is not interested in† (Varner, 1998, 55). This means that domestic species, having no conscious desires in any way, have biological interest of their own. Regan added that plants and objects can reasonably be thought to have biological interests, since both have intrinsic values in their own breed. On the other hand, Gary Varner (1994) argues that if all living things have biological interests, then it is implausible to prevent spoiling countless biological int erests of others. Varner cited John Passmore’s passage to define biological interest: â€Å"the Jainist principle [of avoiding harm to all living things]†¦ is far too strong. This is the more obvious now that we are aware of the minute living organisms which everywhere surround us. In breathing, in drinking, in eating, in excreting, we kill. We kill by remaining alive† (as cited in Varner, 1998, 77). This implies that nonhuman animals and plants have biological interests of their own, but lose these biological interests when confronted with the biological interests of human beings. However, if domestic species do not have biological interests, it is still possible that they have inherent or intrinsic worth as shown by the arguments of Paul Taylor, Tom Regan, and Peter Singer. First, according to Taylor (1981), to argue that a nonhuman animal has inherent worth is to assume that its interests [Taylor believes that domestic species have biological interests] merit t he respect and thought of every moral agent. Moreover, the recognition of its interests has intrinsic value, to be realized as an objective and on behalf of the being whose interest it is. Taylor further argues that inherent worth is â€Å"not some mysterious sort of objective property belonging to living things that can be discovered by empirical observation or scientific investigation† (Taylor, 1981, 204). Hence, to say that a domestic species, which would not exist without human interference, have no inherent worth is wrong since, according to Taylor, inherent worth cannot be determined by inductive reasoning or sense perception. Ultimately, Taylor (1981) believes that inherent worth is a â€Å"value that is ascribed to nonhuman animals and plants themselves, independently of their relationship to what humans judge to be conducive to their own good† (p. 204). Hence, with or without human interference, domestic species have inherent worth. Similarly, Tom Regan states that â€Å"the presence of inherent value in a natural object is independent of any awareness, interest, or appreciation of it by any conscious being† (Varner, 1994, 26). Domestic species have inherent value, and it is equal to that of human beings. The lack of intellect or reason is not a justification to say that nonhuman animals do not possess inherent value. Likewise, Peter Singer claim that if a nonhuman animal has a particular feature, like biological inter

Qualities Of A Good Writer Essay Example for Free

Qualities Of A Good Writer Essay Whilewriterscomefromallwalksoflife,theysharecertainqualitiesthathelp themproducesatisfyingwork. Ifyouhavesomeofthesecharacteristics,youcould tryacareerincreativewriting. Alternatively,youcouldlookforcreativewriters withthesequalitiestoassistwithyourorganizationspublications. Creativewriters mightpublishpoetry,shortstoriesandnovels,buttheyalsoworkformanykindsof clients to earn their living. Creativewriterscraftnewworlds,producingdescriptionsofplacesandpeoplethat sendreadersontripsintheirminds. Theydothiswithnothingbuttheirbrainsand someformofwritingimplementbeitanold-schoolnotebookoramoremodern laptop. Whilenotwowritersplytheircraftintheexactsameway,some characteristics are common for many who are successful. Efficiency Creativewritersrarelyworkinoffices. Theymostcommonlyworkalone,makingit easyforthemtoslipofftaskandwhileawayadaythatshouldbefilledwith writing. Forsuccess,creativewritersmustbeefficientandfocused,sayswriter, editorandghostwriterMichaelJ. Dowling. Theymustbeabletoforcethemselves todowork,despitethedistractionsthatmayfilltheirworkspaces,whichareoften at home. Those lacking this quality will likely find their writing dreams fruitless. Research Abilities Thoughcreativewritersincludefictitiousdetailsintheyarnstheyspin,theymust  stillengageinresearchtomaketheirpiecesbelievable. Ifwritinghistoricalfiction, for instance, writers must research the time periods in which they set their stories to accuratelyportrayallofthedetails. Similarly,writersmustresearchthephysical placesinwhichtheysettheirtales,acquiringtheknowledgenecessarytopaintan authentic picture of that place in readers’ minds. Imagination Todreamupthestoriesthatmakecompellingcreativefiction,creativewritersmust havehighlydevelopedimaginations,accordingtoHelenaBlakemore,professorat theUniversityofEastLondon. Writerscanengageinexercisestobolstertheir imaginativeskills,butpossessingapre-existingabilitytoimagineandinventisa benefit to those beginning in this field. Confidence Producingacreativeproductisscary. AsJoeDunthorne,authorofâ€Å"Submarine,† statedinanarticlefortheBritishnewspapertheGuardian,nosafepathexistsfor writing. Tobesuccessful,writersmustbebraveandwillingtotakerisks. Ifthey lackthewillingnesstoputasidetheirworriesandforgeahead,theirwritingwill likely not be distinctive enough to be noteworthy. Ability to Focus Goodwritersunderstandtheparticularrequirementsofawritingproject. Itdoesnt matterwhethertheyreusingacreativeapproachforamarketingpublicationor  draftinganewchapterforanovel. Theyhaveanabilitytofocusonthewritingtask andcreateanoutlineordirectionforwhattheyllwrite. Focusedwritingiseasier forthereadertofollow. Unfocusedwritingfrustratesreadersandmayturnthemoff completely so they wont continue reading. Different Approaches Towritecreativeworks,writersneedareliableapproach. Somewritersbeginwith undisciplinedwritinganduseself-editingtotightentheirwritinginthenextstage. Otherwriterswillconsidermanydraftsofaparagraphintheirheadormakenotes onscrappaperandthenwritedownahighlyfocusedparagraph,whichusually requireslesseditingdowntheline. Somewritersareversatile,usingdifferent  approachestogettingideasonpaperbasedontheirmoodorthekindofwriting project theyre doing. Discipline Self-disciplineisessentialtowriterswhowanttosupportthemselvesthrough creativewriting. Withoutit,youllfinditdifficulttomaximizetheuseofyour writingtime. Ifyouhaveregularclientsoradeadlinetosubmitamanuscriptto youreditor,youmustdevoteadequatetimetowritingeachdayorweektoreach yourgoal. Disciplinemeansthatyoublockouttimeforwritingandproducea specificquantityoftextinthattimeblock. Ifyoudontachievethegoalfora writing session, you block another session in which to hit the mark. Because writing  deadlinesaretimedandspecific,youcantaffordtowastetimeinthecreative writing mode. Voice and Authenticity Allkindsofcreativewritingbecomemoreeffectivewhenreaderscanhearthe presenceoftheauthorsvoice. Insometypesofliterature,charactersalsohave differentvoicesthatcompeteforthereadersattention. Goodwritersfindtheir voice for a particular work or character and use it consistently for the entertainment ofthereader. Ifyouhaventfoundyourwritersvoice,usefeedbackfromreadersto guideyou. Ifyouwriteauthentically,yourvoicereachesthereader. Bycopying anotherauthorsvoice,yourvoiceisboundtofalter;itwontcomeacross consistently or genuinely to the reader.

Is Power Central To Our Understanding Of Politics?

Is Power Central To Our Understanding Of Politics? The right of nature, which writers commonly call jus naturale, is the liberty each man hath to use his own power as he will himself for the preservation of his own nature; that is to say, of his own life; and consequently, of doing anything which, in his own judgement and reason, he shall conceive to be the aptest means thereunto. Thomas Hobbes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man Thomas Hobbes The etymology of politics is from a word of Greek origin, polis, which means the state or a group. Its idea was based on the perfect city state, and it was the work of Plato and Aristotle. Platos book The Republic precisely defines the meaning and objectives of this city state. Hence, the word politics, came in being, with the idea of making a perfect society. But it may be near to impossible to achieve an utopian society, than what it is now. During their observations Plato and Aristotle found some faultlines or weaknesses in the human society and therefore they started to have their own political philosophies. The book The Politics, by Aristotle describes that Man is by nature a political animal(The Politics, 1) or simply put, it is a inherent characteristic of man. Because of this, man should try to get a position within the city state. As per Aristotle, Political science is not a theoretical concept, but an inborn trait of human beings. The most fundamental meaning of politics is that, human beings are selfish creatures and all his acts, are towards the promulgation of his own interests and preserve himself. He likes to have his own beliefs and strategy which may differ from others in the society or group. Therefore there is a high chance of conflict, not only due to clash of various ideologies, but as our world had finite resources, people will try to get the maximum share for themselves, and if this were to happen, it would be a very difficult to live in. Politics will be very much required to prevent the society from collapse. Some people must be able to control the others in the society in order to enforce the code of conduct. We have also seen in our day to day lives that some people are able to exert more coercion, than others in the group, and it is because they have the confidence of others in the group. Earlier we saw that by primitive nature man looks after his benefit first, than those of other members in the society, so even the people in power will try to achieve some of their personal goals. Politics is essentially a struggle for power between the people who have some authority, and getting this power is only possible from help by the others. It will be by way of trying to mitigate the conflicts, by genuine or improper ways. They will try to reach out to the aggrieved parties with some promise of solutions and benefits, in such a way, to get their necessary support, and ultimately control over them. Therefore, politics is the way of achieving new power and retaining it, by honest or dishonest means, and this way, can be in between individuals, groups, state and its subjects, or even with in a family. We always think that government is the ultimate form of power. It is the politicians who manage the government and it is their plan of action which ultimately governs the society. Does it mean, that groups, societies or countries, where there is no government, there is no politics. Power is omnipresent in our actions and relations, with others. The very functioning of a society depends upon the power mechanisms with in it. The most common form of power known to us, is through the punishments by a group or a state to its subjects. But this may not be the case in all relationships, power is not expressed always through subjugation. Wherever there are various levels of governance, politics has to be there. For eg, in a family, the power is divided between the father, the mother, and various other family members, or in a bank between the manager and the clerks. This power is used the ultimate authority to get what he wants to and effectively manage grievances and disagreements. Therefore, power and authority are the most basic features of politics. With the struggle for power, there can be no politics. But at the same time, politics is the innate characteristic of humans, as per Aristotle. The writings of Foucault show us power may reside in certain traditions, and which makes these power relationship acceptable. For example the caste system which stills exists in India without the use of force. Power is also incorporated in beliefs and values, and through which humans experience their lives, and this authorizes various power relationships and its inter dependancies. Lukes asks to view power in three dimensions. The one dimensional power as per Lukes is that power is a related to our behavior and it is up to the man as to how much he can change the actions of other men, in a decision oriented process. The man with the most authority will be the winner in this process. The second dimension that Lukes discusses is about the ability to shape the agenda is a vital form of power to further ones interests. The three-dimensional theory of power by Lukes states that a person may behave or think in a particular way, which is not in his self interest. This dimension is a process in which the person with most power is able to change the weak in a way, in which he acts as per the whims of the powerful, on his own motivation, and without any imposition or forcible constraint for example, by creating a deep rooted ideology. But for Weber, power is the ability through which, an individual in a society, can achieve his or her own wish even against the opposition of others. Looking at the above notions of politics and power and the quotes by Hobbes at the start of this essay, it is very clear that man lives only for himself, and he has every right, to look after his self preservation, and without a common power to govern the society, man is always ay war against other men. This shows how politics and power are deeply intertwined and complex, and as per Locke it is human nature to be selfish. Out of this selfishness, comes out the desire to have more and more for oneself, and which can be achieved only by art of politics, to use soft and hard power, for capturing the minds and imagination of others. Therefore, power is central to our understanding of politics. In what does Foucaults concept of power alter conventional understanding of politics ? Decentralization of the position of power as suggested by Foucault is a very new way of looking at the concept of power. He has given us a new way to look at power, and taking us away from the observation of persons, who use power only as a tool of imposition, and also even away from the institutions from which these persons function, and guides us to the idea that power is everywhere and part of knowledge and truth. Foucault says what we are, it is because of power. Foucaults view of power is totally different from the previous ways of viewing power, in a way that, power is diffuse, not concentrated, embodied rather than possessed, discursive, rather than coercive. (Gaventa) He is against the notion that power is controlled and executed by a group of people, by way of acts of force, instead it is spread out. Power is everywhere and comes from everywhere so in this sense is neither an agency nor a structure (Foucault). It is like beyond power or system of truth that is diffused in the society, and it is in a state of constant change and bargaining. Foucault uses the term power/knowledge to show us the power is made of accepted forms of knowledge, scientific observations and truth. Truth is made in this world, and is a result of different types of coercion. It causes power to take various forms. Our society has its administration of truth, which is politicized, that is the forms of sermons, which it considers and makes it true, the structure which enables us to differentiate truth from falsity, the process by which each is approved, the methodology considered fine, in getting to this truth, that position of people who have the power of declaring the truth (Foucault). Administration of truth and rules of politics are a product of scientific enquiry and agencies, and forced on the society regularly through educational institutes and radio/newspapers/televisions, and the dynamics of political ideas. The quest for truth, is not to find out the ultimate truth, that can be acquired by society, but it is about the guidelines, which differentiate between truth and falsity, and precise factors of power are attached to the truth, an endeavor about the position of truth and its politico economic functions. (Foucault, in Rabinow 1991). Power enforces social discipline and standardization. Foucault moved his insight from the exercise of power by the state, as found in feudalism, to force their people, towards a new kind of disciplinary power as evidenced in the eighteenth century European society, such as jails, educational establishments and mental asylums. Their structures of monitoring did not have the need for coercion, as the subjects automatically performed in desired ways. Foucault was intrigued by the systems of prison vigilance, school regimen, administration setup, and demographic control, and accepted criteria about body conduct, inclusive of sex. He studied medicine, psychology, and criminology and their roles as departments of knowledge that describe the accepted patterns of behavior and aberration. Our bodies are dominated and made to function in a particular style, as a world of societal control of the general population, through what he called bio-power. Disciplinary and bio-power create a discursive practice or a body of knowledge and behavior that defines what is normal, acceptable, deviant, etc. but it is a discursive practice that is nonetheless in constant flux (Foucault). One of the central themes of Foucaults power is that it goes beyond politics and it is something which is there in day to day practices of society. Due to this, state centered power jams, including rebellions, dont bring in the necessary change in societies. He has also pointed out, how deeply norms are implanted in our minds, that we dont even recognize them, and it makes adhere to discipline ourselves without any willful imposition from others. It has a direct and creative role in our lives. It comes from various places, and operates from the top down and from the bottom up (Foucault). Power is at its zenith when it is inside specific institutions such as schools, prisons or hospitals, we should be careful about locating forms of power with particular institutions, because power is neither a superstructure nor a quality of an institution (Foucault). Politics was usually seen in the conventional sense as an external force trying to subjugate its subjects, and the subjects, feel coerced as they are not in a position to negotiate or for want of greater good of the society. It follows from the earlier points that power is not just applicable to political institutions as has been thought traditionally. For Foucault politics is not just limited to state politics, it has a wide range of system for domination, and is applicable to a plethora of techniques, from the subjects control of himself to the bio political control of people (Foucault). Therefore, Foucaults view of power changes the traditional way of looking at politics.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis :: essays research papers

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader By: C.S. Lewis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three main characters in the story, Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace. Lucy and Edmund are brother and sister and Eustace is their cousin. Edmund is a young teenager, very smart and very kind. Lucy is in her mid teens as well, she is a very happy person. Lucy is always trying to help people with there problems.The setting is first the early 1900’s in England and then in Narnia the fictional world the story is based on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins with Edmund and Lucy sitting in there room talking about Narnia. Eustace is listening outside their door and comes in to make fun of them. There is a picture of a ship on the wall and as Eustace calls Narnia fake water begins coming into the room out of the picture. The next thing they know they are in the ocean and the ship is at there side. The ship is a group of Narnians sailing east looking for the seven lost lords of Narnia. Caspain the king of Narnia is leading the search group along with Ripecheep the leader of the talking mice.( In Narnia animals talk and walk around like humans) Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace since came into the world in the ocean they have to go along on the rescue mission. They come to an island and they had to find food and supplies. Eustace decided to go rest for awhile and finds a place up a hill. When he wakes from his nap there is a thick fog and he thinks he knows the way that he came from. He walks down into a valley and sees a pond and decides to take a drink. He sees a cave and decides to go in. Inside the cave there is gold, jewels, crowns, diamond, all kinds of treasure. He puts a bracelet on and while he was sitting in a pile of gold he fell back asleep. When he woke up his arm was very sores and noticed the band was now very tight. Eustace walked over to the pond to take a drink and see s the relexion of a dragon in the water. He had been turned to a dragon by taking the dragons gold. He is a dragon for a few days then Aslan(Aslan is the great emperor of Narnia) comes to visit him and changes him back.

The Evolution of Ethics Essay -- essays papers

The Evolution of Ethics A goal implicit in human evolution is survival; thus, humanity directs some of its energy toward creating a state of peace to achieve the necessary efficiency and conservation of energy to survive in a hostile and sometimes unpredictable world. The foundation of the emergence of rule systems in the world is built upon centuries of reasoned insight and personal experiences that reveal which actions are better than others, which are productive, and which are disruptive and should be avoided. As efficient actions reveal themselves to an evolving society, its people develop the means to make productive choices between one type of action and another. Some choices are decidedly better than others. This prioritizing of human actions into efficient hierarchies establishes the foundations of rule systems which later refine themselves into more sophisticated systems of morals, manners and statutory laws. All these systems have a tendency to address the fundamental need of the human species to survive and avoid the common fate of extinction by conserving energy and directing social attention towards more productive kinds of behavior. It could be said that as civilization approaches the ideal of efficiency, the harmony that follows from efficient and thoughtful actions inspires a state of peace that exponentially increases the chances of human civilization surviving over long periods of time. Social change has more or less followed the more reasoned logic and experiences of people. Change is not always perfect. However, as people experience more and learn more about their world through formal education, they have more resources by which they can make judgments about the behavior of their fellow humans. Knowledge of the past lends to enlightened minds a knowledge of the future. Common education and experiences inspire the emergence of informal belief systems, clarifying what appears to be acceptable behavior and what is not. Observations that endure centuries of reasoned scrutiny integrate ultimately into the cultural ethic. As a rule of thumb, an action that contributes to the disorganization of society is often considered "wrong" and that which contributes to the organization of society "right." Behaviors that corrupt the peace, prosperity, and productivity of a society are generally discouraged as "wrong," in favor of behaviors which contri... ...es. Rule systems help keep people in their "right mind" instead of going "out of their minds" through excess. People who are repeatedly "out of their minds" have less chance of surviving and surviving well than people who remain true to their original personality. Some behaviors corrupt the efficiency and social compatibility of people more than other behaviors. Some part of the evolution of ethical systems monitors the growth of potentially harmful behaviors and looks for methods to suppress them. Rules help to reign in human passion as progress demands finer and finer delineations of labor, resources, and authority. The visceral compulsions of humans to survive rather than perish commands intelligent people to try to hold their society together and to keep people and their passions from tearing it apart. Survival places an imperative to be sensible enough to stay above the threshold of extinction as a species. This evolutionary process inspires finer and finer details of order, and is first evident in the moral senses of reasonable people who push for better rules to keep society orderly. To do this they must look from past experience into the future. Bibliography:

Teachers of Today †Who They Are and What They Need to Know

Assignment 2 – Paper – Teachers of Today – who they are and what they need to know Word count (2,382): Final Word count (2,264): INTRODUCTION Exciting, and rewarding are just some characteristics that explain teaching. Overcoming anxiety and nerves in the first year is our greatest challenge. Moving into the classroom for the first time can be a daunting and challenging experience for everyone. You are required to immediately equip four years of knowledge into your teaching and classroom management. While this may seem to be a difficult time, it will only get easier. There are many rewards with being a teacher, however it is important to note that it is not a role to be taken lightly – it is a difficult role to fill. As teachers, we need to understand that every child will learn differently. No matter their culture, gender or socioeconomic status, so as teachers you have to encourage and have a level field in your classrooms. You have to know how to reach each student. As teachers you need to let the students know that they don’t have to follow the stereotyped roles of society. The teachers of 2010 and beyond will face many challenges that we are currently unaware of. What we can do to prepare for those challenges is look at where things may be headed in terms of technology and population and cultural diversity. PROFESSIONALISM & TECHNOLOGY â€Å"A professional doesn’t view his or her profession as a just a job, but rather sees it as a calling that is all about caring for children† – Kramer, 2003, p. 23 As an independent Australian Comics publisher (and short film producer), professionalism is what helps us stand out from the crowd. Look and presentation is vital,  we have to stick to various guidelines depending on your audience and where we are showcasing,  all this requires some serious  decision making and – when dealing with multiple artists – juggling some serious egos! Developing and maintaining relationships with other artists is imperative for us to continue to grow, and is just  as important to the relationship of student and teacher. We need to keep up to date with market, media  and consumer trends  just as both students and teachers must with  syllabus and curriculum†¦ nd indeed those same market, media and consumer trends. Change and adaption is incredibly  important as well, because without  it  you can't  move forward or stay fresh. To be a professional teacher you can't be a dictator,  but  more of great  artist  whose success is  drawn from the love of the craft,  nurturing the medium and understanding what the final masterpiece is meant to c onvey. In 2010 and beyond, our classrooms will transform into more of a technological teaching and learning environment. There are many new ways students can research information they need through resources such as the Internet. Teaching has also been altered, with the use of interactive whiteboards. To fulfil a professional role as a teacher, there are many different aspects to consider and behaviours to demonstrate. As role-models, these will pave the way for the students to become more professional themselves. It is important for a teacher to relate to each student in a professional manner. There are many ways to tutor students through advancements in technology such as the Internet, thus expanding the opportunities to be passed on to a new generation. Teachers should always teach with passion and a burning desire to touch hearts and change lives. Remember: it’s not just a job – it’s an honour. MOTIVATION and TEACHING STRATEGIES The description of motivation and the descriptions of the many various differing theoretical explanations for them are as follows†¦ The process of motivation itself is – simply put – starting towards a goal and keeping on the path until you achieve the goal. (Eggen and Kauchak 2010). An individual may well have different ideas in mind when achieving heir goals – whether they are moved by an extrinsic motivation (ie: the need to get there simply as a means to an end) or intrinsic motivation (doing it for the love of the subject) – the results are the same and both methods are valid. Admittedly, if you enjoy a subject it will give you more value as it will your teacher/s, but striving for that end result regardless will be an achievement. There are various theories of motivation, which shall be dealt with below. Through various cognitive theories, we know people really need to understand the world and their experiences to make sense of them and their place in that world. They can be as follows: Need for Self-Determination: this is where an individual feels the need to act on and control their environment to understand it – to have choices and to decide what they want to do. Praise, offers of help and other emotional factors can also be a part of self-determination. Need for Autonomy: here the individual feels the need to not only act on their environment, but to alter it to their way of thinking so that they can relate to it and learn more effectively. Need for Relatedness: this is where an individual feels the need for social connection and approval to facilitate their learning. Indeed, this factor is quite important as it fulfils the desire for approval and positive judging. Need to Preserve Self-Worth: simply put – this is the need to feel important – whether this is in a family group, friends, employment or any other social aspect – if we feel intelligent and important then our ability to learn likewise grows. Belief about future outcomes: This is a very personal part of learning and unique to each individual. The ability to guesstimate what the outcome of a project will be based upon your own knowledge of your capabilities will greatly influence your learning skills – the more you think you can, you will (Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper – 1930) Beliefs about Intelligence: the belief that you can or can NOT do a task will have a huge psychological impact upon your learning abilities. This can also be influenced by outside positive and negative feedback from others. Unless you are rock-solid positive you can do something despite negative criticism, that very criticism can undermine your belief in your own intelligence. The challenge is to find motivators for each and every student and use these to engage them in their education and learning. In terms of teaching and learning, motivation is the engagement that students have in their studies, and the efforts that they make to achieve their goals. Motivation can be split into two types, refer to Table 1. 1. Understanding student motivation is vital to the development of effective teaching strategies and necessary to discover different approaches to motivation and how these impact classroom decisions. pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Table 1. 1 – Types of Motivation The behaviourist approach suggests that a student will gain a reward, either extrinsic or intrinsic, then the individual will be motivated to complete the task so as to receive it. From this we can determine that reward systems within the classroom can be used to increase student motivation, however Eggen and Kauchak (2010) stress that extrinsic rewards should be used to increase intri nsic motivation so as to promote learner independence. As teaching moves forward into 2010 and beyond, behaviourism is amongst the many learning theories in practice that is essential to good teaching. With diverse backgrounds and environmental factors, watching for the appropriate and inappropriate key behaviours in students is a complicated process in assuring desired behaviour is maintained. The cognitive approach suggests teachers should model how to claim responsibility for their success and failures, and should acknowledge that with additional effort past failures can be used as a learning tool. The Individuals’ Memory Stores play an important role, which contains the sensory memory to capture stimuli, working memory, phonological loop for words and sounds, and our visual-spatial sketch pad for our visual and spatial surroundings. All these various processes are active when we learn, and are fascinating examples of how the human mind operates. The humanist approach to motivation is dominated by the belief that all individuals have a number of needs that must be fulfilled (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010). These needs are categorised in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs outlined in figure 2. . The hierarchy suggests that if any of the lower level needs are not met then it is not possible for higher order ones to be fulfilled. Teachers must understand that these needs will not always be fulfilled within the home environment and various programs can be established to aid students when the home environment fails. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Figure 2. 2 – Maslowsâ€⠄¢s Hierarch of Needs We must also remember that an integral aspect of motivation lies in aiming towards a particular achievement, or goal. A goal is an outcome that an individual is striving to achieve. Goals can be divided into four different types, see table 3. 3. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Table 3. 3 – Types of Goals Classical conditioning is yet another form of learning that occurs when an individual produces an involuntary emotional or physiological response, similar to instinct or reflex (Pavlov, 1927). Figure 4. 4 (below) outlines the concepts in greater detail. [pic] (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010) Figure 4. 4 – Classical Conditioning Operant conditioning is where a response changes in frequency or duration as a result of a consequence (Skinner, 1953). This can be presented through either positive or negative reinforcement or through the presentation or removal of a punishment and shaping (Premack, 1965). Operant Conditioning can have a negative impact if used incorrectly, which can result in students not feeling safe, stressed and anxious about their environment. Constructivist Learning Theory is a theory that seems like common sense when you think about it, stating that learners create their own knowledge of topics they study as opposed to simply recording that information. Piaget 1952/ Vygotsky 1978). There are two primary perspectives for Constructivism: Cognitive Constructivism – focuses on internal construction of knowledge. Social Constructivism – focuses on constructing knowledge socially before internalising. Cognitive Apprenticeships is a process designed to places less able learners with more able ones to assist in developing their abilities. Peer-to-peer assistance provides many characteristics that assist learners through a new teaching experience. Some of these are modelling (watching demonstrations), scaffolding (being asked questions to prompt their learning), verbalisation (expressing their beliefs), increasing complexity (which does what the name implies) and exploration (finding new ways to use knowledge). This tool allows teachers to monitor other less able students, knowing that appropriate peer-to-peer learning is being undertaken with other less able students. The learning process of students will be influenced by many factors as you can see above. As they do, we need to keep a watchful eye on how they unfold. The challenge of teachers in 2010 and beyond is to find these motivators for each and every student and use them to engage them in education and learning. In the end, when teachers effectively motivate students their interest will increase along with their ability to learn. COMMITMENT and CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT When committing to creating a productive learning environment, the developmental stage of students should be considered. High-school students have different capabilities of primary-school students, so their classroom activities need to be more challenging (Eggen and Kauchak, 2010). Younger students are more responsive to concrete examples, while older students are capable of understanding theories and complex situations. If computer software is to be used in the classroom, it should be tailored to those stages of development. Younger students would require simple interfaces, less challenging problems, frequent feedback and recognition of achievement. Classroom management will also determine how effective the teaching is. Part of effective management is setting rules and procedures, and following them throughout the entire study period. The selection of topics attracts several issues. For the most part, teachers will be following a curriculum, but will prefer to place emphasis on particular sections of this framework. Their own personal knowledge and commitment, as well as the information that they deem important and useful, contributes to the various topics. There is also a need to plan how these topics will be delivered. Traditional instruction using lectures provides little interaction and feedback, so other strategies need to be looked at and implemented. The author Tony Newton intends to try and maintain a level of control using humour in much the same way his own third grade teachers did when he was young. Keeping in mind all the various technologies and ground rules that have to be in place, as well as students’ abilities and social interaction, (Maximizing the Time and Opportunity for Learning – Eggen and Kauchak, 2010 – pg 355) a classroom MUST be organised, arranged appropriately and personal. For Mr. Newton’s own class, he also firmly believe if kids have fun, they will learn more. Then we have Ability Grouping, being the practice of sorting students into groups of similar intelligence/ learning capabilities. We need to remember that if we begin segregating students early on, then those who are quicker cannot scaffold or mentor the slower ones up to speed. Social ramifications here are also dangerous where those smarter think they may be â€Å"better† than their less able peers†¦ and friendships can then also suffer. Tolerance and assistance must be cultivated to prevent these prejudices from booming out of proportion in later life. CONCLUSION The theories of learning and teaching covered above provide useful background information for new teachers entering the workforce. Situations that we encounter will be unique, though it is always beneficial to be prepared and plan for the journey ahead. Reviewing literature and applying some of these techniques can assist with understanding how people learn, different teaching methods, and the factors to consider when building a classroom. Moving forward into 2010, teachers are advised to consider these theories and incorporate many different levels of educational tools, through appropriate modes, that assist in developing the students’ learning construction. Although we do not know what classrooms will be like in the future, this is something that we actually determine ourselves. When we are first starting out, we will need to create our own style and approach, making up our own rules. Although teachers are expected to give instruction, it is still a learning experience. Thankfully there are a lot of resources at our disposal. Remember to keep improving our teaching craft, and we will be able to adapt to the demands of classrooms in 2010 and beyond. Reference List Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations on Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman. Borko, H. , and Putnam R. (1996). Handbook of educational psychology. Macmillan; United States of America. Eggen, P. , and Kauchak, D. (2010). Educational Psychology: Windows On Classrooms (8th ed. ). In H. Gardner, and S. Moran, The Science of Multiple Intelligences Theory. United States of America: Pearson International. Mayer, R. , (2002). Teaching of subject matter. Annual review of psychology,55, 715-744. Pavlov,  I. P. (1927). Conditioned Reflexes translated by G V Anrep. Oxford University Press, London, England. Piaget, J. (1977). Problems in quilibration. In M. Appel, and L. Goldberg, Topics in cognitive development: Vol. 1. Equilibration: Theory, research, and application. New York: Plenum Press. Premack, D. 1965). Reinforcement theory. In D. Levine (Ed. ), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (Vol. 13, pp. 3-41). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and Human Behavior. New York. Macmillan. Woolfolk, A. , and Margetts,K. (2007). Educational psychology. Sydney, Australia: Pearson Education Australia. Vinesh Chandra and Darrell L. Fisher (2009). Students' Perceptions of a Blended Web-Ba sed Learning. Environment. Learning Environ Res. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. The Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper – 1930

Phase 1 – Intro to Economic Thinking

Phase 1 – Intro to Economic Thinking ECON202-1302A-02: Microeconomics Colorado Technical University Joseph Keller 4/14/13 As prices increase, should health economists advocate giving something up (opportunity costs/trade-offs)? I feel that health economists should promote giving something up in as prices rise. The reason I feel this way is because as the prices increase a lot of people would not be able to pay for the services . So in this case I believe that they should consider lowering the prices, this in return should encourage people to continue to receive the services.The tradeoff probably would be lowering the salaries of some of the health providers. As the quantity of health services provided goes up, does the benefit of each additional unit of service become smaller (marginal analysis)? If the number of services goes up the benefit of each service would become smaller, because using marginal analysis every addition is considered less value. So if you use marginal ana lysis it will help you figure if generating different services will benefit your company (Cliff's Notes, 2013).Discuss the issue of health care in the context of the following microeconomic concepts: Marginal analysis Marginal analysis in the health care industry for example would be if you were spending $1000 for 5 units of health service, sold in $200 increments, marginal analysis would work like this, if you were to buy another $200 you would get 1/2 units, if you bought another $200 you would gain 1/4more ,another 1/8 . So as you can see you could get to a point were buying more units would work negatively because you would no longer be gaining anything (Cliff's Notes, 2013). Trade-offs /Opportunity costsTrade-off in the industry would be if a facility badly needed to add another unit, the trade of could be to lower some of the workers’ salaries in order to compensate for that extra money being spent. The opportunity cost is the money lost from the employees in order to g et the extra unit needed. (Hubbard, G & O’brien, and T 2013). Normative versus positive economics Normative economics deals with what the economy ought to be like or what particular policy actions ought to be suggested to attain a necessary goal. Positive economics is the part of economics that concentrates on realities and cause-and-effect relationships. Hubbard, G & O’brien, and T 2013). . Should this decision be made in a centrally planned economy or a market economy? I think that health care in particular should be controlled by a centrally planned economy. These I think will promote a more fairly run system and decisions basically are made for the greater good. The reason that I feel this way is because if you let the market control the economy then they most likely would do what’s best for their self’s instead of what is best for all. If it was a market economy we would probably have the same problem that we have with the gas industry, prices steady rising until it is unbearable .People would still need the service but it would be on a must have basis (Hubbard, G & O’brien, T 2013). At least now there are plans in affect to insure that everyone has affordable health insurance, along with things like Medicaid and Medicare. Is health care a macroeconomic or microeconomic issue? I think that healthcare is both because you have to look at it from both perspectives, on one hand healthcare is a microeconomic issue because it is the study of individual firms and their economics .I think the micro part of health care comes into play when you’re talking about individual offices and hospitals . Then it can be viewed as macroeconomics when you look at health care in the bigger sense, meaning health care as a whole. The macro part comes into play when you look at health care and government assistance laws etc. How would this affect production efficiency? Healthcare offers a unique subject, because if a person is having a lif e threatening issue, people will still obtain the services no matter the cost if they can afford it.If the health issue is not that serious then a person may shop around for trying to find the best deal available, or if they don’t have medical insurance they may choose to forego the procedure needed altogether. References Cliff's Notes. (2013, April 14). Economic analysis. Retrieved from http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/Economic-Analysis. topicArticleId-9789,articleId- 9726. html Hubbard, G ; O’brien, T. (2013). Microeconomics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Street Art Legalization

â€Å"Imagine a city where graffiti wasn't illegal, a city where everybody drew whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall – it's wet. † (Banksy 85) Graffiti is a global form of expression that is untamed but uses similar methods as advertisements, yet is illegal in most cities.Street art is a way of spreading your name or message, just like a company puts up billboards to get their product to their demographics. Graffiti and Street art in general are just terms for the urban art form of scribing or painting on public space with a message or name. The culture of graffiti is very hard to control since all of the tools needed are in the average person’s home already. Street-Art should be legalized bec ause it is less destructive than advertisements and they are displayed in the same methods.Tagging is the first step in becoming a graffiti writer, It is an artist’s baby steps in to the urban art form known as graffiti. A tag in graffiti is an artist’s signature. It represents who you are, where you’re from, and why you write. As the graffiti writer â€Å"Earsnot† said, â€Å"Tagging is like a timeline† you can follow the tags and see where the person has been that day just by the color of their ink (‘Infamy’) â€Å"The term ‘graffiti’ derives from the greek graphien which means to write† The current meaning of graffiti came to being because that is what the drawings and â€Å"marks found on ancient Roman architecture†(Phillips Par 1).Writers for the majority will not sign their real names; they instead use nicknames, codes, or symbols within complicated lettering systems† (Phillips Par 4). Graffiti us ually gets a bad reputation because people see the beautiful murals and wonder why the same artists create ugly scrawl. Graffiti comes in many forms and people really need to understand that. Since there aren’t any two writers at the same level, and all writers are at different steps in the art form. You cannot simply pick up a paint can and created perfect typography and detailed illustrations, no matter what your level of art is in any medium. The grimy, dirty, dripping tag signature comes from the same hands as the enormous multicolored murals† (Gastman 127). Many people say why do graffiti artists tag when they can just do murals. â€Å"Some people want to make the world a better place. I just want to make the world a better-looking place. If you don’t like it, you can paint over it! † (Banksy par 15), in this quote the London street-artist Banksy is stating that he doesn’t care if you paint over or buff his work since he is just going to keep d oing it. So the government is just wasting paint and money.Street Art is a form of graffiti that uses the same way of portraying the artists work but with different tools and mediums. One of the most common means of getting street-art up is with the use of stencils. Where the artist will take cardboard or plastic and make a cutout into the material, usually displaying and icon or figure. Another common method of street-art is wheat pasting which where you create a poster sketched or printed on larger paper and then create a glue like substance using cornstarch and some form of an epoxy.Some street-artists and graffiti artists alike will â€Å"sticker-bomb† which is where the either print stickers with a message or use shipping labels with a hand drawn character or tag and they will put them on walls, signs, windows, etc. Since it is a much quicker way than using a marker or a can of spray paint where you might get caught in the act if you are not very quick or in a rather cro wded place. Graffiti is a cultural phenomenon that cannot be controlled. Every culture that currently exists or has existed has had its own form of graffiti.Modern graffiti is thought to have originated during the Greek empire with political ideas and criticism that people would scribe onto the walls since it would be a definite way that the government would see it. Graffiti cannot be pure vandalism because it can be traced to almost every known society. Also graffiti writers cannot be classified as a single type of person, people who write come from every background. â€Å"Graffiti is a cross-cultural phenomena common to every literate society.Within the variable contexts of their production, graffiti personalize de-personalized space, construct landscapes of identity, make public space into private space, and act as promoters of ethnic unity as well as diversity. Graffiti can be understood as concrete manifestations of personal and communal ideologies which are visually striking, insistent, and provocative; as such, they are worthy of the continued attention of art historians, social scientists, and policy makers alike. † (Phillips 9) Graffiti is going to occur whether it’s legal or not.If government legalized graffiti in public space, the overall crime rate would go down because it would not be added into the statistic of crimes that occurred and governments would not have to pay people to buff out the graffiti. Advertisers capitalized on graffiti strategies. Strategies that started to flourish in the early 1980’s in the New York where innovative writers such as â€Å"Cornbread† would do graffiti on subways and later busses. â€Å"You owe the companies nothing. You especially don't owe them any courtesy.They have re-arranged the world to put themselves in front of you. They never asked for your permission, don't even start asking for theirs. † (Banksy 160) As said by Claw â€Å"Im making my stamp and I want it everywhereà ¢â‚¬ ¦ † (‘Infamy') this is exactly what companies are saying when they purchase advertisement space. Advertising and graffiti function on a phenomenological element to arouse the viewer's curiosity. They rely on the sheer amount of coverage and penetration, just as brands do to grow.If you look into a crowd of people on almost every person you see you can recognize the company that created their clothing. They rely on the quality of the delivery to embed themselves into the viewer’s perception. â€Å"Brandalism; Any advertisement in public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It belongs to you. It's yours to take, rearrange and re-use. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head† (Banksy 160). Society has an impact on artists.In popular culture where advertising is seen thousands of times a day it evokes a desire in people to make there mark on this world. The empty promises of ads get f lipped upside down when a writer realizes they possessed his or her own ‘brand'. The effect of advertising on young children may have been the catalyst for this global art movement. â€Å"The people who run the cities† do not recognize graffiti because they believe nothing has the right to exist unless it makes revenue. But if you just value capital then your belief is insignificant (Banksy 7). 1 year old Coda Explains, â€Å"Basically, when I look around, I see us living in a modern day Babylon, full of temptation, sin, distraction, corruption, injustice, and misguided fools being mentally enslaved. It seems to me the only way to wake people up from this kind of numbness is to destroy what they know: Their business, their places of commerce and their biggest place of gathering, the cities! Put it on their trains, on the lines they take to work, on their rooftops, on their highways, on anything just to make some people realize that culture isn't ost and that, at the ve ry least, a small group of kids is fighting to keep it alive† (Tucker 1). Graffiti should be legal because it is less destructive to people than advertisements and they are displayed in the very similar methods, yet people are shocked to see it. Graffiti approaching them not in a gallery, but on the streets.. One of the main point that I am trying to prove through this paper even though it isn’t mentioned is, why is the government persecuting people trying to create art and shape the way that modern history is unfolding.

Corning Glass Work Case Study Essay

1. Enumerate the conditions why Corning had to undergo the series of structural changes. Following the international growth and expansion of Corning, the following problems were being faced in the organization’s structure and management processes: i) With the international expansion of CGW, the company was becoming too big and complex to be managed by its current structure. Hence a need was felt to create the international arm as a separate legal entity and hence Corning International Corporation (CIC) was born. ii) CIC was created as a subsidiary to CGW to emphasize the growing importance of Corning’s overseas business. The management felt that the creation of CIC as a separate unit was important to upgrade the role of international managers and help them feel more accepted within Corning. iii) Before the international strategy shift of the mid 1960s, CGW did not meddle much into the affairs of its foreign affiliates. The foreign affiliates maintained their own individual reporting and control systems. However, following the strategic shift to gain majority in these foreign subsidiaries, the management system and processes began changing, such as integration of subsidiaries’ accounting systems into the parent company. This caused problems as most of the subsidiaries were European non-English speaking countries and didn’t follow American standards. Hence a need was felt to integrate these foreign subsidiaries with the parent company so as to maintain uniform standards and processes. iv) The acquisition of majority shareholdings in foreign subsidiaries also encouraged management to begin to coordinate and integrate its foreign operations. The task of unifying, coordinating and integrating the European operations specially was a difficult one. There was a long list of independent companies that needed to be brought under control and a lot of these companies were old rivals. Hence lack of coordination and cooperation existed at every level. Furthermore, each of the European companies had export customers and offices in several other European countries. This caused lot of chaos and confusion when it came to bringing order into CGW’s European operations. Also, the European country affiliates were well established and extremely knowledgeable about their local environment. It was difficult for the newly appointed area managers who did not have the same level of market and product expertise to challenge these country affiliates and convince them in favour of consolidation of manufacturing operations. v) The structure within CIC was organized on geographical dimensions. The top management had a tendency to take major decisions based on their local interests and hence promoted their local projects. As a result, conflicts started arising between geographical entities. Such conflicts could only be resolved at the desk of Forrest Behm, President of CIC, who was the only one with sufficient power and connections at the corporate level to communicate plans to and from top leadership of CGW. As the international operations expanded, Behm turned out to be the only one in a position to take a global perspective of the various international businesses and this in turn increasingly burdened him with more conflict-resolution issues. He felt that a structural change within the organization was required to bring in a global perspective amongst its people. vi) Another challenge that Corning was facing was the transfer of technological knowledge from parent company to its foreign operations. Before major international expansion, this transfer was maintained through informal channels between technical experts in the parents company and the foreign plants. As the foreign operations expanded and technological innovations grew in size, the old model of knowledge sharing turned out to be insufficient to handle the growing demands. Hence foreign subsidiaries had to rely on the formal channels within the international organizational. This led to escalating frustrations on both the sides. vii) Furthermore, the capital allocation process also changed following the majority shareholding in foreign subsidiaries. Before the consolidation, the decision process for capital allocation was done primarily by the local managers of the foreign affiliate, who would then go out and raise the capital on their own. However, after these subsidiaries were acquired by Corning, they were required to submit a formal capital appropriation request prepared in English. The subsidiary general manager then had to chase it to the end through a series of corporate decision making filters. This allocation system had other major implications on the relationship between the technical personnel on each side. Whereas before, the technical managers from the parent company provided assistance to subsidiaries on projects, the former now became a part of the judge and jury system to decide on the capital allocation to these subsidiaries. As a result, the technical managers tended to become more conservative with their advice and assistance to the subsidiaries. viii) Due to the incoherency of its area based organization structure, CIC found itself grappling with the global marketing coordination necessary for some businesses. There was no one who was responsible for coordinating between different foreign subsidiaries on global actions like price, product, sourcing etc. The needs of global product development were not being communicated to the R&D group. This meant that the international product development needs were being largely ignored. In order to address the above mentioned problems, Forrest Behm, decided to restructure the organization by appointing three international business managers. The primary motive behind the appointment of these business managers was to supplement the organization with a global business perspective. 2. Identify the problems with the organization structure (until 1972; business manager concept) that led to the formation of World Boards. i) Corning International Corporation (CIC) since its inception was not truly integrated with its parent organization Corning Glass Works (CGW). The creation of CIC as a separate company was insufficient from the onset. The relationship between senior managers in the parent company CGW and in CIC remained unchanged. The vice-presidents in CIC never really achieved the status and importance of vice presidents in CGW. As a result when the three international business managers were appointed by Behm with the status equivalent to Vice-Presidents, they faced difficulty liaising with vice-presidents and other senior managers in the domestic organization (CGW). They were simply viewed as lacking power, status and credibility to get things done. ii) There was some hostility prevalent between the domestic and foreign arm of the organization. The domestic division managers felt that if they had to provide the foreign operations with so much support, they might as well run the foreign operations themselves. This contributed towards making the job of international business managers in acting as a liaison even more difficult. iii) The role of the International Business Managers was not clearly defined since its inception. They were given very vague general mandates like â€Å"to straighten things out in consumer products in International† or â€Å"to put together a world strategy for products in Science and Medical†. As a result nobody understood what they were really there for and hence people could not establish a connection or relation with them. This contributed to some area managers feeling that they were wasting their time and energy in entertaining these international business managers and meeting their demands of time and information. iv) There was lack of communication between Behm and foreign subsidiary country managers who felt that they were not informed of such a role being introduced in the organization hierarchy. As a result, employees in the foreign subsidiaries had no clarity who they were supposed to report to after the organizational changes. This contributed to a creation of general sense of defensiveness in the subsidiary employees from the outset. So the business managers were largely viewed by foreign subsidiaries as more of an interference and less of a coordination help. v) The three business managers did not have the right skills to act as liaisons. Their inability to establish strong links between the foreign subsidiaries and the domestic products divisions was partly due to the attitude with which some of them had taken up these roles. For example, the international business manager for the Consumer Products Division came across as interfering and authoritative. This was not helpful in yielding the desired results. 3. Examine whether their current structure (world boards) is appropriate to the business environment. Provide suggestions to Behm on the proposed reorganization. The current structure of world board is strong and is capable of bringing in order to the organization provided some changes are made to it. The world boards were not created to control or manage the foreign subsidiaries but rather to act as a channel to facilitate coordination, communication and cooperation between the parent company and its foreign subsidiaries. The members of the world boards must keep this vision in mind during their meetings and interactions. We propose the following changes to the world board in order to make them more effective: i) Behm should first start with putting a limit on the maximum number of people on the world boards to 6-7. This will avoid the problem of world boards becoming too big and chaotic to manage. The world boards should include at max 2-3 people from US product division, 2-3 people from subsidiary units and 1 international business manager. ii) The Optical Products World Board was able to achieve results by successfully resolving their conflicts before the board meetings. All other world boards should follow their model and try to adapt it to as much extent as possible. iii) The domestic division managers need to understand that the company as a whole can only be unified through corporate culture, shared vision and values, and management style rather than through formal structures and systems. Hence they should avoid trying to control the subsidiaries’ business the way they have been doing so far. The domestic division managers should be encouraged to develop a networking and inter-dependent relationship with the subsidiaries. Internal attitude change within Corning’s domestic managers is critical to encourage coordination, participation and involvement of the subsidiaries. While being a part of Corning, the subsidiaries need some autonomy for themselves to develop an ability to make impactful contributions to the organization as a whole. iv) Behm should ensure that the world boards meet regularly and achieve fruitful results. If left to themselves, things may go back to how they were. Hence a more direct involvement on part of Behm is required (at least in the boards that still have major difference of opinions) to facilitate communication and resolve difference of opinions. v) Corning should slowly and gradually adopt the transnational model to promote worldwide integration and knowledge sharing to exploit both global and local advantages. The top leadership needs to see the organization as a network and should refrain from shaping it as a centralized hub. Interdependence between units should be promoted amongst product, functional and geographic units. vi) Cross-subsidiary teams should be developed in the long run to compel different subsidiaries to work together for their own good as well as the overall good of the organization.

Should money be spent on space research

Should money be spent on space research Free Online Research Papers It is true that vast amounts are spent on space exploration while people suffer from terrible poverty around the world. With the money spent on space exploration, wells could be dug, farmlands could be developed, medicine could be bought, schools and colleges could be built and teachers, doctors and nurses could be trained. I understand all the reasons for spending money on better things, but I also strongly believe that it is necessary that the human race should continually strive to develop our technology and broaden our horizons. The technology that put men on the moon, launched space shuttles and will build a space station has found its way into everyday life on earth. Common secondary uses of space research are called spin-offs. The common smoke detector used in homes was first prepared for spacecrafts as a warning system. Computer bar codes in retail stores, shock absorbing shoes used by tennis players and athletes, lightweight materials used for helmets and sporting materials and non stick coating used in pans were all first developed as part of space research. Space technology has provided many benefits to the medical field as well. Pace makers used to treat cardiac as well as remote monitoring devices for intensive care patients and portable medical equipment carried aboard ambulances are but a few applications of space technology providing daily benefits in hospitals, offices and homes. To conclude I can say that it is basic human nature to strive to discover the unknown and we can progress in all ways by unlocking the secret of the stars. So the money is well spent on space exploration. Research Papers on Should money be spent on space research19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraOpen Architechture a white paperThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationStandardized TestingGenetic EngineeringMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War

Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War The Battle of Cerro Gordo was fought April 18, 1847, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Armies Commanders United States Major General Winfield Scott8,500 men Mexico General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna12,000 men Background Though Major General Zachary Taylor had won a string of victories at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterrey, President James K. Polk elected to shift the focus of American efforts in Mexico to Veracruz. Though this was largely due to Polks concerns about Taylors political ambitions, it was also supported by reports that an advance against Mexico City from the north would be impractical. As a result, a new force was organized under Major General Winfield Scott and directed to capture the key port city of Veracruz. Landing on March 9, 1847, Scotts army advanced on the city and captured it after a twenty-day siege. Establishing a major base at Veracruz, Scott began making preparations to advance inland before yellow fever season arrived. From Veracruz, Scott had two options for pressing west towards the Mexican capital. The first, the National Highway, had been followed by Hernn Cortà ©s in 1519, while the latter ran to the south through Orizaba. As the National Highway was in better condition, Scott elected to follow that route through Jalapa, Perote, and Puebla. Lacking sufficient transportation, he decided to send his army forward by divisions with that of Brigadier General David Twiggs in the lead. As Scott began leaving the coast, Mexican forces were gathering under the leadership of General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. Though recently defeated by Taylor at Buena Vista, Santa Anna retained immense political clout and popular support. Marching east in early April, Santa Anna hoped to defeat Scott and use the victory to make himself dictator of Mexico. Santa Annas Plan Correctly anticipating Scotts line of advance, Santa Anna decided to make his stand at a pass near Cerro Gordo. Here the National Highway was dominated by hills and his right flank would be protected by the Rio del Plan. Standing around a thousand feet high, the hill of Cerro Gordo (also known as El Telegrafo) dominated the landscape and dropped to the river on the Mexican right. Approximately a mile in front of Cerro Gordo was a lower elevation which presented three steep cliffs to the east. A strong position in its own right, Santa Anna emplaced artillery atop the cliffs. To the north of Cerro Gordo was the lower hill of La Atalaya and beyond that the terrain was laced with ravines and chaparral which Santa Anna believed was impassable (Map). The Americans Arrive Having assembled around 12,000 men, some which were parolees from Veracruz, Santa Anna felt confident that he had created strong position on Cerro Gordo which would not be easily taken. Entering the village of Plan del Rio on April 11, Twiggs chased off a troop of Mexican lancers and soon learned that Santa Annas army was occupying the nearby hills. Halting, Twiggs awaited the arrival of Major General Robert Pattersons Volunteer Division which marched in the next day. Though Patterson held a higher rank, he was ill and allowed Twiggs to begin planning an attack on the heights. Intending to launch the assault on April 14, he ordered his engineers to scout the ground. Moving out on April 13, Lieutenants W.H.T. Brooks and P.G.T. Beauregard successfully used a small path to reach the summit of La Atalaya in the Mexican rear. Realizing that the path could allow the Americans to flank the Mexican position, Beauregard reported their findings to Twiggs. Despite this information, Twiggs decided to prepare a frontal attack against the three Mexican batteries on the cliffs using Brigadier General Gideon Pillows brigade. Concerned about the possible high casualties of such a move and the fact that the bulk of the army had not arrived, Beauregard expressed his opinions to Patterson. As a result of their conversation, Patterson removed himself from the sick list and assumed command on the night April 13. Having done so, he ordered the next days assault postponed. On April 14, Scott arrived at Plan del Rio with additional troops and took charge of operations. A Stunning Victory Assessing the situation, Scott decided on sending the bulk of the army around the Mexican flank, while conducting a demonstration against the heights. As Beauregard had taken ill, additional scouting of the flanking route was conducted by Captain Robert E. Lee from Scotts staff. Confirming the feasibility of using the path, Lee scouted further and was nearly captured. Reporting his findings, Scott sent construction parties to widen the path which was dubbed the Trail. Ready to advance on April 17, he directed Twiggs division, consisting of brigades led by Colonels William Harney and Bennet Riley, to move over the trail and occupy La Atalaya. Upon reaching the hill, they were to bivouac and be ready to attack the next morning. To support the effort, Scott attached Brigadier General James Shields brigade to Twiggs command. Advancing onto La Atalaya, Twiggs men were attacked by Mexicans from Cerro Gordo. Counterattacking, part of Twiggs command advanced too far and came under heavy fire from the main Mexican lines before falling back. During the night, Scott issued orders that Twiggs should work west through heavy woods and cut the National Highway in the Mexican rear. This would be supported by an attack against the batteries by Pillow. Dragging a 24-pdr cannon to the top of the hill during the night, Harneys men renewed the battle on the morning of April 18 and assaulted the Mexican positions on Cerro Gordo. Carrying the enemy works, they forced the Mexicans to flee from the heights. To the east, Pillow began moving against the batteries. Though Beauregard had recommended a simple demonstration, Scott ordered Pillow to attack once he heard firing from Twiggs effort against Cerro Gordo. Protesting his mission, Pillow soon worsened the situation by arguing with Lieutenant Zealous Tower who had scouted the approach route. Insisting on a different path, Pillow exposed his command to artillery fire for much of the march to the attack point. With his troops taking a battering, he next began to berate his regimental commanders before leaving the field with a minor arm wound. A failure on many levels, the ineffectiveness of Pillows attack had little influence on the battle as Twiggs had succeeded in turning Mexican position. Distracted by the battle for Cerro Gordo, Twiggs only sent Shields brigade to sever the National Highway to the west, while Rileys men moved around the west side of Cerro Gordo. Marching through thick woods and un-scouted ground, Shields men emerged from the trees around the time that Cerro Gordo was falling to Harney. Possessing only 300 volunteers, Shields was turned back by 2,000 Mexican cavalry and five guns. Despite this, the arrival of American troops in the Mexican rear sparked a panic among Santa Annas men. An attack by Rileys brigade on Shields left reinforced this fear and led to a collapse of the Mexican position near the village of Cerro Gordo. Though forced back, Shields men held the road and complicated the Mexican retreat. Aftermath With his army in complete flight, Santa Anna escaped the battlefield on foot and headed for Orizaba. In the fighting at Cerro Gordo, Scotts army sustained 63 killed and 367 wounded, while the Mexicans lost 436 killed, 764 wounded, around 3,000 captured, and 40 guns. Stunned by the ease and completeness of the victory, Scott elected to parole the enemy prisoners as he lacked the resources to provide for them. While the army paused, Patterson was dispatched to pursue the Mexicans retreating towards Jalapa. Resuming the advance, Scotts campaign would culminate with the capture of Mexico City in September after further victories at Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec. Selected Sources PBS: Battle of Cerro GordoThe Aztec Club of 1847US Grant Memoirs: Battle of Cerro Gordo

The Impact of Computers on Careers essays

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The Experts Guide to the AP European History Exam

The Expert's Guide to the AP European History Exam SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The AP European History course and exam cover the history of Europe from 1450 to the present. That means you'll be asked about everything from the Renaissance to the European Union - it's a lot!Not to mention,the exam was just revised in 2016, making everything a bit more complicated. If you need guidance for the AP exam, read on. In this article, I’ll give an overview of the exam, go in-depth on each of its sections, go over how the exam is scored, offer some preparation tips, and finally explain some key things to keep in mind on test day! AP European History Exam Format and Overview The AP Euro Exam for 2017 will be heldon Friday, May 12. The testis three hours and 15minutes long. It has two sections, each of which is further split into a part A and a part B. It is important to note that within each section, you will not be forced or signaledto move on from part A to part B at any point in time. You will need to manage the time within each section yourself, although you will be periodically informed of how much time is remaining. Here’s an overview chart of each part of the exam: Section and Part Question Type Number of Questions Time % of Score 1A Multiple Choice 55 55 recommended (105 total for section 1) 40% 1B Short Answer 4 50 recommended (105 total for section 1) 20% 2A Document-Based Question (DBQ) 1 55 recommended (90 total for section 2 including 15-minute reading period) 25% 2B Long Essay 1 (choose 1 of 2) 35 recommended (90 total for section 2 including 15-minute reading period) 15% As you can see, Section I consists of a 55-question multiple choice section, worth 40% of your exam grade, and a 4-question short answer section, worth 20% of your exam sky. Part I, in total, is 105 minutes, with a recommended 55 minutes on multiple choice and 50 minutes on the short answer. Section II, the essay section, consists of the document-based question, for which you have to synthesize historical documents into a coherent analysis of a historical moment, and the â€Å"long essay,† for which you will have to choose between two questions and then write an essay analyzing a historical moment with no outside sources at your disposal. The DBQ is worth 25% of your grade, and the long essay is worth 15%. You will receive 90 minutes for Section II, including a 15-minute reading period. The College Board recommends spending 55 minutes on the DBQ (including the reading period) and 35 minutes on the second essay. Section I is worth 60% of your exam score, and Section II is worth 40%. In terms of what individual parts are worth the most, the multiple choice section and the DBQ are the subsections worth the most on the exam, at 40% and 25%, respectively. It’s worth noting that the exam was revised for2016. Past administrations of the exam included more multiple-choice questions, no short answer, and had three essay questions instead of two.The recent revision means that there are not very many up-to-date practice resources available through the College Board for this exam, since old released exams have slightly different formats. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them, but you will need to be aware of the differences (see the section on practice resources below). In the next sections of this guide, I’ll break down each of the exam sections further. This is the old-old form of the exam. Section 1: Multiple Choice and Short Answer In this section, I’ll go over what you can expect to see on section 1 of the AP Euro exam. All question examples come from the AP Course and Exam Description. Part A: Multiple Choice On the multiple choice question, you’ll be presented with primary and secondary historical sources and then asked to answer two-five questions relevant to each source. In that sense, the 55 questions are almost divided up into a series of little mini-quizzes.The presentation of sources in the text ties into the revised exam’s focus on historical evidence and the actual work that historians do in evaluating and analyzing that evidence. There are two kinds of questions on the multiple-choice section of the exam: source analysis questions, and outside knowledge questions. Source Analysis Most of the questions in the multiple-choice section (probably about â…”) are source analysis questions. These are questions that ask you to analyze the source presented in some way. You may be asked to link the events described in the source to a broader historical movement, contrast the source with other sources, determine if the source supports or contradicts a particular historical trend, and so in. In general, you will need to have some degree of outside historical knowledge to complete these questions, but they are at their core questions about what the source says or means, often within the broader historical moment. Example: Outside Knowledge These are questions that have little, if anything, to do with the source itself, and instead ask you a historical question based on your own knowledge. It will most likely be about events connected to or immediately following the time period described in the source, but the source is not the focus of the question, and it will not provide much help in answering the question. Example: What could this mean? Part B: Short Answer The short-answer section is four questions long, with a recommended 50 minute response time (as part of Section I’s 105 minutes). This leaves about 12 minutes per question.On every short answer question, you will be asked to provide a total of three pieces of information. You might be asked to provide two pieces of information in favor of a historical thesis and one piece of information against, for example. For most of the short answer questions, you will be presented with a primary or secondary source and asked to answer a multi-part question analyzing the source and/or describing historical events relevant to the source. There is generally an element of choice to these questions- i.e., you will need to name one reason of many that something happened or two consequences of a particular event, but you will not be required to name particular events. Example: There are also short-answer questions without a source, for which you may be asked to analyze or examine a statement about history. Again, you will generally be asked to provide three total pieces of historical evidence, but you will have flexibility as to what events you could appropriately name to answer the question. Example: Keep your answers short like this guy. Section 2: Free-Response Section In this section, I’ll review what you’ll be asked to do on section 2 of the AP Euro exam. Part A: Document-Based Question On the DBQ, you’ll be given six-sevensources, made up of primary and secondary sources, and asked to write an essay analyzing a historical issue. This is meant to put you in the role of historian, interpreting historical material and then relaying your interpretation in an essay. You’ll need to combine material from the sources with your own outside knowledge. You’ll have 15minutes to plan the essay, and then 40 minutes to write it. The 15-minute planning period is specifically designated and timed at the beginning of section II, and you will be prompted to begin your essays at the close. However, no one will prompt you to move on from the DBQ to the long essay- you’ll need to manage that time yourself. Below see an example DBQ. Associated documents can be found in the Course and Exam Description. Example: Part B: Long Essay The Long Essay will ask you a broad thematic question about a period or periods in history. You will need to create an analytical essay with a thesis that you can defend with specific historical evidence that you learned in class. You’ll be given a choice between two questions for this essay. It’s recommended that you spend 35 minutes on this question, but again, you won’t be prompted to move from one essay to another so you’ll need to manage the time yourself. Example: A main theme of Europe: cheese. How the AP European History Exam Is Scored The multiple-choice section of the exam is worth 40% of your score, short answer is worth 20%, the DBQ is worth 25%, and the long essay is worth 15%. As on other AP exams, your raw score will be converted to a scaled score from 1-5. Last year, about 10% of all test-takers received a 5, and about 17% received a 4. The test is difficult, but it’s definitely possible to do well if you prepare.So how is your raw score obtained? I’ll go over how points are awarded on each part of each section. Multiple Choice Well, as on other AP exams, on the multiple choice section, you receive a point for each question you answer correctly. This means you could receive a total of 55 points on the multiple-choice section, weighted as 40% of your total score. Short Answer Every short-answer question will ask you to provide three pieces of information. You will receive one point for every correct, relevant piece of information you provide as directed by the question. For example, if a question asks for one cause of a particular conflict, one result of a particular conflict, and one similar situation in a different country, and you provided one cause and one result, you would receive two out of three points. As there are four short answer questions, you can get up to twelve points on the short answer section, weighted at 20% of your total exam score. The Document-Based Question The DBQ is worth 25% of your total score, and it is scored on a seven-point rubric. I’ll give a quick rubric breakdown here. Rubric Breakdown: Skill Name What The Rubric Says What It Means Thesis and Argument Development 1 point: Presents a thesis that makes a historically defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question. The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either the introduction or the conclusion. Scoring note: Neither the introduction nor the conclusion is necessarily limited to a single paragraph. This point is for having a thesis that can be reasonably supported bythe documents and other historical facts. Your thesis must be located in your introduction or conclusion. Thesis and Argument Development 1 point: Develops and supports a cohesive argument that recognizes and accounts for historical complexity by explicitly illustrating relationships among historical evidence such as contradiction, corroboration, and/or qualification. You can get an additional point for having a super thesis. A super thesis is one that accounts for the complex relationships in history. Document Analysis 1 point: Utilizes the content of at least six of the documents to support the stated thesis or a relevant argument. One point is for making use of 6-7 of the documents in your argument. Document Analysis 1 point: Explains the significance of the author’s point of view, author’s purpose, historical context, and/or audience for at least four documents. One point is for going more â€Å"in-depth† on at least four of the documents by analyzing the author’s point of view or purpose, the historical context, or the audience of the document. Using Evidence Beyond the Documents Contextualization - 1 point: Situates the argument by explaining the broader historical events, developments, or processes immediately relevant to the question. Scoring Note: Contextualization requires using knowledge not found in the documents to situate the argument within broader historical events, developments, or processes immediately relevant to the question. The contextualization point is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference, but instead requires an explanation, typically consisting of multiple sentences or a full paragraph. One point is for locating the issue within its broader historical context. So be sure to mention any â€Å"big-picture† movements happening that are shaping the events you are writing about in the DBQ! Using Evidence Beyond the Documents Evidence beyond the documents - 1 point: Provides an example or additional piece of specific evidence beyond those found in the documents to support or qualify the argument. Scoring Note 1: This example must be different from the evidence used to earn other points on this rubric. Scoring Note 2: This point is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference. Responses need to reference an additional piece of specific evidence and explain how that evidence supports or qualifies the argument. One point is awarded for using a specific historical example not found in the documents as evidence for your argument. Synthesis 1 point: Extends the argument by explaining the connections between the argument and ONE of the following: A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area. A course theme and/or approach to history that is not the focus of the essay (such as political, economic, social, cultural, or intellectual history). A different discipline or field of inquiry (such as economics, government and politics, art history, or anthropology) Scoring Note: The synthesis point requires an explanation of the connections to different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area, and is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference. For this final point, you need to connect your argument about the specific issue presented in the DBQ to another geographical area or historical development or movement. In previous years, the DBQ was out of 9 points, instead of this year’s 7. Last year, the average score was 3.98 - just shy of 4. Most students, then, got under half credit on the DBQ. She diligently studies for the DBQ. Long Essay The long essay is worth the least of all of the exam components at only 15% of your total score. It’s scored out of a 6-point rubric. I’ll go over how you can get those six points here. This rubric is a little whacky because 2 of the points for â€Å"Argument Development† are completely different depending on what the â€Å"Targeted Historical Skill† is. So pay attention to which points are for which skills! Rubric Breakdown: Skill Name What The Rubric Says What It Means Thesis 1 point: Presents a thesis that makes a historically defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question. The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either in the introduction or the conclusion. Your thesis makes a reasonable claim and responds to the entire question. It is located in the introduction or the conclusion. Argument Development: Targeted Historical Thinking Skill 1 point: Comparison: Describes similarities AND differences among historical individuals, developments, or processes. OR Causation: Describes causes AND/OR effects of a historical event, development, or process. OR Continuity and Change Over Time: Describes historical continuity AND change over time. OR Periodization: Describes the ways in which the historical development specified in the prompt was different from and similar to developments that preceded AND/OR followed. Essentially, this point is for comprehensively addressing the historical skill referenced in the prompt. If you are supposed to compare, you compare. If you are supposed to describe causes and/or effects, you do. Note that you will lose points if the question specifically asks about causes AND effects (for causation) or events before AND after a given historical development (for periodization) and you only address one. Argument Development: Targeted Historical Thinking Skill 1 point: Comparison: Explains the reasons for similarities AND differences among historical individuals, events, developments, or processes. OR Causation: Explains the reasons for the causes AND/OR effects of a historical event, development, or process. OR Continuity and Change Over Time: Explains the reasons for historical continuity AND change over time. OR Periodization: Explains the extent to which the historical development specified in the prompt was different from and similar to developments that preceded AND/OR followed. You don’t just mention events connected to the historical skill (comparison, causation, continuity/change over time, or periodization)- you explain and elaborate on the reasons for those events taking place. Argument Development: Using Evidence 1 point: Addresses the topic of the question with specific examples of relevant evidence. Your historical evidence involves specific examples that are relevant to the specific topic at hand. Argument Development: Using Evidence 1 point: Utilizes specific examples of evidence to fully and effectively substantiate the stated thesis or relevant argument. Scoring note: To fully and effectively substantiate the stated thesis or relevant argument, responses must include a broad range of evidence that, through analysis and explanation, justifies the stated thesis or relevant argument. Your examples are deployed to in a way that effectively supports your thesis; you tie your historical evidence back to your argument. Synthesis 1 point: Extends the argument by explaining the connections between the argument and ONE of the following: A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area A course theme and/or approach the history that is not the focus of the essay (such as political, economic, social, cultural, or intellectual history). A different discipline or field of inquiry (such as economics, government and politics, art history, or anthropology). Scoring note: The synthesis point requires an explanation of the connections to the different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area, and is not awarded merely for a phrase or reference. You make a connection to another historical period or discipline. You need to explain this connection in your paper, not just mention it offhand or in one quick sentence. As you can see, this rubric is really concerned with choosing appropriate, specific evidence to support your argument and adequately explaining those examples. To succeed, you’ll need to have a pretty strong knowledge base in specific historical content, more so than on any other section of the exam. You will have some element of choice in which of the two questions to select. That covers it for what’s on the exam. Next, we’ll address how you should prepare. You can't tell by looking, but this kitten is an AP Euro expert. How to Prepare for the AP Euro Exam There are five key ways to prepare: Start Reviewing Content Early One major thing you can do to help yourself on this exam is to start reviewing content early in the year. As soon as you know enough to start reviewing, you should be periodically looking back at old material to refresh your knowledge. If you make sure your knowledge is constantly renewed, you’ll have less work to do as you get closer to exam day because you’ll maintain a fairly high level of familiarity with an entire year’s worth of historical material. That means you’ll be able to focus primarily on building skills for the exam. Fill In Gaps As soon as you realize you don’t know or understand very much about a particular historical period or movement- maybe after doing less than awesome on a test, paper, or project- you should work to shore up that knowledge with extra studying and review. Consult with your teacher on what you are missing if you can. This will help keep you from serious weakness on the exam if the DBQ (or, heaven forbid, both the long essays) ends up being about an area you don’t really know anything about. Seek Breadth and Depth in Knowledge As you review historical content, you’ll want to balance acquiring breadth and depth. You definitely need to understand the major historical movements and moments of European History. But you should also know some specific facts and events about each era to maximize your chances of success on the short-answer and free-response sections. Of course, you aren’t going to be able to memorize every single date and person’s name ever mentioned in class for the purposes of the AP exam, but you should try to make sure you have at least a few facts that you could use as specific evidence in an essay about any of the major historical happenings covered in the course. Understand Historical Evidence One of the most important skills you can build for the AP Euro exam is understanding historical evidence. When you confront primary and secondary sources on the AP exam, you’ll need to think about who is writing, why they are writing, their audience, and the historical (or current) context they are writing in. What is the source evidence of? Is it relating facts, opinions, or interpretations? For more guidance on working with primary and secondary sources, see this online lesson from a college history professor. Practice the DBQ Because the DBQ somewhat unusual compared to the typical AP essay, you’ll need to make sure you understand how to plan and write one. You’ll need to really work not just on your skills understanding historical evidence, but also your ability to synthesize different pieces of historical evidence into a coherent interpretation or argument about a historical topic. On top of that, you’ll need to make a connection to another time period, movement, or discipline! Use the rubric as a guide to improving your DBQ skills, and check out my guide to writing a great DBQ essay. Filling in some very important gaps. Tips for Test Day Of course, all of the typical preparation tips apply: get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast, manage your time closely, answer every question, and so on and so forth. But here are two specific AP Euro test tips to help you make the most of your exam time. Focus On the Multiple-Choice and DBQ Sections There are four components to the test, but they aren’t all equally important. The multiple-choice section is worth 40%, the DBQ is worth 25%, the short-answer is worth 20%, and the long essay is worth 15%. This means that the multiple-choice and DBQ sections together form up the majority of your score, so make sure you pay them adequate attention in time and effort. Obviously, you should do your best on every part of the test, and your score for the other two sections does matter. But if you find yourself pressed for time on either section 1 or 2, the multiple-choice and the DBQ are worth more than the other pieces of their respective sections. Mine Sources for Contextual Information The redesigned AP European History test has a renewed focus on primary and secondary sources. While most questions do still require some outside knowledge to answer, you can use the primary and secondary sources to orient yourself in history and pick up contextual details that will help you answer questions even if you are initially a little lost as to the particulars of the historical moment being described. Here’s an example multiple-choice question with a source: What can we figure out from this source? Well, we know that this is a song by French market women from the 18th century from the caption. But what is the source itself telling us? In the first line we see the word â€Å"Versailles.† If you know that’s where French royalty lived, you’ll start to think: does this source have something to do with royalty? (If you don’t know that Versailles is where French royalty used to live, you aren’t out of luck- the second stanza offers this information implicitly).Then we see in the second line that â€Å"We brought with us all our guns.† This implies that something violent occurred at Versailles. So, something violent at the place where royalty lives. The second stanza switches into present tense. So that means whatever happened at Versailles with the guns already took place. In the present, they say â€Å"we won’t have to go so far...to see our King...since he’s come to live in our Capital.† The King, then, lives in Paris now- so the ladies don’t have to go to Versailles to see him. If they went to show the king their guns at Versailles in the first stanza, and in the second stanza he’s been removed to Paris, this implies that the king was forcibly removed to Paris. In this light, the line â€Å"We love him with a love without equal† is ironic: they love him now that they have defeated him. The only one of the answers that is possibly compatible with the idea of defeating a king is choice (B), creating a republican government in France.So by using sources, you can navigate many questions even if you are initially at a total loss in terms of historical contextual information. France: beautiful architecture and bloody revolution. Key Takeaways The AP European History exam is three hours and 15 minutes long and consists of two sections.The first section has two parts, a 55-minute, 55-question multiple choice exam, and a 4-question, 50-minute short answer section. The second section also has two parts: a 55-minute document-based question, and a 35-minute long essay. Note that you will not be prompted to move from part A to part B on either section, but must manage the time yourself. The multiple-choice section is worth 40% of your exam score, and you receive one point for every correct answer. You can expect to see questions that ask you to analyze historical sources and evidence, and questions that force you to rely completely on your own knowledge of historical events. The short-answer question is worth 20% of your exam score. On each of the four questions you will be asked to provide three pieces of information about a historical movement or period, and you’ll get one point for each correct piece of information you provide. The DBQ is worth 25% of your grade. You’ll be given six-seven sources and need to write an essay synthesizing your interpretation of a historical movement or period using the sources. You’ll then receive a grade out of 7 points. Finally, the long essay is worth 15% of your grade. On the long essay, you’ll have a choice between two questions. Then, you’ll need to write an original essay supported with specific historical evidence. To prepare for the exam, here are my best tips: Start reviewing content early in the year, and keep it up throughout! As soon as you realize there’s an era or movement you aren’t fully comfortable with, fill in those gaps in your knowledge! Seek both breadth and some depth in your knowledge of the content. Learn to understand and analyze historical evidence and primary and secondary sources. Build exam-specific skills, particularly for the DBQ. Here’s my advice to make the most of test day: Focus most of your energy on the multiple-choice and DBQ sections, especially if you start to run out of time. Use sources to orient yourself in history when you need to! With all this knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll crush the AP European History exam like the Hapsburgs crushed in the 30 Years’ War! Too soon? What's Next? Need more AP test-taking tips? Or help finding AP practice tests? Looking for more of our expert guides? We have complete AP exam guides for AP Human Geography, AP Language and Composition, AP Literature and Composition, AP World History, AP US History, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP Psychology. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: