Monday, December 30, 2019

The Problem of Evil accoding to Saint Augustine Essay

The Problem of Evil Saint Augustine was one of the first to really address the problem of evil in the Christian sense. After disbanding from the Manicheans due to his dissatisfaction with the way they viewed the problem, he reasoned a sound solution to the problem of evil that could put Christians minds at ease. Saint Augustine lived from 354-430. During the era in which he lived, his world was a crockpot of instability and suffering. The Roman Empire, a symbol of strength, was falling. He lost his mother, lover, and son during his lifetime. These circumstances certainly prompted Augustine to question evil. According to his Christian faith, God is all-good and created all things. Evil presented a problem because if God was all-good, it†¦show more content†¦One of his most important ideas was that of human free will. Since humans have free will, they can choose to do good or evil, right or wrong. They in themselves are causes of suffering. He thought humans needed more respon sibility for evil – not just Satan. After breaking from the Manichees, Augustine found his way to Neoplatonism, a philosophy developed by a follower of Plato. Neoplatonism emphasized the important difference between the physical world and the ideal, intangible world to explain the body and soul. The physical world is changeable, perishable, and not perfect. The ideal world, or Forms, are everlasting and perfect. The soul is part of this ideal world and is perfect, but is in an imperfect body which is stuck in the physical world. They did not believe that humans were players on a neutral battleground as the Manichees did, but orchestrated their own suffering. Neoplatonism even went so far as to say that the body was unimportant in human existence, that it was the soul that mattered, and this is where Augustine drew the line. He thought both were important in human existence, and that we bring evil on ourselves by choosing to do bad things. Augustine eventually came to the conc lusion that evil is not a thing in itself, but rather a lack of goodness. As Augustine states in City of God, â€Å"For when the will abandons what is above itself,

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Boston Police Strike Of 1919 - 1307 Words

Boston Police Strike of 1919. By Richard Bennet The Boston Police Strike of 1919 was the result of the intolerable conditions under which the police officer’s worked and the refusal of key city and state officials to act to improve those conditions. On the day of September the 9th 1919, almost three quarters of Boston s police force failed to show up to work. The police strike was a political windfall for the governor of Massachusetts and was fodder for the anti- union stance of government and business of the day. The backlash resulted in police departments across the country not to be afforded the right to organize for the next twenty years. The Boston Police Department in 1919 was under the control of Police Commissioner Edwin Upton Curtis. The Massachusetts Legislative had vested this single commissioner appointed by the governor, to have absolute control over the operations, hiring, training and discipline and control over police officers in Boston. The mayor of Boston and the city was responsibl e to pay the police officers and was responsible for maintaining the physical working conditions for the police. Having no control over the police force, the city and mayor did not devote the resources necessary to maintain the quality of the conditions under which the police operated. Commissioner Curtis was anti union and would not let the police unionize. Curtis issued a general order banning all officers from joining any groups or organizations except forShow MoreRelatedComparing The 1919 Boston Police Strike937 Words   |  4 Pages The 1919 Boston Police Strike took place against the backdrop of general distrust of unions. The AFL, the union that the police were part of, were in their own struggle for acceptance as a legitimate organization by the public. Unions were relatively new and they were associated with the violence that striking workers perpetrated, creating suspicion about unions in general. The Boston Police Strike, unfortunately, brought so many issues of the da y to head: Communism which was an issue to AmericansRead More The Boston Police...in 1912 Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesThe Boston Police Were Justified in Going Out on Strike in 1919 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The period after the Civil War was a time when many businesses and corporations grew to a size where power was the key to success. Different companies would have to compete with each other to stay on top of the fast enlargement of industry. Many businesses and corporation grew so large that the factory owners did not care about the laborers themselves or there concerns, but how much time and work theyRead MoreEssay on Social Changes and Unrest in American During World War I906 Words   |  4 Pagesprovincial families started living in the same cities as immigrants new to the United States. After the war the fear of these foreigners and their transoceanic ways started to increase rapidly. This fear amplified in the late spring and early summer of 1919, after several bombs went off in two separate bombings. One involved 36 bombs mailed to members of the politically elite and the rich. These mail bombings were sent to people like J.D.Rockefeller and Rayme Weston Finch, who was a member of the FBIRead MoreRacism and Intolerance in America During the 1920s Essay1413 Words   |  6 Pagestitle Reds.3600 strikes involving 400,000 workers took place in 1919 which began the Red Scare that carried on until 1921, in which members of the American public were led to believe that Reds were trying to ruin their way of life. A Seattle strike in 1919 led by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), nicknamed the Wobblies seemed to be evidence of a communist plot. Coal miners, steel-workers and even the police force all went on strike in Boston, leading to manyRead MoreThe Red Scare Of Nicola Sacco And Bartolomeo Vanzetti1138 Words   |  5 Pagesseverity throughout the war inducing the Red Scare of 1920. The fear of communism increased when a series of strikes occurred in 1919. The police of Boston went on strike and 100,000 of steel and coal workers did as well. The communist usually always got the blame. As America entered the 1920s, the hostility towards immigrants was mounting to incomparable levels. The Bolshevik Revolution of 1919 brought about the fear and panic of communism which led to the institutionalization of Red Scare policiesRead MoreRole Of The Thief Takers During Early Civilizations913 Words   |  4 Pages1. Fifth-century- Organized police departments were rare in early civilizations. Rome created the first specialized investigate unit. These units were known as Questors, or trackers of murder. Also around this time Roman emperor Augustus picked special, highly qualified members of t he military to form the Praetorian Guard which could be considered the first police officers. Their job was to protect the palace and the emperor. Vigiles were known as early roman firefighters and were eventuallyRead MoreImportance Of Unions : History And Significance946 Words   |  4 PagesRoosevelt intervened in the Anthracite strike which led to arbitration, and Maryland passes an accidental compensation law. 3) In 1903 the Women’s Trade Union League was formed at AFL convention. 4) In 1905 Industrial Workers of the World was founded. In 1908 the AFL endorsed Democrat William Jennings Bryan for President. 5) In 1909 20,000 female shirtwaist makers strike in New York strike against sweatshop conditions and unorganized immigrant steel workers strike in McKees Rocks, Pa. and won all demandsRead MoreThe Red Scare Essay examples1067 Words   |  5 PagesDepression beginning to kick off. With food and living expenses drastically increasing certain propaganda began to appear. Perhaps one of the most notable of these was Lenin’s â€Å"Letter to the American Workers† which appeared in the United States in 1919. Loosely tied but heavily attributing to the problem was Ludwig Martens’ appearance later that year claiming to be a representative of the Foreign Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. (Murray, p. 46-47) With these figures imposing upon the American peopleRead MoreA Brief Lool at John Quincy Adams1051 Words   |  4 Pagesof educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Eventually his hard work earned him the title of The Governor of Massachusetts, but he was never really recognized until the Boston Police Strike of 1919, where he reinstated Officer Curtis after the Mayor of Boston had fired him illegally. This put him on the spotlight and made many respect him as a man of choice. He is known much more for his character than his achievements. President Coolidge was an old school manRead MoreTaking a Look at Calvin Coolidge1083 Words   |  4 PagesHis reputation grew and he was elected Lieutenant governor and governor in the 1918 election. During the governor term of Calvin Coolidge, an issue broke out that cause him to get national publicity and attention. In 1919, Boston police officers went on strike because the police commissioner had tried to block their unionization with the American Federation of Labor. Calvin handled this situation by calling the national guard and speaking directly with Samuel Gompers, the head of the American Federation

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Basic Skills Test Free Essays

While growing up we have ideas about what we want to do with our life when we graduate from high school. These decisions include: going to college, picking a major, and figuring out where you want to go after college. I wanted to go to Western Illinois University and declare a major in the elementary education program because Western Illinois has a good teacher education program. We will write a custom essay sample on Basic Skills Test or any similar topic only for you Order Now I always wanted to become a teacher since I was a little girl, because my first grade teacher has inspired me to become a wonderful educator. One of the requirements for education majors is to take the Illinois certification test, which is the Basic Skills test. The Basic Skills test is a certified test that is composed in variety of subjects that an educator needs to know before getting a teacher’s certificate. In order to be approved for teaching in the state of Illinois, you must pass this test. Furthermore, should the Basic Skills be considered a requirement into the education program? According to the Chicago Sun-Times, in 2010 Linda Tomlinson, Assistant Superintendent at the State Board of Education, said, â€Å"some would-be teachers have failed the current test at least 20 times†. However, recent changes now give teaching candidates only five chances to pass (Rossi Rosalind, Chicago Sun Times). I know now that I was not the only one who did not pass the Basic Skills test the first time. Whenever I hear how important this test is from my advisor and even from other education majors around me, I get nervous. Testing is required of candidates seeking an Illinois teaching license since 1988. The only way I can continue in education next semester is to pass the test. After reading this article, I am afraid I won’t be able to major in education anymore because of lack of test-taking skills. I’m not a good test taker because of test anxiety which includes time, forgetting the information, and getting nervous before the big test. If I fail the Basic Skills test a third time, I might have to consider changing my major. I do not want to change my major, because I know I would enjoy teaching very much. If you do not pass the test after five times, you are not allowed to teach in the state of Illinois. According to the Chicago Tribune, in 2011 an unknown â€Å"reporter† said; â€Å"No, we’re not rooting for aspiring educators to fail. But we are rooting to see only the best candidates become teachers† (Chicago Tribune). As a future educator, I am opposed to this idea that college students are not becoming teachers because they are failing the Basic Skills. The statistics that updated each year from different universities are losing students who want to become future educators. Taking the Basic Skills test for future educators is harder than you think it would be; because you need to have the knowledge of a future educator when taking this type of state assessment. Most college students have to make a decision about backup plans after realizing that they didn’t pass the test. It would be disappointment knowing that you worked hard, you are halfway through college, and now you can’t continue with your major. I think that the state board of education should rethink the testing procedures because there is more to teaching than just being able to pass the test. For example, future educators can get observed by their work of teaching, have an interview process about the literacy of teaching, and many other kinds of processes that could be established in a college setting to prepare students to become excellent educators. The Basic Skills is one of the most important tests that future educators have seen, taken, or studied for. As a first time test-taker, our job is to research what the test is all about, what is the Basic Skills? More importantly, what is a test? Some people can say that a test is a series of questions that tests our knowledge; or a test can be defined, â€Å"as a particular process or method for trying or assessing (â€Å"Oxford English Dictionary†). † The Basic Skills is a test where you get certification to teach in the state of Illinois. The test considers four different sub sections reading, language arts, mathematics, and writing (Illinois Leisure Testing System). The results I’ve heard from my advisor, and researching some statistics from other Illinois school; there are many future educators who have failed the Basic Skills. Because of that, they are out of the teacher education program. The teacher education program is based on a series of tasks that are required to be pass before moving onto the next level (Jeanne Gage, Advisor). Some of the tasks to be considered are: passing major course classes in college, writing a reflective paper, and aving test taking skills. Returning to the certification process, I ask myself what is certification? Is there a certification just like the Basic Skills? Certification means â€Å"an official document attesting a certain fact, in particular† (Oxford English Dictionary). There are many different types of certification from ownership, achievement, and marriages. For the Basic Skills it’s considered an achievement certification. Teacher certification is known as â€Å"document of proof† that a teacher can use to become a teacher in a school setting. Anyone can take this test and get a teaching certification. You may think that a certification can be easy, as it seems; but not a certification that requires testing abilities and some college classwork. Just like taking your driver’s test to get your license to drive, the teaching certification requires a series of test questions relating to a common course setting and some basic skill methods you learned in school. You may wonder if any other profession has a similar test like the educators do. Lets take a future college student who wants to become a lawyer and what kind of test that he or she would have to take. In research, if a student wants to become a lawyer in the state of his or her choice. The student must take the Bar examination to become a certified lawyer. What is a Bar examination? The Bar examination is a rigid test of knowledge in all fields of law (Illinois State Bar Association). Just like the Basic Skills for educators, the future lawyers have to prepare in a similar fashion to future educators. The difference is the educator is tested in reading, language arts, math, and writing; while the lawyer has to know the different aspects of law that exist today. Another example is a college student who wants to get into the nursing program. All students who want to become a nurse have to take the HESI exam in order to be certified as a nurse. What is the HESI exam? The Health Education Systems Inc. is a timed, computerized test that consists of six academic exams: reading comprehension, vocabulary and general knowledge, grammar, basic math skills, biology and anatomy, and physiology (TMCC). This test is similar to the Basic Skills, but has only two extra subjects that need to be taken. No matter if you’re an educator, a lawyer, or a nursing major there is a test for every type of career that is required to be passed. In the beginning of my research, I have found that many future educators have not passed the Basic Skills. When I thought about how these future educators have not completed the Basic Skills; there should be an alternative process and still become an educator. What would be the opposite of a certificate? I have found no answer to this question: but, in my opinion an optional choice for certification for educators should be this. They should be able to pass all major college courses with a B or above. If a student can be able to get all of their classes passed with this requirement, they can be able to teach after college. Why is the Basic Skills the best way to certify our future educators? Is the state board making the best choice for every future educator? The Basic Skills is the best way to certify our future educators so that each individual should be able to understand the concepts when put into a classroom full of students. Without taking this test, the future educators won’t know what is supposed to be taught when it comes to teaching. For example, if a future educator hasn’t looked at the test, they wouldn’t be able to understand the concepts that are being tested. The state board is making the best choice to have future educators take this test; they need to know if they are the best educators. If we had poor educators, then how would our future students be able to learn their basic skills the correct way? How does the Basic Skills test accomplish its goals? According to the Oxford English Dictionary the definitions of accomplish is known â€Å"as achieve or complete successfully. Oxford English Dictionary)† The purpose of this test is to have future educators be able to accomplish the main standards in Illinois. As of October-December of 2012 only 31 percent out of 3,153 test takers have passed the Basic Skills (Illinois State Board of Education). It is a disappointment that we can’t get more than 31 percent to pass this test. In more depth, from September 2008-August 2011 at Western Illinois University 1,823 students have attempted the test; with having 1,777 students passed the test. But, at Eastern Illinois University 3,910 students have attempted; 3,773 have passed the test (Illinois State Board of Education). Since we don’t want any future educators to fail the Basic Skills, we don’t want to bring down the teacher rate in the near future. The question that we should think about is, should we keep the Basic Skills test or have another option into getting a certification in the State of Illinois? People may wonder if this Basic Skills test has a cost. There is a fee that requires to be paid in order to take the Basic Skills. For example, the Basic Skills test costs about $120 and each different sub section costs about $99. If one future educator has not passed any of the sub sections, they are required to repay $120. If another future educator only passed three of the sub sections, they only have to pay $99 (Illinois Leisure Testing System). I think that it’s ridiculous because we future educators can’t afford these prices, and we cannot afford to buy another examination test. With the economy being a problem in our society, how are we supposed to take a test that costs too much money? This is considered one issue about the Basic Skills and should be reconsidered for future educators. Throughout many generations, a future educator has been through many different processes of becoming a teacher. Recently, to get into the education program, future educators have to take the Basic Skills test to be determined if they are considered an educator. My question I like to consider, how did past future educators become certify as educators? Did they have to take the Basic Skills many years ago? Did they have a whole different certification process compare to what we have today? From my research, I’ve found out many interesting facts on how future educators were certify in past. New Jersey examinees had to take a written examination and receive a high rating in order to get certified in 1983. New Jersey educators would have to write a long essay on what they would be considered for the teaching job; skills, ability, lesson planning, etc. Other than taking the written portion they also accept the state examination that is considered the basic skills; the only difference compared to 1983 is they only had a writing portion instead of multiple assessments and know that they are willing to take the step up in the classroom management developmental process. It’s considered as a student’s choice in New Jersey whether these future educators want to take a huge writing portion and also decide to take the Basic Skills as an optional choice. Another state that I found interesting in the same period is known as the sunny state of Florida. In this journal a debate was in progress on whether the basic skills should be determined as a minimum competency scoring level or have a more higher education and pass a type of GED test that can be require for a certification. Since testing was huge in Florida, college students had the option to become educators but they were the ones to determine their future. This journal has been dated back in 1983 when there was a debate on whether future educators should have an option of choosing a simple exam compare to more of a challenging exam (Florida’s Minimum Competency Program: A Survey of Teacher’s Options). In this journal there are some evaluations charts that show the results of what the future educators consider as a new requirement. For example, â€Å"the Minimum Competency approach will probably result in minimum skills becoming maximum skills†; voters of education majors have marked this type of debate as 37. % agreement, 16% neither, and 46. 3% disagreement. (Florida’s Minimum Competency Program: A Survey of Teachers’ Opinions) The vote and other ballots have determined efficiency on how teaching requirements could be changed in 1983 (Florida Minimum Competency Program). These ratings/charts can be found on this journal if you need more information on how the voting process has worked and an explanat ion on each debate. California, a state providing a large portion of the nations educators, recently had a survey attempting to better understand how educators are assessed. Most of these cases came from interviews, standardized tests, and most importantly how they contributed in a classroom setting (Teacher’s Perspective on Competency-Based Testing). With the different types of observations that were made among the future educators and their observers; the information that was given by the observer, are put into a chart to determined the typical requirements for a California teaching license. Some of the information presented in these charts are what scores each observer have, the percentage of determination, and lastly if they are qualified for the teaching certificate. There is also more information on how the certification process and even some recommendations that can be used for future educators in 1991 (Teacher’s Perspective on Competency-Based Testing). In the state of Illinois there are requirements for a teacher certification from 1919. If you were to become an educator, you had to follow a credit system that is given to you at the beginning of your application fee. A credit system is the based amount of points that you will receive after completing each task. Indeed, back in 1919 you were supposed to fill out an application and pay a small fee in order to begin your application into the field of education. There are also certain sub-sections that are require to be accomplished in order to receive a certification. For example, 35 points for successful teaching, 30 points for attending at the annual institute, 8 points for attending eight one-hour at the superintendent board of education meetings, and there is also many other requirements that are needed to receive the points towards a teacher certificate (Certification of Teachers in Illinois). In my opinion, getting a teacher certification seems pretty easy when you lived back in 1919; because you only have to follow a credit system and not take any kind of assessments that is presented in Illinois today. Most importantly I wish that this could be a permanent option instead of taking the basic skills test for the state of Illinois. No matter what state you’re determined to live in, there is a certain way that there will be a certification test for any future educator. As of today, all fifty states including the state of Illinois are required to take the Basic Skills test in order to become certified as an Illinois teacher. A question to be considered should it be easy to become a teacher? Or would many college students have to rethink of a new major before coming into college? The Basic Skills test is a required test taken by students wanting to become educators. The Basic Skills test is an examination that consists of reading, language arts, math, and writing. These future educators would have to take this examination before moving on into their method courses. In most research, students have failed the Basic Skills test the first time they took it (JSTOR, Google, ERIC). For example, only 31 percent of all test takers have passed while the other 69 percent are still struggling in the state of Illinois (Illinois State Board of Education). There are many resources online including: Illinois Leisure Testing, Test Prep Review, and also some other University websites that can help students to prepare for the Basic Skills. I’ve used all of these websites to help me get some preparations done for the big test date and they are very helpful. There are also preparation classes that are offered in selected universities taught by professors involved in education. Some classes includes: introduction to the Basic Skills, classes for each of the sub section of the test, and just some classes that have tutors who already passed the Basic Skills to help other students. Western Illinois University offers these classes each semester along with Eastern Illinois University, University of Illinois Champaign, and University Illinois Chicago. Recently, the Illinois state board of education allows you to take the ACT instead of the Basic Skills. There are also preparation classes that are offered around the community and online just for the ACT. Taking down some evaluations of future educators, they say that these prep classes work because they have passed the test with the extra help. Many of these resources can help students become more familiar with the test and also have a refresher on many of the subjects that being tested in each of the examinations. Many future educators have failed the Basic Skills and have to decide what to do to not make the same mistakes. Recently, there are many different types of online preparation including study guides, helpful hints, and a practice test to help future educators can get more practice with the test format, or even on a single sub section that he or she needs more help on. These preparation courses are huge among students who want to become educators after graduation. Many of these programs include: Pearson and Stanford Excellence. These companies have come up with completed study guides and some helpful tips when it comes to test day. Google is also another source to look up preparation materials for the test; and it’s very helpful for those who are in danger to pass the test. Cost is considered another reason why many future educators are frustrated over the examination. Do you remember when I mentioned how much a test cost for potential new educator; it costs more than buying a week worth of groceries if you think of it. Many institutions are working on making free preparation classes for students who are in need of practice for the Basic Skills. This semester at Western Illinois University, the education department has taken time to ask many professors to coordinate free preparation classes for students in need of math, reading, and language arts. Not only Western Illinois University has to offer these preparation classes, but many other institutions including: Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, and University of Illinois in Champaign. These universities have taken their time to offer classes that can help future educators pass the Basic Skills before moving on into the next step of the career. Besides all of the preparation courses that are offered at institutions, I have taken some time to look at some of the other states in our country regarding about the Basic Skills. California has a policy that students can take an alternative procedure of the Basic Skills and still get into the teacher education program. This policy is considered of having an early alternative admission plan; where students can still take most of their classes and get a low score on their examination (Coping with the CBEST: Alternative and Inclusive Approaches). Unfortunately, as of today this process has been removed from the California State Board of Education; because the State Board has decided to become familiar with a Basic Skills test just like all of the states are doing for their teacher requirements. In my opinion I wish that this process would take over the new requirements for becoming an educator; because if students would like to take classes early and remove their scores from the system. They will be able to get their teacher certification within a breeze of time. Recently in the state of Illinois, the State Board of Education has approved n alternative test arrangement for students who do not want to take the Basic Skills. Every student should know when applying for colleges during their senior year of high school, they have to take the ACT. But, educators can retake their ACT and pass it with a 22 to bypass the Basic Skills. Another option includes the SAT and educators would have to get a score of 1030. Both of these examin ations are required to be less than ten years old from the test date and must include the writing portion of the examination (Illinois Administrative Rule Change). This portion of the certification process can help students who had a hard time with the Basic Skills and be able to take the examinations for less than half the cost of the Basic Skills. The Basic Skills test is a require examination that students have to take before they are educators. In this essay alone, I have found many interesting facts regarding to the Basic Skills within the state of Illinois and even a few other states. Including some of the history, facts, and solutions about this examination. I also hope that this work will help not only myself, but for future educators that are willing to go into the teacher education program. The only way to be able to succeed in the teacher education program is to be able to prepare future educators with this examination. Especially with the solutions I provided in this essay, it should be very helpful to many college students not only around the state of Illinois; but the other 49 states that are involved in this process. The Basic Skills is a required examination, and it’s one of the most important steps in the teaching career. How to cite Basic Skills Test, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Results and Feedback In Leadership Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Results and Feedback In Leadership. Answer: Result It has been identified that I have moderate level of self-confidence. As a result, it is expected that my leadership skills would also be average. In other words, it might not be possible for me to emerge as an extra ordinary leader in the long run, but I would not be a poor leader as well. This indicates that I have the leadership quality, but it requires further enhancement. I have deduced from many journal articles and books that a direct relationship exists between self-confidence and leadership. There are two key types of leaders- transactional and transformational (Avolio Yammarino, 2013). Self confidence is a common characteristic of both types of leaders (Day, 2014). On one hand, self-confidence enables the transactional leaders like Bill Gates to take appropriate reactive measures to effectively compensate the loss incurred due to an event. On the other hand, self-confidence allows the transformational leaders like Warren Buffet to take precautionary measures to prepare the organisation for facing expected barriers in future. Although I am certain that there is a requirement for enhancing my self confidence, I am not sure about the extent to which my self-confidence should increase. This is because high level of self-confidence often makes individuals arrogant as they start believing that nothing is impossible for them that make them feel superior. My biggest strength is my focus on own performance that would contribute significantly in proving myself an efficient leader. However, being a leader I would be required to focus majorly on the performance of the team members. My tendency to give top priority to task completion was reflected in the result of the task-oriented personality test, where I scored eight out of ten. I have been asked ten separate questions, out of which I agreed with eight. It points towards my focus on completing a given task by any means rather than identifying the one responsible for doing the task. It further indicates my biggest weakness, i.e. doing organisational tasks on my own rather than making others work on it to complete the task on time. This, in turn, increases work pressure and thereby, affecting my leadership quality. This is because delegation of responsibilities holds prime importance in the context of leadership. I disagreed with only two questions that show, I have strong behavioural orientation. It points towards my ability to keep coordination among the team members, clarity of purpose behind undertaking a project and adhere to the set schedule to avoid delay in task completion. However, it indicates my incl ination towards avoiding taking suggestions from the team members, which is one of my weaknesses. This is because such propensity is an integral part of autocratic leadership style, which often has a negative impact on the morale and motivation level of the team members as it restricts them from developing a sense of belongingness. My task-oriented personality might restrict me from developing creative ideas for offering innovative products and services. At the same time, it may restrict my professional growth since this type of personality is not suitable in every professional field. It is best suited for project management, where completing the project within deadline is the first priority. As a result, I might obtain limited employment opportunities. Varuns Feedback In the context of effective leadership, it is essential to give equal focus on staying task focused and self-confidence. In order to emerge as an excellent, leader taking feedback from others is important, irrespective of their hierarchical position. Two-way communication plays an important role in this context. Providing work flexibility and inspiring team members to meet targets is more important than giving instructions for enhancing staff morale, which is an important requirement to be met to become a transformational leader. Varun believes that taking feedback from others would help me in identifying the barriers for my professional growth especially in the context of leadership. He further explained that I have autocratic leadership style that would be both beneficial and disadvantageous for me and thus, requires my attention. At the same time, I was suggested to develop an effective leadership development plan and implement it efficiently as there is a huge scope for developin g a strong professional career as a leader. References Avolio, B., Yammarino, F. (2013). Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Day, D. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Leadership and Organizations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Aunt Connie Cookie Simulation Essay Example

Aunt Connie Cookie Simulation Essay Example Aunt Connie Cookie Simulation Paper Aunt Connie Cookie Simulation Paper In 1986, Aunt Connie was asked to make some cookies for an annual fundraiser. They were willing to pay $50 for 500 cookies instead Aunt Connie offered them 600 cookies for $55. She realized she would be spending $35 on ingredients for making 600 cookies and for 300 cookies it would cost her $10 to bake so it would be $20 regardless 300 or 600 cookies. By charging an extra $5, she would cover her cost and give the club more cookies. This showed people that she had a sense for business. Today Maria Villanueva, the grandniece of Connie, is the CEO of the company and her goal for Aunt Connieâ„ ¢s Cookies is to increase profit and she needs to determine the best way to make this happen. Maria is responsible to decide how money will be spent to make Aunt Connies Cookies succeed without going into debt. First Maria will look at how the price increase for lemon creme and real mint cookies in the last few months has decreased its volume. So Maria needs to maximize her contribution margin and operating profits and she has two choices. Usually when a price reduction occurs, demand will increase so she could revise the unit prices on both the cookies or reach out to more retailers by increasing ad expenses by half on both cookies. Maria must determine how each type of cost effects changes. The advertising expense is a fixed cost that will not change even when the quantity of cookies produced varies. Looking at the cost of ingredients needed to produce the cookies it is a variable cost. These costs will rise as the number of cookies produced increases. The correlation between costs, volume, and the impact on profit of these choices is seen in the contribution margin during the simulation. Maria can use the cost accounting system to help determine the most profitable price point for cookies by evaluating the cost volume profit relationship. ?   Maria wanted to reduce the price of lemon cremes and mint cookies to increase volumes. Maria increases fixed costs through increased advertising. She also decides to increase the margin to the distributors to help increase volumes. ?  Her decision that she made helped increase her sales and profit. Maria was then faced with an offer for a bulk order from a client who wanted to buy a million packs of real mint cookies at $1.20 a pack or nothing. If Maria accepts the order, this will reduce her current volumes being produced in the market and rejecting the order could mean under utilization of capacity. She decided to accept the bulk order by reducing the current production volumes for both cookies. When one is trying to maximize operating profits, it is better to produce more of the product that has a greater contribution margin per unit; in this case it was the lemon creme cookies. The next decision that Maria had to face was a competitorâ„ ¢s peanut butter cookie manufacturing unit was up for sale. The competitorâ„ ¢s owner gave two options to Maria, first she could buy the unit and use the capacity to make lemon creme cookies or buy the unit and continue to make peanut butter cookies. Maria decided to buy the unit and use the capacity to make lemon cremes and manufacture 600,000 packs seeing the breakeven point is 563,000 resulting in operating profits from the new unit. With the holidays just around the corner, the bakers wanted to come out with a special cookie called the Chocorones. Maria needs to decide to up her labor force or her equipment. She decided to update her labor force seeing this is a seasonal cookie and it is more a less an indifference point between the two. By making the right decisions, Maria has increased her profits and acquired an extra business unit helping her use the capacity to make her cookies. She will continue to carry out her Aunt Connieâ„ ¢s legacy and make profit at the same time.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Harrison Bergeron Summary and Response Essay Example

Harrison Bergeron Summary and Response Essay Example Harrison Bergeron Summary and Response Paper Harrison Bergeron Summary and Response Paper This meant that no person was more intelligent, better-looking, or more athletic than the other. In order to make sure the Amendments were being upheld, the Handicapper General and his team of agents were in full force. In April of 2081, Harrison Burgeon is taken away from his parents (George and Hazel) by the Handicapper General. Because of the equality laws, his parents did not have the Intelligence to recall the tragedy. Those with above average Intelligence wore a radio In which the government could broadcast a noise to interrupt the thoughts of those who had been thinking for extended periods of time. One night, George and Hazel are watching ballerinas dance on television. Hazel is crying but cant exactly remember why. That was a real pretty dance, that dance they Just did, said Hazel. Huh? said George. That dance, it was nice, said Hazel (Opponent, 1). Suddenly, Harridans picture is shown on the television, claiming that he has escaped from prison. The government felt as If they were In danger because of Harrison. He was very Intelligent, an athlete. And is under- handicapped (Opponent, 3). Instead off little ear radio for a mental handicap, he ore a tremendous pair of earphones, and spectacles with thick, wavy lenses besides. : The spectacles were intended not only to make him half-blind, but to give him whining headaches besides. Scrap metal was hung all over him (Opponent, 3). George suddenly recognizes that Harrison Is the one being shown across the television, but a sound of automobile wreck forces him to lose his train of thought. When the noise Is over, he cant remember who he Just saw. The government felt threatened by Harrison because of his above average qualities. However, Harrison claimed to be an Emperor and would select an Empress hat night. l am the Emperor! cried Harrison. Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once! (Opponent, 5). As Harrison was dancing with his Empress, Diana Moon Slammers, the Handicapper General, entered the room and shot both Harrison and his Empress. Both were dead before they hit the floor. She had shot them because they had disobeyed the laws of the land and equality. Diana threatened to shoot the musicians as well if they didnt put their handicaps back on. After this incident, George and Hazels television went out. George had left to grab a ere from the kitchen and came back to the living room. Muff been crying? He said to Hazel, watching her wipe her tears. Muff, she said. What about? he said. I forgot, she said. Something real sad on television. (Opponent, 7). In response to ten story, I completely Allegros Witt ten Handicapper Generals Ana the rest of the government officials. I do not believe that those with higher power can force an individual, let alone an entire nation, to become completely equal in inhum ane ways. The most interesting detail of the reading was by far the extremity f how far the government went to ensure that all citizens were no better than others. If someone were to be more athletic, they were to wear a bag of birdbaths around your neck. If someone were to be above average looking, they were to wear a mask. If someone were to be more intelligent, they had to wear a radio which blared a terrible noise if a thought was carried for more than twenty seconds. Hanging bags of birdbaths around the more athletic kind was particularly interesting. I was confused as to how a government could be so strict to ensure that no person is better than the other. Was Harrison the only one they were afraid of, or were they afraid of everyone who was a potential threat to the government?

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, and The Yellow Wall Paper Essay

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, and The Yellow Wall Paper - Essay Example This led to almost a unanimous conclusion that he would have been an angle were it not on the mortal features that would be observed from him. The theme of the supernatural in the form of mortals would be espoused through the story as was contrasted with magical power as well as the mystery of punishing disobedience with change from human form to the form of a spider as was the case with the ‘spider girl’. External conflict is very evident as father Gonzaga tries tirelessly to restrain people from converging at Pelayo’s home to view the claimed angle before the higher church authority would pass the verdict of confirming or not that the man was indeed an angle. People would therefore leave and when the spider girl arrives within the city, more attention by the people would be shifted to her because she proves to be more friendly and humane than Pelayo’s old man. There is therefore the conflict of interest and the girl becomes more famous than the old man at Pelayo’s home. The theme of spirituality and religion is much pronounced within the story with Pelayo’s neighbor having the position that the old man must have been an angel who came for Pelayo’s child while the father and the higher authority in the church refuted the claim and had the position that the mysterious old man must have been a fake angel. Predominance of the mystery behind the nature of the man however remains when after the winter, the man grows more feathers and one day flies away as Pelayo’s wife watch although to her relief because she had already grown tired of the mysterious visitor (GradeSaver LLC., para 1-4). Charlotte Perkins wrote the short story on yellow wall paper expounding on the theme of family and the position of women in the society as was depicted at the time. From the story, one major lesson dominates; that human beings, just as is the case

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Internet communities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Internet communities - Essay Example [2] Online Communities are social networks found online. It is supported by a computer mediated space where people from all cultures come together for some common purpose or some activity forming 'webs of relationships'. The communication that happens between the people can take place with only one person or hundreds of people simultaneously. It is conversation that does not depend on geographical location or social hierarchies. It is a place where people can commune with others on topics of their own choosing. It is, in fact, a virtual village where a series of interactions between community members take place. [2] [3] Some experts foresaw the evolution of virtual communities when the first email message was sent in 1973. They saw the potential of long distance communication with loved ones and business executives. With the growth of online services like AOL and MINITEL in the 1980s, this idea was further expanded to include communication with all known people around the globe. Lotus Notes in the late 1980s further evolved the concept of communication by forming communities of people who can work together online. Then came in commerce communities, like Amazon and Ebay, which started selling products and interacting online with their customers. Slowly the shift came towards 'blogging' in late 1990s. Yahoo and Google groups started to become increasingly popular when suddenly in 2003 the world was hit by the MySpace.com that provided the users the opportunity to interact with people sharing similar activities. With the increasing user base of MySpace.com, other online communities started to creep up to form the new way of life we have come to know of now. [1] Popular Online Communities My Space.com My Space was formed in August 2003 with the goal of providing a chance for people to meet new people. It is an online community that lets a person meet their friends' friends. The website requires a person to register and then add friends their respective profiles. People can add their pictures, videos, music etc and write blogs. Orkut.com Orkut is an online service which was started in January 2004 by Google. It is another online community that allows a person to build personalized webpages which other people can view. Initially any body could view anybody's profile but to some privacy concerns, the site now offers a restricted access depending on user's needs. Users can share pictures and send scraps of messages to maintain existing relationships and build new ones. Facebook.com One of the most popular online communities currently is Facebook which has a user base of over 59 million active users with this figure doubling every six months. The website offers an extremely comprehensive coverage of activities and communities that people can join. Applications can be attached to personalized pages and contests can be held through these applications with other users. ManHunt.net Manhunt is an online social network for gay men. It gives an opportunity for men to meet other men online, date them and to get to know them better. Men can post their pictures and information which other people can search and find the ones with similar interests. The website has seen an increasing number of men posting nude pictures and vulgar messages. Match.com Match.com was formed in 1995 with the purpose of giving men and women chances to meet their matches online. It's an

Monday, November 18, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 76

Discussion - Essay Example Target countries could be developed or emerging economies. In this respect, product quality is critical to consumer tastes and preferences. Any country or economy can make high quality or low quality products. For example, china is a leading global economy but most of her industrial products are perceived to be low quality. Emerging economies, therefore, have the potential to outperform China in terms of product quality. Personally, I agree with the India-China comparison. Both developed and emerging economies have their strengths and weaknesses. In this respect, the primary factors to consider are consumer preferences, product price, and product quality based on past purchases reviews. I agree with the argument that social, economic, and political factors play a significant role in influencing consumer perceptions. Issues of free trade, product price, brand loyalty, and country of origin elicit mixed reactions with regard to product quality. However, consumer satisfaction outweighs all forms of

Friday, November 15, 2019

Field Of Practice With Vulnerable Families And Children Social Work Essay

Field Of Practice With Vulnerable Families And Children Social Work Essay It is acknowledged that the family is the basic unit of the society. With this, many efforts have been extended in order to protect families, especially the children. However, despite the evident efforts and measures practiced, it has been assumed that in some areas, many families and children are still vulnerable and with this comes the practice and influence of critical social work practice in order to identify and execute the solutions which are deemed to be effective and necessary. All children within the context of the family are vulnerable by definition primarily because their rights are mediated by others and because of their relatively young age, their voices are often not heard and their opinions are disregarded in the society. The vulnerability of children also depends on a number of different factors such as the general condition of the family and community and the economic situation of the nation. In line with the vulnerabilities of these children, various groups, aside from the immediate family, are geared towards the protection of the rights of the children and assurance that they are functional parts of the entire community. Some of these groups include schools, businesses, governments, and groups of concerned individuals who advocate for childrens rights to be practiced and protected as well. Some of the risk factors which were identified making children more vulnerable include: poverty, substance abuse, mental and physical illness, homelessness, ph ysical and emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and unequal access to education and other basic services which are essential for the growth of a child (Stratton et al, 2006). FIELD OF PRACTICE AND THEORIES To be able to generate a set of sustainable solutions to protect vulnerable families and children, different practices were identified in the field of critical social work. One of the areas in which attention is given towards showing acre for the vulnerable families is through social protection. This includes all the basic services extended to help improve the living condition of the vulnerable families. In this paper, the focus of the study will be the social protection which was extended in the community to help alleviate the effect of the discussed vulnerabilities. In the aspect of the practice of social protection, the essential services which are extended include education, healthcare, and the availability of social workers. Perhaps, the most important in this sense is education. There is a need to extend the necessary and adequate knowledge, including the essential information, to the members of the community and reiterate to them what are the causes and effects of vulnerability. With this, a more informed community will emerge and there will be a greater realization of the problem which will potentially lead into having better solutions for such (OFlaherty, 2007). Social workers must be able to properly educate the general public about vulnerabilities which exist within the family. First and foremost, the need for informing the community about why such vulnerabilities exist and how it can be laid the proper solutions is essential in approaching the issue. There should initially be an understanding on what the issue is generally all about before further critical practices could manifest its effects. With this, it is assumed that school intervention is necessary in social work practice to address the issue. Children spend most of their time in schools that is why the role of these educational institutions will be indispensable and essential. In the school intervention, social workers address the problem associated with vulnerabilities in an ecological approach, which means that focus is waived towards both the person and the environment. Practices in order to address the problem could focus on changing the person, the environment, or both if necessary. It is also important to note that school-based intervention is essential in the issue because it enables an interdisciplinary team approach. This theory is especially helpful but it will require good communication skills from the participants in order to understand the existing vulnerabilities within the family and as experienced by children. The authors also emphasized that these kinds of social services should not be viewed as an isolated case but should be considered as a vital part of the general education process (Maluccio et al, 2002). One important theory in school-based intervention as a mechanism for social protection is that educating the parents of the children will be helpful in the problem. There is a need for social workers to educate the parents and make them aware of certain circumstances which might possibly make their families vulnerable. This practice will be able to help parents have an idea on how they are supposed to cope with stressful situations and how they can understand better the needs of their children (Maluccio et al, 2002) Aside from has been mentioned, another significant point which is significant in understanding the vulnerabilities of families and children is the need for family resilience. The family resilience framework assumes that this is a significant characteristic which should be present in all families as it will give them the abilities to withstand and rebound from adversity. Especially to families were cases of vulnerability are very evident, it is important for them to be resilient at tough times in order to overcome the occurrence of various challenges that they might face. According to Walsh, (2006), a social work practice geared towards shifting the family from being vulnerable to being resilient must not give up especially when the family is at troubled times, bring out the best in the whole family and not just focus on a single element or an individual, help families to cope and adapt, must be focused on the solutions and should have the necessary strength needed, and should stop pu tting an emphasis on how the family has been a failure, rather it should focus on how the family will succeed. The approach to establishing a resilient family should allow everyone to not view families as being damaged but rather a group of individuals which can be repaired despite the vulnerabilities and can have the opportunity to grow. The framework for family resilience shows a great potential to solve the crisis associated with vulnerable families and children. Through resilience, it is assumed that there is a great potential and possibility of veering away from veracity. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the establishment of a resilient family takes more than just having the capacity to manage and control stressful situations, shouldering a burden, or surviving. A resilient family framework involves a stronger relationship within the very basic unit of the society and having a shared effort. In the discussion of the framework for family resilience, it is also important to consider that the theory assumes that no single model fits all families. The framework and practices to be executed will depend largely on the living condition of the family at case and will vary differently depending on how vulnerable the family is. The best ways in order to establish a resilient family would be having team work, share d leadership, and mutual understanding when facing the problems and other predicaments which are confronting the family. The field of practice which was identified, social protection through education, can be assumed as an effective one. It is effective primarily because it involves not only critical social work but also school intervention. This aspect is very important since most of a childs time is spent at school. A good academic framework must be able to incorporate discussions regarding how to take an active part in establishing a sound and dynamic family which is improbable from the risks of vulnerabilities. However, for such framework and practices to take effect, there is a need for the proper tools and instruments which will be necessary such as an efficient social work with an effective framework on how such goals will be achieved. In the context of approaching the issue on the vulnerabilities of families and children, it is essential for the social worker to note the fact that there is a great and significant need to understand the problem and put put himself in the context of the family co ncerned in the situation. An effective social worker must be able to properly reflect on their own families and understand such because it is essential to be more effective when understanding the situation and the needs of other families in the community. As a recommendation to better address the issue of vulnerabilities of children and families, there is a need to approach the problem on each level. The first level would most probably be the individual. Education again is primary to this approach. The individual himself must be able to understand what vulnerability is all about and what the risks which are associated with such are. The next level is the family. The role of the family as a whole, especially the guidance of the parents is essential to be bale to veer away from the risks of vulnerability. A bigger group, after the family, is the entire community. This is a great concern for social workers. The community must also be properly educated regarding the social protection for vulnerable families so that its members will be aware on what practices are necessary to be executed and what measures are necessary to be observed. One more recommendation to address the issue more effectively to make everyone acknowledge the existence of the issue and do not deny its presence. An acceptance of the fact that there are vulnerabilities within families will be a first step to trigger further initiatives. It is also recommended that social workers who work in this practice should first examine and understand their own families so that they could understand better others. Although many studies and researches have already been completed regarding this issue, it is evident that being vulnerable is still one of the greatest threats confronting the global family and community nowadays. For such to be effective, the role of critical social work is very significant as well as the efforts which were anticipated to be carried out by social workers. For such measures to prove themselves effective, there is a need for proper execution of the practice and should be grounded on a strong framework based on socially acceptable theories on families. With the right plan and action, the problem with vulnerabilities on family and children can be alleviated at least.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The First Monster at Heorot in Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

The First Monster at Heorot in Beowulf When Grendel monstrously bursts into Heorot, tears down the heavy door with his beastly hands and instantly devours a Geatish warrior, it immediately tells us that the first climax of the epic Beowulf has arrived. As Beowulf carefully watches Grendel take action, Grendel reaches out to snatch Beowulf as his next meal. Surprised, Grendel becomes extremely frightened to discover that there is another being stronger than himself when Beowulf, using his vice-like grip, pulls Grendel’s arm from his socket. The monster, Grendel, howls with pain and runs out of Heorot leaving his blood-spattered arm still in Beowulf’s hands. An enormous celebration is thrown to record Beowulf’s victory by reciting and singing stories about the past kings. A Danish scop recites the story of Sigemund, a great hero who slays a horrible dragon. The dragon is a keeper of a treasure chest that Sigemund wins by slaying the dragon. The treasure won by Sigemund resembles the gold rewards earned by Beowulf from the ring-giver, King Hrothgar. This Norse myth is obviously recited at Beowulf’s celebration to compare both Sigemund’s and Beowulf's heroic acts. The Danish warriors want to show their appreciation to Beowulf with such mythology: â€Å"This man undertook with his art to recite in turn Beowulf’s exploit, and skillfully to tell an apt tale, to lend words to it† (Tuso 16). What is so remarkable about the epic Beowulf is that the narrator contrasts Beowulf's super-heroic accomplishments with Heremod. Heremod is known as an evil Danish king who turns against his own people. This is clearly a symbol of the reverse of Beowulf’s characteristics. By comparing and contrasting Beowulf to two different kings, the narrator is indicating that Beowulf will be king later in the epic. Yet we readers shouldn’t immediately think that Beowulf will be an evil or a good king. This leaves us to carefully observe more of Beowulf's character throughout Beowulf. During the celebration, King Hrothgar delivers an appreciation and dedication speech to Beowulf and his victory. From Hrothgar’s speech, we understand that he feels himself to be bound in a new relationship with Beowulf by his great service. He states, â€Å"Beowulf, best of men, in my heart I will love you as a son† (Tuso 17). Beowulf readers should start taking careful notice as King Hrothgar gradually becomes a mentor and a father-like figure to Beowulf. To some extent, Hrothgar even gives advice to Beowulf about how to act as an intelligent ruler through his own experience.