Hiring and Retaining Staff Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hiring and Retaining Staff - Term Paper Example Because of this reason alone, it is important to understand the issues discussed in this paper and learn how to better overcome the modern day obstacles related to staff and recruiting. It is important to note that current trends indicate the current year has seen the competition for highly qualified individuals only intensity. This is partly due to the reality that the employment market has picked up substantially. As a result, it is important to note that talented professionals now have many job prospects in front of them, so companies are forced to really provide increased incentives if they are to truly attract the best of the best. In essence, it is up to the company today to market themselves in an attractive manner to prospective employees. There will likely be the need for counteroffers to be accepted, many applicants will outright reject solid job offers, that there will be a renewed focus on recruiting those that are already employed at another firm. In essence, we are regressing to the boom years of the late 90’s where if was definitely a job seekers market. One commonly held theory today is that employers need to return to a strategy of branding their organization as a long term recruiting strategy moving forward. In previous years, many organizations were forced to drastically reduce their budgets related to Human Resources, meaning that recruiters did not have much to work with. Now that business is picking up across numerous sectors, however, it is possible to change this to a more long term outlook detailing the various attributes of a company and what it has to offer prospective employees, particularly related to salary and benefits. This is similar to the branding of a product. The need for branding has emerged partially as a result of the increased competition for taken, but also because of the various ways that companies around the company are making use of

Human Biological Systems, Organisation of the Body Assignment

Human Biological Systems, Organisation of the Body - Assignment Example liverworts, mosses Pteridophytes These are vascular plants which characteristically do not produce flowers and seeds. Reproduction takes place via the dispersion of spore. The dominant generation is saprophytic. Have true roots. Club mosses, ferns, horsetail Gymnosperms These are seed producing plants and seeds develop to form cones. They produce unisexual flowers. pines, ephedra, juniper, fir, redwood Angiosperms These are seed producing plants and are known as flowering plants. They show derived characteristics and produce flowers, endosperms, and fruits. Water lilies, black pepper, bluebells, cucumber (SOLOMON & MARTIN, 2005). TAQ 2. Flowering plants Monocotyledons Flowering plants Dicotyledons Monocotyledons consist of 55,000 species and are predominantly herbaceous Dicotyledons consist of 165,000 species and are woody stemmed plants The primary root soon aborts and the mature root system becomes adventitious Mature root system either primary or adventitious or both Consist of a single cotyledon Consist of two cotyledons Intrafascicular cambium is not present and leaves are parallel veined Intrafascicular cambium is present and leaves are mostly net veined Vascular bundles are scattered in two or more rings Vascular bundles are present in the form of a ring surrounding pith Floral parts are borne in sets of 3 and sometimes 4 Floral parts are borne in sets of 5 Pollen is typically triaperturate Pollen is uniaperturate (KOKWARO, 1994). TAQ 3. Classes Characteristics Examples Jelly fish, Anemones (Coelenterates) Aquatic, mostly marine and body cavity has a hypostome. The hypostome is surrounded by sensory tentacles Corals, hydra Flatworms (platyhelminthes) Flatworms are bilaterally symmetrical and have no internal body cavity. Have a distinct head and tail and have no specialized circulatory and respiratory system Planaria, tapeworms, flukes Round worms (nematodes) Non-segmented worms, bilaterally symmetrical, body has a complex cuticle around it. Ascaris lumb ricoides, Enterobius vermicularis Ringed Worms (annelids) Have elongated bodies divided into segments and are called segmented worms. The worms exist in different shapes and colors. Body cavity is lined by mesoderm and have a closed circulatory system Earthworms, leeches Snails, slugs, squids (Molluscs) Non segmented worms, have a mantle and an internal as well as external shell. A radula is also present Octopus, mussels, tusk shells Star fish, sea urchin (Echinoderms) Have a radial symmetry and the central body has several protruding arms. Tube feeds with suction pads are also present Sand dollars, sea stars Insects, spiders, crabs (Arthropods) Have segmented bodies with paired segmented appendages. Have bilateral symmetry and a chitnous exoskeleton Scorpions, centipedes, millipedes (THORP & COVICH, 1991) TAQ. 4 Classes Characteristics Examples Spiders, ticks, mites, daddy Longlegs, scorpions (Arachnida) They make webs and have two body regions. They have chelicerae and very long l egs Rust mite, clover mite, black widow spider Centipedes (Chilopoda) Segmented bodies with a single pair of legs on each segment. Have a single pair of antenna Blue ring centipede, stone centipede, earth centipede Millipedes (Diplopoda) Segmented bodies with two pairs of legs on each segment. Have a single pair of antenna. Pill millipede, bristly millipede, spotted millipede Crabs, lobsters (Crustacea) They have three major body segments namely head, thorax and abdomen. Have two pairs of antenna. They have

Double displacement reactions Essay Example for Free

Double displacement reactions Essay To gain a better understanding of the typical reaction of the addition of two binary compounds, and how the reaction of those two compounds can be predicted. III. Variables: ==Dependent Variable: Reagents given, hence the solutions we make from these reagents, and the standard solubility rules. ==Controlled Variables: The two reagents which we will react together at each trial. ==Independent Variable: Whether the reagents will create a precipitate or not, which depends on the reagents combined. IV. Hypothesis: If the compound is containing mettle and is added to a compound that is also containing mettle. The two mettles will change places and then something in the equation will precipitate out of the solution. The majority of the elements will not precipitate and none will have a whole solution of precipitant. All will have some form of ion solution that we are left over from the chemical reaction. V. Materials: o Compounds. Stirring rod VI. Procedure: 1. Prepare 1 molar solutions of given reagents: i. Calculate amounts to combine of given reagents. Complete the following for all 16 reagents: 1. As you need 5 ml of solution, begin with this amount 2. Multiply by the molar amount which you wish to use for the reactions. 3. Multiply by the molecular mass of the given compound. 4. This will give you the amount, in grams, of the molecule for which you are calculating. ii. Create 1 molar reagents. Complete the following for each reagent: 1. Mark 16 10 ml flasks with masking tape showing the content, showing each of the 16 reagents one for each flask. 2. Measure out the amount, which you calculated in the Part a, of the reagent. 3. Place this mass of the reagent into the flask which is marked with the reagent. 4. Measure out 5 ml of distilled water in the 10 ml graduated cylinder, and place this water in the flask with the reagent. 5. Stir the reagent so as to combine it completely. 2. Combine given reagents. i. Grid a transparency so that each reagent has a chance to react with every other reagent. Also make a data chart to write in the data which you will collect. ii. Complete the following for each solution: iii. Take one to two drops of the solution and place it in all the boxes which are marked on your grid transparency. iv. After all solutions have been combined, write in your data chart whether a precipitant has formed, and if so, describe the precipitant; describe the composition of the solution. 3. Evaluate results: i. Write the balanced equations for each of the reactions which occurred in this experiment. ii. Use solubility rules to determine if a precipitant has formed in each reaction. Conclusion and Evaluation: My hypothesis, If the compound is containing mettle and is added to a compound that is also containing mettle. The two mettles will change places and then something in the equation will precipitate out of the solution. The majority of the elements will not precipitate and none will have a whole solution of precipitant. All will have some form of ion solution that we are left over from the chemical reaction. Was correct. The statement that I made was correct but at the time of the hypothesis I could not comprehend the complexity and the knowledge that would come out of a few simple and harmless experiments, such as this. Thus looking back I feel that I could have written a more complex and informative hypothesis. When asked to classify the outcomes and pieces of the experiment as qualitative or quantitative I came up with this. The qualitative aspects of this lab have a wide range. The first would be the colors themselves. With each different in its own way it is possible to distinguish certain chemical reaction from other chemical reactions. The qualitative data for this lab would include the chemical formulas. It would also include the mathematical calculations of precipitants. There was also the mathematical calculation that was required to determine the correct ratio that needed to be combined to create the solutions. This math needed to be conducted with great precision and accuracy. One way in which this experiment could be improved would be to limit the sources of error that were present throughout the experiment. The first would be to use greater quantities of the solutions so the reaction could be better observed. Threw the use of a larger quantity of solution I could have mixed the elements in a flask thus producing a more observable and a more accurate observation. This type of experiment continuity is vital in order to derive any factual conclusions about the chemical bonding of different elements. Next time around some interesting paths to take from this experiment would be to expand the chemical testing to more elements such as some more exotic compounds. It would also be interesting to observe the nature of some things like pesticides such as acephate (C4H10NO3PS) and also the nature of the very versatile and commonly used element Hg. The experiment was quite informative of the chemical nature of simple elements and how it works. It also brought about a realization of how much work and chemistry really goes into the everyday chemical reactions.

Experiences in a cross curricular manner education essay

Experiences in a cross curricular manner education essay The following essay will focus on the Skills Framework introduced by the Welsh Assembly Government into the national curriculum. The essay will discuss the shift into developing pupils skills across the curriculum rather than subject specific skills. The essay will also discuss how to develop pupils skills in the core subjects through a series of practical based activities through active learning. The term skill can be hard to define. Resnick argues that the term can not be defined exactly, but the term is easily recognisable, although it is very diverse (Resnick, L.B. 1987). Resnick also argues that in the world of education, we must try to teach study and problem solving skills. However can these types of skills be related to the different skills across the curriculum? The term skill requires a working definition as the different elements associated with skills are far too vast to be confined to one single, ridged definition. The Skills Framework being brought into the National Curriculum is linked to the Education Reform Act of 1988, which suggested that a curriculum should prepare pupils for challenges that they may face in adult life. However, past teaching practices prior to the Skills Framework being introduced were very much based around subject knowledge rather than skills. For example, in Science pupils would have learnt about the human heart. Now, under the new Skills Framework, pupils do still learn about the human heart, but the main focus of the lesson is to improve pupils scientific investigation skills rather develop their subject knowledge alone. Emphasis on teaching has now moved from less subject detail, to looking more at how and why and with a more thematic/topic method of teaching not only the core subjects, but subjects across the curriculum (James, B. et al). The need for a Skills Framework was outlined by the Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey which discovered that emplo yers could see gaps in employees skills, including communication and problem solving skills and in particular, Information Communications Technology (ICT) skills (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). As a result of this survey and a previous publication from Estyn in 2002 which also stated a need to improve learning skills within schools, Awdurdod Cymwysterau, Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru (ACCAC) advised the Welsh Assembly Government to revise the National Curriculum to ensure it became more learner centered, skills based, up-to-date with the 21st Century and far more skills based than just focusing on subject knowledge alone. It was also suggested that the new curriculum had to be inclusive for all learners, something it could be argued that a subject knowledge based curriculum is not. The main points suggested by ACCAC were to implement a curriculum that focuses on and meets learners needs, is inclusive and provides equality of opportunity, equi ps learners with transferable skills, supports bilingualism, is relevant, challenging, interesting and enjoyable for all learners, transforms learning to produce resourceful, resilient and reflective lifelong learners, is achievable and adequately resourced. (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). With these skills based activities implemented into the National Curriculum, it is believed that a pupils education will be much more fulfilling, enjoyable and successful. The skills framework is organised into four different sections; developing thinking, communication, ICT and number. It is argued that these skills are needed to not only help learners in schools, but also when they reach adult life and require these skills. The Skills Framework has also been organised so that learners can acquire different skills and progress in these skills from the Foundation phase right through the different key stages and into post sixteen education. Although learners acquire and develop skills set out in the framework as they progress through the different key stages, certain skills are not necessarily associated with a particular stage in in education. This is because some skills that young adults in the upper key stages have acquired may also be demonstrated by learners in the Foundation Phase, all be it at a much simpler level. As learners progress from the Foundation Phase and into the different key stages, their skills develop. This can be viewed as learner s begin to work more independently with less support. Learners also choose to work with others to better their education, rather than just casually listening and work with those around them (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). Although the Skills Framework has a major influence on the National Curriculum, it is by no means supposed to replace it, but merely act as a guide to help teachers with their planning. One of the main stages of the Skills Framework is developing thinking. Educators believe that it is important to develop thinking to enable learners to have a greater understanding of what they are studying. As part of the Skills Framework the process of thinking is organised into plan, develop and reflect. In relation to the classroom, this process allows learners to plan out tasks effectively, develop their own ideas, and then reflect back upon their work (Swansea Grid for Learning). The Skills Framework has been put in place to help teachers develop a learners thinking across the curriculum, although it is not possible to cover all subjects within the curriculum (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). Developing thinking is seen as a continuous process. This allows learners to keep improving, as they are constantly planning, developing and reflecting upon their work (See Figure A). Figure A. (Swansea Grid for Learning) One of the most important features of this continuous process is metacognition, thinking about thinking. Metacognition is a process whereby learners reflect upon their own work, and then use this reflection time to improve their learning. Metacognition is also crucial in allowing learners to progress through the different skills stages. In mathematics, thinking can be developed through a variety of different problem solving activities. Whilst on school placement, I found that Abacus Maths Scheme had a range of practical activities that helped improve pupils thinking skills. The Abacus Activity book 6, by Ruth Merrtens and David Kirkby features a range of different practical mathematical activities whereby learners work through the different activities and then answer questions at the end. One particular activity consisted of letters from A to K. An example of the worksheet used in this activity can be found in Appendix 1. Learners had to work in groups to identify what number each of the different letters represented. To find the correct answer, learners had to answer different questions such as I+C=D. To find the answer, pupils had to reflect upon what answers they already knew, for example they may already know that I= 4 and that C= 8, so they could therefore identify what number D must represent. Once learners ha d identified what numbers all of the letters represented they then had to answer questions such as What is the total of B, C and F? (Merrtens et al 2001). The plenary for this activity also presents an opportunity for learners to use the process of metacognition. Questions such as, what did you learn from this activity? How did you identify what numbers the different letters were? How did you answer the different questions? What parts did you find easy? What parts did you find hard? all allow learners to reflect upon their work and how they planned and developed their work throughout the activity to solve the different problems (Revill 2010). Another method to develop thinking is using a KWHL grid (what learners already Know, what they Want to find out, How they will find out and what they have Learnt). The grid allows learners to reflect upon prior learning to fill out what they already know on the grid. Learners then think about what they might want to find out from the work and how they are going to find this out. Once learners have completed the work, they then reflect up on what they have learnt. The use of KWHL grid very much incorporates the ideas of developing thinking and metacognition as learners must plan what they want to find out, develop this into how they are going to find out, and then reflect upon how they have found out certain information (The Centre for Research in Primary Science and Technology (CRIPSAT) 2007). I have found one of the best uses of a KWHL grid is to assess what learners learn during a science investigation. On school placement I used a KWHL grid during a science lesson looking at different food groups and their effects on the human body. Once the learners had identified what they knew and what they wanted to find out, they then set about writing down how they would find out information. Without prompt, learners reflected on previous lessons when they has been asked to research information from material provided from textbooks and wrote this in their KWHL grids. KWHL grids are not only good at developing thinking skills, but also at as a means of allowing learners an element of control by letting them decide what they want to find out, and how they are going to find out. In the science lesson on food groups, using the KWHL grid also led to pupils working in groups to research the different food groups, and then presenting them back to the class. An example of a KWHL grid prod uced by a pupil from the class can be fond in Appendix 2. The research and presentation skills needed were skills that pupils had previously learnt by doing a similar task. They had then reflected on this task to use the same skills to find out and share information about food groups in the form of presentations, which also promotes practical, active learning. In language lessons, one of the best examples that I found whilst on school placement for developing thinking skills and making the lesson more practical and active was through a method of story writing by Pie Corbett. The Canal by Pie Corbett is learnt not by simply reading text, but by looking at pictures that illustrate events in the story. The Canal and a sample of pictures used to tell the story ca be found in Appendix 3. This process uses a multi-sensory approach, combing actions with speech which enables learners to learn the story quickly and more effectively (Cambridge Literacy Catalogue 2003). Once learns know the story, they can then use the framework to design their own versions. This develops thinking skills as learners have to reflect upon what language and structure they have learnt from the Pie Corbett story, and use this in their own writing. Learners can also reflect upon the structure of the Pie Corbett text to generate speech within their own text. The next step f or learners was to sketch pictures illustrating the events in their stories and then acting them out. This again created an active and practical means of learning, whilst developing learners thinking skills. The main principle of the Skills Framework is to develop learners skills which they may transfer to different aspects of life (Revill 2010). By learning these different thinking skills through a range of practical activities, this section of the framework will definitely help fill the current gap in skills suggested by employers. Another stage of the Skills Framework is developing communication. Communication is a very important aspect of learning as it enables learners to communicate what they already know or want to find out. To be able to communicate correctly, Valette (1973) suggests that learners must engage in a variety of activities such as listening and reading comprehensions and be able to express themselves through speech and writing. Osborn et al (2003) argues that there is increasing evidence which proves that by improving communication skills, other aspects of learning in general will also improve. The Skills Framework organises communication into oracy, reading, writing and wider communication skills such as through ideas and emotions (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). In language lessons, a good way to enable learners to communicate is through guided reading activities. The book 20:20 Vision, part of The Navigator series by Harcourt Education et al, offers a range of activities whereby learners read, and then report back answers and ideas to the rest of the group. However, many of the activities in the books do not contain any text but pictures instead. One example is comparing pictures of a town in 1900, with the same town today. Learners must read the pictures, and then answer questions about what they have read in the picture. This helps develop not only a learners reading skills in a way other than reading text, but also their wider communication skills, as they are having to communicate ideas in regards to the picture. Learners also develop oracy skills by answering questions and reporting them to the group. The book also contains written questions to complete at the end of the activity, which will then improve learners writing skills. This e xample of a guided reading activity incorporates all of the skills listed in the Skills Framework under developing communication. It is also an active and practical activity which encourages learners to communicate with each other. There are many opportunities for learners to develop their communication skills in science. When studying science, learners must often write clearly and concisely and be confident with oral presentations (Osborn et al 2003). When writing a science investigation learners are expected to communicate clearly using specific language and structure. Learners use the future tense to communicate what they think may happen in an investigation, the present tense to explain how to do carry out the investigation, and then the past tense to reflect upon it. Learners must also explain the results from the investigation in a way which will enable the reader to understand. Oral presentation is also very important to developing communication skills. Whilst on school placement, part of a science lesson required members of the class to prepare a presentation to the rest of the class which would inform them about the different organs in the body. The children worked in groups to research a particular bo dy organ, produce a fact file and then prepare questions ready to present to the class. This activity developed the childrens communication skills by allowing group members to feedback information that they had researched to the rest of the group. The children then communicated through writing by recording the information they had found out into fact files. The template given to pupils to produce the fact files can be found in Appendix 4. The groups then had to prepare a presentation about their chosen organ to the rest of the class. This allowed for communication within the groups, as the children sorted out what would be said and who was saying it. The groups then presented their information to the class, again drawing on their oral communication skills. After the presentations the rest of the class had to answer questions from the group. An example of the questions asked by the pupils can be found in Appendix 5. This again improved communication skills as pupils were able to answ er questions with confidence, in front of the whole class. This science based activity therefore helped to improve and develop the children written and oral communication skills. In mathematics, learners use mathematical vocabulary when working with others. Learners also use a variety of written methods for communicating data such as diagrams, graphs, tables and symbols (Mathematics in the National Curriculum for Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). At Key Stage 2 level, learners are given opportunities to their reading skills in mathematics by interpreting graphs and diagrams, and then explain the data either orally or in written format. Another feature of developing communication skills in mathematics at Key Stage 2 is to visualise and describe shapes, movements and transformations (Mathematics in the National Curriculum for Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). Whilst on school placement, I carried out a mathematics lesson based on 2d shapes. Over the course of the lesson, the children learnt the names of different 2d shapes, what they looked like and if they were a regular polygon, irregular polygon, or not a polygon. As a plenary activity I arranged for the c hildren to sit back to back in pairs, one facing the whiteboard. The member of the pair not facing the whiteboard was given an individual white board, on which they could write. I then wrote the name of a 2d shape on the main whiteboard. The child facing the board had to communicate with their partner what the shape was by saying if it was a regular polygon, irregular polygon, or not a polygon and how many sides the shape had, but could not say the name of the shape. The other member of the pair then had to interpret this information and draw what shape they thought it may be on their own individual whiteboards. This activity helped to develop communications skills as one member of the pair had to interpret what they were reading on the board, reflect upon what they had learnt about polygons from the lesson, and then orally describe to their partner the information, so that it could be easily interpreted by their partner, who would then be able to draw the correct shape. This activi ty was done more than once so that both members of the pair had an opportunity to describe the 2d shape. The importance of developing communication skills is critical for all learners. Some researchers even suggest that there is a clear relationship between communication skills and having a positive relationship with other peers as well as achieving academically (Brigman et al 1999). It is therefore essential that subjects across the curriculum incorporate the development of communication skills to enable leaners to develop both academically and socially. Another part of the Skills Framework is developing number. Following research over the last twenty years it is apparent that numeracy involves more than calculation work, it also encompasses a learners ability to use number accurately including working with shape, measurement, creating graphs, and then using them to explain data (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). Although using number is mainly a mathematical skill, number can also be used in a variety of contexts across the curriculum. In Science, number is often used in scientific investigations. A good activity to involve number in science is to investigate how the heart rate changes with exercise. Whilst on school experiences, the children recorded their resting heart rate over a period of 30 seconds, using a heart monitor linked to a computer. They then interpreted the results from the graph to give their resting heart rate. The children then ran around for five minutes and then once again recorded theyre heart rates. Once they had interpreted the results of the graph following the exercise, they could then compare the two graphs to work out the difference between theyre resting heart rate and heart rate after exercise. This activity helped to develop the childrens number skills because it allowed them to gather information from a graph, compare and interpret data and accurately measure their heart rates using suitable equipment (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). Normally, you would not associate developing number with work in language. However, there are a number of activities which incorporate developing number into language lessons. When doing instruction writing, learners develop number along with their language skills. For example, when writing a recipe, learners must use number not only to sequence their writing, but also to quantify the ingredients. Whilst on school experience, the children were firstly given a recipe cut up into different pieces and jumbled up. They then had to put the recipe back into the correct order. This developed the childrens number skills as they had to sequence the order of the recipe from the first instruction to the last. After the children had done this they then had to write their own recipes. An example of a pupils recipe can be found in Appendix 6. Before they began writing the instructions to the recipe, the children had to list the ingredients and what quantity of the ingredients should be used. This again helped develop number because the children had to choose and use everyday units of measurement (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). In mathematics it is obvious that the subject helps to develop number skills. However, it is still important to ensure that activities are practical and enjoyable to help learners develop their number skills. One enjoyable, practical activity to help learners develop their number skills is to play multiplication bingo. An example can be found in Appendices 7 and 8. In the activity, each child is given a bingo card with multiplications of six and seven on them. The teacher has cards with times tables on them, for example the six times table and seven times table, but with a blank answer. The teacher had to read out each calculation, and the children would have to mentally work out the answer, and then check if they had the number on their bingo board. Like in normal bingo, the winner was the one to cross off all of their numbers first. I found this activity to particularly enjoyable with the children while on work experience. The activity also helps develop number as it allows learner s to identify suitable calculations to get the result needed for the task (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). The use of a calculator to allow the children to check their answers could also be incorporated into the activity to help develop number skills. Developing number is very important to a learners development in all aspects of life. Being able to use numbers is a global activity which brings together people from all cultures. It is therefore essential that learners develop their number skills not only by calculations and formulas, but as a means of solving problems and learning about the world (Sharma 2010). The Skills Framework will help to develop number in a way which helps learners to develop their number knowledge and skills across the curriculum, and not limit the development to mathematics. The Skills Frame work also has a fourth stage, Developing ICT. It is essential that learners today have good ICT skills, as it was one of the main skills gaps pointed out by employers in the Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey. Developing skills in ICT has two strands; finding and developing information and ideas and creating and presenting information and ideas (Skills Framework for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales. Welsh Assembly Government). It can be argued that all subjects across the curriculum, not only the core subjects incorporate these strands. For example in nearly all subjects, learners will have researcnhed information using software programmes and also the internet. Learners also use ICT to create and present information such as word processing their work, or creating graphs to show results from an investigation. Developing ICT skills is more than just teaching learners about ICT. Rather, it helps learners develop their knowledge of different technologies, add how these technologies maybe used to improve and benefit their learning. Also developing ICT skills will also greatly benefit learners from the very beginning of their journey through education and on into adult life, as ICT skills have become almost essential in modern ways of living. The Skills Framework introduced to into the national curriculum by the Welsh Assembly Government has been incorporated as a means of improving and developing skills that are currently needed not only in Wales, but the rest of the United Kingdom. By introducing skills into the curriculum such as developing thinking, communication, number and ICT will help learns to develop essential skills needed not only in education, but also later in adult life. It can also be argued that these skills will also help a learner improve both academically and socially. With the introduction of the Skills Framework into the national curriculum, we are now beginning to see a shift from a very much subject based way of teaching the curriculum, into a more skills based method. I firmly believe that in the future the shift into more skills based teaching will become even greater, with teachers focusing far more on the Skills Framework, and then planning the curriculum around it.

Comparison of Business Practices in the US and China

Comparison of Business Practices in the US and China Diverse cultures of US and China Culture rules nigh on every particular phase of your life and like many, you are completely unacquainted of this. If inquired, you would define culture as architecture or language, music, visual arts, literature and you wouldnt be wrong. Nevertheless you wouldnt be completely right either. The United States of America is one of the multi ethnical, multi racial and multi cultural countries in the world. It has a highly diverse culture which has helped in forming its unique values. This diversity in culture can also be distinguished geographically where certain groups in different geographical locations have formulated a unique culture among themselves which is quite contrastingly diverse from mainstream American culture. They are Asian-American, Afro-American and Hispanic cultures. China can be listed as a country that has a very rich culture, certain aspects of which dates back to the ancient civilizations 5000 years back. This has been passed down from generation to generation thus preserving its identity and richness. It can be stated that it’s unique, diverse and yet harmoniously blended culture is a priceless asset to the world. The business practices of China and US The world of international business as we all know consists of people from different real and virtual work places in countries. Therefore it is important to know about a countries culture in order to adapt to it and be successful. Culture is complex and multi dimensional, to understand its basic nature we need to consider the Elements of culture. â€Å"Language† the key to culture transmits information. The Americans have commonly around 15 languages. Their main languages are English, Spanish and Indo European. Chinese have over 90 languages with 8 main languages where Mandarin is commonly used. A low context culture’s communication is precise and direct. But in terms of High context culture a lot of terms and facts that go unsaid. Practically Americans tend to communicate directly while the Chinese communicate indirectly, which eventually turns out to be a frustrating situation for Americans as they are quite unsure of what the Chinese expect. This is so while the Chinese feel unsettled by their direct approach. There are over 15000 â€Å"religions† in the world. China is a multi religious country which comprises mainly of three religions such as Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. They believe that this world is an illusion and that everything is temporary. Also, that all living things including human beings constantly go through a process of life and death. They also believe in reincarnation. Somehow on the other hand, America comprises mainly of Christian believers and the minorities of around 6% belong to other religions. There are also those who don’t practice in any religion. Every country has their â€Å"values and attitudes† that distinguish them from others. There are different sets of attitudes towards time and future. In US time is important and is equivalent to money while China’s attitudes differ from that. They believe that time is required to make important decisions and look out for long term relationships with their business partners. This creates a contrast affecting their business transactions. â€Å"Customs† too are related to international business. US is physically isolated from all countries except Canada and Mexico. This has contributed to the isolation and the lack of concern towards the rest of the world unless they are threatened by another country or state. China however is connected to many other Asian countries and tends to be interdependent and concerned other nations. Americans have their food eaten using the folk and spoon while the Chinese use chopsticks. Americans tend to shake hands, hug, kiss on the cheek, gesture with one’s hands and use the first names while speaking to adults. Chinese however tend to bow or nod and use fewer gestures as possible. These extreme diversities could be no challenge if each country respects each other’s culture. We live in a technologically advanced global age. So its fairly obvious that international businesses take place among various countries. So how do people understand and communicate among each other? How do people understand their cultures respectively? Its rather difficult. But International businesses are taking place among each and every country due to the wide spread technological and demographical advancement of the societies living on earth. So to understand better and improve the standard of living, people should firstly understand the framework of assessing various cultures. These values are explained as Dimensions of culture by psychologist Dr Geert Hofstede. He further went on to explain that this cultural dimension consists of 5 principles. Power distance Individualism/ collectivism Masculinity/ femininity Uncertainty avoidance Long term/short term orientation Dr. Hofstede found many similarities and differences among these 5 dimensions. And he elaborated that, Building connections with people from around the world is just one dimension of cultural diversity. And therefore we should need to factor it into motivating people, structuring business related projects and developing strategy. USA and China we find similarities and differences with regard to these 5 dimensions. So for simplicity we could explain the dimensions, in a line graph between both China and the United States. Comparison between China and USA in regard to the 5 dimensions of Hofstedes values The buying behavior of consumers Buyer behavior refers to the decision making process and acts of the buyer in purchasing a particular good or a service. The buyer behavior regarding a product may change with the type of culture existing in a country. However the steps in the consumer decision making process remains the same and thus can be used as a suitable instrument in analyzing the behavior of consumers in two countries that are culturally contrasting. Figure 1 consumer decision making process In China, the key cultural drivers of purchasing decision making are philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism as well as the collectivist nature of society. China being collectivists in nature gives much consideration to the voice of the public as well as ‘face’ (Mianzi) and ‘relationship’ (Guanxi) issues. In the USA, individualism plays an important role in all consumer decisions as well as religion, race and geographic location. China US Need recognition and problem awareness Both Confucianism and Taoism focus on family values. Chinese individuals have a deep sense of immediate family bindings. In every family unit, the elders are greatly respected. At the same time youngsters are also given importance and prioritized for being the ‘roots’ of generation continuation. As a result, when recognizing the needs of family, the needs of their children are given more importance. Ex: education needs of children are considered crucial in Chinese households as well as children’s healthcare products. As a developed western country, individualism tends to be the key ingredient that drives buying decisions. Individuals are encouraged to trust their personal judgment and thus when recognizing needs, individual needs are given more preference rather than collective needs. Information search In China, the buyers prefer word of mouth information to other sources. This aspect is related to collectivism. Buyers want to ‘be the same’ as others in their respective group so that they will be accepted. Acceptance is a vital factor for them. Due to this, they inquire from their friends, acquaintances or relatives regarding a certain product. This is how conformity of a product is decided. In mainstream culture of US, buyers receive information mainly through digital networks due to the various advancements available in electronic medias and the flexibility of US individuals to adapt to new technology. Meanwhile in varied sub cultures located across geographic boundaries traditional means are also used in getting informed regarding a certain product. Evaluation of alternatives In terms of public reputation (Mianzi) issues, Chinese individuals wish to put up a good ‘face’ for the others in their respective group to show their wealth and certain other factors. This issue distinctively promotes purchase of luxury products. But it has been also found out that there is more involvement in evaluation of alternatives when purchasing a product for social value rather than for private consumption. Americans usually do not bargain in front of a store owner. The social environment could affect the consumer behaviour in America. For example they would prefer eating corn flakes and ham instead of rice. Americans tend to seek goods with variety and have impulse purchases. This is so because they live a faster life than of Asian countries. Post purchase evaluation Buyers usually show concern post purchase and feel that an alternative would have been preferable. In this case, brand switching occurs the next time which the customer purchases. But, if they receive the social recognition intended for which they originally bought the product or receive a positive feedback from the society, the brand switching decision would not necessarily be taken. Americans usually would try something new when purchasing the next time. However if they are fully satisfied with a product they shall preferably buy it the next time as well. But their decision is rather unpredictable. Future economic development of China and US In 1978, china was one of the poorest countries in the world. Their real per capita GDP in China was one-fourth of US real per capita GDP. Since then every year China was able to grow at 8% every year. As a result they are now one-fifth of the US level and at the same level as Brazil. China was under the communist rule since the revolution in 1949. After the leadership in 1978 china moved away from the central planning and government oriented policies towards a more decentralized economy. China is now a market economy making it a strong role for development of the state. The United States were always a market economy and the economy represents very small roles played by the government. When focusing on the employment rates and wages of the Chinese labour force it is relatively cheaper in a global context. This could lead China to being one of the strongest economic forces of the future and it could also be a significant factor for many international businesses. In china it is believed that work-life is about integration and harmony within work forces. A balanced work life and family life is not a significant aspect in China. Chinese employees do not interact socially but are more domestic oriented. US employees on the other hand are more work oriented. But it also differs according to their social class. For Example the lower level employees work seven extra hours a week which is equivalent to an average day’s work. The Chinese employment relationship strongly influences the work place to be â€Å"family like† while US prefers to have a professional working environment. The concept â€Å"work hard play hard† applies directly to the US work forc e. China has the largest population in the world being 1.357 billion as at 2013 where as the US population only counts to 316.1 million as at 2013. Firstly, internal migrants have supplied abundant labour to the Chinese economy. Secondly a large number of Chinese are 60 years or older and Finally, Chinese families have only one child based on their three decade old policy. These factors will in future represent a crisis since these effects are hard to reverse back. The US population mostly consists of senior citizens. That is, 13% of the population are more than 65 years old and is expected to increase to 20% by 2050. Also the population of young people is expected to rise in contrast to China. Since 2002 US is the largest economy in the world. China achieved a rapid growth in 2010 where it became the second largest economy, beating Japan. Since then US and China are the competitive nations of the world. The predictions of future economic rates as at 2019 are that the US GDP would be 22.1 trillion dollars compared to China with 14.8 trillion dollars. US is more service oriented where as China has a balance between Service and Industries The Unemployment Rate in China as reported by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the people’s republic of china has remained unchanged being 4.10 percent in the third quarter of 2014. Compared to China, even though the rate of unemployment in USA is high â€Å"6.2%†; USA has achieved a drastic drop in its unemployment rate compared to its figures in the last five years, Which is a highly favorable for its economic growth in the future. However, china has not made any measures to address their rate of unemployment.   Chinese still poses less prospective than Americans to Say They Live Comfortably:Superficially at odds with the countrys growth and sense of economic positivity, the Chinese have not grown more likely to feel they can live comfortably on their current income over the past six years. In 2012, 58% said they were able to get by on their current earnings, an amount that has remained relatively fixed. About a third (32%) is finding it verydifficult to earn just enough money to live on, and this rate has similarly continued basically constant. This would seem to suggest that economic progress has not yet directly translated into a more monetarily secure population, or, on the other hand, that as the Chinese sense wealthier, they find themselves attaining new requirements. And, one in 10 Chinese claim that they are living comfortably on their current revenue, a percentage that has shown no growth over time. Americans continue to maintain a much better average than the Chinese regarding their individual revenues. A plurality (38%) in 2012 said they were living comfortably on their current revenue; additional 34% said they were getting along. A quarter of Americans have found it very difficult to live with their current income. Although they are greater than the Chinese on this metric, Americans opinions of their capability to live a comfortable life have been affected by the recession. They are a reduced amount to be expected now than in 2007 to feel they can live comfortably on their present-day income and more probably to feel it is challenging to live on it. Reference List Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Cross-Cultural Skills from Mind Tools. 2014.Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Cross-Cultural Skills from Mind Tools. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm. [Accessed 22nd October 2014]. Journal of Communication Volume 48, Issue 4 December 1998 Wiley Online Library. 2014. Journal of Communication Volume 48, Issue 4 December 1998 Wiley Online Library. [ONLINE] Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.1998.48.issue-4/issuetoc. [Accessed 22nd October 2014]. Chinese Culture, China Culture Center, Facts, Ancient Custom and Tradition. 2014. Chinese Culture, China Culture Center, Facts, Ancient Custom and Tradition. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/. [Accessed 25thOctober 2014]. Chinese Traditions and Culture. 2014.Chinese Traditions and Culture. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.chinese-traditions-and-culture.com/. [Accessed 27th October 2014] Lesson in American Culture and American Values. 2014. Lesson in American Culture and American Values. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com/articles/culture.htm. [Accessed 28th October 2014]. Need Recognition. 2014. Need Recognition. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.boundless.com/marketing/textbooks/boundless-marketing-textbook/consumer-marketing-4/consumer-decision-process-40/need-recognition-200-4088/. [Accessed 1st November 2014]. Opinion Briefing: U.S. vs. China Strengths and Weaknesses . 2014. Opinion Briefing: U.S. vs. China Strengths and Weaknesses . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/162965/opinion-briefing-china-strengths-weaknesses.aspx. [Accessed 2nd November 2014]. China has the worlds fastest growth in living standards China.org.cn. 2014. China has the worlds fastest growth in living standards China.org.cn. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2013-10/24/content_30391004.htm. [Accessed 2nd November 2014]. China’s Population Destiny: The Looming Crisis | Brookings Institution . 2014. China’s Population Destiny: The Looming Crisis | Brookings Institution . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2010/09/china-population-wang. [Accessed 2nd November 2014]. The Changing Demographics of America | 40th Anniversary | Smithsonian. 2014. The Changing Demographics of America | 40th Anniversary | Smithsonian. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/40th-anniversary/the-changing-demographics-of-america-538284/?no-ist. [Accessed 2nd November 2014]. Journal of Consumer Psychology | Vol 12, Iss 2, Pgs 69-176, (2002) | ScienceDirect.com. 2014.Journal of Consumer Psychology | Vol 12, Iss 2, Pgs 69-176, (2002) | ScienceDirect.com. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10577408/12/2. [Accessed 2nd November 2014]

What motivate suicide bombers? Essay -- The Terrorism Ahead, Revenge

The idea of killing oneself for a cause is unimaginable for most people; however, for some individuals, it is a heroic act. Young men, women, and even children have taken their own lives enacting this fatalistic practice. Suicide bombers truly define the meaning of the word terror. This phenomenon is far from new to the world, in World War 2; Japanese pilots called kamikazes voluntarily committed suicide by slamming their planes into American war ships in a last-minute effort to avoid losing the war. Similarly, suicide attackers strap their bodies with explosives and explode their selves in crowds, hotels, marketplaces, and embassies throughout the world. Alarmingly, there are many people willing and committed to carrying out such missions. The driving force behind suicide attackers is not solely based on religion; in fact, it has just as much to do with revenge, humiliation, and indoctrination. In some cases, suicide bombers decide to take such actions as an act of vengeance. Paul J. Smith, Author of â€Å"The Terrorism Ahead† notes that revenge is the driving force behind certain suicide attacks as a direct response to an event, such as a death of a family member (142). In the Middle East, this scene plays out daily. On May 19, 2003, Hiba Daragmeh detonates herself at Amaquim shopping mall in Alfula, Israel to retaliate against her brother’s imprisonment in Israel (Smith 142).The ageless land conflict between Israel and the Palestinians have led to many casualties on both sides. A suicide bomber detonates a bomb in Israeli territory and kills Israeli civilians. Israel retaliates, and attacks suspected terrorist cites, during these skirmishes Innocent Palestinians and Israelis are killed which drives the thirst for revenge mutual... ...ned. The handler’s job is to prepare the bomber for a trial run of the attack, and to foresee any potential disruption that can hinder the plan (68). Once the suicide bomber completes the mission, the family of the suicide bomber receives compensation and becomes a celebrity in the community. The reasoning behind suicide bombings is various and wide-ranging. Many factors come in to play such as retribution, degradation, and propaganda. Terror groups justify this action as the only way to respond due to the fact they may not have sophisticated weaponry or military. The fact remains there are constantly gaining new candidates to replace every suicidal mission, which compels terrorist groups to believe it is the right action to take. Furthermore, fear, terror and death caused by suicide bomb explosions can devastate people psychologically and alter sociatal life.

C++ Programming :: science

C++ Programming NOTES ON C++ PROGRAMMING Module 1: Pointers and Memory Management NOTES ON C++ PROGRAMMING Module 1: Pointers and Memory Management TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 OVERVIEW 4 BASIC MEMORY MANAGEMENT 5 GROUP ASSIGNMENT 6 INITIALIZATION 8 CONSTANTS 9 INCREMENT AND DECREMENT OPERATORS 10 ELSE-IF 13 SWITCH 14 LOOPS 15 EXAMPLES OF LOOPS 16 BREAK, CONTINUE 18 RETURN 19 FUNCTION DEFINITION: 21 VOID FUNCTIONS 22 FUNCTIONS RETURNING A VALUE 23 OVERVIEW Algorithms: A step-by-step sequence of instructions that describes how to perform a computation. Answers the question "What method will you use to solve this computational problem?" Flowcharts: Provides a pictorial representation of the algorithm using the symbols. Structure Charts: Provides a pictorial representation of the modules contained in the program. Programming Style: Standard form: Function names starts in column 1 and is placed with the required parentheses on a line by itself. The opening brace of the function body follows on the next line and is placed under the first letter of the function name. The closing brace is placed by itself in column 1 as the last line of the function. The final form of your programs should be consistent and should always serve as an aid to the reading and understanding of your programs. Comments: Explanatory remarks made within a program. Help clarify what the complete program is about, what a specific group of statements is meant to accomplish, or what one line is intended to do. Top-Down Program Development: 1. Determine the desired output items that the program must produce. 2. Determine the input items 3. Design the program as follows: a. Select an algorithm for transforming the input items into the desired outputs. b. Check the chosen algorithm, by hand, using specific input values. 4. Code the algorithm into C. 5. Test the program using selected test data. BASIC MEMORY MANAGEMENT Space set aside for the variable: Characters 1 byte (8 bits) Pointers 4 bytes Integers 2 bytes (16 bits) or 4 bytes (32 bits) Short int or short 2 bytes Unsigned int or unsigned 2 bytes Long Integers 4 bytes Floats 4 bytes(single precision, about 7 decimal places) Doubles 8 bytes(double precision, about 15 decimal places) Type Space a) double *values; __________________ ________________________ b) long x[1000]; __________________ ________________________ c) char *s = "string"; __________________ ________________________ d) char s[] = "string"; __________________ ________________________ e) char *name [10]; __________________ ________________________