Essay --

Ethics can be defined as moral principles for living and making decisions. Ethics means doing the right thing but that can be difficult for so many people. A part of any god ethical system is the pursuit of the truth. Postmodernists have no belief that there is no absolute truth that exists in the world today, and if it is possible they feel like its not going to be attainable or easily grasped. Mail delivery is an example of how we take for granted the daily service we expect to our homes whether it be of a pony express or more of today how it’s distributed. Culturally speaking times have certainly changed; we have made significant progress in almost everything we do. (Larry Z. Leslie pg. 31) Respect in research means showing concern and appreciation for the worth of someone or something. The researcher should follow a set of guidelines that are suitable for use. Although there are those who resist rules there are some that are used to make sure your acting in an ethical mann er, they are as follow: ==> Select a design appropriate. ==> Carry out the design. ==> Record data or other i...

Northern Ireland – source related study

1) Source A depicts the job problems that the Catholics faced in Ulster in the 60's. It Shows the employment figures of a variety of different companies, and then tells us how many of these employees are Protestant or Catholic. The first example of the problems faced is at the Belfast shipyard; where there were 10,000 people employed, of which only 400 were Catholic. Considering this was the biggest source of employment in the town, and wasn't exactly a cushy job, you would have expected a much larger number of people working there who were Catholic. However, this was not the case, and was the same everywhere else. In Fermanagh, the county council employed 370 people. Only 48 of these people were Catholic, and none of those people had decent or upper class jobs. This didn't change with bus drivers either. 75 bus drivers were employed in Fermanagh, and only 7 of them were Catholic. And considering that over half of Fermanagh was Catholic, this meant that there would have been a lot of Catholics left without jobs in the city. Therefore, the difficulties faced by Catholics in the 60's were that they were discriminated against by the Protestants. This only shows the job problems they had, but they did face many other daunting problems in the 60's. 2) Source B helps assess the discrimination of Catholics to a certain extent. This is because it is coming from a reliable source. Billy Sinclair used to be the manager of Linfield football club and saw the sort of discrimination he is talking about with his own eyes. The sort of discrimination he is talking about is that if a football scout for a Northern Irish club spots a good young footballer that is from a catholic school, they won't take him on as a player. This is obviously because he is a Catholic, so he wouldn't be accepted in a protestant team. However, this source only comes from one person, and could be helped by being backed up by other people who also manage football clubs, or even from football scouts themselves. Also, source C says that as many protestant people should be in work during times when job opportunities are poor. They would prefer to keep more protestant, unqualified people in work instead of Catholics who could possibly do a better job. This is clear discrimination against the cleverer Catholic people within Ulster. This is a very useful source in assessing the discrimination against Catholics, as it comes from an organisation, rather than just a single person making a statement about the discrimination against young Catholic footballers. 3) The reason that Londonderry became the centre of a civil rights movement was that the Catholics got fed up with the living conditions (as shown in source D) and the voting system in the city. As source D shows, the living conditions were absolutely diabolical. The picture shows an outdoor bath and outhouse, which was very common amongst Catholics houses. However, the Protestants would have had much nicer, indoor bathrooms and toilets, instead of being out in the cold. So that is why the Catholics were fed up with the housing. Also, the way the voting system was set up was biased towards the Protestants. The Catholics were all crammed into one voting area of Londonderry, while the Protestants were spread over two voting areas, meaning that in those two areas, there would be more Protestant votes, meaning more Protestants councillors. The three sources all agree with each other when it comes to talking about the discrimination that the Catholics faced in Ulster. They all show a factor which proves the way that the Catholics were treated. The Catholics within Ulster do get mistreated by the Protestants, even if they are only out of line slightly. The smallest crime could lead to a beating and even a jail sentence, which is how extreme the prejudice is in Ireland. Londonderry became the centre of the civil rights movement in Ireland because it was the main centre of violence in the whole of Eire and Ulster. There was an equal balance of Protestants and Catholics, but there was an un-equal balance in the society. The Protestants always treated the Catholics with prejudice, and never let go of their stronghold over the weaker community. These factors aggravated the Catholics and eventually led them to start up the civil rights movement. After the civil rights movement had started, people from all across Eire and Ulster got involved and were hoping for a united Ireland. 4) In source G, Rev. Ian Paisley said that the IRA and the people who supported it where behind the Civil Rights movement. What he effectively meant was that the Catholics were behind the civil rights movement, which is not the way that Michael Farrell thought about it in source H. He said that there were some Catholics that believed in civil rights, but it was mainly the Protestants that were in charge of the movement. Therefore, he doesn't agree with the way Paisley saw the civil rights movement. However, Source I Does agree with Paisley more than source H. It says that the membership was mostly Catholic, and that the IRA was closely involved in the civil rights movement. However, it does also say that there were Protestants involved, so it doesn't completely agree with the comments made by Paisley. 5) The picture in source J, which was drawn by a Northern Irish political cartoonist, does help portray why the trouble continued into the 90's. It shows five different groups walking around a never-ending staircase which doesn't lead anywhere. Four of the groups (Religion, Politics, Workers and Civilians) are walking up the staircase, working there way up to a better Ireland. However, the other group (the paramilitaries) is walking down the staircase, as they try to cause trouble and want to keep Eire and Ulster separate. They like to stir up the trouble between the Protestants and Catholics and cause riots. The peace process was being lead by Religion, which is why they are at the front of the staircase in the picture. Then the politics follow the Religion as they wanted the fighting and riots to end as it would mean they would get more votes. Then the workers followed the politics as they were drawn in by the things that the governments promised they would do. And the civilians follow the workers as they are mainly their husbands that are working, and the civilians are mainly women and their children. Also, on the side of the wall it has graffiti that says â€Å"REM 1960 ULSTER† which is referring to the Battle of the Boyne. This was obviously when William of Orange and his protestant followers invaded Ireland and took over what is now known as Ulster. This is to remind people that the rift between the Protestants and Catholics still exists because of this event. Another bit of graffiti says â€Å"1916† which refers to the Easter rising on April 24th. There was also the Good Friday agreement of 1998. Sinn Fein was reluctant to sign the document, but in the end gave in. There was an uprising, however, after the document had been signed. This was because it meant that paramilitary prisoners were released. This caused unrest between the two parties, and caused more riots.

Macpac

Introduction: Strategy is concerned with an organisations basic directions for the future,its purpose,ambition,resources and how it interacts with the world in which it operates(Lynch. R,p5 2003),thus it can be seen that there area number of techniques or ways in which the company can use these to achieve its goals and objectives,the purpose of this case study is to study the techniques used by MacPac to achieve its growth /achievement,the reasons for the losses suffered by MacPac and the steps taken to address these losses as well as an insight of MacPac’s current situation.Reasons for MacPac’s initial international success Macpac Attained a lot of success after the year of its establishment especially in the international markets, thereare a number of reason for MacPac international success, these can be summarized as: One of the basic reasons for MacPac’s international success was there Value Added or differentiated strategy ,According to which a company seeks to provide products or services unique or different from those of competitors ,The value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it(Johnson.G,Scholes. K, p322 2002). Macpac provided products which were unique than its competitors with high quality but with high price, Macpac followed this strategy to target those tampers to whom quality meant everything even though the price was high. Another Reason for MacPac’s initial international success was its Resource strategy: According to which recourses of any organisation include human resource skills, investment and capital (Lynch.R,p9 3rd ed),MacPac introduced communication audit within its organisation to develop a highly communicative environment and thus increasing its efficiency, it introduced high performance appraisalwithin itsorganisation, MacPac, with the recruitment of productivity consultants the production started to go smoothly and with reduction of labor cost from 25% to 14%, MacPac introduced the concept of profit sharing and introduced team building and performance as team.MacPac’s initial success can also be attributed to its Total Quality Management, Total Quality Management Deals with maintaining a particular standard for quality. MacPac always focused on quality, quality was their main objective they believed in total quality management, they provided products of high quality which were never before introduced by any other organisation, no other organisation focused so much on total quality management as MacPac did, MacPac did not believe in marketing but believed that it had to be true to its quality.Macpac also increased its quality by introducing accounting processes and computer systems. MacPac also introduced product refinements within its organisation leading to high quality products which no one else could match at that time. Unique Resources: Uniqueresources are the resources which critically underpin competitive advantage, t his unique recourses in case of MacPac was its location in new Zealand, new Zealand was considered heaven for adventure sports at that time and MacPac gears were made in consideration of the terrains of the new Zealand, which set a standard in itself for outdoor gear.Knowledge: Knowledge is the awareness ,consciousness or familiarity gained by experience or learning(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p150). Being a keen tamper himselfMacintyre had the experience of what a keep tamper wants. Critical Success Factor: are those product features that are particularly valued bya group of customers and where the organisation must excel to outperform competition(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p150),the critical success factor in case of Macintyre was the quality and design of its products.Product Development: It is where organisation delivers modifies or new products to the existing market (Jhonson. G,Scholes. k,2002,p368) Joint Development: when two or more organisations share resources and activitie s to pursue a strategy(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p378). Merging with wilderness meant that it was the first brand to offer wide range of products under one name. Market Development: when the organisation offers new products in new markets(Jhonson. G,Scholes.K 2002 p370) , MacPac was also successful because it followed a strict Selling Strategy to its customers, it started to sell its product direct to the retailers and removing the agents and it redesigned itself for particular markets, removing agents meant that MacPaccould now get in touch directly with the retailers and get information regarding customers likes and dislikes and as such producing according to that Macpac also followed Focus Strategy in which a company focuses on a particular segment of buyers within an industry (p205 3rd ed),MacPac mainly focused on hardcore and keen tampers who only wanted the best outdoor equipment for outdoor activities, the buyers who could trust MacPac gear when they were on outdoor adventur es. Macpac greatly believed in Innovation andDesign was completely dedicated to innovations and new designs leading to new products and development in the existing of the existing product which greatly contributed to its success internationally as with innovation it was able to manufacture products which were new to the customers and they were more then willing to buy them as they had never seen those products before.Macpac also educated his customers with Catalogue’s which displayed all the MacPac’s products, and giving the customers a wide range to choose from, These catalogue’s were placed in retail stores which sold MacPac products Reasons For the losses MacPac incurred during 2001-2005 Macpac although Did Great during the initial years and succeed in establishing it brand internationally,it suffered huge losses during the years 2001-2005 the main reasons for the losses that MacPac incurred during this phase can be explained using PESTFramework PEST analysis identifies environmental factors into 4 major types, Political, Economical, Social, Technological. (Jhonson. G,Scholes. k,p82 1993) Political: One of the main reason for MacPac’s loss was the event of 9/11.MacPac’s sales dropped rapidly, because American economy trembled due to this and as America was the financial hub of the world, every other economy faced the same situation as a result the value for new Zealand dollar decreased considerably resulting in the decreased exports of MacPac, also the event of 9/11 some how brought the whole economy into a financialcrunch and as such demand for products decreased and people spend very less which had obvious effect on MacPac. Political: Post 9/11 the political situation trembled all over the world and as such there was political in stability which had obvious effects on MacPac’s process and contributed to its loss. Government were now more concerned about the safety of the people and the people too preferred their o wn safety. Going out seemed to be less safe as such contributed to MacPac’s loss Social: Post 9/11 the behavior of the people had changed people now had a different attitude towards outdoor activities and the industry was changing from hardcore outdoor activities towards more softer activities and were more focused on fashion, later the fashion part ook over and people now stopped doing adventurous activities and preferred to stay at their homes as a result less people bought Outdoor Adventure Equipment, all this had a great effect on MacPac’s progress and as a result it suffered losses. Economical: With the event of 9/11 the attitude of people had some how changed people now were not ready to pay for high quality costly products but preferred Low quality and elite products, MacPac which always considered quality as their objective and had high quality products could not cope up with the change as such had to suffer losses. Technological: with the shift in peopleâ€⠄¢s behavior from hardcore to soft and finally fashion oriented, required new technology which MacPac did not have and may be one of the reasons for its loss.Other reasons: The main reason for MacPac’s loss during 2001-2005 was their low Budgeting strategy and could not tackle changing trend of the people, It had low logistic management, and were less automated. Critical Issues That Macpac Is facing: Although With the introduction of the New Business Model Macpac has got on the track and recovered from the losses it suffered in 2001-2005, thecompany still faces a greater number of issues which the company has to address, the issues that MacPac faces now can be summarized as under Threat Of entry Threat of entry to an industry will depend on the extend to which there are barriers to entry (Johnson. G,Scholes. K,1997,p108).As it is seen that MacPac entered the outdoor equipment industry easily and without much trouble showing that there was probably no barriers or less Barriers to enter this industry, as such showing that anybody could enter the industry posing a serious issue for Macpac. Also aswith the increase in globalizationnew Manufacturers can now enter any industry and as such can enter will the outdoor equipment industryaswell, posing a serious problem to MacPac Threat Of substitutes: The availability of substitute’s can place a ceiling on the price of a companies product and reduce its attractiveness(Johnson. G,Scholes. K,1997,p109), and with the outdoor equipment industry growing and newer and newer manufacturers entering into the market and producing products of their own which will be sometimes cheaper then the MacPac or even better then the MacPac.MacPac will have to address this issue andit is a serious problem for it Competitive Rivalry: The most competitive condition are those in which the entry is likely, substitutes ,threats and buyer supplier exercise power/Control and as the current outdoor equipment industry in increasing in t he number of competitors there is increase in the number of substitute’s available to the buyer creating rivalry between MacPac and its competitors to sell their products more,Macpac’s competitors will often find ways to outrun Macpac by offering better benefits to buyers or else reducing the prices of their products,which will be harmful to MacPac. Thus creating a issue which MacPac faces now. Maintaining Level Of Quality:With the outsourcing to Asia Macpac faces the problem of maintain the quality of their products, as the main idea of MacPac to outsource to Asia was to reduce the cost andMacPacbelieves that the buyers can never know where the product is made, as such he has to make to has to maintain the quality of its product to the quality and the standard of the products manufactured in new Zealand and USA,if MacPac Fails to maintain the quality standard then it will lose it brand image which will result in losing customers. Outsourcing: outsourcing occurs when a n organisation decides to buy in products and services that were previously produced in-home(Jhonson. G,Scholes. k,2002,p450),but outsourcing requires managers to be more competent at maintaining the performance ,they suppliers or distributer need to educated regularly about the organizational goals ,priorties and standards,thus increasing the cost without the guarantee that the supplier will full understand what was taught to him,thus putting the image and resources of the company at risk.Resource Management: With MacPac becoming from just a New Zealand Company to a global one it will require effective management of its resources as well as Finance/wealth Management. MacPac’s Business Model: After suffering huge losses during 2001-2005, MacPac had to redesign its business structure in order to avoid any further losses but they did this not ahead enough, had they developed this model before chances are that they would have avoided the losses which they suffered during 2001-20 05. Macpac developed a business model that stabilized their position and saved them from suffering any further losses. MacPac changed their business model to a formal structure.Formal Structure: A formal structure is based on the primary activities that have to be undertaken by an organisation such as production, finance and accounting, marketing ,human resource and information management(Johnson G Scholes. k 2002 p 422) Financial Control: In financial control the role of the center is to set financial targets, allocate resources, appraise performance and intervene or correct poor performance(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p448),Macpac also introduced finance management strategy and did not pay until the finished goods were supplied and as such did not have the burden of surplus stock kept as final goods, Macpac basically introduced a finance management strategy which saved them cost and other expenditure incurred previously.Human Resource Management:organisations which successfully man ages change are those which have integrated their human resource management policies with their strategies (Jhonson. G,Scholes. K,1993 p416). Macpac developed a new resource strategy and started to recruited people who love outdoor activities and as well used MacPac’s products as a result they brought an un inevitable expertise, it helped MacPac to spend less on the training of its employees as they already new a lot about it products, MacPac also hired a new CEO who could Created a strategy that could get MacPac out of loss. Technology/Information management: Knowledge creation and information managementare issues at the front of managers minds as a potential source of improved competitiveness. (Jhonson. G, Scholes. k, 2002,p490).MacPac also stared to send the designs electronically as such reducing its overall cost that were not covered in previous business model,MacPac also used automatic machinery and increased its workforce The Main change was to shift the attention from innovation and design but to introduce a wide range of products Logistics Strategy Before 2001 MacPac had not focused on logistic management but in the new business model they designed a strategy to manage and increase its logistics, and as such MacPac increased its logistic staff from 0 to 3 persons MacPac also introduced sales strategy by increasing its sales force to double to reduce its chances of loss again and thus increase it sales MacPac also introduced the budgeting strategy in its new business model and revises its current bonus system Increased offshoring to become a global company Macpac also sought supplier’s recommendations and that of its competitors too; RecommendationsIt is seen that MacPac faced a number of problems after its establishment, these problems occurred especially when MacPac entered international market, and it continued to suffer losses even after the implementation of the new business model which only worked after few years of its implementati on. Companyas such for a company like Macpac which experienced many difficulties and issues, the following recommendations are given. 1. In aspect to marketing proper marketing should have been done and proper research should have been done, forecasting of the market should also been done, and all the aspects of starting a business should been taken into considerationdevising any strategy or plan. 2. Proper Budgeting and financing strategy should have been adopted to meet the requirements of the organisation and at proper times 3.Proper allocation of resources should have been done, along with proper market research been done so that the company could read the market trends and adjust accordingly. The organisation should have been more flexible and more goals oriented 4. Goal and objectives of the organisation should have been clearly set forward with clear objective of what the company needed from its employees and where it wanted to be after a particular period of time 4. Consider the use of strategic management. One of the advantages of strategic management is it enables a firm to proficiently identify how a certain organisation should deploy its resources in the environment and adapts the organisation to satisfy the long-term objectives of the firm. It is important to note that strategic management deals with several time spans.

Points of Argument on the Settlement of Cyrene Essay Example

Points of Argument on the Settlement of Cyrene Essay Example Points of Argument on the Settlement of Cyrene Essay Points of Argument on the Settlement of Cyrene Essay The subject of â€Å"Tradition† is problematic when regarding historical sources pertaining to archaic Greece. Much of what we know about ancient times comes from literary sources and various inscriptions, such as Herodotus. Having been written by people of the epoch, influenced by oral tradition as well as political and social climates, and not as historical research, these writings should not be taken literally. And some, like Osborne, would say are automatically disqualified as historical evidence. When examining the case of the foundation of Cyrene, we must first assess the quality of our main source of information on the subject Herodotus. Herodotus, who wrote in the 5th century BC, tells us of the stories he had heard from the people of Cyrene and the people of Thera (The claimed Mother-city of Cyrene) regarding the founding of Cyrene. Osborne’s reading of Herodotus’ stories conveys they are not in unison. He claims that the Theran story emphasizes the difficulties they went through and the amount of careful planning put into the founding endeavor, whereas the Cyrenian version tells almost exclusively of their founder and first king, Battos. He explains these differences by looking at the socio-economical climate at the time the text was written. The Therans had an interest to keep their historical links with prosperous Cyrene alive and well, while it was important for the Cyrenian monarchy, the Battiads, to emphasize Battos’ role to legitimize themselves, as well as affirm Cyrene’s independence. It is clear now that these stories were based on each side’s interests and needs, and are selective and exaggerated. Malkin dismisses Osborne’s presentation of Herodotus’ accounts as conflicting, and suggests that with further analysis of the text it becomes evident that the Theran version is a combined Theran-Cyrenian one, and the â€Å"Cyrenian† story is in fact just used to fill what is missing in the Theran version. He agrees that the stories, especially that of Battos’ origins, are filled with exaggerated and mythical elements, born of various social needs, but refuses that this is sufficient grounds to throw all â€Å"Traditional† evidence we have away. In example we see that in the combined Theran-Cyrenian version, it is said that all settlers of the first generation were Theran, and that no new settlers arrived for 60 years. This stands in direct conflict with a multitude of archeological and traditional evidence – Including that Polis around Cyrene show signs of settlement already during Cyrene’s first generation of settlers. We also find evidence of Spartan pottery at Taucheira since its first generation that is obviously of too poor a quality to have been imports. Malkin resolves the archeological problem by saying there were many other settlers from all over the Greek world that settled in Cyrene, and over time got blended in and their origins forgotten, a fact revealed by 6th century reforms that divided Cyrenians by their origin. This assimilation process occurred in reaction to the rise of various Polis around Cyrene, forcing them to differentiate themselves by creating a uniform identity as Therans. What we see in this process is that while certain facts may change, a basic frame of the story remains constant. The Sworn Undertaking of the Founders is a document written by the Therans and attributed to before the settlers from Thera set out to Libya, cited by Herodotus during his account of the foundation of Cyrene, and later presented by the Therans to the Cyrenians in the 4th century when coming to claim citizenship. Osborne relates to The Sworn Undertaking of the Founders with skepticism, he claims the text contains many elements which are out of place in an 8th century document, such as the anachronistic approach of sailing â€Å"On equal and fair terms† and the claim to having originated from an assembly at Thera, and questions the text’s authenticity. He states the reason for the Cyrenians willingness to accept this different version of their past as that the now fallen Battiad monarchy had become an embarrassment, and the Cyrenians were happy to adopt a version in which Battos no longer played a major role, and that better fitted their current needs. However, claims Malkin, this analysis relies on the Therans having a fairly vague and short-termed memory of their past, which, as seen by Teuchydides’ story of refugee’s from Epidemnus coming to Corcyra and pointing out their ancestors grave, was not the case as not only oral tradition, but also outside affirmation from visitors helped keep the memory alive. Furthermore, as seen in the story of Cyrene itself as told by Herodotus, already in the 6th century people regarded Thera as the natural home for exiles from Cyrene. As for Battos’ having become an object of embarrassment to the Cyrenians, both the Theran version and the Agreement name Battos as founder and king, and in fact affirm his position as leader on Thera’s authority. Furthermore, it is unlikely that Battos had fallen out of grace with the Cyrenians due to the fall of the monarchy; his grave in the agora was consulted as an Oraculum and ceremonies held near it, regardless of the changing political climate, Battos’ character remained heroic and mythic in the people’s minds and his memory important to the Cyrenians’ collective identity. We also find evidence of the popularity of the Founder’s cult in places such as Gela, where a cup was found with an inscription dedicating it to the city’s founder. What we see through the examples given by Malkin is that tradition isn’t as soluble as it first seems. People have a need for conformity, and look for constants on which to base their personal and collective identity. To that extent we have folk stories, religious beliefs and ceremonies, and various social conformities of thought and behavior, that are passed on and maintain their form if not specifics, in order to retain a cohesive social uniform. In conclusion, there is a certain amount of skepticism with which one must approach the study of tradition in history, and care with which to regard that which we see as fact, however, methodical skepticism is also dangerous, and one must carefully examine and differentiate the mythical from the factual, and the constant from the changing.

Free Essays on Tests

What is at Stake? When students graduate from high school, the public expects that each student will possess the skills to be successful at either work or secondary education. We know however, that not all students meet this expectation. A 2000 report from the Employment Policy Forum reported, â€Å"that is many as 70% of students entering the workforce do not have simple writing skills† (Workforce Preparation 1). In an effort to improve student achievement, (State Law 2, statutes of 1999), authorized the development of the California High School Exit Exam (CHSEE). Seniors in the class of 2004 will be the first California public school students who must pass the CHSEE in order to receive their high school diploma (Rubin, par. 5) Advocates say exit exams will motivate students and teachers to reach higher standards, therefore improving student achievement. Critics contend, however, that exit exams have no educational value and do not answer the question of how to best measure student learning. Furthermore, they argue that these high stakes tests will lead to higher dropout rates and do not ensure that students have an opportunity to learn the material being tested (Hicks 1-2). Graduation decisions should be based on many factors; one test should not be the sole determinant of any major decision. Proponents argue that high school exit exams are a crucial key to educational reform. A statewide exam will set uniform expectations and use the same evaluation instruments for all students. The CHSEE will hold all students accountable to the same with graduation requirements and hold schools accountable for student performance. Supporters of the CHSEE make strong arguments for the use of exit exams. However, whether these exams are accurate indicators of a student's abilities, is highly debatable. Stanford University's Linda Darling-Hammond writes, â€Å"there is no evidence high stakes testing improves school quality. Indeed, th... Free Essays on Tests Free Essays on Tests What is at Stake? When students graduate from high school, the public expects that each student will possess the skills to be successful at either work or secondary education. We know however, that not all students meet this expectation. A 2000 report from the Employment Policy Forum reported, â€Å"that is many as 70% of students entering the workforce do not have simple writing skills† (Workforce Preparation 1). In an effort to improve student achievement, (State Law 2, statutes of 1999), authorized the development of the California High School Exit Exam (CHSEE). Seniors in the class of 2004 will be the first California public school students who must pass the CHSEE in order to receive their high school diploma (Rubin, par. 5) Advocates say exit exams will motivate students and teachers to reach higher standards, therefore improving student achievement. Critics contend, however, that exit exams have no educational value and do not answer the question of how to best measure student learning. Furthermore, they argue that these high stakes tests will lead to higher dropout rates and do not ensure that students have an opportunity to learn the material being tested (Hicks 1-2). Graduation decisions should be based on many factors; one test should not be the sole determinant of any major decision. Proponents argue that high school exit exams are a crucial key to educational reform. A statewide exam will set uniform expectations and use the same evaluation instruments for all students. The CHSEE will hold all students accountable to the same with graduation requirements and hold schools accountable for student performance. Supporters of the CHSEE make strong arguments for the use of exit exams. However, whether these exams are accurate indicators of a student's abilities, is highly debatable. Stanford University's Linda Darling-Hammond writes, â€Å"there is no evidence high stakes testing improves school quality. Indeed, th...

Who to Ask for a Grad School Recommendation Letter

Who to Ask for a Grad School Recommendation Letter Recommendation letters are a non-negotiable part of every graduate school application. Nearly all applications to graduate school require at least 3 letters of recommendation from individuals who can discuss your competencies in a coherent way and recommend that you be admitted to graduate school. Many students find that it is not difficult to select one or two people to approach for letters of recommendation. Others arent sure of who to approach. Who Is the Best Choice?   Who can write the best letter? Remember the main criterion of the letter of recommendation: It must provide a comprehensive and positive evaluation of your abilities and aptitude. It should not be surprising that letters from professors are highly valued by admissions committees. However, the best letters are written by faculty who know you, from whom you have taken multiple classes and/or have completed substantial projects and/or have received very positive evaluations. Professors provide insight into your academic competencies and aptitude as well as personality characteristics that may contribute to your potential to succeed in graduate schools, such as motivation, conscientiousness, and timeliness. Should You Ask Your Employer for a Letter? Not always, but some students include a letter from an employer. Letters from employers are useful if you are working in a field that is related to that which you intend to study. However, even a letter from an employer in an unrelated field can be useful to your application if he or she discusses skills and competencies that will contribute to your success in graduate school, such as the ability to read and integrate information in order to draw conclusions, lead others, or carry out complex tasks in a timely and competent fashion. Essentially its all about spin- spinning the material so that it matches what committees are looking for. What Makes for an Effective Recommendation Letter? An effective recommendation letter is written by someone who meets some of the following criteria: Is aware of your field of interest and the schools you are applying to.Is able to evaluate your performance in your field of interest.Is able to discuss your personal characteristicsIs able to discuss your capacity to work with othersCan discuss your leadership skillsCan evaluate your level of professionalism (e.g., punctuality, efficiency, assertiveness)Can discuss your academic skills- not simply experience, but your potential to succeed in graduate-level studyEvaluates you positively relative to othersHas some recognition and whose judgment is highly valued within the field.Has the skills to write a helpful letter. Many students become nervous when they see this list. Remember that no one person will meet all of these criteria, so dont fret or feel bad. Instead, consider all of the people who you might approach and attempt to compose a balanced panel of reviewers. Seek individuals who will collectively fulfill as many of the above criteria as possible. Avoid This Mistake The biggest mistake most students make in the recommendation letter-phase of the graduate school application is to fail to plan ahead and establish relationships that lead to good letters. Or to not consider what each professor brings to the table and to instead settle for whoever is available. This is not the time to settle, choose the easiest path, or be impulsive. Take the time and make the effort to consider all of the possibilities- each professor you have had and all persons you have come into contact with (e.g., employers, internship supervisors, supervisors from settings in which you have volunteered). Dont rule anyone out at first, just make a long list. After you have created an exhausted list, rule out those who you know will not give you a positive recommendation. The next step is to determine how many criteria those remaining on your list might fulfill- even if you have not had recent contact with them. Continue evaluating each person to choose potential referees.

The Tale of Two Cities Book the Third Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Tale of Two Cities Book the Third - Essay Example Dickens brings both his beginning and ending together in this way, making the entire novel itself a double. Carlton, who himself is a double with Darnay, recognizes that his sacrifice is far, far better than the selfish life he has led, and that it provides him with a chance at resurrection, another theme of the novel. Darnay is what Carlton has failed to become, but by the end of the novel, Carlton’s goodness has surpassed Darnay’s. Dickens continues this particular double with the prophecy that Darnay and Lucie will have another child—a son, whom they will name after Carlton and whom will become the kind of person Carlton did not become in his lifetime. Their daughter, â€Å"Little Lucie,† is also a double, of her mother. Darnay is arrested not once, but twice, before Carlton is executed in his place. Other characters in this novel are also doubles: the loving and nurturing Lucie as opposed to the hateful and murderous Madame Defarge, for example, which underscores his themes. It can be said, with good evidence, that doubles is Dickens’ main motif he uses in this novel. The entire novel is constructed as one big double, making the emotional impact even more powerful. Dickens is a genius, both in the way he constructs this novel, and in the way he presents his characters and themes, throughout the entire novel and especially in the third and final part.