Wednesday, November 27, 2019

German Irish African and Native are all American essays

German Irish African and Native are all American essays Paula Chrystine Poling Poling 1 Myths, Memories and Realities of the War Between the States Dr. Mary Ellen Rowe and Dr. Larry Olpin German, Irish, African and Native are all American For minorities, as for other Americans, the Civil War was an opportunity to prove their valor and loyalty. Among the first mustered into the Union army were a De Kalb regiment of German American Clerks, the Garibaldi Guards made up of Italian Americans, a Polish Legion, and hundreds of Irish American youths from Boston and New York. Many people firmly believed, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that immigrants instinctively supported the union, and given the chance, deserted the South and sought their compatriots in Northern regiments (Burton 201). More than 400,000 European immigrants fought for the Union, including more than 170,000 Germans and more than 150,000 Irish. Many saw their services as a proud sacrifice. William Burton writes in his book Melting Pot Soldiers about John Cochrane, the colonel of a regiment who was of Irish decent. Cochrane recalled the native soldiers in the Union forces as typically a conscript rather than a volunteer, lacking in zeal and fire. Immigrant soldiers, in Cochranes recollection, held flaming partisan views, had dash and spirit, volunteered eagerly, and had real martial ardor (201). If we follow Cochranes description to the letter then all the other Americans were forced to serve their country and not because of their true loyalty and desire. Cochranes view is one of prejudice for his own ethnic group and against other American soldiers. Cynthia H. Enloe, in her pioneering work Ethnic soldiers: State Security in Divided Societies, went astray when she examined the history of immigrants in the North. State Security Planners she argued, treated recent immigrants as though they were outside the nation-state political system in the ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

US Federal Budget Process - The Spending Bills

US Federal Budget Process - The Spending Bills House and Senate Work Out Differences in Conference CommitteeSince the spending bills are once again being debated and amended separately, House and Senate versions will have to go through the same conference committee process as the Budget Resolution. The conferees have to agree on one version of each bill capable of passing in both the House and Senate by a majority vote. Full House and Senate Consider Conference ReportsOnce the conference committees have forwarded their reports to the full House and Senate, they must be approved by a majority vote. The Budget Act stipulates that the House should have given final approval to all of the spending bills by June 30. President May Sign or Veto Any or All of the Appropriations BillsAs spelled out in the Constitution, the President has ten days in which to decide: (1) to sign the bill, thereby making it law; (2) to veto the bill, thereby sending it back to Congress and requiring much of the process to begin again with respect the programs covered by that bill; or (3) to allow the bill to become law without his signature, thereby making it law but doing so without his express approval. The Government Begins its New Fiscal YearIf and when the process goes as planned, all the spending bills have been signed by the president and have become public laws by October 1, the start of the new Fiscal Year. Since the federal budget process rarely runs on schedule anymore, Congress will usually be required to pass one or more â€Å"Continuing Resolutions† authorizing the various government agencies to continue operating temporarily at existing funding levels. The alternative, a government shutdown, is not a desirable option.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Human service integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human service integration - Essay Example scale." Historically, pilot programs and studies of best practices have not been widely replicated, not because they were "bad" strategies, but rather a critical component was missing: high-performance leadership. (Atkinson, 1999) Although we traditionally associate "leadership" with the work of the chief executive, the missing component in successfully integrating services is leadership work performed throughout the agency. An agency with sufficient leadership capacity to integrate services is made up of employees who all perform components of leadership work, management work, task/technical work, and team skills. (McLennan, Caza, 2003) Why Has Service Integration Been So Elusive We know why we need to integrate services, we know what we've learned from our successes and failures, and we know that we must build leadership capacity throughout the organization. Why, then, have we been unable to make service integration a reality In a nutshell, we are trying to get integrated performance from a hierarchical system that was designed for standardized production. There is no "standard" customer; each needs different things in different combinations at different times for different reasons. Nor are we doing production work. The hierarchical organizations we work in were designed 100 years ago for standardized production under drastically different economic, technological, social, and political conditions. The rate of change during that time was relatively slow. Service integration has been elusive because it requires that we create flexible, performance-based, integrated organizations despite our hierarchical history and structure. In a survey of APHSA members, today however, 86 percent of the respondents said they envision their agencies integrating or consolidating its... The need for public human service agencies to integrate services is well established. A large number of human service agencies be aware of that in order to achieve positive results for vulnerable families and children, they must focus holistically on the customer.Although service integration is well established in theory, making it an operational reality has remained elusive over the last 20 years, but not for lack of effort or creativity some agencies have made phenomenal progress toward service integration, despite complex and ever-changing political, economic, demographic, and technological conditions. Service integration is the ultimate transformational change for public human services. It will become a broadly exhibited reality only when the leadership work is done at all levels. We will not wake up tomorrow morning to find that service integration has "happened." Creating human service agencies that fit this description relies upon our ability to build and sustain the capacity to do leadership work throughout our organizations. Unfortunately, leadership development has historically been done "in the margins" as an add-on to our already busy schedules. As we have learned in 20 years of attempting to integrate services, we cannot fundamentally change the way we do business in the margins. We must view leadership development as the critical component it is because leadership for high performance is the bottom line to making service integration a reality.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Reaction Paper - Essay Example I felt that the poet wrote that days and months are travelers of eternity because these are some of the factors that will be there till eternity. When I read this, I asked myself what eternity was. I was left wondering how days and months connect to eternity. I am a layman person, and we describe eternity as something that has no end. However, the poet’s journey was just for a moment, but days and months last forever. Days and months are there for eternity, unlike Basho’s journey, which came to an end. It is as if Basho never expected to complete his journey. He suffered throughout his journey so he was left wondering how days and months felt as they seemed to travel throughout. Days and months will always be there. Days and months could becompared to travelers, who never seem to complete their journey. They will travel forever, and this is the thesis of Basho’s quote (Basho 1). This line is also extremely intriguing. According to the poet, the moon and the sun will always be there in every generation making them seem like ideal wanderers (Basho 139). As Basho wandered throughout Japan, he always met the sun and the moon during the days and nights respectively. Basho’s journey took ages to complete likewise as the moon and the sun never seem to complete their voyage around the earth. The sun, according to the poem, never seems to end their voyage around the world. The poet illustrated this well as he assumed that the moon and sun were also in a voyage, which never seems to end. This line is easy to interpret as I got the message in this line immediately I finished going through it. Even though, it is advisable for writers to puzzles their readers, it is also essential to offer them lines, which will make them understand or interpret what they are reading. The poet made it easier for his readers to understand what they are reading. I found this line overwhelming as people would not

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The National School Lunch Program Essay Example for Free

The National School Lunch Program Essay The National School Lunch Program is a meal and nutritional program funded by the United States government, for the benefit of children in school all over the country. The program provides balanced and nutritious foods prepared and sold for reasonable amount money or given free to children in public and private schools, and other institutions of childcare. The eligibility of children that are included in the program is dependent on the average income of the household and capacity to sustain the dietary and nutritional needs of their children. The program is managed both in the federal and state level of the country, where the federal level is handled by the staff of the Food and Nutrition Service, and on the other hand, the state level is handled by the educational agencies and organizations of the state. The preparation of food and its contents are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It must also provide minerals and vitamins guided by the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). In addition to this, the staff of educational institutions is also trained to prepare for high-quality balanced and nutritional meals for the children. The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) supports the program by giving out cash subsidies and donations of supplies and merchandises to participating educational institutions, as long as they follow the guidelines for the balanced and nutritional needs of children. (USDA, 2007a) The USDA usually gives cash subsidies to educational institutions for the program and spends the following amount of money for each meal: $3. 15 for a free lunch and snack, $2. 41 for reduced prices of a lunch and snack, and $0. 9 for a paid lunch and snack. (USDA, 2007a) The amount of reimbursements given to each educational institution varies every year based on the changes and adjustments guided by the increase or decrease rates of the Consumer Price Index provided by the Bureau Labor of Statistics. (USDA, 2007b) Aside from the cash reimbursements, educational institutions also receive goods and food merchandises amounting to 16. 75 cents per meal. In 2006 alone, the total sum of money spent for the program amounted to $8. 2 billion. (USDA, 2007a) The National Lunch Program harbors effects to the well-being of children and the behavior and attitude of the family towards it. A recent study revealed that there is little or no effect generated from the implementation of the program such that children do not actually need to follow the program because they are already receiving balanced and nutritional meals outside the premises of the educational institution. In addition to this, the family members might not be motivated to prepare additional meals for their children because they know the educational institution is providing this for them. The program serves as a replacement for the food they are preparing for the children, and because of this, the family members will not look for other alternatives to suffice for the nutritional needs of their children. (Dunifon Kowaleski-Jones, 2004) According to the program assessment conducted by the U. S. Government, the program was rated as â€Å"moderately effective. † Owing to the fact that the program was able to reduce the calorie and fat content of food prepared in educational institutions for children by five percent. In addition to this, the target population of children to whom the budget of the program, has also increased. This means that more children have been provided balanced and nutritional meals from the program despite the set target number of children. Moreover, the government has also plans of improving the program by implementing a method of monitoring and updating the nutritional content of the foods prepared. Aside from this, the issue about equity in terms of financial matters will also be addressed, as the government is working to provide an accurate and dependable estimate of payments or expenses starting this year. (ExpectMore, 2007)

Friday, November 15, 2019

Early Egyptian Religious Beliefs and Akhenaten?s Reforms Essay

Early Egyptian Religious Beliefs and Akhenaten’s Reforms During the New Kingdom of Egypt (from 1552 through 1069 B.C.), there came a sweeping change in the religious structure of the ancient Egyptian civilization. "The Hymn to the Aten" was created by Amenhotep IV, who ruled from 1369 to 1353 B.C., and began a move toward a monotheist culture instead of the polytheist religion which Egypt had experienced for the many hundreds of years prior to the introduction of this new idea. There was much that was different from the old views in "The Hymn to the Aten", and it offered a new outlook on the Egyptian ways of life by providing a complete break with the traditions which Egypt held to with great respect. Yet at the same time, there were many commonalties between these new ideas and the old views of the Egyptian world. Although through the duration of his reign, Amenhotep IV introduced a great many changes to the Egyptian religion along with "The Hymn", none of these reforms outlived their creator, mostly due to the massive forces placed on his successor, Tutankhamen, to renounce these new reforms. However, the significance of Amenhotep IV, or Akhenaten as he later changed his name to, is found in "The Hymn". "The Hymn" itself can be looked at as a contradiction of ideas; it must be looked at in relation to both the Old Kingdom's belief of steadfast and static values, as well as in regards to the changes of the Middle Kingdom, which saw unprecedented expansionistic and individualistic oriented reforms. In this paper I plan to discuss the evolvement of Egyptian Religious Beliefs throughout the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms and analyze why Amenhotep IV may have brought about such religious reforms. The Old Kingdom of Egypt (from 2700 to 2200 B.C.), saw the commencement of many of the rigid, formal beliefs of the Egyptian civilization, both in regards to their religious and political beliefs, as they were very closely intertwined. "... There was a determined attempt to impose order on the multitude of gods and religious beliefs that had existed since predynastic times... and the sun-god Re became the supreme royal god, with the ki... ...oyal couple changed their names to Tutankhamen, demonstrating their renewed allegiance to Amen-Re. The king restored the old temples of the many gods, and reinstated the priesthoods" (David 158). The reforms, which Akhenaten brought to return the power once held by the Pharaoh in the Old Kingdom, were unable to be understood. The people who Akhenaten had to ensure comprehension of his reasoning did not, for they no longer were connected to the old order which he was trying to reestablish. Bibliography Aldred, Cyril. Akhenaten - King of Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson, 1998. Casson, Lionel. Ancient Egypt. New York: Time Inc, 1965. David, Rosalie. Discovering Ancient Egypt. New York: Facts on File, 1993. Hawkes, Jacquetta. Pharaohs of Egypt. New York: American Heritage Publishing, 1965. Matthews, Roy T., and F. Dewitt Platt. Readings in the Western Humanities. Third Edition. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing, 1992 Montet, Pierre. Lives of the Pharaohs. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1968. Redford, Donald. Akhenaten - The Heretic King. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984. Strouhal, Eugen. Life of the Ancient Egyptians. London: Opus Publishing, 1992.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Report on Telstra Marketing Strategies Essay

AbstractMarketing strategies are the main drives for promoting a company’s products to increase its sales and to build its brand. With regards to competition, a company needs to strengthen their marketing strategies to stay competitive. With the intense competition in the telecommunication industry, marketing is an important element in Telstra to build its presence in the community. This report seeks to analyse Telstra’s marketing strategies and identify critiques help to point out the areas of development for Telstra. IntroductionFormed in 1901, Telstra is Australia’s oldest and largest telecommunication service provider, with a market share of 74.5%. Telstra was partially privatized by the Commonwealth Government in two public offerings in 1997 and 1999. Due to government deregulations September 2002, Telstra has begun to open itself to more competition and the company’s business has turned to be more transparent. Its current principle activities include a wide array of telecommunication and information products and services. As Telstra services a wide demographic of customers, their products are segmented according to different target markets. Market SegmentationUnder the management of its new CEO, Sol Trujillo, Telstra is aimed towards understanding and satisfying its customer needs (Shanahan 2006). New market research is to be conducted to satisfy different customer segments who had demonstrated different needs from the broader telecommunications industry. He mentions that, ‘when the market research had been completed, Telstra would have interviewed over 90,000 consumer customers and created a small business ‘panel’ of 16,000 businesses’. This thorough market research is being conducted as it was shown that there is a reducing market in the mobile segment (Corner, 2006). Marketing Strategy AnalysisAs Telstra is involved in the telecommunications and information services industry, the marketing strategies will be divided and analysed according to their respective industries. Telecommunication IndustryProductTelstra provides various products and services in the telecommunications industry. Among them are landlines, mobile phones and the internet. LandlinesTelstra owns and manages most public switched telephone network (PSTN) services. Most of Telstra’s revenues are generated from fixed-line services. However, its revenue from its fixed-line services has been declining due to the reduced number of local calls made. Among the fixed line products and services offered by Telstra are the business line plans, fixed and rental phones. Mobile PhonesTelstra has two core services in mobile phone communication – post-paid and pre-paid mobile phone plans. The company provides products such as mobile phones. As these mobile phone sales are a relatively small part of the total revenue these phones are to be viewed as a means to sell more plans. As Telstra emphasises on providing the latest technology in the industry, it has recently introduced its Next G network, which claims to be the largest, fastest mobile broadband network. Their mobile phone plans work as a base for beneficial segmentation. The casual plan allows for more flexibility for change, while the phone plans offers the added benefit of including a handset. InternetTelstra has a wide variety of Internet services, which is offered to a wide demographic of customers. Among the products offered are: dial-up, cable internet, ADSL, wireless, and satellite. Telstra brands its Internet service as Bigpond. With Bigpond Broadband, the internet is provided at a blisteringly fast speed. For more traditional Internet services, Telstra also offers dial-up and ISDN services. With these services, Telstra has segmented each service through pre-paid and business group plans. Its ISDN service is targeted to people with limited broadband availability. CritiquesTelstra seeks to increase its customer experience and satisfaction through reward programs and product bundling. Telstra has designed telecommunication plans that offer more options, value and control to meet the customer’s needs. One such example is that it offers the latest fixed phones that take some of the best features from mobile phones, such as address book and caller ID. Through product bundling, Telstra is able to package a combination of these services into one large offering and single bill service, which makes its mobile products more attractive for consumers. Although Telstra boasts on having a stable and reliable internet connection, its internet speed has been observed to perform poorly. According to ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel, â€Å"Telstra’s competitors have been offering ADSL2+ since 2005, but until now Telstra’s fastest DSL offering was a mere 1.5 megabits per second (mbps)†. It’s reluctance to switch to ADSL2+ has been based on the fear that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would â€Å"declare† it, thereby giving competitors access to ADSL2+ at controlled prices (Barker, 2006). Telstra does not use much of traditional advertising for fixed-line products and services such as billboards, banners and digital banners, but rather it spends most of its advertising on new products and services such as BigPond Broadband and the Next G network. This is made possible as Telstra monopolizes the landlines in Australia, and people would still use its fixed-line products and services. Telstra should continue doing this and to continue to spend more in marketing its new products and services to meet the demand of the emerging market. Given this, Telstra is gaining the demands for both its fixed-line and new products and services. PriceTelstra is focused on product line pricing, where products within the same product range are priced differently, depending on its features and benefits. This price discrimination is to assist Telstra in maximising their turnover and profit. LandlinesBusiness line plans are priced at $99.90 per month (including monthly Line Rental), where the customer can get unlimited local and STD calls and valued rates on calls to mobiles. For fixed home phones, the price ranges from $60 to $500. The average pricing for rental phones includes the provisioning fee of $20 plus $3.00 per month for rental. Mobile PhonesTelstra’s mobile services are priced according to mobile phone plans, with the model of the phone being the main determinant of their price, where the greater the features of the phone, the dearer the price. As Telstra is by large a service oriented company, they emphasise on communicating more on the benefits of their services, such as covering most parts of Australia and its supplementary services and network stability. InternetThe Bigpond Internet is priced according to the type of infrastructure used. For example, it’s prepaid dial-up lines have a fee range of $2 to $19.95 for a validity of up to 45 days, while their wireless service price ranges from $29.95 to $199.95 on a 12 month contract. CritiquesA comparison of the pricing component of Telstra’s marketing strategy with offerings from competitors such as Virgin and Optus reveals that Telstra does not always have the lowest rates. For example, Optus offers a cable connection of 20GB for $79.95, where as Telstra offers it for $99.95. Comparing the plans Optus has a better price in almost every internet product than Telstra. In addition to that, Optus provides free initial time for one or two months on a variety of their internet connections which lacks in Telstra. Telstra also has a slow internet speed compared to Optus. From Telstra’s mobile plans, its 24 month long phone plans provide the lowest call rates out of Telstra’s offerings while the two shorter member- and casual plans have more expensive call rates. Due to its wide network coverage, Telstra emphasizes on this feature, rather than pushing their price as their primary selling point. On the other hand, the company is trying to attract price conscious consumers with its money back promotion for pre-paid mobile plans. In mid-July 2005, Telstra launched a major advertising campaign, where they promote the benefit of gaining credit for doing nothing but talk. Customers can gain up to an extra $50 in call credit each month, 5 cent extra for each incoming minute and 1 cent extra for every outgoing minute. This promotion campaigns are created to outdo the competition from Optus and Vodafone. They engaged in price war in order to offer the best options. Here, customers are  benefiting from lower prices, but unfortunately it is not likewise for these companies. Here, the government’s implementation of the ceiling and floor price for telecommunications regulation is significant to avoid further price war. PlaceTelstra’s telecommunications products and services are widely available throughout Australia. Telstra has 115 owned Telstra branded stores and 153 licensed shops, with two of its largest licensors being the mobile phone chain Crazy John’s and Australia Post. In addition, the company also has a compelling web presence with a complete online shop for the purchasing of mobile phone plans, pre-paid refills, handsets and supplementary services such as ring tones and games. Telstra boasts of a strong internet presence, with its network covering almost 98% of the population, providing internet service to even the remotest area in Australia. CritiquesTelstra shops and dealers are strategically located across Australia. It attends to the need of the people in their respective area. Apart from its own dealers and shops, it also has Crazy John as its exclusive mobile phone dealers which are very reputable and successful dealers. Telstra definitely has the edge over its competitors in terms of numbers and locations. PromotionTelstra promotes its products through media, out-of home billboards and also through their in-store value-added product offerings. For example, the promotion of the Bigpond is done in variety of ways, such as using humor and celebrities through their advertisements and electronic billboards in train stations, advertisements on trams, and also on their website. Telstra also promotes their products and services through providing value-added components to attract customers and promote customer loyalty. For example, Telstra uses loyalty programs such as ‘Telstra Rewards’ for landlines. This loyalty program entitles eligible customers to receive a 5% or 10% discount off eligible calls and charges. It is also observed that product bundling is commonly used in Telstra as a means of attracting customers to sign up for their products and services at a cheaper price. For example, product bundling is targeted to families, where families are given the option of combining their Telstra bills at a cheaper price. Telstra also provides discounted Bluetooth headsets with selected fixed phones in its product offering. Telstra promotes heavily on its mobile phone offering through service improvements, such as covering 96 percent of Australia with its GSM network and 98 percent with its CDMA network. CritiquesTelstra is one of the country’s largest investor in out-of-home advertising, spending more than $A9 million during the first six months of 2005. Despite being one of the largest spenders on advertising, Telstra has to be wary of Optus, its close competitor in fixed-line service. Although revenue from its fixed-line services have been declining due to the increased dependence of mobile phones and the internet, little has been done to promote Telstra’s fixed line services. Again this is because more emphasize is being put into promoting its new products and services, and also the fact that fixed-line is declining in demand. Telstra billboards were located in the heart of the cities and traffic for people’s easy access. PeoplePeople are greatest asset for Telstra. In selling and marketing, Telstra aims to attract the best people by keeping them contented and encouraging them to grow and improve. Telstra develops their staff through a sophisticated development framework, including online development courses, frontline manager and leadership programs, and a comprehensive range of options that develop technical and interpersonal skills. Telstra strives to build a culture that respects and harnesses the individual differences that all people bring to an organization. Through the Telstra Business Principles and the Code of Conduct standards of appropriate business and ethical behaviors are valued and expected from all employees. CritiquesThrough mystery shopping and observation, the sales staffs are good at communicating. They are knowledgeable about the products and services featured. Telstra has a diversity of staff consisting from various non-English speaking backgrounds. This portrays Telstra’s success in maintaining its image as a company that values diverse workforce in order to  meet the customers’ needs. ProcessThe process of applying for Telstra’s telecommunication products and services are relatively easy, where customers can go through Telstra shops and dealers and also through the Internet. The process involves interacting with Telstra’s sales team and providing relevant documents when applying for their products. However, the mystery shopping revealed that the processes of the new users’ application for the latest technology next G network took a longer time to be completed which is due to unfamiliarity with the new product. Physical EvidenceProducts such as telephones, mobile phones and Internet hardware such as modems and routers are provided by Telstra. These products are often offered as value-added components to their service for customers when signing up with Telstra. Being a large establishment in this industry, Telstra has a strong 24 hour customer support, which provides assurance to consumers that Telstra are reliable. 2.Information servicesBeing a telecommunications provider, Telstra complements this service with a directory service, through Yellow Pages, White Pages and the Trading Post. Due to the increasing dependence on the internet, Telstra has designed Sensis as a search engine to bring together listed businesses in the directory under one umbrella. Product/ServiceTelstra’s information services operate under the brand name Sensis. Sensis is designed as a search engine for Australians, bringing together businesses listed in the Yellow Pages, White Pages and Trading Post under one search engine. It acts as a platform that brings together businesses and customers. Sensis has a large network partner, which includes some of Australia’s more popular websites, such as CitySearch and Whereis. CritiquesSensis should be commended on trying to build a reliable circle of trust through their partner networks. With these alliances, Sensis is able to build up its brand through popular websites and establish a high standard  of reliability. PriceSensis has its own unique pricing strategy, with BidSmart, which acts as a method that determines the priority of each business listed in a particular search. A company/business with a higher bid for listing in sensis.com.au will appear first compared to other businesses that have a lower bid with the same search phrase. At the end of the month, the price paid by each business is determined according to the number of ‘hits’ the websites get from search traffics. CritiquesThis pricing strategy is suitable for Sensis. Being a pioneer in providing directory services through the Internet, Sensis is able to create value for its advertisers, by allowing them to pay according to the number of ‘hits’ obtained. This is a good establishment for Sensis as it is able to attract more businesses to advertise with them without burdening the businesses with a fixed price as they continue to build the Sensis brand to attract more searches. PlaceSensis is available on the internet and is linked with their network partners. Recent collaborations with carshowroom.com.au are aimed to increase its recognition and customer traffic through the website. CritiquesTransferring Yellow Pages and White Pages to the internet under Sensis is a good move as people are now depending on the internet for faster information. In addition to that, people are not burdened with the hassle of the printed version of these two directories which are bulky and time-consuming when searching for information. PromotionSensis promotes itself by collaborating with websites such as carshowroom.com.au to increase its presence in the marketplace. Sensis’ public relations have also helped gain recognition through press releases and conferences. In addition, Sensis has published a book, Small Business, Big Opportunity and a new website for small businesses to aid Australian businesses to optimize their marketing and advertising skills. CritiquesAlthough Sensis does not focus on marketing through billboards and media advertisements, their logo can be found on Telstra websites and also on their partner network websites that aims to provide a level of interaction between their partners and Sensis. PeopleSensis is recognized as one of Australia’s leading employers, who strongly encourage an environment of learning, innovation and enjoyable. Behind these employees is a strong support system – its board of directors and executive team leaders who overlook the direction of the business. CritiquesThrough a phone interview enquiring Sensis’ service, the customer service staff was knowledgeable regarding the processes required to sign up for their services and was also friendly and helpful in providing advice on how to advertise on Sensis. ProcessThe process of signing up to advertise on Sensis is relatively straightforward with a step-by-step process. Businesses/advertisers would need to register with Sensis before submitting their advertisement to the Sensis search engine. These clients are given the option of choosing among 3 advertising packages to aid in their advertisement presentation. Other websites can form partnerships with Sensis through inserting a Sensis link onto their website. This can be done by downloading a program which integrates the link onto the website. CritiquesThis strategy is good as it provides a level of flexibility and control for clients. With the three types of packages, Sensis is able to attract a wider demographic of businesses to advertise with them as they will be able to address different business needs. Physical EvidenceSensis is available on the Internet, with approximately 100,000 searches per day. According to statistics, Sensis serves almost 13 million users every month and about 150,000 online advertising customers advertise with Sensis. CritiquesAlthough Telstra aims to make Sensis one of Australia’s premier  search engine, many people are unaware of the existence of Sensis as it has only been advertised through the Telstra website and their partner network search engines. Consumers are not aware of the significance of the Sensis logo on these websites, hence decreasing internet hits. Market research shows that Sensis is the 5th visited local search engine in Australia, with 0.39% market share. Although launched in 2004, Sensis has yet to make a big impact in the Australian internet scene. Due to the transition of White Pages onto Sensis, search engine results have been quite inaccurate, affecting its reliability and popularity (Jones, 2006). ConclusionAs the report progresses with the information about Telstra’s main products and services under two main industries; 1) Telecommunication industry and 2) Information services, Telstra’s marketing strategies are being critiqued using the marketing tool, the 7 P’s framework. In the telecommunication industry, Telstra’s marketing is more on media, billboards and value-added components. Also, it engages more in promoting its new products and services to capture the emerging market. Also, Sensis has helped Telstra to increase customer usage of the directory, thus the Telstra website which leads to a comprehensive information. In essence, the marketing strategies in its telecommunication industry is currently in good practice but its information service needs further promotion to create more reliability and data accurateness. References Barker G. 2006, Telco finally gets on ADSL2+ bandwagon, The Age, viewed 11 December 2006, Corner S. 2006, Telstra’s grand plan to know and serve its customers, ITWIRE, viewed 13 January 2007, Jones M. 2006, Sensis revs engine but Google still rules, Australian Financial Review, viewed 2 January 2007, Government Introduces Laws to Boost Telstra Competition, The Age.com.au, 26 September 2002, viewed on 20 December 2006,Optus, viewed 9 January 2007 Shanahan J. 2006, Consumer-centricity: An idea whose Time Has Come, Australian Marketing Institute, viewed on 5 December 2006, Sensis, viewed 10 January 2007, Telstra, viewed 9 January 2007

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Growth of Real Women

Education, voting, working were three things women could not do. Before the late 1800's women had mimited rights. As the years past by women slowly gained priviledges that men already had. Although women cant handle some of the tasks that men take on, women have many other advantages. In the early 1900's few women attended finishing schools called Female Seminaries. Later on the women who did attend state universities around 1863 had to live with being discrimintated against and being ridiculed. By the end of the 19th century female docotor and lawyers became more common. By The New Nationalism women got the right to vote in elections. Today womens rights have prgressed emensly. From not being able to tend school and get an education and not being able to have a job or vote women have gained all those rights. Now women are able to have higher paying jobs, full educations and vote for whoever they want. As apposed to long ago when they could only stay at home and cook. Now women are moving up in the ranks of the job industry. Some making more pay then males and being at higher rank. For example the Us has women comprise about a quarter of the UA facitlity. They are also moving up the rank to higher-paying staff posisions, more than 10 years ago. Although there are still more males, the women have increased tons over the last century. And as the studies show the women will still be rising in the future. From the past to the future women have gained more power over the years. From going to no rights at all women have gained as many rights as males have. Although some jobs are made for a man to work, women have the right to try and work there if that what they want to do. From reading the text book and reading the news article it is shown that we can make things happen. As women progressed over the years and fought for their rights as females, they won. I dont think anything will change in the future for women because they are already treated to the equal amount that men are. People across the US should know about this so they know they too can make a difference in the future.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Types Of Ruin A Revolution In Animal Farm Essays - British Films

The Types Of Ruin A Revolution In Animal Farm Essays - British Films The Types Of Ruin A Revolution In Animal Farm The Types to Ruin a Revolution in Animal Farm There are the infamous examples of Stalin and Hitler in history in which someone takes abuse of power for their own personal gain. George Orwell emphasizes this idea of the abuse of power through animals in his novel Animal Farm. The characters of Napoleon, Squealer, the dogs, and Boxer all symbolize important types of people in the making and breaking of a revolution. Animal Farm contains the theme that there will always be some group of people who will contaminate an idealistic revolution for their own gain. The main character in Animal Farm who takes advantage of the stupider animals and completely ruins the Revolution is Napoleon, a pig. Napoleon loves power and chases away another pig with power, Snowball, so he can be the sole ruler. Napoleon symbolizes the people of the world who will do anything to be in control. One especially famous example of this type of person is the character Macbeth from William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Macbeth murdered the king, killed innocent people, and sacrificed his morals in order to become king. This type of person is needed in order for an idealistic revolution to be corrupted. Through the character of Napoleon, George Orwell emphasizes that there will always be someone willing to commit heinous deeds in order to become leader, dictator, or tyrant The pigs of the farm are much smarter then the rest of the barn animals and take up the job as the thinkers and planners. The other animals are the workers and diligently believe anything the pigs tell them. The abuse of power begins when they notice that the apples and milk start disappearing. Sqealer, the public speaker pig, explains this to the worker animals: You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! (p52) This is only the only the beginning, as the pigs keep taking more for themselves and leaving less for the rest of the animals. Eventually the worker animals are worse of then when they were with Mr. Jones. They are worked to death and on the verge of starvation because of the greed of the pigs. Orwell uses this suffering as an example of the extent some people will go to for personal gain. As any reader can see, Squealer had an important part in this process. Squealer symbolizes the public relations man who will say anything to get what he wants - kind of like a lawyer. Squealer is the most handy with words and can convince the worker animals of anything. He is even able to continually convince them that they remember things wrong. Squealer alters the past to the convenience of his idol, Napoleon. A squealer is needed for any man or animals rise to power, to brainwash the public into believing their leader is god. Orwell uses the character of Squealer to prove that there will always be a group of people who take a Revolution and corrupt it for their own personal gain. And then there are the dogs. Early in the novel , while Snowball is working on literacy for the entire farm, Napoleon steals some puppies sand raises them to be his guard dogs. The dogs symbolizes the Secret Police or law enforces that are needed to force the animal workers, or public, to do as the leader demands. The dogs are responsible for Napoleons rise to power. They look up to him as an master: It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones. (p68) The dogs are also the type of people who can be easily brainwashed into believing that their master is God. They are the ones who do the dirty work. It is partly the terrorism of the dogs

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

ACT Writing Rubric Full Analysis and Essay Strategies

ACT Writing Rubric Full Analysis and Essay Strategies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What time is it? It's essay time! In this article, I'm going to get into the details of the newly transformed ACT Writing by discussing the ACT essay rubric and how the essay is graded based on that. You'll learn what each item on the rubric means for your essay writing and what you need to do to meet those requirements. feature image credit: A study in human nature, being an interpretation with character analysis chart of Hoffman’s master painting â€Å"Christ in the temple†; (1920) by CircaSassy, used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. ACT Essay Grading: The Basics If you've chosen to take the ACT Plus Writing, you'll have 40 minutes to write an essay (after completing the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections of the ACT, of course). Your essay will be evaluated by two graders, who score your essay from 1-6 on each of 4 domains, leading to scores out of 12 for each domain. Your Writing score is calculated by averaging your four domain scores, leading to a total ACT Writing score from 2-12. NOTE: From September 2015 to June 2016, ACT Writing scores were calculated by adding together your domain scores and scaling to a score of 1-36; the change to an averaged 2-12 ACT Writing score was announced June 28, 2016. The Complete ACT Grading Rubric Based on ACT, Inc’s stated grading criteria, I've gathered all the relevant essay-grading criteria into a chart. The information itself is available on the ACT's website, and there's more general information about each of the domains here. The columns in this rubric are titled as per the ACT’s own domain areas, with the addition of another category that I named ("Mastery Level"). ACT Essay Rubric - Scoring Guide Raw Score [Mastery Level] Ideas and Analysis Development and Support Organization Language Use 0 Blank, Off-Topic, Illegible, Not in English, or Void 1 demonstrate little or no skill in writing an argumentative essay. The writer fails to generate an argument that responds intelligibly to the task. The writer’s intentions are difficult to discern. Attempts at analysis are unclear or irrelevant. Ideas lack development, and claims lack support. Reasoning and illustration are unclear, incoherent, or largely absent. The response does not exhibit an organizational structure. There is little grouping of ideas. When present, transitional devices fail to connect ideas. The use of language fails to demonstrate skill in responding to the task. Word choice is imprecise and often difficult to comprehend. Sentence structures are often unclear. Stylistic and register choices are difficult to identify. Errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are pervasive and often impede understanding. 2 demonstrate weak or inconsistent skill in writing an argumentative essay The writer generates an argument that weakly responds to multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis, if evident, reflects little clarity in thought and purpose. Attempts at analysis are incomplete, largely irrelevant, or consist primarily of restatement of the issue and its perspectives. Development of ideas and support for claims are weak, confused, or disjointed. Reasoning and illustration are inadequate, illogical, or circular, and fail to fully clarify the argument. The response exhibits a rudimentary organizational structure. Grouping of ideas is inconsistent and often unclear. Transitions between and within paragraphs are misleading or poorly formed. The use of language is inconsistent and often unclear. Word choice is rudimentary and frequently imprecise. Sentence structures are sometimes unclear. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are inconsistent and are not always appropriate for the rhetorical purpose. Distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present, and they sometimes impede understanding. 3 demonstrate some developing skill in writing an argumentative essay The writer generates an argument that responds to multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects some clarity in thought and purpose. The argument establishes a limited or tangential context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. Analysis is simplistic or somewhat unclear. Development of ideas and support for claims are mostly relevant but are overly general or simplistic. Reasoning and illustration largely clarify the argument but may be somewhat repetitious or imprecise. The response exhibits a basic organizational structure. The response largely coheres, with most ideas logically grouped. Transitions between and within paragraphs sometimes clarify the relationships among ideas. The use of language is basic and only somewhat clear. Word choice is general and occasionally imprecise. Sentence structures are usually clear but show little variety. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are not always appropriate for the rhetorical purpose. Distracting errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, but they generally do not impede understanding. 4 demonstrate adequate skill in writing an argumentative essay The writer generates an argument that engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects clarity in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs a relevant context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis recognizes implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions. Development of ideas and support for claims clarify meaning and purpose. Lines of clear reasoning and illustration adequately convey the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications extend ideas and analysis. The response exhibits a clear organizational strategy. The overall shape of the response reflects an emergent controlling idea or purpose. Ideas are logically grouped and sequenced. Transitions between and within paragraphs clarify the relationships among ideas. The use of language conveys the argument with clarity. Word choice is adequate and sometimes precise. Sentence structures are clear and demonstrate some variety. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are appropriate for the rhetorical purpose. While errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics are present, they rarely impede understanding. 5 demonstrate well-developed skill in writing an argumentative essay The writer generates an argument that productively engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects precision in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs a thoughtful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis addresses implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions. Development of ideas and support for claims deepen understanding. A mostly integrated line of purposeful reasoning and illustration capably conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich ideas and analysis. The response exhibits a productive organizational strategy. The response is mostly unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical sequencing of ideas contributes to the effectiveness of the argument. Transitions between and within paragraphs consistently clarify the relationships among ideas. The use of language works in service of the argument. Word choice is precise. Sentence structures are clear and varied often. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are purposeful and productive. While minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding. 6 demonstrate effective skill in writing an argumentative essay The writer generates an argument that critically engages with multiple perspectives on the given issue. The argument’s thesis reflects nuance and precision in thought and purpose. The argument establishes and employs an insightful context for analysis of the issue and its perspectives. The analysis examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions. Development of ideas and support for claims deepen insight and broaden context. An integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration effectively conveys the significance of the argument. Qualifications and complications enrich and bolster ideas and analysis. The response exhibits a skillful organizational strategy. The response is unified by a controlling idea or purpose, and a logical progression of ideas increases the effectiveness of the writer’s argument. Transitions between and within paragraphs strengthen the relationships among ideas. The use of language enhances the argument. Word choice is skillful and precise. Sentence structures are consistently varied and clear. Stylistic and register choices, including voice and tone, are strategic and effective. While a few minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics may be present, they do not impede understanding. ACT Writing Rubric: Item-by-Item Breakdown Whew. That rubric might be a little overwhelming - there's so much information to process! Below, I’ve broken down the essay rubric by domain, with examples of what a 3- and a 6-scoring essay might look like. Ideas and Analysis The Ideas and Analysis domain is the rubric area most intimately linked with the basic ACT essay task itself. Here's what the ACT website has to say about this domain: Scores in this domain reflect the ability to generate productive ideas and engage critically with multiple perspectives on the given issue. Competent writers understand the issue they are invited to address, the purpose for writing, and the audience. They generate ideas that are relevant to the situation. Based on this description, I've extracted the four key things you need to do in your essay to score well in the Ideas and Analysis domain. Choose a perspective on this issue and state it clearly. Evaluate how true (or untrue) each (of the three given) perspectives is Analyze each perspective. Compare the remaining two perspectives to the perspective you have chosen. There's no cool acronym, sorry. I guess a case could be made for "ACCE," but I wanted to list the points in the order of importance, so "CEAC" it is. Fortunately, the ACT Writing Test provides you with the three perspectives to analyze and choose from, which will save you some of the hassle of "generating productive ideas." In addition, "analyzing each perspective" does not mean that you need to argue from each of the points of view. Instead, you need to choose one perspective to argue as your own and explain how your point of view relates to the perspectives provided by evaluating how correct each perspective is and analyzing the implications of each perspective. Note: While it is technically allowable for you to come up with a fourth perspective as your own and to then discuss that point of view in relation to each of the three given perspectives, we do NOT recommend it. 40 minutes is already a pretty short time to discuss three different points of view in a thorough and coherent manner - discussing four is nigh-on impossible. To get deeper into what things fall in the Ideas and Analysis domain, I'll use a sample ACT Writing prompt and the three perspectives provided: Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives. Perspective One: What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective Two: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective Three: Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. First, in order to "state...your own perspective on the issue," you need to figure out what your point of view, or perspective, on this issue is going to be. For the sake of argument, let's say that you agree the most with the second perspective. A essay that scores a 3 in this domain might simply restate this perspective: I agree that machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. In contrast, an essay scoring a 6 in this domain would likely have a more complex point of view (with what the rubric calls "nuance and precision in thought and purpose"): Machines will never be able to replace humans entirely, as creativity is not something that can be mechanized. Because machines can perform delicate and repetitive tasks with precision, however, they are able to take over for humans with regards to low-skill, repetitive jobs and high-skill, extremely precise jobs. This then frees up humans to do what we do best - think, create, and move the world forward. Next, you need to evaluate how true/untrue each perspective is. Since you've already decided you agree with Perspective Two, you presumably think that perspective is true, which will save some work. A 3-scoring essay in this domain would likely be absolute, stating that Perspective Two is completely correct, while the other two perspectives are absolutely incorrect. By contrast, a 6-scoring essay in this domain would, again, show a more nuanced understanding: In the future, machines might lead us to lose our humanity; alternatively, machines might lead us to unimaginable pinnacles of achievement. I would argue, however, projecting possible futures does not make them true, and that the evidence we have at present supports the perspective that machines are, above all else, efficient and effective completing repetitive and precise tasks. To analyze the perspectives, you need to consider each aspect of each perspective. In the case of Perspective Two, this means you must discuss that machines are good at two types of jobs, that they’re better than humans at both types of jobs, and that their efficiency creates a better world. The analysis in a 3-scoring essay is usually "simplistic or somewhat unclear." In contrast, the analysis of a 6-scoring essay "examines implications, complexities and tensions, and/or underlying values and assumptions." Finally, you must compare the other two perspectives to your perspective throughout your essay, including in your intitial argument. Here's what a 3-scoring essay's argument would look like: I agree that machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Machines do not cause us to lose our humanity or challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. And here, in contrast, is what a 6-scoring essay's argument (that includes multiple perspectives) would look like: Machines will never be able to replace humans entirely, as creativity is not something that can be mechanized, which means that our humanity is safe. Because machines can perform delicate and repetitive tasks with precision, however, they are able to take over for humans with regards to low-skill, repetitive jobs and high-skill, extremely precise jobs. Rather than forcing us to challenge our ideas about what humans are or could be, machines simply allow us to BE, without distractions. This then frees up humans to do what we do best - think, create, and move the world forward. Again, to summarize what you need to do to score well in the Ideas and Analysis domain: Choose a perspective that you can support Evaluate how true/correct each perspective is Analyze the implications of each perspective Compare the other two perspectives to your own (with analysis and evaluation folded in). To score well on the ACT essay overall, however, it's not enough to just state your opinions about each part of the perspective; you need to actually back up your claims with evidence to develop your own point of view. This leads straight into the next domain: Development and Support. Development and Support Another important component of your essay is that you explain your thinking. While it's obviously important to clearly state what your ideas are in the first place, the ACT essay requires you to demonstrate evidence-based reasoning. As per the description on ACT.org [bolding mine]: Scores in this domain reflect the ability to discuss ideas, offer rationale, and bolster an argument. Competent writers explain and explore their ideas, discuss implications, and illustrate through examples. They help the reader understand their thinking about the issue. The bolded part is the aspect of the ACT Writing rubric that’s most changed from the old ACT essay. You must not only use logical reasoning, but also employ detailed examples to support and explain your ideas. Let’s say you’re discussing machine intelligence and are arguing Perspective Two: â€Å"Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone.† In your essay, you might start out by copying the perspective directly into your essay as your point of view, which is fine for the Ideas and Analysis domain. To score well in the Development and Support domain and develop your point of view with logical reasoning and detailed examples, however, you’re going to have to come up with reasons for why you agree with this perspective and examples that support your thinking. Here's an example from an essay that would score a 3 in this domain: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases, they work better than humans. For example, machines are better at printing things quickly and clearly than people are. Prior to the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg people had to write everything by hand. The printing press made it faster and easier to get things printed because things didn't have to be written by hand all the time. In the world today we have even better machines like laser printers that print things quickly. Essays scoring a 3 in this domain tend to have relatively simple development and tend to be overly general, with imprecise or repetitive reasoning or illustration. Contrast this with an example from an essay that would score a 6: Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases, they work better than humans. Take, for instance, the example of printing. As a composer, I need to be able to create many copies of my sheet music to give to my musicians. If I were to copy out each part by hand, it would take days, and would most likely contain inaccuracies. On the other hand, my printer (a machine) is able to print out multiple copies of parts with extreme precision. If it turns out I made an error when I was entering in the sheet music onto the computer (another machine), I can easily correct this error and print out more copies quickly. The above example of the importance of machines to composers uses "an integrated line of skillful reasoning and illustration" to support my claim ("Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases, they work better than humans"). In order to develop this example further (and incorporate the â€Å"This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone† facet of the perspective), I would need to expand my example to explain why it’s so important that multiple copies of precisely replicated documents be available, and how this affects the world. World Map - Abstract Acrylic by Nicolas Raymond, used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. Organization Essay organization has always been integral to doing well on the ACT essay, so it makes sense that the ACT Writing rubric has an entire domain devoted to this. The organization of your essay refers not just to the order in which you present your ideas in the essay, but also to the order in which you present your ideas in each paragraph. Here's the formal description from the ACT website: Scores in this domain reflect the ability to organize ideas with clarity and purpose. Organizational choices are integral to effective writing. Competent writers arrange their essay in a way that clearly shows the relationship between ideas, and they guide the reader through their discussion. Making sure your essay is logically organized relates back to the â€Å"development† part of the previous domain. As the above description states, you can't just throw examples and information into your essay willy-nilly, without any regard for the order; part of constructing and developing a convincing argument is making sure it flows logically. A lot of this organization should happen while you are in the planning phase, before you even begin to write your essay. Let's go back to the machine intelligence essay example again. I've decided to argue for Perspective Two, which is: â€Å"Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone.† An essay that scores a 3 in this domain would show a "basic organizational structure," which is to say that each perspective would be discussed in its own paragraph, "with most ideas logically grouped." A possible organization for a 3-scoring essay: Paragraph 1: Introduction (with your stated point of view) Paragraph 2: Intelligent machines don’t really challenge ideas about humanity (analyze perspective 1) Paragraph 3: On the other hand, intelligent machines can help us (analyze perspective 2) Paragraph 4: Machines are not making the world worse (analyze perspective 3) Paragraph 5: Conclusion An essay that scores a 6 in this domain, on the other hand, has a lot more to accomplish. The "controlling idea or purpose" behind the essay should be clearly expressed in every paragraph, and ideas should be ordered in a logical fashion so that there is a clear progression from the beginning to the end. Here's a possible organization for a 6-scoring essay: Paragraph 1: Introduction (with your stated point of view) Paragraph 2: Machines help us because [evidence] (discussion of perspective 2) Paragraph 3: Some argue that machines are hurting us, but here’s my contrary evidence (comparison of perspective 1 and perspective 2) Paragraph 4: While I do believe that machines are advantageous, this advantage lies in what they can do for us, not what they reveal about us (comparison of perspective 3 and perspective 2) Paragraph 5: Conclusion In this example, the unifying idea is that machines are helpful (and it’s mentioned in each paragraph) and the progression of ideas makes more sense. This is certainly not the only way to organize an essay on this particular topic, or even using this particular perspective. Your essay does, however, have to be organized, rather than consist of a bunch of ideas thrown together. Here are my Top 5 ACT Writing Organization Rules to follow: Be sure to include an introduction (with your thesis stating your point of view), paragraphs in which you make your case, and a conclusion that sums up your argument When planning your essay, make sure to present your ideas in an order that makes sense (and follows a logical progression that will be easy for the grader to follow). Make sure that you unify your essay with one main idea. Do not switch arguments partway through your essay. Don't write everything in one huge paragraph. If you're worried you're going to run out of space to write, you can try using a paragraph symbol,  ¶, at the beginning of each paragraph as a last resort (if you can't write smaller). Use transitions between paragraphs (usually the last line of the previous paragraph and the first line of the paragraph) to "strengthen relationships among ideas" (source). This means going above and beyond "First of all...Second...Lastly" at the beginning of each paragraph. Instead, use the transitions between paragraphs as an opportunity to describe how that paragraph relates to your main argument. Language Use The final domain on the ACT Writing rubric is Language Use. This the item that includes grammar, punctuation, and general sentence structure issues. Here's what the ACT website has to say about Language Use: Scores in this domain reflect the ability to use written language to convey arguments with clarity. Competent writers make use of the conventions of grammar, syntax, word usage, and mechanics. They are also aware of their audience and adjust the style and tone of their writing to communicate effectively. I tend to think of this as the â€Å"be a good writer† category, since many of the standards covered in the above description are ones that good writers will automatically meet in their writing. On the other hand, this is probably the area non-native English speakers will struggle the most, as you must have a fairly solid grasp of English to score above a 2 on this domain. The good news is that by reading this article, you're already one step closer to improving your "Language Use" on ACT Writing. There are three main parts of this domain: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Sentence Structure Vocabulary and Word Choice I've listed them (and will cover them) from lowest to highest level. If you're struggling with multiple areas, I highly recommend starting out with the lowest-level issue, as the components tend to build on each other. For instance, if you're struggling with grammar and usage, you need to focus on fixing that before you start to think about precision of vocabulary/word choice. Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics At the most basic level, you need to be able to "effectively communicate your ideas in standard written English" (ACT.org). First and foremost, this means that your grammar and punctuation need to be correct. On ACT Writing, it's all right to make a few minor errors if the meaning is clear, even on essays that score a 6 in the Language Use domain; however, the more errors you make, the more your score will drop. Here's an example from an essay that scored a 3 in Language Use: Machines are good at doing there jobs quickly and precisely. Also because machines aren't human or self-aware they don't get bored so they can do the same thing over over again without getting worse. While the meaning of the sentences is clear, there are several errors: the first sentence uses "there" instead of "their," the second sentence is a run-on sentence, and the second sentence also uses the abbreviation "" in place of "and." Now take a look at an example from a 6-scoring essay: Machines excel at performing their jobs both quickly and precisely. In addition, since machines are not self-aware they are unable to get "bored." This means that they can perform the same task over and over without a decrease in quality. This example solves the abbreviation and "there/their" issue. The second sentence is missing a comma (after "self-aware"), but the worse of the run-on sentence issue is absent. Our Complete Guide to ACT Grammar might be helpful if you just need a general refresh on grammar rules. In addition, we have several articles that focus in on specific grammar rules, as they are tested on ACT English; while the specific ways in which ACT English tests you on these rules isn't something you'll need to know, the explanations of the grammar rules themselves are quite helpful. Sentence Structure Once you've gotten down basic grammar, usage, and mechanics, you can turn your attention to sentence structure. Here's an example of what a 3-scoring essay in Language Use (based on sentence structure alone) might look like: Machines are more efficient than humans at many tasks. Machines are not causing us to lose our humanity. Instead, machines help us to be human by making things more efficient so that we can, for example, feed the needy with technological advances. The sentence structures in the above example are not particulary varied (two sentences in a row start with "Machines are"), and the last sentence has a very complicated/convoluted structure, which makes it hard to understand. For comparison, here's a 6-scoring essay: Machines are more efficient than humans at many tasks, but that does not mean that machines are causing us to lose our humanity. In fact, machines may even assist us in maintaining our humanity by providing more effective and efficient ways to feed the needy. For whatever reason, I find that when I’m under time pressure, my sentences maintain variety in their structures but up getting really awkward and strange. A real life example: once I described a method of counteracting dementia as â€Å"supporting persons of the elderly persuasion† during a hastily written psychology paper. I’ve found the best ways to counteract this are as follows: 1. Look over what you’ve written and change any weird wordings that you notice. 2. If you're just writing a practice essay, get a friend/teacher/relative who is good at writing (in English) to look over what you’ve written and point out issues (this is how my own awkward wording was caught before I handed in the paper). This point obviously does not apply when you're actually taking the ACT, but it very helpful to ask for someone else to take a look over any practice essays you write to point out issues you may not notice yourself. Vocabulary and Word Choice The icing on the "Language Use" domain cake is skilled use of vocabulary and correct word choice. Part of this means using more complicated vocabulary in your essay. Once more, look at this this example from a 3-scoring essay (spelling corrected): Machines are good at doing their jobs quickly and precisely. Compare that to this sentence from a 6-scoring essay: Machines excel at performing their jobs both quickly and precisely. The 6-scoring essay uses "excel" and "performing" in place of "are good at" and "doing." This is an example of using language that is both more skillful ("excel" is more advanced than "are good at") and more precise ("performing" is a more precise word than "doing"). It's important to make sure that, when you do use more advanced words, you use them correctly. Consider the below sentence: â€Å"Machines are often instrumental in ramifying safety features.† The sentence uses a couple of advanced vocabulary words, but since "ramifying" is used incorrectly, the language use in this sentence is neither skillful nor precise. Above all, your word choice and vocabulary should make your ideas clearer, not make them harder to understand. untitled is also an adjective by Procsilas Moscas, used under CC BY 2.0/Resized and cropped from original. How Do I Use the ACT Writing Grading Rubric? Okay, we've taken a look at the ACTual ACT Writing grading rubric and gone over each domain in detail. To finish up, I'll go over a couple of ways the scoring rubric can be useful to you in your ACT essay prep. Use the ACT Writing Rubric To...Shape Your Essays Now that you know what the ACT is looking for in an essay, you can use that to guide what you write about in your essays...and how develop and organize what you say! Because I’m an Oldâ„ ¢ (not actually trademarked), and because I'm from the East Coast, I didn’t really know much about the ACT prior to starting my job at PrepScholar. People didn’t really take it in my high school in my day, so when I looked at the grading rubric for the first time, I was shocked to see how different the ACT essay was (as compared to the more familiar SAT essay). Basically, by reading this article, you’re already doing better than high school me. Vale_Youth_Art_Project_100 by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. An artist’s impression of L. Staffaroni (at age 16) (look, junior year was/is hard for everyone). Use the ACT Writing Rubric To...Grade Your Practice Essays The ACT can’t really give you an answer key to the essay the way it can give you an answer key to the other sections (Reading, Math, etc). There are some examples of essays at each score point on the ACT website, but these examples assume that students will be at an equal level in each of domains, which will not necessarily be true for you. Even if a sample essay is provided as part of a practice test answer key, it will probably use different context, have a different logical progression, or maybe even argue a different viewpoint. The ACT Writing rubric is the next best thing to an essay answer key. Use it as a filter through which to view your essay. Naturally, you don't have the time to become an expert at applying the rubric criteria to your essay to make sure you're in line with the ACT's grading principles and standards. That is not your job. Your job is to write the best essay that you can. If you're not confident in your ability to spot grammar, usage, and mechanics issues, I highly recommend asking a friend, teacher, or family member who is really good at (English) writing to take a look over your practice essays and point out the mistakes. If you really want custom feedback on your practice essays from experienced essay graders, may I also suggest the PrepScholar test prep platform? As I manage all essay grading, I happen to know a bit about the essay part of this platform, which provides you with both an essay grade and custom feedback. Go here to learn more! What’s Next? Desirous of some more sweet sweet ACT essay articles? Why not start with our comprehensive guide to the ACT Writing test and how to write an ACT essay, step-by-step? (Trick question: obviously you should do this.) Round out your dive into the details of the ACT Writing test with tips and strategies to raise your essay score, information about the best ACT Writing template, and advice on how to get a perfect score on the ACT essay. Want actual feedback on your essay? Then consider signing up for our PrepScholar test prep platform. Included in the platform are 5 practice tests, with 5 practice essays that are graded by experts here at PrepScholar. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We're special in having expert instructors grade your essays and give you custom feedback on how to improve. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Banking Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Banking Industry - Research Paper Example It was a considered a premier bank in the Asian region. In Japan, after opening its branch in 1866, the bank went on to become an adviser to the government on banking and currency. In 1888, it was the first bank to be established in Thailand, where it printed the country's first banknotes. Today HSBC proudly boasts of over 100 million customers around the world1, with 9500 offices in 85 countries and a diverse workforce of more than 335,000 people1. The bank has successfully completed 140 years of its presence in China in 2005 with UK having the biggest share of its operations with over 55,000 employees serving the bank customers. Political: Today the world is indeed divided into many political arenas on the basis of issues like economic policies, fundamentalism, terrorism, oil exploration, nuclear power etc. The banking industry is the one whose association is required in almost all types of businesses. In the times when economic liberalisation is in full swing all around the globe, the attitude of governments determines the fate of banking operations in any country. HSBC has so far been doing well in almost all parts of the world, without being associated with any major controversy. Economic: The economic policies being pursued by the government also... PESTLE factors include; Political: Today the world is indeed divided into many political arenas on the basis of issues like economic policies, fundamentalism, terrorism, oil exploration, nuclear power etc. The banking industry is the one whose association is required in almost all types of businesses. In the times when economic liberalisation is in full swing all around the globe, the attitude of governments determines the fate of banking operations in any country. HSBC has so far been doing well in almost all parts of the world, without being associated with any major controversy. Economic: The economic policies being pursued by the government also determines the banking and finance sector. For example, if the country has an open economic policy, pursuing the globalisation and liberalization policies, that indicate more and frequent business operations, diversifications, expansions, mergers, acquisitions etc. which in turn imply more opportunities for the banking sector. HSBC having majority market share in many markets like UK and USA, heavily depends on economic factors. At present the indications of recessionary trends from many markets, doesn't bode well for banking sector in general and HSBC in particular. Socio-cultural: The society in general has a big influence on any business and the banking and finance industry is certainly not an exception. The saving habits, the spending habits, holidaying practices and the lifestyle determine the extent to which banking industry will be affected by such factors. Technology: Impact of technology can be seen in almost all walks of life today. The increasing emphasis on online banking, e-commerce etc. requires that banks invest good amount in making available reliable

Friday, November 1, 2019

Reflective journal on Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective journal on Leadership - Essay Example In elucidating Vrooms expectancy theory, Pattanayak (2005: 183) posits that "Under conditions of free choice, an individual is motivated towards that activity which he is most capable of understanding and which he believes has the highest probability of leading him to his most preferred goal". Vroom in his theory supposed that human beings are inspired to achieve a particular purpose by anticipated standards or principles, coupled with the inference that the action geared towards the achievement of the purpose will result to the preferred principles (Pattanayak, 2005: 183). Vrooms theory has a number of components, namely valence, instrumentality, and expectancy. According to Pattanayak (2005: 183), valence denotes peoples partiality towards specific end results, and instrumentality denotes peoples acuity with regard to whether a guaranteed reward will essentially be awarded to them. Expectancy, on the other hand, represents the divergent anticipations among people in regards to thei r abilities. Vroom, as asserted by Pattanayak (2005: 183), is of the opinion that inspiration towards achievement of a specific purpose is dependent on valence, instrumentality, and expectancy. In reference to Vrooms expectancy theory, my productivity and performance in my workplace is directly related to my skills, experience, and abilities. An example of one of my skills include effective listening skills. Listening helps me effectively understand or comprehend my responsibilities in my workplace and as a result, I always achieve good results. There are also financial incentives given in my workplace. It is worth noting that these incentives act as motivators. Hard economic times in the contemporary world necessitates people to work harder in order to achieve better results, and as a consequence get better rewards. Additionally, my activities or actions are also motivated by the end results. For instance, recycling