Career And Transition Into College - 1351 Words

Success is what the majority of every college student hopes and aims for throughout their entire college career. College success and education often determines how the rest of a student’s life will be. Therefore, there is an immense amount of pressure involved when it comes to going to college and students tend to get extremely overwhelmed. In order to have a successful career and transition into college, one must maintain a healthy state of mental health. Mental health can be negative or positive and there are numerous amounts of ways to help students with their mental health overall. Mental health is the state of mind an individual has and it involves ones physical health and emotions. Mental health in college is immensely important, yet extremely hard to maintain. Transitioning into college involves leaving families and friends behind, receiving more homework, living in a new area and living space with someone else, trying to balance school, work and a social life, and tryi ng to find time to just relax and take a break. For some, the transition into college is simple and easy to do. For others, the transition into college can be scary and hard to cope with. Physically, college students either gain more weight, due to the amount of food available, or they lose too much weight, due to stress or just not enough time in the day to take a break. Also, college students tend to not have as much time as they used to for exercise which can prove to be unhealthy and can add toShow MoreRelatedCurrent Levels Of Academic Achievement And Functional Performance926 Words   |  4 Pages Transition Plan Student Name: Projected Date of Graduation: Date of Transition Plan: Participants in the Plan: A) Current Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: 1. Strengths of Student: Jayland is a high school student who is bright, talkative and personable. Jayland excels in Science winning the science fair on his project on rocks. Jayland got A’s while taking online course work as he finds it easy to use the computer. Jayland is in an AP science class and honors EnglishRead MoreTransitions Of Career Development And Transition Programs836 Words   |  4 PagesTransitions occur throughout life and there are numerous transitions students face within the school setting. Since school counselors support students in academic, career and college, and social and personal development, school counselors are in key positions to provide students with opportunities, equity, and access to programs that support smooth transitions and college and career readiness (Erford, 2015). Career development and transition programs are important because they support they can provideRead MoreThe Career Pathway Of Aca 122940 Words   |  4 Pagesspring semeste r. One thing it taught me was how the â€Å"college transition† was going to be. ACA 122 allowed me to get a glimpse of the college life. ACA 122 has also prepared me with knowledge and a greater understanding on how to prepare and transfer to another university. ACA 122 allowed me to explore more into my career pathway and go more in depth into my college pathway through the â€Å"MAP† assignment. My transition to Isothermal Community College has been really good; Although I am still a high schoolRead MoreTransition Program Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesThe Board of Directors are the highest level of power when it comes to the Transitions Program. There is a relatively balanced number of both females and males on the board. There are six males and five females, interestingly enough there is a married couple which make up one of each of the genders. The senior staff who are at the facility each day are all women. This allows for interesting observations of interactions with the clientele. There are a few male apprentices who ask about the femaleRead MoreTransitions Advantages And Disadvantages800 Words   |  4 Pagesin the creation of Transitions. Society values demonstrates a mindset that individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or have other nonverbal learning disabilities do not have the potential to live a fulfilled life comparable to those of average a bility. However, that is anything but true. When a parent of an individual with such diagnoses saw the potential of her child she wanted to give other parents the same outlook. This is why Transitions was created. Transitions is located in ruralRead MoreCollege At Oneonta For My Masters774 Words   |  4 Pages All of my experiences in life have lead me to apply to SUNY College at Oneonta for my Masters of Science in Education. I have many goals, both professional and academic that are related to school counseling. All throughout school I had many inspirational school counselors that molded who I am today. This set me up for success in my college career. Upon entering college, I began to appreciate the importance of planning and organization in order to build the life I wanted for myself. While completingRead MoreHow Should FGCS Belong To The FGS Group?1324 Words   |  6 Pagesimproved early preparation programs improved preparation and increased FGS college participation. Likewise, this study is relevant because FGCS belong to the FGS group. FGCS lack the understanding of how to prepare for, apply to, plan for a degree, navigate college life, or meet college expectations. Although social networking with peer and knowledgeable staff could help FGCS become better informed when making choice concerning higher education, they lack the frame of reference to develop theseRead MoreMilitary Veterans Act II : Going The Extra Mile922 Words   |  4 Pagescheck made payable to â€Å"The United States of America,† for an amount up to and including their life.† - Unknown. American veterans face some of their toughest battles once they transition from active duty status to civilian life. Many veterans transition smoothly without complications. There are times however when these transitions hit forks in the road. Often times veterans feel they have to travel down this road alone. There are many programs and opportunities out there for out vets they just have toRead MoreThe Importance Of Career Counseling And The Effect Of Ethnic Discrimination Are Mutually Exclusive Events?891 Words   |  4 PagesDiscussion: The studies by Chau Hsiao Lan, Tawanda Majoko, and Milsom are conducted in the context of Taiwan, Zimbabwe, and the United States respectively, which show that career counseling and the impact of ethnic discrimination are mutually exclusive events. There are a number of shared problems associated with the counseling of students who have learning disabilities, including the lack of training of the counselors, inappropriate policies, and the negative attitude of stockholders towards theRead MoreThe Struggle Of Finding A Job1568 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction Unemployment The Struggle of Finding a Job Job search is a harsh reality experienced by many college graduates nowadays. Numerous obstacles, including the tough job market, severely hinder the future success of a student who is truly determined. The transition from school to the labor market is extremely alarming to students that they usually end up satisfied with a tedious, low-paid, labor-intensive and physically demanding job (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, Pastorelli 2001). Working

Kate Chopin s An Hour - 1273 Words

Women’s rights has been a major problem throughout history in almost every society on the planet. Even in Europe, which was considered one of the advanced societies, women were often treated as objects and prizes. They had very limited freedom, rights and voices. However, as time passed, women became fed-up with male domination and sought independence from their husbands. They managed to fight for their rights and to end gender based oppression. For example, women caused the probation to ban the consumptions of alcohol, because alcohol attributed to their husbands’ abusive behaviors. Three stories serve as great examples for how women were treated/viewed in overtime. One of those stories is the story of â€Å"An Hour†, by Kate Chopin, which shows us how shows us how women were in oppressive marriages and desired freedom. Another story called â€Å"Proof†, which was written by David Auburn, demonstrates the negative treatment of women in a male dominated wo rk force. Finally, the story â€Å"AP†, (written by John Updike) shows how the view of women changed through the sexual reevaluation. Women in the eighteenth century were portrayed as servants and did not have any say or rights. They were portrayed as powerless, unintellectual and beneath men. In most cases, when women became married, the husband attained total control of all of the wife’s possessions. This is the same for divorces, and when the couples divorced each other the â€Å"men were automatically given legal control of all of theShow MoreRelatedKate Chopin s An Hour1812 Words   |  8 PagesAuthor Kate Chopin is famous for some of the most influential feminist stories and novels in the Western canon. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is one such text. In this story, Chopin tackles many of the concerns that are essential to feminism, including the willpower and expression of a woman’s distinctive identity separate from the identity of her husband and the right of a woman to identify and experience her own interests. While there is an aspect of this story that is provocative, namely, that Mr s. MallardRead MoreKate Chopin s An Hour857 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstanding of how various emotions can effect an individual; this is a consequence of being human. The broad variety of different emotions that Kate Chopin fit into â€Å"The Story of an Hour† presents the story with a perspective that is very intelligible. While some readers may not understand what it is like to live a sheltered life due to marital convention, Chopin laid out the emotional path that the protagonist takes and simplified it into individual, coherent feelings that a woman in the late nineteenth-centuryRead MoreKate Chopin s An Hour899 Words   |  4 PagesThe author has to choose the gender of their main character, and by Kate Chopin choosing a woman it set a completely different mood to the story rather than it being a man. The time this story was written were women were suppose to be submissive and loyal to their husbands, caring and nurturing for their children, and well-bred, catering hos tesses. If a woman were to overstep such boundaries, she would be considered unladylike, scandalous, or even immoral. Society looks differently upon a personRead MoreKate Chopin s The Hour1361 Words   |  6 PagesStory of the Hour† has been whether or not Mrs. Mallard was oppressed in her marriage or if she was depressed due to the lack of time she and her husband spent together. Time plays a crucial role in the story, from the time they have spent together, to the period of the story, and to the short time in which the story takes place. â€Å"The Story of the Hour,† is a story written by feminist author, Kate Chopin in 1894 that deals with marital instability from a woman’s perspective. Chopin, whose husbandRead MoreKate Chopin s The Story Of An Hour1579 Words   |  7 PagesKate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour written in 1984 is a story of a woman who, through the erroneously reported death of her husband, experienced true freedom. Both tragic and iron ic, the story deals with the boundaries imposed on women by society in the nineteenth century. The author Kate Chopin, like the character in her story, had first-hand experience with the male-dominated society of that time and had experienced the death of her husband at a young age. The similarity between Kate Chopin andRead MoreKate Chopin s The Story Of An Hour1336 Words   |  6 Pagesstatus in society as married women. In the story of an hour, the author, Kate Chopin describes the emotions of a woman who is married and tied down to this oath for the rest of her life. The author uses the ways of the society during that time to construct a story that accurately reflects the feelings of majority of women of that time. The goal of the story is to examine how women were indirectly oppressed during those times. The story of an hour is an interesting short story that begin with tellingRead MoreKate Chopin s Story Of The Hour Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin was an American author who wrote two novels that got published and at least a hundred short stories. In Kate’s short story The Story of the Hour she uses some of her traumatic event that happened in her lifespan in the short story even though it the story is fictional. A lot of her fictions were set in Louisiana and her best-known works focused on the lives of sensitive intelligent women. One-third of Mrs. Chopin’s stories are children’s stories. A lot of Mrs. Chopin’s novels were forgottenRead MoreKate Chopin s The Hour928 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of The Hour† fully answers its title. It is a story about a woman living her last hour. Not so many things happen during that hour, but in contrast, many thoughts fly through main character’s head and a reader can form an accurat e portrait of a woman’s life from these thoughts. Somebody tells her that her husband is dead. After that she dives into the whirl of thoughts regarding the impact of husband’s death on her future. Some facts or beliefs make this woman think that her husband’sRead MoreKate Chopin s Story Of An Hour993 Words   |  4 Pageswriter’s base their stories of real life experiences and feelings. Kate Chopin largely based her stories off of her own life. Kate Chopin spent her childhood years in an alternative and matriarchal Louisiana town with a family that was unconventional. She challenged her nineteenth century sexist society and used her own life to put strength and feminism into her stories like â€Å"The Storm†, â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† and of course â€Å"The Story of an Hour†. She lived with her mother, grandmother and great grandmotherRead MoreKate Chopin s The Story Of An Hour1921 Words   |  8 Pagesapproaches. For Kate Cho pin, the famous author of â€Å"The Awakening† and â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, her most successful approach was to provide audiences with short stories that proposed meaningful and strong messages. However, Kate Chopin’s powerful feminist images that were present throughout her writing has mostly flaunted Chopin as only a â€Å"pioneering feminist writer,† which has led to other messages Chopin incorporated in her writing into being overlooked. In Kate Chopin’s, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the short

Markups Markdowns free essay sample

Based on your findings above, how much would you save if you knew ahead of time that you needed a total of 33 fans for the year by buying them all in the winter? 1. ) For this question the first step is to take the selling price of the fans in the summer time which is $55 dollars and multiply it by the amount of fans needed for the summer which is 15 fans; 55 x 15 = $825. 00 dollars is the total price for the fans in the summer. We next need to find out how much the total price will be for the 18 fans in the winter time so we multiply the selling price which is $55 dollars by the amount needed in the winter which is 18. 5 x 18 = $990. 00 dollars is the total price for the fans in the winter before the discount Next we need to apply the 20% discount to the selling price. So as we start this process the first step is to convert the 20% into decimal format by dividing by 100; 20 / 100 = 0. 20 Then we multiply the total price of the fans in the winter which is $990 by the 0. 20 to find the discount amount. 990 x 0. 20 = $198 dollars is the discount amount To find the final selling price of the fans in the winter with the 20% discount applied we subtract the discount amount of $198 from the total selling price of fans in the winter which is $990. 90 – 198 = $792. 00 is the amount of the 18 fans ordered in the winter with the discount applied. The last step in this process to find the total amount of the 15 fans ordered in the summer and the 18 fans ordered in the winter with the discount applied we need to add the final price that we reached for the fans ordered in the summer which was $825. 00 to the final price of the fans ordered in the winter with the discount applied which was $792. 00. 825 + 792 = $1617. 00 is the total price paid for fans in the summer and the winter with the winter discount applied. 2. For this question we must calculate and compare how m uch we would save when buying all 33 fans in winter compare to buying them at two separate times. We do this by first taking the amount of the selling price and multiplying it by the amount of fans needed. 33 x 55 = $1815. 00 is the total amount of the 33 fans without the discount applied The next step in this process is to take the 20% discount and convert it to decimal form by dividing by 100 20 / 100 = 0. 20 Now we take the $1815. 00 and multiply it by the 0. 20 to find out the discount amount. 1815 x 0. 20 = $363. 00 is the 20% discount in dollars Finally we take the total price of the $1815. 00 and subtract the discount which is $363. 00 1815 – 363 = $1452. 00 is the total price if all 33 fans were bought in the winter. Now that we have the final price of both equations we take the original price of fans bought in the summer and winter and subtract the amount of fans only bought in the winter 1617 – 1452 = $165. 00 dollars is the amount saved by purchasing all the fans in the winter. Part II: Open / Closed End Credit It’s time to go shopping! You grab your Best Purchase credit card, which has an annual interest rate of 18%. The unpaid balance on your card for the current billing cycle is $285. 76. On your shopping trip, you purchase four items: a Blu-ray player, two 4-GB flash drives, and a 19-inch flat-screen television. You purchase all the items with your credit card for a total of $352. 18. When the bill comes at the end of the month, you decide to pay the entire total balance. 1. What is the monthly interest rate on the card? 2. What are the interest charges on the card? (Calculate only on last month’s unpaid balance. ) 3. What is the total balance on your card? (Round all your answers to the nearest hundredth or cent. 1. ) To find out the monthly interest rate we must take the annual interest rate of 18% and divide by 12 18 / 12 = 1. 5% is the monthly interest rate on the card 2. ) To find out what the interest charges on the card from only last month’s unpaid balance we must take last month’s balance of $285. 76 and multiply it by the 1. 5% monthly interest rate, but before w e do that we must convert the1. 5% monthly interest rate into decimal format by dividing by 100 1. 5 / 100 = . 015 Then we multiply the. 015 by the unpaid balance to find out the interest amount 285. 76 x . 015 = $4. 864 rounded $4. 29 is the monthly interest charge of 1. 5% 3. ) To find out the total balance on the card we must first add the unpaid balance plus the new charges; 285. 76 + 352. 18 = $637. 94 is the total balance on the card without interest included To include the interest we must now multiply the 637. 94 by the 1. 5% monthly interest because in the scenario we decided to pay it off in full. So, we must first convert the 1. 5% to decimal by dividing by 100, 1. 5 / 100 = . 015 Now we multiply the . 015 by the 637. 94 to find out the total interest for the month 637. 94 x . 015 = $9. 691 or $9. 57 is the total interest for the month The last step is to add the interest to the 637. 94 to find out the total amount on the card including interest for pay off this month 637 . 94 + 9. 57 = $647. 51 is the final total balance on the card. Part III: Simple Interest Student loans are a hot discussion topic today both in the news and at home. Those of us with student loans, and also those of us thinking about getting a student loan for ourselves or a family member, need to think about paying back not only the initial borrowed amount, but also the interest on top of the loan. For example, subsidized Stafford Loans do not start accumulating interest while a student is in school, and the student does not need to make any payments during that time. After the student has been out of school for six months, the interest then starts to accumulate on the loan, and the student must begin making regular monthly payments. Student loans are also not forgivable in bankruptcy. * Give a realistic student loan amount for an individual that attended a university for at least 2 years. (You may choose to use the total cost of tuition for your program at CTU. * Research and find the current average interest rate for student loans. Be sure to reference the site where you found your interest rate. A. ) For the first part we need to provide a realistic loan amount for a college tuition for 2 years, a realistic number could be 8,500 dollars B. ) The current average of interest rates for students loan I researched and found it to be at 3. 4%. (Webley) Now, assume that the loan yo u chose above is a subsidized Stafford Loan and that you have been out of school for six months are going to begin making your monthly payments. You are starting to really think about your student loan and all of the interest that you will have to pay. * Now that the interest is starting to accumulate on the loan, how much interest will accumulate after one year? * How much interest was charged at the end of the first day? * Do you find this number surprising? A. ) To find out the interest after one year we must take the annual interest rate of 3. 4% and convert it to decimal formal by dividing by 100 3. 4 / 100 = . 034 Now we multiply the . 034 by half of the 8,500 which is 4,250 4250 x . 034 = $144. 0 is the amount of interest annually. B. ) To find out how much interest we must do some division, We must divide the amount of 144. 50 by 365 (the number of days in a year) to find out how much interest there was after the first day 144. 50 / 365 = 0. 3958904109589 or $0. 40 cents per day. After the completion of this equation the amount per day did shock me for being so low, if you were to graduate and find a good paying job b y applying your degree to your job field you could easily pay this money back over the course of 10 years without seeing a huge loss in your income. This is a great way for people to borrow the money they need now for school to live a better life without worrying about paying large lump sums of money back to the loaner for each payment. The loan agency has allowed you to defer the loan for one year if you pay 8% of the original loan today. Therefore, you will not have to make monthly payments for one year, and since your loan is a subsidized Stafford Loan, no interest will accumulate during that year. * What is the amount that you would send the loan agency to defer the loan? * What is the new loan amount? You want to find out how much interest will accumulate on your loan if you decide to make the 8% payment. Find the interest on the new loan amount, after paying 8% off, for one year and then again for one day. * Do you think that making an 8% payment on the loan is worth it when viewing the interest savings at the end of a day and at the end of a year? * Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of deferring the loan for one yea r. A. ) To defer the loan I must pay 8% of the original 8,500 dollar loan balance, so to figure this amount I must first convert the 8% into decimal form by dividing by 100 8 / 100 = . 08 Now we multiply the . 8 by the 8,500 .08 x 8500 = $680. 00 dollars is the amount needed to defer the loan for one year. B. ) To find out the new loan balance we need to subtract the deferment amount of 680 dollars from the original loan balance of 8500 8500 – 680 = $7,820 is the remaining loan amount. C. ) For this scenario we need to find out the interest for one year and one day. First off the was lent for 2 years, minus the amount of the deferment, we must divide the remaining balance of 7,820 by 2 to get the amount left for one year 7820 / 2 = $3,910 dollars is the amount of the loan for one year Now we take the one-year balance and apply the 3. % interest rate for one year, but we must convert the 3. 4% to decimal form by dividing by 100 3. 4 / 100 = 0. 034 Next we multiply the 0. 034 b y the amount of the loan for one year to find the interest for one year’s worth of tuition 3910 x 0. 034 = $134. 94 is the amount of interest for on year of tuition To find the interest for one day we must divide the interest rate per day we must divide the yearly cost of interest by 365 to find out how much it will cost each day 134. 94 / 365 = $0. 36421917808 or $. 36 cents a day. D. Do I think that it is worth it by pay the 8% deferment payment vs. not paying it? Yes, I absolutely think it is worth it. First things first, you save money per day and ultimately per year, NO DEFERMENT PAYMENT DEFERMENT PAYMENT Per Day: $0. 40 Per Day: $0. 36 Per Year: $144. 50 Per Year: $134. 94 With this comparison you can see that the money you pay each day and each year is a lesser amount when you pay the 8% deferment payment vs. not paying it. E. An advantage for deferring the loan is if you are having a temporary financial hardship and you need some time to get back on your feet you can have an entire year before making payments again that will give you ample time to either find employment or obtain some type of government assistance. A disadvantage can be that the time you don’t have to pay can easily lead you to forget about the loan that can lead to serious consequences if they are not paid and or worked out a schedule and amount of payments with the loan company. You can have your taxes taken or even legal justice brought upon you. Part IV Sales tax on the purchase of a vehicle is calculated on the net purchase price, which is the total purchase price minus the amount allowed by a dealer for a trade-in. For residents in Denver, Colorado purchasing a new vehicle, their tax rates are as follows: 1. Colorado State Tax: 2. 90% 2. Regional Transportation District (RTD) tax: 1. 20% 3. Denver City Tax: 3. 62% Using the information above, answer the following: 1. What is the total sales tax to be paid in 2012 on the purchase of a 2012 passenger vehicle with a selling price of $17,000 and a $2,000 trade-in allowance? . How would the sales tax be distributed between the state, the RTD, and the city? 1. ) To find out what the total sales price we must first find out what the net price of the vehicle which is the selling price minus the trade in value, so the selling price of 17,000 minus 2,000 will give us our net purchase price, 17,000 – 2,000 = 15,000 Net Purchase Price Now that we have our net purchase price we apply the first tax of 2. 90%. The first step in doing this is taking the 2. 90% and dividing by 100 to get the decimal form. 2. 90 / 100 = 0. 029 Now we take the 15,000 dollar net purchase price and multiply by the 0. 029 15000 x 0. 029 = $435 dollars is the Colorado State Tax Next we take the 1. 20% percent and also divide by 100 to get the decimal form 1. 20 / 100 = 0. 012 We take the 0. 012 and multiply by the original net purchase price 15000 x 0. 012 = $180 is the RTD Tax Price Next we take the Denver City Tax of 3. 62% and divide that by 100 to get the decimal format 3. 62 / 100 = 0. 0362 Next we multiply this decimal by the 15000 net purchase price 15000 x 0. 0362 = $543 dollars is the Denver City Tax The last step in the process is to take all the taxes and add them together to get the total sales tax cost. 534 + 180 + 435 = $1158 is the total sales tax to be paid. 2. ) To find out how the sales taxes would be distributed we would use the last process before adding them together to find the total State Tax: $435 Dollars RTD Tax: $180 Dollars City Tax : $543 Dollars Part V To find out the salary we must do them separately, First we will do PA. For this one we take the earnings of 50,000 dollars and apply the state income tax of 3% which we must divide by 100 to get the decimal format. / 100 = 0. 03 Now we take the 0. 03 and multiply it by the earnings 0. 03 x 50000 = $1,500 Dollars PA State Tax Now we do the same for MD. We take the earnings of 65,000 dollars and apply the 1. 5% higher tax than PA’s state tax which is 3. 0% which gives us 4. 5%. The first step is to divide by 100 4. 5 / 100 = 0. 045 Next we take the 0. 045 and multiply it by the earnings 0. 045 x 65000 = $2 ,925 Dollars MD State Tax Now to find out what is the assessed value of the house worth 75,000 dollars we must apply all taxes that apply to this purchase. We must apply the property taxes. Now we must divide the other PA Property Tax of 2. 975% by 100 to get decimal form 2. 975 / 100 = 0. 02975 Now we multiply that by the value of the house 0. 02975 x 75000 = $2231. 25 Property Taxes on PA House To find out the assessed value you must add the property taxes to the value of the house 75000 + 2231. 25 = $77231. 25 PA Assessed Value of House Now we switch and do the same for the MD house that’s worth 134,000 and the property taxes of 2. 4% which we must put in decimal form 2. 4 / 100 = 0. 024 Now we multiply that by the value of the house 134,000 x 0. 24 = $3216 Property Taxes on MD House Now we add the property taxes to the value of the house - 134,000 + 3216 = $137,216 MD Assessed Value of House - Now we must find out what the annual purchases are, for PA the state sales tax is 6% which we know it 0. 06 in decimal so we multiply that by the annual purchases of 18,000; 0. 06 x 18000 = $1080 PA State Sales Tax (Annual Purchases) We add that to the annual purchases 1080 + 18000 = $19080 PA Annual Purchases Since MD’s sales tax rate is 1% higher than PA’s that makes it 7% so we know that is equal to 0. 07 in decimal form so we must multiply that by the annual purchases; 0. 07 x 18000 = $1260 MD State Sales Tax (Annual Purchases) Now we add the tax to the annual purchases - 18000 + 1260 = $19260 MD Annual Purchases - To find out the food and clothing expenses we must apply the taxes. I am going to start with PA’s. It remains at 6,000 because the state sales tax rate does not apply to food and clothing 6,000 PA Annual Food and Clothing To find out for MD we already know that the sales tax rate is 7% and it is also 0. 07 in decimal format so we must multiply that by the annual food and clothing cost 0. 07 x 6000 = $420 dollars Now we add that to the annual cost for food and clothing - 420 + 6000 = $6,420 MD Annual Food and Clothing - Now we must find out property taxes, We already know these answers from the worded problem if we read carefully PA Property Taxes = 2. 75 % MD Property Taxes = 2. 4% - Next is the state sales tax, we can find this out by reading the word problem carefully PA State Sales Tax = 6% - MD State Sales Tax = 7% - Next is the State income tax PA State Income Tax = 3% MD State Sales Tax = 4. 5% - PAMDDifference Salary$51,500$67,925MD ^ $16,425 Assessed Value of House$77,231. 25$137,216MD ^ $59,984. 75 Annual Purchases$19080$19260MD ^ $180 Annual Food and Clothing$6,000$6,420MD ^ $420 Property Taxes2. 975%2. 4%PA ^ . 575% Sales Taxes6%7%MD ^ 1% State Income Taxes3%4. 5%MD ^ 1. 5% Cost of Living Based on Taxes$102,311. 25$162,896MD ^ $60,584. 75 1. What is the difference in cost of living between the two locations based on the differences in sales tax, income tax, and property tax? How does this influence which job to choose? 1. ) The difference in the cost of living between the sales taxes is that MD sales tax is 1 % higher. The income tax difference is that MD’s is 1. % higher and the property tax PA’s is . 575% higher. It influences my job choice because I weigh the good and the bad and decipher which one has less amount of an impact on my salary from earning to spending. 2. ) Another factor you can consider when choosing a job is the weather. That can also take into consideration that if it is hotter and dryer climate you may spend more on air conditioning and water versu s if the weather was mostly snow weather you would have to take into consideration rust on your vehicle, warm clothing and heat for your home. . ) I would obviously choose to live in PA because overall even though you make less than compared to MD, the taxes are a smaller amount so if you get a raise the taxes will stay the same. Also that the state sales taxes don’t apply to food and clothing so that is a plus. I would choose to take the job offer in PA because of those reasons. References Webley, K. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://business. time. com/2012/03/20/students-your-loan-interest-rate-is-about-to-double/

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Essays - Fiction, Style

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson Analyzation encompasses the application of given criteria to a literary work to determine how efficiently that work employs the given criteria. In the analyzation of short stories, the reader uses a brief imaginative narrative unfolding a single incident and a chief character by means of a plot, the details so compresses and the whole treatment so organized, a single impression results. To expose that impression, the reader explores the workings of seven basic criteria. On particular criterion effectively supports the central idea on The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. The author teaches the central idea through the actions of the protagonist in the plot through what the protagonist does or does not do. The author teaches the lesson, the authors idea, and the universal in two ways. Authors idea expresses the authors beliefs or opinions on a particular subject; the author may use a universal truth. A universal truth presents an idea assumed true by the masses worldwide that teaches a lesson based on the interpretation of the universal truth. What the reader learns throughout the story or the lesson consists of two categories, general and specific. General lessons teach the overall lesson in the story; usually a universal truth that speaks of qualities like greed, revenge, love, fear, discrimination, and ignorance. Because primitive peoples meshed much more successfully with the world around them, they became far more sensitive to its needs and rhythms; they made certain that the lessons of passage were powerful and certain to have the desired effect. The rituals were intense, sometimes painful and terrifying. They were assuredly unforgettable. The Grims Brothers, Poor Richards Almanac, and Aesops Fables capture these ceremonies and lessons. The smaller lesson or specific lessons earned through the development of the plot and narrative reach the reader on an individual level from the actions or thoughts of any of the characters. These little lessons within the general lesson teach the reader the main lesson of the story. Despite the timelessness of fables, who remembers the lessons of the past? The Fox and the Grapes teaches us about envy, The Lion and the Mouses message of compassion. Who knows about Little Red Riding Hoods message, the passage from girl- to womanhood. We need to be able to point to someone elses story and say, Ah, yes, I know that feeling. I identify. These specific lessons speak of personal truths even though cloaked in symbols. In The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, the villagers follow tradition without even knowing why the tradition exists. This blind following of the past traditions leads the reader to discover a universal truth. Tradition is the guide of the ignorant. In paragraph thirty-two, lines seven and eight, Old Man Warner states, Theres always been a lottery he said petulantly. In this statement, the reader sees the most ignorant of all excuses for doing anything. This, however, seems normal for the community. In paragraph six, lines three through nine, the reader discovers That much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded, Mr. Summers had been successful in having slips of paper substituted for the chips of wood that had been used for generations. While reading, the reader starts to understand the lottery tradition from which many rules and regulations disappeared for convenience reasons. This leads the reader to believe that the villagers do not truly understand the origins of the lottery. I n paragraph twenty-nine, lines one through three, Mrs. Jackson states The people had done the lottery so many times that they only half listed to the directions In this passage, the reader learns through the nonchalantness of the villagers actions that an important event does not gander much attention. In paragraph thirty-one lines one through fourteen Old Man Warner snorted. Pack of crazy fools, he said. Listening to the young folks, nothings good enough for them. Next thing you know, theyll be wanting to go back inside caves, nobody work anymore, live that way for a while. Used to be a say saying about Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon. First thing you know, wes all be eating chicken weed and acorns. In this passage, the reader finally understands that even though the world changed around the

Cocoabutter Business Essay Example

Cocoabutter Business Essay Lindtamp;Sprungli started in 1845 as a Swiss chocolate and confectionery company. It focuses on making high quality and luxury chocolates. Lindt is the first truly melting chocolate in the world. They choose the cocoa beans that they use to make chocolates very strictly. There are numerous categories of their chocolate products in the market and they also have their own chocolate stores all over the world. Contents 1. Executive Summary2 2. Table of Contents3 3. Introduction 4 3. 1. Purpose4 . 2. Background4 3. 3. Scope4 3. 4. Limitations4 3. 5. Plan4 4. Body of the Report5 4. 1. Industry Background5 4. 2. Product Categories5 4. 3. Environment5 4. 4. Segmentation,Targeting and Positioning6 4. 5. Buyer Behaviour6 4. 6. Evaluations of Needs and Wants7 5. Conclusion7 6. References8 3. Introduction 3. 1 Purpose Lindt Lindor gift box is a high-end product, which stands for a luxurious and classical confectionery. The purpose of this report is to analyze the market of Lindt Lindor gift box chocolate by looking at several marketing elements. 3. 2 Background Lindtamp;Sprungli started in a small pastry shop in Switzerland in 1845. At that time people knew chocolate as a drink but David Sprungli-Schward and his son dared to do the new form of chocolate- solid bars. 3. 3 Scope The scope of this report is to give an introduction of Lindtamp;Sprungli and analyze the market such as the environment, segmentation, targeting and positioning and buyer behavior. 3. 4 Limitations The limitation of this report is that the accurate figure of market size and share cannot be found. Lindtamp;Sprungli Pty Ltd in Australia does not have much information on the Internet. . 5 Plan This report is mainly going to state the environment and segmentation, targeting, positioning and buyer behavior regarding to Lindt Lindor gift box chocolate. 4. Body of the report 4. 1 Industry Background Lindt’s revenue in 2012 is $2. 67 billion and their market trend in 2012 is 7. 3% of growth. The market share in 2012 is 4. 2% (Nieburg, 2013). The competitors of Lindt ch ocolate are Cadbury, Ferrero and Guylian. 4. 2 Product categories Lindt offers Excellence, Lindt Blocks, Lindor and Pralines chocolates. Excellence is the finest quality block chocolate and Lindt Blocks are the ormal block chocolate. Lindor are the round ball chocolates and they are usually wrapped as gifts. Pralines are the finest chocolate and have been lovingly decorated. In addition, all these chocolates have many flavors that can be chose. 5. 3 Environment Lindor gift box’s competitors are Ferrero and Guylian due to they all have their box product. In addition, their market positioning is all high quality royal chocolates. Ferrero is a big company whose market share is much bigger than Lindt. Guylian is not as famous as Lindt. We will write a custom essay sample on Cocoabutter Business specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Cocoabutter Business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Cocoabutter Business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, Ferrero’s package categories are not as much as Lindt’s. Guylian’s market share is less than Lindt and it is lack of new idea of the products. Lindt has its own suppliers, which are the cocoa beans farmers. They mainly import the cocoa beans from South America, Caribbean and Ghana. Ghana is especially famous of the high quality standards cocoa beans (Heffes, 2003). The cocoa beans suppliers cannot always supply the quantity that they required so Lindt makes a fair trade with the farmers, which means the farmers can provide the raw materials constantly (Lindt, 2013). The main intermediaries of Lindt gift box in Australia are Woolworths, Coles and Costco. They are the resellers of Lindt. In the macroenvironment, demographic include the consumer’s age, sex, location and occupation etc. Generally speaking, women are more interested in gift box chocolate than men and especially the young ladies. They cannot resist the exquisite packages of Lindor gift box (Fitzgerald, 2005). Students and white collars are more likely to buy the gift box as a gift for their girlfriends. The people in big cities buy the high quality gift box chocolate more often than the people in small towns. Cultural factor is very important because of the western cultural and beliefs. Every year during Easter, Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Lindt will launch new gift boxes for the festivals. For instance, western people believe giving chocolate to their lovers is a kind of showing love to them so they all buy chocolate for their lovers in Valentine’s Day. Consumers will actively to buy the chocolate gift boxes as gifts during the festivals. 4. 4 Segmentation, targeting and positioning + Target Segmentation characteristics Lindt gift box segments its market by considering the age, ender, occupation and lifestyle. The customers are usually the young, women, high-quality standards lifestyle people and the people’s occupation are basically students and white collars. White collars do not mind of paying more extra money on high-quality standard chocolate due to their medium to high level of wages. Women have the strongest purchasing power of chocolate also the strongest desire of chocolate. Lindor gift box selects the market, which exists many strong competitors and they use the differentiated marketing strategy. The industry profitability is approximately 6. % of revenue in 2012-2013 (Sivasailam, 2013). Lindor gift box is a gift in the consumer’s mind and they buy it as a gift. However, Lindt provide large packages gift chocolate in Costco, which are cheaper than Coles and Woolworths. Many families buy them as a family share package. Lindor gift box has the competitive advantages because there are many flavors and the varicolored packages look more joyful than other products. 4. 5 Buyer Behavior The consumers will first consider whom will they buy the Lindt gift box for and why they need it. They might search the product on the Internet and see its feedbacks and compare it with other brands. The package of the Lindor gift box will give them a sense of happiness and a festivals feeling. 4. 6 Evaluations of needs and wants People need the chocolate as a gift to feel that they are loved and regarded by others. The one who give the chocolate to others need to express himself. Lindt gift box can become a want when the festivals come. For example, when the Valentine’s Day comes, ladies will expect their boyfriend or husband to buy them chocolates. Besides, most of the customers have very high satisfaction as shown in Figure 1. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, Lindor gift box chocolate has its own advantages in the market. They well-packaged chocolate is more popular among the women. Especially during the festivals so the company should produce more chocolate products that fit for the festivals’ theme Cocoabutter Business Essay Example Cocoabutter Business Essay Lindtamp;Sprungli started in 1845 as a Swiss chocolate and confectionery company. It focuses on making high quality and luxury chocolates. Lindt is the first truly melting chocolate in the world. They choose the cocoa beans that they use to make chocolates very strictly. There are numerous categories of their chocolate products in the market and they also have their own chocolate stores all over the world. Contents 1. Executive Summary2 2. Table of Contents3 3. Introduction 4 3. 1. Purpose4 . 2. Background4 3. 3. Scope4 3. 4. Limitations4 3. 5. Plan4 4. Body of the Report5 4. 1. Industry Background5 4. 2. Product Categories5 4. 3. Environment5 4. 4. Segmentation,Targeting and Positioning6 4. 5. Buyer Behaviour6 4. 6. Evaluations of Needs and Wants7 5. Conclusion7 6. References8 3. Introduction 3. 1 Purpose Lindt Lindor gift box is a high-end product, which stands for a luxurious and classical confectionery. The purpose of this report is to analyze the market of Lindt Lindor gift box chocolate by looking at several marketing elements. 3. 2 BackgroundLindtamp;Sprungli started in a small pastry shop in Switzerland in 1845. At that time people knew chocolate as a drink but David Sprungli-Schward and his son dared to do the new form of chocolate- solid bars. We will write a custom essay sample on Cocoabutter Business specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Cocoabutter Business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Cocoabutter Business specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 3. 3 Scope The scope of this report is to give an introduction of Lindtamp;Sprungli and analyze the market such as the environment, segmentation, targeting and positioning and buyer behavior. 3. 4 Limitations The limitation of this report is that the accurate figure of market size and share cannot be found. Lindtamp;Sprungli Pty Ltd in Australia does not have much information on the Internet. . 5 Plan This report is mainly going to state the environment and segmentation, targeting, positioning and buyer behavior regarding to Lindt Lindor gift box chocolate. 4. Body of the report 4. 1 Industry Background Lindt’s revenue in 2012 is $2. 67 billion and their market trend in 2012 is 7. 3% of growth. The market share in 2012 is 4. 2% (Nieburg, 2013). The competitors of Lindt chocolate are Cadbury, Ferrero and Guylian. 4. 2 Product categories Lindt offers Excellence, Lindt Blocks, Lindor and Pralines chocolates. Excellence is the finest quality block chocolate and Lindt Blocks are the ormal block chocolate. Lindor are the round ball chocolates and they are usually wrapped as gifts. Pralines are the finest chocolate and have been lovingly decorated. In addition, all these chocolates have many flavors that can be chose. 5. 3 Environment Lindor gift box’s competitors are Ferrero and Guylian due to they all have their box product. In addition, their market positioning is all high quality royal chocolates. Ferrero is a big company whose market share is much bigger than Lindt. Guylian is not as famous as Lindt.However, Ferrero’s package categories are not as much as Lindt’s. Guylian’s market share is less than Lindt and it is lack of new idea of the products. Lindt has its own suppliers, which are the cocoa beans farmers. They mainly import the cocoa beans from South America, Caribbean and Ghana. Ghana is especially famous of the high quality standards cocoa beans (Heffes, 2003). The cocoa beans suppliers cannot always supply the quantity that they required so Lindt makes a fair trade with the farmers, which means the farmers can provide the raw materials constantly (Lindt, 2013).The main intermediaries of Lindt gift box in Australia are Woolworths, Coles and Costco. They are the resellers of Lindt. In the macroenvironment, demographic include the consumer’s age, sex, location and occupation etc. Generally speaking, women are more interested in gift box chocolate than men and especially the young ladies. They cannot resist the exquisite packages of Lindor gift box (Fitzgerald, 2005). Students and white collars are more likely to buy the gift box as a gift for their girlfriends. The people in big cities buy the high quality gift box chocolate more often than the people in small towns.Cultural factor is very important because of the western cultural and beliefs. Every year during Easter, Valentine’s Day and Christmas, Lindt will launch new gift boxes for the festivals. For instance, western people believe giving chocolate to their lovers is a kind of showing love to them so they all buy chocolate for their lovers in Valentine’s Day. Consumers will actively to buy the chocolate gift boxes as gifts during the festivals. 4. 4 Segmentation, targeting and positioning + Target Segmentation characteristics Lindt gift box segments its market by considering the age, ender, occupation and lifestyle. The customers are usually the young, women, high-quality standards lifestyle people and the people’s occupation are basically students and white collars. White collars do not mind of paying more extra money on high-quality standard chocolate due to their medium to high level of wages. Women have the strongest purchasing power of chocolate also the strongest desire of chocolate. Lindor gift box selects the market, which exists many strong competitors and they use the differentiated marketing strategy. The industry profitability is approximately 6. % of revenue in 2012-2013 (Sivasailam, 2013). Lindor gift box is a gift in the consumer’s mind and they buy it as a gift. However, Lindt provide large packages gift chocolate in Costco, which are cheaper than Coles and Woolworths. Many families buy them as a family share package. Lindor gift box has the competitive advantages because there are many flavors and the varicolored packages look more joyful than other products. 4. 5 Buyer Behavior The consumers will first consider whom will they buy the Lindt gift box for and why they need it.They might search the product on the Internet and see its feedbacks and compare it with other brands. The package of the Lindor gift box will give them a sense of happiness and a festivals feeling. 4. 6 Evaluations of needs and wants People need the chocolate as a gift to feel that they are loved and regarded by others. The one who give the chocolate to others need to express himself. Lindt gift box can become a want when the festivals come. For example, when the Valentine’s Day comes, ladies will expect their boyfriend or husband to buy them chocolates.Besides, most of the customers have very high satisfaction as shown in Figure 1. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, Lindor gift box chocolate has its own advantages in the market. They well-packaged chocolate is more popular among the women. Especially during the festivals so the company should produce more chocolate products that fit for the festivals’ theme

Basic Directory Transversal essays

Basic Directory Transversal essays When digging into a system it is always smart to look for obvious lack of security instead of looking at holes within the security. In other words, if you want to poke around a system, look for the obvious, visible openings before engaging in actually attacking the security of the system. I look at this as being given access instead of gaining unauthorized access, which legally, is a big difference. Now I am not a lawyer, but these are two completely different things in my Basic directory transversal involves seeing what directories are publicly accessible without "breaking into" anything. More advanced forms of directory transversal involve using these basic principles to slide through security by using things like "/../" and hex codes to try and fool the software into allowing you access to directories that were not intended to be accessible. But lets stick to the basics for now. For example, depending on the type of web server running, you are probably familiar with the fact that there is a specific default directory structure that usually contains at least one subfolder called "images". No HTML is usually stored in this directory, but there are images there. If the privileges are not set up properly, you can browse to the images directory and see all of the files contains within. Take this one step further and see what other directories you can get into. You might find directories called "content", "templates", "members", or pretty much anything. Each one of these folder should be locked down to prevent unauthorized access. The sad reality is that they are not. During your normal browsing of a site, or your intentional targeting of a site, notice the directory structure of the site. Notice that you may suddenly jump two directories deep. You may click on a link from the main page to a page located at "../content/articles/page1.html". ...

Outside activity at the Central Virginia Food Bank Assignment

Outside activity at the Central Virginia Food Bank - Assignment Example There has been a huge misconception that only people from the third world countries are faced with hunger. As a result, most charitable organizations have focused their efforts on providing food to those people faced with hunger in the third world countries. While this is a noble gesture, it leaves Americans who are faced with hunger, with no or little support putting them at a higher risk of facing hunger. Research has also shown that despite the United States being the wealthiest nation in the world a huge number of people still struggle to put food on their table. Unlike other countries, hunger in the United States is not caused by lack of food, but rather high poverty rates (Bread.org). While the government has attempted to solve this hunger menace through national nutrition programs, more needs to be done to address this issue. This is one of the main reasons, why I chose to undertake my outside project in the central Virginia food bank. I realized that we all have a role to play in making sure that no American dies of hunger. We all need to come together to fight this hunger issue. In the state of Virginia, at least one million people face hunger this about 10% of the entire population (Bread.org). The central Virginia food bank is a program that is run by the Feed More organization. The program runs through 31 counties among them five cities in the state of Virginia. Currently, the Feed More organization covers about a third of the state. The main aim of this program is to make sure that they provide hunger solutions to the people who are faced with hunger in the state of Virginia. With the help of other non-profit organizations, churches, business, the public and other organizations the feed more program via the central Virginia food bank brings hunger relief by acquiring and distributing food to people faced with hunger. The central Virginia food bank has been able to distribute over 21 million pounds of food since

Maritime Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Maritime Logistics - Essay Example This has made business to come together through multilateral and bilateral trade agreements, to integrate their maritime logistics operations in a more efficient and effective manner (Wisner, Tan and Leong, 2011). The term maritime logistics can not be separated from supply chain management because both concepts have got some underlying commonalities on areas of their operations (Song and Panayides, 2012). Whereby, supply chain management encompasses bringing together business operations through coordinated activities to ensure that there is flow of input from supplies to manufacturers till goods and services reaches to the final consumer (Wisner, Tan and Leong, 2011). Therefore, this assessment focuses on providing a sharp insight on the principles of third party logistics, advantages and disadvantages of third party logistics and suggested improvement that could be implemented at Hitachi Company(selected company for assessment) to make maritime logistics more effective and efficient. `. Third party logistics refers to a company or an organization that focuses on providing outsourced logistic services to other firms (Neubauer, 2010). For example, Hatachi Company was selected as one of third party logistic companies for this assessment (Schoenfeldt, 2008). The principle of third party logistics involves complementing logistic supply chain management by offering outsourced logistic services to their customers (Goldsby and Martichenko, 2005). Whereby, third party logistic providers have extended their services by acting as forwarders and hauliers. Recently, third party logistic firms not only provide physical logistic services but also additional services such as forwarding (Goldsby and Martichenko, 2005). Third party logistic providers have expanded their services to incorporate consumption services (Schoenfeldt, 2008). This expansion has made customers

Regeneration of Cartilage and Tendons in the Upper Extremities Dissertation

Regeneration of Cartilage and Tendons in the Upper Extremities - Dissertation Example Their research helped them establish that there are three main elements in tissue engineering and regeneration: sufficient cell numbers within the defect, access to differentiation factors, cell carrier or matrix which fills the defect and allows cell proliferation (Gao et.al., 2007). This study was able to indicate that cell regeneration of cartilage in the upper extremities is only apparent with stem cells in adult somatic tissues which can differentiate into various lineages of experimental conditions. In critically evaluating the research methods and content of this study, it is apparent to note that the topic chosen is very much significant and relevant in the current orthopedic practice, especially where this practice has yet to establish clear and effective cartilage and tendon regeneration. Unlike bones which often have mechanisms of quality regeneration in place, the authors focused their study on the regeneration of cartilage. The results of the study were very much support ed by their tables and by the literature review they presented. Moreover, the conclusions were drawn based on the logical evaluation of results as well as the discussion of variables. The limitations of the study were discussed, mostly in relation to the small population covered which also limited the generalized applicability of the results. Difficulties in regeneration of the cartilage has also been discussed by Scheibel et.al. (2004) where the authors carried out osteochondral autologous transplantations from the knee joints to the shoulder on eight patient respondents. Standard assessment measures were applied to the patients. After about 32 months from the transplantations, regeneration was seen in the cartilage indicating osseointegration of the osteochondral plugs and alignment of cartilage at the transplantation site. This study revealed that osteochondral autologous transplants in the shoulders offer viable options for lesions in the cartilage at the glenohumeral joints. Th e results of this study are very much related to previous studies on the subject matter in terms of the benefits of autologous transplantations for cartilage. The variables of the study were sufficiently explained and specified; however, limitations of the study were on the application of ethical research practices which the authors did not specify. It is difficult to gauge the application of confidentiality as well as informed consent without the authors specifying such applications within their text. The methods of the study are nevertheless replicable and repeatable for future studies and for future reference. Funakoshi et.al. (2006) carried out their experiment on tendon regeneration at the shoulders in their study where their subjects were rabbits. They experimented on 21 rabbits in order to evaluate the feasibility of nonwoven chitin fabrics in the acellular matrix rotator cuff regeneration. The subjects were assessed on the cellular level at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks following surgery and intervention. The authors were able to establish the value of grafted shoulders on subjects, which exhibited type III collagen regenerated tissues. In other words, using chitin fabric as an acellular matrix helped the regeneration of the tendons in the shoulder area. This study also supports the notion which was already forwarded by previous studies where cellular regeneration on cartilage and tendons can be difficult, but can be made

Comparison of Marxism and Capitalism Political Theories

Comparison of Marxism and Capitalism Political Theories Linking Political Theory to Contemporary Politics Alisha N Ancum Abstract A political theory, by definition is the study of concepts and principles that people use to describe, explain, associate, and evaluate events and institutions in society(Girvetz,2013). I will be comparing and contrasting two major political theories, Capitalism and Marxism. Their contrasting ideas are brings about a vast difference in their beliefs. But despite this, they do have some similarities in their varied forms. These two political theories have their advantages and disadvantages as they relate to politics, law, business, history and especially religion. Marxism being the younger of these two, builds on its own socio- economic model, but also offers a critic of capitalism. Both theories have shaped the nature, structure and politics of various nations from the industrial age to present day. Linking Political Theory to Contemporary Politics Political theory is abranch of political science concerned chiefly with the ideas of past and present political thinkers and the doctrines and proposals of political movements and groupsâ€Å"discussion of the proper scope of governmental action †¦ has usually been regarded as a proper part ofpolitical theory†Ã¢â‚¬â€ F.W.Coker (Political). This paper will compare and contrast two major political theories, Marxism and Capitalism. These two political theories are significantly different from each other, but also in the varied forms have some very similar characteristics. Capitalism and Marxism have both shaped the nature, structure and politics of various nations from the industrial age to present day. Marxism developed among the European working class of the 19th century. Marxism is the brain child of German philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883). Karl Marx started the socialist movement (Roskin,Cord,Mederiros, Jones,2013). Karl Marx was trained in Hegelian philosophy, and produced a complex theory covering economics, social class and history. Marx posited that things dont just happen by accident, and everything has a cause. At the core of Marxism, it is believed that property production and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. Hence the government has a role in the economy and social life of a nation. In a Marxist system, the means of production is owned by society, with the degree of ownership varying from total control to partial. The extreme form of Marxism is communism, as practiced in Cuba. Less extreme forms take the form of socialism or social democracies as in some countries such as, Scandinavia. Capitalism dates back to 16th century Europe, and became the dominant system in Western Europe. The basis of this system is ownership and control of the means of production by private individuals, with very little or no government intervention. In a Capitalist system, not only are the means of production not subject to government intervention as well as religion, social amenities and property rights. After the industrial revolution in Europe, capitalism was exported to the four corners of the world. At the core of the capitalist system is the free market. Free from societal control, the free market is believed to be self-regulating and privately owned. Capitalism is the brain child of Adam Smith. Adam Smith authored The Wealth of Nations, which is considered today as the capitalist bible. Capitalism creates a laissez-faire economy. These theories posit that the wealth and well-being of any nation is based on the amount of goods and services her citizens produced. Smith argues that go vernment intervention in the economy retards growth. This is so, because whenever one company or person (government) has a monopoly over the means of production, this kills competition, and with it, efforts to produce new goods and lower prices. This theory has taken the name of Liberalism, meaning people living as free as possible from government interference. Modern liberalism is what we called conservatism in America today. At the heart of this theory are still the core tenets of Adam Smiths philosophy. Core values include a strong free market and very minimal government interference in the lives and means of production of the nation. Edmund Burke (1729-1797), an 18th century American philosophy agrees with Adam Smiths theory. He believed the free market economy is the best system (Roskin, et al., 2013). He was also very supportive of the American colonies that were fighting for their basic freedoms. Modern conservatism in America has been reinforced by the writings of Milton Friedman (1926-2006), a Nobel Prize winning economist. Friedman argues that Adam Smith was right, and the free market economy is still the best system. Friedman also believes whenever government intervenes in the free market and society, it messes things up (Roskin, et al., 2013). Some of the major differences between Marxism and Capitalism is their approach to traditional values especially religion. In a capitalistic society, the freedom of religion worship is vigorously protected as an individual natural right. Hence government interference in faith matters is frowned upon. In present day America, modern conservatives advocate a society where government protects the religious freedoms of individuals. They want prayer in public places, the ban of abortion and same sex marriage (Roskin, et al., 2013). Modern conservatives in America also oppose any special rights for women and minority groups especially when they perceive it to be contrary to the dominant religious views of today. As a result, any forms of legislation affecting these spheres of society are viewed as an intrusion by government on the individual freedoms of people. Marxism on the other hand, views religion very negatively. Religion is the opium of society he wrote. Vladimir Lenin, a Bolshevik socialist said religion slows down economic growth. Religion is viewed in Marxist societies as a tool by capitalist elites to control the masses. Hence religion is frowned upon. Some countries which practiced strict forms of Marxism developed varied form of state atheism; for example the former Soviet Socialist Republic and the Peoples Republic of China. Today, most Marxist or socialist countries have eased the ban on Religious worship. While the stigma still exist, only in extreme cases like North Korea, where religion is banned. In present day America, the fight over the role of government in matters of faith runs very deep. This has created a very polarized polity. With Republicans made up of predominantly modern conservatives are vehemently opposed to rights being extended by the government to gay couples (Roskin, et al., 2013). Modern conservatives view marriage as a matter of faith, with no need to digress from its religious definition. They view the extension of marriage rights to gay citizens by the Democratic Party as an infringement of the religious freedoms of the citizen. Modern conservatives view this threat to the individual rights of the citizen as posited by Adam Smith, Edmund Burke and Milton Friedman. The Democratic Party and its socially liberal base, view the intervention of the state to extend the right to marriage to gay couples as an important role of government. This being a core tenet of Marxism which suggests that government must be involved in certain aspects of society, to ensure eq ual rights among the citizens. Another major difference between the two political theories is how they perceive the right to property. In the capitalist system, property is viewed a means of production and should be privately owned and controlled. Government was to protect the right to private ownership of property, with no interference. While capitalism recognizes some form of public property, it forms a very small portion of capital goods. The private ownership of property covers both tangible and intangible property. Hence businesses are privately owned and control, with little or no interference from government. A capitalist society has laws prohibiting the seizure of private property on individuals. In a Marxist system, property is viewed as a public good. While in varied forms, private ownership of property is allowed, the majority of property for the production of goods and services are owned or controlled by the state. This is believed to be the best possible way to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor. In so doing, the Marxist believes, equality, growth and general welfare are achieved. Hence in most countries where various forms of Marxism are practiced, the state controls major sectors of the economy like energy production, health care etc. In 2009, the Obama administration and their Democratic majority passed the Affordable Health care Act, which was vigorously opposed by Republicans and conservatives who viewed this as a government takeover of a major part of the free market. Democrats and their Liberal allies argued the law was necessary to protect and provide health care to over 20 million Americans who couldnt afford health insurance in the free market. This issue is still a major rallying call for modern conservatives in America today. While there are clear differences between these political theories, there are also some minor similarities. For example, in both systems, there is the possibility of social mobility. While the Marxist tries to eliminate class structures, and the capitalist systems survives on a class structure. Individuals have the opportunity to move up the social strata in both systems. Both systems allow government regulation of business, contracts, and markets; however the degree of regulation varies between both. The capitalist favors very little regulation, believing more in the unseen hand of the market to regulate it. The Marxist system, believes in providing more intrusion and regulation by the state (Roskin, et al., 2013). For without state regulation, the markets will run wild driven by profits, this is evident by the world economic crisis of 2008. References Girvetz, H. k. (2013, June 5). Liberalism . InEncyclopedia Britanica. Retrieved March 3, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339173/liberalism Political Theory. (n.d.). InMerriam-Webster online. Retrieved from  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political theory Roskin, M. G., Cord, R. L., Medeiros, J. A., Jones, W. S. (2013).Political Science An Introduction(Thirteenth ed., pp. 21-49). N.p.: Pearson.

21st Century Technologies and Their Relationship to Student Achievement Essay

The Holy Grail in education today is to link an educational strategy, program, initiative or technology to student achievement. There are numerous organizations advocating for Technology Literacy, Information Literacy, 21st Century Learning Skills, and any number of other titles for literacy in a modern context. In all sectors of human society, the technology of the 21st Century has revolutionized and enhanced our way of life. From medicine to the military and from business to the arts, the technologies of today have made our lives better. It is not surprising then, that the public expects technology to have a similar revolutionary effect on education. After all, the biggest advancements of the last 20 years have been in the realm of information and the tools of human knowledge; this is Education’s back-yard. Yet, when people look at our schools they see many classrooms that seem to have been immune to these advances. There are obstacles that education faces in implementing a 21st Century approach to education not the least of which is finding a definition and a clear picture of what it really looks like and whether it will be more effective for students. Costs to implement technology-rich programs quickly seem prohibitive when scaling to an entire school system, particularly so in a state that lags the nation in educational funding. Teachers are our biggest asset and are known to be the single largest influence on student achievement the district can provide, so professional development is crucial and fundamental. The measure of success, the CSAP, is a paper and pencil test which will be unable to measure all the positive effects technology can have for student learning. Indeed, a 20th Century test method will be unable to properly assess (and may even inhibit) the skills development of a 21st Century learner. And then, are we just about the content and helping students master it, or is education about something more as well? Therefore, making the case that investment in technology will increase student achievement can be fraught with pitfalls and obstacles. To attempt to tackle this issue, the authors of this paper will review quality research and commentary in an array of areas where technology-related tools and strategies have been implemented with positive effects for students. A strict filter of studies that produce higher test results will not be used because of the limitations current paper and pencil tests have in assessment of 21st Century skills. In addition to improved assessment performances, the reader is encouraged to consider the context of a global workplace and education’s duty to prepare students to thrive in a highly digital, interactive knowledge workforce. Research that shows increased student achievement on assessments, studies that point to ways education can successfully prepare students for a modern workforce and our own experiences in Littleton Public Schools shall all be considered positive correlations between technology and student achievement in this paper. The Challenge Inherent in Determining the Effectiveness of Technologies via Research The following is an excerpt that addresses a gestalt view of technology and its correlation to student achievement: When we try to determine the effectiveness of educational technologies, we are confronted by a number of methodological and practical issues. First, we need to remember that technology is only one component of an instructional activity. Assessments of the impact of technology are really assessments of instruction enabled by technology, and the outcomes are highly dependent on the quality of the implementation of the instructional design. According to Roy Pea, director of SRI Center for Technology in Learning in Menlo Park, California, the â€Å"social contexts† of how technology is used are crucial to understanding how technology might influence teaching and learning. Educational technologies cannot be effective by themselves. The social contexts are all-important. This means more attention should be paid to the teaching strategies used both â€Å"in† the software and â€Å"around it† in the classroom, and to the classroom environment itself. It is a recurrent finding that the effects of the best software can be neutralized through improper use, and that even poorly designed software can be creatively extended to serve important learning goals. There are also a host of methodological issues to confront. First, standardized achievement tests might not measure the types of changes in students that educational technology reformers are looking for. New measures, some of which are currently under development, would assess areas, such as higher order thinking skills, that many believe can be particularly affected by using new technologies. There is also a need to include outcome measures that go beyond student achievement, because student achievement might be affected by students’ attitudes about themselves, their schools, the types of interactions that go on in schools, and the very idea of learning. Another consideration is pointed out by the U. S. Office of Technology Assessment’s Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection: Technological changes are likely to be nonlinear, and might show effects not only on student learning, but also on the curriculum, the nature of instruction, the school culture, and the fundamental ways that teachers do their jobs. Coley, 1997). Instant Response Systems Data-driven decision making is an educational approach that requires educators to decide on instructional strategies and activities based on what they know about how well students have grasped a concept. Whereas before, this might be done with mini quizzes, homework or performances at the chalk board, todayâ€⠄¢s technologies provide another avenue. Using handheld devices in Modesto City Schools classrooms, teachers can pose questions to students who use wireless remotes for real-time responses. Such engagement enables the teachers to immediately determine if students are grasping concepts and decide whether more time is needed on a topic or whether the group can move on. Item banks of standards-aligned questions make teacher’s jobs easier in developing such review materials (Hines, 2005). Another similar technology is the graphing calculator which can be used in math and science classrooms to enable every student to participate and have the power of a modern computing tool. Classrooms that make use of the graphing calculator exhibit better questioning and feedback behaviors; goal-oriented instruction becomes more attainable and more common; activities result in better student engagement and students tend to demonstrate more collaborative learning behaviors (Whitehurst, 2003). In Littleton Public Schools, a definitive interest is rising for these technologies as several classroom sets are deployed in schools across the district. Results are largely anecdotal and preliminary, but math coordinators are seeing the Texas Instruments graphing calculator as a valuable tool that will reach beyond just math class. Technology Education Littleton Public Schools has a strong tradition in the realm of technology education. Our Middle and High Schools are all equipped with curricula that introduce a wide array of technologies to students. LPS technology education students and teachers have won national recognition for their work. A relatively small amount of research has been done on students’ understandings of design and technology concepts, or technical knowledge. This limited research sometimes makes it difficult to capitalize on such an ever evolving subject as Technology Education. The findings from the Australian study state that an increasing awareness of students’ understandings of design and technology concepts can have an impact on the teaching and learning of design and technology in elementary schools similar to that experienced in elementary science education (Davis, Ginns, & McRobbie, 2002). Called Career and Technical Education in Virginia, CTE correlations to curricular areas have been documented on a state web site (http://www. valinkages. net/) and are considered a key component to preparing students for End-Of-Course tests. A study was conducted in 2002–2003 on Illustration and Design Technology coursework, an example of CTE student performance on Standards of Learning (SOL), the Virginia equivalent of CSAP tests. The results showed that 78 percent of CTE students passed the mathematics SOL test while only 72 percent of non-CTE enrolled students pass the test (Dyer, Reed, & Berry, 2006). Authors on the subject advocate for providing students with opportunities to synthesize their learning in other subjects in technology-related programs. The opportunity to apply and reinforce learning from content areas in technology programs is essential if learning is to be meaningful to students (Lewis, 1999). In our own experiences in LPS, we find that the Technology Education courses generate excitement and interest for learning among both male and female students which must have an impact on their learning. Recent research has shown that Technology Education courses appeal to both genders equally (McCarthy & Moss, 1994). Although girls appeared to enjoy required technology education courses, they were less likely to continue taking such courses as electives(Silverman & Pritchard, 1996). Certainly motivation and application of knowledge help to improve student achievement. And while recent results do not conclusively prove that these courses impact student achievement at a higher level than other programs we implement in schools, it would be imprudent to think that these programs do not have a very positive effect. This is one of the limitations of research on students: it is almost impossible to create a true control group. When asked, students currently enrolled in LPS Technology Education courses reported their thoughts of technology to include: computers, iPods, video games, music media, email, and tools in general. Recent legislation supports the concept that education’s technology initiatives need to go beyond thinking about computers. Rather, Technology Education is about teaching innovation; providing opportunity for practical application of knowledge gained in school; mastery of abstraction and problem solving. Technology Education programs at LPS include a broad scope of tools that human beings use to master their environment including manufacturing, construction, power and energy, communication, transportation, and biotechnology. While research that clearly correlates higher student achievement on standardized tests is lacking, the skills that students learn in such courses clearly match what employers, from engineering firms to manufacturing companies, indicate they seek in their applicant pools. Simulations and Video Games â€Å"Dad, did you know that a Prefect in ancient Rome was both a firefighter AND a policeman? † was a question that arose from the back of my (Dan Maas) car during a long road trip with my son, Calvin. He described, in quite accurate detail, the pantheon of Roman gods, the basic elements of Roman society and then abruptly ended the question and answer period that arose from his initial question so he could fend off the Carthaginians. How did he know they were Carthaginians? â€Å"Hannibal always attacks with elephants† was his reply. The boy had learned all this about Rome playing a video game at age five. Video games have long been the bane of the parent and teacher’s existence, but there’s something here that may be of some use to us. Some have picked up on the possibilities. A multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) is a kind of video game. Schools like Harvard University are creating MUVEs that are patterned after video games with a few critical differences. Video games typically have goals like collecting points, defeating enemies or gathering gold. On the other hand, MUVEs have the goal of learning. By creating virtual environments, problems can be posed, research can be collected, theories tested and outcomes achieved. One MUVE example begins with an outbreak of a disease in a small town that players must investigate, determine the pathogens involved, develop theories on how o treat the illness and test methods to resolve the crisis. The simulation is highly visual, interactive, and highly engaging to the students. See   Studies show that children whose teachers use technology for simulations and application of knowledge tend to develop higher order thinking skills and tend to score higher on tests like the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Conversely, technology use that focuses on drill-and-practice tends to correlate to lower performance (Archer, 1998). In another pilot, students who participated in computer-assisted literacy instruction earned higher scores on a Stanford Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory and on a Test of Written Spelling (Bottege, Daley, Goin, Hasselbring, & Taylor, 1997). In a 2005 study on a gaming system called an Intelligent Tutoring System, results showed increased educational interest and motivation among students. Students showed statistically significant gains educationally, but of particular note was the very significant effect on students who had performed poorly previous to the pilot (Virvou, Katsionis, & Manos, 2005). When one thinks about games, it seems as if there is a clear opportunity for using this tool for advancing educational skills. Students solve problems, learn languages and master virtual world rules while playing video games for entertainment. This pattern was examined in a Newark, New Jersey study using Lightspan educational video games where 47 pre-school age children played 40 minutes per day for 11 weeks and demonstrated significant gains over the control group on the Wide Range Achievement Test R-3. The scores for spelling and decoding were significantly improved for the experimental group over the control while no significant difference was detected in math (Calao & Din, 2001). The Pokemon video game is also interesting to consider. By the time the first draft of this document is completed for the Board of Education, the country will celebrate Dr. Suess’ birthday. His children’s books help young people to learn to read by creating simple, repetitive language constructs that reveal patterns to students and help them improve their decoding and phonic awareness. He even made up nonsense words to press the student’s phonetic ability. Pokemon has many similar traits. Text on the handheld game appears in small, five word chunks that only proceed when the reader is done. The reading is meaningful in that comprehension is required to solve the puzzles of the game. And the story line is filled with imaginary creatures with made-up names†¦ each phonetically accurate. Did the makers of Pokemon intend to create a game that might help children learn to read or did the creators use phonics to create the English language equivalents of their native Japanese? Who knows, but perhaps this game, or something like it, could be helpful. In speaking informally at several buildings in LPS, students at the middle level indicated that they would check out educational video games to play on their home gaming systems. Could video games, tuned to education by eliminating violence and other objectionable themes, become a new tool educators can use to engage students both during and after school? More research is certainly warranted but the existing results and intuitive logic leads one to think that there is promise here. At-Risk/Intervention An ever present emphasis in education is how to intervene for students with at-risk characteristics. We see educational and economic gaps forming for students at-risk and our public system is always focused on closing gaps and providing bridges for students. Can technology-integrated interventions be part of the answer? In a recent study published by North Carolina State University’s Meridian, journal on middle school technology, students repeating eighth grade were isolated into a focused 27-week program that used hypermedia, online resources and Power Point as integrated technologies. Students demonstrated statistically significant gains (29 percentile points) in reading and language arts. Additionally students demonstrated marked improvements (23 percentile points) in writing performances (Little, 2006). Within LPS, the Center for Online Studies is a partnership with Arapahoe Community College (ACC). Students come to ACC to take online coursework supplied by Class. com and supervised by a certified teacher. The students enrolled have had difficulty succeeding in their traditional high schools and reported to the Board of Education in January, 2007 that the program has made a difference in their academic pursuits. The principles in use here that are making this first year program a success are having a quality content source, a certified teacher and a supportive learning environment. 1:1 Initiatives One-to-one computing is an industry term of one computing device allocated to one person. This essentially is an initiative to end shared computing resources based on the idea that such learning tools are so essential that every student needs one all the time. This view is something akin to the status that textbooks have enjoyed for some time. When the public hears about classroom textbooks, meaning students can’t take their own book home, there is usually concern or even outcry to increase the resource. Proponents of 1:1 computing believe that the 21st Century represents a time when that status held by textbooks transfers to the computer. Indeed, if we are to shift from paper-based learning materials to electronic sources, a 1:1 initiative of some sort of computing device will be a pre-requisite. Some school districts and even states have begun to explore this concept. In Maine, a state-wide initiative began nine years ago to provide every seventh grade student with a laptop. The program is called the Main Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) and it is having an impact on teaching and learning in their public schools. After five years, researchers reported that teachers were more effective at helping students meet state standards. Also students were more motivated, learned more, and mastered concepts to deeper levels. Finally, students appeared to be learning new skills for the 21st Century (Lane, 2003). Further research into the MLTI project showed that students who had used laptops in 7th and 8th grade, but no longer had school supplied laptops in 9th grade reported that the quantity and quality of their school work had dropped since losing access to school-provided laptops (Pitler, Flynn, & Gaddy, 2004). A 1:1 project is the initiative in Henrico County, Virginia which began in 2001. Prior to the project, 78 percent of the district schools were accredited based on the student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning test. By the end of the school year in 2003, all schools had earned accreditation meaning that a satisfactory percentage of students passed the state test (Pitler, Flynn, & Gaddy, 2004). In Canada, a 1:1 effort entitled the Wireless Writing Project begun in 2002 started in Peace River North with 6th and 7th grade students. In pre and post-test results on writing assessments, researchers found that the percentage of students who met or exceeded the performance standards of the test increased from 70 percent to 92 percent (Pitler, Flynn, & Gaddy, 2004). Another 1:1 initiative is underway in New Hampshire where initial results reflect other studies of similar efforts. Students and teachers are demonstrating increased technology use across the curricular areas. Student engagement and motivation is improving and student-teacher interactions are on the rise. Initial reports of teacher judgment of student achievement (that is, basing achievement on grades rather than standardized tests) indicate that students are doing better than before (Bebell, 2004). In our own experiences in LPS, we see classrooms with laptop access achieving a 1:1 ratio for the class period exhibiting much improved academic behaviors. Working in this manner, students demonstrate a tendency to return to previous homework and revise, edit and reuse to far greater degrees than the classroom teacher was accustomed to seeing. Students more often compare their writing samples with peers and seem more likely to collaborate. Using blogs, wikis and other online tools, students expand on the usefulness of word processors by working collaboratively and ubiquitously. Collaboration through Technology A strong theme through the research and observations in this paper is how technologies are used to improve student achievement and general practices. This section is dedicated to the art of collaboration and how various tools allow people to reach across distances and through time like never before. iPods and other MP3 playing devices have opened up a very convenient and powerful pathway for information to be produced, accessed and archived. San Diego State University is leveraging this technology in science teacher preparation. Podcasting is a method of recording digital audio and video files and posting them online for others to access. This method can be used to bring distant experts to students, provide opportunities to review material at leisure, grant unprecedented access to students to research material and extend the learning opportunities for students well beyond the classroom. Surveys of pre-service science teachers who used iPods and podcasting in their preparation reported time savings, increased interest in subject matter, and declared that they would use podcasting in their own teaching methods in the future (Yerrick, 2006). The presence of global networks, the affordability of a wide array of information technology and the reality that connected people create an integrated whole have drastically impacted how we work, and learn today. Learning theories of the previous century including behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism were developed, prior to the current way our lives are organized, as a result of technology. Siemens proposes a new theory of learning based on the new human condition: Connectivism. In this view, knowledge resides in people and on devices. Learning and knowing rest on diverse opinions from a wide array of sources. Learning becomes a process of connecting nodes of information. Continual learning is maintained by nurturing connections. Learners find connections between different ideas, fields of study, and basic concepts. Being current is of paramount importance. And decision-making is actually a learning process, meaning choosing what to learn and being able to deal with the shifting nature of information. Learners must become comfortable with the reality that what is considered correct today might be proven wrong tomorrow. This theory of learning represents a massive shift in thinking: that learning is not an individual pursuit, but is a collaborative, dynamic and never-ending activity (Siemens, 2005). In LPS, the blog and the wiki has become a fascinating collaborative learning tool. In a Language Arts classroom, students no longer just check out a book, write some sticky-note annotations, and have one-at-a-time discussions prompted by the teacher. Rather, students copy Macbeth from a web resource into a word processor and annotate electronically, keeping their work on personally owned USB memory keys. While some students discuss a scene with the teacher, others are free to blog commentary on the topic of verbal discussion or other interests in the subject-matter at hand. Suddenly, a dozen conversation threads are happening all at once and the teacher only has control of one. The participation rate of students has risen and students return to the blog after school to continue their dialog. Students report that the conversation via blog makes them more reflective and yet more confident because of the lack of a public speaking component to the classroom discussion. In one discussion, the number of postings became so frequent over a short period of time that the free blogging service shut down the account because the activity resembled a malicious electronic attack on the blog server. A wiki supporting another Language Arts class is being used to connect students to young people in other countries like South Korea. Students reading Arabian Nights have opportunities to share their insights with others from around the United States and even in foreign countries. Other opportunities include the use of SKYPE for toll-free calls around the globe to other connected classrooms and instant messages allowing free-form, high speed conversation on topics of study. And in a Foreign Language classroom, chat and Voice Over IP systems allow students to practice their second language acquisition with their teacher, with each other, and even with students outside the classroom. The lesson is that the art of collaboration has no boundaries today. Time and space are no longer the limiters they once were and the list of technologies in this section only scratches the surface of what is available. And like the learning theory of Connectivism points out, this too will change. Education must take note and prepare students to succeed in an environment that thrives on collaboration while constantly changing and improving the tools that support it. Word Processing and Writing For decades now, research has been conducted on the effect word processing has on writing skills for students. In a 1997 study, Owston and Wideman cite a considerable body of work on this topic as part of their research project that studied 3rd grade students using word processors for writing. They concluded in their own study that use of word processors that were readily available to students and were an integrated part of their daily activities resulted in considerably higher quality and quantity of writing as compared to a similar student group without access and support for such tools (1997). In a more recent qualitative study, the use of word processors with seven 3rd grade students over a six week period led to significantly more creative, more comprehensive and improved style. This study of five girls and two boys also reported higher motivation to work with the writing process as compared to paper and pencil methods (Beck & Fetherston, 2003). In LPS, Anne Smith reports that students are more engaged when using classroom laptops. The students take advantage of the ease of use to manipulate text to show various sentence structures. While these studies definitely point to improved writing volume and quality from young students, research also suggests that young students need to be exposed to handwritten learning as well, which has been a point of discussion for some time. An article by Balajthy et al points out that students need a diverse writing experience and that word processors should be part of the experience rather than replacing handwritten work (Balajthy, McKeveny, & Lacitignola, 1986). At this developmental level, the various tools for writing are most effective for learners when they are used in an integrated approach with the overall instructional program rather than taught separately (MacArthur, 1988). There are studies that show little or no impact of word processors on the quality of student writing, however, a meta-analysis in 1993 showed that these studies tend to have a number of limitations not the least of which is the use of text-based word processors rather than the Graphical User Interface (GUI) systems in use today. Additionally, the analysis revealed that such studies often involve students who have sporadic access to the technology and were not accomplished with the tool (Bangert-Drowns, 1993). The process of mastering writing is very important and there is research that shows how emphasis on writing skills positively improves student achievement across the curriculum. Writing Across the Curriculum initiatives have over twenty years of professional practice and anecdotal evidence to support this claim. Strong research has been hard to come by, however, to truly evidence the effects. One of the biggest obstacles is the ability to truly have a strong control group for any study as such would require a population of students who did not use writing as part of their learning process (Railsback, 2004). Some studies have been able to document positive effects. In a 1992 study, Van Allen was able to conclude that school-wide efforts in Writing Across the Curriculum in five middle schools over a five year period resulted in better writing and better overall student achievement on assessments (1991). What we have found essential in LPS is to have students write frequently and in a variety of forms including wikis and blogs as well as word processors. We wish to note here that we must be careful about using research that is old, even though some of it is unavoidable. The technology tools of today are very different than when computers first entered schools. As an example, the word processing research from the 1980s may not be completely irrelevant, but the software of today bears so little resemblance to the software of the late 1980s. In addition, increased student (and teacher) familiarity with these tools will also have an effect on the impact these tools have on achievement. A key question is â€Å"How do we measure the impact of tools that change so quickly that by the time you measure their impact, the tools have changed? In other words, by the time most research is done (and published in â€Å"reputable† sources), the technology has changed so much that the research loses at least some of its relevance. This will be a significant hurdle to overcome. In a comprehensive peer-reviewed report, Bangert-Drowns conducted another meta-analysis with Hurley and Wilkinson on the impact of writing across the curriculum in 2004. This analysis, which reviewed 48 studies, produced three major findings. First, writing for learning produced positive effects on school achievement in the studies reviewed. The second finding was that grade levels, minutes per task, and writing prompts had significant impact on results. The study found that programs implemented in Grades 6–8 actually had reduced performances, possibly due to the loss of time on the more differentiated content covered at the secondary level. Longer tasks also depressed results perhaps for similar time constraint issues and motivational issues among students. The use of writing prompts concerning students’ current understandings and confusion were very effective while prompts for personal writing showed no effect. The third finding concerned the length of treatment. The analysis revealed the intuitive conclusion that students who have longer exposure to writing for learning strategies experience a cumulative effect that is very positive (2004). The research continues today and can be seen in an article published in Education Week on February 14, 2007, where the National Assessment of Educational Progress has been piloting a computerized test for assessing writing. This move recognizes the research that is showing how students write more often, of better quality, and with more consistency (between both genders) when using these writing tools. And preliminary results are showing that students tend to write better on the tests when using the word processor (Cavanagh, 2007). What can be drawn from these studies is that writing, being an active learning process, has been shown to positively impact student achievement in all subject areas. It can also be stated that students who have ample access to word processing in conjunction with skillful instruction in a school that is emphasizing Writing Across the Curriculum can be reasonably expected to produce higher achievement results. Streaming Video In four Los Angeles public schools, a study was conducted on the effectiveness of United Streaming video in supporting 6th through 8th grade mathematics achievement. Students were pre and post-tested to provide the source data for the study which revealed that the experimental group using streaming video outperformed the control group by 4. 7 percent among sixth grade students. This differential was shown to be statistically significant. Eighth grade students showed a more modest 2. 2 percent advantage which still registered as significant (Boster et al. , 2004). In LPS, the same United Streaming resources were secured for all schools at the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year. Additional digital projection and speaker equipment was provided to schools along with a concerted orientation effort to help teachers access and use the material. Prior to the introduction of United Streaming video, the Internet connection for the district was peaking at 26 megabits of demand. Within two months of the introduction of United Streaming, the peak demand had reached 100 megabits which represented the maximum throughput the connection was able to sustain. This 400 percent increase in Internet demand was traced directly to streaming video services requested by the schools demonstrating the value teachers immediately saw in this technology. Today, LPS is deploying a locally hosted server to present the streaming video to meet the growing demand for both quantity and quality of the content. Laptops for Teachers The following is an observation of technology use at Lenski Elementary School by Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Boni Hamilton. As part of the Technology Grants from Plan for Social Excellence (www. pfse. org). schools provided laptops for teachers in the first year of the three year grants. PFSE didn’t collect hard data about the impact, but at Lenski Elementary School, I saw firsthand the effects on teachers and instruction. Some observations: 1. Teachers who had been least confident about their technology skills increased their confidence and competence with technology skills to equal that of the more tech-savvy staff members within four months. While the classroom teachers had regular access to technology skills when they co-taught in the lab and so were fairly confident with technology skills, the non-classroom staff such as specialists received training only when it was scheduled for the staff. This was too infrequent to give them the level of competence they needed. The portability of the laptops allowed the specialists to get help from peers, family members, and friends. A couple of teachers even signed up for computer classes outside the school because they finally had computers they could take home and practice on. One teacher who had been only moderately comfortable with technology learned how to make tables in MSWord and began showing everyone on staff — she became the staff expert. 2. Teachers improved in their trouble-shooting skills. Trouble-shooting is difficult to teach because problems happen at inconvenient times and are hard to reproduce during a training session. However, when teachers were carting their laptops home and had problems, they had to solve the problems themselves. They either used family members to help or they ‘fooled around’ until it did what they wanted. Because they knew the computers could be restored, they no longer worried about what would happen if they took a risk and pushed a button. 3. Teachers grew more relaxed about problems. Before laptops, teachers often got stressed when some technology failed. As they learned to problem-solve laptop problems, they had less tendency to get up-tight when something went wrong. They were then able to think about problem-solving strategies, consult a peer, or cart the laptop to a computer coach for help. 4. Teachers increased the level of student use of technology. As teachers gained confidence, they became more willing to risk using computers in the classroom. It wasn’t as scary to let kids try projects on classroom computers because they trusted that either they or their students could solve problems. 5. The demand for student computers in classrooms has increased dramatically annually. Even though teachers felt their classrooms were too small to handle clusters of computers, six months after they received laptops, they made room for computer clusters because they began to depend on computers to enable students to continue projects, collaborate on learning, and practice skills. The number of desktop computers in classrooms went from an average of three per room to an average of five to six per room. Lenski also bought two 15-computer laptop carts, but demand was so heavy that the school added two more carts in the following year. Then the library’s demand for computers increased so dramatically that the school had to buy a fifth cart. In the third year of having laptop carts, teachers are now complaining that there are too few carts available for the library and 16 classrooms (Grades 2-5). 6. After three years of having laptops, most teachers opted to return to desktop computers. There seemed to be several causes for this: 1) They purchased home computers and found they could use USB drives to cart files; 2) The school had enough wireless laptops for student use that teachers could get on a laptop; or even borrow one overnight, if they needed; 3) They preferred larger screens, faster processors, and standard mice. Based on these observations, I advocate strongly for giving teachers experience with laptops before buying laptops for students. Concluding Remarks The following is a summative commentary from Karl Fisch, Edublog Nominee and Finalist for the Best Blog of 2006: We’re not going to find a whole lot of really good research to support this at this time. I can summarize what the research generally says. The use of technology in appropriate ways has a small, positive effect on student achievement. It also has a larger, but still small, positive effect on student and teacher motivation, engagement and satisfaction. That’s about it. But I would strongly argue that – to a certain extent – this is missing the point. I would also suggest that many of our current practices are in direct contradiction to what the research says we should do, but we do them anyway because it’s convenient for the adults. How come nobody is demanding to see the research to support those practices? But I digress. ) I do not think that if we infuse technology into our schools, even putting in a 1:1 program at the high schools, that we will see student achievement – as we currently measure it – skyrocket. I think we may see a small positive effect, with possibly a slightly larger effect among those students who typically have not done very well in our schools. But the basic problem with looking for research that supports growth in student achievement is that – by necessity – research has to look at fixed, testable content to try to determine growth. Now I’m not saying that content knowledge isn’t valuable, it is. But I think the skills and abilities and habits of mind that ubiquitous access to technology would help us develop in our students are ones that are really hard to measure. How do you measure creativity? Or the ability to collaborate with others, both in the same room or across the planet (or beyond)? Or the ability to take in information from an almost inexhaustible supply, synthesizes it, remix it, and then produce something that is of value to others? How do you measure imagination? How do you measure the ability to function in a flat, globally interconnected, technology-enabled, rapidly changing world? How do we measure the ability to learn how to learn? To know how to adapt, to reinvent yourself over and over again to meet the needs of a world that is changing at an exponential pace. How do you measure the ability to function in a world where all of human factual knowledge will be available practically instantaneously? Knowledge is good. Having content knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, to be successful in the 21st century. The research – at best – is only going to tell us about content knowledge. The power of the technology is to transform teaching and learning as we know it. To make it more student-centered, more individualized (yet also more community-based), more relevant, more meaningful. It allows each student to connect to each other, to the world, to knowledge, to learning, in the way(s) that works best for that student. I guess I fear we are asking the wrong questions . . . Where does all this leave us? And what use does this document provide? Clearly, more research is needed, but our efforts can no longer await the coming of comprehensive research studies. Not having solid research behind us will not be an adequate excuse for failing to prepare our students for the 21st Century. Therefore, we must be on the constant look-out for research that will help us light the way while we move ahead in the modernization of our public schools and our methods. We must become students of our own society and allow our own observations and action-research to influence our decisions. We must model for our students the creativity and risk-taking that will be defining characteristics of the next age. In short, educators must come out of the comfort zone, release some control and join the wave of seemingly chaotic global empowerment. Daniel Pink describes the next age of society which might give us some clues. He defines an age by the type of worker that is most commonly found among the population. During the Agricultural Age, the common person was some sort of farmer. During the Industrial Age, it was the factory worker. And during the Information Age, which he describes as beginning in the 1960’s, it was the Knowledge Worker. But the end of each age is preceded by an out-sourcing and off-shoring of the common worker prompting the rise of the next age. So what does Daniel Pink suggest is next? The Conceptual Age. This economy maintains the necessity of strong left-brain skills (reading, writing, math and science) while adding the right brain skills (aesthetics, intuition, value and play). Daniel Pink would advise us to continue our left-brain pursuits, but introduce the richness of meaning and value. It is no longer sufficient to create a well engineered product; now the product must be appealing as well (2005). References: http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/PDF/NH1to1_2004.pdf