Position paper of a debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Position paper of a debate - Essay Example The annual expenditure for childhood obesity is approximately $ 100 billion (Bandini & Dietz 648). Studies have shown that when a child is obese at the age of between 10 year and 13 years, there is more than 80 percent chance of becoming obese when he or she grows to adulthood. But with exercise, proper nutrition, and support, such obese children can lose weight and live a healthy life marked by healthier habits (Anderson 461). There is need for parents to explore ways of dealing with obesity and help their obese children lose weight. Parents should take advantage of all the opportunities to raise the children’s self esteem. They should not feel ashamed to come up with a health fitness topic. This should be sensitively done so as not to make the obese child view it as an insult. Parents should talk to their obese children openly, directly and without being judgmental or critical (Ball et al. 20). It is important for parents to be sensitive to their children’s feelings and needs. Becoming active is a key lifestyle change that an obese child should undertake. They should be given support and guidance by their parents on the best and comfortable physical activities to engage in. The efforts made by these children towards reducing their weight should constantly be praised (Arslanian & Suprasongsin 157). Celebrating any incremental changes and not rewarding the efforts with food is very important for the parents. Parents should further take an initiative of talking to these children about their feelings. This helps them to find means of dealing with their emotions that do not entail eating. By doing so, the child will be able to focus on the positive goals such as running the necessary number of rounds in a gym class as a way of losing the excess weight (Adiar &Gordon 644). Transitioning a child by parents from an obese condition to a state of a well balanced weight should not be taken to be as

Was World War Two a Good War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Was World War Two a Good War - Essay Example This is evident with the commencement of WWII, which historically despite cited as a â€Å"good war† in terms of ending repressive regimes, is far from it due to then its associated mass extermination of human life and crippling of allies’ economies. Contrary to numerous scholars’ works not citing detrimental effects of the war, it yielded to immense loss of lives to both civilians and those who engaged autocratic or â€Å"evil forces† as commonly preferred. As Mooney states, â€Å"roughly 6 million Jews and approximately 4 million others were murdered in the â€Å"Holocaust† (Mooney, 110).† Hence, revealing the utter retaliations of autocratic forces after realizing their victims of the day had support from external world, which was ready for engagements. However, numerous history scholars despite noticing this utter humiliation tend to incline towards adopting political perspective while ignoring scars the war left in people’s hearts . Most of the retaliations made by the then â€Å"evil forces/powers† of the day encompassed unleashing terror on those who could not defend themselves. The core reason was to irritate other global blocs who through their actions of inducing peace seemed to defend victims despite most of them being not their citizens. However, these efforts by sympathizing blocs instead of bringing relieve to the suffering continued to worsen while trying to eliminate totalitarian regimes. According to Mooney’s sentiments, â€Å"100,000 more eventually died from burns and radiation sickness†¦ On 9 August a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 80,000 more Japanese (Mooney, 119).† This was more than what opposing peaceful blocs together with their allies of the then campaigned while in the quest of inducing peace and saving life. It is irrefutable WWII despite attributed with overthrowing and containing the then tyrannical powers, it yielded to the destruction and stagnation of numerous global economies. This is in terms of numerous resources that went into supporting the military forces against their autocratic enemies, which was not an easy task. According to Ernie, â€Å"For a mile out from the beach there were scores of tanks and trucks and boats that you could no longer see, for they were at the bottom of the water - swamped by overloading, or hit by shells, or sunk by mines (Ernie, â€Å"The Horrible Waste of War†).† This was one of the numerous destructions evidenced on both sides as each pioneering state solicited monetary and weaponry support from respective allies. Hence, rendering the war as the most expensive the world has ever had, which somehow crippled entire global economy. It also led to the disruption of family structure whose effect is still evident to date. The female gender ended up assuming male’s occupations where they worked in industries to support the then ongoing combat. During then, almost all men comprising the energetic gap ganged together compelled by their respective states to wage war against tyrannical powers. This is evident in Sauer’s confession citing, â€Å"I worked seven days a week† (Sauer, â€Å"The War Changed My Life Completely†). Hence, revealing utter situation she had to undergo due to the lack of labor force in industrial firms where

The pest control repeller

The pest control repeller CHAPTER 1: Introduction The Pest Control Repeller is a device designed to eliminate undesired animals to be appeared in our residential area. These undesired animals are such as rodents, bats and even birds like swallow. Rodents appear in the house not only give rise to hygienes problem, but also causing damage to the properties; they bite clothes and furniture that reside in the house. Bats, on the other hand produce excrements on the roof which may jeopardize the health of the residents stay inside the house, they also make noises during night time and affect residents to sleep. Apart from rodents and bats, birds like swallow which the amount has increases dramatically recently has also causes problem to the residents in a residential area. The great profit and demand of the bird nest in the market has attracted more and more people to invest in this business. Some of the nest farming even built up illegally in a residential area. This indirectly causes other side effects such as hygiene problem, sound po llution and damage to the property. Besides, it was also found that there are more than 60 different transmissible diseases have been associated with birds and their feces. Droppings cost money, both in the daily cleaning process and in lost of business from customers who prefer a dropping-free environment [1]. With the existence of Pest Control Repeller, the problem mentioned can be solved easily without causing negative side effect to the human. In this chapter, there will be a short introduction regarding to the objectives and overview of this project. 1.1 Objective The main objective of the project is to design and construct a Pest Control Repeller which will have the following fundamental features: Able to generate a digital harassment sound which will drive away some selected animals such as rodents, bats and birds. Able to implement the device in a large coverage area. Upon successful implementation of these fundamental features, enhancements are added to the device for better efficiency and effectiveness, this include causing the minimum effects to the human during the operation of the device. Besides, the Pest Control Repeller is designed to produces an intermittent sound so that the undesired animals would not get used to the repetitious sound. The developed product also can be used in a large and open outdoor area as well, such as under the bridge or on the telecommunication towers. This is because cliff swallows frequently colonize these structures and their nests cannot be disturbed until the nesting season has passed. As Swallows and their nests are fully protected under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1990 in Malaysia and it is unethical to destroy the nest of a swallow, maintenance and repairing process is force to delay to other periods where swallows have migrated to other places. In a nutshell, the designed Pest Control Repeller is ha ving the objective to help mankind in driving these annoying animals away from causing bad sleeping condition, properties damage, health and safety hazards. 1.3 Project Overview Basically, the Pest Control Repeller is categorized into three major functions, which are rodent repellent, bat repellent and bird repellent. These functions are then further classified into three different modes; where in the first mode; only the rodent and bat repellent are activated, for the second mode, the rodent and bat repellent are activated together with the bird repellent, where the bird repellent will only be triggered if the sensor is activated. Whereas for the third mode, the rodent and bat repellent are activated together with bird repellent and control by manual operation of a user. All of the operations are controlled by a microcontroller named PIC16F877A; the PIC microcontroller generates a series of pulses with different frequencies to drive away certain undesired animals. The series of pulses are formed by a specific period of square wave with alternating high and low condition, by varying the period of this square wave, the desired frequency for the Pest Control Repeller can be achieved. The PIC microcontroller used in the Pest Control Repeller also acts as a media to receive signal from PIR sensor which is later to be processed and produces the respective output signal to trigger the tweeter and strobe light. Besides, the PIC microcontroller also functions to send an output signal to trigger the servo motor which is mounted under the tweeter. Last but not least, the PIC microcontroller also used to produces the alphanumerical character which will be shown on the LCD. The specific frequency signals produced by the PIC Microcontroller are sending to the amplifiers prior to the tweeters. An amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with larger amplitude. In the designed Pest Control Repeller, a Class B amplifier is used for amplifying the different frequency signal. Class B amplifier circuits are the most general design type found in the audio power amplifiers. The amplified frequency signals are then send to the respective tweeter to produce the specific frequency sound wave for the pest repelling purpose. Apart from the frequency sound waves generated, the Pest Control Repeller can trigger a functioning strobe light and flashing super LED when a pest is detected within the device operating range. A LCD display of 216 characters is used in the project to display the operating modes. Besides, the LCD display also shows the numbers of pest detected within a certain period; this function allows a user to make a statistic to measure the effectiveness of the Pest Control Repeller installed in an area. 1.4 Project Scope and Methodology This project is a combination of hardware prototype with software implementation. In the hardware prototype construction, Express SCH and Express PCB are used for the designation purpose. Express SCH is used to draw a schematic diagram which represents the electrical component used in the Pest Control Repeller system by using graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. Whereas, Express PCB is used to design the electrical conductive pathways from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate which will then mechanically support and electrically connect all the electronic components require in the Pest Control Repeller system. For the software implementation, MPLAB which serves as a single, unified graphical user interface for C programming is used to program the require instruction into the PIC microcontroller, PICKit 2, which has been an interesting PIC programmer from Microchip, can be use to program the PIC microcontroller. During the designation of hardware prototype, electronic components and device are chosen base on their cost and effectiveness to ensure that the functionality of the Pest Control Repeller to be optimized at the lowest cost. After the components and devices selection are finalized, a primary configuration of the selected components are done on a bread board, testing and debugging process are then performed to ensure the functionality. After ensuring the functionality, the circuit layout is printed on a PCB and the components are soldered on the respective position, the implementation of circuit on a PCB increase the effectiveness of the circuit and reduce the chance of errors to occur. After the hardware fabrication, a program is written to tests and calibrates the prototype to make it functions in a precise and accurate mode. At the last stage of project, debugging process is carrying out to alter and correct the errors. Debugging is a methodical procedure of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects in an electronic hardware to make it behave as expected [2]. Debugging is very time consuming since it detects and corrects the errors instead of merely writing a program. Debugging process will take longer time if the program is written in an improper way. Thus, following the common established rules and good practice when writing a program will greatly reduce the time use in debugging process. More attention is needed when writing a program to make the subsystems independent of each other; this is because debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, and changes in one subsystem may cause errors to emerge in another subsystem. 1.5 Thesis Overview The report is divided into 6 chapters where Chapter 1 is a simple introduction that includes with the objective, project overview, project scope and methodology. The report is then followed by Chapter 2, where the theoretical background for this project is discussed in details, such as the animals behavior and effect of digital harassment sound to these animals. Literature review of similar project and improvement of these projects will also be discussed in further. In Chapter 3, the hardware prototype of the components and devices selected are discussed in details. A comparison between similar components and devices is also made to achieve a better effectiveness system at a lower cost. Besides, the function of the selected components and device will be elaborated for better understanding. For Chapter 4, the process in software development is discussed. Flow chart for the programs is shown and explained in details. Besides, software and tools used in the program writing is described for a better understanding. Presentation of data and discussion are combined in chapter 5 where the interpretation of data gathered is discussed. Besides, the problems encountered during conducting the project in both hardware and software also will be elaborate in details. Lastly, conclusion ends the report by providing a summary to the content in the report. It indicates significance, advantages and limitations of the work. The applications of the project and recommendations for future work are included for further reference. Chapter 2: Theoretical Background and Literature Review In this chapter, there will be an introduction to the background of the pests and major issues caused by these pests. Products and techniques used by people in repelling the pests also will be discussed. Their advantages and limitation are being investigated in details so that a comparison can be made between these techniques to further implement the project. Besides, the benefits of the project after the implementation also will be discussed in the last part of this chapter. 2.1 Classical Animal Behavior 2.1.1 Birds Birds play an important role in balancing the ecology by controlling the number of insects and pests in a particular area. However the increasing amounts of birds in a particular area will bring up problems to the residents, this problems are such as hygienes problem, sound pollution, damage to the property and even ecological imbalance. This problem has becomes significant recently when more and more people start to invest in swallow nest farming due to its great profit in the market. Swallows are categorized as gregarious bird species, they tend to breed and build nest at a particular area together. This characteristic has made them become a threat for the residents when they breed in a residential area. The problem even becomes worse when the Cliff Swallows build their nest at telecommunication tower and public construction such as bridge and highway structure. As stated by Jaclyn S.C et al, Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) are migratory birds that breed in colonies and f requently nest on highway structures [3]. According to Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1990 in Malaysia, this migrated swallows are consider as endanger species and fully protected under any circumstances. This causes the construction and maintenance process cannot be performed during the nesting season and indirectly leads to economic lost. Besides, it was also found that the excrements of birds like pigeon are the carrier of most fatal diseases. Coghlan (1990) in his article named Pigeons, Pests and People refers birds asrats with wings for the speed of them which can affect an area and transmit diseased spores through their excrements. Diseases such as Toxoplasmosis, Listeriosis, Viral Meningitis, Encephalitis, Salmonella and Paratyphoid are readily spread in places of high pigeon population due to the amount of droppings produced [4]. Apart from causing fatal diseases to mankind, the excrements of birds will also bring down the aesthetic value of buildings due to the large amounts of droppings from the bird habitation and added noise made during the early hours of the morning. Moreover, research also found that bird causes more damage to farms and orchards than any other creature. Each year birds destroy crops and bring significant economic damage to the farmers. For these reasons, humans have been trying to deter bi rds from building, public structure and farm with devices such as scarecrows which were first used in 1592. 2.1.2 Rats Rats are categorized under the rodent family; they cause problems to mankind since decades ago. Rats are found to be an amazing climber on the roof and have good hearing compared to many species. However, rats are colour blind and have poor vision, this causes them have to move their eyesight from side to side in order to see better. Rats are found to be a threat for mankind due to their strong vitality and fast fertility. A female rat is only pregnant for about three weeks, yet they can give birth to 12 babies in one time. Though the hairless babies look very weak, they grow up in a very fast rate and can be independent from their mother in about a month. The average female rat can give birth for 4 to 6 times a year [95]. So it is not surprise when they cause damages to the properties in a short period of time. Rats bite everything they see in the house, this is because they need to grind their teeth from preventing the growth of the sharp teeth and injured themselves. This causes g reat damage to the properties especially for expensive electrical. Rats are found to be the carrier of most fatal diseases; they are the primary carriers of Murine typhus, Leptospirosis, Trichinosis, salmonella, Ratbite fever and plague [95]. The disease caused by rats can spread in a fast rate and very hard to control in a short period of time. Humans are infected by these diseases when they come into contact with food or water which contains the urine of the infected rats. Besides the disease may also be infected to humans when they are bite by a rat. The symptoms of these diseases are fever, flu and soon will soon develop into liver failure or meningitis. Plague is a rat disease spread to mankind by a sick rats fleas or contact with a sick rats bodily secretions. Various kinds of plague can attack the lymph glands, blood and lungs of a human. The Black Death which caused by rats plague was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europes pop ulation, reducing the worlds population from an estimated 450million to between 350 and 375million in 1400. It took 150years for Europes population to recover [94]. Apart from this, rats also causes damage to the agriculture crops, they consume the fruits and crop, such as coconut, cocoa and so forth [93]. 2.1.3 Bats Bats are having the same behavior with migrated birds such as swallows; they usually breed in season and nest in the roof for a period of about four to five months of the year. Same like a bird, bats also bring problems to mankind especially when the quantity is significant. Bats stay in the roof causes sound pollution to the resident stay inside the house, the problem of noise can occurs occasionally and this is always the main problems that caused by the bats. The problem even becomes worse when they stay on the roof of a bedroom. Besides, it was found that some bats have been detected with a rabies-like virus named European Bat Lyssavirus, although this virus is not serious, but it will infects human when a human is bite by the infected bats. Sometimes bats that flying around a building can trigger on a burglar alarms, including those that use passive infrared motion detector, light beams, microwave or ultrasonic detectors. Last but not least, bats also causes damage to the agricu lture crops like birds, some species of the bats will consume fruits and agriculture crops that planted in a farm. 2.2 Literature Review The purpose of the project is to design a Pest Control Repeller system that is effective in repelling the undesired animals to be appeared in the residential area as well as outdoor area such as public structure. In order to achieve the objectives stated, a study is conducted to examine the cost and effectiveness of the available existing products. The advantages and limitations of these existing products are taken into consideration and the most effective criteria of the system will be selected and combined with other advantages in order to construct a more effective Pest Control Repeller. 2.2.1 Bird Repeller Typically, the types of bird repeller are classified into 4 major classes; there are visual system, audio system, light system and chemical system. Apart from the 4 major classes, there are also other bird repelling techniques like habitat modification, electric track system and so forth. Each of the repeller system will be studied and their advantages and limitations are being reviewed. Visual bird repeller is a visual object that is designed to represent a predator to surrounding birds as either a human or a larger bird [99]. Normally, the most common items used in the visual bird repeller system are scarecrows, kites and even corpses of birds. A scarecrow is a physical human-like mannequin which dressed in human attire and place in the farm for deter birds like crows from disturbing and consuming the fruits in the farm. Apart from this, it was also found that any species of bird are naturally afraid of predators such as birds of prey. Hawk Kites are then designed to fly in the sky for protection from the birds infringement. The use of model or actual dead birds in the farm also target to illustrate the signal of danger to other birds. At first, birds will approach the corpse out of curiosity but usually they leave it when they see the unnatural position of the bird. This approach has been widely used in the airport to deter sea gull from approaching the flying are a. Despite of low cost and common used of the visual systems, it was found that they are inefficient in driving the birds away, especially after a long term of period. Once the birds in the surrounding area realize that there is no danger of the visual system, they start to approach the particular area and soon the visual system becomes useless. As a conclusion, most visual deterrents system is found to be efficient within a short term of period; it is recommended that this device is used in conjunction with other device or techniques to be successful for a significant period of time. The audio deterrent system is found to be the most common device that use widely around the world. The audio bird repeller system functions by emitting sounds that will cause stress to the birds. These sounds are such as distress sound recorded from the birds, noises that are audible to the birds, or even loud bang with decibel more than 150dB, this loud bang with decibel of 150dB can be produced from a propane cannons, or also referred as propane gas gun which is controlled by a controller or a motion detector. But, the problem with this gas gun is that the loud and irritating sound may disturb the resident living in the nearby area. Besides, birds will also adapt quickly to the sound which has the same magnitude, pitch and time interval all the time. Propane cannons become ineffective after a period. Apart from this, it was also found that ultrasonic devices are used by some of the people in repelling birds from their residential area. An ultrasonic device can emits ultrasonic soun d range above 22 KHz, which the frequency is not audible by human being, thus many of the manufacturers claimed that the device is suitable for home use since it is inaudible to human. Despite of the superior features provided by this system, there is no evidence shows that ultrasonic devices are capable to drive birds away, and there are plenty of studies show that most species of birds are having the same audible frequency range as human, but do not hear the frequencies above 20kHz. This is the reason why human can hears bird chirping everyday in the morning. Therefore ultrasonic systems are ineffective in deterring birds and should be avoided. Compared to the two methods mentioned above, bio-acoustic devices are found to be the most popular and efficient device among the audio deterrent systems. Bio-Acoustic deterrents are devices that transmit biological significant sounds such as bird alarm and distress calls [99]. In nature, birds use alarm calls when they perceive danger, whi lst distress calls are used when birds are captured, restrained or injured, each call is species specific, however some distress and alarm calls are known to get a response from other species [98]. Besides from using distress call from birds, noises with vary frequencies may also be used as the audio deterrent system. The light deterrent system is widely used in the airport for bird repelling purpose; this system can be classified into strobe light system and laser light system. For strobe light bird deterrent, a rotating or flashing search light is used to stimulus the visual of a bird and causes an unwanted situation for them. Although a static light in the night may attract birds to approach the particular area, a flashing one, however will causes confusion to them and thus achieve the purpose in repelling birds. Studies conducted on light systems have shown that high intensity strobe lights caused birds to take evasive action and move away from some airfields. In the same study it was found that a randomized selection of two strobe frequencies increased the effectiveness over a range of species and that the strobes stopped all bird habitation [99]. The laser light system, on the other hand also represents a well-established method in deterring birds. Diode laser is ideal for bird repelling bec ause of many of its advantages, such as small size, lower power consumption and lower cost [96]. Although the laser repelling system is efficient in drive away the birds, but the equipments needed are expensive. And also, the effectiveness of the lasers are found to be decreased with the increase of light levels, therefore, this repelling method is suitable to use during night time or at a place which is not cover by sunlight. Chemical deterrent system drive birds away by causing an unwanted living environment for birds or by killing them in a direct way by using poison. For the first method, chemical substance is placed at the habitat of birds to make them feel offensive or causes irritation to them. This can be in the form of tactile or in the form of odor. After a period of time, these birds will find that the place is not suitable for habitation or nesting and will soon move to another habitat. For the second method, poison is used to kill the birds from nesting in a particular area and scare away other birds in the same habitat. However, both of the methods are found to be inefficient for a long term period and may lead to other environmental issue. Therefore, the chemical deterrent system is not encouraged to be used in repelling birds either in a housing area or at outside an outdoor area. There are many more other repelling techniques being implement throughout the world, such as habitat modification, electric track, water sprayer and so forth. For habitat modification technique, Spikes deterrents made of strips of plastic or metal with upward pointing stainless steel or plastic spikes can be attached to ledges of buildings [99]. Besides, habitat modification for bird deterrent also often involves in eliminating the roosting or nesting locations of birds. For example, in the control of cliff swallow at public structure like bridge, the habitat of interest is the nesting location. Cliff swallows prefer a nesting place with rough and unpainted surfaces. So, modification can be done based on these criteria, such as anti-perching spines, smooth strips mounted at an angle of at least 45 degree, panels of glass, sheet metal, or paint to create a surface unfavorable for cliff swallow nesting [3]. An evaluation had been carry out by Timothy L.C. in his report named An Autonomous Bird Deterrent System to evaluate the effectiveness of these deterrent system based on their cost, physical requirements, stealth, automation ability and area covered. A ranked positional method was used in the evaluation with each category being weighted out of a total of ten points by its importance and then a rating being given under each category out of five for each individual deterrent. In the result shown below, it was found that the light deterrent system is having the highest score compared to other system with laser deterrent represent the most effective repeller. The ranking is then followed by the audio deterrent system. 2.2.2 Mouse Repeller Typically, People use mouse trap to catch mouse appears in the house, however, it is not the efficient way to repel them away if the quantity is significant, since the mouse trap only can trick them for once but not for a long term period. Mouse poison, on the other hand, also use widely by people in controlling the undesired mouse. Poisons works fine in killing mouse since it plays to what a mouse is searching for, such as food and water. There are two types of mouse poison available in the market; with the first type are having the immediate reaction and the second type that takes effect after some time. However, both kinds of poisons contain fatal elements such as warfarin, diphacinone, pival, chlorophacinone, or fumarin. Besides, chemical substances also used to drive mouse away by causing them an unwanted situation in their habitat. These chemical substances will make them feel offensive or irritating and soon they will leave the habitat due to the unpleasant living environment. In the farm or some agriculture land, predators are used by the farmer to reduce the consumption of agriculture crops by mouse and thus repelling them away. Predators are one of natures methods in control and repel mouse away from the farm. There are many native and domestic predators that feed on rat and mouse, such as snake, owl, hawk and so forth, it was found that hawk and owl parents kill many more rodents when they are feeding their hungry broods [92]. Domestic cats, dogs, and ferrets help in controlling and repelling rodents in some situations. In general, dogs and cats are the most effective predator at preventing an infestation than eliminating a current population. This is because they are better able to catch and kill an invading rodent that does not know any escape routes, than an established animal that knows various escape points [92]. Recently, the ultrasonic mouse repeller has becomes popular for home use application. These ultrasonic mouse repellers are selling like hot cake in the market due to their advantages compared to other traditional repellers. It is well know that pests such as rats and mouse are repelled by ultrasonic frequency in the range of 30 kHz to 50 kHz. An Ultrasonic mouse repeller utilizes advanced state of the art technology and functions by transmitting an influential range of ultrasonic sound in the frequency of 45 KHz. The intermittent, high intensity frequencies and pulse sequences were created to output at known hearing sensitivity ranges of pests, such as rat and mouse. It was found that rodents, like mouse or rat, will leave the environment where the ultrasonic device is installed for a less stressful area. These sound wave frequencies are inaudible to humans and pets like cat and dog [91]. A research named Efficacy Test Protocols for Evaluation of Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent was conducted by Stephen A. Schumake et al. from Denver Wildlife Research Center in examining the efficiency of the ultrasonic device. In the test mentioned, controlled laboratory and field test protocols were developed to assess the repellent efficacies of six commercially manufactured ultrasonic rodent repellent devices. The laboratory test structure (68.7 sq m) was divided into two rooms (32.5 sq m each) with a central harborage area (3.5 sq m) containing a colony of 12 wild Norway rats (Rattus orvegicus). For each test, an ultrasonic device was attached to the end of one room and rat activity (oat consumption, packet damage, photocell counts) is measured during 1-week baseline and 2-1/2-week test periods. Field test structures varied in floor area (6.5 to 197 sq m) and were either made by metal or wood construction. All contained existing Norway rat, house mouse (Mus musculus), or field mouse ( Peromyscus maniculatus) infestations. No other rodent control techniques were conducted at these sites other than the application of selected ultrasonic devices. Rodent activities (packet damage, food consumption, rodent tracks) were measured twice per week during three successive 3-week intervals with devices operating only during the second interval. Repeated measurement of variance and chi square were used to statistically evaluate the reliability of ultrasound effects. In the end of the test rodents under test could either leave the buildings or move to alternate non-ultrasonically treated areas in all the cases stated [90]. Apart from that, light system or strobe light may also repel the mouse away from the house since rodent families prefer a darker living environment and they usually move in darkness. As a conclusion, an ultrasonic mouse repeller works more efficient and better compared to other repelling method. The use of poison which causes the death of the mouse may lead to environmental issue when a predator or a pet consume the death mouse. Additionally, neither traps nor poisons provide a long-term solution; mouse will simply increase breeding to replace rodents lost to poisons or traps. 2.2.3 Bats Repeller The generally accepted method to prevent bats from invasion is exclusion by netting or trapping. Netting and trapping, however, has resulted in the occasional inadvertent killing of bats. Similar to bird and mouses repelling cases; chemical repellent is also used by people in repelling bats. Naphthalene (crystals or flakes) is the only registered chemical which can be used as a bat repellent for indoor roosts. Naphthalene should be spread on the floor or applied between the walls, using about 2.3 kg (5 lb) for every 60 m ³ (2,000 ft ³) which should be adequate to treat an average attic [89]. Light illumination, on the other hand also shows a better effect in repelling the bats away from the house. This is because bats need a gloomy place for habitation during day time. This characteristic of bats makes them easily get repelled by a strong flashing light or strobe light. Last but not least, an ultrasonic device also being used by people in repelling bats. It is believed that the ultrasonic high frequency sound waves can interfere the bats ability to navigate and causing confusion to them. It was evident to shows that an ultrasonic bats repeller did agitate, confuse and disorient the bats causing them to fly more erratically and to relocate away from the device [89]. As a conclusion, light illumination and ultrasonic devices are found to be an efficient wa

Tragic Differences :: essays research papers

Tragedy has always been a popular theme in stories and plays. For centuries, people have been captivated by morbidly emotional finales, rather than by happy endings. Stories with a sad outcome fascinate us much more than those, ending on a happy note. Many of the best works of literature are considered to be tragedies. Shakespeare would be a perfect example of a man who had written many delightful comedies; yet, he was more famous for his grave tragedies. People seem to be more attached to something that disturbs them and leaves them uneasy, rather than to something frivolous and amusing. Maybe, it is because tragedies can be very didactic. Maybe, by studying typical causes of tragedy, a person can prevent it from happening in his or her personal life. It is much easier to learn something from someone else's mistakes than from your own. So it is possible that people who really enjoy tragedy do not really enjoy it, but use it to prevent their future misfortunes, if there are any. Othe rwise, how can someone enjoy the pain and the suffering of others? But like everything else tragedy has laws. One of the laws is Hubris. A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner, can easily be classified as a tragedy. It is a repulsive story about a woman, who died just as she lived: lonely. Emily Grierson was a peculiar woman, who owned a large house, which was a mystery to many people. She never had any real friends and she never had a spouse. And when she started seeing a man, Homer Barron, everybody was assured that she would marry him. But Mr. Barron was as queer as Ms. Grierson was, so their melding was very unlikely. 'When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we had said, 'She will marry him.'; Then we said, 'She will persuaded him yet,'; because homer himself had remarked – he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elk's Club – that he was not a marrying man.'; (Faulkner 280) Poor woman probably never even had the chance. But shortly after the two had been acquainted, Homer disappeared, and the woman became even more alienated, until she stopped coming out o f her dusky house at all. At the end of the story, we are told that the disintegrating carcass of Mr. Barron was found in Emily's house in the room that had been locked for years. Tragic Differences :: essays research papers Tragedy has always been a popular theme in stories and plays. For centuries, people have been captivated by morbidly emotional finales, rather than by happy endings. Stories with a sad outcome fascinate us much more than those, ending on a happy note. Many of the best works of literature are considered to be tragedies. Shakespeare would be a perfect example of a man who had written many delightful comedies; yet, he was more famous for his grave tragedies. People seem to be more attached to something that disturbs them and leaves them uneasy, rather than to something frivolous and amusing. Maybe, it is because tragedies can be very didactic. Maybe, by studying typical causes of tragedy, a person can prevent it from happening in his or her personal life. It is much easier to learn something from someone else's mistakes than from your own. So it is possible that people who really enjoy tragedy do not really enjoy it, but use it to prevent their future misfortunes, if there are any. Othe rwise, how can someone enjoy the pain and the suffering of others? But like everything else tragedy has laws. One of the laws is Hubris. A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner, can easily be classified as a tragedy. It is a repulsive story about a woman, who died just as she lived: lonely. Emily Grierson was a peculiar woman, who owned a large house, which was a mystery to many people. She never had any real friends and she never had a spouse. And when she started seeing a man, Homer Barron, everybody was assured that she would marry him. But Mr. Barron was as queer as Ms. Grierson was, so their melding was very unlikely. 'When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we had said, 'She will marry him.'; Then we said, 'She will persuaded him yet,'; because homer himself had remarked – he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elk's Club – that he was not a marrying man.'; (Faulkner 280) Poor woman probably never even had the chance. But shortly after the two had been acquainted, Homer disappeared, and the woman became even more alienated, until she stopped coming out o f her dusky house at all. At the end of the story, we are told that the disintegrating carcass of Mr. Barron was found in Emily's house in the room that had been locked for years.

Coffee shop business plan Essay

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Inspirational Grounds will provide a relaxing, Christian-focused, neighborhood-centered place with freshly roasted coffee, specialty drinks, good books, and music. Inspirational Grounds is the answer to an increasing demand. Our target market wants: Neighborhood businesses in South Central Minneapolis Great coffee at a competitive price A comfortable place to socialize with others with similar interests Inspirational Grounds’ goal is to provide the community with a social, entertaining atmosphere where Christian neighbors can meet each other in a neutral, non-denominational setting. Inspirational Grounds is incorporated as an S corporation. This will shield the owner from issues of personal liability and double taxation. This proposal is prepared to obtain financing in the amount of $80,000. The supplemental financing is required to prepare the selected site, purchase equipment, and cover expenses during the first year of operation. The owner will invest $15,000 of her own into the business. This financing will allow Inspirational Grounds to successfully open and maintain operations. The large initial capital investment will allow  Inspirational Grounds to provide its customers with an inviting atmosphere and quality products. A unique, upscale and innovative environment is required to provide customers with an atmosphere that will create socialization. Successful operation in year one will provide Inspirational Grounds with a customer base that will allow it to be self sufficient in year two. Even with our conservative sales forecast, we will maintain a positive cash flow in all months, repay the loan in 12 years, and have a positive net worth over $27,000 by year three. We project that our net profits will increase from $12,000 to over $14,000 over the next three years. CHART: HIGHLIGHTS 1.1 OBJECTIVES Inspirational Grounds’ objectives for the first three years of operation include: The creation of a unique, upscale, innovative spiritual environment that will differentiate Inspirational Grounds from local coffee shops. To make Inspirational Grounds the destination for quality coffee in a welcoming atmosphere for people who are serious about their coffee and growing in their spirituality. The formation of an environment that will bring people with diverse backgrounds and interests together in a common forum. To be an active and vocal member of the community, and to provide continual re-investment through participation in community activities and financial contributions. Consistently providing excellent specialty beverages, bakery items, inspirational books, and music. 1.2 KEYS TO SUCCESS The keys to the success for Inspirational Grounds are: The creation of a unique, innovative, upscale atmosphere that will differentiate Inspirational Grounds from other local coffee shops and future coffee shops. Fresh Coffee roasted on-site daily will give customers a unique experience as well as excellent product. Selling beverages and products that are of the highest quality. The creation of an environment that won’t intimidate the spiritual seeker. Inspirational Grounds will position itself as an educational resource for individuals wishing to learn about the benefits of growing spiritually. The establishment of Inspirational Grounds as a community hub for socialization and entertainment. Encourage the two most important values in Christianity: love and service. 1.3 MISSION As people are becoming more interested in their spiritual side, a neighborhood shop with excellent freshly roasted coffee and non-denominational Christian books and tapes, is a welcomed alternative and/or addition to the local church. Inspirational Grounds is a specialty beverage establishment focused on providing freshly roasted coffee beans, coffee/espresso drinks and information to enhance our customers’ spiritual experience. We also understand that coffee drinkers interested in growing spiritually want a destination, not just a location;we provide them with the best of both. Our goal is to be the destination for Christian coffee drinkers seeking a non-secular environment in the Twin Cities area. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique upscale, educational, motivational and innovative environment that Inspirational Grounds provides. We believe it is important to remain an active member of the community and to impact our customers’ lives in more ways than the selling of specialty drinks. 2.0 COMPANY SUMMARY Inspirational Grounds, Minneapolis’ South Central area, will offer great specialty beverages and easy access to exciting spiritual information. Inspirational Grounds sells quality products and provides excellent customer service for coffee lovers and persons looking to enhance their spiritual experience. We are looking to lease a retail store which we will use to market and merchandise our products. The company took its name in July 2002, and organized as an S Corporation in October, 2003. Our book and music selection and helpful staff will appeal to the audience that is seeking to grow and learn spiritually in this age of uncertainty. This invigorating aspect will attract younger and elderly members alike who are gaining interest in their spiritual condition. The central location will provide easy access from most points of origin throughout the Twin City area for those who will recognize Inspirational Grounds as a destination point, as well as provide local community residents with convenient access to freshly roasted coffee. 2.1 COMPANY OWNERSHIP Inspirational Grounds is incorporated as an S corporation. This will shield the owner Regina Brown from issues of personal liability and double taxation. The Corporation was formed in October of 2003. 2.2 COMPANY LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES The site, Midtown Commons (Also known as the Sears Project), is located in South Central Minneapolis. The initial space is approximately 2,000 square feet and has ample space for the first three years of growth. The complex has ample parking and significant foot traffic from Allina Healthcare Office Facility. This area was chosen for various reasons, including: Proximity to other areas within the Twin Cities; Central location easily accessed. Proximity to the Lyn/Lake and Uptown areas. High Visibility. Proximity to the many local churches in South Central Minneapolis. Diverse population within the community. Desire for South Central Businesses. Scarcity of other coffee houses in the area. Proximity to the light rail depot and 12th Precinct of the Minneapolis police. All of these qualities are consistent with Inspirational Grounds’ goal of providing a community hub for socialization and entertainment. 2.3 START-UP SUMMARY Inspirational Grounds’ start-up costs will cover coffee, espresso, and specialty drink making equipment, micro-roasting equipment, training, site renovation and modification, capital for operating expenses in the first year, and the inventory necessary to provide customers with the information  needed to grow. A large portion of our start-up requirements will go towards the purchase of specialty drink equipment from Espresso Services, Inc. Our long-term assets will include: One espresso machine One micro-roasting system an Espresso grinder/doser water filtration system Expensed equipment includes: A Bulk grinder for drip coffee Single airpot brewer Smoothie blender Minor additional equipment Additionally, we need funding for initial inventory, both for the coffee shop side of things and the other specialty merchandise, books, and music. Music items will be purchased from Provident Music, Diamante Music Group, and New Day Christian Distributors among others. Books and other inspirational material will be purchased from Bridge-Logos Publishers, KCM, Bethany House Distributors, and others. The site Inspirational Grounds chooses will require funds for renovation and modification. A single estimated figure will be allocated for this purpose. The renovation/modification cost estimate will include the costs associated with preparing the site for opening business.

Leadership Essay

This assignment will examine models and styles of leadership. A reflective analysis will be given of how I led a research team, the impact of Emotional Intelligence on effective leadership will also be discussed. â€Å"The word leader is derived from the Anglo Saxon ‘lede’, meaning ‘to go’. So an organisation that has a leader assumes it is going somewhere†. Adair 1970. There are many theories of what makes a good leader, and also several models of leadership. One of the experts in the field John Adair, whilst working as a lecturer in the 1960-1970s at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, devised a simple model of â€Å"Action-centred Leadership†. It is represented by three equally sized overlapping circles. Each circle represents a core management responsibility, namely – achieving the task, managing the team and managing the individual. The three elements of Adair’s model are mutually dependent, but also separate to the overall leadership role. Working as a Research Nurse leading a team I quickly recognised that there is no single style of leadership that produces the desired results, each member of the team is individual and responds differently. The ideal approach is to use the style of leadership appropriate to the situation. A good leader will adopt several styles and is able to use them seamlessly and in different measures, it is a skill which needs mastered over time. â€Å"A skilled leader will also be able to catch the mood of the time†. Adair (1970). There are six basic leadership styles: – Coercive, authoritative, affilliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching. The coercive style can be very effective in crisis situations, when situations need resolved speedily. It can have a negative effect on employee’s motivation and can be perceived as dictatorial. The authoritative style is useful when a team appears to be dysfunctional, though it can become problematic when steering teams of experts who maybe more experienced than the leader. The affilliative style of leadership displays, â€Å"people come first† attitude, this helps in trying to bring a team together to produce more effectively. The democratic style allows employees to have a voice in shared decisions and become involved in generating new ideas. Although it can be effective, it can also be very time consuming, and the identity of the leader may be lost. The fifth style of leadership is â€Å"the pacesetting† style – this is where the leader sets high standards and is visibly adhering to those standards. This approach can have a motivating effect, but can also produce negativity if unachievable targets are set. Finally the coaching style of leadership – this focuses more on personal development than on tasks or targets. It encourages self-awareness, allowing the leader to identify areas of weakness, and able to embrace change rather than resist it. Traits theorists like Stogdill (1974) believed that leaders were born, not made, this approach was best suited to selecting leaders rather than developing them. The people who made good leaders had the right combination of traits. Reflecting on my role as a leader, my main focus was to encourage and motivate staff. It was essential to acknowledge that nurses on the unit were already under pressure with their day to day tasks, in an ever-changing critical environment. To then request staff to participate in a research project required a tactful and supportive approach. l was conscious of the importance of being a visible team leader, and being available to support and encourage staff. Having not had any leadership training in my career, I found myself relying on my intuition in certain situations. To create a positive research culture requires commitment, determination, consistency and a high level of motivation. How do I motivate staff? Was a question I often asked myself. I acknowledged that the â€Å"one size fits all† approach does not work. Individuals are motivated by different interests. How I viewed the project and how others did varied greatly, as did enthusiasm. My view was that this was potentially a ground-breaking study which could change the way the world managed a specific patient group. For others it was just another research project. When individuals are motivated the visible trend is that of high performance with consistently high results, an energetic and enthusiastic work force, which have a clear determination to succeed. They have a willingness to overcome problems, accept responsibility and embrace change. These are essential attributes to create a positive research culture. Maslow’s (1970 ) hierarchy of needs demonstrates how individuals can reach their full potential if their basic needs are met. Csikszentmihalyi (1975) work claims individuals are well motivated by achievable tasks, when they utilise their specific skills. Also when individuals are trusted by senior colleagues encourages motivation; however goals need to be clear and realistic. Receiving feedback is also important, employees need to be listened to and supported, and they also need recognition from managers. These concepts are also highlighted in Maslow’s (1970) theory, individuals need to feel valued and appreciated to maintain high levels of motivation. When employees lack motivation the picture that emerges is that of apathy and indifference, poor time keeping and high sickness rates. There is a tendency to resist change, to exaggerate difficulties within the workplace and a lack of co-operation in dealing with problems. Hertzberg was the first theorist to identify that satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work nearly always arose from different factors and were not simply opposing reactions to the same factors. Goleman (1998). â€Å"The opposite of job dissatisfaction is not job satisfaction, but no job dissatisfaction†. Hertzberg (1959). I used an inclusive approach in my role to promote motivation among the team. For example, regularly updating staff with any results or developments within the project, inviting staff to work alongside the research team so as to gain insight into the process of Clinical Research. I placed great emphasis on ensuring the staff felt valued in their role, without their contribution to the project the research could not happen. Ensuring two-way communication, a reminder of what the aim was and how it may impact on patient’s outcomes in the future was also important. As I set out in my new role as a Research Nurse, I knew little of the theory of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and how it can impact on productivity within a workforce. EI is a relatively recent behavioural model, originally developed by three psychologists, Mayer, Salovey et al (1998 ). The principles of EI provide a new way to understand and assess people’s behaviour, their styles of management, attitudes, interpersonal skills and potential. Reviewing the work of Goleman (1995) enabled me to recognise that people view things differently, what excites one person may create stress for another. Goleman (1998) identified five domains of EI. It is important to know your own emotions and to be able to manage them, this may help in motivating yourself. The ability to recognise and understand others emotions is necessary for organisational and individual development. EI can also be inter-linked with other behaviour, emotional and communication theories such as Neuro-linguistic Programming and empathy. Goleman believes that developing EI, people can become more productive and more effective when developing others. It can also be useful in reducing stress by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, increasing stability, continuity and harmony within the workplace. Guidelines for Promoting Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace were produced by Chermiss and Goleman (2011), summarising the best current knowledge relating to promoting EI in the workplace. Reviewing the literature an evaluating my role as a leader of a research team, I have a clearer understanding of leadership styles and models, and the importance of understanding the science of Emotional Intelligence and its effect on workforce performance. Using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) in future leadership roles will enable me to assess situations in a more timely structured and objective manner, rather than being reactionary and subjective, particularly when conflicts and poor performance indicator’s arise. I have identified that the leadership styles I have adopted in the past are a combination of pacesetting, affilliative, and participative. When I am time-pressured I can be coercive and fail to acknowledge the workload of the team, which can have a negative effect on performance. I aim to be able to combine more leadership styles more effectively and have greater self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. To be more aware of your own emotional intelligence is a skill that needs mastered overtime, combining those skills with several leadership styles, and being able to evaluate your capacity and capabilities should result in effective leadership.

10 Facts on Online Education for a Creative Presentation

10 Facts on Online Education for a Creative Presentation Online education also known as e-learning is here to stay. This new teaching and learning phenomenon has gradually become mainstream in both brick and mortar colleges and online institutions due to its wide reach or the demographics it opens up for teaching institutes. On the learning or students side, online education has made it possible to receive an education irrespective of ones location. And with a working Internet, students from Africa, Asia as well as incarcerated individuals can learn at the feet of educators from reputable colleges without ever setting foot at the door steps of any educational institute. This ease of dispersing and receiving educational information has seen the online learning phenomenon catch-on in todays information age. To thoroughly understand the benefits, advantages and reach of e-learning, here are some facts about online education which cut across colleges, corporate entities and its long reach across continents. Online education is a motivational tool. Online education gives people of all ethnicity a chance to start all-over again and the anonymity associated with its learning process eliminates the feelings of inadequacy or shame associated with age, gender or accumulative capacity. Statistics show that 37% of online students were the first individuals to attend college in their respective families. This percentage is largely made up of students who did not have the opportunity or funds to pursue a college degree in their younger years. 37% of students who register for an online educational course state that accelerated courses fast track one to getting a degree was a motivational factor. Segmentation of students participating in online education. Online education gives everyone a chance to participate regardless of age and Gender. 37% of students, anticipating in online education fall in the 18 to 29 age bracket while the older generation of between the ages of 30-59 make up 49% of online students. Here is an even more surprising start, 70% of students participating in online education are female while males make up the final 30%. Which means online education has definitely served as a means of empowerment for women. Online education produces professionals. Statistics show that employed professionals make up the bulk of students participating in online education. The facts here are: 60% of online students are employed full time in diverse industry verticals. 21% of the virtual students taking advantage of e-learning handle the responsibility of paying learning fees using personal funds and they do not secure loans to fund their education. Lastly, 33% of professionals taking part in online education are participants in one business related course or the other. These courses usually consist of sales, marketing and leadership. The online education industry is quite. E-learning has continued to grow through the years due to its formal adoption by recognized educational institutions and the corporate world. Recent studies put the total number of online students at 4.6 million. The yearly growth rate of registrants for online education courses stands at 17% and this far outpaces the 1.2% growth rate of the overall enrollments in higher education for physical colleges in the United States. As for brick and mortar higher education institutes, the University of Phoenix leads the way with the largest number of enrolled online students with 15% of the total number of enrolled students in the United States. Online education market is huge. The astronomical growth of online education can also be measured financially and the figures are staggering. At the tail end of 2016, online education is set to hit the $107 billion mark with estimated revenues of $49 billion. Breaking these figures into the major online education segments consisting of Learning Management Systems (LMS),   Rapid Learning Tools and mobile learning LMS is projected to account for $7 billion while mobile learning   will produce $ 12.2 billion of online education overall revenue in 2016. Online education rates are growing. The United States is generally known for having the largest market share in terms of online education. In 2010, the US owned 57% while 2015 saw this reduced to 51% which is still the largest percent owned by any country. In terms of growth rate, the top five countries currently taking every advantage of the revenue online education has to offer in 2015 are: India experienced 55% growth China with 52% Malaysia with 41% Romania with 38% and Poland with 28%. Online education introduces new Learning Management Systems on the regular basis. These systems are basically web software applications used to document, track, report and deliver electronic educational technology. LMS plays a huge role and has carved a sizable part of the online education market. The LMS market was worth $2.5 billion in 2013 and by 2015, it was worth $4.5 billion dollars which represents an annual growth percentage of 25.2%. Using these figures as estimation yardsticks, the LMS market is set to hit $11.5 billion by 2017. Online education uses mobile learning. Mobile technology such as MOOC apps have been part of the online education revolution and the development of smarter mobile devices creates an enable environment for growth. In 2012 mobile learning produced a revenue of $5.2 billion and 2015 saw it produce $8.2 billion which represents a compound annual growth of 18.2%. At this rate, predictive analysis point to a 12.2 billion dollar revenue by the tail end of 2016. Online education and corporate learning. As stated earlier, the corporate world accounts for a substantial share of the revenue online education produces. In the US, approximately 77% of companies make use of e-learning procedures to train office personnel and the corporate e-learning market is predicted to grow at a 13% rate annually. Large companies are the biggest purchasers of online education materials, tutorials and applications. The numbers show that corporations account for 30% of total spending on online education. The demand for online education tools is rising. The 2014 Training Industry report sheds light on the demand for e-learning services and applications in the corporate world. The research which was conducted in the United States showed that: 44% of US companies plan to make use of online education systems by 2016 31% of US companies intend to make use of authoring tools 27% of companies plan to purchase presentation design and courseware tools or sign up with available open source courseware platforms 18% of companies intend to purchase audio and web conferencing tools to pass information across as well as educate office personnel. These facts should get you speed up with the subject. For additional material visit our 20 topics on online education and don’t forget the guide for a creative presentation. References: Justin, F. (2013). 10 Unique Facts about Online Learning. learndash.com/10-unique-facts-about-online-learners/ 8 Battaglino, T. Haldeman, M. and Laurans, E. (2011). The Costs of Online Learning. The Thomas Fordham Institute. http:// www.edexcellencemedia.net/publications/2012/20120110- the-costs-of-online-learning/20120110-the-costs-of-onlinelearning.pdf. Lee, Jr., M. (2011). The College Completion Agenda 2011 Progress Report. College Board Advocacy and Policy Center. http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/reports_pdf/Progress_Report_2011.pdf. Babson Survey Research Group: Tracking Online Education in the United States www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradechange.pdf Santosh, K. (2013). Surprising Facts about Online Education. http://edtechreview.in/data-statistics/787-surprising-facts-about-online-education-infographic 41 Surprising Facts about Online Students on the Internet.  collegeatlas.org/41-surprising-facts-about-online-students.html Kaplan Open Learning: The Facts about Online Education.  Ã‚  careerealism.com/facts-online-education/

Challenger essays

Challenger essays Even some sixteen years later I still remember the day and what I was doing when I heard that the space shuttle Challenger had exploded. I was five years old in 1986, attending elementary school and being a normal five year old. On Tuesday January 28, 1986 I was home sick from school being babysat by my grandmother because my parents were at work. I knew that day was important because we had talked about the space launch in school and planned on watching it that day. The space launch was extra special this time because it was going to be the first time a civilian would go into space and this was no ordinary civilian it would be a high school teacher named Christa McAuliffe. Just like everyone else tuned into the television that morning I witnessed before my eyes the worst space disaster to date. Dubbed the most memorable moment of the 80s the Challenger explosion was the 80s children most memorable event. There were several reasons that the explosion has had such an affect on my generation. The space launch was being broadcasted across United States live from Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Mahal). This launch was one of the most publicized launches due to the first civilian going into space and also that the launch had been delayed five times before (Mahal). The launch took place on January 28, 1986 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Mahal). The skis about Kennedy Space Center were clear and the sun was out in the sky. However the day was very cold the temperature were only slightly above freezing. This launch was going to be the coldest that NASA had ever launched before. The time of lift off was 11:38 AM Eastern Standard Time this was when the 25th shuttle mission lifted off headed towards space. The shuttle would never make it into space it exploded only seventy-three seconds after liftoff killing all seven members of its crew. The video footage of the explosion is the most haunting thing about the mome...

Definition and Examples of Context Clues

Definition and Examples of Context Clues In reading  and listening, a context clue is information (such as a definition, synonym, antonym, or example) that appears near a word or phrase and offers direct or indirect suggestions about its meaning. Context clues are more commonly found in nonfiction texts than in fiction, though they are found in childrens literature, often with the goal of building readers vocabulary. Words can have multiple meanings, so being able to infer the correct meaning from context is a valuable reading comprehension skill. Types of Context Clues You learn new words through context of the words around them, inferring their meaning through whats going on in the story or what has already been explained in the article. Clues to deciphering a words meaning can be subtle hints or straight-out explanations or illustrations of meaning.   Context clues can be synonyms, antonyms, definitions, explanations, word-structure clues, comparisons (such as metaphors and similes), and contrasts. For example: Synonym context clues will have words nearby that mean the same thing: Synonym: The annual fete is scheduled for the last day of school. Its always a great party.Synonym:   That charlatan! he cried. That absolute fake! Antonym context clues will have words nearby that mean the opposite. Antonym: You look pretty content about it, not like youre all languishing in worry, he said.Antonym:  No, no, that didnt literally happen, she said. I was just  speaking figuratively. Definition context clues just spell out the meaning in a straightforward manner: Definition: In Britain they call a cars trunk its boot.Definition: The department  super, as we call them, she explained to the new hire, is Jerry, the utilities  superintendent.   An explanation or illustration can also show the context of the word: Explanation:  She looked at the  random stuff  that had been thrown in the packing box at the last minute, from toothpaste and razors to spatulas and sticky notes. Well, thats quite the  melange, isnt it? she thought.Explanation:  No, no, thats just a  crane fly, not a  gigantic mosquito, he explained. Word-structure clues come from a reader or listener understanding, for example, a base word and a prefix and inferring meaning of their combination, such as knowing anti- means against or knowing one word when hearing something very similar, such as understanding that a memorial is for someone whos died: Word-structure: Im absolutely anti-establishment, the candidate declared.Word-structure: The book was listed in memoriam of his father. Comparison context clues will show the meaning of a word through similarities to other items or elements, similies or metaphors: Comparison: He looked absolutely  flummoxed, like a toddler staring down at his feet on the floor and who just isnt sure about this whole walking thing.Comparison:  No, she said, Im as carefree about it as a bird floating among the clouds. Contrast context clues show meaning through dissimilar elements: Contrast:  It isnt exactly the melee that I expected by your description, he said. The kids are just roughhousing a little. I expected them to be bruised and bleeding.Contrast: I know she said she could  reconstitute  the dried fruit, but a wet raisin just isnt a grape any longer. Limitations of Context Clues Learning new words this way has its limitations, as contexts arent always informative; theyll likely give a reader only a general idea of a word, not a full meaning. If the sentences in which the new word appear dont clearly spell out the definition of the word, the meaning may not be retained by the readers memory for long. For long-term retention, a reader needs to see a word multiple times, and having some instances include a definition will increase the likelihood of a person remembering the word.   Michael Graves wrote in The Vocabulary Book: Learning and Instruction, All in all, the descriptive research on learning from context shows that context can produce learning of word meanings and that although the probability of learning a word from a single occurrence is low, the probability of learning a word from context increases substantially with additional occurrences of the word. That is how we typically learn from context. We learn a little from the first encounter with a word and then more and more about a words meaning as we meet it in new and different contexts.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 106

Assignment Example Critical thinking therefore fosters fair-mindedness and intellectual integrity. It also equips the user with skills that can be learned, mastered and used in life (Huhn, 2013). One of the most widely used critical thinking skills is information seeking. The other critical thinking skills include analyzing; logical reasoning, predicting and transformation of knowledge obtained through useful practical application. Leist, Woolwine and Bays (2012) point out that information seeking as a critical thinking skill involves searching for evidence, facts or knowledge through identification of the relevant sources. It also involves the gathering of information that is objective, subjective, historical and current. There are many information sources. The five primary sources that I utilize in my information search include online and print journal articles, internet websites, books, newspaper articles and past research notes and published research findings. The print and online journal articles are the main source of information. This is because apart from providing up to date information they are also peer reviewed ensuring that the information published is accurate and objective (Eagleton and Guinee, 2002). My choice of sources of information has not significantly changed over the past one year because they are the same that were utilized even then. However, I have become more pragmatic with deploying internet sources so that only the most credible ones are utilized. For example, I look out for the author’s credentials and contacts to see whether he or she is an authoritative source. The format of information input that I prefer the most is through seeing. This is because my comprehension is significantly enhanced through reading and observation as opposed to hearing. The combination of the two usually provides a better understanding of the message communicated, but if I

Pull our troops from Afghanistan Research Paper

Pull our troops from Afghanistan - Research Paper Example The American people are very much concerned about the war in Afghanistan because of the large cost of war and economic destabilization, the deaths of a considerably large number of American soldiers in Afghanistan, and the exact number was never told to us and also the deteriorating image of the US as a country and Americans as a nation in the global scenario because of the killings of innocent civilians during various operations and strikes against the terrorists. But the most important of all the questions is ‘what exactly is our target and mission over there?’, ‘is there actually any way of winning the war?’ and ‘how exactly do we define a win in Afghanistan, in those conditions?’ So the government, the security agencies and the think tanks should first define the goals in Afghanistan and whether it is feasible to achieve those goals under present circumstances without any further damage to the economy and the country’s image. The defi nition of win should incorporate a number of factors in itself and a win should be a condition in which: a. The top leadership of Al Qaeda including Osama bin Laden and Aimen al-Zawahiri is either killed or captured ensuring that Al Qaeda is no longer stable enough to conduct such deadly attacks and terrorist activities again b. The threat of Taliban and other tribal terrorist organizations in Afghanistan as well as Pakistan is eradicated to an extent that it will not rise again and become a threat to the global peace and security c. The institutional setup, the government, the infrastructure, the police and other security agencies in Afghanistan are strong enough to ensure sustainable stability in the country which can ensure provision of basic services to the people of the country and can defend the country against all kinds of internal and external threats without any foreign involvement or assistance. Whenever we talk about pulling our troops from Afghanistan we start analyzing the situation by considering goals and targets of the war but then we realize the fact that the governmental institutions and the authorities have not clearly defined the goals of the war and we have noticed them to shift a little from time to time with regards to our mission in Afghanistan. Recently President Obama issued a statement in which he clearly established that our goal in Afghanistan ‘is to reverse the momentum of Taliban’ and he did not mention anything about Al Qaeda or its leaders. Considering President Obama’s statement as the goal of Afghanistan war and considering it a win, an analysis should be done whether we have achieved that win or not or whether it is possible to effectively achieve that win in the first place (Tystad). Considering the fact that some of the regions in Afghanistan including a large portion of Qandahar are being controlled by Taliban, we cannot consider our mission in Afghanistan a win and in fact completely eliminating the t hreat of Taliban in that region is also not possible because of a number of factors which are related to the government in Afghanistan and the security agencies in Pakistan. Some of the members in the current Afghani cabinet and some tribal chiefs have shown distrust towards the American forces and are not cooperating with them and have

Quality Management in Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Quality Management in Business - Assignment Example What is most important is the way in which a business puts arisen issues to bed such that there will not be a repetition of the same issues. The first part of this paper seeks to identify as well as apply strategies to come up with appropriate solutions. Continuously, well performing companies have come up with ways to be much better in their business. Some companies do believe that waste, scrap as well as defects are a mere cost of running a business. To some extent, they are right because this is a cost. However, this cost can and should be avoided give the reason that it is the cost of poor quality. It adds up once and repeatedly in the form of different currencies; Euros, dollars, pounds, and affects the ability of a company to remain profitable as well as the ability to remain in business. It is always advisable to remember that lack of cash happens to be what kills businesses most eventually. Problem solving art is referred as jidoka by the Japanese. The term simply means plain and simply a method that sports a problem as it arises in business, stopping it as well as analyzing the problem and finally spending time in resolving it such that it will not come up again. The thing involves a continuous culture improvement, which ta kes a great leadership and time. Failure to use effective strategies for solving problems for identification, containing as well as elimination of root causes of the problems has a detrimental and massive impact on business stability and performance. It seriously jeopardizes the competitiveness of the business and its existence as well. Errors are usually made in businesses; issues arise. Too many problems may exist, so how does one know the issue to deal with within the many? The best strategy must be put in place to help in diagnosing and eliminating the causes within the myriad of these issues. To start with, one needs to look for the issue carrying the biggest impact. The method

Human Rights in Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Rights in Politics - Essay Example An obsessive fear for national security and fear about infiltration of the Government, lead to the intensified scrutiny of CPUSA and other radical political groups. In 1947 President, Harry Truman was instrumental in ushering in a law that permitted authorities to investigate and prosecute federal employees found to be disloyal to the Government. In 1949, 11 top leaders of the CPUSA were convicted under Alien Registration Act (South Act of 1940.), which made it illegal to advocate the violent overthrow of the American Government. In 1950 the Internal Security Act, was promulgated. This act required the registration of communist and communist front organizations. From 1950 to 1954 senator Joseph Mc McCarthy of Wisconsin used congressional investigations to persecute communists. This assumed the proportions of the Salem Witch Craft Trials and grave travesties of justice took place. Even Charlie Chaplin was not spared in this attack on those suspected to be either communists or communis t supporters. This had the effect of producing a drastic reduction in the number of members in the CPUSA. (Microsoft Corporation Encarta Encyclopaedia , Communism. Timothy. J Colton.). On the 11th of September 2001, a most dastardly attack was conducted on the innocent civilians of the USA by Al Qaeda terrorists under the demoniac guidance of their fiendish leader Osama Bin Laden.

Argentina FX assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argentina FX assignment - Essay Example It is imperative to point out that the devaluation enhanced speedy growth of the Argentina’s GDP. This growth was the reason for the re-election of Kirchners. The strategy involved setting the prices of Argentinean exports based on the boom that occurred in the commodities’ prices. This was ramped up with the spending by the government. The devaluation resulted in the tumbling of the Argentina’s fiscal balance from 7.14 per dollar to 8.50 per dollar. Venezuela is reported to have weakened the bolivar through the partial devaluation of its currency. This was devalued to approximately 11.3 per dollar. This was inclusive of the remittances and tourism in comparison to the rate of 6.3 per dollar, which is the official rate of exchange. The tumbling of the fiscal balance from 7.14 per dollar to 8.50 per dollar prompted the Argentina’s central bank to resort to selling its reserves amounting to $100 million in order to control the slide. The devaluation is expected to result in a reduction in the â€Å"stockpile of dollar reserves† (Parks, Turner and Lyons 2). The decision by the Argentinean government to shift away from policies that were friendly to the market to populist attitudes that granted the government subsidies that were generous on sectors of the economy led to rise in the inflation that was insinuated to be among the highest across the globe. The devaluation was conducted without letting the international monetary fund to review the free-market policies. This also led to the collapse of the peso. The government implemented various unorthodox policies aimed at regulating the inflation rate. These included currency controls and price controls through the Argentina’s central bank. The inflation rate for Argentina is estimated to have risen approximately to 25% to 30% according to economists. This estimation is contrary to the government’s records that indicated that last year, the inflation

Private Security Companies of Hostile Countries Coursework

Private Security Companies of Hostile Countries - Coursework Example Though overall security responsibility of people is taken up by occupying forces, the militants target the private and government organisations that help in development of infrastructure and organisations that help in economic development. Thus they try to distort the development activities that help in rebuilding the country. The important objectives of the expatriate security companies are to offer training for local police and to give security for private and governmental organisations as the police and military forces in Iraq are not in adequate number to protect them. Even the international organisations like UN offices that are helping in rebuilding of Iraq, voluntary organisations and MNC companies need security from the militants. To meet the above-mentioned requirements, the expatriate security companies have to train local police and maintain security personnel for the protection of private as well as government and international facilities. The important issue is about rec ruiting personnel that can provide security to the organisations, who are clients of the security companies. The recruitment will be of two types. Recruiting expatriates (westerners) and recruiting local people. However, both the above options have their own drawbacks. The recruitment of westerners costs more for the company but assures efficient services. In the contrast, the recruitment of the locals may result in less expenditure for the company regarding salaries but may not result in adequate security as the locals are more prone to the relations with militants as well as they are more familiar with the surroundings. Consequently, the recruitment of locals in to the security companies in countries like Iraq and their reliability in security operations is the point of discussion in this paper. Hence, the recruitment of expatriates comes to the fore when the security companies find that there are no sufficient locals fit for the security operations. Research Hypothesis: Do expatriates can fill the security vacuum in countries like Iraq by recruiting local personnel Do the training given by the companies to local police is enough in providing the much needed security to people, organisations and the companies in countries like Iraq Methodology The information necessary for the assignment

Argentina FX assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argentina FX assignment - Essay Example It is imperative to point out that the devaluation enhanced speedy growth of the Argentina’s GDP. This growth was the reason for the re-election of Kirchners. The strategy involved setting the prices of Argentinean exports based on the boom that occurred in the commodities’ prices. This was ramped up with the spending by the government. The devaluation resulted in the tumbling of the Argentina’s fiscal balance from 7.14 per dollar to 8.50 per dollar. Venezuela is reported to have weakened the bolivar through the partial devaluation of its currency. This was devalued to approximately 11.3 per dollar. This was inclusive of the remittances and tourism in comparison to the rate of 6.3 per dollar, which is the official rate of exchange. The tumbling of the fiscal balance from 7.14 per dollar to 8.50 per dollar prompted the Argentina’s central bank to resort to selling its reserves amounting to $100 million in order to control the slide. The devaluation is expected to result in a reduction in the â€Å"stockpile of dollar reserves† (Parks, Turner and Lyons 2). The decision by the Argentinean government to shift away from policies that were friendly to the market to populist attitudes that granted the government subsidies that were generous on sectors of the economy led to rise in the inflation that was insinuated to be among the highest across the globe. The devaluation was conducted without letting the international monetary fund to review the free-market policies. This also led to the collapse of the peso. The government implemented various unorthodox policies aimed at regulating the inflation rate. These included currency controls and price controls through the Argentina’s central bank. The inflation rate for Argentina is estimated to have risen approximately to 25% to 30% according to economists. This estimation is contrary to the government’s records that indicated that last year, the inflation

God and Philosophy Essay Example for Free

God and Philosophy Essay Many philosophers will say that God plays an important role in a persons mental being. Others will argue that he doesnt and that we decide by our own mentality. The three thinkers that will be discussed in this paper made a large impact in the philosophical world with their theories and reasons. Descartes, Kant, and Hume are all important players in the world of philosophy, but according to other philosophers, so is God. Rene Descartes, a noted French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, coined the Latin phrase Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am). He refused to accept the scholastic and Aristotelian traditions that had dominated philosophical thought throughout the medieval period (www. iep. utm. edu). He frequently contrasted his views with those of his predecessors. In his theology, he insists on the absolute freedom of Gods act of creation. In 1641, he wrote Mediations on First Philosophy, which he employed a method called methodological skepticism; where he doubts any idea that can be doubted. God, in Descartes metaphysics, is the bridge from the subjective world of thought to the objective world of scientific truth. The mind, owing its existence to God, is innately programmed with certain ideas that correspond to reality; hence the importance, in Descartes system, of proving the existence of God, the perfect guarantor of our ideas, so that the mediator can move from isolated flashes of cognition to systematic knowledge of the nature of reality (Cottingham, 31). In Meditations, he mentions the idea of a benevolent God. Because God is benevolent, he can have some faith in the account of reality his senses provide with a working mind and sensory system and does not desire to deceive him; however, this is a continuous argument, as his very notion of a benevolent God from which he developed this argument is easily subject to the same kind of doubt as his perceptions (www. wikipedia. com). Descartes sought to retain the belief in the existence of innate ideas together with an acceptance of the values of data and ideas derived from an experience. Next up is Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher that held that there is an objective moral law. Most philosophers view morality very differently. Some think there is an objective moral law, but that it depends on Gods will. Others thought morality was to do with reason, but that the reasoning was all about how to promote some objective, like ones own happiness of welfare of society (Walker, 5). Kant rejected these ideas, because morality is depending on something outside itself- Gods will. Kant inquired whether it could be possible to ground synthetic ? a priori knowledge for a study of metaphysics, because most of the principles of metaphysics from Plato through Kants immediate predecessors made assertions about the world or about God or about the soul. Kants works of 1755 reveal more of his originality and his enduring themes. Universal Natural History, deriving the present state of the planets from postulated initial conditions by reiterated applications of the laws of Newtonian mechanics, manifests not only Kants commitment to those laws, for which he was subsequently to seek philosophical foundations, but also his commitment to thoroughly naturalistic explanations in science, in which God can be the initial source of natural laws but never intervenes within the sequence of physical causes. Kant still holds that the existence of God can be proved as a condition of the possibility of any reality. Finally, Kant further develops his argument that scientific explanation cannot allow divine intervention in the sequence of events, and that God must be seen only as the original ground of the laws of nature. The existence of God is therefore to Kant a necessary assumption for what he sees to be an objectively valid morality. Lastly, David Hume, British philosopher, is considered one of the most influential religious philosophers. Hume questioned the process of inductive thinking, which had been the hallmark of science. He criticized the standard proofs for Gods existence, traditional notions of Gods nature and divine governance, the connection between morality and religion, and the rationality of belief in miracles. He also advanced theories on the origin of popular religious beliefs, grounding such notions in human psychology rather than in rational argument or divine revelation. For Hume, all objects of human reason are divided into two kinds: Relations of Ideas and Matters of fact. All reasoning of matters of fact is founded on Cause and Effect. Cause and Effect play a big role in Humes philosophy. Hume wrote The Natural History of Religion in 1757. Its main theme is the causes and consequences of the religious development of mankind from polytheism to monotheism. Belief in a god or gods is not natural like belief in an external world, since there are races in which it is not to be found (Quinton, 52). Contrary to many critiques Hume does believe that there is a God, however he does not believe that God is all greatness like society commonly assumes and accepts. Hume argues that because one sees an effect that doesnt mean that we can automatically know or assume its cause. This argument can be used to explain the creation of the world. As influential as Hume was, he remains an academic skeptic, making the reasonable judgments of an ordinary life, regardless of lack of academic knowledge. God played an important role in every philosophers thinking. They either tried to provide proof that he does or does not exist, or tried to decipher why so many people followed a man whom they have never even met. Nevertheless, God played an important role in Kants, Descartes, and Humes philosophical thinking. Works Cited Burnham, Douglas and James Fieser. Rene Descartes (1596-1650). The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. http://www. iep. utm. edu/d/descarte. htm. Cottingham, John. Descartes. New York, Rutledge: 1999. Quinton, Anthony. Hume. New York, Rutledge: 1999. Rene Descartes. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Descartes. Walker, Ralph. Kant. New York, Rutledge: 1999.

The Treatment Of Errors In The Classroom English Language Essay

The Treatment Of Errors In The Classroom English Language Essay LAST PART OF CHAPTER 3 As I mentioned before, error correction is the classroom activity that most people think as one of the language teachers most important functions (Nunan, 1989: 9). This is because most of the time the teacher is the one who corrects. The first and most important step a teacher must take is to determine the aim of the activity. As Ancker (2000: 20) mentioned in his article Errors and Corrective Feedback, if the objective is to develop accuracy, then of course correction is necessary. In this case, the correct approach is to allow the student to self-correct first. If that does not work, teachers should allow peer correction. But if no one seems to know, teachers can give the answer or correct. Although error correction seems time consuming, it helps students to focus their attention and to reduce their dependence on the teacher, and this reduction of dependence encourages students autonomy. On the other hand, if the objective of the activity is to develop fluency, then correction may not be necessary (Ancker, 2000: 20). Unless the error has been made many times, then the error correction needs to take place. One important question is who should correct learners errors. There are three possible answers to the question: the teacher, the learner him/herself or the others learners (peer-correction). But this will depend on the importance or success of the error corrections, as well as the ability of the students to do self or peer correction. According to Ellis (1994: 489) studies of repair in naturally occurring conversations have shown a preference for self-initiated and self-completed repair. But, in many cases the teacher is the one who usually corrects students in the classroom. It may be appropriate to allow the learner to self-correct without any further help from the teacher by using clarification requests such as: what?, excuse me?, what did you mean by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..?, etc. That is because learners are actually capable of making changes in their developing Interlanguage systems (Allwright and Bailey, 1994: 49). Most of the times, teacher intervention should be reduced and students must be encouraged to provide feedback to their partners. In one interpretation of language acquisition, Kessler (1992: 85) suggests that the monitor can prevent or repair some errors under certain conditions. These conditions include: a) a focus on form, rather than on communication of meaning, and b) adequate time for the learner to process the output. Ellis (1994: ibidem) conducted a study to find out whether learners reformulate their use of past tense in their utterances, when given a second opportunity to do so, or ignore it. He found out that those who, when pushed through a request for clarification to reformulate their utterances, did so, by correctly forming the past tense and maintained their improved accuracy in the past tense on the subsequent occasions. Teachers must have clear that each teacher must come to an individual decision with respect to treatment of errors, just as a proverb says: what works well in Madrid may not work well in Tokyo, because not all the students have the same personality. Allwright (1996: 32) makes a strong claim for the study of error correction in the classroom in which they occur. From this observation, he came to the following conclusions: 1) Teachers just tend to repeat the correct model rather than telling the student where his error occurred and why it was incorrect. 2) Teachers are also inconsistent in their treatment of learning errors. (Because errors are not always corrected). Also, Allwright (1996: 33) asserted that another possibility is that other learners in the classroom could help by providing corrective feedback if it is necessary. In one experimental study related to this issue, Porter (1986, mentioned in Chaudron, 1993: 71) found that second language learners were able to accurately correct other learners errors, though they rarely did so. 3.1.2.3 Error Correction Techniques Although providing correct forms of learner errors is one of the most popular techniques among many language teachers (Hendrickson, 1980: 160), the use of various types of treatment methods has been recommended as it is considered to be more effective and successful than relying upon a single technique (Lynch, 1996, cited in Muncie, 2000: 50). Holley and King (1971, cited in Hendrickson, ibidem.) suggest that teachers should not use the methods which make learners feel embarrassed or frustrated. Therefore, teachers should be more sensitive about how to respond to learner errors. Fanselow (1977: 588) has argued that teachers should offer learners the greatest possible variety of treatments because different people need to be treated differently. Also teachers need to keep on trying out different possibilities of feedback that would have to be delivered in such a way as to provide affective support, so the learners will not be demoralized, at the same time as the negative cognitive information is transmitted. Once teachers do decide to treat noticed errors, and when they will do so, they have a variety of methods to their disposal. Allwright (1975, in Nunan, 1989: 32) points out the complexities of the teachers task. In the case of error correction, this can be illustrated by the following options confronting the teacher in the face of a leaners error: To treat or to ignore the error completely. To treat immediately or delay the error. To allow another student, a subgroup or the whole class to find the correct form. To return or not to the original error-maker after treatment. To test for efficacy of treatment. To transfer treatment or not. To let it be self-treated. All these suggested options are appropriate in different moments; the teacher only needs to develop the intuition, through experience and solid diverse theoretical foundation. As Allwright has a variety of options, Long (1977, in Allwright and Bailey, 1994: ibidem) also notes that teachers have three choices in deciding what to do when they find the error: To inform the learner that an error has been made To inform the learner of the location of the error To inform the learner of the identity of the error Moreover, Corder (1967, in Allwright, 1996: ibidem) declares that in order to show that there is a problem, the teacher usually a) retains evaluation, b) ignores the answer given and repeats the question, c) repeats the trouble source as a question, or d) changes addressee. Errors are inevitable, but if there are too many it is probably the result of inefficient practice or poor exploitation strategies. Teachers have an arrangement of techniques and nomination strategies to deal with any correction that needs to be made. Correction techniques should be helpful and supportive. When an error is detected, the next problem is that teachers would have to choose the best type of treatment to provide in order to help the second language learners achieve this needed awareness. There are many types of errors and according to Slimani (1992, in Panova 2002: 582), teachers often use seven types of feedback (or error correction techniques) when correcting errors that occur in the language classroom. They are: recast, translation, clarification request, metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, explicit correction and repetition. As Slimani mentioned (ibidem) a recast is an implicit corrective feedback that reformulates a wrong or incomplete utterance. Example: 1. S: Dangerous? (Phonological error. /dangerus) T: Yeah, good. Dangerous. (Recast) you remember? Safe and dangerous. If you walk in the streetsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The second type of correction is the translation (from the teacher) that can be seen in many cases when students dont know how to say a definite utterance, for instance: 2. T: All right, now, which place is near the water? S: Non, Jai pas fini (L1) T: you havent finished? Okay, Bernard, have you finished? (Translation) The purpose of clarification request is to elicit reformulation or repetition from the student who has said a wrong form: 3. S: I want practice today, today (grammatical error) T: Im sorry? (Clarification request) In the example mentioned before, Im sorry is a type of clarification request but there is also another one that is very used: I dont understand. According to Lyster Ranta (1997, in Panova, 2002: 583), metalinguistic feedback refers to comments or information related to the form of the students utterance without providing the correct answer, as: 4. S: I accord T: Oh, but thats in French (metalinguistic feedback) Lyster Ranta point out that elicitation technique is a corrective feedback that prompts the learner to correct (Panova, 2002: 584); this is an example of a peer repairing: 5. T: In a fast food restaurant, how much do you tip? S1: No money (Lexical error) T: Whats the word? (Elicitation) S1: fiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (needs repairing) T: Whats the wordà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in a fast food restaurant? (Elicitation) S2: Nothing (repair) T: Nothing, yeahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The sixth type of feedback is the explicit correction. 6. S: The day last tomorrow (lexical error) T: Yes. No, the day before tomorrow (explicit correction) In this type of feedback, the teacher provides explicit signals to the student that there is an error in the previous utterance. The last type of corrective feedback is repetition, which the teacher repeats the wrong part of the students expression, usually with a change of intonation. For example: 7. S: I am agree (lexical error) T: I am agree? (Repetition) The research on teacher treatment of learner error, including studies by Allwright (1975), Chaudron (1977, 1986b, 1987), Fanselow (1977b), and Long (1977), shows that teachers do not treat all errors that occur. The findings also reveal that teachers have a wide variety of techniques available for the treatment of errors, but they do not typically make full use of the repertoire of behaviors from which they might choose in providing feedback (Allwright and Bailey, 1994: 99-100). Knowing all these types of error correction techniques (named also as feedback) teachers are more self-confident on what they are doing, because they know that the type of feedback they give to their students is mentioned in the seven techniques pointed out before, and they make sure they are doing right. 3.1.2.4 Momentum of the Correction The dilemma of; to correct or not to correct, has persistently engaged the minds of language teachers. Concerning to correction, Lyster Ranta (1977: 51) acknowledge that there is a certain dilemma in this regard: if teachers do not correct errors, opportunities for students to make links between form and functions are reduced; if teachers do correct errors, they risk interrupting the flow of communication. According to Longs (1977: 279) opinion, once the teacher has decided that an error should be treated, the next decision that he/she has to make is when to treat the error. The teacher may deal with it immediately, or delay treatment somewhat (for instance, until the learner finishes with the message he/she is trying to convey), while still treating the error within the boundaries of the same lesson in which it occurred. The `problem with immediate error treatment is that it often involves interrupting the learner in mid-sentence, it is a practice which can certainly be disruptive and could eventually inhibit the learner willingness to speak in class at all. Allwright Bailey (1991: ibidem) assert that if we adopt the notion of Interlanguage in the discussion of second language learners errors, we realize that by treating errors, teachers try to help learners move ahead with their Interlanguage development. However, they believe mistimed error treatment may not be helpful and may even be harmful if it aims at structures which are beyond second language learners in terms of their Interlingua development. They refer to mistimed with forms at the right time in the course of the learners speech. While correcting errors, teachers can make corrections at the moment the error is made or at the end of the activity. Having the correction at the moment is advisable when students do not make many errors and this will help not only the students who made the error , but also to the whole class or those who are paying attention; and having the correction at the end of the activities is advisable when students have many errors and run on them every five minutes, so that students do not feel like foolish in front of the whole class. The place of error correction has been controversial because teachers have to know the adequate moment to do the correction and how to do it in order to not inhibit students participation. Nunan and Lamb (1996, in Poppi, 2001: @), point out that it is important to consider when the adequate moment to make a correction is. They say that it is better to correct errors at the end of the activity just by writing on the board and explaining the reasons of the errors made since in that way, the teacher gives a better explanation of the error, but also focuses more on the error. On the other hand correcting at the moment is not advisable, because of the lack of time and also the teacher could demotivate the students. Alternately, Allwright Bailey (1991: ibidem) state that teachers may postpone the treatment for longer periods of time for two reasons: a) teachers do not want to explain the error to the whole group. For instance, oral errors, particularly if they are shared by a group of learners, may form a starting point for a future lesson. Long (1977: 290) observes that error treatment becomes less effective as the time lag between the performance and the treatment becomes longer. Deciding when and which errors to correct causes problems to teachers, as teachers may think they are encouraging their students, but they are doing the contrary or vice-versa. Teachers must also take in consideration, that constantly interrupting students to correct them can be irritating. If teachers do not know when to correct, it is necessary to consider the nature of the activity that is being undertaken. For example if students are performing a drill in order to practice pronunciation or phrases, then they should be stopped immediately when they make the error, otherwise they will continue repeating defective language; on the other hand, in fluency, if there are frequent errors, the teacher can make a mental or written note to provide feedback after the activity, so students can feel comfortable and self-confident. Teachers do not have to correct all the time, they have to be conscious on what and when they are going to correct in order to promote students participation, otherwise if teachers make lots of corrections, students could be irritated (Norrish, 1990: 280). Long (1977: 292) points out that the psychology of research literature shows, that the feedback becomes less effective as the time between the performance of the skill and the feedback increases. What is more, Virgil Oller (1976: 288) think that correcting errors at the moment is a waste of time and instead of doing that, teachers should avoid error correction at the moment. So, correcting at the moment can certainly be troublemaking and could eventually inhibit the learners willingness to speak in class at all, or students could forget what they wanted to say. Contrary to this, correcting at the end of activities is better because teachers have already finished their activities and can explain in detail the reasons of the errors (Virgil Oller: ibidem). In short, we may say that teachers can choose the moment to correct their students taking into account their necessities. 3.1.2.5 Students Attitude Attitudes are complex, hypothetical construction, which general definition includes some notion of evaluation. Ajzen (1988: 85) states that an attitude is a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object, person, intuition or event. In addition to this, Triandis (1971: 289) writes that an attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor. This evaluative aspect of attitude is its defining attribute, and sets it apart from other affective variables. Attitude is an emotion that all people show when they have views of an attitude object: i.e. a person, behavior or event. Attitudes come from judgments. Triandis (1971: ibidem) says that attitudes develop the ABC model (affect, behavioral change and cognition). The affective response is a physiological response that expresses an individuals preference for an entity. The behavioral intention or change is a verbal indication of the intention of an individual. And the cognitive response refers to a cognitive evaluation of the entity to form an attitude. Heider (1958, in Triandis: ibidem) points out that attitude is usually defined as a disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain thing (idea, object, person, and situation). The type of feedback language teachers provide for students reflects their view of language and their objectives. The attitude of students plays an important role in learning a second language. This attitude is developed by a variety of factors, among them feedback, which may have desirable or undesirable cognitive and affective results. Students characteristics have an impact both on the teacher who corrects the learners errors and on the learner who is corrected. The teachers treatment of error might also be influenced consciously or unconsciously by the state of mood teachers are. The attitude of learners toward error correction, not only by teachers during focused activities but also by native speakers with whom they converse, is remarkably positive (Chenoweth, Chun and Luppescu, 1983: 82). Cathcart Olsen (1976: 41) found that ESL learners who hold positive attitude toward correction like to be corrected by their teachers and want to have more correction than they are usually provided with. Another important point about attitudes is that they are subject to change; they are not set in concrete. This is good news for teachers in that poor attitude can be changed. But the good news is tempered by the fact that there are many variables associated with attitude change, such as the state of mood, the classroom environment, the students personality and so on. Probably, the most difficult aspect of the correction process is tailoring corrections to individual students. Teachers who wish to provide effective correction must consider its effect on each individual student. The problem has two aspects: affective and cognitive side. Truscott (1998: @) says that on the effective side, learners clearly differ in their reactions and attitudes to correction. For some, no adverse effect is likely unless corrections are delivered in a very aggressive or unfair manner. For others, there is a serious danger that correction will produce embarrassment, anger, inhibition, feeling of inferiority, and generally negative attitudes towards the class and possibly toward the language learning itself. Consequently, there are different reactions in students because all students are different: positive and negative. In this way, in order to avoid harmful effects and to make correction effective, the teacher should see each student as unique and to ask how each student will respond to correction in many possible forms, varying the type of error correction and the frequency of the correction, the clarity of the correction and the most important: the intensity of the correction. Nunan Lamb (1996, in Poppi, 2001: @) mention that attitudes and responses vary among students depending on the different ways that teachers treat their errors. For example, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.teachers can correct students in a way that makes students feel comfortable and some students can have a positive attitude to the correction while others will react with a negative attitude by making gestures (like a grimace) and some others will just accept the correction and repeat it with a smile (Pinazo, 2001: @) Moreover, Wajnryb (1992, in Poppi, 2001: @) makes the point that, if teachers attempted to correct every error that occurred in class, there would be little time to do anything else. Correcting at anytime many times creates a negative classroom atmosphere, discouraging learners from risk-taking and experimentation. So, when learners are corrected intensively by the teacher it could have negative consequences in their motivation. Students will think that if they continue speaking, the teacher will continue correcting, and in order to avoid this reaction (the teachers one) they stop speaking. Pholsward (2001: @), in his investigation at the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce at the Faculty of Humanities in the language department of English, about students reaction to the error treatment, concluded that most students were quite relaxed and satisfied as they helped each other in a groups attempt to identify errors. In Pholswards research, the teachers would suggest answers in guidance to students and if the students were still not responsive, the teachers would identify errors and edit them, followed by detailed explanations. In brief, Ellis (1994: 490) affirms learners attitude towards error correction can also vary according to their characteristics, their cognitive and affective states and the nature of the treatment they receive. Apart from what was mentioned before, students reaction is complemented by non-verbal gestures, too. Students talk with gestures and their meanings are clear and specific for instance: waving goodbye. Other types of gesture, the gestures that express emotional states, reflect the mood and feeling of people. Pinazo (2001: @) expresses that these gestures show anxiety or tension of the moment such as pain, triumph and happiness. The attitudes that will be taken in consideration in this research project are: positive and negative, with its corresponding classification that were taken from the works of these authors: Rebel Gà ¼nther (2002: 49-51, 96-165), Louis Porcher (1989: 77-82), Ana Muà ±oz (2002: @), Olman Martà ­nez (2004: @) and Pinazo (2001: @): POSITIVE ATTITUDE NEGATIVE ATTITUDE Move the head from up to down in a moderate form Smiles Laughs Repetition of the correction Lips movement by saying thank you Soft tone of voice Quickly movement of the head in an affirmative form Hinge or attentive look Grin Smirk Sneer Snarl Rotating the eyes upward (eye rolling) Rude tone of voice Fig. 3.1 Common attitudes on error correction 3.1.3 Error Correction, Motivation and Communication in English Language Learning Motivation is as much an effect as a cause of learning. Ausubel (in Budden, 2004: @). Motivation is related to error correction in English language learning because the manner teacher corrects, is the way in which students are going to react to teachers correction. Students main goal is to participate in communication with other people. This learning goal is possible if teachers can keep students motivation for learning during oral practice activities. Terese (2005) explains that one natural and non-treating way of encouraging students to give feedback is by using a number of strategies like: clarification requests (What did you mean byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦?), requests for repetition (sorry, can you say that again?) and the use of questioning looks. This means that motivation is the force which determines if learners initiate, or not on a task, also how much energy they dedicate to it and how long they continue in it. Famous research carried out in the second half of the twentieth century by Gardner and Lambert (1999 in Harmer, 2001: 205) suggested that students who felt more warmly about a language, who wanted to integrate into the culture of its speakers were more motivated (and learnt successfully) than speakers who were only learning language as a means to an end (e.g. getting a better job). Harmer (1999: ibidem) says that real motivation comes from within each individual. Teachers are not responsible of their students motivation; they can only encourage students by using word and action, while teaching the foreign language. Motivation is the energy that catalyzes behavior. In psychology, motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behavior (Budden, 2004: @) Motivation is a temporal and dynamic state that should not be confused with personality or emotion. It is sometimes assumed by language teachers that if students make any kind of error when talking to a native speaker they are learning, but learners frequent attitude to this is to maintain a terrified silence upon meeting a native speaker (Norrish, 1990: ibidem). This is because students think that errors discredit them with the person they are talking to. On the other hand, certain errors may conduct to a breakdown in communication, while others to social reactions. For instance, one of the breakdowns in communication is inhibition (Norrish, 1990: ibidem). Students get inhibited because they fear making errors when communicating and being ridiculous in front of the teacher or native speakers. But also when staying in the classroom or talking with other students, they feel embarrassed when making errors, because they are afraid of being seen as dumb. Nunan and Lamb (1996, in Poppi 2001:@), mention an investigation on teacher behavior and student responses on occasion of which the following question was established: Do students attitude about the types of error treatment used by their teachers in the classroom during oral classroom tasks influence their motivation? They concluded that students do hold attitudes about different ways that teachers treat their errors, and also learners would like the teacher to improve raising their awareness by allowing opportunities to self-correct and to analyze the errors; the learners would like to be provided in a positive way with information and clarification, rather than: a) being exposed by non-verbal signs, b) providing feedback without explanations, c) asking the students to repeat the sentence and d) activating the right answer on the part of the student. Additionally, students would like to build up the belief that errors are to be considered as signs of progress of the learning process , rather than evidence of failure. Correcting errors disturbs the ongoing communication process (Truscott, 1998: @) but it is important to express that errors do not necessarily guide to a breakdown of communication, because sometimes correcting errors in students encourage them to continue participating in order to improve their speaking skill. In short, along this theoretical framework, I have mentioned all topics related to error correction that will be necessary to carry out this research project. For instance, I have mentioned that errors are considered to be incorrect, wrong or should not be done. In addition to this, I have described the different types of errors like error, mistake, lapse or slip as errors, this way was easy to identify what I was referring to in the investigation. I have talked about the sources of errors; but also, and something important is that, I have mentioned error correction and the types of error correction that teachers usually use when correcting students. When correcting errors, I said that we need to take into account who will treat errors and when to treat errors. CONCLUSION Being a teacher of a foreign language implies having certain skills, whether by nature, acquired outside teaching, or arising from university studies in education. They may also gain this knowledge with books concerning issues of education or by taking professional courses on the subject. In this case, the research presented, is primarily based on improving teaching skills of those teachers who didnt study a bachelors degree in English Teaching, by providing the teaching of various courses. Improving in various teachers fields was primarily important. But, understanding two main points that serve as departure is the start point: what does teaching mean? And what does being a teacher imply? Teachers must understand that a good class depends on many factors; although the material presented to teach the class is important, the teacher should take into account that leadership and management at the beginning, during and at the end of the class is essential, for the students to learn what is taught. It is of vital importance to know the likes and preferences of the students who we give classes to; this will serve as a key piece to encourage them, especially those who learning a foreign language are a rejection. Teachers should practice self-reflection on how to teach a foreign language, and have feedback from other teachers; this is of great help in order to implement different kinds of methodologies in the classroom, especially in error correction during the communication of the students to the teachers and among themselves. Doing the research on these topics, I noticed and reflected on the magnitude of being a teacher I understood that teaching is a great responsibility, because the way of teaching depends on the likes and disposition of the students to the learning of English language, due to the motivation transmitted by the teacher. This also includes the methodology used by the teacher to teach a class, as it influences how well students understand the topic. Another important point is the attitude that teachers have in front of groups when teaching. It must be enthusiastic and positive, factors to include in the education of a class presentation. Of all these factors that I explained above, I conclude that it is very significant to continue preparing ourselves and practice teaching training, in order to perk up foreign language education. Improving internally and externally all the factors in teachers such as: learning new teaching methodologies, be at the forefront of materials that can be used with the group, making use of different types of feedback from teachers, using different tools and techniques in teaching as well as self-reflection are some of the factors explained in this research. This paper concludes that teachers that do not have a bachelors degree in English Teaching should always look for continuous improvement in different ways in all areas, in all levels of language education towards the students. Taking into account all the factors set above, this research was done, in order to improve the level of education qualitatively, pedagogically and psychological practicability in the teachers practice of English teaching at the Liceo Josà © Vasconcelos, in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas.