Just another School Day free essay sample

What does a regular school day in your life look like? Alarm goes off at six o’clock a.m., you rush to get everything done in fifteen minutes, hop in the car, get to school, attend your classes, see your friends, etc.? Sounds like a pretty typical day. Here’s my school day: wake up at seven o’clock, eat breakfast while reading some of my book, get dressed and brush my teeth, then get to work, moving through each course at my own pace. Sometimes I’ll start with algebra, other days I’ll begin with something simple like vocabulary or grammar. Whether a subject takes fifteen minutes or two hours, each course teaches me something new and challenges me. Also, with the click of a button, I can go to a threaded discussion and talk with new and old friends in my school—at any time! Sounds like a unique sort of day? Actually, kids all over the country can experience this sort of school day through an online learning program called K12. We will write a custom essay sample on Just another School Day or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I believe that this learning environment is beneficial academically and socially to kids of all ages because it is offers a way to learn without the hassles and let downs of public schools. I wasn’t too thrilled when my mom informed me that I would be attending a Drama Club hosted by two K12 moms. It was a class for kids of all ages to learn about drama and take on some acting roles. I did not know anyone in the class, and was naturally shy and introverted on the first day. However, many of the kids seemed to know each other and laughter and happy chatter filled the room that day. I found that, as the weeks passed, I was soon laughing and chatting away as well with my new friends, giving them hugs when it was time to leave. Not all of these friends were just my age and gender, though. There were girls of all ages, and five boys brave enough to participate, but they all got along with the fifteen girls in the class. Because of the large group, I felt more comfortable attending other school events because I knew that someone from Drama Club would be there, such as the last park day of the summer for new and old K12 kids. There were several friends from Drama that came running up to us and gave me hugs. It was nice to go and not be a new, shy student but rather someone that could open up to new kids there that day. That bond of friendship between kids who were very unlike me or younger helped me feel more open to all of the kids I met in K12. Socially, K12 is a safe way to go because you do not run into many friendship problems and you get along well with other kids in the program. When I ended my eighth grade year, I knew that I would have to make some friends in the K12 high school since most of my friends were still in middle school. Because most of my friends were from Drama Club were much younger than me, all but one would still be in middle school so I would not have too much more interaction through K12 with them. My chance came when I went to the high school orientation at a local college. There were about thirty other kids there, all milling about the outdoor courtyard at the college, talking about their interests and laughing over little jokes or a found similarity. One of the girls I talked to, Frankie, had been in my CSAP group the year before, as well as two other girls that I had seen at CSAP. Dillon, one of the boys that my friend and I met, introduced us to some of his friends, as well. You could immediately tell that some kids bonded with others really well. They were all friendly, and we socialized for a few minutes before the teachers yelled out to go talk to someone new. There were all ages of high school kids there that day, some shy, some open and talkative. A lot of them seemed as clueless as me as to how the year would turn out. â€Å"I have no idea what this year is going to be like,† I said to many of them. â€Å"Don’t worry,† they usually replied, a knowing smile on their face. â€Å"I don’t either.† It felt good to know that whatever happened, there were other kids out there who could support me because they really understood what I was going through. Other social aspects of K12 are the threaded discussions and Class Connects hosted by our teachers. A threaded discussion is a place for students to go and talk about hobbies, movies, books, and even school related things. While the teachers monitor these discussions, students have free range to talk of whatever they like without having to answer questions and prompts of teachers. Class Connects are like online chat rooms where a teacher can answer questions of students regarding school work, and students also have a chance to interact in these settings. â€Å"Meeting† other kids online is more comfortable, eliminating the embarrassment and awkward silences of meeting face to face for the first time. And it is always really cool to meet someone at a social event and say, â€Å"Hey, I talk to you on the history threaded discussion!† People have often asked me what it is like to be part of an online school. Most of them don’t realize that just because I am schooled at home does not mean that I do not have any friends or that the work is too easy. I am always delighted to see their faces take on a surprised look as I tell them that I do indeed have many friends through my school, and that the work is very challenging. I work from eight o’clock in the morning until almost three o’clock in the afternoon, completing lessons in algebra, literary analysis and composition, physical science, physical education, world history, and fine art. Although sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to go to a public school. While it might be nice to be in a setting with so many other kids my age, I enjoy being at home in my day and being able to create my own work schedule. The bottom line is, I think that schooling online is a wonderful way to learn because you can work at your own pace in your own home. While you don’t have a ton of interaction with other kids all day long, there are plenty of opportunities to make new friends. Being part of an online school has been a great experience for me. I love how uniform it is and how much easier to organize than homeschooling. All of the students are different and unique, and it is really great to get to know kids of all ages. The school work is challenging but often times enjoyable, and it teaches me how to be self motivated and driven in life. All in all being part of K12 has opened my eyes to new experiences and learning techniques that kids should continue to benefit from.

Distribution essays

Distribution essays Since the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1990 it has grown from a means of communicating for physicists to having more than forty million users. This tremendous growth and interest in the Internet can only mean that great opportunities lie ahead for companies and their products. Digital marketing is changing how businesses are able to get their product to the consumer. It is allowing the channels of distribution to become shorter. In order to understand the channels of distribution and how they are becoming shorter, the concept must be explained. The traditional channels of distribution consist of the product, producer, wholesaler, retailer, and the consumer. This means that first there is a product. Then there has to be someone to produce the product. The product is usually produced in mass quantity. Then the wholesaler purchases the product from the producer and then sells it to the retailer at an increased price. The retailer then advertises the product to promote it to the consumer. The retailer also sells the product to the consumer at an increased price. This process makes for very long channels with increased costs of the products. Digital marketing has changed the flow of distribution channels. It has done this by allowing the channels to become shorter. Products may pass directly from the producer to the consumer, via a digital marketer. This means that instead of having multiple channels in distribution there might just be three. Producer, virtual marketer and consumer. It could also be just producer and consumer (Kleindl, Brad, 1996:10). One of the ways that digital marketing can shorten the channels of distribution is by eliminating the retailer and the intermediate wholesaler. The producer will be able to deliver the product directly to the consumer with the help of the digital marketer and the shipper of the product. This means decreased time periods and also allows the producer to produce ...

Learning Intention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learning Intention - Essay Example I try to anticipate the various events that I must go through such as delivering verbal instructions, using teaching aids or other resources in order to augment the learning process. In a somewhat similar manner, the teacher has to be sensitive to what concepts and content is delivered in the class. Modern classrooms are multiracial, multilingual and posses a number of ethnicities and socio economic backgrounds. The individual identity of each student in class must be preserved by paying careful attention to the delivered content. Additionally the teacher must also keep abreast of student’s learning by monitoring it. It is often cumbersome for me to monitor each individual student in my class so I use groups to assess how well each student in class is doing. In order to pose a more innovative teaching stance, I create various hypotheses relating to student behavior, instructional medium and style and test them out both qualitatively and quantitatively as applicable. This allows me to learn more about students and their styles of learning (Hattie, 2012). Above everything else, being a teacher I show the utmost respect for all members of the school including staff, students and faculty. The teacher has to project a friendly identity that is warm and inviting for students so that they can take learning to a more personal

Sexual Orientation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sexual Orientation - Essay Example They believe that it is imperative that the controversial issues be handled head on so that everyone concerned is able to live with relative harmony. Sexual preferences have become major issues which promote widespread inequality, thereby, necessitating an urgent need to address this in the wider interest of the society. The essay would be critically assessing the three articles on these issues taken from the book "The meaning of difference: American constructions of race, sex and gender, social class, and sexual orientation" by Karen E. Rosenblum and Toni-Michelle C. Travis. ‘The naming of sexual attraction’, an article by Michael R. Kauth, explores the sexual orientation of the people through the ages and its evolution, both in terms of acknowledgement and acceptance by the society. Kauth has maintained that sexual attraction had always been a sensitive issue that was intrinsically bound within the religious and cultural paradigms of the society. The language and the words play crucial role in defining the overall meaning to sexual orientation or behaviour. According to the article, in the 19th century, the term homosexuality was ‘adopted by psychiatrists and medical practitioners to identify a type of psychopathology and, consequently, this term implies sickness, aberrance and immaturity’ (Kauth1). Apart from the medical professionals, the powerful groups of people, who have considerable influence on the public, are the main decisive powers that define and confine the role of ‘sexual attraction’. Hence, it is for this reason that social paradigms and social values often reflect the views and ideologies of the few prominent people in power, which are carried forward through the times. In the ancient time, ‘gay’ was used to describe gaiety and happiness by the roman soldiers. Before the 19th century, sexuality or sexual preference

Referee report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Referee report - Essay Example The study found that M & As provides a positive impact on systemic risks for the transfer function estimation based on aggregate Z-score. Other evidence from the history and empirical findings favoured the efficiency hypothesis as opposed to the hypothesis of the imminent failure. The authors assessed how Banking system over relying on merger guidelines based on Herfndahl-Hirshman Index might curb the possibility of increasing risks associated with M & As. The understanding of risks and stability for banks undergoing merger and acquisition has drawn immense attention hence widely published in the banking empirical literature. The area of study is important for strategies in the banking sectors as well as the investors to devise methods that assess the possibilities of securing risks or attaining stability after merger and acquisition. Most of the empirical and theoretical framework was relevant with the exception of a few materials and concepts used by the author. However, I believe the area studied is very important. Therefore, I wish to illustrate and give my personal views as follows: 1. I am not sure whether the probabilistic model proposed and developed by the author as a mean of analysing the relationship between the systemic stability and the merger of banking system can provide the function it was proposed to offer. 2. The reason relates to the description of the model. The authors assert that the model uses a theoretical framework in establishing the differences between the imminent failure hypothesis and the efficiency hypothesis. One would wonder how they measured the levels of failure in the banks. Using financial distress, and bank failure as the indicator is relative and not objective. 3. Besides the model uses the assumption that when banks have low levels of probability for failure, they are likely to experience reduced systemic crises, and contagious bank runs, which were not substantiated appropriately as would be expected (Carlton and

Salvation Army: Stakeholder Analysis

Salvation Army: Stakeholder Analysis EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This essay is basically about the stakeholders of the Salvation Army case study written by Alex Murdock. It involves a breakdown of the work of the Salvation Army and the different stakeholders involved in the organisation. The first section is an introduction on the works of the Salvation Army and then moves on to discuss the different stakeholders of the Salvation Army in terms of their interest and power in the organisation. The next section discusses the major stakeholders and what they expect from the Salvation Army in terms of how there handle things. The last section presents a critical review on the importance of stakeholder management to any organisation and how to maintain an effective stakeholder relationship. THE SALVATION ARMY, A GLOBAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION INTRODUCTION The Salvation Army can be described as an international movement and as an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. It is also seen as a global non-profit organisation which was founded by William Booth and his wife Catherine in 1865 in London and has spread to other parts of the world. The primary aim of the organisation is to preach the good news about Jesus Christ and persuade people to become his followers. The Salvation Army shows care and concern for the needs of people despite their sex, age, race, status or colour. The mission statement of the Salvation Army (2004) The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination. The movement works in 109 countries and provides services in 175 different languages. The army also has some distinctive characteristics which set it apart from other Christian organisations one of which is its adoption of a quasi-military structure which is derived from spiritual warfare and reflects in the use of ranks, uniforms and flags. The actual work of the Salvation Army is not just evangelistic but is deeply focused on the relief of poverty and the provision of practical, cost-effective and skilled services. The Salvation Army provides a variety of programme-based services worldwide and their social service has become very important to the extent that the UK annual report affirmed that it was the second largest provider of social service after the government. One of the major services they provide is the residential service which is widely provided in different forms and the largest form is the facility for homeless people. They also provide residential accommodation for eve ry possible individual ranging from mother and baby to elderly and disabled and in 2003, there were altogether over 600 separate facilities with a total capacity of nearly 32,000. Mostly for the elderly people, they provide remand homes and day care for the little ones. Due to the armys focus on addiction dependency, lots of residential and day care resources have been developed to help extensively in addiction problems. The Salvation Army has been very helpful in a lot of other aspects apart from providing structures there provided counselling services for clients whom other agencies are reluctant to assist such as alcoholics, drug addicts. In especially the UK, the Salvation Army has been fully involved in the missing person services. The Salvation Army is a holiness movement and says that Salvationists should: Earnestly strive to become wholly devoted and obedient to God, strong and upright, true, pure, kind, loving and humble in one word, holy, like Jesus. Salvation Army (2009) IDENTIFY ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSTRUCT A POWER/ INTEREST MATRIX A stakeholder is any entity, internal or external, who could directly or indirectly affect your organization or be affected by your organisation (Romeo 2008). This means any person or organisation that can positively or negatively impact the actions of a company, government or organisations. They are people that have shares or interest in an organisation and are also involved in the control and decision making of the organisation. There different types of stakeholders are: Primary Stakeholders these are people that are ultimately affected either positively or negatively by an organisations actions. Secondary Stakeholders these are intermediaries i.e. those indirectly affected by the organisations actions. Key Stakeholders people that have significant influence within the organisation and there can belong to the two groups above. The stakeholders of the Salvation Army are listed below: Employees, Government, Volunteers, Donors, Board Members, Other Non Profit Organisations, Funders, Church and Members, Media, Armed Forces, UK National Lottery, The Public, Competitors, Clients/ Consumers, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Religious Groups, Individual Government bodies, The Councils. When looking at the stakeholder analysis, we need to consider the level of interest and the level of power the stakeholders have. Power depends on how much the stakeholder can bring to promote the army and Interest depends on how important the stakeholder sees the army. A stakeholder analysis is a process of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account when developing and implementing a policy or program (Best 2007: 2). It is useful in identifying key actors and assessing their knowledge, interests and power in relation to the organisation. These stakeholders or interested parties can usually be grouped into the following categories: international, public, national political, commercial/private, nongovernmental organization (NGO)/civil society, labour, and users/ consumers (Schmeer, 2000 cited in Best 2007: 2). STAKEHOLDER POWER/INTEREST MATRIX A matrix is used to organise or classify the stakeholder data. It provides a short analysis of which stakeholder will gain or lose from the organisation. Low Level of Interest High B Keep Informed A Minimal EffortLow D Key Players C Keep Satisfiedpower High This map is divided into four sections: low interest/low power, high interest/low power, high power/low interest and high power/high interest. Group A- low power and low interest in the Salvation Army so there require little or no effort and attention e.g. people, UK national lottery which has no interest or power in the organisation. Group B- low power and high interest in the organisation so there need to be kept informed by the Salvation Army because there have high interest but little power to control what goes on in the organisation e.g. volunteers, armed forces Group C- high power and low interest so the Salvation Army has to keep them informed on a regular basis and satisfied e.g. NGOs, media Group D- high power and high interest in the Salvation Army so there require loads of attention and effort because of their importance e.g. government, councils. The Salvation Army needs to be aware of a key player with a strong opposition. The analysis consists of the identified stakeholders bring arranged in a table according to the extent and level of power and interest there have in the organisation. According to Johnson and Scholes (2002:208), power/interest matrix imply the political priorities for managing stakeholders relationships by assessing the level of interest and power for each stakeholder. ASSESS THE EXPECTATIONS OF EACH GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS Non profit organisations are often thought of as seeking effectiveness and efficiency in equal measure (Drucker 1990). The donors, public agencies funding this organisations, employees and managers who work for these organisations often have high expectations about their ability to make an impact on the areas in which there are involved. The extent to which there provide services and affect community issues is an important measure of the effectiveness of these organisations. There are difficulties when trying to identify stakeholder expectations in not- for- profit organisations (Fletcher et al 2003). The decisions about the purpose and strategy of an organisation are influenced by the expectations of stakeholders (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008). This could be a challenge because of the possibility of many stakeholders having different expectations which could lead to conflict especially in a large organisation like the Salvation Army. MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS In this Salvation Army case, the major stakeholders are mostly those with high interest and high power which are: the church, donors, the government, army officers (uniformed and non- uniformed), media, individual government bodies, the high council, the generals consultative council, the international management council. Church The church could be seen as the major stakeholder because as the founder of the Salvation Army, they are in charge of most of the activities and services that the Salvation Army does. Media The media highlighted the governments views and added to the banning of the Salvation Army e.g. the press made attempts by the government to ban Salvation Army in Russia. Donors the Salvation Army is a non-profit organisation so it depends largely on donations and grants. The resourcing needs of the salvation army will likely increase as the demands increase so the donors support the organisation by making donations and there expect it to be put to good use e.g. Joan Kroc made a donation of 1.5billion dollars which was the worlds largest single charity donation. This donation however raised some questions and caused a bit of conflict between the donor and the organisation on the limits of acceptability. Government The government has supported the organisation and has attempted to support its needs. They have major expectations there want to see manifested in the Salvation Army. The government have high power and high interest because they are in charge of certain standards, and if these standards are not met, they carry out their penalties. Individual Government Bodies The government assists the Salvation Army in their fund raising campaigns. Some of these individual government bodies include social services like the Red Cross and various health organisations and they provide assistance when the Salvation Army needs it. This group of people are key stakeholders that can influence and affect the work of the organisation so it is important that their expectations are met. In the case study, the government body in Russia had the power to ban the Salvation Army from their country because they did not like the way things were going on and this brought about some problems. In the UK and USA, the Salvation Army is recognised and strongly supported which allows them to operate much easier. The individual government bodies have a certain ways things are done in their countries and expect the Salvation Army to adhere to it or it could lead to lack of support from the body which could hinder the work of the organisation. Army Officers These are employees of the organisation (professionals and non-professionals) who are paid very little for the work there do. There are expected to be very dedicated to the organisation and achieve their objectives. The High Council: The High Council consists of all active territorial commissioners and their major responsibility was to elect a new general when the present one who is the head of the army is unfit to continue. The second in command who is the chief executive has the responsibility of executing the policy decisions of the general and produce a relationship between departments. They meet anywhere convenient for them in the UK. The Generals Consultative Council: This council is made up of qualified people responsible for making sure policies are consistent on a national scale and advice on the mission, strategy and policies of the Salvation Army. They meet regularly and work electronically through the use of lotus notes, emails. The International Management Council: this council focuses on how effective and efficient the international headquarters operates and usually meet monthly. The councils expectations are somewhat the same and even though the headquarters of the Salvation Army is in London, there is autonomy in each territory and no interference from each of them. Regardless of this, there always put the mission of the Salvation Army first before they make their decisions. WHY IS STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT SO CRUCIAL TO ANY ORGANISATION? A stakeholder is basically an individual or a group of people that has one or more different kinds of stakes in the organisation and this makes their management very important (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). Managers have recognised that different stakeholder groups in an organisation have to be satisfied in other to meet their goals (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). Stakeholder management has long been recognised as an essential part of the effectiveness of an organisation whether public/private sector or profit making/non- profit making. It involves building and maintaining the active support and commitment of the stakeholders to facilitate the timely implementation of change in an organisation (OGC 2005). The important functions of stakeholder management are to describe, to analyze, to understand and finally to manage (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). Preston and Donaldson (1999) argue that stakeholder management can enhance organizational wealth and that economic benefits can be generated by positive relationships between an organization and its stakeholders. OGC (2005) is of the opinion that stakeholder management includes four things: stakeholder assessment and stakeholder mapping, identification of key concerns, risks and mitigating actions, monitoring stakeholder plan and using output of stakeholder mapping for communications and other interventions. It enables managers to ensure that the strategic and operational direction of an organization addresses stakeholder perceptions (Fletcher 2003). Stakeholder Management is very crucial to any organisation because it helps us to understand the important role of managing and informing stakeholders. It will ensure that key stakeholders and their interests are identified and strategies are developed to engage with them (NHS) Managers and organisations developed a set of principles of stakeholder management to provide managers with ways to treat stakeholders (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009: 111). These principles are known as the Clarkson Principles and in other to build an effective stakeholder relationship; managers need to adopt the following characteristics: acknowledge, monitor, listen, communicate, adopt, recognize, work, avoid and acknowledge conflicts (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). It helps to integrate a variety of perspectives and provides a guide to organisations on how to manage their stakeholders (Donaldson 2002). Stakeholders are recognised as very important people in public and non-profit orgs which commonly have a more diverse group of stakeholders than private for profit organisations making it more difficult to identify strategic issues (Bryson 1995). Having a good relationship with stakeholders unites organisations, fosters partnership working, helps organisations to prioritise and meet their aims. The three important elements necessary for effective stakeholder relationships are leadership, communication and staff (MORI 2009). Stakeholder management involves identifying and classifying stakeholders and as a result of this facilitates an engagement with them in a coordinated manner. This engagement involves identifying different categories of stakeholders, gathering information about them, identifying their missions in a project, determining their strengths and weaknesses, identifying their strategies, predicting their behaviour and developing and implementing a strategy for managing the se stakeholders (Cleland 2002 cited in Chinyio and Olomolaiye 2010). In conclusion, the stakeholder management is seen as a two way interaction or exchange of influence because just as the strategies, policies, decisions and actions of the organisation can affect stakeholders, so can the stakeholders affect the organisation (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). The key to managing stakeholders is a good understanding of their current circumstances and which factors influence them over others. This then allows the approach to managing stakeholders to be tailored to achieve maximum benefit. In particular feedback channels are crucial as this allows distinct management techniques to be utilized dependant on the feedback being received. One criticism of stakeholder management is that it is a very demanding and time consuming process to attend to each stakeholder needs and ensure their satisfaction. Also, it could be very complex when classifying each stakeholder and trying to determine whose claims takes priority in any situation (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). In the case of the Salvation Army, it is important to maintain a good relationship with the stakeholders because they play a very essential role to the organisation. Organisations need to plan for the future which is what the Salvation Army has done and is still doing to ensure that the poor and needy are well catered to.

Online Communities :: Technology Internet Communication

Online Communities "Now, please, everyone lock your wings, let the air out of your shoes and prepare for a period of stimulated exhilaration! Everybody ready? Let’s get in ‘sync’ for our Flight To The Future! (Reid)" Welcome to the 21st century. Everything is changing very quickly in nowadays. Many unbelievable things are happening right now. We are getting college credits without attending classes everyday. Instead of going to schools with heavy bag packs, we just stay at home and take classes through the Internet. The Internet is the most fastest transportation system. It takes us to different countries in five seconds. What we do is just clicking on the mouse and it shows us all the wonderful places that we only dreamed about before. Without paying thousand of dollars for air tickets, we can see all the wonderful and different things by clicking the mouse. Without spending hours and hours in the school library to do research, we can just sit in front of the computer and click on the mouse. Since we are in the 21st century, our research paper topic has been changed. We are not writing about our lover or hero anymore. We are writing a paper about online community, which is very new to some people like me. When Professor Cross was talking about online communities, I had no idea what she was talking about. "Can I just write about my dreams or about my parents instead? I have so much to talk about my dream but not online community. Online community? What is that? Is it something like Korean American Community in Los Angeles?" I started to panic. Online Community did not make sense to me all at. Community means a group of people who live in the same area. Then what is online community? My own definition of online community was a place where computer nerds got together and talked about new computer technology. I was pretty sure that online community was not a place for me to join because I was not a computer nerd. After I searched on the Internet, I got an idea of online community. Online Community area is an electronic meeting place where people share important information. They do not physically meet together like other communities, but they go to same place on the net. Online community is a program that allows global real-time communication in writing via networked personal computers. Online Communities :: Technology Internet Communication Online Communities "Now, please, everyone lock your wings, let the air out of your shoes and prepare for a period of stimulated exhilaration! Everybody ready? Let’s get in ‘sync’ for our Flight To The Future! (Reid)" Welcome to the 21st century. Everything is changing very quickly in nowadays. Many unbelievable things are happening right now. We are getting college credits without attending classes everyday. Instead of going to schools with heavy bag packs, we just stay at home and take classes through the Internet. The Internet is the most fastest transportation system. It takes us to different countries in five seconds. What we do is just clicking on the mouse and it shows us all the wonderful places that we only dreamed about before. Without paying thousand of dollars for air tickets, we can see all the wonderful and different things by clicking the mouse. Without spending hours and hours in the school library to do research, we can just sit in front of the computer and click on the mouse. Since we are in the 21st century, our research paper topic has been changed. We are not writing about our lover or hero anymore. We are writing a paper about online community, which is very new to some people like me. When Professor Cross was talking about online communities, I had no idea what she was talking about. "Can I just write about my dreams or about my parents instead? I have so much to talk about my dream but not online community. Online community? What is that? Is it something like Korean American Community in Los Angeles?" I started to panic. Online Community did not make sense to me all at. Community means a group of people who live in the same area. Then what is online community? My own definition of online community was a place where computer nerds got together and talked about new computer technology. I was pretty sure that online community was not a place for me to join because I was not a computer nerd. After I searched on the Internet, I got an idea of online community. Online Community area is an electronic meeting place where people share important information. They do not physically meet together like other communities, but they go to same place on the net. Online community is a program that allows global real-time communication in writing via networked personal computers.

African Reaction to Colonialism Through Resistance and Collaboration Essay

By the end of World War I, most of Africa had been effectively colonized. European colonialists had managed to quell the efforts by Africans to resist the establishment of colonial rule. The next two decades, the period historians call the inter-war years, were relatively quiet years in colonial Africa. This relative quiet, however, did not indicate that the colonized people of Africa were happy with colonial rule-that there was no opposition to colonialism. During the inter-war years opposition to colonialism was expressed in one of the following forms: Demands for opportunity and inclusion: Many Africans at this time accepted the reality of colonial rule but they did not accept the harsh discrimination and the lack of opportunity that was a central part of the colonial experience. Opposition to these aspects of colonialism was particularly strong among educated Africans. Educated Africans believed that â€Å"all humans are created equal. Discriminatory colonial policies and practice restricted economic opportunities and participation in the political process. During this period, educated Africans formed organizations to promote their interest for an end to discriminatory policies and for an increase in opportunities. However, these organizations had limited membership, and they did not make radical demands for the end of colonial rule. The South African National Congress and the West African National Congress (Nigeria/Ghana) are examples of elite African organizations. Religious opposition: A number of the early anti-colonial up-risings featured in the last section were led by religious leaders. The Chimurenga (Zimbabwe) and Maji-Maji (Tanganyika) uprisings were led by African priests who were strongly opposed to colonial rule. This tradition of religious opposition to colonialism continued throughout the 20th century. However, unlike the earlier acts of religious resistance, the new opposition was led by African Christians. African Christians took seriously the Christian teachings on equality and fairness-values that were not practiced by colonial regimes. By the 1920s, some African Christian leaders were forming their own churches, sometimes called African Independent Churches. These churches that were formed in Southern, Eastern, Central and West Africa, provided a strong voice for justice. One of many examples is the Kimbaguist Christian Church formed in the Congo by Simon Kimbangu in the 1920s. In spite of Kimbangu’s imprisonment for many years by the Belgians, the Kimbanguist church grew rapidly. When the Congo became independent in 1960, the church had a membership of over one million. Economic opposition: During this time period economic opposition was often not well organized. However, there were attempts in the 1920s and 1930s by mine workers in southern Africa and port workers in West and East Africa to organize into unions. While important, these activities had little impact on the majority of African peoples. Of greater impact were the less organized but more widespread efforts of African farmers to resist colonial demands on their labor and their land. Module Nine: African Economies provides an example of how small scale African farmers in Mali quietly, but effectively, resisted the attempts by colonial officials to control the production of cotton. Mass protests: During the inter-war era, there were few mass protests against colonial policies. One of the most important and interesting exceptions was the Aba Women’s War that took place in southeastern Nigeria in 1929. Ibo market women were upset with a number of colonial policies that threatened their economic and social position. In 1929, the women staged a series of protests. The largest protest included more than 10,000 women who had covered their faces with blue paint and carried fern-covered sticks. The women were able to destroy a number of colonial buildings before soldiers stopped the protest, killing more than fifty women in the process. Not surprisingly in contemporary Nigeria, the Aba Women are considered to be national heroes!

RANDOMNESS

RANDOMNESS Nathan Bransford wrote recently about the randomness of bestsellers. In other words, there isnt some magical power that preordains the qualities of a story that breaks records and defies the odds. Sometimes a perfect storm just comes together. Like the mega waves he describes at sea, the ones that appear from nowhere and make a huge impression in that vast, monstrous water, they just happen and cant be fore casted. http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/06/randomness-of-bestsellers.html And yet, we keep trying to understand the process. Whats worse,in my opinion, and this is a BIG gripe with me, is that we also bash traditional publishers for producing books that do not do well. Thats talking out of both sides of our mouths. We try to think we can duplicate bestseller status, and really learn how to define the path to such a level, as if there was a manual somewhere. That logic should also mean that if we can predict great books, then we know enough to avoid a bad one. The deal is, people, is that we can only write our best.Publishers can only attempt to predict what will sell. eaders can only pretend to recognize a debut book as a bestseller. The fact is that nobody has mastered how to make a bestseller. There is no HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER FOR DUMMIES. Just spoke to someone this week who justified self-publishing Hes only trying to assuage his own conscience, the one thats attempting to rationalize into a hazy reality that he probably has no chance with traditional publishing. So he says theyve lost touch, can no longer produce quality material, thus leaving him no choice but to proceed with self-publishing since it has equal credibility. This is my reality . . . and my explanation of publishing: The more seasoned, experienced people who lay their eyes and hands on your manuscript, the better the book. Note, I did not say traditional or self-published. Multiple layers of review and decision making goes into traditional publishing. If you self-publish, make sure you put the same degree of attention into your manuscript as a traditional publishing house would put into it. Hire editors. Hire a cover designer. Hire a for matter. That is, unless you are experienced yourself. That doesnt mean read instructions and learn as you go. Sure, you CAN learn as you go, but do not go it alone. Youll never see the landmines, no matter how many blog posts you read about the business. This business isnt about randomness. Its about diligence and focus to detail. Nothing is fool-proof. Failure exists. Less than satisfactory happens. But your odds improve the more experience you put into your books development, writing,and promotion. Instead of trying to orchestrate a bestseller, just write your best. Then recognize what you should and should not do. Be daring in your writing. Be grounded in your publishing, no matter which route you take.

Indigenous People - The Ainu essays

Indigenous People - The Ainu essays What are indigenous people, well there in universally accepted definition for indigenous people? There were certain characteristics that are common for indigenous people. Indigenous people tend to live in small populations. They have had their own land for quite some time. There cultural traditions are very strong. They have their own language. Indigenous people live in every part of the world. They can live in cold climates like the Arctic are they can live in the hot Amazon. There are approximately 370 million indigenous people in the world, belonging to 5,000 different groups, in 90 countries worldwide. Each indigenous culture has its own history so it makes it very unique. There many groups around the world I choose to write on the Ainu. Ainu means human The Ainu prayed and performed ceremonies to their gods. They had plant gods animal gods such as bears foxes and many more. The Ainu believed everyday life had examples of their gods including things like the sun the moon and the thunder. Prayers are offered on every occasion. There are plenty of gods in the Ainu cultural they have a god of fire, they have a mountain god the list goes on. Unlike most cultural the Ainu gods are not like we the gods that we know. If a god commits an error the Ainu are allowed to argue with them. There is mutual assistance between the gods and the Ainu. There are good and bad gods in this cultural which is similar to most cultural. The Ainu offers lavish gifts to the gods to please them. They would offer wines, salmon these are supposed to delight the gods and bring good fortune to the Ainu. There is also evil gods who bring diseases and mishaps. There are many ceremonies in this cultural throughout the year. There are ceremonies to send back spirits, ceremonies for ancestors. There is also a ceremony to launch the first fishing event of the year. The most frequent ceremonies of these are the ones that send spirits back. These spirits ...

Thirty Years' War caused by religious tensions Essay

Thirty Years' War caused by religious tensions - Essay Example Perhaps the most significant outcome of the religiously coloured tensions between adherents of the Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church, that ensued from the actual religious division within Germany, was represented by the devastating Thirty Years' War of 1618-48. Indeed, it is estimated that up to one-third of the German population was lost due to military activities and ensuing diseases and famine. Historians suppose that the pre-war population level was reached only in almost a century after the end of Thirty Years' War. Economy of Germany was also in disarray due to the ruin brought in by the Thirty Years' War, so that the economic deterioration that already was significant in the second half of the 16th was further worsened. The prosperous economies that some German towns had in the late Middle Ages and in the beginning of the 16th century declined, and Germany was about to face a long period of economic depression that would end only in the second half of the 19th centur y (Bonney, 2002, p.74). Considering the long-lasting consequences of the devastating Thirty Years' War, it is important to understand what factors caused its outbreak. We have already mentioned the religious factor, and it is hardly a coincidence that such an important development as the spread of Protestantism preceded the war. But to what extent was the Thirty Years' War caused by religious tensions and to what degree such factors as a struggle for power or for territories within the Holy Roman Empire were involved To answer this question let us overview the historical developments that occurred before the 17th century, and try to establish the link between the religious factor and the causes of the Thirty Years' War. All too often it happens in history that the connection between the studied events that seems to be self-evident is by far not the only explanation but rather just a part of the general picture. In the same vein, the effect that the Protestant Reformation seems to have had on Germany was equally just a part of the story. The other characteristic of the Germany before the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, which is important for our study, was inherited from an earlier time. This characteristic is the so-called German particularism - the presence of numerous states of different types, like free cities, electorates, principalities, and ecclesiastical territories. The roots of this peculiarity of Germany go back to the Carolingian Dynasty (752-911), when Charlemagne's empire was separated into three kingdoms, but in the East Kingdom regional duchies (namely Franconia, Saxony, Bavaria, Swabia, and Lorraine) strengthened and obtained form of small kingdoms. Such eastern subdivision initi ated the German particularism, when territorial sovereigns pursued their particular interests without consideration of interests of the kingdom. When the Carolingian line ended in 911 such duchies were further reinforced because now there was no direct blood heritage of the

Military Crash and Rescue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Military Crash and Rescue - Research Paper Example How do they coordinate efforts with firefighters and local law enforcement? The key purpose of an emergency rescue mission is securing human life and mitigating the damage. This requires proper coordination of efforts. A review of federal requirements on emergency air response indicates that there is a requirement under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations that obliges all Part 139 certified airports to put in place a functioning airport emergency plan to help in hazard mitigation. Air Emergency Given the potential severity of an air disaster, the state of the emergency response in terms of disaster preparedness is of paramount importance. For any kind of air emergency situation, there are designated procedures that guide how the team ought to act. In cases of fire, for instance, there are procedures for evacuating people from the hazard area. In hostage situations, as well, there is a set of designated procedures on securing safety and retrieval of hostages. The State of Florida has put in place a comprehensive air emergency response regime. Florida’s Aviation Emergency Response Guidebook serves as an informational tool for guiding the response team in the event of an emergency (Lenahan, 1998). Sources retrieved from the annals of United States emergency response incidents such as September 11, 2001 indicate that the FAA is the key agency that deals with air emergencies as long as such emergency situations meet the criteria stipulated under 49 CFR 830 Notification and Reporting of Aircraft Accidents or Incidents and Overdue Aircraft, and Preservation of Aircraft Wreckage, Mail, Cargo, and Records. Further research illustrates that there is a round-the-clock aviation safety hotline - (800) 255?1111 - for reporting air emergencies (Barber, 2012). A review of federal requirements on emergence air response indicates that there is a requirement under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations that obliges all Part 139 certified airports to put in place a functioni ng airport emergency plan. Having a responsive emergency plan helps in hazard mitigation since aviation emergencies involve mass casualties. Speed and responsiveness is the most significant measure of suitability in air emergency plans. The goal is to minimize casualties and secure the aircraft (Gabriel, 1985). Mayday Mayday is the commonly accepted international code of distress for aviators and marines. Once an aircraft or passenger plane encounters a technical issue, the pilot notifies airport authorities by placing a call. The designated procedure requires the issuer of the distress to utter the word three times â€Å"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!† (Thompson, 2011) to specify it is a distress call. The federal emergency code stipulates the procedure through which a civilian aircrafts relaying a mayday call in the United States airspace ought to follow. The designated protocol is â€Å"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!† followed by the name of station addressed, aircraft type and c all-sign, nature of the distress, present position (in case the aircraft is lost, the last known physical position and time could be useful) weather situation, pilot’s request, flight level/ altitude, remaining amount of fuel remaining, and number of passengers on the plane (Thompson, 2011). The communicator may also add any other useful information to assist in the rescue operation. While this is the designated prot