Meaning of Life and Language

Written Assignment 1: Language related tasks Submit : __/__/_____ Length: Between 800 and 1000 words Aim: To develop your ability to look at language (structure, functional language and vocabulary) from the students’ point of view to enable you to prepare thoroughly for language lessons. You should make use of grammar reference books or course books and a monolingual dictionary. Bullet points may be used in this assignment. TASK: From the box below, select one item from each pair to analyse, and: a) Analyse meaning: Give a clear definition (appropriate for level) of what the item means; focus only on the meaning used in the statement. ) Analyse form and label the parts (using terminology): * Structure – statement/negative/question forms (if applicable); make sure it’s clear which words can be substituted and which are â€Å"set in stone†. * Vocabulary – label the item e. g. adjective, phrasal verb etc; irregular past forms, common collocations, etc. * Functional Language – show which parts are â€Å"set in stone† and which parts can be changed e. g.? Would you mind + verb+ing (present participle) + object? c) Highlight key pronunciation features. Use phonemic script where useful. * word or sentence stress, * weak forms, intonation, * links between sounds, contractions, lost sounds, etc. d) Anticipate problems – think about what problems students might have with the features you listed above. a) What aspects of the meaning might be difficult for students to grasp? Are there other words/structure that express something similar? Does the structure exist in students L1? b) What form-related mistakes might students make when trying to use the item? c) What problems might sts have with particular sounds, word stress or other pronunciation issues? Use your common sense as well as reference sources. ) Imagine your students are not familiar with each language item. Describe a context that would help convey its mean ing so that you could elicit the target statement. f) State how you would check students’ understanding of the language item. Write the concept questions you would ask and provide the answers. If a timeline is appropriate, you should also include this. You can include other ways of checking too, if you wish. g) State which reference book(s) or other source(s) you used to obtain the above information. ————————————————- Choose ONE example from each pair.The target language has been underlined. ————————————————- 1. ————————————————- I’m meeting Dave for lunch on Sunday. (elementary) 2. ———————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- If I get the job, I’ll need a new car. (elementary) ————————————————- ——————————————————————————————————– 3. ————————————————- He shouldn’t have insulted the policeman (upper-intermediate) 4. ————————————————-She might have left already. (upper-intermediate) ————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ——————————————————————————————————– 5. ————————————————- He takes after his mother. (pre-intermediate) 6. ————————————————- She is very sensitive to criticism. (pre-intermediate) ————————————————- ——————————————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 7. ————————————————-How about watching a movie on Friday? (elementary) 8. ————————————————- Do you mind if I open the window? (elementary) ————————————————- ——————————————————————————————————– 9. ————————————â €”———- I would like to try the tropical fruit/fruits on the island. 10. ————————————————- You want teens to have committed academic lives? Get real! WORKED EXAMPLE: VOCABULARY Target statement: John’s borrowed $200 from Holly. Intermediate) Analysis| d) Anticipated Problems| a) Meaningto receive and use something that belongs to someone else, and promise to give it back to them later| * Sts use lend instead of borrow| b) Form * to borrow (transitive verb – regular) * borrowed – past simple/past participle * To borrow + something (object) + from (preposition) + somebody/something| * Sts use incorrect preposition i. e. to borrow sthg to so. | c) Pronunciation * stress on 1st syllable borrow /’b? r / * silent â€Å"w† at end * past simple & particle â€Å"ed† is pronounced /d/ * preposition â€Å"from† is weak e. g. /fr? /| * sts pronounce silent w at end * incorrect pron of ed /id/ * sts stress 2nd syllable | e) Providing a context/conveying meaning Tell story about my friend John who is always short of money but who always wants the latest technical objects e. g. mobile, computer, etc. John saw this new DVD recordable player but didn’t have the money so he asked if Holly, his girlfriend, would give him $200. He promised to pay Holly back at the end of the month when he got paid. She said OK so .. (write on whiteboard) John †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. $200 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Holly. f) Checking understanding Did Holly give John $200? Yes What for? To buy a new DVD recorder.Is the money a present from Holly? No Will she get her money back? Yes, hopefully g) References â€Å"Macmillan English Dictionary†, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 2003 â€Å"Practical English Usage†, Michael Swan (OUP, 1980) WORKED EXAMPLE: STRUCTURE Target statement: I used to do exercise regularly. ( intermediate) Analysis| d) Anticpated problems| a) MeaningTo say what was true or what happened regularly in the past, especially when you want to emphasize that this is not true or does not happen now. | * Sts might think it refers to present habits, perhaps due to confusion with ‘be + used to + verb+ing’. * Sts may use it for single past events e. . I used to go to the cinema yesterday. * Possible confusion with the lexical verb ‘use’. | b) Form * statement: subj. + used to + verb (bare infinitive)+†¦ * negative: subj. + didn’t use to + verb (bare infinitive)+†¦ * question: Did (auxiliary verb) + subj. + use to + verb (bare infinitive) +†¦| * Sts may use past form of second verb, (I used to did exercise †¦) * Sts may forget â€Å"to† (I used do †¦) * Ss may use â€Å"used† instead of â€Å"use† in negative and question forms. (I did/didn’t used to .. )| c) Pronunciation * stress would normally fa ll on used and 2nd verb i. e. I used to do exercise regularly * weak form of ‘to† sed: /t? / * connected speech: used to /’just? /| * Ss might say /ju:zd tu:/ i. e. stress /d/ in â€Å"used† Ss might not use weak form of â€Å"to† /tu:/ instead of /t? /| e) Providing a context/conveying meaning Tell an anecdote about myself as a 16 year-old. I went running every morning and often went to the gym in the evening (use pictures/mime, if necessary). Then I stopped running and stopped going to the gym when I was about 25. I’m now 30 and I don’t do much exercise at all. So, â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (try to elicit the target phrase) †¦ used to do exercise regularly. † f) Checking Understanding: Did I exercise in the past?Yes Did I do it once, or often? Often Do I exercise now? No Can you think of something you used to do but don’t do now? g) Reference: â€Å"Practical English Usage†, Michael Swan (OUP, 1980) â€Å"Macmi llan English Dictionary†, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 2003 WORKED EXAMPLE: FUNCTIONAL LANGUAGE Target statement: Would you mind getting me a cheese sandwich? (intermediate) Analysis| d) Anticipated Problems| a) Meaning * to request politely that someone do something for you. * Often used with slightly bigger requests or more distance in relationship between the speakers. * Answer: Yes = no and no = yes. * Sts might not realise there are other less complex ways to ask for things politely * Sts get the answer yes/no wrong * This structure suggests a bigger request or a less personal relationship between speakers. | b) Form * Would you mind + verb+ing (present participle) + object? * Short answer: Yes/No, subj. + would/wouldn’t| * Sts use infinitive instead of present participle e. g. Would you mind to get me †¦? * Sts use â€Å"Do† instead of â€Å"would† * Use Yes/No, I mind/don’t mind as the short answer| c) Pronunciation * Rising intonation * St ress on â€Å"mind† and â€Å"getting† * Weak form of would and you / w? / /j? / * Linking of would + you + mind /w? dj? ’ma? n/| * Sts say it forcefully or with flat intonation and it could sound impolite * Sts give equal stress to would+you+mind and don’t link| e) Providing a context/conveying meaning Jane has just started working for a new company. One of her new colleagues is going out to the local supermarket and asks her if she wants her to get her something for lunch. Jane is really hungry and ask her to get her a sandwich. What does she say? (Try to elicit â€Å"Would you mind getting me a cheese sandwich? †) f) Checking Understanding: Does Jane want a cheese sandwich?Yes Is she asking or demanding her colleague to get her a sandwich? Asking Is she polite? Yes Do you know another way to ask her to get a sandwich? Can/Could/Would you get me a †¦.? g) Reference: â€Å"Practical English Usage†, Michael Swan (OUP, 1980) â€Å"Macmi llan English Dictionary†, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 2003 Written Assignment 1: Language related tasks Length: Between 800 and 1000 words ————————————————- Name:Date: ————————————————- Please submit this cover sheet with your assignment | Pass(first draft)| Pass(second draft)| Fail|Assignment 1: Language related tasks| | | | If necessary, please resubmit by:See reverse side for resubmission details. | ————————————————- Assignment criteria ————————————————- For this assignment, candidates can demonstrate their learning by: a. —†”——————————————- Analysing language correctly for teaching purposes. b. ————————————————- Correctly using terminology relating to form, meaning and phonology when analysing language. c. ————————————————-Accessing reference materials and referencing information they have learned about language to an appropriate source. d. ————————————————- Using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task. ————————————————- Reference: CEL TA Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines What are we looking for? An assignment that shows an ability to:| You| Overall| a. Clarify the meaning of language appropriate for level. | | | b. Clarify the form of language, using appropriate terminology. | | | c. Clarify key pronunciation features of language. | | d. Identify potential problems with meaning, form and pronunciation. | | | e. Provide a clear and appropriate context to help convey the meaning. | | | f. Check the students’ understanding of the target language appropriately. | | | g. Use reference books to analyse language and acknowledge these sources. | | | Also the assignment †¦| | Is complete, i. e. answers all sections, and adheres to the word limit. | | Uses language which is clear and coherent, and essentially free of mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. | | Is presented clearly. | | Overall Comments:| ————————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ 1st Tutor’s signature:Date: ————————————————- 2nd Tutor’s signature:Date: ————————————————- Circle: This is my 1st submission. This is my 2nd submission. Written Assignment 2: Focus on the learner Submit: __/__/____ Length: Between 800 and 1000 words Aim: To develop your ability to assess the needs of a group of learners, and to act on this information by finding appropriate material for language support. Task: Prepare a case study of your TP group. Your report should include (250-300 words): . Information about the students’ backgrounds (approximate ages, nationalities, reasons for learning English, previous English learning experience) b. The students’ learning styles (what they like/dislike in lessons, t he things they find easy/difficult, how they like to learn) c. What YOU have noticed in their classroom behaviour (degree of participation, quantity or output in different stages of the lesson, fluency/accuracy of output, similarity of level amongst the group) ————————————————- Points a, b and c of the assignment should take the form of a REPORT.You should use a formal style of language. Make use of headings and sub-headings, paragraphs, linking words, etc to organise your work. d. A paragraph (150-200) words summarising your TP students’ main strengths in grammatical and phonological areas as well as in receptive skills. e. Identify 2 areas of weakness in your students’ grammar, 1 in pronunciation and 1 in vocabulary, providing at least one example to support your observation. State why you think the students made this error and what the correct form should be. (250–300 words) Point e can be put into boxes and bullet points can be used.Remember to include specific examples. Grammatical Weaknesses| Incorrect word order * I work also on Saturdays (I also work) * I went often home (home by bus)Reason: In German, the verb is usually the second idea in the sentence and students have transferred this rule to English. | f. Select 2 specific language focused activities (100-200 words) from published materials (not your course book) to focus on areas of weakness you identified: * 1 exercise/task focusing on grammatical areas of weakness AND * 1 exercise/task on phonological areas of weakness OR 1 exercise/task on the lexical weakness. For EACH activity: ) state the aim of the activity (i. e. by the end of this task, students should be better able to accurately use/discriminate between †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ) 2) state briefly why you think the activity would be suitable for your students. (Remember to link this to your weaknesses and your profil e of the students. ) 3) State where it comes from (Book, Author, Pg no. , Exercise no. ) and attach a referenced a copy of the activity Collecting your data: You will want to interview them so that you can note any good or weaker examples of language used. You might want to tape the interview so that you can identify language later.You could also get students to write something for you spontaneously e. g. a letter to a friend inviting them to spend the summer with them. You could also give them a reading and listening to do. You can further make use of the time before lessons start or during the breaks to chat to your students and find out the information you need. You should continue to make notes during TP classes. It is not necessary for you to personally interview all members of the class; you can interview 2 or 3 students and then share your findings with the other teachers in your TP group.You can also make generalisations on the basis of 2 or 3 students. Suggesting specific l anguage focused activities: There are an abundance of activities in different books and on the publisher’s websites too. Attach photocopies of the relevant exercises that you would recommend. Don’t forget to reference your material, i. e. book name, level (if applicable), author, publisher, and page number, or website name and date accessed on. ————————————————- The students as people and as language learners. ————————————————-These questions could be asked in an interview or informal chat 1. ————————————————- How long has s/he been learning English? 2. —————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Does s/he like learning English? 3. ————————————————- What is her/his mother tongue? Is English second/third language? 4. ————————————————- Does s/he have any experience of learning another language? 5. ————————————————- Does s/he have any specific aims in learning English? (e. g. isit to UK/need it for work) 6. ————————————————- What does the learner do for a living? 7. ————————————————- Is this their first English learning experience? Have they learnt English before? Where? How long? 8. ————————————————- In their previous learning experience, what kinds of methods were used? 9. ————————————————- What did they enjoy/not like about their previous learning? 10. ————————————————- What do they like doing in class? 11. ———————————————— Which areas of their English do they feel they need work on? 12. ————————————————- What d o they find easy/difficult to do in class? ————————————————- ————————————————- These questions can be focussed on during TP 1. ————————————————- What kinds of activities do they seem to prefer? 2. ————————————————- Are there any activities they seem to dislike? 3. ————————————————-How do they react to working with others in class? 4. ————————————†”———- Do they contribute to pair/group work? 5. ————————————————- Who are the stronger/weaker members of the group? 6. ————————————————- Note down examples of good language used. 7. ————————————————- Which topics do they seem to enjoy/not like talking about? 8. ————————————————- Note down any pronunciation/grammatical/lexical errors the students make? e. g. sounds, stress, intonation, verb tenses, articles, word order, etc) so that you can give examples. 9. ———————— ————————- Observe the students listening and reading abilities. Are they better at gist or specific reading/listening? Is it necessary to pre-teach vocabulary? Do they worry about words they don’t know? Do you have to grade your language when you talk to them? Do you have to paraphrase if they don’t understand? * In the assignment, don’t mention sts’ names. Say e. g. Some are interested in†¦ Three students want to learn English†¦The main reason for learning English is†¦ Written Assignment 2: Focus on the learner Submit: __/__/____ Length: Between 800 and 1000 words ————————————————- Name:Date: Please submit this cover sheet with your assignment | Pass(first draft)| Pass(second draft)| Fail| Assignment 2Focus on the learner| | | | If necessary, please resubmit by:| —â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Assignment Criteria ————————————————- For this assignment, candidates can demonstrate their learning by: ————————————————- ) Showing awareness of how learners’ backgrounds, previous learning experience and learning styles affect learning. ————————————————- b) Identifying the learners’ language/skills needs. ————————————————- c) Correctly using terminology relating to the description of language systems and langua ge skills ————————————————- d) Selecting appropriate material and/or resources to aid the learners’ language development. ————————————————- e) Providing a rationale for using specific activities with learners. ———————————————— f) Finding, selecting and referencing information from one or more sources ————————————————- g) Using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to task. ————————————————- Reference: CELTA Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines What are we looking for? An assignment that†¦| You| Tutor’s Comments| Provides information on the learners’ ages, nationalities and reasons for learning English. | | | Provides information on students’ learning styles and preferences. | | Provides information on learners’ classroom behaviour. | | | Summarises students’ strengths | | | Identifies and gives specific examples of weaknesses in learners’ grammatical abilities. Plus error rationale. | | | Identifies and gives specific examples of weaknesses in learners’ phonological abilities. Plus error rationale. | | | Identifies and gives specific examples of weaknesses in the learners’ lexical use. Plus error rationale. | | | Selects an appropriate activity to develop learners’ grammatical weakness. | | | Selects an appropriate activity to develop learners’ phonological OR lexical weakness. | | States aim of each activity and provides rationale for choice based on learner profile. | | | Also the assignment †¦| | | Is complete, i. e. answers all sections and adheres to word limit and is written as outlined| | | Provides a referenced copy of the activities| | | Uses clear and coherent language and is essentially free of mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. | | | ————————————————- Overall Comment:————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- —————————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ | ————————————————- 1st Tutor’s signature:Date: ————————————————- 2nd Tutor’s signature:Date: ————————————————- Circle: This is my 1st submission. This is my 2nd submission. ASSIGNMENT 3: Skills Related Task Submit: __/__/____ Length: Between 800 and 1000 words (not including the authentic material for classroom use and activities) Aim: To develop your ability to look at authentic materials from a teaching perspective to enable you to prepare these thoroughly for language lessons.TASK: Choose an authentic text of between 200 and 700 words AND a) Give an opinion on text and discuss suitability for lower/higher level students. b) Identifiy barriers to reading OR listening in general and link to own students c) Provide suggestion for interest raising task d) Select appropriate vocabulary to pre-teach and suggest a pre-teach task e) Describe what each sub-skill means (from background reading) f) Design a skim task g) Design a scan task h) Design a follow-up task that includes SPEAKING or WRITING. i) Devise a freer productive (speaking or writing) activity as a follow-up for the reading or listening.ALSO†¦ Clarify the reasons for using the material and each of the activities. Tasks (and their respective keys) must be included as appendixes to the assignment Remember, the assignment is NOT a Lesson Plan, but rather an informed description (What will be done, How and Why) of your choices in terms of text, tasks and their sequences. It can be used as a basis for a full lesson plan, but this NEED not be included in the assignment ASSIGNMENT 3: Skills Related Task Submit: __/__/____ Length: Between 800 and 1000 words ————————————————- Name:Date: ———————————————— Please submit this cover sheet with your assignment | Pass(first draft)| Pass(second draft)| Fail| Assignment 3Skills assignment| | | | If necessary, please resubmit by:See reverse for resubmission details. | ————————————————- Assignment Criteria ————————————————- For this assignment, candidates can demonstrate their learning by: a. ————————————————- Correctly using te rminology that relates to language skills and sub-skills. b. ————————————————-Relating task design to language skills practice. c. ————————————————- Finding, selecting and referencing information from one or more sources d. ————————————————- Using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to task. ————————————————- Reference: CELTA Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines What are we looking for? | You| Tutor’s Comments| Gives an opinion on text and discusses suitability for lower/higher level students| | | Provides suggestion for interest raising task| | |Selects appropriate vocabulary to pre-teach and suggests a pre-teach task| | | Describes what each sub-skill means (from background reading)| | | Designs a skim task| | | Designs a scan task| | | Identifies barriers to reading OR listening in general and links to own students| | | States overall aim of speaking OR writing task clearly. | | | Also the assignment †¦| | | Is complete, i. e. answers all sections, & adheres to the word limit. | | | Provides a referenced copy of practice tasks if not designed independently. | | | Uses clear and coherent language, which is essentially free of mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. | | Is written in continuous prose (where appropriate)| | | Includes references to background reading. | | | Overall Comments:| ————————————————- 1st Tutor’s signature:Date: ———†”————————————- 2nd Tutor’s signature:Date: ————————————————- Circle: This is my 1st submission. This is my 2nd submission. Written Assignment 4: Lessons from the Classroom Submit: __/__/____ Length: 800 words AIM This assignment assesses your ability to identify strengths & weaknesses in your own teaching and your development needs.It is meant to help you reflect on your own teaching and on what you have learnt from the observation of others. TASK Write a report using the following headings. Section 1 What strengths and weaknesses (name two of each) do you identify in your own teaching? For this section reflect on the feedback you have received from learners, your peers and tutors and give concrete examples from your own teaching. Section 2 Discuss what you have gained from observi ng experienced teachers (including video observations) and your peers and how this has influenced your own teaching. Section 3Identify three ELT areas of knowledge and skills which you need further development in and give reasons for your choice. Describe specifically how you could develop in these areas after the course. Written Assignment 4: Lessons from the Classroom Submit: __/__/____ Length: 800 words ————————————————- Name:Date: ————————————————- Please submit this cover sheet with your assignment | Pass(first draft)| Pass(second draft)| Fail| Assignment 4Lessons from the classroom| | | | If necessary, please resubmit by:See reverse side for resubmission details. ——————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Assignment Criteria ————————————————- For this assignment, candidates can demonstrate their learning by: a. ————————————————- Noting their own teaching strengths and weaknesses in different situation in light of feedback from learners, teachers and teacher educators. b. ————————————————- Identifying which ELT areas of knowledge and skills they need further development in. c. ————————————————-Describing in a specific way how they might develop their ELT knowledge and skills beyond the course. d. —â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task. ————————————————- Reference: CELTA Syllabus and Assessment Guidelines What are we looking for? An assignment that:| Tutor’s Comments| Identifies 2 strengths in your teaching. | | Provides concrete examples of strengths from your own teaching. | | Identifies 2 weaknesses in your teaching. | | Provides concrete examples of weaknesses from your own teaching. | Reflects on what you have learnt from observing peers and experienced teachers. | | Highlights 3 areas for further development. | | Provides reasons for areas chosen. | | Provides concrete ways to address these development needs after the course. | | Also the assignment †¦| | Is complete, i. e. answers all sections. | | Keeps to the word limit. | | Uses language which is clear and coherent, and essentially free of mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. | | Is presented clearly. Makes use of headings and sub-headings| | Overall Comments:|

Short Story and Grace Paley

The brakes screech to a halt, the passengers topple over, and the child falls into a tragic death. In the short story, â€Å"Samuel,† by Grace Paley, a young boy loses his life while engaging in a risky type of playtime with his pals. Although it is a terrible happening, it makes you first ask, â€Å"Who is to blame?† After reading the story thoroughly, it becomes very evident that the boys were taking a risk, ignoring authority, and acting foolish. These boys couldn’t have known what was going to happen, but they also did nothing to prevent this tragedy. The four little boys in the story of â€Å"Samuel† are taking part in a dangerous pastime, hopping back and forth between two subway cars. Although the story does not depict the age of the boys, we can infer that they are of a responsible age. If these children are old enough to be out on their own hopping train cars, with their parents aware, then they are old enough to know the risk factors. The boy knew that this was a daring act, but continued in his carefree actions. The reader can only assume that the four boys had as much responsibility for their well-being as their caretakers did. The boys were just having fun, but there are times in life that the fun may be too costly. Alfred, Calvin, Tom, and Samuel were not aware of half of the things that could go wrong, but the older passengers, such as the mothers, could only imagine. At one point, an older lady tried to correct the kids, â€Å"You boys will be hurt. You’ll be killed.† The boys ignored the woman’s warning and laughed. If the kids would have accepted their correction with respect, things might not have ended so brutally. After reading this passage, most of us can logically assume that this wasn’t an intelligent pastime. Jumping trains and climbing walls is not the safest, nor smartest thing one can do. They had been warned by an adult of their actions. Neither the forbidding woman, nor the man who pulled the emergency cord can be faulted. The woman tried to settle the boys, and the man’s intentions are not visible. A problem occurred when the boys became foolish and too playful. The boys were callow and made matters worse by not weighing consequences on an already careless act. By their lack of discipline, authority, and sense, Samuel fell to his untimely death that day. The blame can be placed upon many different characters, but only the boys could take full responsibility for their actions under the given circumstances. It is a heart-breaking story, but it is a tragedy that could have easily been prevented.

Psychic Skills Exploration & Development Essay

Introduction: Welcome to my Free Ebook : â€Å"Psychic Skills Exploration & Development†. Through this book I will be combining the courses I taught originally. The first part of the book is the very basics, the absolute beginnings of learning to understand the other senses, learning to find and meet with your Spirit Guides and more. The Second part is the content from my more advanced course. It includes a lot of development exercises, things to explore, and more. Although I am not teaching classes in a structured online forum anymore you may like to join the free discussion group that I moderate called Psychic Living (formerly Acheiving Psychic Awareness). In this group we discuss psychic ability and more from a Spiritual perspective that  welcomes and honors all paths as sacred. We also hold topic specific and general chats and have other files of interest etc. You can access the group at http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/psychicliving and feel free to strike up a conversation with like minded folks, use the group features etc. I am also including a list of FAQ’s. These small chapters will be at the end of the book and will cover questions that many students have asked. You may find some of your questions have been answered previously. If not feel free to email me, and as time allows I will be happy to answer some of your questions. I may even include the answers (anonymously of course) to this book or to the website. There is also a resource chapter at the end of the book with links to great internet sites, other learning resources etc. Keeping with the feel of the original courses I have still included the class projects, assignments, and exercises. Although there are no â€Å"grades† and you don’t have to turn them in, please do them for your own growth and benefit. You will learn a lot in the process guaranteed. It is highly recommended that you follow the first part of this book in order, it goes through the first class and then as you move on to the more advanced stuff you can jump around to whatever interests you. The Beginning Psy section is what the rest of the book builds from, so even if you are more adept please work through it first. Also, please know that there are no experts in this arena, and that we all grow and learn in our own ways. Take what resonates with you from this course, and leave behind what doesn’t. Feel free to grow and explore in the forum, or to share this book with anyone you feel may enjoy it. You may even offer it as a free Ebook on your site so long as you agree to the following Terms: This book may be distributed FREELY, without Charge, not as a â€Å"bonus† for paying for something else, but FREELY. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/courseintro.html (1 of 2)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Introduction to Psychic Skills Development It must remain UNALTERED, do not edit things out, do not present it as your own work. This book may not be reproduced in any other form without express written permission from the author. It may not be excerpted etc. It must be  distributed in its entirety. If you agree to those very simple terms I encourage you to share this book with others :). Should this book be a help to you, and you find you have learned a lot from it, please consider making a small donation. To date I have received one donation, although hundreds have used this content. I use the proceeds to keep my site up and running and to continue to develop/promote great free content for the seeker. Your gifts are great Karma and greatly appreciated as they allow me to continue to offer great services and information, I thank you 🙂 Click the button below to be taken to a secure server where you can donate any amount – every penny helps. Return to Table of Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/courseintro.html (2 of 2)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Developing Psychic Abilities: Things to Consider This Free Ebook brought to you by SpiritualGuidanceTarot.com Important Things to Consider Before Persuing This Path I would like to take this time to discuss a few issues that I feel are important to consider. Developing psychic abilities is not the same as pursuing spiritual growth. One does not have to be enlightened at all to use these abilities, this being said it is always important to be cautious about whom you trust, and first and foremost you should learn to trust yourself. Although I do approach psychic ability from a Spiritual perspective, psychic senses are only one aspect of spirituality. Many people get sidetracked on developing these abilities and forget to explore other areas of spiritual growth. This is a mistake, and that is why I am writing this in big bold print on the front of this book. I encourage all of you to further explore and walk your path, the truth will set you free, but each person’s path to the truth is uniquely different. Don’t expect developing your psychic skills to enlighten you or make your life easy. Psychic skills alone do not hold the keys to à ¢â‚¬Ëœmagic power’ or ‘happiness’ etc. Happiness is not a quest it is  a choice, and work with Spirit is wonderful, but you have to walk your own path. We are all on our personal path to the truth, and many are the paths that lead to it. There are no simple solutions so don’t have unrealistic expectations in this area. Psychic abilities can enhance your connection to the Holy Spirit, to your own inner Spirit and help you to be more receptive to assistance from the Angels, Ascended masters, guides etc., but that brings me to my next important point. Don’t give away your personal power! I was very surprised when I was teaching these classes online, by the number of people who incorrectly answered a question from the first course. The question said True or False: Spirits always have our best interest at heart and know more than we do so we should always listen to their direction. False is the correct answer, most answered true. I would like to state that it is always important that what you receive feel right to you. Often our ego will tell us what we want to hear and mask itself as spiritual guidance. There is a part of each of us that wants to be in control, when we branch out into these areas, our ego feels challenged, this can lead us to color some of the advice we receive. One of the most difficult parts of the process is learning to be objective when dealing with yourself. This requires a willingness to be extremely honest, facing parts of yourself you may not want to accept right away. Also, as on earth, sometimes you will encounter many different personalities, not all have your best interest at heart. To be sure you are receiving good advice remember the following: Spirit will never tell you what you have to do, they may show you different options, nudge you in a certain direction, but they will never demand you to do anything. If you spirit guide is a drill sergeant, chances are you are communicating with your own subconscious or ego, and not Spirit Spirit Guides, Angels, and the Masters are here to support and lend guidance and teaching, they are not going to solve your problems or walk your path for you. Don’t have unrealistic expectations, you are file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/thingstoconsider.html (1 of 3)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Developing Psychic Abilities: Things to Consider  here to learn, and they are your mentors, not your mommies. I know many who  get angry that their guides don’t tell them what they want to hear, or tell them what they should do. A teacher who has your best interest at heart adn wants to love you and watch you grow is not going to give you the answers. You are here to learn, and it would be a disservice to you if you were not encouraged to stretch and grow for yourself. Truth is, there is no growth without effort and growing pains. You get the idea ;). If in doubt ASK. A true guardian spirit doesn’t care if you ask him/her to identify him/herself, or if you need a little assurance. If you get negative feedback from asking for validation chances are you are not talking to an enlightened being and/or you are talking to your subconscious again. Fear and old programming do funny things to the human psyche, and as you work through these chances are you may face some â₠¬Å"demons† from your own subconscious. These are most often your own fears made manifest. Knowing what this is can help you work through these things more comfortably. There is a saying that says ‘You are what you fear† †¦I don’t remember the origin offhand, but it does hold great truths. Spirit will always talk to you with respect, which doesn’t mean that they don’t tell you how it is, or sometimes share things that you’d rather not hear. There is a degree of integrity like no other, and they expect that respect and integrity to be reciprocated, so approach this with an open heart and mind, gratitude and respect folks:) use discernment, and know that you are in control of your own destiny. I recommend getting in touch with your soul first, work through any fears or misgivings you may have, we touched on this a bit previously, but many people have a big sense of disconnection from God/ Creator and this needs to be bridged to be the most successful. Cultivate a habit of expressing gratitude and compassion. These two emotions come from purity of spirit and not from ego, remembering to be thankful and compassionate brings humility, and shows your sincerity. This is where our true power lies, in our spirit, not our minds ;). Again, lets review†¦. Psychic abilities and the extra senses are present in all beings. Some choose to develop them from a place of ego, to impress people, or to try to â€Å"control† others. Unfortunately, as with any other skill it can be used for noble intentions, and for purposes not so noble. I choose to persue psychic skills from a spiritual perspective, where they become a tool along the individuals spiritual path to God and to Self-Realization. I know some write to me and say â€Å"I dont’  believe in God you shouldn’t teach that God is necessary†. Well I’m sure for these people that is correct, but for my experience, a connection to â€Å"God’ is necessary because that is who I am. I believe â€Å"God† to be the inherint intelligence and source of energy present within and beyond all beings. I believe we all are connected through the same source ie â€Å"God†. My beliefs however aren’t important, they aren’t the only ones, and anyone with any belief system can use this course. I won’t modify it however ;), so you will get bits and pieces of my own philosophy throughout. I can only share my perspective. If it offends, then this course may not be for you. As with anything in life, take what works for you and leave behind what does not. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/thingstoconsider.html (2 of 3)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Developing Psychic Abilities: Things to Consider I recognize these abilities to have great healing capacity, and to be empowering. That being said developing psychic skills is not synonymous with spiritual growth †¦ spiritual growth is a life long process embarked on by each individual soul. Some people mistakingly believe that developing psychically will make them more enlightened or spiritual and therefor make life easy. Those who believe this are often in for a big disappointment. It is also important to say here that it is important not to become distracted by psychic abilities †¦again it is only one aspect of development. They are a tool, not the be all and end all. If you get hung up on it you stop growing and then the abilities that were intended to be for your highest good end up sabotaging you. You should be willing to continue to persue growth in all areas. Love and blessings, and enjoy exploring the rest of the book 🙂 Return to Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/thingstoconsider.html (3 of 3)3/7/2004 8:54:39 AM Download Free eBook Psychic Skills Development Free e-Book â€Å"Psychic Skills Exploration & Development This book combines much of the information that was contained in my psychic development classes. I don’t teach classes formally any longer, so I decided to make the information available for free. This book provides a comprehensive look at psychic abilities, what they are, how they work, and how to develop them through a variety of activities and exercises. Main Menu As this is another free resource I am providing I ask that all of you respect a few rules. Please download only one copy to save on Bandwidth. The more copies downloaded the more I have to pay in server fees. If you don’t want a copy on your PC, you can also view all of the content online as well HERE Please feel free to share it with others, but Please do NOT alter the content, sell the book, or use it as an incentive to get other people to buy your products/services etc. Other than that, I’m pretty flexible ;). So, if you agree to these simple terms you can begin your download below. This file is an executable file .exe format. Download it to your computer and save it on your own harddrive. keep track of what folder you save it to, then click it and it runs itself. *Please note I am revamping this file to add more material to it and to fix a couple of bugs, this file will be placed again for download ASAP. In the meantime enjoy reading the material on the site. This Free Ebook brought to you by www.MysticalTreasures.net Below is one of several articles I have written. If you would like to read more of my writing visit my public portfolio for a range of different self-improvement/psychic related articles Psychic Phenomenon: Gifts, Powers, or Abilities? In my work as a psychic who seeks to mentor those developing their own skills, I find it important to discuss this subject. I refer to psychic abilities as just what they are – skills or abilities. The other terms, gifts and powers, I find to be damaging as they infer that this is unattainable by others, or that psychic senses are much more â€Å"supernatural† than they actually are. Often I hear others speak of their developing abilities as â€Å"gifts†, as though they were so special that God gave them this unique and special ability and not others. Unfortunately, many famous psychics also do this, insinuate that some great mystical super-secret society power has been bestowed on them. This is harmful to those who would love to develop psychically but feel that they â€Å"aren’t enough† somehow, or haven’t been â€Å"chosen†. Are psychic abilities gifts? Indeed they are. Those of us who have developed them recognize that we are bless ed, but I also recognize that every breath I take on this planet is also a gift. I also know that we all breathe. Therefor oxygen, while still a beautiful, precious gift that should not be taken for granted, is something that we can all partake in. Psychic ability is no different. Just as everyone can pick up a  pencil and write with it, everyone can also learn to develop the intuition to some degree. Not everyone will become a pulitzer prize winning novelist, or famous poet, but that doesn’t stop all of the rest of us from writing, so why should it stop beginners in Metaphysical studies from even trying? It is amazing to me the number of people who come to me and say â€Å"I don’t think I am gifted† or â€Å"Can you tell me if I have gifts?†. My answer: â€Å"Are you standing here, breathing, having a life experience right now? then yes you are gifted†. The key is not focusing on lack or what one doesn’t have, but appreciating what is. What we believe tends to become self-fulfilling prophecy. Psychic abilities are not elusive foreign phenomenon that only the chosen few can bring forward, they are an innate set of senses, hidden deep within the psyche and soul of each being that must be allowed to come forward. Many people don’t agree with this, they believe that because they want psychic abilities that they must already be allowing it and it just isn’t coming. This is very untrue. Developing these skills means adjusting to a different reality that what is presently understood and accepted both by society and the individual. The body/mind have a natural resistance to this in place as a protective mechanism. In order to reach our fullest potential psychically, we have to work at peeling away the barriers. It can take considerable time and effort to allow these abilities to manifest to their fullest potential, and as with anything worth having they require sincerity, persistence, and dedication. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/psyskills.html (1 of 2)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Untitled We live in a society that pushes heavily the â€Å"instant gratification† syndrome, and this tends to cause many developing psychics to throw in the towel much to soon. When we add the stigma of â€Å"being gifted† to it, many don’t even try at all. They are falsely led to believe that these abilities just manifest in others who have been fortunate enough to have them bestowed upon them by Creator. News Flash, God/ Creator loves all of creation, so why then would He/She/It only give gifts to some of the Earths children and not  to all? That’s not unconditional love, but it is a human condition ;). Every one of you reading this also has psychic ability, and yes it is a gift, but so is everything else. Another word I hear misused a lot is â€Å"powers†. Psychic ability does not give us â€Å"power† over anyone, and those psychics who believe it does usually find their careers short-lived, or find that Karma catches up eventually. Any genuine psychic is humble enough to tell people that they too can do what he/she is doing. A good psychics goal is to empower others – not to wield some false sense of power over them. When I hear psychics and/or aspirants refer to their â€Å"powers† it is one of my biggest pet peeves. That word implies not only that it is a â€Å"super secret society elite thing† again, but also propogates fear and contributes to the already abounding social ignorance surrounding psychic phenomenon. Those who do this to puff up their own egos by portending they have super-hero like â€Å"powers† make it difficult for genuine psychics to get established and the outlook for ever being taken seriously in our field becomes even more grim. I have the upmost respect for psychics and healers as well, who seek to empower others by demystifying this process. John Edward is one prime example of a mainstream psychic who has done a lot of work in this area. Thanks to his work, more people are seeing this as something that is not just a power for the chosen ones, but something anyone with the dedication to do so can develop. I hope that as more of us establish our careers we will also take the â€Å"high road† and continue to promote more personal empowerment and less hocus-pocus. Knowledge is the true â€Å"power†. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Christin Snyder is an author, psychic, mentor, and pesonal success coach. She works on demystifying psychic phenomenon and helping others to expand their consciousness. Visit her website today for free guided meditations, spiritual guidance tarot readings, free psychic skills development courses and more: http://www.spiritualguidancetarot.com Return to Table of Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/psyskills.html (2 of 2)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Untitled This Free Ebook brought to you by www.MysticalTreasures.net Formatting Journals to help you through this book and the course contents: Formatting your Main Journal For your main class journal, I recommend buying a binder with loose-leaf paper and divider tabs. This allows you to move things around, and easily keep things divided into organized sections. You can add and remove material also. You will want a journal section for each part of the course. Exercises should be recorded in your journals. Also post to it daily if you are able about any insights you receive etc. You will enjoy referring back to this later on. Spend some time on your journal. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but spend some time making it and personalizing it. Make it special and all your own. As time goes on through the course you will get very attached to your journal and it will hold reviews of all of yoru progress. I can tell you that honestly through this process I often neglected my journal, thinking I wouldn’t forget certain experiences etc.. and I really regretted later on that I didn’t write things down as I worked on them. That practice would have saved me a lot of repetition and heartache, so please be persistent in keeping yoru preogress recorded. You will be glad you did. Formatting your Dream Journals: Dream journals are personal and all your own. I suggest having two sections, one where you record dreams, and another where you list your common symbols, recurring themes, anything extraordinary that occurs, etc. This will be your own window into your soul, and developing your own personal dream dictionary of sorts is far more effective than using a standard dream dictionary. Although some meanings are somewhat universal, that isn’t necessarily true. I suggest a small journal that can be kept easily and unobtrusively by your bedside. This will ensure easy access enabling you to record more of your dream experiences. If you find that writing dreams down doesn’t work for you and you are able, buy a small tape recorder and keep that by your bed. When you wake you can record a message for yourself. This may also help those of you who forget very quickly upon waking. Return to Table of Contents file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/journals.html (1 of 2 )3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Untitled file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/journals.html (2 of 2)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Psychic Skills Exploration & Development This Free Ebook brought to you by MysticalTreasures.net Beginning Psychic Skills Development : Lesson I Learning to Still the Mind This is the first step in learning basic meditation methods and in preparing yourself to receive the subtle messages of Spirit communication. Our first lesson delves into learning to relax our conscious mind. Often this is the most difficult part of the whole process, learning to still our thoughts and come to an inner sense of calm & quiet. Remember this is a new habit you are developing and plan on sticking with it without immediate gratification. More than learning to absolutely silence the mind, it is more of a process of learning to take control of your mind/thoughts. Knowing where they go and why, and how to bring them back to center and quiet them as much as possible. You will want to work with this lesson first, until you are fairly comfortable with it before attempting to move forward. This is important so that you proceed step by step and not sabotage yourself by trying to do everything at once. Even if you are an all or nothing type, please do this step by step, taking as much time between lessons as you need. 🙂 You’ll be happier with the results if you do. It is important to learn how to control and be conscious of our thoughts and emotions to be effective as a psychic and/or to be successful in meeting our guides. By being able to control our response to outside stimulus, we are better able to â€Å"tune in† to the more subtle frequencies involved in using the extra senses and/or communicating with spirit. There are a few things to remember: 1) Don’t struggle trying to force your mind to be silent, in the struggle itself you create more thoughts and sabotage the process. You should not â€Å"latch on’ to thoughts either, let them ‘float† by you, acknowledging your willingness to release them. 2) If you don’t succeed at first don’t give up. It takes time to  develop a new habit. Don’t be hard on yourself if you just don’t get it the first few times. .. anything worth doing is worth the effort, and trust me this is worth the effort. the benefits are not just in developing psychically, the benefits of meditation are numerous and include increased energy, clearer thought process,& improved health on many levels. 3) Remember to find a time where you will not be interupted and a place as free from outside interference as possible. No music, TV, etc. There are times when you can use soothing music, but for the purpose of psychic development it is best to have a very quiet environment. It makes it easier to pick up on subtle energies around you. As you start, you may wish to select a specific time of day, each day or as many days a week as you can. You will want to start off with a 5 minute time frame which you can increase as you progress. By choosing a specific time of day you are developing a habit, conditioning a response pattern and preparing your body and mind for the process of Meditation. file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/lessonI.html (1 of 3)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM Psychic Skills Exploration & Development Once you have become more adept at relaxation and meditaiton you can remove the scheduled time and increase your meditation time, but for our purposes here, 5 minutes per day at around the same time if possible. Use this time to just deeply relax and become aware of yourself, the environment you are in, etc. etc. Total awareness naturally expands the consciousness. Remove yourself from as much outside interference as possible.. if earplugs or covering the eyes helps you please consider adding them to your routine. Learning to Relax the Mind: Once you are ready to begin, stretch out and release any tensions you may be feeling in the body. You will want to do this exercise sitting and not laying down as we don’t want to indicate to the body that it is time to sleep, just simply relax. Sit in a comfortable but firm chair, not one that you slump down into.. you want to sit up straight with your back against the back of the chair, feet flat on the floor, and arms either rested gent ly on the arms of the chair, or down to your sides. You should be in an attentive but relaxed position. Once you are  situated take a deep breath in through the nose and breath out through the mouth making the exhale longer than the inhale. As you exhale focus on pushing out any negative emotions, stress, etc that you may have built up within you. Do 3 -5 breaths, whatever it takes to help you start to feel the body relax. Each breath should have you relaxing even further. Once you have done this just sit with your eyes closed. Try to just focus on the stillness. If thoughts seem to keep coming don’t struggle against them trying to push them down†¦ just allow them to come and go gently. Remove yourself from your thoughts and watch them â€Å"float† by. You Don’ t want to attempt to catch them and analyze them, and you don’t want to struggle against them†¦ they just are, you just are. You can also do a visualization. Imagine yourself sitting in a quiet theater, there is a screen in front of you. On the screen appears anything that you need to know, that your higher self wishes you to know. Don’t try to analyze the symbols, colors, or other messages, let them float on the screen. Here there is no time limits , pressures, or outside influences, this is just you in the fullness of the present moment without regard to past or future. Enjoy being in this moment a while longer and then gradually bring yourself back with a cleansing breath. Repeat this exercise until you have come to a place where you are comfortable in redirecting random thoughts for a minute or more before moving on. This most likely will not happen right away, so please don’t get discouraged. Continue to practice this daily as you can. As you get into this more you will find the time you spend may naturally increase just because of the sheer pleasure of taking a break from our â€Å"busy†ness. That’s great and even if you don’t get this right file:///C|/Business%20Stuff/Tarot%20Site/psychicskillsclass/lessonI.html (2 of 3)3/7/2004 8:55:01 AM

Segmentation and Targeting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Segmentation and Targeting - Research Paper Example According to the book entitled â€Å"Principles of Marketing,† the primary method of evaluating a company’s marketing strategies is by way of SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). According to the article entitled â€Å"Marketing at McDonalds,† the company’s strengths lies in its brand and the extensive marketing research that the company performs (â€Å"Marketing at McDonalds†, 2011). Additionally, the company’s main opportunity is the continued population growth which provides more customers (â€Å"Marketing at McDonald’s,†2011). The weakness of the company is the brand maturity which means that as the company ages, they still need to make important changes in order to keep up with the competition (â€Å"Marketing at McDonald’s,† 2011). Finally, the threats to McDonalds include the growing health awareness and the connection between fast food and obesity as well as competition from other fast food establishments (â€Å"Marketing at McDonald’s, †2011). Perhaps the genius behind McDonalds lies in the fact that there does not appear to be a specific target market when it comes to advertising and marketing. The book â€Å"Principles of Marketing† defines a target market as a â€Å"set of buyers who share common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve†(Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). For some companies, there is a very specific target market that they are trying to reach. McDonalds, on the other hand, markets to all different types of races, languages, and lifestyles. The only common need that the consumers all appear to share is that of wanting affordable, tasty, and quick food. Therefore, these are the elements that McDonalds must play up within their marketing mix. According to the article entitled â€Å"Marketing at McDonald’s,† the company utilizes four main compo nents for its marketing strategy: product, price, promotion, and place (â€Å"Marketing at McDonalds,† 2011). The company has an overall objective of setting itself apart from its competitors by effectively meeting the goals for the marketing mix. For product and price, the company must look at what they are providing and determine what needs to be revamped and what is performing at expectations. Additionally, price must come into play as the company determines how much value the customers place on the product that McDonalds sells as part of the restaurants popularity is associated with low prices. Determining the physical positioning of the McDonald’s restaurant takes a lot of research as locations must be scouted in order to find the one with potential consumers and less competition. Finally, promotion involves the media advertisements that the company puts out in order to draw in consumers. The company must position itself in such a way as to make their ads stand ou t and apart from the multitude of other advertisements that people are bombarded with on a daily basis. Currently, McDonalds has been in the midst of changing their product line in order to secure their position as one of the top fast food restaurants in the world. According to the article entitled â€Å"McDonald’s adds oatmeal to the menu,† in the beginning of 2011 McDonalds began adding healthier breakfast items to their menu such as oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, and fruit salads in order to help combat some

Mid-term essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Mid-term - Essay Example Kant disagrees with the principle of utility when he argues that we should instead have indirect moral obligations in treatment of animals. Kant views animals as beings that lack independent rational wills and therefore human beings do not have any moral obligation to animals since they lack the condition of being considered as objects of obligation (Altman 20). Kant’s view when we mistreat animals is that we wrong ourselves but not violating the animal rights and therefore violating the principle of utility which in this case, will consider those who mistreats animals as wrong since their actions delivers pain to the mistreated animals. For example, If somebody shoots his or her dog because it no longer gives service, he or she does not fail in his duty to that dog because the dog is an irrational being which cannot judge, however, the one who does that acts in an inhuman way and damages that humanity that is in himself or herself that is ought to be shown towards humankind. Utilitarianism accounts for both human and nonhuman rights. The basic principle of utility has a moral consideration of animal rights and therefore animals ought to be treated the same way as human beings. The principle of utility implies that animals should be treated well in order to produce happiness for the animals. If you chop off the head of a donkey you have done wrong to the donkey itself and if you allow it to rest you give that animal the pleasure it deserves. Utilitarianism accounts for equal moral concern to human and nonhuman beings which mean killing an animal for other reasons other than food is wrong, bullfighting and even using animals for medical experimentations is unjustifiable. Kant argues that the fact that rational beings ought to have indirect moral obligation on animals has been pointed out in his arguments (Altman 23). Animals do not have the rational capacities that are considered by Kant to constitute humanity. Animals are considered to have the same

How a bill becomes a law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How a bill becomes a law - Essay Example There is another possibility, whereby the President neither assents or declines the bill (also called sitting on a bill), where upon passage of 10 working days, the bill is passed as law. There is an exception to this 10-day rule, commonly referred to as a pocket veto. In a pocket veto, â€Å"the President can kill a bill if it goes unsigned and Congress adjourns prior to the 10-day time limit. The term "pocket veto" comes from the fact that if the President knows an adjournment is coming, he can place the bill in his pocket and forget about it.† (Mount, 2010) While there are several routes through which a bill can be brought to the floor for discussion, the most common path is through specialized committees. For example, since bills usually concern a particular topic, like raising the salary of military personnel, most of them will â€Å"fall into a specific sub-committee's area of responsibility. There is a Subcommittee on Pay, Promotion, and Retirement that would consider the pay bill. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee.

Human-Digital Interaction Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human-Digital Interaction Design - Essay Example This report will point out the main recommendations that are placed for the effective systems design and development. This system is developed basically for the enhancement of overall working power of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. This system will be used for the Vehicle Excise Duty [VED] calculation and management. The main aim behind this system development is to enhance the working power of the DVLA’s workforce. In this section I will talk about the user experience analysis regarding the DVLA system development and handling. This system is intended to enhance the overall working power of the DVLA’s Vehicle Excise Duty processing. I will talk about the main criteria regarding the better user support and working efficiency. In the next sections I will talk about the main corrective actions those we have taken regarding the effective system development. During this system development we have established that we will implement the overall system according to and on basic user requirements and specification. This system will be VED processing system that requires extensive user management and task handling. We have tried to incorporate the user centric design regarding the effective system development, in this way we will priorities the user requirements and the implementation of these requirements will rely on their interaction to the user, most frequently accessed section of the system are given more concentration and perfect touch by presenting more better user design. In this scenario we have tried to implement the overall user task in way so that their management of the user tasks can be handled in a sequence. Its mean the user task execution must be managed through incorporating effective user task flow analysis. This analysis has helped us regarding the implementation of the overall system functionalities in a better way. This will also ensure that the implementation of tasks are appropriate and

Self- Reflection Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self- Reflection - Personal Statement Example eating timetables was a habit that developed in me that was similar to building castles in the air; so much so that my timetables would sometimes have time set aside for the creation of more timetables in the future. The fact that I would make more than one (quite a few in fact) timetables meant that one could easily be changed for the other and I would not need to put in the effort that would be required so as to adhere to a particular timetable. The timetables that I created with the decreasing amount of time at my disposal started to become more and more impractical and thus made me increasingly desperate. This made a certain kind of desperation set into my mental makeup and I started thinking that I would never be able to do well in my studies. This points to another flaw in the strategy that I had drawn up during the last semester. The setting of impractical goals led me to the same point that impractical schedules did. A feeling started to set in my mind that made me feel that I would never be able to achieve my goals. With the passing of time, this feeling started to get worse and paradoxically, my schedules started to get even more hectic and unmanageable. Laziness is probably the root of much of the failure that I encountered this semester. To rectify this problem in most aspects of my life shall be an aim that I adopt beginning with this semester. To cultivate a work ethic that makes me accountable to myself would be one of the things that I would attempt to do this semester. As a result of this, I believe my grades would improve and I would also be able to understand how results are achieved and hence value labor as it should be. This would also prevent me from taking goals and targets lightly. I would be able to become aware of the fact that a victory is achieved through slow and steady hard work. Attempts at finding shorter routes to success cost me last semester and I would advise anybody who is a student to not attempt to find a substitute for hard

The Legal Liability of Air Traffic Controllers Essay

The Legal Liability of Air Traffic Controllers - Essay Example To determine this, they used black box information, traffic cams, computer simulations and the voice of the pilot himself, who died in the crash attributed the accident to such diverse causes and engine failure, flaws in composite materials and terrorism.[2] After 3 years of investigation the NTSB attributed the catastrophe to structural damage caused or exacerbated by wake turbulence with black box information and the voice of the pilot himself, who died in the crash, confirming this. The first statement made on the cockpit voice recorder ,disclosed by the FTSB, was a reference by the pilot to the distance between him and the plane in front of him, a Japan Airlines Boeing747 which had taken off less than 2 minutes before him, responding to the air traffic controllers concerns about wake turbulence. Lift is generated by a difference of pressure over the surface of the wing. The lower pressure happens above the wing surface while the higher pressure is underneath. This differential causes the air to roll off the wings and trail down from the tips, forming two vortices like tornadoes, rotating out in different directions. Like the wake of a ship, two vessels that pass each other have observable wave action. Boats do it, and so do planes. When one plane passes too closely to another it encounters the wake of air waves. You can't see it, but you feel it. A plane with a lesser wing span looses it mirrored directions, like the wake of a ship. Two vessels that pass each other have observable wave action. Boats do it, and so do planes. When one plane passes too closely to another it encounters the wake of air waves. You can't see it, but you feel it. A plane with a lesser wing span loses its righting moment. Displaced air has some semblance of predictable movement, however; like water, that motion is highly fluid, being influenced by many factors. Such turbulence compromises the ability of pilots to control aircraft, navigators to direct it and the safety of passengers in planes. The range of an airborne wake from a large plane is less than 5 miles.[4] The pilot acknowledged the concern of the ATCO on the radio. It states in the Federal Aviation Regulations Sec. 91.3a - Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command. "The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft." According to the pilot's CVR statement there was going be a lot of time between him and that Boeing 747 out in front. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was just a little closer to the scheduled time of departure. In the immediate post 9/11 context, with altered airport security procedures, this was relevant. The full text of the CVR was not published judgment there was going be a lot of time between him and that Boeing 747 out in front. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He was just a little closer to the scheduled time of departure. Two minutes later he was dead. While specific aircraft regulations can hold blameless the owners of aircraft, (see49 USC 44112 (formerly 49 USC 1404)), the law of torts still allows for the suit of companies on the basis of negligence. AFCO's are responsible for the safe routing of planes within their district during their scheduled assignments, they are not responsible for t

Rhetorical Analysis of Commercial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rhetorical Analysis of Commercial - Essay Example The quality of the advertisements encourages brand consumption since the main characters in the ad enjoy coke at all times. Background music featured in the ad in different seven languages shows the diversity of the American people. This shows that people of America speak different languages but consume the same Coca Cola products in a show of unity in consumption of products. Therefore, the general message of the ad reflects the essential social values that Coca Cola consider when releasing products to the American people. The commercial ad also features people in various landscapes such as the shores of the Pacific and the Southwest desert, cafes and cityscapes as they enjoy taking coke. It provides pictures of the real livelihoods of the people from different ethnicity, religion, families and races in the US. That is why the aim of this commercial is to show that Coke brand is for all the people of America. In addition, it promotes optimism amongst Americans that Coke brand is a binding factor between races and religion since both consume the same quality, quantity and brand across

Global Staffing Systems Essay Example for Free

Global Staffing Systems Essay In the article Designing and Implementing Global Staffing Systems: Part I Leaders in Global Staffing, Wiechmann, Ryan, and Hemingway propose several components of global staffing systems and also provide us with similarities and differences among the global staffing situations at several MNC’s. They analyze six multinationals—Agilent Technologies, Dow Chemical, IBM, Motorola, Proctor and Gamble, and Shell Oil. One thing common to nearly all the companies is the use of recruitment software. Additionally, an interview is an integral part of the hiring process. Other companies use tests as a measure of employee aptitude and one company even uses a training program to train candidates for the interview. What makes these successful is the global nature of both recruitment and hiring. Agilent uses universal questions that are asked of all candidates as part of the pre-screening process. They also post jobs internally at the same time as posting externally. If two candidates present with the same qualifications, and one is internal, and the other external, then the internal candidate is hired. Dow Chemical uses a model that provides training for the applicants. Additionally, like Agilent, Dow uses an internal hiring practice that allows employees from all but the highest management to self-nominate for jobs within the company. Dow also uses a standardized testing procedure that requires that the test administrators receive testing prior to administering the test. IBM uses an aptitude test to select entry level technical applicants. The test is multi-lingual, and a testing guide is created to help interpret the test results. Motorola also uses a standardized testing procedure that has been validated over 11 countries and five years. Proctor and Gamble uses a scorable application, but then also utilize an English proficiency test. Shell Oil uses an English-only approach to testing, as they use English in all their business dealings. As noted, most of these companies do utilize an interview strategy in their hiring practices. There are similarities that have been noted in the practices of the companies in their hiring practices. The use of assessment tools and interviews in hiring is common to all the companies. In terms of differences, the use of English-only tests as indicated by Shell Oil show that some companies are interested in maintaining a global language for business. Others give their assessments in the native language. Additionally, the use of employee recruitment software is sporadic, but used within the constraints of the company. What can be learned from this? We can learn that MNC’s learn about employees not just through the traditional face to face interview, but through assessment tools that are objective and adjusted for the cultural norms of the society in which they are administered. We can also learn that companies exhibit due diligence when they hire, and to that end they tend to get a better quality of hire and that improves the overall efficacy of the company.

To Build a Fire Essay Example for Free

To Build a Fire Essay A hero is someone who possess valor, capability, and captures the admiration of others through courageous deeds and noble traits; the main character in â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London lacks all of these characteristics. The man makes many rookie errs throughout the short story and utilizes numerous tips from an old timer from Sulphur creek to try and fix them, he is grateful to the old timer, save for when he believes he is no longer in danger. After building a successful fire rather than thank the old timer he says to himself â€Å"well, here he [is]; he [has] had the accident; he [is] alone; and he [saves] himself† (pg. 26). The man believes he is better than average and believing that it is him all by himself exemplifies his arrogance. The fire fails and the man is once again wet in negative fifty below weather and to survive he must do something to stay warm, his idea is rather horrid though. To save himself and his fingers the man has the wild idea to â€Å"kill the dog and bury his hands in the warm body until numbness [goes] out of them† (pg, 530). When the man has to choose between his life and another he chooses to save himself essentially proving that he is not a hero, but rather a scoundrel. After all else the man merely surrenders his life, gives up, and decides to die in the least painful way possible. The man thinks it would be a good idea â€Å"to sleep to death† his intention is for it to be â€Å"like taking an anesthetic† (pg 533). Hero’s do not give up or take the easy way out; the man is a coward for just handing in his life in the manner in which he did. The man in Jack London’s story never reaches a heroic state; he is a normal man that makes a few mistakes and pays dearly for them.

Role Of A Strategist Of Today Business Essay

Role Of A Strategist Of Today Business Essay ABSTRACT: Strategists are the people who implement the powerful strategy which consists of ingredients like information, imagination, purpose and action. There are various kinds of strategists in any kind of organization like board of directors, chief executive officer, entrepreneurs, senior management, SBU-level executives, corporate planning staff, consultants, middle level manager, and executive assistants. Each one plays a different role in an organization. Apart from the specified roles and functions for a strategist, the common and general important roles are sooth sayer, sculptor, politician, guru and jail buster. As a sooth sayer strategist must helps his team to imagine the future world within which they will be competing. The sculptor strategist creates a unique role or purpose for the organisation. They forecast the reason why the organisation will be successful within the soothsayers imagined future. The politician strategist knows the power players in the organisation. They know what drives each leader and they also know who is motivated by ego, who by money, who needs to be recognised, who thrives on making a difference. The jail buster strategist shows employees how to escape from their prison of boredom and fear without alerting their fearful managers. They provide the key to unlocking their talents, creativity, and energy. This paper presents a framework to aid in understanding the seven major deadly traps prevailing in any organization and how a strategist can overcome the negative outcomes of those poisonous traps which are taking deep roots in the organizations worldwide. Some basic human intellectual tools like Intellectual Intelligence (IQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and Spiritual Intelligence (SQ).,which are necessary for a strategist also discussed. INTRODUCTION: The work a strategist did yesterday, Set the foundation for the achievements and challenges of today. The work a strategist does today, Creates the world of tomorrow. Ruth (Placeholder1)Tearle Strategists are individuals or groups who are primarily involved in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of strategy. There are various kinds of strategists like managers, board of directors, chief executive officers, entrepreneurs, senior management, SBU-level executives, corporate planning staff, consultants, middle level managers, executive assistants. (Terry Mcnulty 1999) Boards of directors are the owners of an organization such as shareholders, controlling agencies, government, financial institutions, etc. They are responsible for governance of an organization, technology collaboration, new product development and senior management appointments. They guide the senior management in setting and accomplishing objectives, review and evaluate organization performance.The chief executive officer is answerable for all aspects of strategic management from the formulation to the evaluation of strategy. They play a major role in strategic decision making and provide the directi on for the organization so that it can achieve its purpose. They assist in setting the mission of the organization. They are responsible for deciding the objectives, formulating and implementing the strategy. Entrepreneurs are strategist who starts a new business, initiator, searches for change, respond to it and exploits its as an opportunity. By their nature, entrepreneurs play a proactive role. They are implementers and evaluators of strategies. Senior management or top management consists of managers at highest level managerial hierarchy. They look after renovation, technology up progression, diversification and expansion and also focus on new product development. They assist the board and chief executives in formulating, implementing and evaluating the strategy. SBUs are profit center heads or divisional heads. They manage a diversified company as a portfolio of businesses, each business having a clearly defined product-market segment and an unique strategy. SBU executives maintain harmonization with other SBUs in the organizing, formulating and implementing the SBU level strategy. Corporate planning staff plays a supporting role. They put in order and communicate the strategic plans. They make available administrative support and fulfill the function of assisting the introduction, working and maintenance of strategic management system. Consultant may be individuals, academicians or consultancy companies who are specialized in strategic management activities. They will advise and assist managers to improve the performance and effectiveness of an organization. They provide services of corporate strategy and planning. Middle level managers look after operational matters, so they rarely play an active role in strategic management. They are the implementers of decision taken by top level and followers of policy guidelines. They contribute to generation of ideas and in development of strategic alternative. They also help in setting objectives at departmental level. An executive assistant will assist the chief executive in the performance of his duties in various ways. They assist the chief executive in data collection, analysis and in suggesting alternatives. Coordinating activities with internal staff and outsiders and acting as a filter for information are also performed by the executive assistant. The role of a powerful strategist: A powerful strategist plays the major important roles like sooth sayer, sculptor, politician, guru and jail buster. A strategist must be a soothsayer or seer who helps his team to imagine the future world within which they will be competing. They begin by reading the palm of the organisation and also identify its competencies and unique strengths. They then use the crystal ball of scenarios, and imaginative thinking to help the team to visualise the future within which the business will operate. A strategist should also be a sculptor like an artist who carves a form out of raw materials. The sculptor strategist creates a unique role or purpose for the organisation. They predict the reason why the organisation will be successful within the soothsayers imagined future. The sculptor begins by defining the organisations future target markets. They then provide the future shape of the organisation by defining why its future customers will choose to support it, rather than any future imagined competitor. So the strategist changes systems, structures, rewards, alliances, products and services to ensure t hat everything supports the organisational purpose. A politician is someone who is skilled in the art of manoeuvring and manipulation. The politician strategist knows the power players in the organisation. They know what drives each leader and they also know who is motivated by what external and internal factors. A guru is a person who gives personal spiritual guidance to his disciples. The strategist guru, shows how each individual employee in the company, can contribute to the greater, noble goal. They help individual employees to discover their inimitable personal purpose. Then they show them how to channel their energy and talent towards living their purpose, whilst acting in ways that support the companys goal. A strategist must also plays a role of jail buster, while at work, many employees find that their talents, passions, creativity, imagination, and energy are locked behind bars of the company culture. Timid managers who want to be in control, and avoid making mistakes, often hide the keys to creativity, energy, passion, self-assurance, and innovation. The jail buster strategist shows employees how to break out from their prison of tediousness and fear without alerting their fearful managers. They provide the key to unlocking their talents, creativity, and energy. Strategy in companys perspective- Strategy is about choice. The heart of a companys strategy is what it chooses to do and not do. (Rivkin 2005).They develops a long-range course of action or set of goals to align with the organizations vision. (LOREN APPELBAUM n.d.) Problems: Strategist should avoid the seven main deadly traps of strategy effectuation. The seven deadly traps are squeeze strategy in between other more important events dates are booked for a strategy session, but there is little dedication or energy from the leaders. The strategy sessions get negated, or delayed. The time available to do strategy is reduced from three days, to two days and finally to the afternoon just before a public holiday. The second trap is doing strategy through presentations and debate. The leaders go away for a 2-day strategy conference. They spend one and a half days listening to presentations and asking questions of the presenters. The last half a day is spent with a catalyst engaging the group in a debate. Somehow, a few strategic focus areas become known. These are written into the companys strategic plan, but nothing really changes. The next trap is delegating strategy to a project team. A team of potential leaders is given the task of formulating strategy. They begin with hope, enthusiasm, and by doing research and analysis. They use every model available: Trend analysis, Porters 5 forces, scenario development, SWOT analyses, balanced scorecard and financial analyses. They analyse their current mission, objectives and strategies. The strategist develops strategic options. They evaluate these options and present their findings to the administrative management. The leaders demonstrate through their questioning (or an interrogation) who holds the power in the company. The youngsters leave with their self-esteem in tatters. The fourth is doing strategic analyses without a solid foundation of research, leaders analyse trends, markets, and competitors. They do scenarios and SWOT analyses. But they do this without any research. The outcomes of their analyses are indistinct and nothing really changes. The fifth is ignoring the creative side, while the strategic research, and analysis may be excellent, little creative thinking takes place. No paradigms are broken. No excitement is generated. The strategies that emerge are predictable. People leave with a feeling of why did we bother? The next trap is failing to act on a brilliant, inspiring strategy, the focus then moves to the question of what do we need to do, to make the strategy work? Leaders suddenly become aware of how the strategy will impact on their power bases, and their careers. They then try to find flaws in the strategy or the process to rationalize their need to sustain the status quo. The last deadly trap is failing to motivate the people, the CEO and the team go on exhausting road shows to communicate their strategy to their people. A quiet comment is heard after the presentation. Why should I encumber myself with additional work to make the CEO richer? What are the chances of this strategy being? Suggestions: A strategist is like a root of an organization. In order to overcome the deadly traps in any organization a strategist must first think outside of the box and they must focus on both forest and the trees They must need to concentrate on three aspects of human intelligence like intellectual Intelligence (IQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and Spiritual Intelligence (SQ). The mind of strategist must try to decide when to do strategy and when not to do strategy, clear target markets, competitive advantage, 80/20 focus and alignment. They need to do research, analyse the given situation with the available informations and comes out with the best solutions. The heart of strategist must have the concepts, rules, power and politics play an important role in the development of any strategy. The end result of a strategy (the strategic plan) determines what is, and what is not important to the companys future, who will get scarce resources such as budgets, and skills, who will be gain and who will lose power. The soul of strategist must have ingredients to inspiration include energy, creativity, action or doing, wisdom, purpose, fun, awareness of the mystery, caring, motivating the people, stimulating the new innovative ideas.