Unit Activity Essays (1019 words) - Mathematics, Elementary Algebra

Unit Activity Unit: Two-Variable Equations, Inequalities, and Graphs This activity will help you meet these educational goals: Mathematical Practices-You will make sense of problems and solve them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, use mathematics to model real-world situations, and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Introduction In this unit, you used different methods to create and solve linear equations. You modeled scenarios using linear inequalities and solved them with the help of graphs. In this activity, you will analyze real-world situations by modeling them as equations and looking at their graphs. __________________________________________________________________________ Directions and Analysis Task 1: Deforestation [pic] There are approximately 400 million trees currently growing in the Amazon Rainforest, which covers approximately 5.5 million square kilometers. The rainforest is being cleared at a rate of 20,000 square kilometers per year to make way for new farmland and to harvest wood for building supplies. Before this year, 250,000 square kilometers had already been cleared. A preservation consortium is trying to mitigate the loss of rainforest by planting new trees. They have already planted 3,000 square kilometers of trees and plan to plant 100 square kilometers of trees each year. a. Create an equation to represent the rainforest area deforested, AD, in thousands of square kilometers, after t years. Type your response here: b. Create an equation to represent the rainforest area planted with new trees, AP, in thousands of square kilometers, after t years. Type your response here: c. Use the Edmentum Graphing Tool to graph the equations you created in parts a and b. Specify what each axis represents, and set the scale of each graph to ensure a good view of both graphs. Copy both graphs and paste them in the answer area below. Type your response here: d. How did you choose the scales you used for the graphs? How does using different scales affect the way you compare the two graphs? Type your response here: e. What are the y-intercepts of each function, and what do they represent? Type your response here: f. What area will have been cleared due to deforestation after 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years? Type your response here: |Years From Now |Total Area | | |Cleared | | |(1,000 sq km) | |1 | | |5 | | |10 | | g. What area will have been planted by the preservation consortium after 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years? Type your response here: |Years From Now |Total Area | | |Planted | | |(1,000 sq km) | |1 | | |5 | | |10 | | h. What percentage of the area lost to deforestation will have been replanted by the preservation consortium after 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years? Type your response here: |Years From Now |Percentage | |1 | | |5 | | |10 | | i. Based on your findings, will the preservation consortium ever be able to restore the rainforest to its original size before it is completely cleared? Explain. Type your response here: Task 2: Driving Out of Town [pic] Brent is driving to a conference in another state. Three hours after leaving his home and beginning his drive, Brent is still 470 miles from his destination. After another 4 hours of driving, Brent is 258 miles from his destination. After 9 hours of driving, Brent plans to stop at a hotel for the night and begin his trip again 12 hours later. a. Use the given information to determine the coordinates of two points that represent Brent's distance from his destination based on the amount of time he has spent driving. Type your response here: b. Assuming that Brent's average rate of speed stays consistent during his entire drive, create an equation to represent the distance left to his destination, d, based on the amount of time he has spent driving, t. Write the equation in slope-intercept form. Type your response here: c. Use the Edmentum Graphing Tool to graph the line represented by the equation. Let x represent t and y represent d. Set the scale so the graph can be easily seen and paste the graph below. Type your response here: d. What are the intercepts of the equation, and what do they represent? Type your response here: e. What does the slope of the line represent? Type your response here: f. If Brent's average speed had been faster or slower on his trip, what features of the graph would change and how would they change in each situation. Explain your answers. Type your response here: g. Brent decided that

Creole essays

Creole essays What is a Creole? The word Creole means many things to many people. It derives from the Latin word Creare, meaning to beget or create. The Webster dictionary says a Creole is a white person descended from the French or Spanish settlers of Louisiana and the Gulf States and preserving their characteristic speech and culture. Creoles, a term first used in the 16th century in Latin America to distinguish the offspring of European settlers from Native Americans, blacks, and later immigrant groups. In colonial America the designally originally applied to the American-born descendants of European-born settlers. The term has since acquired varying meanings in different regions. In the United States, the state of Louisiana has a diverse Creole population. White Creoles are the French-speaking descendants of early French or Spanish settlers. Black Creoles are generally the French-speaking Louisianians of mixed race, once constituted a separate group, but have now largely assimilated into the black Creole population. These people have their own culture and customs and even a compostite language derived from the French. In Latin America the term may refer to people of direct Spanish extraction or just to members of families whose ancestory goes back to the colonial period. In the West Indies the word Creole is used to identify descendants of any European settlers. (Encarta Encyclopedia 226). The Spanish introduced the word as Criollo, and during Louisianas colonial period (1699-1803) the evolving word Creole generally referred to persons of African or European heritage born in the New World. Creoles can mean anything from individuals born in the New Orleans with French and Spanish ancestry to those who descended from African, Caribbean, French, and Spanish combinations. The Creoles have played an important part in the heritage of New Orleans.(HERRIN,29) Strictly speakin...

Direct and Relationship Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Direct and Relationship Marketing - Case Study Example In the light of the preceding nuances this report presents an explanation and exploration of the principles and application of relationship marketing and retention planning in relation to the case scenario presented on the Dwyers Bathrooms Company. The relationship marketing model holds that service providers can capitalise on offering a broad ranging list of services and products. The model can be well applied when there are alternatives for clients to choose from. Dwyers Bathrooms have created a feasible range of services and products that provide a working foundation for the more intensive implementation and enhancements of the relationship marketing stratagem. Upon providing the core services comprising the supplying and installing of mid-range bathroom suites, Dwyers have also developed a new make-over service which focuses on repairs on bathroom fixtures, tiles, seals and grouting. Dwyers can cash in on this development by enlightening their clients on the new services and products that they are now offering. The application of relationship marketing in various services and product provision domains has been characterised by the development and use of various customer relationship management schemes that allow the observation and assessment of each customer's preferences and dislikes. Dwyers still has a long way to go in tapping the merits of this relationship marketing dynamics. The only element of this kind that Dwyers have implemented has been the customer satisfaction surveys carried out after an installation. The company has to develop and broaden the satisfaction assessment scope of the satisfaction assessment instrument. Also the company has to find means of soliciting information from clients their specific needs that Dwyers can supply upon the range of the products and services they are already offering. The company may consider applying a company tracking service schedules and contacting customers directly on product or service recalls. Dwyers has also not tapped the merits of the other effective element of relationship marketing, personalized marketing. In personalized marketing the main preference is given to the customer. This dimension entails building customer shopping or service purchasing profiles. Information obtained and compiled on customer shopping trends preferences and dislikes, etc, is used to compute and deduce the likelihood of the customer interest and/or preferences in other product/service categories. The likely preferences are conveyed to the clients through various communication channels that a company has in lace for contacting its clients. Although this is typically an internet tailored relationship marketing model, Dwyers is well suited to customize this model and cash in on the huge customer listings they already have. Dwyers must adopt means of conveying computed likely customer references through a way of making recommendations to the clients in via customers email listings, mail postages and any feasible communicative avenues that the company may devise. "Personalized market

Hispanic Last Names Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hispanic Last Names - Essay Example Hispanic surnames are always two. Balbastro Ajuntas is the womans’ real name referred to as ‘nombre.’ Ajuntas is part of her first name, not her middle name.Berrera is her fathers’ name or Apellido paterno. It is what we call her last name. Maria is her mothers’ name or Apellido materno and it is used with her fathers’ name. It is not only her last name but it completes her last name. If Balbastro was to marry Ramon Gonzalez Gomez, she would take Ramons’ last names in that pattern. Most Hispanic countries however, have the additional conjunction ‘de’ to show that the added name is a married one. It is worth noting that women in todays world do not change their names on personal or professional reasons. Women in Hispanic culture never changes her first sir name in marriage. This is different from other cultures like US, where a woman assumes the husbands’ name after marriage. It is therefore important to note that, the naming system of Spain has the traditional personal surname of the farther followed by that of the mother and that a woman does not have to change her surnames in favor of her husband’s name because Spanish naming system does not entail the maiden name

Stereotyping Black People Essay Example for Free

Stereotyping Black People Essay Stereotyping is when something is believed about a group of people that is untrue or only partly true. When someone stereotypes against a group of people they tend to not understand that group or do not want to understand them. Black people, to me, are the most stereotyped race. They are stereotyped as being lazy, loud, they steal, love chicken and watermelon, the women get pregnant and the men are well-endowed. As humans we tend to allow negative stereotyping to determine our thoughts, feelings, and our lives in general. People start to believe things that are not true and teach others that it is acceptable and tolerable to do so. According to April Kemick, from the University of Toronto, it has been proven that stereotyping has a lasting effect on people’s lives. Black people are stereotyped and have to deal with what others think in their daily life. There is a negative stereotype that all black people love to eat chicken and watermelon. I want to challenge this. Looking at its backgrounds, the stereotype that all blacks eat chicken and watermelon came from the south as blacks were claiming their freedom and independence from slavery and Jim Crow laws. As blacks transitioned from slavery to freedom, many black families lived in unfortunate and unaffordable situations. Eating chicken and watermelon was less expensive, convenient and economical for poor black families. Black families could raise their own chickens and plant their own watermelon providing food for their families. They used these sources of food for survival not to be stereotyped. When I think about this stereotype, I image it to be as foolish as saying all Chinese people love to eat fish and oranges. What is so negative about that exactly? Fish and oranges have a lot of nutritional value, just as chicken and watermelon do. Chicken, when skinned, baked or grilled, is a great source of lean ample protein. It is rich in trace minerals like zinc, cooper, manganese and selenium. Eating chicken helps to slow down the aging process, no wonder black people look so young, and it is easy to digest. Some studies have proven that eating chicken legs and feet can contribute in the reduction of high blood pressure. Watermelon also has nutritional benefits being as it is full of vitamins like Vitamin A, C and B6. It is very low in calories and rich in potassium, even the seeds provide iron and fiber. Watermelon also aids in the anti-inflammation of arthritic joints. It is an antioxidant proven to help prevent heart attacks and cancer. Chicken and watermelon have plenty of wonderful qualities to keep a person healthy! There is a great deal of jokes and humility towards black people about this stereotype. There is a photo of a black man looking shocked and horrified because a watermelon is being chucked at him. On the bottom of the photo in bold letters it says â€Å"Flying watermelons if they only came with fried chicken this guy would shit himself. † There is also a white man standing behind him and another white person ready to catch the watermelon. In another photo there is an old white man holding KFC with two black men trying to beat him up to take his KFC. In the back ground there is a crowed of black people staring in awe of what is going on. In bold letters at the bottom of the photo it says â€Å"Bravery at its finest. † These photos represent what others think about black people. It is not right to only classify black people who love chicken and watermelon. Being a middle eastern I love to eat chicken and watermelon. Chicken and watermelon are so good! I would say that eating chicken and watermelon is not a negative stereotype at all. Maybe eating more chicken and watermelon is the solution to our obesity epidemic here in America. There is nothing wrong with eating chicken and watermelon. The stereotype is ridiculous being as it is a food that everyone enjoys regardless of race or culture. The chicken and watermelon experience surpasses all racial and ethnic appearances. If people say that it is funny or weird that black people eat chicken and watermelon maybe they should look at themselves first. Chicken and watermelon are two great and healthy food sources. This is the most ridiculous, immature and uncalled stereotype to be judging black people by. It does not make sense to me why others would do that. Just leave them be and let them eat what they want, it is their own dictions to make. They are not affecting others by eating what they please. It sucks that people are judged by the way certain people act in their race, not all act like their stereotypes. To change a person’s view of a stereotype, be regularly different from it. Beware of your own stereotypes that people think of your race and show them wrong. Stereotyping can be reduced by bringing people together. When they discover that other people are not as the stereotypes are believed to be, the instant evidence creates conflict that leads to changing thoughts about the other group. Stereotypes are true to a certain extent. It may be true to some of the people in the race but it should not be a general impression of the race. Everyone is their own person and has a unique touch to them. People are not mindful to other races or even try to know the race well. Stereotyping is hard to break but people should try and make an adjustment so others can see that stereotyping are judgments people make because we do not know how to interact with one another.

Self Assessment on Child Learning Environment

Self Assessment on Child Learning Environment Part A Reflecting on a childs learning and development as a practitioner is important in order to gauge an understanding of the childs ability to learn and how it can be continually improved. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) developed a curriculum framework, known as Aistear, which supports practitioners in early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings to reflect, identify and assess childrens learning. Assessment of the childs learning allows the practitioner to gather an understanding about how the child thinks, their abilities, and interests. For a practitioner to understand and assess a childs thinking, abilities and interests they must interact with the child. Good assessment practices depend on listening, empathising, watching and talking with the child (Dunphy, 2008). It is through these types of interactions in everyday activities and experiences with the adult and other children that help form a successful learning process for them. In order to plan and develop appropriate experiences which the child will find enjoyable and exciting, it is important that the practitioner has a good assessment process in place in the ECCE setting. Through observation the practitioner can assess the childs progress and develop a plan to continually enhance the childs development further. It is up to the practitioner to interpret the childs learning using the aims and learning goals outlined by Aistear to then form and plan the learning further. The practitioner must observe to note childrens progress in all areas of their development including skills, dispositions, attitudes, knowledge and understanding (NCCA, 2009). Development through planning is done through two assessment approaches defined in Aistear which include the assessment for learning and the assessment of learning. Assessment for learning takes the approach of supporting and planning the childs learning through reflection and assessment whereas assessment of learning is the approach of measuring, comparing, analysing and reporting (Daly and Forster cited in Mhic Mhathà ºna and Taylor, 2012). These approaches use many different methods of assessment. Each method helps to create portraits of the childrens learning and development. Observation is a key method in assessing a childs learning. Observing a child allows the practitioner to physically see the childs capabilities and document their learning. It allows them to see where the child excels or where they may need further support. It can also show a practitioner how a child interacts in social situations and how they play. While many practitioners use this as their main assessment method it is not the only one. Through the use of different assessment methods the practitioner can form a bigger picture of a childs learning and development. Aistear outlines the five assessment methods; self-assessment, conversations, observations, setting tasks and testing (NCCA, 2009). Self-assessment consists of the children themselves assessing their own learning and development. The child can begin to identity their own achievements and progress. It is then up to the practitioner to help guide the child and discuss with them about their experience. Discussing and having conversations with the child allow the practitioner to further assess and gather a better understanding of the childs learning (NCCA, 2009). By using conversation as an assessment method the practitioner can gain a better insight into the childs thinking then they would from just observing, thus allowing the practitioner to offer the appropriate support for the child. These assessment methods so far discussed are very child lead assessment. It is the child who shows the practitioner their learning and development with the practitioner acting as an observer. Observation can also be adult lead assessment as well as setting tasks and testing. If the practitioner needs to collect information on certain aspects of the childs learning they may design certain activities to help them do so (NCCA, 2009). Through observing, the adult can design activities which interest and excite the child to help them further gather information they may have set out to obtain. From setting these tasks the practitioner can help explain and encourage the child to further their learning and development. This is similar to the assessment method of testing. The assessment should focus on strengths and also aspects which may need further improvement (Dunphy, 2008). The practitioner complies all they have learned through observing and discussing with the child to test the child on certain aspects of their learning and development, such as social abilities. This can allow the practitioners to compare the outcomes with other children of similar ages therefore allowing t hem to see which children are meeting their milestones and who may need further assistance. There is a huge necessity for these assessment methods because without them the practitioner would not be able to understand or have the information needed to assist the child appropriately to develop into a well-rounded holistic child. While using Aistear as a framework to help with good assessment practices in ECCE settings the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education developed the quality framework Sà ­olta, which also promotes good assessment practices. Sà ­olta was designed to assess and support ECCE settings to continually improve the environment for which the child learns and develops. Sà ­olta aids the practitioner to reflect upon their own role assessing themselves to ensure they are providing quality experiences for every child (CECDE, 2006). As well as reflecting upon themselves is allows the practitioner to assess the environment, equipment, curriculum and interactions, all areas which assist in childrens learning and development. While assessing the child helps create portraits of their learning and development it is also important to use frameworks, such as Sà ­olta, to assess the learning environment. Without an appropriate educational environment which engages, assists, challenges and offers the child different experiences then a child will not learn and develop to their full potential. Part B Lesson Plan for Spring Month: Febuary/March Weekly Theme: Plants Flowers Type of Setting: Montessori/Aistear Room: Pre-School Age of Children: 3-5 Rationale for topic: A child brought a flower to the setting which prompted the other children to want their own flowers. Lesson Plan 1 Hand Print Flower Date: 27th Febuary Number of Children: 8 Dispostions developed: Persistance, responsibilty, investigative, Curiousity, Fun, independence. Rationale for choice of activity: Allow the children to express themselves creatively through visual arts using paint. Make marks to record their own idea of flowers. Long-term aim: To develop their abilities to express themselves creatively, express their imagination and to refine fine motor skills. Develop a connection between flowers and spring. Aistear Link Codes: WB A3 LG1 COM A4 LG2 ET A3 LG1 Sà ­olta Standard: Standard 6: Play Component 6.5 encourages him/her to explore, be creative and use previous learning to make new meaning. Material and/or equipment needed: White paper, various colour paints, paint brushes. Plan: To begin the practitioner will demonstrate how to create a flower using your handprints. The practitioner will paint their hand using a paint brush, printing it in a circular motion around the page then using their fingers to paint the other parts of the flower. Once the practitioner has demonstrated to the children how to create the flower, the children are invited to explore the materials and create their own concept of a flower. Children will be able to choose their own colours and method to create their flower. Reflection: The activity went well as the children actively engaged with the idea of the activity, each creating and exploring their own idea of a flower. They demonstrated curiosity as they printed their hands on the page at different angles to make marks with the paint. The children each used different methods to paint the flower. Some imitated the practitioner while others just used their fingers or the paintbrush. I then noticed (P) had painted squares at the bottom of the page and asked them what did you make when you did these. (P) told me There flower pots, my mammy has lots of flowers in flower pots. This then got one child particularly curious asking me where do flowers grow and how do you make flowers. I told them how flowers grow from seeds either in the ground or they can be planted in a flower pot. The children then shifted their focus from the painting to the discussion and each child shared their idea on how flowers grow. Critique and Evaluate: As the children all wanted their own flower, I set them a task to design their own. They showed confidence in their ability to independently paint their own hands and design their own flowers with the different methods they those. By setting the children the task they have demonstrated the aim of the activity, to express themselves creatively by making marks to record their ideas. Setting the task enabled the children to choose their own colours acting upon their curiosity to explore different marks and experiment with different colours. During the task the children took the lead during the natural occurring opportunity of one child asking questions about where and how flowers grow. This prompted all the childrens curiosity as they all moved their focus from painting to get involved in the discussion. It is important when using the method of setting tasks outlined in Aistear as an assessment method that going forward I use their questions about the flower to co ntinue their interests in planning the next activity. Lesson Plan 2 Plant Flower Seeds Date: 28th FebuaryNumber of children: 8 Dispostions developed: Responsibilty, Curiousity, independence. Rationale for choice of topic: During painting our own flowers the topic of where and how do flowers grow was asked. Planting the seeds and physically watching the flowers will help give the children a better understanding of where and how they grow. Long-term aim: The children will be able to have a better understanding of working theories of where and how the flowers grow. It will also develop the disposition of responsibility as the children will need to care for their flower to help it grow. Aistear Link Codes: WB A3 LG5 IB A4 LG4 ET A2 LG3 Sà ­olta Standard: Standard 7: Curriculum Component 7.4.1 What strategies do you use in implementing the curriculum/programme? Example being facilitating the childrens interest. Material and/or equipment needed: Flower seeds, flower pots, soil, gloves, hand shovel and water. Plan: The practitioner will demonstrate how to plant the flower seed. The children will then be given the hand shovel taking it in turns to spoon soil into their flower pot. Using their finger they will place a hole in the middle of the soil and place the flower seed into the hole covering it over. Once the seed is planted, the children will then use a jug to water the seed. While planting the practitioner will discuss how we care for our plant and what it needs to grow. Reflection: This activity went really well as the children really engaged and showed interest. They demonstrated great independence and manipulation skills as they spooned the soil into the flower pots with great control. (B) did struggle with spooning to soil into to pot and (S) demonstrated great care Ill help you do it as she assisted (B) to get the soil in his pot. (S) than went on to discuss with the other children what they had to do next assisting each of them. Once the children had planted their seeds I discussed with them what the plant needed in order to grow. I asked I wonder what the seed needs to grow. (B) said you pour water on top of it while (A) contradicted (B) telling them No you just put it in the pot. I then said youre both right the plant needs water and soil to grow but it also needs sun. Where should we put the plants so they can get sun?. The children looked around the room (S) shouted to everyone the sun is at the window look as they decided we would place ou r pots here. (B) then reminded everyone we forgot the water lets put it on top the children took turns watering their plant. I discussed with them that the plant will grow roots and drink the water in the soil but this seemed to confuse them especially (B) who kept telling everyone that you pour the water on top of the plant. Critique and Evaluate: The link with Aistears method of assessment using conversations is evident during this activity as the children took turns in talking, listening and discussing their ideas with each other. It is also evident as I responded to the children agreeing with both (A) and (B) as we discussed and I gave feedback about what the plant needed. I also used conversation to prompt the children to share their ideas using an open ended question about where was best to place the flower to get sun therefore aiding the children in expressing their own views and making their own decisions, which Aistears Identity and belonging learning goals outlines. Through conversing with the children it has given them the opportunity to expand on their own knowledge about how to care for materials in their environment and what they need to survive. Lesson Plan 3 Experiment: How plants drink water using food colouring. Date: 1st March-3rd March (observed the flowers over a few days.) Number of Children: 8 Dispostions developed: Investigative, Curiousity, Fun. Rationale for choice of activity: The children will be able to see the food colouring stain the flowers as it absorbs the water helping them develop thinking skills as they can come to an understanding of plants absorbing water. Long-term aim: To continue their intrests about flowers and give the children a better understanding about how the plants absorb water. Aistear Link Codes: WB A3 LG 1 ET A1 LG4 Sà ­olta Standard: Standard 8: Planning and Evaluation Enriching and informing all aspects of practice within the setting requires cycles of observation, planning, action and evaluation, undertaken on a regular basis- the activity planned is from observing and evaluating the childrens interests and taking action to plan according to their needs and interests. Material needed: Food colouring, flowers, jug, and water. Plan: Under the guidance of the practitioner,the childrenwill fill a jug with water and place some flowers in the jug. They will then add food colouring into the water and place the flowers in an area of sunlight. With this activity the flowers need to be observed over a few days to observe the flower changing colour from absorbing the stained water. Reflection: The initial activity was short and prompted many curious questions from the children such as why is the water green how will they drink that how will it change colour. After discussing and answering their questions the children were eager to move on and conduct the experiment. They demonstrated their independence as once provided with the materials and instructions about what and how we were going to do the experiment, they supported and enabled each other to carry it out. I then observed the children as they continually went back to the flowers that day watching to see if they had changed colours. The following day, upon arrival the children raced to the flowers screaming with excitement to see that one of the leaves had green spots on it. (B) look everybody its gone green (S) the plant drank the green water (P) it drinks it from the bottom. Over the next few days the children still continued to have interest over the experiment as I observed them going over to look shar ing it with the other children and even their parents. Critique and Evaluate: From watching and listening to the children I observed how excited and involved they all got while discussing and carrying out the experiment. Using observation as an assessment method has allowed me to see how the children express their excitement and awe using their language, gestures and facial expressions. From taking a step back and observing the children I could see how the children expressed their feeling and thoughts with each other and their excitement to involve their parents. Using observation as an assessment method has shown me that building on the child interests to help them make sense of the world truly excites them. (See appendices for photographs of the activities.) Part C Using the topic of spring, the assessment of the activities helped to plan further activities based on the childs interests. Aistears outlines the features of good assessment practices which involve collecting, documenting, reflecting and using the information (NCCA, 2009). In each activity, the assessment of the activity benefited the child as it built on the childs past experiences which they shared to support the development of new learning. From collecting and documenting the childs interests, it allowed a portrait of the childs interests, abilities and knowledge to be assessed and used to plan further experiences which would help the child/children develop. From using the different methods of assessment such as setting a task, conversations and observation it allowed for appropriate activities to be planned according to the stage of development and interests the child/children were at. Observing over a period of time during the how plants drink water experiment highlighted how e xcited the children got from watching the plant change colour sharing the information with parents. This allows the parent to gain an insight into what the child is interested in which can be further developed outside the classroom. In each activity the children developed the disposition of curiosity. Their curious nature engaged the children to get involved in the painting, planting and experimenting. The activities also showed evidence of the childrens knowledge developing as while planting the children believed that pouring water on the top of the flower helped it to grow were it then became clear during the experiment that they absorbed water from the bottom. From planning the activities, to observing the children while implementing them and using Aistears different assessment methods to record and reflect on the experience, it gives a portrait of the child/children which helps the practitioner to continually provide and enhance future experiences to help develop a holistic chil d. References Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE). (2006), Sà ­olta: The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education. Dublin: Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education. Daly, M and Forster, A. (2012). Aistear: the early childhood curriculum framework. In: Mhic Mhathà ºna, M. and Taylor, M., eds., Early childhood education and care: an introduction for students in Ireland. Dublin 12: Gill Macmillan. Dunphy, E. (2008). Supporting early learning and development through formative assessment: a research paper. Dublin 2, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. Dunphy, E. (2008). Supporting early learning and development through formative assessment: a research paper: executive Summary. Dublin 2, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). (2009) Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework: supporting learning and development through assessment. Dublin: NCCA. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). (2009) Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework: principles and themes. Dublin: NCCA.

Discuss the contribution of material culture Essay

The aim of this essay is to explore how useful material culture studies is to understanding societies which existed under Roman rule, especially those of Gaul and Britain. These provinces of Rome adopted Roman culture and used Roman objects for their own use, which could come under the heading of cultural bricolage, where new cultural items are obtained by attributing new functions to previously existing ones, however I shall address this later on in the essay. Woolf comments that anthropologists and archaeologists use the concept of culture as a way of making sense of the diversity of human societies that cannot be expressed simply in terms of biological variation. It is seen by many to be a more precise way of understanding societies rather than seeing how advanced or rich a society was.1 Studying and understanding social identity can also be seen as an excellent alternative to relying on narratives written by Roman authors who were biased and wrote from a ‘Romano-centricâ₠¬â„¢ position, and it also allows us to consider other elements, for instance class,status, gender, age, occupation, and religion. Material culture can be defined as â€Å"the study through artifacts (and other pertinent historical evidence) of belief systems–the values, ideas, attitudes, and assumptions–of a particular community or society, usually across time. As a study, it is based upon the obvious premise that the existence of a man-made object is concrete evidence of the presence of a human mind operating at the time of fabrication. The common assumption underlying material culture research is that objects made or modified by humans, consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, reflect the belief patters of individuals who made, commissioned, purchased, or used them, and, by extension, the belief patterns of the larger society of which they are a part.† 2 Concerning Roman culture, Woolf defines it as â€Å"the range of objects, beliefs and practices that were characteristic of people who considered themselves to be, and were widely acknowledged as, Roman.† It is believed that every man-made object required the operation of some thought and design. Therefore it is the assumption of material culture studies that this thought is a reflection of the culture that produced the man-made objects. With this theory we can see, in some way, how a culture, which had no written records of its existence, lived. One advantage of material culture studies is that it is beneficial to social historians who wish to know about an entire group and not just the elites of a particular society. A useful definition of the term archaeology is that it uses â€Å"fieldwork and excavation, and the comparative study of sites and objects to compile information about the past†¦which can illuminate aspects of Roman life which were never recorded†. However it does have its limitations as it cannot achieve certainty as â€Å"all known sites and artefacts are merely a surviving sample of what once existed- and not necessarily a representative sample.†4 So in understanding identity we may be able to place these artefacts in context as we will know what particular objects are used for certain practices, for instance burial customs or forms of pottery produced.5 Jones defines cultural identity as â€Å"that aspect of a person’s self-conceptualization which results from identification with a broader group in opposition to others on the basis of perceived cultural differentiation and/or common descent.†.6 Concerning material culture, Pitts chose 12 areas of study, these were: â€Å"architecture, art, epigraphy (inscriptions in stone), faunal remains(animal bones), floral remains, funerary evidence, literature, monumentality, pottery, settlement (morphology and landscape archaeology) and small finds(portable material culture other than pottery)†.7 Epigraphic inscriptions allows us to observe how literacy spread through Gaul and Britain, along with helping us to trace an â€Å"outline of the cultural geography of Roman Gaul†8 Woolf also comments that inscriptions are useful as they represent a wide range of Roman cultural customs which included political, cultic, and funerary practices. He adds to this by suggesting that inscriptions should be seen as attempts made by people to assert their identities and to show their achievements in terms of status. Art and architecture are important as it gives us some insight into cultural ideologies, however this type of evidence only really survived if it was owned by the elites of the society, and the art and mosaics were only limited to this class, so it has its biases. Although it does have its uses as we can see how the adoption of villa architecture by the British and Gaulish tribes shows the acceptance and spread of Roman culture throughout the conquered countries.

Communications: The Mechanistic Perspective Essay

‘Communication — – the process of transmitting and receiving ideas, information, and messages. The rapid transmission of information over long distances and ready access to information have become conspicuous and important features of human society, especially in the past 150 years.’ The encyclopedia definition of communication encompasses the ideas of exchanging a variety of messages with others. This is important to remember when looking at communications within an organization. The whole process of communications within organizations is very complex and is certainly one of the major factors in determining whether an organization will succeed or not. The following paper deals with the different types, influences and improvements within the realm of communications in organizations. Ways of conceptualizing communications It is necessary to look at the problem from many viewpoints to understand how communications are performed within an organization. These include psychological, systems-interaction, interpretive-symbolic, and mechanistic. All of these areas are very important to understand the ‘whole picture,’ but the focus of this paper will be in the mechanistic perspective. Mechanistic Perspective Information within an organization determines their ability to make informed decisions and the effectiveness of those decisions is based on the way they communicate. This mechanistic perspective on communications deals entirely with the message, the medium and factors that aid or detract from the process. In this model, communication is initiated by the sender through to the receiver. Each process is then broken down into bits of data that can be analyzed. The areas of importance are the ways in which the sender and receiver utilize perceptive processes to encode and decode the messages and  the fact that noise is in the system. Any message from a sender to a receiver would convey exactly what the meaning is intended in a perfect world. It is very important that the sender says exactly what they are trying to say and the receiver knows exactly what the sender is saying. The following example illustrates this point: Clear and concise is what is desired within a ship building contract. If the contract does not describe ‘exactly’ what is required, the contractor can get extra money for including those ‘extras’ during the building stages. The Irving led Saint John Shipbuilding organization has made much more than their original contract for building the Canadian Patrol Frigates due to these ‘arisings.’ It was even suggested that this was part of their contract plan from the beginning. In analyzing this situation, it was very difficult for the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) to ask for everything because of the complexity of the contract, the number of personnel on the contract writing team, and the fact that many iterations were required for DND and parliament prior to letting the contract. In fact, the writing was started ten years prior to the contract being let, so technology had changed many of the basic assumptions about the type of work to be done. Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications Inherent to transmission of messages are the verbal and non-verbal cues which aid in helping to decode a message. Verbal cues are dependent on language. Nuances intrinsic to a language can make the decoding difficult if not impossible even by someone who uses the same language. This may be a local dialect or cross-country differences. Examples of cross-country differences would be English from England, Canada, and the United States. Each is the same language, but each has separate nuances that can make it very difficult to decipher by someone from another country speaking the same language. A personal example is asking for a washroom in Southampton, England, at a train station and being told that they did not have one. The word that I should have used was ‘toilet.’  Dialects within a country can make it impossible to understand the original message. Another personal example is attempting to decipher someone from northwestern Newfoundland; their dialect made it virtually impossible to understand. The point is to utilize the best transmission method in order to minimize the decoding difficulty for the receiver. Non-verbal cues are ‘those expressions of emotions and attitudes toward another person and in regulating the interaction between people.’ The text organizes the cues into seven categories and includes good examples, including: environment, proximity, posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye behavior and vocalics. One area missing within communications chapter was what the person is wearing, but was included in chapter 6, perception and performance evaluations. Many books advocate ‘dressing for success.’ Some examples include shopping, salesperson and the office. If you are going to shop at flea markets, dressing ‘down’ is a good way to start the bargaining process. A car salesperson should dress to show that he is successful, but not ostentatious. In my profession, I dress towards the client based on whether ‘suit and tie’ or ‘casual’ are the choice for the client’s organization. This non-verbal cue can aid in preparing the initial psychological base for the remainder of the conversation and ensure that it does not detract from the conversation while it is ongoing. Influences on Communication Physical and personal factors influence communications. Organizational design influences physical factors, which deals with layout of the office, networks for communications, and the media selected for the message. Personal factors include the differences between individual styles, men and women, and cultures. Organizational Design The design of the organization must be based on what the organization is attempting to accomplish. Technology can enable these designs to take on new meanings as methods become available to communicate as never before. The first place to look at is the design of the office. The typical office has space allocated based on position of the employee. A worker may be in a ‘bull pen’ type of environment whereas the president will have a large office to show their particular status. Two personal examples include the Ship Repair Unit and Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group. Each has a typical office layout; the workers are in offices with partitioned walls; managers have outer offices, some with windows; and the general manager has the largest, most pretentious office space. The communications tend to have very structured down and up paths. Methods of communications include computer email, voice mail, and written memos. ‘Most critically, however, the intelligent office building must clearly improve the quality of the workplace for the individual, representing a major philosophical change in the office design. After all, what is the electronically enhanced office intended to facilitate, if not the effectiveness, productivity, and well-being of the worker, and the ultimate effectiveness of the organization.’ Traditional organizational design ideas are being challenged with the concepts of tele-commuting and virtual companies and offices. Technology has enabled us to plug into the office place anywhere in the world utilizing advanced telecommunications and computer advances. Many offices now have flexible office areas for their workers where they can sit down, plug in a laptop and have a phone, desk, and general office requirements available. When they are at their other office locations, they simply plug in to that particular location. All of this is transparent to the sender or receiver of information from that individual. An example is an advertising agency where a friend of mine works for in Toronto which has other offices in New York and Chicago. When he commutes to  these offices, he has all of the these resources available to him. This is transparent to his clients, who just thinks he does a wonderful job from his home office in Toronto. The types of communications are similar, with more emphasis based on digital transmissions (email and voicemail). I utilize voice mail effectively when on a client site by having a location for clients to call in for me and I can vet and prioritize my calls. ‘Employment in the Information Age is undergoing a transformation which may cause as much dislocation as the move from farm to factories did in the 19th century. Studies predict that the ranks of those with alternative office arrangements will grow by 10 percent or more every year during the remainder of the decade.’ The virtual company challenges communications within an organization even greater than present designs. This entity has allowed small organizations to work as effectively through the use of advanced communications and allows larger companies to change the way they do business. Some of the requirements for a company to be effective in virtual space include: robust infrastructure for individual employees, including cellular phone, portable computer with communications; remote managing – how do you know the person is doing their work?; employees must have the correct attributes to make it all work. When it does work, it works very well. The employee is either on a client site or at home and is more effective A personal example is a company in which I was a co-owner. This virtual company was a computer consulting firm specializing in Microsoft Office Integration. We had a management team from within Nova Scotia (5 people), programmers from around North America, and clients from around the world. This organization was difficult to run from the perspective of handing off information and brain-storming, but was very good at allowing each employee to work in their space of choice to increase productivity. The majority of the clients were local; a firm handshake and the ability to look someone in the eye is still stronger than the pen and keyboard. The international clients tended to be software firms who were looking for someone to subcontract a small portion of a project. The reason the business ran  effectively was that the employees were suited to the environment. If the business was not as high tech orientated, I would be reluctant to state that it would work as effectively. The type of design of the organization must be orientated to their mission. As the communication network characteristics shows , the different types of networks are good at some things and poor at others. The tradeoffs are usually flexibility and satisfaction against errors with simple tasks. Risk to human life or catastrophic failure was a point missing in network design. The text makes a number of good points about network design, but did not have an organization with strong lateral dissemination of information. This is important in more and more organizations as downsizing is taking out layers of middle managers, the overall manager cannot control or handle all of the information volume, but the job must still be done. The new managers require a horizontal flow of communications to get their job done. Personal Factors The personal factors within communications are more difficult to define. Consequently, they are also more difficult to improve upon. The text outlines very briefly some of those topic areas, including individual difference, culture differences, and male and female differences. Listening and Responding Noise is another area that inhibits or distorts the transmission of a message. The text deals with ways to be more effective in listening and responding to messages. A way to further analyze the effects of noise and barriers to communications within organizations is to study communications systems utilizing radio frequency (RF) transmissions; they have well documented aspects of noise  which can be analogous to other mediums. Modulation is the technique of employing information (the message) on a carrier signal and sending that signal to the receiver who then decodes it and gets the original transmission. Noise is what distorts that transmission. Different types of modulation techniques are utilized to cut down on the noise inherent to the medium utilized. Analog and digital communications employ all of the different types of modulation. The easiest modulation type (within the electronics) is amplitude modulation (AM) but which has the highest degree of susceptibility to noise. This is based on noise thresholds and the fact that background noise can be so loud that the original message is lost. This is analogous to trying to tell somebody an important message in a busy, noisy room. The background ‘din’ can make the message almost impossible to hear and understand properly. The second technique is frequency modulation (FM) which is more difficult to encode and decode, but is less susceptible to noise. This is because the natural noises the stratosphere produces are not over broad frequency ranges. Phase based modulation employs similar techniques, but uses phase differences to encode the information. This is analogous to listening to FM radio, which is close to what the original sounds like, but still seems weak in comparison to the ‘real thing.’ Digital communications employ the same modulation techniques as analog communications, but have distinct advantages in conveying messages over analog systems. Analog transmissions have no discrete data; it is all based on ramps of information. This would be analogous to the difference between an analog speedometer and a digital one. The analog would give you a continuous representation, but has no distinct breaks; the digital speedometer can only show you discrete amount of speed indications. In a digital system, the discrete data is only ‘on’ or ‘off’. This makes it much easier to distinguish the actual data from the noise because the threshold between the two can be much greater (the terminology used is decibels – the difference between the receiving message and the noise). This discrete data can be manipulated to ensure that the message is correct; this is referred to as error correction. A communications system analogous to this would be downloading information off the Internet and it error-checking at the receiver’s end to ensure the file is correct. The situation analogous to this entire noise discussion is that we would normally write something down if it was critical in order to ensure the information is transmitted correctly (digital systems). If we are not worried about errors in transmission, we will convey our message through speech (analog systems). The other points, including fatigue, time pressure, selective listening, status, value judgments, and source credibility are very good observations on the barriers to messages. An example of using listening and responding within communications was the idea that I based my first company on; producing multimedia applications. What possessed me to orient myself in that direction in 1991 was a statistic from the MIT media lab: 10% of people remember what they hear, 20% remember what they read and 65% remember what they interact with. One area that was missing in the text discussion was that you can get people to remember by interacting with the message. This could be in the form of CD-ROM computer based training, seminar, or one-on-one where the person is forced to think about the information being presented. Application of Communications A good example of multiple types of communications within an organization is within a warship. A personal example is H.M.C.S. Nipigon; a Canadian destroyer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The primary purpose for a destroyer is for a weapons platform in which the Government of Canada can utilize to direct their policy. The organization must be robust enough to handle multiple contingencies, including loss of life, loss of systems, and loss of communications. There is redundancy within departments (supply, engineering, operations) in order  to minimize losing one critical person. Therefore, network design facilitated this by placing the key personnel at different areas in the ship during war time situations.. There are multiple ways to power systems via primary and backup power supplies. Again, to keep communications open within the systems in order to keep the vessel floating and fighting. There are also multiple ways for external and internal communications to occur. The communications control room (CCR) can patch a multitude of apparently dissimilar systems, including telephones, radios, and digital computers. To minimize errors, the organization has a strict hierarchy with instructions as to the types of information to be handled by each person with the organization and how it will be distribu ted. This is related to the network design and the media types for information. The crew will train repeatedly in order to minimize errors. This is related to how to minimize the noise within the system. In this case, the noise would be the amount of information available and the filter would be the voice procedures that personnel must utilize to talk both internally and externally. This is of vital importance if there are situations happening internally, including fires and floods, and externally, including incoming missiles, planes, ships and submarines. The communication does not stop within the ship. Depending on the scenario, it could be a contingency of Canadian warships, NATO warships, or another conglomeration where various platforms. Inputs could be coming from satellites, helicopters, intelligence, other ships, and planes. There are strict communications protocols and transmission types for this exchange of information employing cryptography and error correction in order to minimize the chance for error. Multiple forms of communications are at work in this scenario, but the reason it all works is due to the design of the organization. Critique This chapter on communications dealt primarily with the mechanistic perspective. The other areas are needed to balance this sole focus on linear communications. Within the mechanistic approach, there were some areas which were missing which I deemed vital. These included the network flow of the large horizontal organization, importance of reducing errors in mission  critical processes, and the application of technology. Communications in organizations having large horizontal movement of information is critical to its success. As previously stated, the reduction of errors can be critical to human life and also to the success of an organization. Technology enablers have evolved so quickly that the types of hardware and software the authors talk about have changed. Concurrent engineering is a term used to describe 24 hour production of engineering problems by handing over the problems to destinations throughout the world. Bell Northern Research utilizes this technique to dramatically improve their time to market for products. Not enough research was placed into the way new companies (virtual companies) can communicate more effectively. The world is getting smaller as communications become more effective and this text should reflect more of that type of communication.

Moral Philosophy and Living Issues essays

Moral Philosophy and Living Issues essays It has been well-established that every individual personality is the sum total of her or his life experiences. Since a person's life experiences usually represent a mix of influences such as family upbringing and values, religious teachings, and social culture, it follows logically that each of these factors play a role in developing an individual's worldview: "Worldviews are ideas, assumptions, beliefsthat individuals hold. That they may be widely shared makes them no less psychological. Moreover, that some aspects of them are established in childhood but that philosophies of life are late-adolescent developments suggest that they have a complex development." (McLoughlin, 1991, p. 21) Of course, the degree to which each factor influences a person may vastly differ. In my case, however, my current worldview has been formed largely on the basis of my family upbringing followed by my own learning and critical thinking about life's Today my worldview is that life has a definite purpose though neither its exact beginnings nor its ultimate destination, if any, may yet be clear to humankind. However, I believe that the very fact that life and human civilization has evolved over the millennia reveals that there is a definite purpose and meaning to life. For, every succeeding generation benefits from the knowledge and understanding left behind by the preceding ones. This indicates that human consciousness survives, albeit perhaps not as our individual persona's or in the manner that our individual egos may desire. The implication of this worldview is that every individual human being can, and does, leave behind a mark on life. Indeed, almost every word and action is the cause of some positive or negative effect, which is evident with sensitization and consciousness of the fact. The worldview I hold is also supported by the fact that there is clearly a design a...

Introduction to Human Settlements Essays

Introduction to Human Settlements Essays Introduction to Human Settlements Essay Introduction to Human Settlements Essay UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN SETTLEMENTS Why people build environments? In order to understand built environments, one should know how the human mind works. The human mind imposes an order on the world. The world is chaotic and disorderly which; the human mind classifies, orders and onto it, imposes cognitive schemata. Settlements, buildings and landscapes are results of this activity. Hence, built environments including settlements are one way of ordering the world. INTRODUCTION Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements (1976) defined human settlements as â€Å"the totality of the human community whether city, town or village with all the social, material, organizational, spiritual and cultural elements that sustain it. The fabric of human settlements consists of physical elements and services to which these elements provide the material support†. The physical components comprise, Shelter, i. e. the superstructures of different shapes, size, type and materials erected by mankind for security, privacy and protection from the elements and for his singularity within a community; Infrastructure, i. . the complex networks designed to deliver to or remove from the shelter people, goods, energy or information; Services cover those required by a community for the fulfilment of its functions as a social body, such as education, health, culture, welfare, recreation and nutrition. All settlements essentially involve the making of places. Each place is a diffe rentiated portion of the earth’s surface of previously undifferentiated space, a portion that is distinguishable from other such portions and has a specific meaning. What makes a place is always some schema, some ordering principle, which varies in different cultures. In most traditional cultures these schemata are related to the sacred. The purpose of place is to create a space that is habitable and usable in terms acceptable to the culture. All settlements are ordered and organized. Settlements not only impose an order on the larger domain but also are themselves organized. There is an ordering system both in the settlement, ceremonial centre or whatever and at the larger scale; there are systems within systems. All settlements are designed. Settlements are designed in the sense that they embody human decisions, choices and specific ways of doing things. Designed environments include places that are cleared and planted, areas where rivers have been diverted and fields that have been fenced in certain patterns. In fact many apparently commonplace activities have a greater impact on the earth than design in the traditional sense. The way cities, regions and countries look depends in the final analysis on the design activity of many individuals and groups at different times. ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS Origin of settlements can be traced back to the caves where people gathered for protection against the natural forces or for defence against rival tribes. These places of communal living gave way to the village. The village was a by-product of the development of agriculture in areas where there was an adequate water supply and fertile soil. Many of these earliest villages arose adjacent to what are now the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates rivers. In addition to the role of providing shelter to its people, the village was also an appropriate sanctuary for the altar of their Deity, a meeting place for assembly, and a centre for trade. As this environment became increasingly populated, urbanization resulted. Communities larger than the village came as a result of the growth of crops and the breeding of stock on a more permanent basis than before. The production of hard grains that could be stored for a longer period of time offered stability, since it assured insurance against starvation. The ability of these urban areas to preserve food made it possible to diversify into other activities. With a development of diversified economy not totally dependent on food production, it became possible to attract people into a labour pool, thus providing employment in a variety of forms. This brought about the enlargement of villages or hamlets into towns and cities, which operated on different political and economic bases than had not been possible in the simpler forms. CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS The Influence of Geography Natural factors played an important part in the development and growth of settlements. The danger or fire and flood, extreme climatic conditions, the possibility of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, lack of natural resources or fertile soils – all influenced decisions either to settle in a given area or to move to a more favourable site. Moderate climates were always preferred to settle. Most of the settlements are located between the latitudes 60-degree North and 45-degree South. Although extreme temperatures are found within these boundaries, as the climate is favourable for habitation for major parts of the year. Geographic studies indicate that settlements seldom form where the topography is steep. Some cities are located at high altitudes, but the slope of the land is relatively level. For example, Denver, Colorado and Mexico City are around 5000 feet above sea level but the terrain at these sites is relatively flat. Accessibility to other settlements also plays a role in the location and development of settlements. Political and Social Organization The village brought something new to the lives of primitive people: the need for mutual responsibility and cooperation. Various social and political organizations emerged as a direct result. People did not adjust easily to the self-discipline that community life required. Personal rivalry flared within the village and the most powerful individual assumed the role of tribal leader. Rivalry between villages often resulted in armed conflict. Several villages might come under the domination of the victorious tribe with that tribe’s leader rising to the position of ruler. In time empires were created and rulers took the titles of king and emperor. What distinguishes the early city from the primitive village is its higher degree of political and social organization. The more sophisticated social structure allows people to live together in relative peace. Social, economic and political organization is essential to the growth and development of a city. As a result of the more advanced social structure, bold aesthetic changes took place. Temples and other structures of the ruling group became permanent. Tremendous amounts of energy were expended to produce great edifices, such as palaces and cathedrals, which became a source of pride to the public and the seat of power for its rulers. In the mean time, most of the people lived as slave labour in mud huts or worse where none of the basic amenities existed. Such situations still exist in many parts of the world today, where great numbers of people live in slums. Evolution of Physical Form Two basic forms of settlements are noticeable: the walled town and the open city. Within these basic forms a wide variety of patterns are woven. Each form and design is shaped by the character of the society at the time. Few cities that thrived with great cultures began with a plan. They developed by a process of accretion; the growth was irregular, responsive to the changes in the habits of people and dynamic in character. They began as free cities settled voluntarily. Their external form and the physical pattern were introduced according to the structure of the land itself or the manner in which the land was apportioned among the inhabitants. Cities have been subjected to the process of continuous remodelling through the ages and the variety of their forms is the result of the particular force or forces that were dominant during the successive periods of their history. In order to discern the characteristics of a civilization, attention cannot be confined only to the rulers but also to the affairs of the people. More than the great and the impressive structures, common dwellings of the people mark the culture of the cities.

The Null and Alternative Hypothesis for The Piggy Bank Options Essay

The Null and Alternative Hypothesis for The Piggy Bank Options - Essay Example Online purchasing is a rising trend in the purchasing behavior of the world population since more people are becoming online users. As of 2006, there were over 1.1 billion online users worldwide. In the United States in the fiscal year 2006, the total e-commerce sales were $106 billion, while the US total retail sales were $3,905 (Plunckett Research, 2007). Online sales to retail sale ratio are 0.027 or 2.7%. This data still does not clear up the purchasing tendencies since the second product offering is sales of clothing. In the same year, 2006, in the United States the overall clothing sales were $214.3 (Plunckett Research, 2007). So far the data provided gives us a better view of how to set up a null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis to create a hypothesis test for the Piggy Bankcard incentive problem. A statistician sets up a null hypothesis in order to test a claim. In reality, the statistician knows there is a more viable solution than the null hypothesis, thus the goal of the test is to reject the null hypothesis in order to go with the alternative hypothesis solution. The market research data could make a person think that considering that total clothes expenditure in the US is double than the US online sales then the most likely scenario is that it is better to go with the clothing store incentive. This is all the data needed to create a null and alternative hypothesis. The null and alternative hypothesis for the Piggy Bank options is illustrated below: Null Hypothesis (Ho) – (U1-U2) = 0.

Air Arabia Formal Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Air Arabia Formal Report - Research Paper Example The hubs are world’s tourist destinations. The strategic position of the airline gives it the power to establish business with local investors (Airarabia.com, 2014). There have been vagaries within the regional economic platform of Middle East, but Air Arabia has managed to make a profit consistently. It has proved to be a cost-effective airline despite the increasing oil prices. The airline also has survived the rising inflation in Saudi Arabia market since 2008. It has maintained its budget airfares to gain public support. The airline has operated in situations of political unrest in Middle East and North Africa. Its business survived the political unrest in 2011 and Libya ousting of Gaddafi. It boasts of strict adherence to Shariah Laws because most of its destinations are in Islam-dominant countries (Katsioloudes and Hadjidakis, 2007, p.593). Air Arabia has established a sound business portfolio over the years and has gained the attention of passengers who want to travel between Middle East and North Africa among other subsidiary destinations. It caters for clientele seeking cargo facilities between the destinations covered by the airline. It chose Sharjah as the central hub for its flights. Sharjah is an Islamic cultural destination that boosts high tourist influx annually. The airline also operates across 90 destinations with diverse cultures, but the help of agencies has helped it to offer a customized service for each cultural group. The airline carved a unique technological niche whereby it operates in remote aviation hubs with outstanding adherence to current IT developments. In a bid to increase brand awareness, Air Arabia has been compelled to adopt In-Flight advertising campaigns that have been by initiated in United Arab Emirates airlines. Moreover, the airline industry now demands technological adjustments in the form of in-flight entertainment system, overhead bin doors and graphic tray tables (Lück, 2013, p.65). Air Arabia is an