A Sense of Belonging Essay

â€Å"Ð  sense of belonging† is a book that nobody should miss! It provides students with the opportunity to examine different writing models and techniques while raising their awareness of different issues such as racial discrimination and racial abuse. Many of my friends found it interesting to read and could not stop reading the whole book although we were told to finish only four stories and only stopped flipping and reading till the last page! I personally find the book worth a read and would like to recommend it to all the secondary 3 and 4 students. Stories in the book include â€Å"a sense of belonging† and â€Å"The Test† which are about racial differences and a lady that was very mindful of her race. It does not merely elaborate on racial discrimination which can be very common but also tells us to be more sensitive towards other people and to be aware of our actions, as our words have the ability to hurt others. This is especially applicable to students of our age as we often meet friends of different races in school, and it reminds us that we should be considerate to others â€Å"The limits of trooghaft† highlights the plight of animals as humans are being treated the way we treat animals during the period of time we dominated the world. It serves as a reminder for us to put ourselves in others’ shoes and also consider the fact that animals have feelings and should not be abused like the way many are being treated now because animals have their own rights. This is a relatively important value in life that people need to constantly reinforce, so that we do not end up treating other people the way we do not want them to treat us. â€Å"a sound of thunder† talks about small mistakes leading to dire consequences and reminds us not to neglect the small details in life, because they can be important as well. After reading the book I personally found these four stories very inspiring and interesting. They allowed me to understand more about the common issues and problems faced, while learning moral values and reflecting on my daily life as we can easily relate to some of the stories in the book The important messages and lessons I learnt were invaluable to me and will accompany me for the rest of my life. Therefore I would strongly recommend this book to all upper secondary students as it can help them approach then own writing with more confidence and understanding, while teaching them life values at the same time.

Good And Bad Manners Essay

Good Manners have a deep Affect on our minds. As bad manners produce bad results in society, good manners produce good results. Good manners are unconsciously acquired in our childhood, but they can also be cultivated later on. Every human being should be treated with due respect and dignity. The animal instinct in us makes us rough and vulgar, but a cultured and civilized man is gentle and polite. By good manners we understand the way in which a person should behave in society. One is expected to show respect one’s elders. Good manners are necessary for everyone, in every walk of life. It is good manners to thank anybooy who does anything for you. When a waiter brings you a glass of water, you may thank him. â€Å"Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go.† Good manners are vital for success in life. Nobody likes a rude person, but good manners endear a man to other. A shopkeeper who behaves rudely with his customers can never flourish in his trade, but one who behaves politely and pleasantly with others attracts a large number of customers. Patients always rush to a doctor who is sympathetic towards them. A leader cannot have a large follower unless he is polite to others. In fact good manners have a magnetic influence over the people. Good manner are not, however, born with us. They have to be cultivated with great care. Childhood is the best period to cultivate good manners and so both parents and teachers have a great role to play. Bad Manners: The Height of Bad Manners is Way too Much To begin with, Bad Manners is defined by lack of polite or well-bred social behavior resulting by ignorance, this may be true, but I don ´t think so, this is because nowadays people are adopting this reprehensive conducts no just by ignorance, but for doing whatever they want, in this bad manner conducts we can see: not respecting adults, farting in front of anybody, not saluting, people that don ´t respect the third age privileges in public places/transport. In the world we can see many of this awful behavior but each day we can see it more in our community its becoming part of our daily life to be disrespectful with others and don ´t minding about if the other  person would feel bad about it. As your parents probably told you not so many years ago this â€Å"Bad Manners Acts† where severally punished with very strict sanction but now we can see a teenager threatening and old man so they give him the spot in the bus.

Analysis of the Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking Essay

Analysis of the Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Critical Thinking Skills in Undergraduate Nursing Students - Essay Example It is an adaptive measure to handle simple and complex scenarios in a nursing field. It is apparent that the problem based learning principles tries to develop a curriculum that is relevant and appropriate. This curriculum is based on the ability to provide students with a platform to grow their critical thinking capacity. Through the implementation, students develop skills to integrate knowledge acquired in problem solving. This study shows that PBL has a positive impact in critical thinking. It provides basic self-evaluation and the installation of personal effort in providing solutions. This helps in sailing through complex issues with ease through a distinctive reasoning. In a nursing field, the complex scenarios require prior knowledge and the ability to confidently face the situation. In the past few decades there have been great advances and transformations in health care. These are attributed in the rapid growth of technology and theory. Most of these changes in the nursing field are associated with incumbent moral and ethical dilemmas existing in their daily practice. Due to these changes, nurses must be more equipped to deal with the complex changes. They are required to be skilled in reasoning abilities and high level thinking. According to Fowler (2008), the complexity of current healthcare demands critical thinking. Daily, nurses are involved in decision making. They are required to navigate through different problems thus the need to have knowledge for problem solving. This makes the use critical thinking crucial in the examination of simple and complex scenarios in a nursing field. Critical thinking helps nurses and nursing students in quality improvement. There are clinical proficiencies that combine the analysis and synthesis of clinical information in patient care situations. They are designed to prepare future nurses think critically in a variety of their

Southeast Asia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Southeast Asia - Assignment Example Air pollution is caused by air particles, biological molecules, or other harmful materials into Earth’s atmosphere that cause diseases and eventually death to humans. Additionally, burned land can be sold at a higher price illegally, and eventually used for activities including oil palm and pulpwood production. It is also considered to be cheaper and faster compared to cutting and clearing using excavators or other machines damaging living organisms such as animals and food crops, or the natural environment. The average record high levels of air pollution caused by haze were in June 2013 in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In having to response to regional pressure after the latest haze crisis, Indonesia has finally agreed to adopt the ASEAN agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution from 2002. This kind of problem flares up every dry season, in varying degrees.Overpopulation is when undesirable conditions of a number of existing human populations exceed in the carrying capa city of Earth which is caused by: reduced mortality rate, better medical facilities, and depletion of precious resources. In addition to that, conflicts and wars rise in unemployment, and high cost of living also make up causes of overpopulation. Philippines is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that face this issue and believed to why the country has sustained poverty and poor economic growth among families by depriving them of the financial resources that were required to secure education and adequate health care for their children.

Business research week 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business research week 3 - Assignment Example However, the means of acquiring the desired information in this case involves various stakeholders. Among these stakeholders are business shareholders who expect their investments to be deployed strategically to create improve value, research team which has to understand the purpose and commitment required, and participants to provide feedback regarding their perception of Samsung products. When conducting business research, shareholders expect research and development budgets to bear positive results. In consideration of ethics, Samsung is to ensure that budget allocated for specific research tasks is utilized within those jurisdictions. By observing ethical use of resources, Samsung is to strategically allocate these resources to service the need. On the other hand, when conducting business research, Samsung is to employ open communication in which members from the research and development department are well-informed of their duties and obligations. Lastly, the participants in the research will provide the required information regarding Samsung products. However, the provision of the information regarding customer perceptions on Samsung products demands the active participation of a research sample. In order to ensure ethical considerations when dealing with the sample, the research purpose should be explicitly stated, consent acquired, and the protection of persona l information guaranteed (Sauser,

Portfolio essay for Theories of Human rights class

Portfolio for Theories of Human rights class - Essay Example The UN’s first peacekeeping mission was in Darfur which was delayed as result of the disapproval from the government of Sudan but the UN has successfully implemented two resolutions in 1970 and 1973 with the backing of the state leaders and the international community with a favourable attitude towards resolutions to maintain peace. All the possible means to protect the civilians are used in the case of Libya and it is also true that the present Libyan resolutions authorise the use of force more explicitly and therefore it stands apart from other recent interventions with an objective to protect the people. The UN Intervention in Libya could be observed as a consolidation of norms for the protection of people dependant on the recommendations of the Security Council to the International Criminal Court regarding the situations in Libya. It was in the case of Darfur that the Security Council made a recommendation to the ICC inquest on a matter for the first time but the recommend ation has been made two years since the beginning of the crisis. But all the members of the Council were quick and united in referring the Libyan matter to the ICC.

GAP Inc Strategic Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GAP Inc Strategic Design - Research Paper Example Corporate level strategies are the decision that is being taken by the top executives at the highest level. They are essentially the Managing Director of the board of directors. Once the decisions have been taken, it is then circulated to the various departments of the organization. Organization administrators have certainty about the long haul development capability of the brands and will reaffirm their aim to stretch through topographies and channels including the claim to fame, on the web, outlet, and franchise. The organization is affirming it hopes to begin to franchise Old Navy in 2014 in key worldwide markets. Furthermore, it will consider expanding upon its prosperity with Gap in China by investigating, including organization worked Old Navy and Banana Republic stores in this critical market. Murphy and organization pioneers are examining the chances to proceed with the development of its rising brands – Athleta, Piperlime, and Intermix – in North America. GAP e ssentially plans to build on their product value and hence increase the sales so that they can generate the required revenues. They have a long-term corporate strategy on expanding in the North American Regions. Since there has been a recent drop in the sales of apparel in physical stores, they have shifted their focus to building up an effective digital strategy and have started selling their products online. They have the additional advantage of being a multi-brand outlet with the acquisition of the Banana Republic and Old Navy.

Three challenges you face while completing graduate study and three Research Paper

Three challenges you face while completing graduate study and three strategies you use to address the challenges - Research Paper Example The reasons personal motivation has become such a challenge are clear. I have been going to school for so long, I am simply getting tired of it. I have delayed personal satisfaction for so long to pursue my education that I feel I am facing the limits of my endurance. In short, I have been investing too much for too long without any significant return. The effects of this personal motivational challenge are depressing. It takes extra effort to get going toward daily tasks such as attending class or completing homework or studying for tests. What happens is that the quality of my work suffers, and in the end, I do not feel like I have satisfactorily internalized the material to be mastered. It sort of makes the entire process of advanced study self-defeating. As debilitating as this personal motivational challenge is, my method of address must be just as crucial. I draw upon my experience as a psychology researcher to address this problem. What seems to be happening is that I am getting burned out because I am not enjoying my own life enough. To address this imbalance, I should be more deliberate about how I enjoy my leisure and recreation time. I should set aside certain times of certain days just for specific leisure time and recreational activities. My hope is that this practice will be a source of more effective self-renewal that I may c completes my goals both more comfortably and more effectively. This brings us to my next challenge, time management. The reasons for time management difficulties are mainly my job duties and procrastination. These problems may be directly related to the sources of my self-motivational problems as described above. The effects of my time management difficulties are stress and lack of quality free time. At this point, I see that all of these challenges are entwined with one another to some degree. It represents a heuristic for a unified system of procedural protocols to manage myself as human resources as well as address my needs as a human being. My method of address for challenges in time management is periodic re-organization. When I am not working optimally, I must take a step back, re-evaluate trends in my performance, and re-organize tasks in time to achieve more productive ends. This process of self-assessment and self-adjustment helps me keep work from piling up. To do it more consistently is to take total command of my time and productivity. Financial challenges for students in general are common, but for graduate students, they are even more so. Reasons for these financial challenges are due to student loans and lack of external financial support. The effects of these financial challenges are difficulty focusing on tasks because of monetary worries and a limit on ones physical quality of life. My method of address is an easier said than done but has potential long range solidity. What I have opted to do is to build an information consulting business. It is directly related to my education for the most part, and it promises a prosperous future as the business grows. Nevertheless, it actually constitutes another major challenge in a student's life already full of challenges. The challenges I face while completing my graduate study are about personal motivation, time management and financial costs. As such, I have developed certain strategies to address these challenges. Most people will

SWAT & PEST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWAT & PEST - Essay Example The main strength faced by Sampson’s family relating to Hugh’s option is the expertise that Hugh is expected to have. The study indicates that Hugh has previously worked with different winemakers and undertaken different levels of trainings. The other strength faced by this option is the price superiority; the premium cider sells at a price higher than the regular cider. The case studied also indicates that the set-up process for the new process, Hugh’s option, would not be costly, in fact, it is just an enhancement of current production techniques. This indicates that the company would not need to engage in substantial capital expenditure. The last strength that would be faced by Hugh’s option would be the ease of integration of the new process into already existing processes. As already mentioned, the old process would need a few changes to accommodate the new process, which would also improve the efficiency of the whole process. Because of the improveme nt, the company will get the wine breaking into the market at a lower price than it did before. Despite the strengths mentioned above, the main weakness faced by the company in the consideration of Hugh’s option is the current workers.

Un-American Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Un-American - Essay Example The altered political ideology following the communist expansionism of the ‘Cold War’ had domestic repercussions in American society. The stage was set by F.D. Roosevelt, who conceded control over post-war Eastern Europe to the Soviet Union, granting â€Å"moral legitimization to what Stalin had acquired by sheer force† (Nisbet, qtd. in Maltsev and Simpson, 15). The subsequent race for nuclear supremacy, and the policy of ‘Mutually Assured Destruction,’ â€Å"inspired widespread fear of impending nuclear war† in Americans, who built bomb shelters in their backyards (Foner, 891). This let the â€Å"sweeping tide of anti-communism† (Pike, Global Security organization web site) engulf America. Any criticism of American society was construed to be ‘Un-American.’ Senator McCarthy’s witch-hunts made ‘McCarthyism,’ with its connotation of ‘unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty’, a dominant theme of the 1950’s. America of the 1950’s witnessed â€Å"the twentieth century’s greatest citizens’ movement – the black struggle for equality† (Foner, 899). The rigid racial boundaries of the previous decade persisted in post-war America. The new suburban landscape was racially segregated, and reinforced by methods, such as ‘block-busting’ (Foner, 863). Jim Crow laws flourished in the South. The American judiciary led the assault on racial discrimination. In 1944, the US Supreme Court ruled racial segregation unconstitutional in public schools. Rosa Parks’ defiance led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and Martin Luther King burst upon the scene with his charismatic leadership. Despite strong resistance, America’s march towards a truly equal, ethnically integrated society began in earnest. Economically and culturally, the 1950’s gave a new definition to ‘the American way of life.’ Most significantly, â€Å"consumerism replaced economic freedom and democratic participation as central definitions

How Practitioners Can Take Steps Essay Example for Free

How Practitioners Can Take Steps Essay h)Explain how practitioners can take steps to protect themselves within their everyday practice in the work setting and on off-site visits. A significant element of a practitioner’s role in protecting themselves would be to read policies and procedures that are put in place to safeguard them and children or young people in their care. In a school setting a professional can protect themselves by. All staff in schools should ensure that their relationships with pupils are appropriate to the age, gender, disability and ethnic origin of the pupils, taking care that their conduct does not give rise to comment or speculation. Attitudes, demeanour and language all require care and thought, particularly when staff of either sex are dealing with adolescent boys and girls. Dress and Appearance :A person’s dress and appearance are matters of personal choice and selfexpression. However it is necessary and wise for staff to consider the manner of dress and appearance appropriate to their professional role, as opposed to that which may be adopted in their personal life. Dress and Appearance A person’s dress and appearance are matters of personal choice and selfexpression. However it is necessary and wise for staff to consider the manner of dress and appearance appropriate to their professional role, as opposed to that which may be adopted in their personal life. Physical Contact Gratuitous physical contact with pupils : A pupil, parent or observer may misconstrue physical contact. Such contact can include well intentional informal and formal gestures such as putting a hand on the shoulder or arm, which if repeated with an individual pupil could lead to serious questions being raised. Therefore, as a general principle, employees must not make gratuitous physical contact with pupils and it is unwise to attribute touching to their style or as a way of relating to pupils. Repeated physical contact with a pupil may be unprofessional and may lead to disciplinary procedures or an allegation of physical/sexual abuse. Any form of physical punishment of pupils is unlawful, as is any form of physical response to misbehaviour unless it is by way of restraint. It is particularly important that staff understand this, to protect their own position and the overall reputation of the school. Where physical contact may be acceptable: There may be, especially with younger child ren, occasions  where a distressed pupil needs comfort and reassurance, which may include physical comforting. Such reassurance could for example, involve an arm around the shoulder or a comforting hug. Employees should use their discretion in such cases to ensure that what is, and what is seen to be by others present, normal and natural does not become unnecessary contact, particularly with the same pupil over a period of time. Where an employee has a particular concern about the need to provide this type of care and reassurance he/she should seek the advice of the Head. It is clear that those working with infants and young children have quite a different role to play from those involved with secondary school age or maturing children in primary/secondary/special schools. Some young children may need a great deal of comfort and support to help them deal with day-to-day experiences in school life. Caring for Pupils with Particular Problems : All children have a right to safety, privacy and dignity when contact of an intimate nature is required (for example assisting with toileting or removing wet/soiled clothing). A care plan should be drawn up and agreed with parents for all children who require intimate care on a regular basis. Children should be encouraged to act as independently as possible and to undertake as much of their own personal care as is practicable. When assistance is required, staff should ensure that another appropriate adult is in the vicinity and is aware of the task to be undertaken. First Aid and Administration of Medication: When administering first aid, staff should ensure that another adult is present, or aware of the action being taken, whenever possible. Parents should always be informed when first aid has been administered. Pupils may need medication during school hours. In circumstances where children need medication regularly, a health care plan should be drawn up to ensure the safety and protection of pupils and staff. With the permission of parents, the children should be encouraged to administer the medication themselves. If a member of staff is concerned or uncertain about the amount or type of medication being given to a pupil, this should be discussed with the appropriate senior colleague at the earliest opportunity. See DOH/.DfES Guijdance: First Aid for Schools Private meetings with pupils: Teacher should be aware of the dangers that may arise from private interviews with individual pupils. It is recognised that there will be occasions when confidential interviews must take place but, where possible, such interviews  should be conducted in a room with visual access, or with the door open, or in a room or area which is likely to be frequented by other people. In their dealings with pupils at school, staff need to be aware that their actions may be misinterpreted. Acts of favouritism should be guarded against, for instance, giving a pupil an unreasonable amount of private individual attention. Giving a pupil regular lifts home is not a sensible course of action. Infatuation: Staff need to be aware that pupils can be strongly attracted to a member of staff and may develop a heterosexual or homosexual infatuation. All situations should be responded to sensitively to maintain the dignity of all concerned. Staff should also be aware that such circumstances always carry a high risk of words or actions being misinterpreted and for allegations to be made against staff. A member of staff who becomes aware that a pupil may have developed an infatuation (on themselves or a colleague), should discuss this at the earliest opportunity with a senior colleague so that appropriate action can be taken where necessary. In this way, steps can be taken to avoid hurt and distress for all concerned. Staff need to be aware that it is not uncommon for a pupil to develop an infatuation on a member of staff. Curriculum: The curriculum can sometimes include or lead to unplanned discussion about subject matter which is sexually explicit, or of an otherwise sensitive nature. Responding to pupils’ questions can require careful judgement and staff may wish to take guidance in these circumstances. Educational Visits and Extra Curricular Activities All staff should be particularly careful when supervising pupils in a residential setting such as a field study trip or other extended visits away from home. Similarly the less formal approach perhaps adopted in extra curricular activities generally might be open to misinterpretation. Although more informal relationships in such circumstances tend to be usual, the standard of behaviour expected of staff will be no different from the behaviour expected within schools. Young people are entitled to respect and privacy when changing clothes or taking a shower. However, there needs to be a required level of supervision to safeguard young people and satisfy health and safety considerations and to ensure that bullying or teasing does not occur. The supervision will need to be appropriate to the needs and age of  the young people concerned. In certain situations staff or volunteers may be required to transport children. Given the potential risks, a designated member of staff should be appointed to plan and provide oversight of all transporting arrangements and respond to any difficulties that may arise. Wherever possible and practicable it is advisable that transport is undertaken other than in private vehicles, with at least one adult acting as an escort. Staff should ensure that their behaviour is safe and that the transport arrangements and the vehicle meet all legal requirements. They should ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy and that the maximum capacity is not exceeded. http://www.merton.gov.uk/council/pdf-developingsafeworkingpractices.pdf

History and Impact of Social Media

History and Impact of Social Media SOCIAL MEDIA Introduction It can be define as,â€Å"Social media is to the way of communication between different communities in which they share , produce and exchange thoughts , opinion through networks. It is define as a group of internet based application that build on the ideological and technological foundations of web 2 and that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content.† Most of us know social media from its different tools and communities. Face book, MySpace, YouTube, and Wikipedia are the most famous. The tools of social media – we can also call them â€Å"Web 2.0† tools – developed quickly, and new tools, functions, and services are born every day. It also includes usage of mobile and internet that create highly interactive platforms through which people of different communities discuss, create and modify user generated content. It produces a change in communities, organization, and institutions by combining it on a same platform towards individual. Social media imply twoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ way interaction, so included in social media is any means of communication that allows a interaction. The unstable growth of Social Media provided millions of people the opportunity to create and share content on a large scale imaginable a few years ago. Large participation in these social networks are reacted in the countless number of opinions, news, and product reviews .These are constantly posted and discussed in social sites. Given this widespread generation and use of content, it is natural to target ones messages to highly connected people. They will propagate them further in the social network. Now, Social media is a framework like a honeycomb in the world, which is surrounded all the world in a global way. It affects the whole of the society at the same time to all the persons of different countries equally. Social media has a wide range in the present times. Social media have many different forms in which it interact with different peoples. It includes social networking, wikis, internet forums, social blogs, weblogs , photographs , video these forums on a daily basis in business, social life and for entertainment. [1] History: The history of social media start within the invention of computers. It covers many eras to reach its complete and develop form. The development of computers from mechanical era to electrical era had human great invention. The social media had arrived at the end of the 19th century. Now, it is used in the increasing number of users to find everything at one place and time. The history of social media lied in three terms for example Before the dawning(1969-1995 ) The dawning(1995-2005) After the dawning(2006-present) 2.Before the Dawning: In 1969 CompuServe was first introduced in computers to run different mechanisms. The Arpanet service is introduced in 1969.In 1971 first e-mail was introduced in the market, which led e-mailing history. In 1978 project butenburg started. These are all features in the computers. The birth of [emailprotected] .The whole earth lectronic link The Well was came into market in 1985. In 1988 Internet Relay Chat(IRC) is used in computers. In 1989 World Wide Web w3c was introduced. From 1991 -94 approximately 2.6 million internet users are produced and now, the world wide web goes to public. The first web page is also created Tim Berners Lee and Mosaic is created , during these years first blog JUSTIN LINKS made and also THE GLOBE. The Dawning : During 1995-2005 multiple pages or apps came into existence in the market which are such as: ICQ , a free instant messaging software Microsoft Hotmail Sixdegrees.com In year 1999 , 70 million computers connected to internet In year 1998 major search engine Google came into existence In 2001 Wikipedia-a free Encyclopedia Also apple iPods’ 2003 , Skype Linked in 2004-facebook for Harvard students Image hostin-flickr In 2005 – face book for high school students 3.After The Dawning : In 2006-13 an increasing number of users increased day by day. In 2006 approx. 400 million searches per day on Google observed. Twitter and you tube users number also increased. Face book , in 2009;350 million users 2011 face book and twitter had 550 million and 56 million users , respectively. From 2011, social media is virtually accessible from anywhere in the world. The internet population is more than 2.4 billion users,today. Types: Social media can be divided into following categories regarding social presence , media richness and self presentation. It had following types: collaborative projects blogs and micro blogs content communities social networking site virtual game worlds virtual social worlds Examples: There are many examples of social media belonging to different types which had various aspects as following: 1-Wikipedia: It was firstly lunched by jimmy wale and Larry Sanger in January 15,2001. Wikipedia is the example of all wikis and â€Å"wiki-like† works. It is a search web site. We only write the topic in the address bar and then it give a lot of information on that topic. It give also the option of different language like English, Eesti, Arabic, Francais, and Italian etc. On this site, information of all the subjects are available in all the language. Due to different language facility, every person can get knowledge and ideas in his own language. The basic idea behind wikis is to provide voluntary, decentralised and open information. Text can be added or corrected, and new sections can be added without the need to modify the structure of the entire page. 2-Twitter: Twitter is also a shape of face book but from twitter we can only sent short texts. It is online social networking and microblogging service that make able to users send and read short 140-character text messages. From the way of twitter, people exchange ideas,thought and information from their relatives and friends. These messege are called tweets commonly.There is no opportunity to justify a point of view or cite sources, and because of this, political messaging and conversation can be more heated and critical here than on other social media platforms. Despite this, Twitter can be used for active political discussion. Twitter can also be used to steer the user to more detailed content elsewhere, through web links or other references. However, studies on the use of Twitter to influence voting behaviour highlight only small groups of â€Å"super users†. 3- YouTube and Dailymotion: YouTube is the Internet’s leading video service. It began operating in 2005, and grew very quickly, with 50 million visits to the site just by the end of the same year. In 2010, there were already more than 2 billion visits to You-Tube every day. Th e basic idea behind YouTube is that users upload videos to the site and at the same time, watch and comment on what they see. Based on the number of viewers, the most popular videos on YouTube are music videos, entertainment programmes, and news videos, but there are also some user-made videos about personal problems that have found quite a large audience. 4Facebook: Facebook was first lunched in February 2004.Facebook is a online connection among the people which are well-known to each other. They posted their photos, videos, and many other blogs. Its registration is open from the age of 13 to older. Most consider Facebook as the very image of social media. The basic idea is to off er each registered user the chance to create a user profile with pictures and to keep in touch with their so-called â€Å"friends†, or contacts they link to on the site. Facebook wasn’t the first of its kind: similar services already existed in the late 1990s, but the way Harvard university student linked a person’s photograph and profile to others and created a way to share thoughts, pictures and links was completely new. It was easy for users to adapt to it. Facebook was first available in February 2004 to Harvard students. Within one year, Facebook was used in almost numbers have changed or become outdated. Th e worldwide attraction with Facebo ok is based on the possibility it offers to be in contact with people whose e-mail addresses and phone chance to create networks: Facebook’s activity is based only on communities. Being on Facebook is not just limited to information within a group of friends. Through groups, users can form new networks. A user’s posting, in the form of text, pictures or both, can receive feedback from other users in the form of the †Like† button, and the opt ion to make their own comments. They can also forward the posting to their own Facebook contacts using the â€Å"Share† option. One popular feature Facebook supports is community pages for common interests. Many political candidates create a page for themselves, and when a user clicks on the â€Å"Like† button, that user indicates that they would like to receive updates each time the candidate adds something to Facebook. 5-Google : It had many benefits for different communities. Its uses are multiple range from education to all social aspects in life. It is helpful for many peoples and users. Impacts Of Social Media: News : Social media is a way of information. It has become an important source of news. While the credibility of some sources can clearly be contested, news channels give updates on significant happenings all over the world. Their availability on social networks makes news more accessible. Additionally, news quickly gets passed around the networks in ways never experienced before. Interaction : Social media has furthered interaction by such a massive scale that is hard not to notice it. It allows people to keep in touch in a more regularly, and sometimes, more closely, than was ever before because of time. People cities or continents apart can keep in touch so effortlessly, creating an opportunity to experience different cultures. 3.Political Landscapes: Social media has developed greater political awareness and organization, which has in some cases rewritten entire political landscapes. It has particularly played a large part in the Iran elections, and Obama’s reelection for a second term as US President, and inspired the political unrests in Egypt. 4.Learning : Actually, learning is a two way process. Social media has also played a large part in development literacy. Children who start using the platforms develop early communication skills, and generally become more literate. This is an encouraging trend, and thanks to the huge availability of information, both simplistic and complex on the internet, anyone can become as smart or intelligent as they desire. 5.Marketing : The whole dynamics of marketing have been changed. People can do his business sitting in his own home. In a few minutes, they check the sample online and give order for delivery. They are able to understand the needs of the market from the market itself, greatly altering the way marketing has been done in the past. Advantages: These modern technology has become our life very easy. It has removed the distance between the people. Due to this reason, people are always in a contact and share their feeling with one another. Its make the world as a globe. We aware every time from all breaking news that what is doing in our country at this time. As different parts of the world advance at different pace in education, business, tourism and so on, people tend to migrate from place to place for varying reasons, ranging from business-related reasons to pleasure-related reasons. This act of migration causes families, friends, lovers, and other related people to stay separated by distance. It would be quite emotionally worrying for one to find out that he or she would be either temporarily or permanently away from his or her family. There could be psychological effects associated with being away from home. Most people go through a period of initial depression, cultural shock, or homesickness no matter how well they are prepared. The temporary feelings of missing one’s family, home environment, friends, etc along with the initial cultural shock, and readjustment to your new life could be frightening. Though cannot replace the feeling of being home with one’s family in person, the technology of Skype has made it possible for many people to make free internet voice and video calls. People will worry less about cost and converse in a relaxed manner. Video-chats, such that Skype technology provides, could go a long way in maintaining the friendly bond in such cases. Social networking can enrich social lives for those separated from family and friends by long distances, bringing them together despite the physical separation. This has been observed in a number of people in the armed forces that use Skype, Facebook, and twitter to stay in touch. Though the world is quite large, it now seems â€Å"small† due to social networking. People from different parts of the globe can connect to other people in other parts of the world, exchanging information and pleasantries. The future of social networking will have the world to seem even â€Å"smaller† Disadvantages: There are always two sides of every coin. Mostly people do not use this technology properly. Social media is just a tool or mean for people to use. It is still up to the users on how to use this tool (just like a knife, can help you to cut food or hurt others). â€Å"Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project and Elon Universitys Imagining the Internet Center conducted a study on The Future of Online Socializing from the highly engaged, diverse set of respondents to an online, opt-in survey consisted of 895 technology stakeholders and critics.† The new generation people spend their a lot of time on face book daily. due to this reason, they can not get their aim of his future. The negative effects presented by the respondents included time spent online robs time from important face-to-face relationships; the internet fosters mostly thin relationships; the act of leveraging the internet to engage in social connection exposes private information; the internet allows peo ple to silo themselves, limiting their exposure to new ideas; and the internet is being used to engender intolerance. Some respondents also highlighted that there will be development of some new psychological and medical syndromes that will be variations of depression caused by the lack of meaningful quality relationships, and a new world society. The term, Social Networking, has begun to deceive the users to believe they are social creatures. For instance, spending a couple of hours using Farmville and chatting with friends concurrently does not convert into social skills. People become dependent on the technology and forget how to socialise in face-to-face context. The online personality of a person might be totally different from his/her offline character, causing disorder when the two personalities meet. It is apparent in online dating when the couple gets together in face-to-face for the first time. Their written profiles do not clearly represent their real-life characters. It is more inviting for people to type something that others want to hear than saying the truth. Besides the friendship, creators of social networking sites and users redefine the term, privacy in the Internet as well. The challenge in data privacy is to share data while protecting personally identifiable information. Almost any information posted on social networking sites is permanent. Whenever someone posts pictures or videos on the web, it becomes viral. When the user deletes a video from his/her social network, someone might have kept it and then posted it onto other sites like YouTube already. People post photographs and video files on social networking sites without thinking and the files can reappear at the worst possible time. Table Conclusion : Today’s social media have helped make real the idea of a â€Å"global village†. Social media has changed the way people communicate. Social media’s greatest change to the way people communicate is user-produced content and the fast and flexible sharing of this content Though the world is quite large, it now seems â€Å"small† due to social networking. People from different parts of the globe can connect to other people in other parts of the world, exchanging information and pleasantries. The future of social networking will have the world to seem even â€Å"smaller†. Everything has some positive aspects as well as negative so does the social media. But it contributes a lot to the human being in different forms from small scale to a large scale in every field. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media (accessed 4 13sunday, 2014).

Germany Under Wilhelm II and Russia Under Nicholas II

Germany Under Wilhelm II and Russia Under Nicholas II Was the Russian state under Nicholas II more or less stable than the German  Reich under Wilhelm II? Seen from their end-points — for Russia, from the November 1917 Revolution, the abdication and execution of the Tsar, the bloodshed of millions; for Germany, from defeat and the humiliation of the Versailles Treaty — it is tempting to reply to the present question that Nicholas II and Wilhelm II left their countries in near equal depths of chaos, destruction, and disorder. Russia in 1918 witnessed the overthrow of a centuries-old monarchy, class-system and way of life, and found it replaced with a Bolshevik revolution, a wholly different power structure and system of governance  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€ and thus it is hard to imagine a more tumultuous reign than that presided over by Nicholas II. At the outset of his reign in 1894 he was undoubtedly confronted with the immense problem of effecting the vast reforms promised to ordinary Russians following the emancipation of the serfs, and it is likely that this awesome task would have resulted in tremendous instability for Russia no matter who she was ruled by. Nonetheless, Nicholas II and the various dumas he worked beside, undoubtedly exasperated and intensified the wave of potentially destabilizing forces facing Russia in these years. Nicholas II’s own temper and impatience led to the dissolution of two dumas and thus to prolonged political uncertainty for the country; the intransigence of certain conservative elements as well as the perceived weakness of several of his prime ministers further compounded this uncertainty. From 1900 onwards the various central institutions of Russian life — Church, monarchy, parliament — were eroded and exposed to ever greater change and danger — culminating in the carnage and collapse of 1917. In Germany there was no such perception of a gradual erosion of institutions and gathering crisis; rather she was shaken into disarray by the final four calamitous years of the Great War. Upon taking the throne in 1888, Wilhelm II found Germany in better con dition than Nicholas’ Russia; the euphoria and pride arising from national unification in 1870 flowed around Germany right until 1914 and 1915; her institutions were thought to be strong, stable and even invulnerable. Still, within four years of 1914, she had been visited by an equal if not greater destruction and instability than Russia. Russia was destitute in 1918, but at least she was victorious and could hope for some continuation of her cultural way of life. Germany however had been defeated and so was in 1918 the thrall of the victorious powers and so could be shaped and moulded be them as they pleased. The general levels of stability of Germany under Wilhelm II and Russia under Nicholas II can be partially measured by comparing the stability of their political institutions. In both instances (Nicholas’ relationship with the Duma and Wilhelm’s with the Reichstag), the story is one of the deterioration of the authority of the monarchy and its ceding of power to political or military bodies (1). Nicholas’ relationship with the dumas was antagonistic from the beginning of his reign in 1884. The First Duma, following the emancipation of the serfs in the 1870s, was composed of a majority of Kadets, and this composition necessarily led to a hostile reaction between the Kadets and the Tsar — something clearly leading to national internal instability (2). Nicholas II found his Prime Minister Sergei Witte competent and able and this relationship promised a dilution of the dispute between the Tsar and the Duma; nonetheless, this relationship began to wane when Nich olas’ wife, Alexandra, showed distrust of Witte, thus precipitating Nicholas’ dissolution of the First Duma (3). This dissolution was outwardly characterized by a friction of personality between Witte and Alexandra; inwardly, it pointed to the immense problems the Russian Prime Minister faced in implementing the promised political and social reforms. The extreme nature and proportions of these reforms, overturning centuries of Russian aristocratic government, would shake the stability of any country; in Russia the problem was compounded by its vast population and geography. Tsar Nicholas’ task of effecting political reform in Russia was thus in many ways more difficult than Wilhelm’s: for instance, Russia was decades behind Germany in its development and this led to greater instability in its pursuit of equality. Russians might have anticipated greater stability from the Second Duma; in reality it turned out to be as problem-plagued and ineffective as the First Duma — and eventually its ineffectiveness precipitated the great crisis and abdication of 1917 (4). The Prime Minister of the Second Duma, Pyotr Stolypin, perceiving these problems, dissolved the parliament, and sought to manipulate its electoral nature to possess a more conservative composition and thus for the new Duma to be controlled by the liberal-conservative Octobrist Party of Alexander Guchov (4). Despite his conservative leaning, Stolypin, like Witte before him, initially looked like he might effect some of the long-promised reforms; he planned, for instance, to provide loans to the lower classes to let them purchase land, and thus forge an agricultural class faithful to the Tsar (4). Had such plans succeeded then they would undoubtedly brought greater stability to the Russian state; in the event the opposite came about : Stolypin’s proposed reforms were opposed by ultra-conservatives close to the Tsar, and events reached a low when Stolypin was assassinated by Dmitry Bogov in Kiev in September 1911. All in all, the huge difficulties of effecting Russia’s urgently needed reforms proved too great for successive Russian prime ministers; these failures in turn led to a deterioration of the relationship between the Tsar and the Duma, and thus to profound political and social instability for the Russian state. The relationship between Wilhelm II and the Reichstag was similarly blighted, though this conflict and division was, in itself, less destabilizing than in Tsarist Russia (5). In Germany the Emperor’s dispute with the Reichstag and the instability it precipitated was the result of clash of personality: between his own and that of his Chancellor, the formidable Otto von Bismarck. At Wilhelm’s succession of the throne in June 1888 Germany was in a nervous euphoria about the unification that she had engendered in the previous decade; a great deal remained to be done, but Germany’s reforms had always been those concerning the of unification of its various states, and not the reformation of social classes as in Russia (6). Wilhelm II had no intention of being a passive or nominal monarch: he wanted to ‘rule as well as reign’ as one historian has put it (6). This intention antagonised Chancellor Bismarck, who cared for no interference from the monarch. This dispute finally led to Wilhelm II dismissing Bismarck in 1890, and thus, due to the monarch’s impatience and petulance, an abandonment of Bismarck’s prudent and wise policies for the government of Germany. Wilhelm installed Leo Graf von Caprivi, Prince Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Shillingsfurst, Prince Bernhard von Bulow, and Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg as a series of successors to Bismarck; each of them being polar opposites to the former chancellor — they were rather obsequious puppets to the Kaiser’s will. Wilhelm’s decision to remove Bismarck had thus weakened Germany significantly and increased its vulnerability and instability; not only had the hero of unification been cruelly deposed, but his prodigious powers of statesmanship and the order those skills brought to Germany, had been replaced by those of the Kaiser: a man whose character was irascible and volatile and thus of the worst possible kind to handle the inflammable events that would pin nacle in 1914. The relative stability of Wilhelm’s Germany and Nicholas’ Russia may also be discussed in the context of their contribution to and handling of the Great War of 1914-1918. Anticipating somewhat the conclusion to this essay, the following may be said of the two monarchs respective attitudes to war and the instability these wrought: Nicholas II’s reign is characterized by reluctance to enter the conflict, Wilhelm’s by the precipitation of it. A historian might expect thus that Nicholas II, being more prudent and indisposed to war, might have thus secured greater internal stability for Russia than the bellicose Germany of Wilhelm, which one would have expected to suffer the vicissitudes and fluxes of war. Nonetheless, paradoxically, despite quite different attitudes to the conflict both Germany and Russia were to endure similar levels of turmoil and upheaval in its wake: Russia subjected to Revolution and anarchy and Germany the humiliation and disintegration of the Versailles Treaty. Wilhelm’s contribution to the instability of 1914-1918 can best be described in terms of his personal character: he did not avidly crave war — even once describing it as a ‘most unimaginable thing’ (7) — but rather aided it by his injudicious foreign policy decisions, blunders, and errors. Wilhelm II lent his authority and power to the German generals and to others who ardently sought the conflict. His minor precipitative blunders included his support for Germany’s massive increase in naval power, his telegram (8) that congratulated President Kruger for the success of the Jameson Raid against the British, and his July 1900 address encouraging German forces to support to Boxer Rebellion. Most disastrous and inflammatory of all was the Kaiser’s involvement in the Daily Telegraph Affair of 1908 (9). In this interview the Kaiser’s mistimed and inappropriate comments angered not only Britain, but also Japan, Russia, France and other c ounties also. In the years immediately preceding 1914 Bismarck conscientiously abandoned Bismarck’s former successful foreign policy of ostracizing France from the other major international powers and instead invoked sympathy for France by appearing to challenge her rule in Morocco. All in all, Bismarck’s personal leadership of Germany during the years 1900-1914, whether deliberately or unintentionally, did much to antagonise Germany’s international neighbours and so to eventually precipitate the profound instability that arose from World War I and its aftermath. Wilhelm’s naivety and impatience, coupled with the bellicosity of his generals, eroded many the positive reforms and strong institutions established by Bismarck during and after unification; this erosion left Germany improperly balanced and leaning precariously in the direction of crippling international warfare. But the instability that arose for Russia during and after the Great War was due not to Russia’s seeking such a conflict but from her fragmented and dithering response to it. Nicholas II was a main source of this indecision and his inadequate leadership, compounded by the largely failed implementation of reforms in previous years, led to the collapse of the monarchy and abdication of the Tsar, and thus a deeply distressing and turbulent period for Russia. In the wake of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, by Gavrilo Princip of the Serbian Black Hand organization, Russia and the Tsar were forced into a very awkward position. Russia had for several years advocated support for the Pan-Slav movement and had signed treaties with Serbia guaranteeing her protection; on the other hand, as the Will Nicky correspondence (10) shows, Nicholas II sought to avoid war at all costs — fearing the devastation it would bring to himself and to the nation. In the event, Russia w as truly devastated by the war: her armies were destroyed en mass, the monarchy fell and millions of Russians died from fighting, disease, hunger and drought. The 1917 November Revolution led to civil war, further bloodshed, misery and suffering and to the installation of a wholly new political regime. A greater state of instability can hardly be imagined! In the final analysis, the question as to which of Tsar Nicholas II’s Russia and Willhelm II’s Germany knew greater stability depends upon whether a historian looks at these periods from their respective beginnings or their ends. The Germany that Wilhelm inherited in 1894 was certainly more stable than that received by Nicholas in 1884. But a powerful argument can be made to say that despite the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia was nonetheless possessed of greater stability than Germany. This argument is given strength if one looks at events after 1918: Communism gave Russia seventy years of stable government and administration — irregardless of whether one endorses such a governance or not; Germany, on the other hand, was to endure the vicissitudes of Weimar, ten years of the Nazi regime and finally the ultimate instability of World War II.   BIBLIOGRAPHY Academic Books, Journals Articles (1) Roberts, John. The Penguin History of the World. (3rd Ed.) Penguin, London,  2003, pp. 707-717. (2) Perry, John P Pleshakov, Constantine. The Flight of the Romanovs. Oxford  University Press, Oxford, 1999, pp. 209. (3) Alexandrov, Victor. The End of the Romanovs. London, 1966. (4) Pares, Bernard. The Fall of the Russian Monarchy. London, 1939, pp. 44-48.. (5) Van der Kiste, John. Kaiser Wilhelm II: Germany’s Last Emperor. Sutton  Publishing, Stroud, 1999, pp101-103. (6) Rohl, John C. G. The Kaiser’s Personal Monarchy, 1888-1900. Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp. 133. (7) Macdonogh, Giles. The Last Kaiser: The Life of Wilhelm II. St. Martin’s Press,  New York, 2001, pp. 301. (8) Massie, Robert K. Dreadnought: Britain, Germany and the Coming of the Great   War. New York, Random House, 1991, pp. 108. (9) The interview of the Emperor Wilhelm II on October 28, 1908. London Daily  Telegraph, October 28, 1908. (10) The Kaisers letters to the Tsar, copied from the government archives in Petrograd, and brought from Russia by Isaac Don Levine, ed., with an introduction by N.F. Grant. London, Hodder and Soughton Ltd, 1920

Asher Lev :: essays research papers

Asher Lev This story is about a Jewish boy from Brooklyn, who’s talent is painting. He introduces himself as a young man struggling with inner conflict between his religious upbringing and his extraordinary God-given gift that cannot be controlled and seems to possess a spirit all it own. He can not explain why he feels he must paint, and does not like the fact that he hurts everyone he loves, and insults everything he believes in, but continues on his path which seems to have been chosen for him. All throughout the book we see the conflicts between Asher and his family, and grow a hatred towards his father, even though he is a good man and respected highly in the community. As a young boy Asher is told by his father who seems to think that his artistic ability is foolishness and that he needs to focus his attention on his school work. We tend to like his mother, Rivkeh, because, even though she says she doesn’t want Asher to paint, we know that deep down she knows art is where his heart is, and it is the only thing that makes him happy. We can relate with her as she stands by the window worrying and wondering when her loved ones will be home. Asher does not get very much encouragement from other people until he meets the world famous Jacob Kahn, who becomes his inspiration, his teacher, and his link to the great work of art. The two meet at the Rebbe’s office. This meeting was not accidental. It was set up by the Rebbe, who Asher was not very fond of because he is sending his father to Vienna. The Rebbe understands Asher better than his parents do. He knows that Asher has this talent, and wants him to per sew it. When Asher’s dad goes away to Vienna, his mom stays back in Brooklyn with him in hopes that he will studyhard. He studies enough to get by, but still brings to life everything he sees. Jacob Kohn teaches Asher how to become a great painter, cautioning him what he is getting into. As Asher becomes Asher Lev the painter, instead of the son of Reb Aryeh Lev, his father becomes curious and wants to go to one of his shows. Aryeh wants to see some of his work but refuses to go if there are nude paintings.

Men, Women, and Sex Differences Essay -- Nature vs. Nurture

Nature vs. Nurture? The debate has obsessed the minds of psychologists and philosophers for many years, each arguing their idea is the right way. ABC aired a TV documentary "Boys and Girls are Different" hosted by John Stossel to show some of the leading feminists ideas and their opponents thoughts. Psychologist, and researcher from the Kinsey Institute, June M. Reinisch believes that biology and culture shape gender differences. She believes that men and women aren't the same. Simply that "equality does not mean being the same, it means having equal opportunities" (Men, Women). Reinisch, leader of the advanced studies and projects at Kinsey stated, "When people say women can’t be trusted because they cycle every month, my response is that men cycle every day, so they should only be allowed to negotiate peace treaties in the evening." June Reinisch fights for equal opportunities for women by giving seminars and speeches nationwide to groups of women. In addition, she speaks and writes on sexuality issues. "We are very adolescent about sexuality as a society, thinking it is for young people," says psychologist June Reinisch, director emeritus of the Kinsey Institute in Bloomington, Ind. June is a very outspoken woman and for that has several consequences that she faces in life. She faces criticism daily from the public, media and other scientists. Luckily, her job at the Kinsey Institute doing gender research, results in her not worrying about the thought of losing her job over gender issues. However, her status is continually up in the air for the media to pick at. The media can say negative ideas regarding her research and beliefs because she is so well known. June documented several early behavioral di... ...levision programs are sex-typed and white-male oriented. More male than female roles are shown and male characters act strikingly different from female ones. Males typically are more aggressive, constructive, and direct and are rewarded for their actions. By contrast, females are depicted as acting deferential toward other people or as manipulating them through helplessness of seductiveness to get their way"(Kendall Page 3). It goes as far as simple education programs such as Sesame Street and Barney that have mainly all male characters and names. The characters also participate in mostly boy activities. Consider all sides of the debate and each group's affiliation. Finally, the question is up to you as the program announcer said, "Should gender influence our place in society? Some research says yes. Some people don't want you to hear about it" (Men, Women).

Current Trends in Educational Technology Essay -- Education Technologi

Current Trends in Educational Technology Abstract Current trends in Educational Technology offer quite an array of subject matter to study. I have selected a few articles demonstrating trends I found most interesting. These include trends in research, holistic technology education, pedagogic balance in technology education and using open source software in the school. Hopefully these trends will be an eye opener for the reader. This paper is based on these journal articles: Research in Technology Education: Back to the Future (Reed, 2002); Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education (Seemann, 2003); Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case for Pedagogic Balance In Technology Education (Walmsely, 2003) and Making the Switch to Open Source Software (Surran, 2003). Researching the Future of Educational Technology Literacy Clear lines of inquiry are needed to further technology education’s place within the context of general education (Reed, 2002). The International Technology Education Association (ITEA), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Research Council and Technology for All Americans Project (TFAA) provide significant amounts of research available on educational technology. These organizations are always looking at what research would help achieve the goal of technological literacy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) makes federal funding available to educational technology researchers (Custer, Loepp, and Martin, 2000). TEGRD A new Council on Technology Teacher Education tool, the Technology Education Graduate Research Database (TEGRD) offers new lines of research geared towards education (Reed, 2002). The TEGRD was designed to highlight the history... ...chives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Seemann, K. (2003). Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 15, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Walmsley, B. (2003) Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case For Pedagogic Balance in Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 16, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Surran, M. (2003). Making the Switch to Open Source Software. T.H.E. Journal Online. Retrieved September 16, 2003 from T.H.E. Journal Online website: http://www.thejournal.com/ Current Trends in Educational Technology Essay -- Education Technologi Current Trends in Educational Technology Abstract Current trends in Educational Technology offer quite an array of subject matter to study. I have selected a few articles demonstrating trends I found most interesting. These include trends in research, holistic technology education, pedagogic balance in technology education and using open source software in the school. Hopefully these trends will be an eye opener for the reader. This paper is based on these journal articles: Research in Technology Education: Back to the Future (Reed, 2002); Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education (Seemann, 2003); Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case for Pedagogic Balance In Technology Education (Walmsely, 2003) and Making the Switch to Open Source Software (Surran, 2003). Researching the Future of Educational Technology Literacy Clear lines of inquiry are needed to further technology education’s place within the context of general education (Reed, 2002). The International Technology Education Association (ITEA), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), National Research Council and Technology for All Americans Project (TFAA) provide significant amounts of research available on educational technology. These organizations are always looking at what research would help achieve the goal of technological literacy. The National Science Foundation (NSF) makes federal funding available to educational technology researchers (Custer, Loepp, and Martin, 2000). TEGRD A new Council on Technology Teacher Education tool, the Technology Education Graduate Research Database (TEGRD) offers new lines of research geared towards education (Reed, 2002). The TEGRD was designed to highlight the history... ...chives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Seemann, K. (2003). Basic Principles in Holistic Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 15, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Walmsley, B. (2003) Partnership-Centered Learning: The Case For Pedagogic Balance in Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education ,14, Retrieved September 16, 2003 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University digital library and archives website: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n2/reed.html Surran, M. (2003). Making the Switch to Open Source Software. T.H.E. Journal Online. Retrieved September 16, 2003 from T.H.E. Journal Online website: http://www.thejournal.com/

Stock Exchange

What is Stock Exchange? A stock exchange is the market place for the purchase and sale of second hand securities. It provides â€Å"trading† facilities for stock brokers and traders, to trade shares of the listed companies and other financial instruments such as Term Finance Certificates and Derivatives. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue (listing), redemption (delisting) of securities and other capital events including the payment of income and dividends. It is a key institution for smooth functioning and steady growth of the corporate sector and can be seen as a key to the economic life of a nation.Stock exchange is the home of the capital and pivot of the money market, providing proper mobility for capital. The securities of joint-stock companies, government securities and securities issued by semi-government organization are dealt with on a stock exchange. History of Stock Exchange The history of stock exchanges can be traced to 12th century France, when the first brokers (the role of an individual or a firm when it acts as an agent for a customer and charges the customer a commission for its services) are believed to have developed, trading in debt and government securities.Unofficial share markets existed across Europe through the 1600s, where brokers would meet outside or in coffee houses to make trades. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, created in 1602, became the first official stock exchange when it began trading shares of the Dutch East India Company. These were the first company shares ever issued. By the early 1700s there were fully operational stock exchanges in France and England, and America followed in the later part of the century. Share exchanges became an important way for companies to raise capital for investment, while also offering investors the opportunity to share in company profits.The early days of the stock exchange experienced many scandals and share crashes, as there was little to no regulation and almost anyo ne was allowed to participate in the exchange. Today, stock exchanges operate around the world, and they have become highly regulated institutions. Investors wanting to buy and sell shares must do so through a share broker, who pays to own a seat on the exchange. Companies with shares traded on an exchange are said to be ‘listed' and they must meet specific criteria, which varies across exchanges.Most stock exchanges began as floor exchanges, where traders made deals face-to-face. The largest stock exchange in the world, the New York Stock Exchange, continues to operate this way, but most of the world's exchanges have now become fully electronic. Functions of Stock Market ? Ready Market Stock exchange is a continuous market for the resale of existing securities. It is a centre where buyers and sellers assemble to deal in securities at any time during the business hours. It enables investors to realize quickly their shares and debentures.This facility encourages people to inves t in business enterprise by means of buying industrial securities. It helps new investors to obtain securities at any time at market price. ? Protection to investors Protection of the interest of the investors is another function of stock exchange. This it does by ensuring safety and fair dealing to the average investors through strict enforcement of its rules and regulations. Without the cover of a stock exchange there may be unfair competition between different brokers. The investors may be deceived by clever and dishonest brokers.In a stock exchange any malpractice by a broker carries a severe penalty. ? Profitable use of funds Another major function of the stock exchange is the mobilization of surplus funds of individuals firms and companies for investment in industrial securities. Without the stock exchange, these funds would have remained idle. It directs the surplus funds into the most profitable channel and thereby secures their effective utilization. People invest their sav ings in companies yielding good returns. Stock exchange in Pakistan In Pakistan there are three stock exchanges, ? Karachi stock exchange (KSE) Lahore stock exchange (LSE) ? Islamabad stock exchange (ISE) Karachi Stock Exchange The KSE is the first stock exchange of Pakistan established in September 18, 1947 and incorporated in March 10, 1949. KSE start with 5 companies with a paid-up capital of RS 37 million. The first index was the KSE 100 index. KSE Indices Family ? KSE 100 The KSE100 index is a benchmark by which the stock price performance can be compared to over a period of time. In particular, the KSE 100 is designed to provide investors with a sense of how the Pakistan equity market is performing.Thus, the KSE100 is similar to other indicators that track various sectors of the Pakistan economic activity such as the gross national product, consumer price index, etc. The KSE-100 Index was introduced in November 1991 with base value of 1,000 points. The Index comprises of 100 c ompanies selected on the basis of sector representation and highest market capitalization, which tracks over 85% of the total market capitalization of the companies listed on the Exchange. ? KSE-30 Index The Karachi Stock Exchange has launched the KSE-30 Index with base value of 10,000 points, formally implemented from Friday, September 1, 2006.The main feature of this index that makes it different from other indices is: ? Based on the â€Å"Free Float Methodology† ? It includes only the top 30 most liquid companies listed on the KSE. ? KMI-30 ? Index introduced in September, 2008 ? Tracks the 30 most liquid Shariah-compliant companies listed at KSE weighted by free float adjusted market capitalization. ? Shariah Screening performed by Shariah Supervisory Board of Meezan Bank (chaired by Justice (Retd. ) Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani). ? KSE All Share Index ? It consists of all the companies listed on the KSE. ? KSE-GTOiOil & Gas Sector plays vital roles in Pakistan’s eco nomy and therefore KSE has developed a Tradable Oil & Gas Index which tracks at least 80% free-float market capitalization of the Oil & Gas Sector. This index provides Investors and Market Intermediaries with an appropriate benchmark that captures the performance of each segment of the economy. KSE-100 Composition Basis The selection criteria for stock inclusion in the existing KSE-100 Index is based on three main filters, namely Sector rule, Capitalization rule and Default rule. The top sector companies may also qualify for inclusion on the basis of their market capitalization. Sector Rule Largest market capitalization in each Karachi Stock Exchange sectors excluding Open-end Mutual Fund Sector ? The Largest Capitalization Rule The remaining index places are taken up by the largest market capitalization companies in descending order. ? The Default Counter and Non Tradable Rule Company which is on the Defaulters’ Counter and/or its trading is suspended; declare Non-Tradable ( i. e. NT) in preceding 6 months from the date of re-composition shall not be considered in the re-composition of KSE-100 Index . How many stocks are registered and categories? The total number of companies listed in KSE is 572 with a listed capital of RS. 1103072. 80 million ? In KSE companies are listed under following categories according to the nature of their industry. |Sector Wise Categories of Companies | |Oil and Gas |Pharma and Bio Tech | |Chemicals |Media |Forestry |Travel & leisure | |Industrial metals and mining |Fixed line Telecommunication | |General industries |Electricity | |Electronic and electrical Goods |Multiutilities | |Engineering |Commercial Banks | |Industrial Transportation |Non Life Insurance | |Support services |Life insurance | |Automobile and Parts |Real estate investment and services | |Beverages |financial services | |Food Producers |Equity Investment Instruments | |Household Goods |Software and computer services | |Leisure Goods. |Technology Hard ware and Equipment | |Personal Goods | | |Personal Goods | | |Tobacco | |Advance /Decline: If there is increasing trend in the prices of share then we said that the market gains the index or points and vice versa. Points: Points shows the Overall worth of the market. There are many factors that influence the market points and due to these factors market’s point increases or increases. These factors consist of formulae of capital structure and other related things. In Pakistan value of 1 point is approximately equal to 5 crores and it changes due to inflation and other economic factors. When an individual invest an amount equal to 5 Crores then 1 point increases and when he/she pull back his investment then 1 point decreases 1 point = 5 Crores Stock Exchange A stock market or equity market is a public (a loose network of economic transactions, not a physical facility or discrete) entity for the trading of company stock (shares) and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately. The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36. 6 trillion at the start of October 2008. The total world derivatives market has been estimated at about $791 trillion face or nominal value,[2] 11 times the size of the entire world economy. The stocks are listed and traded on stock exchanges which are entities of a corporation or mutual organization specialized in the business of bringing buyers and sellers of the organizations to a listing of stocks and securities together. The largest stock market in the United States, by market capitalization, is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In Canada, the largest stock market is the Toronto Stock Exchange. Major European examples of stock exchanges include the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, Paris Bourse, and the Deutsche Borse (Frankfurt Stock Exchange). In Africa, examples include Nigerian Stock Exchange, JSE Limited, etc. Asian examples include the Singapore Exchange, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and the Bombay Stock Exchange. In Latin America, there are such exchanges as the BM&F Bovespa and the BMV. A few decades ago, worldwide, buyers and sellers were individual investors, such as wealthy businessmen, usually with long family histories to particular corporations. Over time, markets have become more â€Å"institutionalized†; buyers and sellers are largely institutions (e. g. , pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, index funds, exchange-traded funds, hedge funds, investor groups, banks and various other financial institutions). The rise of the institutional investor has brought with it some improvements in market operations. Thus, the government was responsible for â€Å"fixed† (and exorbitant) fees being markedly reduced for the ‘small' investor, but only after the large institutions had managed to break the brokers' solid front on fees. (They then went to ‘negotiated' fees, but only for large institutions. History : Established in 1875, the Bombay Stock Exchange is Asia's first stock exchange. In 12th century France the courratiers de change were concerned with managing and regulating the debts of agricultural communities on behalf of the banks. Because these men also traded with debts, they could be called the first brokers. A common misbelief is that in late 13th century Bruges commodity traders gathered inside the house of a man called Van der Beurze, and in 1309 they became the â€Å"Brugse Beurse†, institutionalizing what had been, until then, an informal meeting, but actually, the family Van der Beurze had a building in Antwerp where those gatherings occurred; the Van der Beurze had Antwerp, as most of the merchants of that period, as their primary place for trading. The idea quickly spread around Flanders and neighboring counties and â€Å"Beurzen† soon opened in Ghent and Amsterdam. In the middle of the 13th century, Venetian bankers began to trade in government securities. In 1351 the Venetian government outlawed spreading rumors intended to lower the price of government funds. Bankers in Pisa, Verona, Genoa and Florence also began trading in government securities during the 14th century. This was only possible because these were independent city states not ruled by a duke but a council of influential citizens. Italian companies were also the first to issue shares. Companies in England and the Low Countries followed in the 16th century. The Dutch East India Company (founded in 1602) was the first joint-stock company to get a fixed capital stock and as a result, continuous trade in company stock emerged on the Amsterdam Exchange. Soon thereafter, a lively trade in various derivatives, among which options and repos, emerged on the Amsterdam market. Dutch traders also pioneered short selling – a practice which was banned by the Dutch authorities as early as 1610. 7] There are now stock markets in virtually every developed and most developing economies, with the world's biggest market being in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, India, China, Canada, Germany's (Frankfurt Stock Exchange), France, South Korea and the Netherlands. Importance of stock market : The stock market is one of the most important sources for companies to raise money. This allows businesses to be publicly trade d, or raise additional financial capital for expansion by selling shares of ownership of the company in a public market. The liquidity that an exchange provides affords investors the ability to quickly and easily sell securities. This is an attractive feature of investing in stocks, compared to other less liquid investments such as real estate. History has shown that the price of shares and other assets is an important part of the dynamics of economic activity, and can influence or be an indicator of social mood. An economy where the stock market is on the rise is considered to be an up-and-coming economy. In fact, the stock market is often considered the primary indicator of a country's economic strength and development. Rising share prices, for instance, tend to be associated with increased business investment and vice versa. Share prices also affect the wealth of households and their consumption. Therefore, central banks tend to keep an eye on the control and behavior of the stock market and, in general, on the smooth operation of financial system functions. Financial stability is the raison d'etre of central banks. Exchanges also act as the clearinghouse for each transaction, meaning that they collect and deliver the shares, and guarantee payment to the seller of a security. This eliminates the risk to an individual buyer or seller that the counterparty could default on the transaction. The smooth functioning of all these activities facilitates economic growth in that lower costs and enterprise risks promote the production of goods and services as well as employment. In this way the financial system contributes to increased prosperity. Stock market index : The movements of the prices in a market or section of a market are captured in price indices called stock market indices, of which there are many, e. g. , the S&P, the FTSE and the Euronext indices. Such indices are usually market capitalization weighted, with the weights reflecting the contribution of the stock to the index. The constituents of the index are reviewed frequently to include/exclude stocks in order to reflect the changing business environment. Derivative instruments : Financial innovation has brought many new financial instruments whose pay-offs or values depend on the prices of stocks. Some examples are exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stock index and stock options, equity swaps, single-stock futures, and stock index futures. These last two may be traded on futures exchanges (which are distinct from stock exchanges—their history traces back to commodities futures exchanges), or traded over-the-counter. As all of these products are only derived from stocks, they are sometimes considered to be traded in a (hypothetical) derivatives market, rather than the (hypothetical) stock market. Leveraged strategies : Stock that a trader does not actually own may be traded using short selling; margin buying may be used to purchase stock with borrowed funds; or, derivatives may be used to control large blocks of stocks for a much smaller amount of money than would be required by outright purchase or sales. Short selling : In short selling, the trader borrows stock (usually from his brokerage which holds its clients' shares or its own shares on account to lend to short sellers) then sells it on the market, hoping for the price to fall. The trader eventually buys back the stock, making money if the price fell in the meantime and losing money if it rose. Exiting a short position by buying back the stock is called â€Å"covering a short position. † This strategy may also be used by unscrupulous traders in illiquid or thinly traded markets to artificially lower the price of a stock. Hence most markets either prevent short selling or place restrictions on when and how a short sale can occur. The practice of naked shorting is illegal in most (but not all) stock markets. Margin buying : In margin buying, the trader borrows money (at interest) to buy a stock and hopes for it to rise. Most industrialized countries have regulations that require that if the borrowing is based on collateral from other stocks the trader owns outright, it can be a maximum of a certain percentage of those other stocks' value. In the United States, the margin requirements have been 50 %% for many years (that is, if you want to make a $1000 investment, you need to put up $500, and there is often a maintenance margin below the $500). A margin call is made if the total value of the investor's account cannot support the loss of the trade. (Upon a decline in the value of the margined securities additional funds may be required to maintain the account's equity, and with or without notice the margined security or any others within the account may be sold by the brokerage to protect its loan position. The investor is responsible for any shortfall following such forced sales. ) Regulation of margin requirements (by the Federal Reserve) was implemented after the Crash of 1929. Before that, speculators typically only needed to put up as little as 10 percent (or even less) of the total investment represented by the stocks purchased. Other rules may include the prohibition of free-riding: putting in an order to buy stocks without paying initially (there is normally a three-day grace period for delivery of the stock), but then selling them (before the three-days are up) and using part of the proceeds to make the original payment (assuming that the value of the stocks has not declined in the In margin buying, the trader borrows money (at interest) to buy a stock and hopes for it to rise. Most industrialized countries have regulations that require that if the borrowing is based on collateral from other stocks the trader owns outright, it can be a maximum of a certain percentage of those other stocks' value. In the United States, the margin requirements have been 50 %% for many years (that is, if you want to make a $1000 investment, you need to put up $500, and there is often a maintenance margin below the $500). A margin call is made if the total value of the investor's account cannot support the loss of the trade. (Upon a decline in the value of the margined securities additional funds may be required to maintain the account's equity, and with or without notice the margined security or any others within the account may be sold by the brokerage to protect its loan position. The investor is responsible for any shortfall following such forced sales. ) Regulation of margin requirements (by the Federal Reserve) was implemented after the Crash of 1929. Before that, speculators typically only needed to put up as little as 10 percent (or even less) of the total investment represented by the stocks purchased. Other rules may include the prohibition of free-riding: putting in an order to buy stocks without paying initially (there is normally a three-day grace period for delivery of the stock), but then selling them (before the three-days are up) and using part of the proceeds to make the original payment (assuming that the value of the stocks has not declined in the In margin buying, the trader borrows money (at interest) to buy a stock and hopes for it to rise. Most industrialized countries have regulations that require that if the borrowing is based on collateral from other stocks the trader owns outright, it can be a maximum of a certain percentage of those other stocks' value. In the United States, the margin requirements have been 50 %% for many years (that is, if you want to make a $1000 investment, you need to put up $500, and there is often a maintenance margin below the $500). A margin call is made if the total value of the investor's account cannot support the loss of the trade. (Upon a decline in the value of the margined securities additional funds may be required to maintain the account's equity, and with or without notice the margined security or any others within the account may be sold by the brokerage to protect its loan position. The investor is responsible for any shortfall following such forced sales. ) Regulation of margin requirements (by the Federal Reserve) was implemented after the Crash of 1929. Before that, speculators typically only needed to put up as little as 10 percent (or even less) of the total investment represented by the stocks purchased. Other rules may include the prohibition of free-riding: putting in an order to buy stocks without paying initially (there is normally a three-day grace period for delivery of the stock), but then selling them (before the three-days are up) and using part of the proceeds to make the original payment (assuming that the value of the stocks has not declined in the New issuance : Global issuance of equity and equity-related instruments totaled $505 billion in 2004, a 29. 8 %% increase over the $389 billion raised in 2003. Initial public offerings (IPOs) by US issuers increased 221 %% with 233 offerings that raised $45 billion, and IPOs in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) increased by 333 %%, from $ 9 billion to $39 billion. Taxation : According to much national or state legislation, a large array of fiscal obligations are taxed for capital gains. Taxes are charged by the state over the transactions, dividends and capital gains on the stock market, in particular in the stock exchanges. However, these fiscal obligations may vary from jurisdictions to jurisdictions because, among other reasons, it could be assumed that taxation is already incorporated into the stock price through the different taxes companies pay to the state, or that tax free stock market operations are useful to boost economic growth.

Presto Cleaner

Mr.. Shelton Is upset because the complaint office doesn't do his work well. The Interaction between Mr.. Shelton and Paul Hoofer have made the bad situation worse. This case brings together the customer expectation and the service that Presto cleaner had to offer. The customer expectations are influenced by many different factors such as: C] Personal needs D Word of mouth Reputation of the company I can deduce that the quality in this case is not the best. The larger issue on Presto Cleaner staff agenda must be to modernize quality performance, just as he's working to update his technology.Both service and infrastructure should be state-of-the-art. The quality also is acknowledged as a necessary requirement successful competing and surviving in the market place. Defining quality I can stress four important points: C] D D D Quality: The ability of a product or service to meet or exceed customer expectation Ability: The competence, either native or acquired, that enables one to do som ething well Consistently: refers to a reliable or steady pattern of performance Expectations: a state of anticipation about a future This four points are very important on keeping close the customers and especially for he rivalry on the market.In fact Paul Hoofer don't think about how to work out the complaint, but his thought is to close this case as soon as possible even if the company will lose an costumer. Purely in economics terms, the loss could be enormous. Assume that Presto Cleaner manages to lose one customer a day. Based on Mr.. Shelton estimates of his laundry expenditures, the annual revenue loss from such an unnoticed customer defection would reach almost $500000. In this context, Mr.. Shelton request is not at all unreasonable. To remedy this situation, Presto Cleaner's president, Mr.. Sickles, should take some Immediate first steps.First, he should send a letter of apology to Shelton with two enclosures: a $235 check, to cover the $35 charge for the delayed order and the $200 cost of four new shirts, and a $50 certificate for future Presto Cleaner service. He should act on the principle that, having made service mistakes, Presto Cleaner should bear all the customer's out-of-pocket costs. Presto Cleaner By Andre send a complain letter at Mr.. Hoofer, that is the responsible of the Complaining The case regards Mr.. Shelton as a complaining customer and Paul Hoofer as a expansible of Complaining Office.

Macy’s Store Essay

1. Macy’s and other department stores are faced with imminent problems where sales are declining each year. Due to high competition and many substitutions in the market, company must always analyze, investigate, and plan for decision making. Creating situational analysis is a great way to analyze both the internal and external environments in order to understand the company’s capabilities, business environment, and customers. In Macy’s case, some of the external factors are competition and economy. Since competitors such as discount stores and specialty stores are attracting many customers, Macy’s need to find a solution to differentiate themselves from others to deliver value. Some of the examples can be lowering prices to meet customer expectations, expand market by using online- shopping, or take a survey to gather which brands or items customers want in Macy’s department store. Economy is another crucial factor store has to consider. When the economy is healthy, stores tend to worry less, but when the economy is in recession, customers will spend less and find a cheaper substitute items to purchase. Although Macy’s positioned themselves as upper middle class, company can increase sales by also providing less expensive brands for customers to choose from. As for internal factors, training employees, contract with excellent suppliers, and positive recognized brand will strengthen Macy’s. For example, experienced management can teach and lead employees to perform day-to-day operations and to be professional in what they do. Brand awareness is also an important factor since customer’s judge product and service by its brand image. 2. To this date, Macy’s is struggling to find a sustainable competitive advantage in the retail industry. Clothing store such as ZARA and H&M have a definite advantage since they attract customers by displaying latest fashionable clothing with affordable price and Macy’s on the other hand, have not yet able to deliver right messages to buyers. Moreover, Macy’s consolidation and efforts to become national-wide brand are not unique because most major retailers in the states are now national brands. However, Macy’s strategy of positioning themselves as â€Å"mid-level† can become a unique competitive advantage in the future because people would believe its merchandise is neither cheap nor expensive. This way people won’t judge Macy’s as a â€Å"cheap store† but store which carries affordable items. Nevertheless, Macy’s still face a serious threat since fashion clothing retailers such as H&M and Urban outfitters are targeting teenagers with very low prices. One way to improve competitive advantage may be quality. Customers know H&M is a cheap, fashionable store and they also know clothing will wear out if washed couple times. By focusing on quality, people may recognize paying extra money to purchase Macy’s merchandise is saving money in long- term. 3. Overall, Macy’s consolidation and repositioning strategy have many advantages since the company converted 15 department stores to Macy’s brand; Remodelling stores promote a pleasant shopping experience to customers, displaying fashionable clothing to attract trend-followers, and developing private brands to increase profits. As mentioned above, the first strength to this change is the decision to consolidate. By using the same brand name, this will reduce advertising costs, customers will easily recognize the brand, and since all stores carry same products they may have bargaining power over suppliers. Next advantage is locations. Since Macy’s now have approximately 810 stores in 50 states, customers can visit any Macy’s stores without inconvenience. Moreover, because all stores carry same products, services, and designs, buyers can visit any stores to buy what they need. Last strength is Macy’s focus on affordable fashion. People nowadays value fashion so much that they simply won’t purchase clothing that is boring and bland. By recognizing these factors, Macy’s are working with top designers to attract and show buyers their brand is fashionable and also affordable. Despite of these advantages, Macy’s also have weakness to worry about. Customers are complaining that the price of merchandise increased and they would shop elsewhere. Macy’s would reduce these complaints by offering coupons or to perform customer relationship program to recognise those who are loyal to the store and give special incentives or discounts. 4. æ ­ ¤Ã§â€ ¨Ã¦Ë† ·Ã¥  Ã¥ · ²Ã¨ ¢ «Ã¦ ³ ¨Ã¥â€ Å',è ¯ ·Ã¥  ¦Ã¦  ¢Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¤ ¸ ªDepartment stores are faced with serious threat since industry is declining and competitions are growing rapidly. But Macy’s have found a bold strategy to compete in a tough market. Macy’s has a good chance of succeeding in 5 years since the store recognizes the trend and strives to meet customer’s needs. In order to extremely successful in the future however, Macy’s need to closely monitor competitors such as Nordstrom, ZARA, and H&M to gather competitor intelligence and to react to fast changing market. Brand awareness is also a crucial factor for success. Brand loyal customers tend to be less price sensitive because they have a strong belief that it is worth paying more money. If Macy’s can build brand royal customers, they would reduce advertising costs, and have positive brand image. Lastly, pricing its merchandise will be a key point for success in 5 years bec ause price is what makes customers to make a purchase or to find a substitute.