Reading stories with children Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading stories with children - Research Paper Example I decided to read two different books in terms of their themes and setting. The first book was a religious book with religious themes while the second book was more of a fun book. The interaction with the kid, who is about five years of age, was rather eye opening. During the reading session, the kid interjected the process severally asking various questions regarding the stories. He constantly asked questions regarding the meaning of words he did not understand. This trait was a bit interesting as it portrayed the kid as an inquisitive person who wanted to know more. Various facial expressions accompanied my reading to the kid so as to further make him understand certain aspects of the stories. He was keen on the kind of expression that he saw on my face as I continued to read the books. Whenever there were frowns on my face he could also frown. This was a sign that the kid personalized the reading through the expressions that I was portraying to him as the reader. After reading the books to the kid I did further analysis on his reactions during the time I read the books. This revealed something interesting as I realized that the child scrutinized details of every picture that was shown to him. The scrutiny of the fin details in the pictures portrayed the kid as an individual who is interested in both the pictorial aspects of the stories as well as the word flow. This was even more interesting when it came to recalling the reading on the side of the child when I asked him questions. Even after reading the two stories to the kid certain aspects of his traits were outstanding. The kid was able to recall the outline of the two stories though note as exact or fair as it should have been. The first story was titled chocolate me which talks about the skin color in different people. It was more religious and encouraged the readers to appreciate

Six Sigma and DMAIC Imporvement Process Coursework

Six Sigma and DMAIC Imporvement Process - Coursework Example There six sigma has proven to an effective tool for improving performance. Basically, the effective adoption of the six sigma facilitates quality improvement and efficient performance (Pande & Holpp, 2002). For a clear understanding of the benefits accrued from using the six sigma it is important to study its five phase, which are expressed as DMAIC. The five phase are definition of the problem (D) measuring/mapping the process (M), analyzing the cause of the problem (A), improving the situation (I) and finally controlling the implantation of the solution (C). The purpose of this study is to evaluate an article that focuses on a case study of an aluminum company. The issue of quality improvement has been very controversial among various companies. In essence, every company strives to outdo the competitors by producing unique products that are perceived to be of top quality. From the case study, it can be identified that the company faces considerable competition from other firms producing similar products. Earlier studies reveal that the six sigma model is an infective approach to quality improvement. Apparently. From the case study, it can be identified that the author recognizes the importance of six sigma in problem-solving. In addition, the author points out that DMAIC is an appropriate procedure to solve the problems facing the company. In essence, various scholars encourage the use DMAIC in solving business challenges (Breyfogle, 2003). It is important to note that businesses are usually exposed to problems and that these problems have to be solved cautiously to mitigate adverse consequences. Apparently, the quality of a product is an important component as far as generation of profits is concerned (George, 2002). In essence, a company whose products are of high quality enjoys a better market share compared to that whose products are of low quality. Both the author of the article and the existing studies argue

Business Start-Up from Scratch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Start-Up from Scratch - Essay Example Smart thinking should be employed in order to have potential for growth (Marinel 5). Factors to consider when starting There are various factors to consider before starting a business. One factor is the area of expertise and knowledge. The entrepreneurs must come together and evaluate the level of expertise in providing the good or service they intend to market through their business. For a business to be successful, the business partners must have some experience in the field in which they want to invest. Many businesses fail due to lack of knowledge. The exposure could come from employment in other companies or organizations offering similar products or services. The knowledge should be reinforced by research into the prospects of the product faring well in the market to avoid frustrations. Every niche of a business requires a specific set of skills and, therefore, some require more expertise than others. The knowledge should be coupled with the desire to succeed. Many starters fai l in business due to diminishing passion once they face hardships. The people who want to start the company must, therefore, have a culmination of passion if the business is to take off the ground (Marinel 5). The second factor to consider is the market and demand for the product. Before investing in the product, it would be necessary to determine how much of the product will be sold in certain duration. This is a crucial marker for projecting the profitability. The main reason for starting a business is to make a profit and profit involves sale volumes. The product should be sold in areas where its demand is felt. Some products do well in the local market while others would do well in the international market. Extensive research should be done in order to determine the area in which the product will have enough demand to sustain the development of the business. The target customers should also be established. This helps in demarcating the market into various segments based on facto rs such as the lifestyle, age, and income. Accuracy in determining a market segment is essential to facilitate the recouping of the initial cost as well as driving the business forward. This becomes facilitated by the products ability to satisfy a need in the market. The product launch should also be timely in order to develop a customer base (Longenecker 28). Competition should be the next factor to consider. The entrepreneurs should be able to determine the level of competition they expect when entering the market. This is critical in determining whether they have a competitive advantage against the already established would be competitors. The competitive advantage receives creation if the customers perceive the product to be of superior quality than the others in the market. The product concept should be judged on the opportunity, for business it creates. A brilliant concept does not necessarily imply a fantastic investment opportunity (Longenecker 29). Technology of making the product should also be considered. With time, technological advances evolve in production of many goods in the market. Technological aspect makes a key factor in increasing the competitive advantage by being able to produce higher units of the product, and increasing the cost effectiveness. Once the product to be marketed has been determined, the investors should evaluate their technology to determine if it will help them satisfy the demand effectively, and whether it will reduce

Microsoft-Gates Lie Essay Example for Free

Microsoft-Gates Lie Essay The experience of reading this book is ironic at this point in time. It is written by a black man from the southside of Chicago who goes from rags to riches beyond most of our wildest dreams. A black man’s route from poverty to incredible success? Is there not a current presidential candidate who has done exactly the same? The timing is uncanny. The book is about the barriers to getting rich. I will explain how it was motivating, easy to read and empowering, even to someone my age, in the text of this report. Explanation of content In the book, Mr. Gray identifies the seven myths that hold people back from getting rich: †¢ The Born Lucky Lie: I have to be born with connections or a special talent to be rich †¢ The Celebrity Lie: I have to hit it big in entertainment or sports to be rich †¢ The Money Lie: I have to have money to make money †¢ The Debt Lie: I have to have zero debt to be rich †¢ The Microsoft-Gates Lie: I have to be super smart and invent something the world relies on to be rich †¢ The Wall Street Lie: I have to know a lot about the stock market or work on it to be rich †¢ The Work Hard Lie: I have to work hard, pay my dues, and be willing to make sacrifices to be rich He explains: †¢ How to work less and make more †¢ What to do when you’re not the next â€Å"American Idol† †¢ How to find your first dollar and turn it into millions †¢ How to manipulate debt in wealth-building †¢ How to move beyond the lottery mentality †¢ How to use common sense, and put it into common practice †¢ How to invest in what you know Mr. Gray tries to break down the walls people build around them to explain why they cannot get rich. His style is no-nonsense and hard-hitting. He challenges the reader to get off the couch, stop making excuses and get going right now. The fact that he was a self-made millionaire by age 14 is very motivating. My Opinion and Analysis I found this book very exciting and energetic. According to the research I did on him, he is a public speaker and I can imagine he is very interesting to hear in person. For someone his age, he has really achieved a lot. The most interesting of the myths for me was the Money Lie. Here he talks about the how the best way to improve and sustain your wealth is living below your means. That means buying a Ford when you can afford a Cadillac, a Timex instead of a Rolex. This struck me because so often we try to make money to spend it immediately on some sort of status symbol – a Ralph Lauren shirt, Addidas sneakers, a BMW or a house on the hill. But he emphasizes living a little below your means to avoid going broke and to ensure you have the money to live and prosper more. That seems very intelligent to me but I think it is a lesson a lot of us could stand to listen to and apply in our own lives. I think he is very effective in getting his points across in the book. I paid attention because he is only 23 years old and was a millionaire at the age of 14. I feel as if I have some catching up to do already. But, as I work towards financial independence from my parents, he laid a groundwork I could build from. He made me look at things from another angle than I am used to and I was impressed. While the book could be taken as an individual person’s guide to wealth creation, I also looked at it from the perspective of our class with more of a management angle. The ideas and rules that he discusses can be applied to business too. Take for example the Microsoft-Gates Lie which basically says: I have to be super smart and invent something the world relies on to be rich. If I were the executive of a company, I might mistakenly think that the only way my company could succeed is to invent something revolutionary. But that is not true. There are many companies who make almost the same product as their competitor and they have high profits. This lie would help me as the CEO of a company to look at other factors that could make my company succeed. This might be in pursuing high levels of customer service, for example. I could train my sales force to pay extra-special attention to customers. Or, perhaps we could emphasize our marketing or look for strategic partners to help us grow the business. In human resources and the motivation of staff, this strategy would work well too. I would love to work for someone that knew the right steps to become rich. As his or her employee, I could look up to them and use them as my mentor to grow my own wealth following their path. They could use this information to teach me. I would be a very happy employee if I had that kind of a leader above me. If we all had the common goal to increase our wealth, that would increase a team spirit in the office as well. We would all be working towards a common goal. I think that would reduce conflict and increase the quality of work employees perform. I would want to work hard with everyone around me if we were all in agreement where we wanted to go. I think it would reduce turnover too. The points he makes in the book can turn into good questions to ask people when they come in to interview for a job. If I were hiring someone, I would want to be sure they are not victims of the lies he describes so they do not bring those opinions into our work environment. Their answers to questions created from this book would help me judge them as appropriate or not to join the organization. Conclusion In the book, Mr. Gray states his purpose of the book as being, â€Å"I want to help you marshal out your own wealth potential, which relates to everything about you – not just your bank account. † Does he do that? I definitely think so. He breaks down myths, gives guidelines to follow and leads by explaining his own example of a pathway to success. I was very impressed by his explanations, his accomplishments and his approach to life. He made me think and he has made me want to lay out a framework for my own approach to the future. I think I am the perfect age to read this book because I am not already a creature of habit, I am young and impressionable. I can take his ideas as my own from the start. I will take the lessons he taught to move forward with my career. He emphasizes that we should invest in what we know. I can translate that to also pursuing what I know as a career. His specific point on this matter gives me a lot to think about moving forward. Money is not everything but it is important in life. If I can start out with the right ideas and ways to approach my relationship with money, I know I will end up further ahead than my peers who did not have the benefit of having read the book. ? Works Cited Get Real, Get Rich by Farrah Gray. Dutton Adult, December 2007.

The Complex Relationship Between Faith Essay Example for Free

The Complex Relationship Between Faith Essay The Complex Relation between Faith and Fate In the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, numerous themes present themselves to the reader. Irving uses the idea of the relationship of faith and fate to question whether or not faith directly shapes our fate, creating the idea that believing in God in a world with no faith completely absurd. As the novel unfolds, you begin to understand ‘special purpose’ each character serves can only be told in the way God decides. When Owen Meany is on stage portraying the ghost of Christmas yet to come he approaches the gravestone prop, stops, and suddenly faints. He later awakens, as the curtains fall only to realize that the name he read on the gravestone is his own. Scared, he knew he had been given a glimpse into his future. â€Å"It made (Owen) furious when I suggested that anything was an ‘accident’ – especially anything that happened to him; on the subject of predestination, Owen Meany would accuse Calvin of bad faith. There were no accidents. (Irving 66) Owen has a very strong sense of faith and believed that this directly affected his fate and the fates of others and because Owen believes he is an ‘instrument of God’ and that there are no accidents. Everything dealing with Owen is fated to occur. As did others in the novel, Sagamore, John’s mother (Tabitha), John’s grandmother, and others all become symbols of things foreshadowed to die because they los t their faith at some point throughout the novel. Another example of faith shaping fate is when Mr. Fish taught Owen and John to play football because he had no children of his own. Irving uses this biblical allusion to show how faith is directly tied to fate. Mr. Fish had given up hope in Owen’s ability to kick a football and this led to the fate of Sagamore because, those who lost their faith became ill willed or suffered a fate only destiny could have imagined, much like Sagamore and the diaper truck. As Owen Meany became ‘God’s instrument’ in the death of Sagamore, he also served the same role in taking the life John’s mother, Tabitha, who suffered the fate of a baseball to the head. But was this an accident of fate or was it a lack there of? At the end of the novel Rev. Merrill revealed to John that he was his father, and it was John, who in the end restored his faith. It however, was the death of Tabitha that caused his lack of faith. The Rev. Merrill believes that he caused her death because, he had wished for it. Or maybe, it is his fate, that Tabitha was destined to die. Owen Meany believed that there were no such things as coincidences and that fate is the ultimate reason. Irving wrote it this way to show how faith and fate are interconnected. Most people have faith that God decides what happens to you; this is fate. There were many people in this novel that lost their faith. John’s grandmother had lost her faith after John’s mother had died which, foreshadowed her death. And maybe Owen himself, who had confidence in John to believe in faith, fated that Owen too would become another victim of fate. Which makes us think, what is it that actually contains a story of religion and fate, are they linked, or are they two things we can never know together? However, one thing is certain, the belief that if faith is lost; fate will not be so kind. Works Cited Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. New York: Ballantine Books, 1990. Print

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Functionalist And Conflict Theory Sociology Essay

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Functionalist And Conflict Theory Sociology Essay Social and cultural theories are often used when studying and applying knowledge to sports. The theories in society often provide a framework for asking research questions, interpreting information and being able to uncover the deeper meanings and stories that are associated with sports, they also enable citizens in the society to become more informed so that we can apply what we have learned from the research and being able to apply it in the world that we live in. Theories also enable people to see things in new angles and perspectives and give us the ability to make informed decisions about sports and how sports participation can be used in our lives, communities, families and societies. The six main theories used in sport have many points and can overlap with each other but only two are going to be discussed in this study. The two theories chosen to compare are functionalist theory and conflict theory. Functionalist theory is a macro sociological theory that is based on the characteristics of social patterns, structures, social systems and institutions such as family, education, religion, leisure, the economy, media, politics and sport. If all these social institutions are organized and co-operate with one another around a set of core values functionalist theorists assume that the entire social system will function properly and efficiently. Society in functionalism has a view that it is an organized system of interrelated parts that are held together by shared values and established social arrangements that help maintain the system in being in a state of equilibrium and balance. When sociologists use functionalist theory they split it into two parts, the first concept of interdependent parts is all of the social institutions (media, religion, sports, politics and economics) and how they are linked together. In the tradition of Talcott Parsons and his conception of functional imperatives (goal attainment, adaptation, latency and integration) functionalists argue that there are four basic system needs for any society in sports (team, clubs etc) to run smoothly and that everyone will benefit. The four principles are Adaptation In order to survive in a society it is essential that members learn to adapt to changes in the social structure and culture. Another important element to survival is the emphasis on being physically fit as it is required for most sports. Goal Attainment This is the motivation of individuals to achieve societys goals through socially accepted means. Sport is preoccupied with tracking the success and failures of its participants however it also teaches participants that if they work hard enough it will lead to victory meaning success. Integration Sport promotes social connections between people and gives them the opportunity to co-operate with each other in a group and a community. It also provides a feeling of social identification as well as a source of personal identity. The society must keep itself together. Latency (pattern maintenance and tension management) Each system must maintain itself in a possible state of equilibrium for as long as it can without any outside disruptive influences. Many forms of pattern maintenance are provided by sport primarily through participation where the participants are taught to accept an authority structure that is well defined for example athletes knowing that referees have the authority over them to make sure they stick to the rules of the sport. Functionalist theory in sport generally leads to the conclusion that it is popular in society because it can maintain the values of character that help to preserve stability and order in social life. Functionalist theory also supports sporting policies that help and recommend the growth of competitive sport programmes, developing coaching education programmes, in the case of youth sport there is an establishment on criminal bureau checks and qualification checks on coaches before working with younger children. The theory also supports the establishment of training centres for elite athletes so they can maintain their top-level performance and making sure to have increased surveillance and drug testing so they are able to supervise and control the actions of athletes by preventing those taking drugs so they cant cheat their way to attaining a better sporting performance. People in society who have positions of power tend to favour functionalist theory as it is based on the assumption that society is organised for benefiting the people in that society of equality and that in any dramatic way it should not be changed. While functionalist theory is a popular approach it does have some weaknesses. The weaknesses of functionalist theory is that it tends to lead to exaggerated accounts of positive consequences of sports and sports participation however it mistakenly assumes that there are no conflicts of interests between the different citizen groups in society such as women, people with disabilities, racial groups and people who are economically poor in society yet it doesnt recognise that sport can privilege or disadvantage people more than others. The theory also ignores the powerful historical and economic factors that have influenced social events and social relationships. Functionalist theory is centered on the idea that there is a consensus in the values and norms of society and that social institutions found within a society are integrated and function together. In contrast conflict theory looks at the role of power and the inequality found throughout society and how sport is shaped by these economic forces and used by people with economical power to increase their influence and wealth. Conflict theory is based on the ideas of Karl Marx (1818 1883) which rose to importance during the 1970s because of the growing disenchantment with functionalist theory. This theory of Karl Marx views sports as being built on the foundations of economic power. In societys that are capitalistic you see that relationships and social arrangements are organised around wealth, money and economic power for example in the United States its easy to point out the owners of the sport teams as they are benefiting financially from the expense of elite athletes, the coaches that work alongside the athletes and the spectators who watch the sport. Like functionalist theory conflict theory is based on the assumption that society is like a social system however conflict theory focuses on the needs of capital rather than the general system needs. Theorists of conflict theory explain that a society which is capitalist will not be able to survive and grow without exploiting any workers for the sake of boosting financial profits; they also suggest that if radical changes are to be concluded in sport and society by prevailing justice and fairness they need to identify the negative consequences that sport has. Once these changes are made sport will become a source of creative energy, expression and physical well-being. People who live in capitalist economies are generally not comfortable with the assumptions and conclusions of conflict theory because they say it has a negative effect and does not fit into their ideas about society and sport as they feel uneasy with the conclusions of calling for radical change in the current organisat ion and structure that they already have. Much of conflict theory is directed at sports which are dominated by spectators. Conflict theorists if they had the choice they would increase the control that athletes and other sporting participants have to promote sport at local community level so that it benefits all classes of people rather than just all elite athletes. Meaning the working class would have more influence of sport than the rich class giving them more motivation for participation and eliminating profits. Many conflict theorists favour players unions that confront pro-team owners and are supporting organisations that help to guard against public tax money being used to benefit wealthy people. Ideally any public resources would be used to help aid sponsoring sports that are designed to improve physical fitness, political awareness and include placing the element of fun into activities. Conflict theorists (Leonard 1980; Rigauer2004) would also campaign for athletes at all levels to have representation with making dec isions about sport in organisations so Olympians would be able to vote on policy questions that concerned the staging of the Olympic Games. Conflict theory also has three major weaknesses. The first weakness is that the theory tends to ignore the possibility that sport in capitalist societies can and may involve experiences that give individuals and groups power. Conflict theorists talk about how sport is organised to maximise the control that wealthy people have over other members in a capitalist society. The conflict theory approach doesnt acknowledge that sport can take many forms of serving interests in the have-not society and denies that any participation in sport can be a personal creative and liberating experience that will inspire members of society to make economic changes that will help to promote equality in exiting capitalist societies. Secondly conflict theory ignores the importance of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age and many other factors when it comes to explaining how people want to identify themselves, how they relate to other members in the society and how they organise the social world in whi ch they live. Often its leading people to overlook the possibility that inequalities and power in any society are based on factors other than economic and social class differences. Thirdly the theory assumes that all aspects of social life are determined economically and is shaped by the needs of having capital in society and profit motive. Theorists of conflict theory focus on the assumptions that of economic factors when studying sport however they tend to overlook participation and recreational port for healthy living. Functionalist theory and conflict theory both focus on the needs of society and how sport can relate to the satisfaction of the system needs. The theories dont inform us about sport in everyday life and the ways in which people are active agents who are participating in the processes of sports and societies that are organised and changed. They both also ignore that sport and social constructions emerge in peoples everyday life when they struggle to decide what is important and how they are going to collect organisation in their lives.

Government Surveillance vs Personal Privacy Essay -- Costs of NSA Surv

Today, individuals are sacrificing privacy in order to feel safe. These sacrifices have made a significant impact on the current meaning of privacy, but may have greater consequences in the future. According to Debbie Kasper in her journal, â€Å"The Evolution (Or Devolution) of Privacy,† privacy is a struggling dilemma in America. Kasper asks, â€Å"If it is gone, when did it disappear, and why?†(Kasper 69). Our past generation has experienced the baby boom, and the world today is witnessing a technological boom. Technology is growing at an exponential rate, thus making information easier to access and share than ever before. The rapid diminishing of privacy is leaving Americans desperate for change. Privacy allows an individual the power of seclusion in order to shut anything in particular out. In today’s society the term privacy has generated several different interpretations. Thus creating a large grey area as well as numerous debates as to whether or not privacy has been violated. According to Kasper, â€Å"If privacy is to be understood, it must be examined from the inside, that is, from the standpoint of the experience of its invasion† (Kasper 75). Privacy is a very broad term today due to many fairly new meanings. In order to truly understand the real meaning of privacy it must be examined at a deeper depth; That is, to understand the victim of the invasion and the consequences in which he or she has suffered. This grey area of privacy has expanded even further as of result of the technological era that is currently growing larger. Privacy was previously only understood dealing with humans’ body and physical interactions. Not too long ago social networking and the Internet did not exist making it extremely difficult for indi... ...xford: Oxford University Press, Inc. 2011. Print. Kasper, Debbie. â€Å"The Evolution (Or Devolution) of Privacy.† Springer Vol. 20, No. 1 (2005): 69-92. Web. 22 Sept. 2015. Kaufman, Brett. â€Å"ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging NSA’s Patriot Act Phone Surveillance.† ACLU.org. ACLU, 11 June. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2015. â€Å"The Government Is Spying on Us Through Our Computers, Phones, Cars, Buses, Streetlights, At Airports And On The Street, Via Mobile Scanners And Drones, Through Our Smart Meters, And In Many Other Ways.† WashingtonsBlog.com. Word Press, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. Whitehead, John and Steven Aden. â€Å"Forfeiting â€Å"Enduring Freedom† for â€Å"Homeland Security†: A Constitutional Analysis of the USA Patriot Act and the Justice Department’s Anti-Terrorism Initiatives.† American University Law Review Vol. 51, No. 6 (June 2002): 1081-1133. Web. 2 Oct. 2015.