A Skittle of Milk Essay

â€Å"a skittle of milk† The metaphor, â€Å"skittle of milk,† is very effective. The inclusion of the detail of, â€Å"milk,† is particularly effective. The white colour of the milk reflects the purity and innocent mind of the persona. Highlighting that Duffy is in her youth and is inexperienced. The comparison of milk bottles to skittles is also effective. It reminds us of games played at school highlighting how innocent the poet was. This shows how enjoyable school was for the persona which helps draw in the reader into the poem through these common experiences. OPINION – Personally I feel that I could relate to this as I am familiar with the primary school environment. I feel Duffy’s use of the metaphor quite compelling. â€Å"The classroom glowed like a sweetshop.† The simile, â€Å"The classroom glowed like a sweetshop,† is comparing the class, what would be for a child , a colourful place: to a sweetshop. This creates a very positive about the classroom. The word, â€Å"glowed,† creates a very warm, colourful and comfortable atmosphere. It reflects the enthusiasm and delight that appeared on the children’s faces when they entered the room. They were thrilled and excited to be there. A sweetshop is usually the best place in the world to a child, and being there would create an excitement amongst friends. This emphasises how much the children loved being there and how magnificent this classroom was. OPNION – Reading this simile aroused my senses fully and let my mind remember how amazing sweet shops really were as a child, therefore developing my understanding of how much the young Carol Ann Duffy enjoyed her classroom. This is a really clever way of connecting with the reader. â€Å"Brady and Hindley faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.† The simile, â€Å"Brady and Hindley faded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake,† is very effective. The child murderers Brady and Hindley were horrifying and faded when they were alive. During Duffy’s childhood every single child would have been petrified of them. Their presence would have been felt due to the extensive media coverage of their crimes at the time. By saying, â€Å"faded like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake,† Duffy is suggesting the children were able to put them to the back of their minds when in the classroom. This emphasises the nurturing environment, â€Å"Mrs Tilscher loved you,† and the security felt in the class. This lets us know the teacher was a very protective and caring person, making the children feel no need to be insecure or afraid. OPINION – This is a very clear demonstration of the comforting environment many people experience in primary school. It’s also a very clever way of highlighting how much certainty the persona has that the teacher loves her, she feels welcome and important. â€Å"Laugh of a bell† The personification of the bell emphasises the positive experience the narrator has of school. The words, â€Å"running child,† demonstrate the sense of freedom and amusement children felt in primary school. It suggests keenness and eagerness of school emphasising the positive experience. The word, â€Å"laugh,† also highlights the merriment the children felt demonstrating the positive and cheerful atmosphere of the poem. However, the bell may also be a clever symbol that change awaits the poet and starts to include the sense of the poem within the poem. But, because the bell is being swung by a child it contrasts the bell which signifies lunch or break demonstrating the sense of freedom and joyous mood of the poem. OPINION – I feel that through this use of personification Duffy really sets the positive atmosphere of the poem and sucks in the reader through the  arousal of our senses. â€Å"inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks.† The metaphor, â€Å"inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks,† is very effective in getting the reader aware of the passage of time. The function of the exclamation mark is to highlight alarm and show that something unfamiliar is about to change. Of course Duffy here is referring to puberty and the beginning of adolescence. The word, â€Å"inky,† also reminds me of ink wells at school and how they spread across your page. This links to the unknown boundaries Duffy is about to experience. When tadpoles develop into frogs they is no resemblance between them. This relates to Duffy changing physically and shows signs of loss of innocence. OPINION – Duffy’s use of this metaphor has dramatic impact and allows the reader to relate to it as it is a part of life that everyone experiences. MEDUSA â€Å"grey bags of my lungs† The metaphor, â€Å"grey bags of my lungs,† is comparing the colour grey to the condition of her lungs. The word â€Å"grey† suggests something rotten, decayed, dirty and something that has a disgusting appearance. Next the word â€Å"bags† makes me think of something pathetic, deflated and something that is useless. This is effective in describing the conditions of medusa’s lungs – they are not very healthy, they aren’t functioning properly and are wasting away. This is because of her depression and how she is wasting away. OPINION – Personally I think Carol Ann Duffy’s use of the metaphor is very effective in conveying the state of her internally. It also arouses my sympathy towards medusa – it must be difficult dealing with her depression. â€Å"bullet tears in my eyes† The metaphor, â€Å"bullet tears in my eyes,† is comparing the power of her look to a bullet. The word, â€Å"bullet,† conveys something dangerous and harmful. Gives the sense that something is deadly. Next the word, â€Å"tears,† is reflecting Medusa’s emotions and suggests that she is vulnerable. But Medusa has no weakness as her tears (eyes) are deadly hence they are being compared to a, â€Å"bullet.† This reflects the power of Medusa’s eyes: they are a deadly weapon and can kill at the sight of them. It also allows me to connect with the poem as I too know what being upset feels like, it’s an ordinary human emotion. OPINION – In my opinion I think Carol Ann Duffy is very clever in revealing the fact that even though Medusa is crying she isn’t vulnerable. It links back to the condition of her, although she is depressed and heartbroken inside she isn’t weak or unable to defend herself. â€Å"Greek God† The metaphor, â€Å"Greek God,† is comparing the man she is deeply in love with to a Greek God. The phrase, â€Å"Greek God,† suggests the man she adores is perfect and is an Adonise, thus making him the most attractive and handsome man in all the land. It also makes him seem very powerful and heroic. He is an admirable figure to all the other men and people should aspire to be like him. The word, â€Å"perfect,† is also placed before the metaphor suggesting that Medusa’s lover has no flaw at all. However this is a contradiction to what she feels now. Since Medusa believed this man was, â€Å"perfect,† and was a man she felt strongly in love with, she finds it difficult to accept he isn’t actually perfect. As for him betraying her and going against her, she has started to realise the harm he has clearly caused her. Clearly this demonstrates how in love Medusa felt with this man which makes it easier to understand why she is in pain and feels sorrow over what has happened. OPINION – Personally, I think this is effective as it is easy to relate to. Everyone has that feeling, that someone special is perfect and like no other person in the world. But, in the end you are heartbroken when you find out it’s not true. â€Å"shield for a heart† The metaphor, â€Å"shield for a heart,† is comparing the ability of the man to express his emotion to a weapon of defence. Using the word, â€Å"shield,† suggests that the man is very defensive and isn’t capable of feeling the emotion of love. The fact he isn’t capable of this makes him quite arrogant. He is able just to go form girl to girl and not feel any regret or pain about leaving them. This image could also express that the man she is in love with isn’t open to feeling in love or is able to show it. He can’t open up and convey his emotions to other’s because he is so defensive. As well as this the image could also portray that her lover is very powerful and fearless because of his â€Å"shield for a heart.† Highlighting he is a very cold man and incapable of experiencing the feeling of real love. OPINION – I feel that this man is totally wrong. How could someone feel no love towards or very little love towards others? It’s disappointing that Medusa felt so strongly towards this man yet he cant return any feelings. â€Å"sword for a tongue† This metaphor, â€Å"sword for a tongue,† is comparing a weapon capable of killing someone to the strength and power of her lover’s words. They are able to hurt someone and cause great harm like the power of a sword. It demonstrates the harshness and sharpness of his words like the sharp blade of a sword. It also once again reflects how arrogant he is because he doesn’t realise how hurtful his words are to the woman who admires him in every way. OPINION – Duffy expresses this man’s arrogance very well. It makes me see how cruel and hurtful this man really is and personally Medusa has the right to feel that heartbroken and distraught at what’s happened to her. â€Å"Fire spewed from the mouth of a mountain† The personification of, â€Å"Fire spewed form the mouth of a mountain,† is a very  effective image. This is showing the extent of Medusa’s power as she was able to turn a dragon into a volcano. This is creating a very violent image which is reflecting the aggressiveness of Medusas’ acts on innocent creatures. Carol Ann Duffy, also uses the word â€Å"spewed† to highlight Medusa is so hurt and angered by what has happened to her. It creates a feeling of disgust within the reader. It also dramitifies everything that has happened to Medusa and once agai9n conveys her feeling of fury. OPINION – I feel sympathy towards Medusa at this point. She has been betrayed by the man she adored and was deeply in love with which has caused her to go on a killing spree of killing innocent creatures. STEALING â€Å"He looked magnificent; a tall, white mute beneath the winter moon.† Within stanza one there is a constant repetition of the letter ‘m’. This alliteration is a soft sound and creates an eerie atmosphere within the poem. It also creates an eerie feeling within the reader. This quiet sounding alliteration coupled with the single word sentence, â€Å"Midnight,† has a dramatic impact and sets a ghostly and frightening scene. The word choice of, â€Å"Midnight,† also emphasises the setting was late, and dark and was potentially a threatening time to be wondering around alone. This is an excellent way of setting the sinister tone of the stanza leading up to the first unusual theft. OPINION – I thought this was a very effective way of setting the atmosphere of the poem. It aroused suspense within me, I felt as though a chill pumped round my body and I was eager to read on. â€Å"A fierce chill piercing my gut.† In the second stanza Duffy makes clever use of the metaphor, â€Å"a fierce chill piercing my gut.† This is emphasising the cold and angry nature of the character. The words, â€Å"Fierce,† and, â€Å"Piercing,† both convey an inner pain  within the persona because of this violent language. Also continuing the threatening atmosphere that was created in the previous stanza. This suggests the boy is quite an aggressive person and this idea is confirmed later on in the poem. This aggression could possibly be a defensive consequence of the emotional pain he suffers inside. The character then goes onto say,† Life’s tough.† This is a very blunt statement which has a harshness behind it. He feels as though he is teaching others a lesson from his experiences. This conveys he may have had a tough, difficult and rough upbringing making him feel like an outcast from society. Again, the harsh tone comes across from this statement showing he had no sympathy or pity toward the people he was hurting. Emphasising how cruel and callous this person really is. OPINON – I found this metaphor to be particularly effective in revealing more about the persona in the poem. In a way it arouses sympathy towards the character because of the rough childhood he has probably experienced. However it doesn’t give him the right to harm others and cause them pain. â€Å"a mind as cold as the slice of ice within my own brain.† The simile, â€Å"a mind as cold as the slice of ice within my own brain,† conveys a person who is very numb to emotion and cold-hearted. It reveals that that the boy likes to think of himself as being unemotional and heatless. The internal rhyme, â€Å"slice of ice,†Ã¢â‚¬  starts to introduce painful images of the poem which expresses the anger and hate the character has inside him. At this point the snowman also seems to be a symbol for the cold and loneliness of the persona’s situation. The previous use of the word, â€Å"mate,† shows he craves for a companion with an ice-cold mind, which is unusual as friendship is usually associated with warmth. The boy is admitting that his brain is too full of ice that he cannot appreciate true friendship and that he is twisted inside revealing a lack of compassion. OPINION – Personally I think Duffy has really demonstrated how sometimes people do feel when they have had a tough life and feel alienated within society. It really allows me to imagine the twisted emotion and â€Å"thrill to  hurt† that goes on within this boy. â€Å"mucky ghost† The metaphor, â€Å"mucky ghost,† is very effective in expressing the persona’s isolation. The word, â€Å"ghost,† is very important. It creates a malevolent image emphasising the boy feels alienated. He is an invisible person who can meander through people’s homes leaving no traces. It feels as though he isn’t important and because he is an outcast he has to â€Å"steal† to prove his part in society. Ghosts are also things that are non-existent revealing that the persona might not even see himself as an ordinary person. This idea is confirmed at the end of the poem when he says, â€Å"You don’t even understand a word im saying, do you?† Reflecting that the boy feels like no-one can understand him, he is one of a kind and will always be an outcast. By mentioning ghost this re-establishes the ominous and frightening atmosphere shown in stanza one. Symbolising the isolation this character feels and the chilling setting of the poem. OPINION – I found the poets comparison very effective. The constant use of colours (white and blue) really vivifies the bitterness of the character and his heartless nature. â€Å"My breath ripped out in rags.† The metaphor, â€Å"my breath ripped out in rags,† is an aggressive image and reflects the cruelness and callousness of the persona. The word, â€Å"ripped,† highlights the violent language of the poem and has a dramatic impact on the reader making them feel the pain and chill inside the character. The alliteration and sibilance of the letter â€Å"s† again emphasises the harsh and callous nature of the boy. The line is also separated by enablement. This mimics his jerky, flustered, breathing pattern as he goes about the destruction of the snowman. The word, â€Å"rags,† is something withy no value. This echoes both the worthlessness of the persona and the worthlessness of the acts he is committing. He then says, â€Å"sick of the world.† This for me arouses sympathy as it is almost a cry for help and that he wants a better  life. He cant cope anymore with the isolation and this be the real reason behind the pointless thefts ands the anger within him. OPINION – I did feel empathy for the boy at this point in the poem as unless you know what being alienated feels like you cant understand how much internal pain it causes you. On the other hand taking it out on others is not fair and this creates dislike within me for the persona.

Sex Education Should Be Taught in Schools

Computer has become a very important part of our lives nowadays. During the past few years, computer has evolved in many ways and is probably without a doubt better than ever before. People are always trying to find something new that put in computer will improve our lives level. Computers can perform calculations much more quickly and accurately than humans. For example, modern computers can perform hundreds of millions of calculations per second. Large amounts of data can be stored in a small amount of space. For example, hundreds of pages worth of text can be stored on a 31?2inch floppy disk. Computers can work continuously and perform repetitive tasks well. Unlike their human counterparts, computers do not get bored or tire. Besides, information system has been with us for a long time, may be as the history of man him self. Then pencil and the clerk dominated the period around 1955. By today standard, data processing was very rudimentary for most organizations because i t was limited to only accounting system, payrolls etc to operate business for ex ample, order processing and invoicing but computer come along with changes. Businesses, and particularly the marketing aspect of businesses, rely a great deal on the use of computers. Computers play a significant role in inventory control, processing and handling orders, communication between satellite companies in an organization, design and production of goods, manufacturing, product and market analysis, advertising, producing the company newsletter, and in some cases, complete control of company operations. In today's extremely competitive business environment businesses are searching for ways to improve profitability and to maintain their position in the marketplace. As competition becomes more intense the formula for success becomes more difficult. Two particular things have greatly aided companies in their quests to accomplish these goals. They are the innovative software products and the World Wide Web. More and more manufacturing businesses are integrating some aspects of production, including inventory tracking, scheduling, and marketing. This idea, known as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), speeds processing of orders, adds to effective materials management, and creates considerable cost savings. In addition to designing and manufacturing a product, a company must be effectively able to advertise, market, and sell its product. Much of what passes for business is nothing more than making connections with other people. What if you could pass out your business card to thousands, maybe millions of potential clients and partners? You can, twenty four hours a day, inexpensively and simply on the World Wide Web. The computer is an incredibly tool. As long as we have a internet connection with computer, we are connected to the world. It is an international network that connects all websites and search engines to give us information, new, data and entertainment. In fact, it is a global library, newspaper, and entertainment centre rolled into one. How can we say that this is a bad thing? At the click of the mouse, we can get any information we want. We don’t have to go to the library to do it. Many local libraries do not have the resources that the computer has. We can also talk to anyone in the world as long as with internet connection , they allow people across the globe to communicate with each other, no matter at what time, via the use of email or any socials network. We do not have to write a letter, put it in an envelope with stamp and post it, waiting for weeks for a reply. Once we e-mail someone, that person get the message almost in instantly. When we use a chatroom, we can talk to anyone in the world. The last one advantage of Computer is faster document writing. We can safely say that is a good tool to us when we have to complete our homework, assignment, projects or research. Back-up copies of work can be made easily, without having to re-write everything, and keeping of records.

Mandatory Memo Essay

I am writing you this memo in compliance with the mandatory mediation requirements issued by the court. I would first like to state to you my stance in this case. I have been dealing with this particular vendor for about six months now. The business relationship started after my wife and I visited Mrs. Doe’s Sunday school class in Huntsville, Alabama. I was there in support of my wife and to explore the Christian religion, but in small talk Mrs. Doe informed me of her family’s grape vineyard and the value of a certain natural product they produced. My natural herb store was in need of some new products for my customers so I agreed to try Mrs. Doe’s product in my store. The muscatine products were a success so naturally I continued to place orders for the products by phone and paid the invoices as the money became available; at this point in the business relationship there was no written contracts signed between Mrs. Doe’s business and mine thus my understa nding is that our contract was of the implied variety, meaning that the action of my ordering and her supplying was the contract. After a few months I began hearing chatter about the popularity of muscadine grape products, and as a vendor I needed to get some legal documents locking down my business relationship Mrs. Doe’s vineyards before the price of the supply went too high. When I first started my company 2011, I remember reading a book about the laws of supply and demand. I remember reading that as the rise in demand grew the cost of the supply would grow as well. To refresh my memory I went back over that book and there it was in black and white â€Å"to make money within this cycle, get in early and get out early. That is, increase your supply as the demand starts to rise and cut your price as the demand starts to fall† (Ball K., Seidman. D 2011). Clearly our implied relationship was not going to be enough to keep me on top of this product increase, I knew whatever I was going to do I needed to do it fast. I had remembered that there as going to be a delivery coming from the vineyard that d ay so I typed up a quick contract that would set in place my current pricing and future deliveries as well. The contract was just a formality to  protect myself and my company, sure Mrs. Doe was a good Christian lady, but I was not convinced that Christianity and business had anything to do with one another. When Mrs. Doe’s son arrived with the delivery I asked the young man to sign the contract as, like I stated earlier, a formality for both companies. I had reviewed all aspects of the contract and did not perceive anything within the contract that was already out of our ordinary routine. I would call and place an order, Mrs. Doe would fill the order and deliver it to our establishment then within a month or so I would pay my invoice. Paying the invoice within 30-45 days gave me time to sell some of the product so that it virtually paid for itself. I was not aware of Mrs. Doe’s son’s age and since I was not expecting the business relationship to sour anytime soon, I did not think to ask if he was a legal adult. When I asked Mrs. Doe’s son to sign the contract he did not offer any information about his age either so in my defense what reason would I have to suspect otherwise. Once I learned of the Huffington Post’s article praising the value of muscadines I knew it was a matter of time before Mrs. Doe either opt to raise the price of her products, I never expected her to want to cancel our business transactions indefinite. I was sure by now that her some had disclosed the contract to his mother by now, it was pertaining to the family business and if he was competent enough to make the deliveries and assist his mother with the company then surely he was responsible enough to give her the contact that he had signed. When Mrs. Doe reveled to be that she was no longer going to supply me with the product I was surprised and angered, we had an agreement. Once Mrs. Doe informed me that she had no knowledge of the contract I immediately faxed the contract to her and then began researching my next legal steps. During my research of contract law I discovered a publication that highlighted all the legal aspects of binding legal contracts. There are several reasons that I judge may rule a contract unenforceable, one of which relates to nondisclosure due to lack of capacity, this immediately required more study. According to the publication â€Å"It’s expected that both (or all) parties to a contract have the ability to understand exactly what it is they are agreeing to. If it appears that one side did not have this reasoning capacity, the contract may be held unenforceable against that person. The issue of capacity to contract usually comes up when one side of the agreement is too young or does not have the  mental wherewithal to completely understand the agreement and its implications† (Stim 2000). I knew that Mrs. Doe would try to use her son’s age as a reason not to honor the contract. I personally believe that if Mrs. Doe actually had no knowledge of the contract it was due to her son’s deception thus proving he had full capacity when he signed the contract. I cannot contest to how thi s legal matter will change my thought process about Christianity. I do not see that Mrs. Doe’s attempt to dishonor our contract as an immoral act. When Mrs. Doe first contacted me I was angry and started to see her breach of contract as a flaw in her moral compass but then I read a passage in another publication I had researched. The aurthor stated that â€Å"a tension exists between the felt sense that wrong has been done when contracts are broken and the actual operation of the law† (Porat, A., & Ben-Shahar, O. 2010). I believe that I have to separate this lack of good judgment in Mrs. Doe’s case from my evaluation of God and Christianity, in doing so I must also take full advantage of my legal rights as a business owner. In order for my business not to suffer from this attempt to breach the contract either Mrs. Doe must honor the contract until the end or she must pay me for the damages that would be associated with the vineyard canceling our agreement, anything less would be unacceptable and a I will continue forward with my lawsuit. Ball, Madeline K.; Seidman, David. (2011). Dollars and Sense: Supply and Demand. Rosen Central. Retrieved 8 February 2015, from Porat, A., & Ben-Shahar, O. (2010). Fault in American Contract Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stim, R. (2011). Contracts: The essential business desk reference. Berkeley, CA: Nolo.

Profile Of An Adult Numeracy Learner

PA is attending an adult numeracy class because he was sent by his employer. His employer completed his Level 2 National Test last year and is now insisting that all his employees follow suit. Non-completion will result in no promotion and no annual pay rise Initial assessment The key implications here are that PA is currently working at Entry Level 3 in most numeric areas. He should be able to increase his ability level and undertake Level 1 without too many problems. However he needs to achieve Level 2 in order to gain his pay rise and promotion so this will put him under a lot of preasure and additional stress. According to Tennant (1988), PA, as a 36 year old, is in his midlife transitional period and will be â€Å"Adopting a changing time perspective and revising career plans†; this can be substantiated as PA is attending a numeracy course because of changes that are taking place at work. His employer has stated that the course must be completed and the Level 2 National Test must be passed or PA will not receive a promotion or his annual pay rise. This is an unusual situation, as according to Charnley & Jones (1987), â€Å"Getting a pay rise as a direct result of tuition is extremely rare†. Patterns of adult learning reflect class divisions in society and the different expectations and perceptions resulting from those divisions. Factors such as social class, gender and race impact on decisions to learn, as each is associated with particular cultural pressures and norms. According to Maslow (1973) once physiological needs have been met safety or security becomes predominant. In other words, there is a need for self-preservation and a common concern for the future e. g. , will we be able to maintain our property and our job in order to provide shelter and food tomorrow and the next day? It is likely that this is the stage PA is at particularly as he knows that if he does not pass the relevant exams he will not get a pay rise or promotion. Peer and reference group influences can also be extremely strong (Evans, 2000). People who are habitual learners tend to belong to groups where education is seen as a normal activity. They also tend to be involved in other forms of social participation. Non-learners belong to groups for whom engaging in learning is not part of normal behaviour – this is certainly true of PA who would not have engaged initially in numeracy earning through his own choice, and who, until recently would not engage in any social activity e. g. attending a school fund raising evening. Among male manual workers, for example, there is a strong culture of group conformity and solidarity. To engage in education that is not immediately job-related is seen as what women or children do and is, therefore, not a masculine activity (McGivney, 1996). Social class continues to be the key discriminator in understanding participation in learning. Over half of all upper and middle class (AB) respondents are current or recent learners, compared with one-third of the skilled working class (C2) and one quarter of unskilled working class people and people on limited incomes (Gallup Survey 1996). However, what and how much is learned can be influenced by the learner's motivation (NIACE, 1997) and, from my own experiences within the post-compulsory education sector, I would have to agree with this. However, motivation to learn could be, in turn, influenced by an individual's emotional states, beliefs, interests and goals, and habits of thinking. PA's current, positive, beliefs about himself as a learner and the nature of learning appear to have had a marked influence on his motivation. It could be said that the rich internal world of thoughts, beliefs, goals, and expectations for success or failure may enhance or interfere with the learner's quality of thinking and information processing. Motivational and emotional factors may also influence both the quality of his thinking and information processing as well as his individual motivation to learn. Positive emotions, such as curiosity, generally enhance motivation and facilitate learning and performance. Mild anxiety can also enhance learning and performance by focusing the learner's attention on a particular task. However, intense negative emotions (e. g. , anxiety, panic, rage, insecurity) and related thoughts (e. g. , worrying about competence, ruminating about failure, fearing punishment, ridicule, or stigmatising labels) generally detract from motivation, interfere with learning, and contribute to low performance (Evans, 2000). This could be seen during PA's recent Numeracy Level 1 National Test when he experienced mild anxiety, but was extremely motivated and positive about the experience and his ability – and he passed first time! Motivation is, therefore, not a simple issue, since individual motives and action are strongly affected by where people are located (socially, culturally and spatially) and the constraints or incentives that operate on their choices (NIACE). PA blames his current lack of knowledge and qualifications in numeracy on his underachievement at school. If we look more closely it becomes apparent that, because of his age, PA would have been attending school during the 1970's and 1980's. It was during this time that the early underachievement of boys first became evident, as large scale studies of children's achievements at Primary school pointed to the fact that girls consistently out-performed boys (Myers, 2000). Therefore there was a shift away from public concern about girls' achievement to boys' achievement, or underachievement, at school in exams. The concern about ‘boys' underachievement' has been characterised in educational policy initiatives at national, local and school levels, most significantly in the imposition of the national literacy and numeracy strategy (Barrs and Pidgeon 1998). However, overall improvements in achievement are often ignored and gender differences are ascribed to the detrimental effects of ‘the feminisation of teaching' (Epstein et al, 1998). The concern for boys' underachievement was highlighted by Murphy and Elwood (1998) who argued that improvement in female achievement is not shared by girls from low socio-economic backgrounds and may not be apparent in some subjects. Similarly, Epstein et al (1998) questioned the global application of the category of boys' underachievement' by asking, ‘†¦ hich boys? At what stages of education? †¦ according to what criteria? ‘ We could say that by definition, gender roles are the social norms that dictate what is socially appropriate male and female behaviour (Tobias, 1997), and are part of the socialisation process of human beings. These roles are also influenced by each individual's cultural and economic background (Tobias, 1997). It could be said that gender roles influence women and men in virtually every area of life, including family and occupation. This is certainly true for PA, who feels that it is his duty to provide for his family and to have the greater earning capacity regardless of his lack of formal qualifications. Everyone recognises that there are significant differences between male and female, even if they are only physical. However, others see not only the physical but also the social, emotional and intellectual differences. In addition there is belief that, by the age of sixteen, females have matured more than boys by up to as much as two years (Skelton, 2001). This could mean that girls have an advantage by viewing exams in a far more responsible way and recognising the seriousness and importance of the academic and career choices in the future. PA agrees with this as he did not take his schooling seriously and, quite possibly due to the fact that PA knew he was underachieving and he was unmotivated, he left school at 16 with no formal qualifications. He has only recently started to regret his actions. The figures from the 1996 Gallup survey could also be used to illustrate this as more adult men (25%) are currently learning compare to adult women (21%). Now that he is within the adult education sector, PA appears to see learning numeracy as a process of liberation. This may be because PA now feels that the educational process is not static and that his learning is a cultural action for freedom. It no longer involves one person teaching another, but rather people working with each other to ensure each individual reaches their potential. This was also the understanding of Bruner (1973), who suggested that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas based upon their current / past knowledge. Adult learners also appear to be more receptive to learning if there is a context to the learning. Teaching adults numerical skills which ‘transfer' means exposing â€Å"students to different contexts which have the same mathematical content† (Rees and Barr, 1984) e. g. electrical work, decorating, shopping or linked to employment. This is certainly true for PA who works better, and appears to have a deeper understanding, when he can see there is a relevance and context to what he is learning. According to Bruner (1973), the teacher and student should engage in active dialogue and the task of the teacher is to translate information to be learned into a format appropriate to the learners' current state of understanding. During numeracy there are so many ways of doing and explaining one thing, one example would be the various descriptions used for the actions of ‘add' and ‘subtract', another example would be the various methods of teaching long multiplication. In addition, Bruner (1973) stated that the curriculum should be organised in a spiral manner, so that the student continually builds upon what they have already learned, â€Å"The concept of prime numbers appears to be more readily grasped when the learner, through construction, discovers certain handfuls of beans cannot be laid out in completed rows and columns† (Bruner, 1973). When working with PA, as for all my learners, I ensure that I question his current method and understanding of each numeric topic before I go into the topic in depth. This way I am constantly building on his current knowledge and understanding. A high percentage of the learners at Rochford Adult Community College are White British and PA falls into this group, ‘Rochford has one of the lowest ethnic minority populations, well below half of the national average' (Rochford District Council, 2005). However, according to the Home Office's Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, the United Kingdom is a changing society and these socio-economic changes are reflected in our growing cultural and ethnic diversity. These changes bring many gains, but sometimes there are tensions and divisions that may lead to fracturing within, and across, local areas and communities. However, whatever the nature of community divisions, the basis of the solution is often the same; community cohesion. The Home Office's Commission for Racial Equality, 2002, suggests that community cohesion may be achieved by raising awareness and understanding and developing shared values with mutual trust and respect. The Home Office describes a cohesive community as one where there is common vision, a sense of belonging, where diversity is valued and where there are similar life opportunities with â€Å"†¦ strong and positive relationships being developed between people from different backgrounds†¦ in colleges and in schools†¦ † (www. homeoffice. gov. uk, 2003). This is also the ethos of Essex County Council and consequently Castle Point and Rochford Adult Community College (www. essexcc. gov. uk, 2005).

McDonald’s Organizational Structure

In 1940, Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonalds Bar-B-Q restaurant in San Bernardino, California. McDonalds offered hamburger, cheeseburgers, soft drinks, coffee, potato chips, and pie, which their big seller at that time was their 15-cent hamburger. McDonald’s achievement is constructed on the groundwork of personal and professional integrity. In 1955, a businessperson named Ray Kroc purchased the company from Richard and Maurice and began to take the company to new heights.Over the years McDonalds grew bigger and bigger and became what it is today which is the world’s largest food service retailer with over 30,000 locations in 119 countries. Below will outline McDonalds as a corporation and the organizational structure they have within the company. Functions of McDonalds McDonald’s has over 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries which most of the restaurants are normally franchises; which they all obtain their food and packaging from the same offi cial vendors worldwide.With that said, every McDonald’s organizational structure is the same so a McDonalds in the United States is the same as a McDonalds in China which all of the important decisions comes from the corporate level in the United States. McDonalds believe their success is based on their business model, which is represented by a stool with three legs, which are owner/operators, suppliers, and company employees. McDonalds has not been always the giant in the industry in an annual customer satisfaction study, McDonald’s was scored dead last among fast-food restaurants since 1992.In the fourth quarter of 2002, McDonalds has disclosed its first-ever quarterly loss, one reason why McDonald’s is struggling is that the consumers began to switch to its competitors, such as Burger King, Wendy’s, and Subway (Han, 2008). These other companies emphasized on giving customers fresher, hotter, better quality foods at lower price along with faster service than McDonalds. With that being said McDonalds made the decision to close over 700 restaurants because they were performing inadequately.When this happened, the corporate team was thinking that they might not be competitive anymore within the fast food industry. The major competitors of McDonalds are Burger King and Wendy’s, who their structures are not much different from McDonalds because they are ran the same from a corporate standpoint. Burger king along with Wendy’s has multiple locations around the world but where McDonalds has, the upper hand is they having more franchises around the world than both Wendy’s and Burger King put together.With along the companies having the same structure they all have different views on how they run their businesses. One thing is for sure that each company’s decisions starts at the top and works the way down the change to each individual store or restaurant. McDonalds believes the best people lead to the best busine ss results (McDonalds Corporate). McDonalds wants to guarantee that they have the best leaders that can move McDonald’s into the future.Over the decade, McDonalds has strategically improved their efforts and investments in talent management, from applying a reliable and precise talent planning process at their own learning academy, which is Hamburger University. These investments are part of a complete worldwide talent management strategy to ensure they have high-performing, dedicated leaders, a diverse pool of candidates for the future and a culture that both requires and supports learning and development (McDonalds Corporate).In the Marketing, function of McDonalds they are dedicated to communicating responsibly, along with they would like to use their brand to make a difference in everyone’s lives. For years, McDonald’s global marketing strategy has helped ensure that their advertising and marketing is clear, appropriate and that it addresses all ages from ch ildren to adults. To McDonald’s, the most vital tactical method for sustaining their leading position is to preserve their major markets while at the same time increase their business into the other developing markets.However, different consumer groups in different countries may have very different tastes and/or requirements (Han, 2008). Therefore, each full operating geographic unit of McDonald’s was required to solely responsible for producing and marketing its products in that region. Through this regional structure, McDonald’s could not only satisfy the local consumers’ needs in different geographical areas but also pursuing ‘maximum local development’ (Han, 2008). In fact, each McDonalds produces and markets somewhat different kinds of products in different areas, along with they even have different prices.McDonalds Competitors McDonald’s organizational structure is a little different from most companies because McDonalds has so m any different franchises around the world but the best structure that suits McDonalds I think is the centralized structure because McDonalds needs to make sure that control is supported through all of their franchises. McDonalds needs to guarantee that customer experience and quality is consistent at every McDonalds is maintained. At each location McDonalds has managers, assistant managers, and crewmembers.For the bigger decisions such as marketing and advertising, these decisions, come from the corporate headquarters and then are passed down to each store. For example, if the marketing department is promoting a new product, they will test it out at a couple locations and if the new product is a hit with customers, they will have that product at every location. This is why customers see new products on the menu only for a limited time because corporate headquarters is testing the product in different geographic areas.At McDonalds, each department has a particular job function and th is allows McDonalds to be so successful around the world. In conclusion, for 72 years McDonalds has been growing bigger and bigger to become one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world. McDonald’s achievement is constructed on the groundwork of personal and professional integrity. Although each franchise may have different menu items to suit, different customer needs.All the stores are run from one place in the United States, which is the corporate headquarters and here is where the men and women plan their next move to bring McDonalds to new heights around the world. Hundreds of millions of individuals around the world trust McDonald’s restaurants. McDonalds win that trust everyday by serving safe food, respecting our customers and employees and delivering outstanding Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (McDonalds Corporate). I believe that Richard and Maurice would be proud of what has become of their vision, which was to give individuals in San Bernard ino, California a nice quick meal.

The Roaring 20's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Roaring 20's - Essay Example The US senate also rejected to agree the Treaty of Versailles which formally ended WW1 and provided for the creation of the Group of Nations. The Senate decided to reject the Treaty from the fear it may lead to the engagement of the US in future European conflicts. Americans merely do not need to cope with, nor tolerate the issues of Europe and overseas. (Pietrusza 5-10) As soon Americans place war just behind their minds that helped them to neglect the issues of European matters, and concentrate on the nation, their area, and themselves. American citizens identified themselves in a time of change, both the socially and culturally. Several think that values had crumbled entirely. Prior to The First World War, females wore their hair lengthy, had dresses touching their ankles, and very long silk cotton stockings. In the 20s, they put on shorter, tight clothes, and folded their silk tights right down to their knees. They wore fancy lip gloss and various makeup products. Ultimately, lad ies were even allowed the right to votein nineteenth Amendment. Women were never considered as an important part of the society up to that period, in American society. As soon as the women had the authority to vote, they didn't merely sit back again. The ladies of 20's worked for equal rights for both males and females in community (Pietrusza 10-15) On other hand there were numerous problems running rampant in the whole country after results of World war. Most of all Red Scare issue appeared to be the greatest problem raised. Red Scare that was noticed as a foreign communist conspiracy which was held responsible for numerous protest actions and union exercises in the years of 1919 and 1920. A lot of Americas additionally kept an eye on the growing actions of the Klu Klux Klan who were involved in terrorizing people from other countries including blacks, Jews as well as Roman Catholics. (Pietrusza 25-35) Books, fine art, and new music also mirrored the nations altering values. There were a lot of well-known writers, playwrights, music artists and performers which left their tag in the 20s. Sinclair Lewis published Main Street (1920), which reflects what he thought to be the boring lives and narrow oriented behaviors of individuals in a little town. One of the very best American authors to come up from the 20s was Ernest Hemingway. The most noted appreciated works of Hemingway includes "In to the trees" and "Across the trees" .A lot of Hemingway's best works delivered the conduct and encounters of the era's so named "last generation." During the 20's, Jazz was getting very famous. Whenever the turntable was switched on, Americans simply just had to party. It was a fresh experience of enjoyment, and satisfaction which arrived together with the origins of jazz tracks in USA. With jazz getting major, Americans move far from classic music and dancing and began discovering other kinds of new music for example jazz. The pleasant, light, simple sensation associated wit h jazz tunes was just an addition of American emotions through the 20's; wondrous and totally free spirited. (Pietrusza 40-43) Radio also popped the gates for innovative enjoyment for example evening programs for viewers to hear to. Mothers and fathers and their kids would remain close to the radio tuning in to such nightly funny shows as "Amos

Ecotourism in the UK Tourism Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ecotourism in the UK Tourism Market - Assignment Example In this regard, the dimension of eco-tourism has gained relevance in the global market in the past few decades. It has its relevance primarily in the niche market and is trying to gain sustainable development. Ecotourism is different from the other forms of travelling as it focuses on conserving natural areas by sharing knowledge and educating the people about the benefits of these resources. Ecotourism as per the researchers is interested in wasteland locations and pristine areas. Ecotourism creates benefits by travelling in natural areas and exhibiting education to the people (Wood, 2002). However, the approach of ecotourism might neither be able to replace the existing tourism activities nor will it be able to sustain the competitive market. This essay intends to evaluate relevance of the eco-tourism and its failure in the United Kingdom through appropriate examples. In addition, the potential and role of ecotourism in the UK and the form through which it can be administered will also be determined. Ecotourism It is a ‘nature- based’ tourism which is an effective tool for the development of environment by appreciating and adoring the natural resources without disturbing it. It is an important form of travelling as it is effective in educating the people regarding the conservation of the natural areas. ... A few of the new tourism areas which have come into relevance due to ecotourism are the desert areas and tropical areas which are poor and underdeveloped. The eco-tourism explores areas which are rich in heritage and encompasses the protected landscape for the purpose of travelling. These areas can be the national parks and castles as well (Wood, 2002; The International Ecotourism Society, 2000). One of the key issues with respect to ecotourism is that anyone can use the name to promote its tourism as it has no rules and restrictions on its use. It is used for the purpose of marketing without really exploring the natural areas and at times its name is misused for the promotion of tourism industry (Wood, 2002). Ecotourism Not Promoted As a Major Sector in the UK Tourism Market The key problem that is associated with ecotourism in the United Kingdom includes a lack of destination which is left unexplored by the tourism industry. Moreover, the UK has less natural areas such as forests a nd deserts which can be discovered and explained by educating people through tourism. Also, the UK is unable to satisfy the standards of the small scale tourism which is orthodox in nature. The increasing population of the UK is also affecting the presence of eco-tourism as the number of the natural areas is reducing with the rise in the habitants. According to statistics, it is estimated that the population of the UK might increase by nearly 4.3 million by 2018 which would affect ecotourism (Office for National Statistics, 2013). In terms of another crucial determinant, it can be affirmed that the demography of a country also influences the ecotourism to a certain extent. The main tourists of ecotourism are youngsters, mid-aged