Groups and their functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Groups and their functions - Essay Example These mannerisms can be likened to an informal set of rules, as they are unwritten and used purely for socializing purposes. This implies that such mannerisms are unanimously agreed upon through a process of coordinating behavioral patterns of the individuals that make up a group. Over time, the groups they belong in because of the similar mannerisms shared judge members of a group. Individuals within a group will subconsciously behave according to the norms of the group they belong to, even when they are not interacting with the group members. This is because they have become accustomed to do so; however, this is determined by factors such as amount of time spent with the group and commitment to purpose of the group. In an organizational set up, work groups are established to fulfill tasks, create a chain of command and share responsibilities and duties. Out of these three primary purposes of forming a group, it is clear that the preceding purpose will result in a temporary group. An individual within such a group is not likely to ‘lose’ their identity, as interaction with the group is short-lived thus cannot have such an impact (Griffin and Moorhead, 2010). The other crucial factor that managers should consider to achieve maximum productivity from groups is size. The number of people comprising a group determines how all the individuals interact with each other. This therefore, means a new dynamic is created whenever a new member is brought into a group. The new dynamic arises from the fact that level of interaction differs, where two people will hold a conversation easily because of a shared topic of interest. However, when a third person comes in they have to choose between either of the two individuals and pick a topic that will relate to them. This is known as social advantage where a coalition is formed to create cohesion. From this perspective, one can argue that a small group is more likely to gel

External and internal environments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External and internal environments - Assignment Example Likewise a course of action is enumerated that helps Apple overcome its primary weakness and bypass its biggest threat. A modest attempt is made to understand the resources, capabilities and core competencies of the company. Finally, a value chain analysis of Apple has been conducted to identify the linkages between different primary and secondary activities and also understand how the interaction between these activities leads to sources of competitive advantage. The general environment includes political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal aspects. The technological environment and economic environment of Apple have been discussed in the ensuring paragraphs. Apple operates in a highly competitive and dynamic business environment. The American multinational has developed some immensely popular gadgets like the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod. The company has also diversified into related software applications, operating systems and a variety of accessory and support offerings. Some of the recent innovations from the company include the iTunes Store, iBooks Store and iCloud (Apple, 2014). The technological environment has a monumental affect on the business operations of Apple. The fast rate of change in technology has the potency to render Apple’s products obsolete. The company’s offerings tend to have a short product life cycle as customers demand state-of-the-art products. It is for this reason that Apple has launched numerous generations of the iconic iPhone. Apple recognizes the impact of technological environment on its business and has made new product development central to its business strategy. The company spends a lot of money on research and development (R&D) which helps it in developing innovative products from time to time. Apple spent $ 4,475 million on R&D in 2013, up 32 percent from $3,381 million incurred on R&D in 2012 (Apple,

Cheap Food, Poverty and Obesity -- Is there a Correlation Essay

Cheap Food, Poverty and Obesity -- Is there a Correlation - Essay Example s levels is mostly consumed by deprived communities and individuals due to inability to access affordable healthy food, cheap junk food has high starch, calorie and fats contents which is taken to the blood streams and go directly to build adipose tissues in the body hence accumulation of facts which leads to obesity. Deprived people are known not to take concerns on exercises which help in burning down the calories in the body. Additionally, individuals in impoverished regions have poor access to fresh food like vegetables which have fiber which helps in digestion of fats hence its excretion from their bodies. Poor countries have the greatest sedentariness. Sedentary individuals move more two hours per day which is less than active individuals and hence expend less energy making them prone to obesity and chronic metabolic diseases. Consumption of semi processed or unprocessed food which is not fresh which carries a lot of calories that when taken builds up the fat content in the bod y which include sugars bread and other cheap milk products. When this research began, the question was whether or not, â€Å"a correlation existed between people, who ate at fast food restaurants, poverty, and obesity†. The development of the paper exposed many factors leading to obesity without fast food being the major contributor. There are a number of reasons why people are obese or heading for obesity. Environment or heredity can be contributors as well as the lack of physical activity, becoming sedentary, over use of technology; watching television, driving as opposed to walking, and failing to exercise. People have developed heart disease and may also develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and additional health problems when lifestyle changes occur and obesity sets in. In America’s cities, there is a fast food establishment on many corners. At a young age, children begin eating fast food because of the convenience, propaganda involved, and the cost. There are many people

International and domestic air transportation services Essay Example for Free

International and domestic air transportation services Essay Introduction The Qantas group operates international and domestic air transportation services for leisure and business traveling, freight and logistics services .It is also provides support activities including information technology, catering ground handling, engineering and maintenance. Qantas with its dual strategy brand Jetstar flies now to more than 173 destinations in 42 countries and operates a fleet of 246 aircraft. The objective of this airline is to operate a 20-strong airbus 380 fleet by 2015.The group is also a part of the world global marketing and code-sharing alliance, which consists of 11 leading airlines. Qantas’ stakeholders are its shareholders, employees, customer, business partners and the community. Indirect stakeholders include the media, governments and non-government organizations. They all have a major influence on the business, its strategy and therefore its performance. It is to mention that Qantas group is in the unique position of having two outstanding and well established brands in both the premium and low fares categories with Qantas and Jetstar, which makes it a magnitude rival for Singapore Airlines. The headquarters of Qantas is located in New South Wales, Australia. It is split up into three main branches which include the Flying business, flying services Businesses and the Associated Services. All departments of this group have focused on one goal and that’s nothing except ensuring high quality service in most efficient way. But they long term purpose is to operate the world’s best premium airline, Qantas, and the world’s best low fare s carrier, Jetstar. Body Comprehensive Porters 5 forces analysis Nowadays, Porter’s Five Forces model is the most important force which affects the Airline industry, especially because the market is completely saturated. There are more service providers than needed in both local as well as international markets (GreenBb, 2008). The airlines continuously compete against each other in terms of customer services, technology, prices, in-flight entertainment, and many more areas (GreenBb, 2008). Actually, Porter’s Model is a business strategy tool which is used to analyze the competitiveness and attractiveness of the airline industry of which Qantas operates. It is considered as an important part of planning tool set (Kawatra, 2013).Its analysis consists of 5 fundamental competitive forces: The rivalry among existing players: Medium to High Qantas is faced with competition within the domestic airline industry in Australia from Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways and international competition from all major airline operators including British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa (all three airline operators are national flagship carriers). The fierce rivalry has resulted in high cost of competition, lower profits and slow market growth. Bargaining power of Suppliers: Medium The main factors which determine the bargaining power of suppliers include switching costs, substitute suppliers, threat of backward and forward integration and supplier concentration. The airline supplier market for aircrafts is very concentrated as there are two main suppliers, Boeing and Airbus. Their bargaining power is high in this industry (GreenBb, 2008). This restricts Qantas, along with its competitors, from exercising control over their suppliers to generate higher profit. Threat of Substitutes: Low The threat of alternative solution to international airline travel is somehow limited. However, the threat for domestic airline travel includes train, bus or car travel which is determinants of money, preference, time and convenience of the traveller. The ease of switching to a substitute increases competition (xiamichael, 2012). Hence, when switching cost is relatively low, the competition becomes higher and price becomes even more important. The airline industry is very competitive and as a result, profit margins are usually low. Also, the bargaining of the supplier is very high which undermines companies in the airline industry to exercise control over their supplier. With high entry cost, new competition into the international airline market is very low. Qantas can continue to dominate this market while still competing with domestic market using the Frequent Flyer programme increase loyal customer. Threat of new entry: Low In the world today, the airline industry is so saturated that there is hardly space for a newcomer even to squeeze its way in. The biggest for this is the cost of entry. The high cost of buying and leasing aircraft; operational activities including safety and security measures, customer service and manpower; makes the airline industry one of the most expensive industries (Q.G). Other barriers to entry which will prohibit new comers into the airline industry include Government restrictions and the brand name of existing airlines. Brand name recognition and frequent fliers point also play a role in the airline industry. An airline with a strong brand name and incentives can often attract a customer even if its prices are higher. On the other hand, a newcomer could just enter this saturated market easier with a completely new concept or technology (GreenBb, 2008). Bargaining power of Buyer: Medium to Decline The bargaining power of buyers is another force that can affect the competitive position of a company. The airline industry is very competitive as they are competing for the same passengers and switching cost between airline operators is low. As a result, the buyer power is high in this industry. There are various choices presented to customers; which usually means brand loyalty or price is the main factors when selecting an airline (Q.G). Buyers for Qantas include business travelers, leisure travelers, and travel agents. In fact, they demand value for every dollar spent, therefore they expect more and more from the airline. Qantas has the frequent flyer program which rewards loyal customers and increases switching costs for a passenger selecting a rival airline operator. Add to this, the technology developments help the Qantas to reduce the buyer power (xiamichael, 2012). Conclusion The airline industry is very competitive and as a result, profit margins are usually low. Also, the bargaining of the supplier is very high which undermines companies in the airline industry to exercise control over their supplier. With high entry cost, new competition intothe international airline market is very low. Qantas can continue to dominate this market while still competing with domestic market using the Frequent Flyer program increase loyal customer. Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| Threat Rating| Key Rational| Rivalry Among Existing Competitors | Degree of seller concentration?| Y-H| There are more airline companies as compared to the customers’ requirement, that’s why this market is saturated.| Y-H| Top class air lines are also now focusing on the lower price to gain maximum market share.E.g. Qantas has initiated jet star. | Rate of industry growth?| Y-H| Yes, it’s growing but the substitute factors also make it very hard to maintain that growth rate. And also there is Lack of diversification| Y-H| In future It would be same as it is according to today’s forecasting.| Significant cost differences among firms?| Y-H| Major costs and expenses are same but it depend on the destination airline is operating.| Y-H| Same trend will continue.| Excess capacity?| Y-H| There is immense competition in airline industry that leads to excessive capacity as compared to demand. | Y-H| Customers’ growth will be overcome by the competitors’ competition. | Degree of product differentiation among sellers? | Y-M| Qantas has both high cost carrier as well as low cost carrier.| Y-L| Innovation and technology will lead to new opportunities to the airline industry.| Brand loyalty to existing sellers?| Y-H| There is no brand loyalty by the customer because of price competition in the industry.| Y-H| Same trend Will Remain as it is.| Buyers’ costs of switching from one competitor to another?| Y-H| Just one click for changing the airline from thei r computer screen.Most of customers change the airline on the bases of price factor| Y-H| No change in near future.| Strengths of exit barriers?| Y-H| because of high capital cost for equipment (air planes) and other facilities there would be a huge waste.| Y-M| Some factor like technology might help to reduce the cost| Can firms adjust prices quickly?| Y-H| Of course with considering price strategies they would adjust.| Y-H| Same costing strategies.| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Threats of New Entrants | Significant economies of scale? | Y-M| It would cost a lot to buy/lease an aircraft| Y-H| The costs of buying or leasing aircrafts are decreasing. | Importance of reputation or established brand in purchase decision?| Y-H| The competition is based on price| Y-H| The competition is based on price| Entrants’ access to distribution channels?| Y-H| High accessibility to lots of websites and application would make it much easier and also There are flight centers and travel agencies| Y-H| With the fast growing technology it will open even more doors through the accessibility to distribution channels| Entrants’ access to technology/know how?| Y-M| professional courses which could make it possible to learn how to use the technology| Y-L| The number of skilled labor would decrease| Entrants’ access to favorable location?| Y-H| All the firms operate from airports.| Y-H| All firms operating from airports.| Government protection of incumbents?| Y-M| There should be some government regulation But it still going to be attainable| Y-L| More regulation would be needed in order to make the environment more secure and safe| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Pressure From Substitutes | Availability of close substitutes?| Y-M| Tele conference, online chats and VOIP could replace the be exactly at the place Also for short distances it could be replaced with railways, buses, personal transportation.But still it could be the best choice for long distance and international traveling and also the fastest way.| Y-H| Their impact becomes significant when the speed advantage of aircraft becomes less important| Price-value characteristics of substitutes?| Y-M| They are all the same, even sometimes it could cost more| Y-H| Substitutes’ costs will decrease while airline costs are relatively fixed.| Availability of close complements?| Y-M| Frequent flyer programs, hotels, and tour packages| Y-M| Complements environment would be limited| Price-value characteristics of complements?| Y-M| The prices are reasonable but there are alternatives than going after packages and loyalty programs| Y-M| -| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Power of Suppliers | Is Suppliers’ industry more concentrated than industry it sells to?| Y-H| Suppliers such aircraft and engine producers are consider as oligopoly | Y-M| There will be more supplier| Few substitutes for suppliers’ input?| Y-H| There would not be that much substitution for the suppliers| Y-M| There will be more supplier| Do firms in industry make relationship-specific investments to support transactions with specific suppliers?| Y-H| Airport services are concentrated in the small area of air ports but low changing costs.| Y-H| Same Trends expected.| Are suppliers able to price discriminate among prospective customers according to ability/willingness to pay for input?| Y-H| With a high competitive industry and the limited suppliers and fixed regulations price discrimination threat is highly expected.| Y-M| More manufacturers/service providers are expected.| Factor| Characterization (Current)| Future Trend| | Threat Rating| Key Rational| | Threat Rating| Power of Buyers | Is industry buyers more concentrated than the industry it purchases from?| Y-H| Because there is a very competitive industry price discrimination mostly happens | Y-M| There will be more supplier.| Do buyers purchase in large volumes? Does a buyer’s purchase volume represent large fraction of typical seller’s sales revenue?| Y-H| There would be a high scale of supply and low scale of demand with the buyer’s market| Y-H| There would be a high scale of supply and low scale of demand with the buyer’s market| Can buyers find substitutes for industry’s product?| Y-H| Separate transactions | Y-H| With more transactions expected but still not enough for a high volume purchases. | Are prices in the market negotiated between buyers and sellers on each individual transaction or do sellers â€Å"post’ a â€Å"take-it-or-leave it price† that applies to all transactions?| Y-H| Websites increased the price transparency | Y-H| Same trends expected.| Bibliography GreenBb. (2008). Industry Analysis. Kawatra, P. (2013, january). Porters Five Forces Model. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/course-notes/Porters-Five-Forces-Model-1340484.html. Q.G. (n.d.). The Qantas group international and domestic air transportation services. Retrieved from http://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/the-qantas-group-international-and-domestic-air-transportation-services-management-essay.php. xiamichael. (2012, June). Qantas 5 Forces. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Qantas-5-Forces-1021718.html.

Pre-1600 Styles in European Art Music :: essays research papers

Pre-1600 Styles in European Art Music The "old" European attitude, and the attitude that attracts many modern performers to early music, is exactly the opposite of the modern attitude: 1. Music is a strictly local expression, rich in variety since each culture expresses affective differences through art, 2. Music is a poetic process--complex, vague, and irrational--based upon borrowed traditional musical materials (melodies, rhythms, forms, etc.), 3. Music is for a religious, elitist-class performer who can understand and appreciate its mysterious nature and power, 4. Music is played softly in intimate gatherings, 5. Music making is the activity of Everyman, exacting the talents of variously trained amateurs who, with industry and practice, decorate their recreation and leisure in moments of social intercourse. In terms of the technical differences between the art music of early times and that of the modern period (i.e., after 1600) we can identify five specific features that make post-1600 styles in music sound more or less "familiar." 1. Wide-ranging, dynamically expressive tonal melodies are played in equal temperament and generated from logical tonal harmonic progressions. 2. A simple, isometric, and restricted rhythmic range is used. 3. The texture is homophonic, that is, a principal melody line with accompaniment. 4. Clear periodic formal structure is favored. 5. The instrumentarium is restricted and standardized. On the other hand, the pre-1600 styles in European art music are based upon the following features: 1. Narrow-ranging, dynamically restrained modal melodies are played in a variety of tuning temperaments that generate an "illogical" modal harmonic succession. 2. An unrestricted range of multimeters, polymeters, and complex rhythms are used. 3. A texture of two or more independent and equally important melodies accompany one another (i.e., polyphony). 4. The formal construction is often vague and unclear. 5. The instrumentarium is unrestricted and nonstandardized. Early music is chamber music par excellence. Superstar conductors, dramatic symphonic music, and large-scale virtuosic genres such as the concerto, opera, oratorio, and ballet belong to a later period and a different aesthetic. Early music involves a decidedly intimate approach to music making: the performers are equal partners who understand the science of composition and do much more than merely interpret the music of others--they recompose it during rehearsals and performances. In this regard, early music may be considered performer oriented (similar to jazz or Indian classical music). The performer thinks of himself or herself as a "student" (a Liebhaber, i.e., "lover") of music, and must be able to play several different instruments as well as sing.

Analysis of Cartoon Cultures in Walt Disney Stories

Disney and his studio do not only aim to create entertainment but present a meaningful thesis as well; â€Å"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them† (Williams & Denney, 2004, p. 69). Usually, Disney’s stories like to present the royal romance comprising of love, courage and dream.By comparing Cinderella (Geronimi, Luske, & Jackson, 1950) and his latest princess iteration, The Princess and The Frog (Clements, 2009), we could clearly see the critical influence of Cinderella that has affected the cartoon culture of Disney’s stories, as highlighted by the appearance of the Fairy Godmother, the importance of animal characters and the narrative power of the songs. Many of Disney’s stories are concerned with a goal that the leading character has to achieve, passing obstacles along the way in order to realize his dream.As such, a correlation can be seen between Cinderella (1950) and The Princess and The Frog (2009); both the young ladie s work very hard to achieve their aspirations. Before Cinderella was transformed by Fairy Godmother with an opportunity to attend the royal ball, she was a poor girl, and seemingly under distress. Her stepmother and stepsisters take over all her benefits and mistreat her. She is abused and made to serve as the housekeeper and maid for her family. However, she does not give up on dreaming and wishing, and has faith that one day her dream will come true.On the other hand, Tiana is a poor African-American young lady who works very hard to accomplish her goal of owning a restaurant in New Orleans. Although, her dream seems big and difficult for her to achieve, she never thinks about giving up. She continues tracing her dream; her hopes remain high even after she is accidently transformed into a frog by kissing the cursed Prince Naveen. Although these two Disney princesses are coming from different nationalities and generations, they both represent the same story structure of Disney†™s fairytales.Secondly, Disney’s Cinderella has become the dominant version in Western culture, since it was the first one to be aired on the big screen. It was the first time a character like the Fairy godmother was presented straight from a Disney tale. Her task was strictly to prepareeverything for Cinderella so she could attend the royalty ball. The story of Cinderella has historically portrayed a strong character in the Fairy godmother; a prominent companion has become an important element in the life of a cheerful heroine in the follow up stories of Disney.Looking into The Princess and The Frog (Clements, 2009)Mama Odie is representing a new type of Fairy godmother as a blind voodoo priestess. She plays a guiding role in the story, full of magic and power to help the frogs transform back into humans. The Fairy godmother has thus become an iconic character since it was first presented in Cinderella. It plays an important part in shaping the cartoons’ structures, influencing many other stories to portray the same character in other forms, enriching the story with color and inspiration.Thirdly, by featuring animal characters in Cinderella, Disney and his animators have developed a new structure of cartoon culture. Animal characters have carved a niche in Disney’s animations. However, these animal characters only play supporting or minor roles in the full-length animated films. Due to the strong connection between animal characters and Disney’s animations in the public’s mind, Disney and his animators have recently inclined towards creating much more detailed versions of the animal characters found in Cinderella.As a result, the mice have gained more screen time than the step-mother and sisters, and one of the most memorable scenes in the film regarding the manufacturing process of the ball dress revolves aroundbirds and mice which work together to prepare a beautiful gown for Cinderella. This scene appears for nearly 8 m inutes in the film. It shows the importance of animals in story-telling. Moreover, those animals carry their own personality, as seen for example in the red bird who would much enjoyperforming a vocal accommodation where as the character Jaq, who was portrayed as a leader of the mice while Gus was the cute and childish one.Moreover, the relationship between Cinderella and the mice provided clues to reveal her real personality. Her kindness could be observed through her interest in making clothes and dresses for the animals, rescuing them from traps, and feeding them with enough food. As such, in the story of Cinderella, animals do not feature as minor characters. They are highlighted to be very important in the narrative. Since that story, animal characters have moved up in ranks, taking important roles as support for the main characters in reaching their goals.In The Princess and The Frog (Clements, 2009)those small animal characters follow Cinderella’s tradition in that the y play important roles as support for the frogs so they could return to their human forms, carrying their own personality and dreams. For example, Ray is a firefly, who knows Mama Odie and agrees to help the frogs find her and nearly sacrifices himself fighting with Dr. Facilier. From his lover to the star, we can see that his personality is very gentle and kind. Moreover, Louis is a friendly neurotic alligator, who dreams to become human and joins a jazz band as the trumpet player.He is not just a background image and accompanies the frogs in their adventure. Their appearances make the narratives to be more balanced, completed and interesting. Thanks to the success of theanimal characters in Cinderella, animal characters have continued to play an important role in developing plots and, in turn, have had stories revolve around them instead of the other way round. Lastly, over the years Disney’s animations have developed an indivisible relationship with songs and musical eleme nts.Songs provide a useful tool to breathe more definition into the characters. For example, in Cinderella, the song â€Å"A Dream is A Wish Your Heart Makes† (Geronimi, Luske, & Jackson, 1950), we can observe that Cinderella is faced with many obstacles, but her dream is still kept alive in her heart, thanks to her positive attitude. This way, songs contain the power of presenting deeper content, which normal speech may not effectively communicate. Besides, the audience can see and feel the threat pertaining to the character of Dr.Facilier, for example, by virtue of the song â€Å"Friends on the Other Side† (Clements, 2009). Walt Disney has seemingly pioneered the tradition of using songs and music to replace boring conversations, because the song can portray an idea in much more detail. For example, the Fairy godmother’s song â€Å"Bibidi-Bobidi-Boo† (Geronimi, Luske, & Jackson, 1950), played when she transforms the pumpkin into a coach, the mice into a horse, and Cinderella’s appearance for the ball, etc. relayed a magical element only music could provide.The song, in this context, is a much more powerful tool to present the idea than normal speech, because it gives the audience an extra vocal dimension to remember the scene with, adding to the visual impact. Moreover, the songs and music also add to the dynamics of the picture in order to present the inner meaning of the stories. By comparing the versions of â€Å"Sing Sweet Nightingale† (Geronimi, Luske, & Jackson, 1950) as sung by Cinderella and her stepsisters, we can see the difference in nature of both parties, Cinderella being the gentler much more caring personality.At another instance, we can see a deeper relationship between the frogs, through the song Never knew I Needed, instead of simply saying, I think I am falling in love with you (Clements, 2009). It surrounds the narrative with a profundity in an implicit way. Disney’s animation, hence, reall y has the ability to capture the fantasy-oriented imagination of the audience providing entertainment both for the adults and children alike. Incorporating these qualities into Disney’s cartoon culture has enabled the creation of some of the most excellent pieces of animated and other motion-picture films that history has ever seen.

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My weaker points in English are essay writing, especially introduction and conclusion paragraphs and poetry analysis. Based on what I know about the course, I feel like I will have to put in a lot of effort to pass the APE exam due to my weakness in essay writing. This year I would like to focus on getting my writing skills up to par for the APE exam. ASK ABOUT THIS PARAGRAPH I recently turned 16 as I said earlier. I live with my mother and 14 year old brother, who also goes to Stanton.My dad is in the Ana so right now he's stationed in Pensacola and comes home every other weekend. We live on the west side and my neighborhood school is Baldwin. I was born in Jacksonville but moved to Virginia for 4 years the summer after 5th grade. We moved back to Jacksonville 5 years ago. I play softball for the school, I think it starts sometime in the beginning of the 2nd quarter. I hope to participate in multi this year but I haven't decided what group I want to try out for yet. I like to read a s I mentioned before.The two series I'm interested in I can only get the books at the library after putting them on hold, so it's taking me a while to finish the series. Over the summer I put â€Å"Insurgent†, the second book in the â€Å"Divergent† trilogy, on hold but when it arrived at the library we were on vacation in Grenade. I can be reached through email at [email  protected] Net. My home phone number is 904-329-3237. My cell phone number is 757-256-9756. It would be best to call the house phone if it is something important. Hello Date of Submission January 14, 2013 Problem Statements: Paragraph 1 This paragraph should contain five sentences only. Write about your culture, something about your family generation before your parent's generation, how are you connected to the generation prior to your parent's generation, tell us about your parents and siblings, your community when growing up and your current community, and something about yourself. All paragraphs with over five sentences will receive a minus five points per extra sentence.Please only five sentences. A culture was not really told to me the only thing that my sibling and I were told was to not get pregnant before we are married and have a career and to always get a good education. The only thing I know about my grandparent’s generation is that my mother’s parents did not finish elementary and that my father’s mother was held back a grade because of her height. I am very connected to my grandparents, they just do not talk much ab out their past.I have a little sister, who is 18 years old and a little brother that is 6 years old; the community we grew up in was in the suburbs and was very quiet, the neighbors were friendly and we all got along, we never had break ins because it was a gated community. The community I live in now is the total opposite it is always loud music playing, homes are getting broken into, people are always arguing; I am 21 I am a senior, I am funny, smart, and goofy. Paragraph 2 Write about your major, why you have chosen the major and what have you done prior to college to prepare for success in your current major. There must be five sentences.Why are you taking this course? Please do not say as an elective. Tell us how it fits into your overall academic goals. All paragraphs with over five will receive a minus five points for each extra sentence. Please only five sentences. My major is Special education. I originally was a elementary schools education major but I had gotten a job tha t involved working with individuals who had special needs and I enjoyed it I still do till this day, I decided to change my major to special education. Prior to attending college I did not really do anything to prepare for success in my major because I started out as a nursing major.I am taking this class not only as an elective, but so I can get the content I need to know to be able to successfully teach early childhood students as well as students with special needs. This class fits into my overall academic goals because without this class I cannot get my endorsement to teach early childhood students. Paragraph 3 From the readings in â€Å"Current Readings in Nursery School/Kindergaten Education† – pages 129-141 â€Å"The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon? † share with us, what your experience was like in the first grade. Combine the readings with your real life experiences.You must include citations from the readings for credit. List the page number and para graph number of the citation. 10 sentences required. What I can remember about my experiences in first grade where that we had these little white books that had 5-7 words on each page. We would receive a book every day and were required to read it that night to a parent or guardian and have them initial a paper saying that we had read the book to them. In the book, it state â€Å"Kids are tested every eight weeks to see if they are hitting school, district and statewide benchmarks†(pg. 133P 3).I remember having to take these benchmark tests, because the class that had the highest benchmark test scores would get a pizza party or extra time at recess. In the middle of the school year the teachers would stop teaching all the other subjects and would start teaching us what was going to be on the TAAS test. My parents did not believe that I was getting challenged enough in the G. T program (Gifted and Talented), so they moved me to a private school. I remember this because my firs t day of school I felt so behind because for one I was moved on the middle of the school year and two the students were already learning how to subtract.At the school I had just left we were only adding single and double digits and subtracting single digits. My new school the students had already been taught how to subtract double digits and they were learning the hundreds place value. After my first week of school I was so far behind that they asked my parents about putting me in remedial classes my parents were upset that someone would ask them that and got me a tutor, since then I have received excellent grades. Hello KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN CCE CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES 2012-13 CLASS VII (Seven) ENGLISH FIRST TERM: APRIL –SEPTEMBER 2011 | | |Unit/Lesson/Topics to be covered |Mode of Assessment |Skills |Suggested value points | | |*Prose: The Three Questions |Comprehension check |Reading |Understanding | | |Poem: The Squirrel |Quiz ( Ants ) |Compeering |Pronunciation | | |*Supp: The Tiny Teacher |Recitation |Listening |Fluency | | | |Diary Entry |Speaking |Confidence | | | |Narration |writing |Format | | | | | |Expression | | |*Prose: The Gift of Chappals |Comprehension Check | Reading |Understanding | | |Poem: The Rebel |Informal Letter |Writing |Fluency | | |*Supp: Bringing up Kari |Anecdote (looking after an animal or needy without |Creative |Accuracy | | |*Supp: The Desert |elder’s knowledge. |Thinking Skill |Content | | | | |Speaking |Presentation | | |*Prose: Gopal & the Hilsa Fish Poem: The Shed |Comprehension |Understanding |Expression | | |*Supp:The Cop & the Anth em & Golu Grows a nose. Dramatization |Vocabulary |Presentation | | | |Spellings |Speaking |Confidence | | |Reading 20 |Diary Entry |Acting |Content | | |Writing 20 |Comic Creation |Drawing | | | |Grammar 15 | |Writing | | | |Literature 25 | | | | | |REVISION | |FA I 10 | | | | |FA II 10 | | | | |SA I 20 | | | | |TOTAL 40 | | | | | | | | | | | |SECOND TERM : OCTOBER 2011 –MARCH 2012 | |Topics | Mode of Assessment |Skills |Value Points ( areas) | | |*Prose: The Ashes that made Trees Bloom Poem: |Comprehension check |Understanding | | | |Chivvy |Outline story construction The Woodcutter& the Axe |Writing | | | | |Recitation |Speaking | | | | | | | | | |*Prose: Quality | Reading Paragraph/Slogan writing on Trees | Understanding |Confidence | | |Poem: Trees |Speech on Freedom is Life |Creative skills |Expression | | |*Supp :I want something in a cage | |Speaking |Content | | | | | |Fluency | | | | | |Presentation | | |*Prose: Expert Detectives | Comprehension check | Understanding Skill |Compre-hension | | |Poem: The Mystery of the Talking Fan. *Supp: |Project on Sherlock Holmes |Writing |Content | | |Chandini | |Analytical |Presentation | | | | | | | |*Prose: The Invention of Vita -Wonk | Comprehension |Reading |Content | | |Poem: Dad & The Cat &The Tree |Paragraph Writing on Wonders of Science |Writing |Pronunciation | | |*Supp: The Bear Story |Recitation |Speaking |accuracy | | | |Discuss –Shoot animals with a Camera-,not a gun. Listening | | | |*Prose: Fire: Friend and Foe |Comprehension |Understanding |Confidence | | |*Prose: A Bicycle in Good Repair |Fire Safety Measures Speech |Speaking |Accuracy | | |Poem: Meadow Surprises |Article Writing –SAVE TIGERS |Writing |fluency | | |*Supp : A Tiger in the House | |Creativity | | | |*Prose: The Story of Cricket I & II |Bio sketch of a favourite cricketer |Writing |Expression | | |Supp: An Alien Hand |Findings about Planet Mars. ( Mini Project) |Investigating |Presentation | | |*Poem : Garden Snake |Cricket quiz |Compeering |Confidence | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Reading 20 | | |FA III 10 | | |Writing 20 | | |FA IV 10 | | |Grammar 15 | | |SA II 40 | | |Literature 25 | | |TOTAL 60 | | |Revision | | | | | | | | | NOTE: In addition to consolidating the items learnt earlier, the following will be introduced and recycled through the Upper Primary Stage (Classes VI, VII and VIII) through the lessons given in the Main Text Books. †¢ Determiners * Passivisation * Linking Words * Adjectives (Comparative and Superlative Forms) *Adverbs (Place and Type), *Modal Auxilliaries * Tense Forms * Word Order in Sentence Types * Clauses * Reported Speech Hello Date of Submission January 14, 2013 Problem Statements: Paragraph 1 This paragraph should contain five sentences only. Write about your culture, something about your family generation before your parent's generation, how are you connected to the generation prior to your parent's generation, tell us about your parents and siblings, your community when growing up and your current community, and something about yourself. All paragraphs with over five sentences will receive a minus five points per extra sentence.Please only five sentences. A culture was not really told to me the only thing that my sibling and I were told was to not get pregnant before we are married and have a career and to always get a good education. The only thing I know about my grandparent’s generation is that my mother’s parents did not finish elementary and that my father’s mother was held back a grade because of her height. I am very connected to my grandparents, they just do not talk much ab out their past.I have a little sister, who is 18 years old and a little brother that is 6 years old; the community we grew up in was in the suburbs and was very quiet, the neighbors were friendly and we all got along, we never had break ins because it was a gated community. The community I live in now is the total opposite it is always loud music playing, homes are getting broken into, people are always arguing; I am 21 I am a senior, I am funny, smart, and goofy. Paragraph 2 Write about your major, why you have chosen the major and what have you done prior to college to prepare for success in your current major. There must be five sentences.Why are you taking this course? Please do not say as an elective. Tell us how it fits into your overall academic goals. All paragraphs with over five will receive a minus five points for each extra sentence. Please only five sentences. My major is Special education. I originally was a elementary schools education major but I had gotten a job tha t involved working with individuals who had special needs and I enjoyed it I still do till this day, I decided to change my major to special education. Prior to attending college I did not really do anything to prepare for success in my major because I started out as a nursing major.I am taking this class not only as an elective, but so I can get the content I need to know to be able to successfully teach early childhood students as well as students with special needs. This class fits into my overall academic goals because without this class I cannot get my endorsement to teach early childhood students. Paragraph 3 From the readings in â€Å"Current Readings in Nursery School/Kindergaten Education† – pages 129-141 â€Å"The New First Grade: Too Much Too Soon? † share with us, what your experience was like in the first grade. Combine the readings with your real life experiences.You must include citations from the readings for credit. List the page number and para graph number of the citation. 10 sentences required. What I can remember about my experiences in first grade where that we had these little white books that had 5-7 words on each page. We would receive a book every day and were required to read it that night to a parent or guardian and have them initial a paper saying that we had read the book to them. In the book, it state â€Å"Kids are tested every eight weeks to see if they are hitting school, district and statewide benchmarks†(pg. 133P 3).I remember having to take these benchmark tests, because the class that had the highest benchmark test scores would get a pizza party or extra time at recess. In the middle of the school year the teachers would stop teaching all the other subjects and would start teaching us what was going to be on the TAAS test. My parents did not believe that I was getting challenged enough in the G. T program (Gifted and Talented), so they moved me to a private school. I remember this because my firs t day of school I felt so behind because for one I was moved on the middle of the school year and two the students were already learning how to subtract.At the school I had just left we were only adding single and double digits and subtracting single digits. My new school the students had already been taught how to subtract double digits and they were learning the hundreds place value. After my first week of school I was so far behind that they asked my parents about putting me in remedial classes my parents were upset that someone would ask them that and got me a tutor, since then I have received excellent grades. Hello My weaker points in English are essay writing, especially introduction and conclusion paragraphs and poetry analysis. Based on what I know about the course, I feel like I will have to put in a lot of effort to pass the APE exam due to my weakness in essay writing. This year I would like to focus on getting my writing skills up to par for the APE exam. ASK ABOUT THIS PARAGRAPH I recently turned 16 as I said earlier. I live with my mother and 14 year old brother, who also goes to Stanton.My dad is in the Ana so right now he's stationed in Pensacola and comes home every other weekend. We live on the west side and my neighborhood school is Baldwin. I was born in Jacksonville but moved to Virginia for 4 years the summer after 5th grade. We moved back to Jacksonville 5 years ago. I play softball for the school, I think it starts sometime in the beginning of the 2nd quarter. I hope to participate in multi this year but I haven't decided what group I want to try out for yet. I like to read a s I mentioned before.The two series I'm interested in I can only get the books at the library after putting them on hold, so it's taking me a while to finish the series. Over the summer I put â€Å"Insurgent†, the second book in the â€Å"Divergent† trilogy, on hold but when it arrived at the library we were on vacation in Grenade. I can be reached through email at [email  protected] Net. My home phone number is 904-329-3237. My cell phone number is 757-256-9756. It would be best to call the house phone if it is something important. Hello KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN CCE CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES 2012-13 CLASS VII (Seven) ENGLISH FIRST TERM: APRIL –SEPTEMBER 2011 | | |Unit/Lesson/Topics to be covered |Mode of Assessment |Skills |Suggested value points | | |*Prose: The Three Questions |Comprehension check |Reading |Understanding | | |Poem: The Squirrel |Quiz ( Ants ) |Compeering |Pronunciation | | |*Supp: The Tiny Teacher |Recitation |Listening |Fluency | | | |Diary Entry |Speaking |Confidence | | | |Narration |writing |Format | | | | | |Expression | | |*Prose: The Gift of Chappals |Comprehension Check | Reading |Understanding | | |Poem: The Rebel |Informal Letter |Writing |Fluency | | |*Supp: Bringing up Kari |Anecdote (looking after an animal or needy without |Creative |Accuracy | | |*Supp: The Desert |elder’s knowledge. |Thinking Skill |Content | | | | |Speaking |Presentation | | |*Prose: Gopal & the Hilsa Fish Poem: The Shed |Comprehension |Understanding |Expression | | |*Supp:The Cop & the Anth em & Golu Grows a nose. Dramatization |Vocabulary |Presentation | | | |Spellings |Speaking |Confidence | | |Reading 20 |Diary Entry |Acting |Content | | |Writing 20 |Comic Creation |Drawing | | | |Grammar 15 | |Writing | | | |Literature 25 | | | | | |REVISION | |FA I 10 | | | | |FA II 10 | | | | |SA I 20 | | | | |TOTAL 40 | | | | | | | | | | | |SECOND TERM : OCTOBER 2011 –MARCH 2012 | |Topics | Mode of Assessment |Skills |Value Points ( areas) | | |*Prose: The Ashes that made Trees Bloom Poem: |Comprehension check |Understanding | | | |Chivvy |Outline story construction The Woodcutter& the Axe |Writing | | | | |Recitation |Speaking | | | | | | | | | |*Prose: Quality | Reading Paragraph/Slogan writing on Trees | Understanding |Confidence | | |Poem: Trees |Speech on Freedom is Life |Creative skills |Expression | | |*Supp :I want something in a cage | |Speaking |Content | | | | | |Fluency | | | | | |Presentation | | |*Prose: Expert Detectives | Comprehension check | Understanding Skill |Compre-hension | | |Poem: The Mystery of the Talking Fan. *Supp: |Project on Sherlock Holmes |Writing |Content | | |Chandini | |Analytical |Presentation | | | | | | | |*Prose: The Invention of Vita -Wonk | Comprehension |Reading |Content | | |Poem: Dad & The Cat &The Tree |Paragraph Writing on Wonders of Science |Writing |Pronunciation | | |*Supp: The Bear Story |Recitation |Speaking |accuracy | | | |Discuss –Shoot animals with a Camera-,not a gun. Listening | | | |*Prose: Fire: Friend and Foe |Comprehension |Understanding |Confidence | | |*Prose: A Bicycle in Good Repair |Fire Safety Measures Speech |Speaking |Accuracy | | |Poem: Meadow Surprises |Article Writing –SAVE TIGERS |Writing |fluency | | |*Supp : A Tiger in the House | |Creativity | | | |*Prose: The Story of Cricket I & II |Bio sketch of a favourite cricketer |Writing |Expression | | |Supp: An Alien Hand |Findings about Planet Mars. ( Mini Project) |Investigating |Presentation | | |*Poem : Garden Snake |Cricket quiz |Compeering |Confidence | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Reading 20 | | |FA III 10 | | |Writing 20 | | |FA IV 10 | | |Grammar 15 | | |SA II 40 | | |Literature 25 | | |TOTAL 60 | | |Revision | | | | | | | | | NOTE: In addition to consolidating the items learnt earlier, the following will be introduced and recycled through the Upper Primary Stage (Classes VI, VII and VIII) through the lessons given in the Main Text Books. †¢ Determiners * Passivisation * Linking Words * Adjectives (Comparative and Superlative Forms) *Adverbs (Place and Type), *Modal Auxilliaries * Tense Forms * Word Order in Sentence Types * Clauses * Reported Speech