Thursday, December 26, 2019

How to Motivate Employees in Five Stars Hotel Industry Free Essay Example, 8000 words

While motivation programs have been examined primarily from a Western ethnographic perspective, issues of autonomy for employees may not be so pressing for employees in oriental cultures and the motivational aspects may be different in their case. 1.2 The Objective of this research study: The objective of this research study is to examine how best employees in five star hotels may be motivated, specifically in the context of hotels in Britain and Hong Kong. By comparing employee satisfaction among random samples of employees working in hotels in the U. K. and Hong Kong, this study poses the following research questions/hypotheses: (a) Whether employees in five star hotels generally suffer from negative perceptions about their jobs (b) Whether employees in five star hotels suffer from low motivation (c) Whether there are cultural differences in the factors that motivate employees in five star hotels in the UK as opposed to South east Asia (d) Whether Intrinsic motivational programs may be more effective with all five star employees as compared to extrinsic motivation (e) Whether employee empowerment and employee incentives could address the problems of low motivation. The rationale that guides these questions/hypotheses is the existing perceptions about the motivation levels in the hospitality industry. We will write a custom essay sample on How to Motivate Employees in Five Stars Hotel Industry or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now There are current labor shortages in this industry since most employees have a negative perception about jobs in the hospitality industry and the prospects for advancement. Also, more employees are involved in this industry on a part time basis and the levels of motivation are low, which is proving detrimental to productivity. This study therefore seeks to assess which group of employees, the English employees or the Hong Kong employees experiences more job satisfaction and thereby assess what are the limitations they experience and which motivational programs may suit them best. 1.3: Methodology used in this study: The methodology used in this Study is the administration of a questionnaire to the employees of hotels in the UK and in Hong Kong. A Five-Point, Likert-type questionnaire will be used, wherein responses will be assigned a numerical value on a scale ranging from 1 to 5. A lower value of 1 will indicate that the issue being examined in the question is not important at all while the highest value of 5 will indicate that the Respondent considers that particular issue very important. The questionnaire seeks to assess the degree of satisfaction of the employees with various aspects of their job, including treatment from their supervisors and the guests, employee benefits and working conditions apart from salaries and incentives.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Evolution Of The Fossil Record - 900 Words

Through the fossil record, scientists have been able to observe the changes among different homo genus, as they evolved over time becoming what we now know as the modern human (Fossil Record, 2015). The fossil record not only organizes the sequential generations that have changed over time to adapt better to their environments, but it also provides a time line to how homo sapiens came to exist (Fossil Record, 2015). Through careful analysis of the human fossil record, characteristics in the skull such as the brow ridge, brain size, cranial capacity, dentition, nasal cavity, eye sockets, mandible, and the cranial base are all characterizes, that both connect the three specimens Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and modern human, as well as, set them apart. Homo erectus being the oldest of the three skulls dates back up to 1.8 million years ago to 300 ka yBP. This genus was known for its large brow ridges, used to support the muscles of its massive jaw (Fagan, 1994). Also, Homo erectus had low and elongated skulls, bigger brains flatter faces, smaller molars and thinner enamels, although they did still contain large nasal cavities and rounded eye sockets compared to that of other archaic homo genus (Larsen, 2014). In addition, Homo erectus also contained a thick walled, rounded skull, a sloping forehead, and had a cranial capacity ranging from 8 hundred to 13 thousand (Fagan, 1994), and a cranial base, which is the delicate bony platform behind the eyes on which the brain rests,Show MoreRelatedEvolution Vs. Fossil Records912 Words   |  4 PagesEvolution has been a widely known discussion that many people have had over the past century, the theory of evolution has been welcomed by many scientists yet by some religious people it has b een a taboo topic. The thought or the motion to entertain that humans evolved from primates is what some people would shudder and state that it goes against all their religious beliefs. However, scientist have pushed on the fact that evolution is not just a hypothetical or an outlandish theory but a theoryRead MoreUsing Fossil Records to Compare Evolution and Creationism807 Words   |  3 PagesFossil Records: Evolution vs. Creation Defined in Biology, evolution is as a change in allele frequencies of a population. To more simply express, a change in the genetic coding (DNA) of a group of organisms. These changes can be as simple as eye or hair color, and as complex has the development of limb and finger bones as seen in evolution of fish to land-roaming tetrapods (Tiktaalik roseae). A strong factor supporting evolution is the history of life as documented by fossils, known as the fossilRead MoreIn The Article The Fossil Record Supports Evolution, Writer,938 Words   |  4 Pages In the article The Fossil Record Supports Evolution, writer, David A. Thomas argues his position. He favors Evolution over Creationism. In the article David explains how there are gaps in fossilization. He tells how creationists expose those gaps and claim that because of those gaps evolution is not proven to be true. However Thomas explains that there are many difficult steps in the process of uncovering fossils, but those difficult ies don’t disprove anything. He says that creationists say thatRead MoreEvidence of Evolution in Fossil Records and the Process of Spontaneous Origins of Life728 Words   |  3 PagesThe fossil record can show evidence for evolution, by relative dating, and radioactive dating we can find evidence for evolution. Relative dating is the process of finding out the age of a fossil by comparing it to other fossils/rocks. This process helps us determine how old certain specific fossils are by comparing them to other fossils; comparing older ancestor fossils helps us see the physical evolutionary change as time goes on, index fossils are used to determine the age of the fossil. RadioactiveRead MoreEvolution And Evolution Of Evolution1054 Words   |  5 Pages Evolution is something that can be taken into different meanings, from the way you live. Some people can accept evolution and some can’t. The meaning of evolution is the way a different animal or species came to be, and how they are linked to a different of species that all share a common ancestor (an introduction to evolution). There is a lot of evidence to shows that evolution is can be proven like DNA Sequences, Fossil Records, Cladograms, and analogous/homologous structures, because there areRead MoreEvolution Of Life On Earth1667 Words   |  7 PagesFossils can provide us with a great deal of information about the past. They can also help us to understand the present. When do we believe life on earth originated? The earth cooled from its formation 4.6 billion years ago. Life on earth began 3.5 billion years ago, evidence supporting this statement is that the earliest fossils were found from up to 3.5 billion years ago. The following steps are believed to be the major stages in the evolution of life on Earth: 1. The formation of organic moleculesRead MoreEvolution Is More Correct Than Creationism1196 Words   |  5 PagesWhy Evolution is More Correct than Creationism Would you believe that humans and other primates have a common ancestor? Would you believe that you evolved so much that your appendix is a useless organ? Evolution has all of the answers to these questions. However, Creationism doesn’t have all of the answers. Over 60 percent of people believe in evolution. Why shouldn’t you? Evolution is defined as â€Å"the slow process by which changes in plants and animals happen over time† (Webster’s Dictionary)Read MoreSimilarities Between Humans And Humans1067 Words   |  5 Pagesthe theory of evolution. The theory of evolution brought many interpretation from scientists and people. But can you considered the theory of evolution, a fact or fiction? In my opinion, the theory of evolution is considered a fact, supported by the changes in species, common ancestry, and is evident in today’s modern life. To understand the debatable topic of evolution, the theory of evolution must be incorporated. Charles Darwin who was a naturalist, created the theory of evolution by natural selectionRead MoreA Fossil Lagerstatten Is A Form Of Sedimentary Deposits1410 Words   |  6 PagesA fossil Lagerstà ¤tten is a form of sedimentary deposit that is of high value due to the fossils that it contains (Clarkson, 1998). The geological horizons containing these deposits were named by the German Palaeontologist Adolf Seilacher in 1985 (Nudds Seldon, 2008), ‘Lager’ meaning Stratum and ‘Stà ¤tte’ meaning place (Allaby, 2013). Palaeontologists divide fossil Lagerstà ¤tten into two types; Konservant-Lagerstà ¤tten (Nudds Seldon, 2008), or conservation deposits, are horizons that show exceptionalRead MoreHuman Evolution Myth or Fact1313 Words   |  6 PagesThe debate of human evolution being fact or fiction has been around for hundreds of years. Evidence of human ancestry has been found in many parts of the world and these fossils found have been proven to be human. The parts of the world include Eurasia and Africa. Although fossils are found in Eurasia, the human ancestor the Hominoidea has been traced back to the Miocene epochs, which were 23 to 5 million years ago. The Hominoidea is a super-family, which contains many species that are existent today

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Compare and Contrast Between MS Word and Openoffice Writer

Question: Discuss about the Compare and Contrast Between MS Word and Openoffice Writer. Answer: Introduction The said report is being prepared for my employer who is considering adoption of desktop application and hence needs to understand which one would be better in terms of functionality and the ease of its use. The two products that are being considered are MS Word and Open Office Writer. However before these two products can be compared it is very important to know briefly about these two application software. MS Word is the abbreviated version of Microsoft Office, is a graphical word processing application which enables users to type content in English or such other languages. Word files enable users to send emails or type text documents with ease. It is a part of the Microsoft Office Suite. Similar to the said application package is the OpenOffice Writer which belongs to the OpenOffice software package. The same is compatible with various operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and Solaris. It was out under the terms of the Apache License. Discussion The said discussion heads towards comparing the two application systems i.e. MS Word and OpenOffice Writer with regards the functions it performs and the ease of its usability as apart from the cost factor. These two factors play a very decisive role with regards which application to install. First and foremost it is to be understood that the application that we chose should support both older versions of the computers and laptops and the newer versions as well. The OpenOffice proposes greater support for the computers with older versions as compared to the latest editions of Microsoft Office. Office 2003 defines that its minimum spec is a Pentium 450 MHz with 256 MB RAM while OpenOffice lists a Pentium 166 MHz processor with 128 MB RAM. As stated earlier OpenOffice runs well on Linux and the same runs all the more smoothly with older systems which Windows 2000 or XP doesnt. However when compared basis its usability, any employee who has used MS Word will find it easy to work with Writer as well. The initial interface of OpenOffice was not user friendly but its newer version 2.0 has adopted a page from Microsoft Book, thus ensuring that the interface now is a more familiar one. Switching over from MS Word to OpenOffice Writer would be like moving from the Office 2000 version of MS Word to Office 2003 version of MS Word. The difference between the two applications is minor but the conceptual framework is same. Focussing on specific functions performed by these applications and the ones which are a part of the daily usage of the organization the difference between the two will enable my employer to decide upon the option. STYLE: The Style function helps the users to define the formats they want in their text or paragraph once and then apply it to the entire document. MS Word allows the same function and if done manually also it just leads to sacrifice of a little bit of time. However in case of OpenOffice Writer the said situation is not the same. If the same is done manually in Writer then the task is more laborious and cumbersome thus forces the users to do formatting of a document with styles only. Further the page style function in a Writer is specifically useful for the designers and not for the ones who know the basics of the computers. But in contradiction to the same the page design of MS Word is much simpler and does not extend beyond adding borders to the pages and themes for basic page. Thus it can be said that Writer is not impressive for the users who do formatting manually because of the broad usage of styles but the enforcement of style by Writer gives the program the power it needs. Whereas even though MS Word has got an improved version of formatting yet it is limited and less powerful as compared to the Writer. The two figures below show the window of MS Word and OpenOffice Writer respectively. TEMPLATES: Templates are the saved documents so that processing of the other documents can be done basis those templates. Although the same helps to save a lot of time but in MS Word it causes various issues. The option with regards formatting is a part of both the template and the document as well. If the data in the two places are not the same then the document is considered to be corrupted and not of any use. Further the said situation is complicated because of the fact that MS Word allows numerous templates to be a part of a single document. The second issue with regards this function is that the style functions gives an option to the users to select the option of Add to Template button whenever changes are to be made manually (Kath, 2011). Although may be that the said feature is enabled to maintain a sync between the templates and the documents but unfortunately the same can lead to reformatting of the document when the user reopens the same. Thus it concludes that the default template varies from workstations to workstations. Thus the users who use MS Word are generally unsure of the fact as to how a document would resemble on another system. In contradiction to the same the said issues do not occur in OpenOffice Writer. The link between the templates and the documents are not as tight as that in MS Word. Template is allowed to do only initial formatting and a connection is given which gives the option of updating the document by making adequate changes to the template. Thus the problem of corruption of file is much less in Writer than in Word. TABLES: The said feature is almost the same in both the Writer as well as MS Word but the said is less flexible as compared to the Word 2003 feature of table. Although the table feature in Word is not so extravagant but the auto formatting feature of table which the Writer offers is just for the sake of and not beneficial. For example if a table with five rows is created using auto-format with alternate green and red rows then the said feature is successfully applicable only for those five rows and not for any extra row added further (Rivas, 2016). But it is to be understood that Writer performs basic calculations in a better manner and its system is much easier from the users point of view when compared to the MS Words esoteric system (Wiki.openoffice.org, 2016) HEADERS AND FOOTERS: Unfortunately with regards the said function MS Word is still struggling by a WYSIWYG treatment. The same is still not visible easily on the MS Word window and users have to look into an uncomfortable floating window. But in Writer the same is not an issue as the header and footer are easily noticeable in the editing windowpane. Thus in Writer, putting in numerous headers is a matter of defining new page styles and moving from one pages header or footer to the other is a matter of moving the cursor or using keyboard short cuts. Thus the header and footer of MS Word needs serious revamping. DRAWING TOOLS: The version 2.0 of the Writer has a similar drawing tool feature to that of the Word 2003. Both the application offers such drawing tools which enables users to perform simple and easy graphics work. Even though MS Word has an added advantage of Visio being a part of its Office Suite but OOo Writer also has a superior choice of graphics used generally in its OOo Draw function. Thus in this case both stand at the same page. INDEXES AND TABLE OF CONTENTS: Although both the applications offer users to create indexes and the table of contents but greater number of alternatives are available in Writer than in MS Word. For instance, Writer offers the users to divide the indexes and the table fo contents into columns or set a background colour or graphic which is not allowed by MS Word (ByField, 2005). Thus Writer is a better option with this regard as it offers the users with a choice of wider designs. EMAIL INTEGRATION: The greatest advantage the MS Word offers is that of integration of Emails with the Microsoft Outlook which is an email and calendaring package . It enables to send an email directly from the MS Word and also enables to view the file directly in the Outlook without opening the application. However the same is not the scene in Writer which allows to email documents but not previewing (Mal, 2015). For calendaring a separate application needs to be downloaded. Conclusion On analysing the above data it is evident that Writer is a step ahead of MS Word in most of the features it offers and the usability of the same. Writer enables one to create and format larger and longer documents easy. The documentation of the OpenOffice.org has a past of being written in Writer itself because of which the programmers have an added advantage of including various tools as required. This is what makes the Writer superior to competitors such as MS Word. Moreover it would be wrong to say that Writer is perfect in all context as in order to copy the feature of MS Word many important features get hidden. The same is performing extraordinarily as compared to MS Word and in considering the requirements of our office, I would suggest that we should switch over to OpenOffice Writer as it would help us to create and format larger documents with much ease. Time is also equivalent to money in todays scenario and ease is what all users look up to, hence keeping these two important notions switching over to OpenOffice Writer is better. References: ByField, B., (2005), OpenOffcie.org Writer vs Microsoft Word, Available at https://www.linux.com/news/openofficeorg-writer-vs-microsoft-word (Accessed 02nd December 2016) Kath, B., (2011), Difference between Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer and Google Doc, Available at https://barbarakath.blogspot.in/2011/08/difference-between-microsoft-word.html (Accessed 02nd December 2016) Mal, B., (2015), MS Office Vs Open Office, Available at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ms-office-vs-open-mal-b (Accessed 02nd December 2016) Rivas, D., (2016), Microsoft Office vs OpenOffice.Org, Available at https://www.techsoup.org/support/articles-and-how-tos/ms-office-vs-openoffice (Accessed 02nd December 2016) Wiki.openoffice.org, (2016), Working with Tables in Writer, Available at https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/UserGuide/Writer/Tables (Accessed 02nd December 2016)

Monday, December 2, 2019

Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home Japanese Myth with Buddhist Philosophy

Introduction: The Mystery of Zhong Kui Mystery is what the entire Japanese culture is veiled with for a European or American gaze. Intertwining with the peculiar philosophy, the local mythology can make one’s head spin – this is true even for connoisseurs of Japanese mythology and culture.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home: Japanese Myth with Buddhist Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Due to the religion reigning in the Land of the Rising Sun, namely, Buddhism, the local beliefs and superstitions take the most curious shapes, giving birth to the most mysterious and unusual creatures. Zhong Kui, the Demon Queller, or Shoki, as foreigners call this creature, is the keeper of the hearth and home in Japan and one of the most picturesque characters of Japanese legends. Casting a glance at the work by Gong Kai, Zhong Kui Traveling, one can see the pecu liar way the ancient legend is intertwined with just as old philosophy and religion of Japan, Buddhism. Due to the specific Buddhist settings in the background, the picture looks ever more expressive and filled with the spirit of mystery and magic. However, these two elements are not as incompatible as it might seem. The character taken from the ancient Japanese legends, Zhong Kui can be labeled as a mythological creature, yet he is an element of the Japanese beliefs as well. What is the most incredible is that the fairy-tale character does not come into conflict with the Buddhist ideas – it turns out that the two elements of the Japanese culture can peacefully coexist. Gong Kai’s Demon Queller: Getting Acquainted with Zhong Kui One of the most intriguing and mysterious in its Japanese way artwork depicting the Demon Queller, Zhong Kui Traveling by Gong Kai creates one of the most peculiar visions of the mythological character, intertwining Zhong Kui with Buddhist reli gion. Though these two elements might seem somewhat incompatible, it turns out that the philosophy underlying the both creates completely incredible mixture, all shot through with the Japanese folklore vision of the world: ShÃ… ki typically appears as a portly bewhiskered man. He wears scholar’s robes, a hat, and heavy knee-high boots and carries a large sword. His large eyes, bulbous nose, and fierce expression are also characteristic features. In this print ShÃ… ki rounds a corner in hot pursuit of a demon. His eyes bulge out as he spies his prey.[1] Advertising Looking for term paper on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fig. 1. Kochoro Kunisada, n.d. Shoki, the Demon Queller, available from: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shoki.shtml Zhong Kui seems to be quite popular among other scholars – there have been a number of studies devoted to this specimen of Japanese mythology. Treated rather l ike a spirit with a character of its own, Shoki, or Zhong Kui, has gained great popularity with those admiring Chinese culture. As Richard Von Glahn explained, â€Å"Zhong Kui was a popular motif in literati painting during the Song and subsequent dynasties†[2]. However, Von Glahn also mentions that the common idea of Zhong Kui’s image is quite different from the one depicted in the numerous paintings. Thus, h warns, it would be a mistake to consider Zhong Kui as â€Å"an alter ego of the neglected and despised scholar†[3]. On the contrary, Con Glahn claims that the image of Zhong Kui must have been more imposing, and even threatening, since he was the hunter for evil spirits. However, the spirit was not considered to be a boo for the Japanese, since the latter used to honor this creature as the protector of their home. Defending the place from all kinds of evil spirits and guarding the peace in Japanese houses, this was rather a talisman for the local people: T he use of images of Zhong Kui as protective talismans to guard the home against demonic invasion recalls the legend that Huangdi had portraits made of his fearsome lieutenant Chiyou in order to intimidate criminals and instill a proper fear of the law.[4] It is also worth noticing that the image of Shoki is closely connected to the ideas of Buddhism, which a number of scholars have already proved. Zhong Kui Framed by Buddhist Setting: Mystique and Care Because of the interconnection between the Japanese mythology and belief system, their art is filled with spirituality and all kinds of religious allusions. Gong Kai’s piece of art is no exception – Zhong Kui’s image and the ideas of Buddhism merge in the picture; in fact, Zhong Kui becomes Buddhism itself, embodying the spiritual values of the Japanese people and filling the picture with the sacred sense.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home: Japanes e Myth with Buddhist Philosophy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Buddhism as a belief takes its roots so deep that even the wisest cannot trace its origins. However, the core idea of Buddhist religion is as mystic as its origins. Embodying the very essence of Buddhist, Zhong Kui can be the path to cognizing the complicated yet filled with wisdom Japanese religion. It is peculiar that even the way he sits is close to Buddha’s pose taken to reach the state of nirvana: Fig. 2. Gong Kai, Zhong Kui Traveling. https://www.wikipedia.org/ Taking a closer look at what the philosophy of Buddhism is for the Japanese people, one realizes that the picture of Gong Kai is breathing with the ideas of Buddhism and that Zhong Kui impersonates the essence of Buddhism – in fact, in the given picture he can be even compared to Buddha himself. Thus, Eliot claims that the shapes that the religion took in Japan could be called rather patriarc hal. With help of religion, the Japanese managed to maintain the existing structure of society for an endless number of decades! According to Eliot, this was rather natural process in Japan: In Japan, there has survived the old pagan spirit (pagan for want of a better word and in no sense a reproach) which identifies religion with Government, with law, with family duties and festivities. They are identified in the strictest sense: religion does not regulate them: they are religion.[5] Taking a closer look at the picture, one can see the typically patriarchal features in it, with the caste system which has obviously come from India into the Japanese culture. Thus, it can be concluded that the picture also provides another missing link between the Indian and Japanese cultures. Indeed, the crowd that surrounds Zhong Kui and carries him towards the light of cognition reminds of the Indian processions led by the rajah.Advertising Looking for term paper on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another trait that connects the image of Zhong Kui to Buddhism and the Buddhist theories is the calm and peaceful atmosphere that surrounds the procession. Despite the agitation caused by the presence of the Demon Queller, there is certain air of Buddhist meditations. According to Alldritt, â€Å"he performs a Taoist dance to chase off ghosts who are hesitant to go back to the world of darkness†[6]. What also must be noted is the specific way in which Shoki and the demons around him are depicted. In spite if the fact that one might be surprised with the lack of palette tints, the cast of colors which the painter used can be explained rather easily. Because of the fact that the Japanese art was subject to the influence from the other countries, the Japanese artists were trying to preserve their national identity as far as they could, which resulted in the typical Japanese palette, the tints of yellowish with the strokes of black on the sandy surface. Famous for their minimalis m in art, namely in painting, the Japanese artists could maintain the balance between the valuable ideas which the West brought to them and the national identity which they were so eager to preserve. This predetermined the use of such palette which could reprint the Buddhist idea of the world, with the careful observation of the world and thoughtful and fruitful meditations. With help of the peculiar philosophy of theirs, the Japanese people managed to keep the most peculiar features of their philosophy intact and safe from the influence of Europe. Shoki as a Part of Philosophy: The Lucky Charm of Japan All shot through with the idea of caste differentiation, the picture of Shoki speaks of the Japanese society with its huge number of social ranks and layers. Explaining the core idea of the Japanese caste differentiation, Gillman helps to clarify the details of the picture by Gong Kai: â€Å"Nonetheless, as in China, Japan wasn’t immune from attacks by the native on the forei gnâ€Å"[7]. It is worth noticing that the paintings depicting the Demon Queller and his miraculous work gained most popularity during the reign of the Yuan Dynasty, as Little claims: The Yuan dynasty (I279-I368) has been described as â€Å"the greatest epoch of Zhong Kui representation†,147 and while this might be disputed were there more surviving examples of Zhong Kui paintings from the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song periods, it is true that some of the finest known depictions of the Demon Queller are from the Yuan period.[8] It is quite peculiar to see the way culture changes under the influence of the adopted religious beliefs. Being Chinese religion, Buddhism, intertwining with the Japanese vision of the world, gained the traditional Japanese minimalism shade. As Jordan emphasizes, it was namely the Chinese influence that affected the Japanese manner of depicting religious issues: Throughout Japan’s medieval era, many family-centered schools, such as the Takuma, altered their styles under the influence of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism and Began to paint in the fashionable monochrome ink style.[9] Another aspect which is worth paying attention to is the opposition â€Å"man vs. nature† which the Japanese philosophy has always been engaged with. Considered as â€Å"a magical control of and defense against evil†[10], this spirit is the child of the Japanese Buddhism. It is worth noticing that Zhong Kui is positioned neither by the painter, nor by the mythology as the creature attacking the evil spirits – on the contrary, the Devil Queller remains calm until demons start playing their tricks. What Zhong Kui does is protecting, not attack, which is truly Buddhist concept. In the picture, the Demon Queller bends the demons to his will, yet he does not harm them. Conclusion Filled with the air of Japanese refinement and the ancient myths, the picture makes one plunge into the depth of the mythology and philosophy of Japan, the country of mystery and legends. With help of the peculiar Buddhism setting the picture becomes even more expressive and at the same time mysterious. Creating the cultural and mythological background for the character, the Buddhist ideas add specific flair of safety, grandeur and solemnity to the picture. There is no doubt that Gong Kai created a piece which reprints the peculiarities of Japanese culture like no picture ever did. Bibliography Aldritt, Leslie D. 2005. Buddhism. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing Eliot, Sir Charles. 1935. Japanese Buddhism. New York, NY: Routledge. Guilliman, Derek. 2010. The Idea of Cultural Heritage. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Jordan, Brenda and Victoria Louise Weston. 2003. Copying the Master and Stealing  His Secrets: Talent and Training in Japanese Painting. Honolulu, HI: The University of Hawaii Press. Lee, Sherman. 1993. â€Å"Yan Hui, Zhong Kui, Demons and the New Year.† Artibus  Asiae 53, No  ½: 211-227 Little, Step hen. 1985. The Demon Queller and the Art of Qui Ying (Ch’iu Ying).  Artibus Asuiae 46, No  ½: 5-128  Shoki é  ¾Ã© ¦â€"  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the Demon Queller. 2010 A to Z Photo Dictionary,  http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shoki.shtml . Von Glahn, Richard, 2004. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Footnotes . Shoki é  ¾Ã© ¦â€"   – the Demon Queller. A to Z Photo Dictionary, 2010 . . Richard Von Glahn. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 125 . Richard Von Glahn. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 125 . Richard Von Glahn. The Sinister Way: The Divine and the Demonic in Chinese Religious Culture. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 125 . Sir Charles Eliot. 1935. Japanese Buddh ism (New York, NY: Routledge), 189 . Leslie D. Aldritt. 2005. Buddhism. (New York, NY: Infobase Publishing), 136 . Derek Guilliman. The Idea of Cultural Heritage (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 137 . Stephen Little. The Demon Queller and the Art of Qui Ying (Ch’iu Ying) (Artibus Asuiae 46, No  ½: 5-128, 1985), 33 . Brenda Jordan and Victoria Louise Weston. Copying the Master and Stealing His Secrets: Talent and Training in Japanese Painting (Honolulu, HI: The University of Hawaii Press, 2003), 10 . Sherman Lee. 1993. Yan Hui, Zhong Kui, Demons and the New Year. (Artibus Asiae 53, No  ½), 213 This term paper on Zhong Kui, the Keeper of Hearth and Home: Japanese Myth with Buddhist Philosophy was written and submitted by user Tristin Mcintyre to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Homemade Dry Ice Recipe

Homemade Dry Ice Recipe Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. Its extremely cold and sublimates into carbon dioxide gas, so its useful for a wide variety of projects. While its almost certainly less expensive to get dry ice from a store, its possible to make it yourself using a CO2 fire extinguisher or pressurized carbon dioxide in a tank or cartridge. You can get carbon dioxide at several types of stores (sporting good stores and some cookware stores), or you can order it online. Homemade Dry Ice Materials CO2 fire extinguisher or carbon dioxide tank.Cloth bagHeavy-duty gloves.Duct tape (optional) Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are labeled as such. If a fire extinguisher doesnt specify carbon dioxide assume it contains something else and wont work for this project. Make Dry Ice All you have to do is release the pressure on the gas and collect the dry ice. The reason you use a cloth bag is that it will allow carbon dioxide gas to escape, leaving just the dry ice. Put on the heavy-duty gloves. You dont want to get frostbite from the dry ice!Place the nozzle for the fire extinguisher or the CO2 tank inside the cloth bag.Either clamp your gloved hand around the mouth of the bag or else tape the bag onto the nozzle. Keep your gloved hand clear of the nozzle.Discharge the fire extinguisher or, if you are using a CO2 canister, partially open the valve. Dry ice will immediately begin forming in the bag.Turn off the fire extinguisher or close the valve.Gently shake the bag to dislodge dry ice from the nozzle. You can remove the bag and use your dry ice.Dry ice sublimates quickly, but you can extend how long it lasts by storing the bag in the freezer. Safety Precautions Dry ice freezes skin on contact. Be particularly careful to keep your hand away from the mouth of the fire extinguisher or outlet of the CO2 tank.Dont eat dry ice. If you use the dry ice to cool drinks, be careful not to get it in your mouth. Dry ice is not edible.Dry ice generates pressure as it sublimates. Dont store dry ice in a sealed container or it may burst.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Wolves and Beavers in Yellowstone National Park

Wolves and Beavers in Yellowstone National Park The elimination of two animal groups from Yellowstone National Park changed the course of rivers and decreased plant and animal diversity. What two animals had such a big impact?  Creatures that humans have long considered competitors and pests: wolves and beavers. Why Eliminate Wolves? It all started with good intentions. In the 1800s, wolves were seen as a threat to settlers’ livestock. Fear of the wolves also made it seem logical to eliminate them. Other predator populations such as bears, cougars, and coyotes were also hunted during this time in order to enhance other, preferred species. By the early 1970s, a survey of Yellowstone National Park showed no evidence of a wolf population. How Did a Lack of Wolves Change the Physical Geography of the Park? Without wolves to thin herds, elk and deer populations surpassed the park carrying capacity. Despite efforts to manage deer and elk populations, their preferred food sources of aspen and willow trees were decimated.  This resulted in a lack of food for beavers and their populations declined. Without beaver dams to slow the flow of rivers and create appropriate habitat, water-loving willows nearly disappeared.  The lack of shallow marshes created by beaver dams also decreased the quality of habitats for birds, amphibians, and other animals.  Rivers became faster and deeper. Reintroduction of the Wolves The process to restore habitat conditions was made possible with the passage of the 1973 Endangered Species Act. The law compelled US Fish and Wildlife Service to reestablish endangered populations when possible. Yellowstone National Park became one of three designated recovery sites for the Gray Wolf.  Amid much controversy, wolf reintroduction finally began in 1994 with the capture of wild wolves from Canada that were released in Yellowstone. A few years later, wolf populations stabilized and a wonderful story emerged about the restoration of park ecology.  It was hoped that with reduced elk populations, beavers would have access to their favored food and return to create lush wetlands. The return of the previously maligned wolf would transform the ecosystem for the better. It was a wonderful vision and some of it has come true, but nothing is ever easy in the restoration of complex ecosystems. Why Yellowstone Needs to Have Beavers Come Back Beavers have not returned to Yellowstone for a simple reason - they need food. Willows are preferred by beavers for dam construction and nutrition; however, despite the decline in the elk population, willows have not been recovering at the pace predicted.  The potential reason for this is a lack of the marshy habitat that favors their growth and expansion. Willows thrive in areas where soil is kept moist from regular flow of nearby water. Rivers in Yellowstone run faster and have steeper banks than they did during the era with beavers.  Without beaver ponds and meandering, slow-flow areas, willow trees are not thriving. Without willows, beavers are less likely to return.   Scientists have tried to resolve this dilemma by building dams that recreate beaver habitats. So far, willows have not spread into these man-made ponding areas.  Time, rainy conditions, and still lower elk and deer populations may all need to converge before there will be mature willows to lure back a large beaver population. Yellowstone Wolf Restoration Still a Great Story The great debate over how fully wolves have restored Yellowstone ecology may go on for years, but scientists seem to agree that the wolves have improved conditions. Wildlife biologists have noted that endangered grizzly bears often manage to steal wolf kills. This could be critical if other food sources such as fish populations continue to decline. Coyote and foxes still thrive, but in smaller numbers; perhaps due to competition with wolves. Fewer small predators have allowed populations of rodents and other small mammals to recover. It has even been suggested that deer and elk health has improved because they must move more quickly and remain alert with wolves in the area. Wolves in Yellowstone Today The expansion of the wolf population has been amazing. In 2011, the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that there were about 1,650 wolves in Yellowstone National Park. In addition, the wolves were taken off the endangered-species list in Idaho and Montana. Today, the packs in Yellowstone range from two to eleven wolves. The size of the packs varies with the size of the prey. Wolves are currently hunted in areas surrounding Yellowstone National Park. The National Park Service is still monitoring the wolf population in the park and surrounding areas. Hope for the Beaver? Beavers are among the most persistent wildlife on the planet.  Their reputation of nuisance comes from the challenge of discouraging them once they become attached to a stream or river. While they prefer willows, they can survive from other tree species, such as aspens. The National Park Service continues to monitor the beaver population. It is possible that over time the combination of reduced elk populations, improving aspens and willows, and a wet weather period could combine to create ideal conditions for their return.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Non-Molestation and Occupancy Orders and Ancillary Relief Essay

Non-Molestation and Occupancy Orders and Ancillary Relief - Essay Example Further details are set out below. Non-Molestation Order In order to put a stop to your husband’s violence, you are at liberty to apply to the courts for a non-molestation order under Section 42 of the Family Law Act 1996 (as amended).1 There is one pre-condition necessary for applying for a non-molestation order. The order can only be in respect of associated persons.2 Associated persons are described by Section 62 of the Family Law Act 1996 and include any number of domestic relationships including spouses.3 Therefore you and John are associated persons. Moreover, should you apply for a divorce the court can make a non-molestation order in the course of family proceedings. Either way, the court can make the order irrespective of whether or not you apply for a divorce or whether or not there are any other family proceedings.4 In deciding whether or not a non-molestation order is appropriate the court will examine all of the facts and circumstances of the case including the ne ed to ensure your well-being, health and safety. In this regard, the resulting order will have the effect or ordering John to stop the violence and may also order him to avoid doing anything else that amounts to abusive behaviour or harassment.5 Essentially, a non-molestation order may refer to specific acts of violence or harassment or abusive conduct or it may be expressed in general terms.6 A non-molestation order may be for a fixed period or made until further notice.7 We would suggest that since you are sure you want to file for a divorce that you file for a divorce and seek a non-molestation order as interim relief with a view to having the order open until further notice. According to Section 42(8) of the Family Law Act 1996, once family proceedings are withdrawn or dismissed, the non-molestation order ceases to be effective.8 The consequences of Section 42(8) should not be of concern to you, since the divorce proceedings will only be withdrawn or dismissed if you either reco ncile with John (in which case a non-molestation order would not be necessary) or if it is established that the grounds for a divorce are not substantiated (in which case there was no need for a molestation order in the first place). Regardless, a non-molestation order will provide you with significant safety since a breach of the order is a criminal offence for which John faces a term of imprisonment for up to five years.9 Occupation Order Obviously, you may want to ask John to vacate the matrimonial home, but the problem with that is that since he is a co-owner under a tenancy in common, he has the right to come back and occupy the home at any time.10 This is because pursuant to Section 30 of Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996, both spouses have the right against eviction or exclusion from the family home unless an occupation order is obtained under sections 33-38 of the 1996 Act.11 By virtue of Section 33, as an associated person with an interest in the family home as a result of the tenancy in common, you have a right to apply for an occupation order as a means of putting a stop to John’s violence against you.12 An occupation order will make an order for you to either occupy the home or part of it or order John to vacate the home or part of it.13 In making the order the court will take account of the â€Å"

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Discuss teaching strategies that enhance pupils' writing ability with Essay

Discuss teaching strategies that enhance pupils' writing ability with particular reference to improving boys' writing skills. Focus on at least two different genres of writing in your answer - Essay Example Though in general, both the gender find writing challenging, the differences in learning styles, and attitude to literacy, and cognitive abilities make teacher’s work challenging in the classroom to ensure delivery of equitable education. This paper gives an overview of the general difficulties faced by literacy pupils and moves on to have a closer look at boys and literacy, with specific reference to their writing skills. It also strives to suggest teaching strategies, learning resources and activities to enhance writing skills of boys in literacy classroom. National Literacy Trust (2009) says that â€Å"national tests have indicated that writing scores lag behind reading generally†. Teaching language involves four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, of which writing is of the highest difficulty level and comes at the end. This partly explains the challenge faced by pupils in any literacy classroom. Writing is a complex skill that involves critical operation of the thinking abilities that works hand in hand with the knowledge of language structure, vocabulary, syntax and grammar. It is obviously challenging to learn this complex skill of writing. Literacy and language teachers adopt various teaching methodologies and classroom techniques to develop writing skill in their students. Different tools like journals, notebooks, and group sharing strategies are widely used in the classrooms. Equal importance is also given to pre-writing tasks as much as that is given to the actual writing itself. Beyond this, revision also is insisted. In general, there are a few apparent reasons for writing being one of the challenging skills to learn. Firstly, it is a complex activity that requires the use and coordination of multiple faculties like cognitive and linguistic abilities. Also, genre-specific conventions are to be adhered to and require knowledge of the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hearts Essay Example for Free

Hearts Essay This case is about a company named Hearts ‘R Us. This company provides research and development for medical devices. According to the information provided the company is in its early stage and has no products in the market. They have developed a Heart Valve System that would be revolutionary in the market if is approved. Also there’s another company called Bionic Body that is a biological medical device company, they have another product that would work well with this new Heart Valve System. Therefore both companies decided to fuse by agreement. The agreement is as follows: $3.5 million preferred stock shares of Series A from Heart Company are sold to Bionics with a par value of $1 each. This transaction was completed on November 30, 2011, according to the information provided. This transaction gave Bionic specific rights: 1. Board Rights, 2. Mandatory Conversion right, 3. Contingent Redemption Rights. Additional Protective Rights, 5. Right of first refusal and Co-Sale Rights. The $3.5 millions of shares would be convertible in common stock according to the agreement when the IPO reaches net proceeds of at least $50 millions. It is stated that if on year five of the agreement the FDA has not yet approve the product to be in the market; the shares could be redeemed at its par value. Hearts R Us is a company that reports on a year basis and it’s planning to make an IPO soon. There are a couple of issues surrounding this case. First is an early-stage company that doesn’t have the financial stability and this might create trouble for further transactions. The only product that might be coming to the market still depends on a series of trials and the approval of the FDA. Since the company is just starting; all of its accounting transactions have being recorded to comply with the covenants of its outstanding debt. Furthermore they are not required to comply with SEC and are currently not doing so. Also theirs an issue of how to be done to register the Series A shares that have being sold to Bionic. Preferred Stock: A security that has preferential rights compared to common stock. †¢Participation Rights: contractual rights of security holders to receive dividends or returns from the security issuer’s profits, cash flows, or returns on investment. FASB has some guide lines of how companies should report or disclose information of their securities. 1.FASB: addresses disclosure of information about capital arrangement is in the FASB Codification 505-10-50-3. 2.Participation Right is contractual right of security holders to receive dividends or returns from security issuer’s profits, cash flows or returns on investments. †¢FASB Codification 505. An entity shall explain, in summary form within its financial statements, the pertinent rights and privileges of the various securities outstanding. Examples of information that shall be disclosed are dividend and liquidation preferences, participation right, call prices and dates, conversion or exercise prices or rates and pertinent dates, sinking-fund requirements, unusual voting rights, and significant terms of contracts to issue additional shares. An entity shall disclose within its financial statements the number of shares issued upon conversion, exercise, or satisfaction of required conditions during at least the most recent annual fiscal period and any subsequent interim period presented.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Investigation: How does the concentration of acid affect the rate of reaction? :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Investigation: How does the concentration of acid affect the rate of reaction? The aim of this investigation is to test how concentration affects the rate of reaction. My prediction for my investigation is that the higher the concentration, the faster the reaction will be. My reason behind my prediction is: Â · The higher the concentration, the more particles there are which will collide with enough energy to overcome activation energy, which is explained as the collision theory. Collision theory explains how chemical reactions occur and why rates of reaction differ. For a reaction to occur, particles must collide. If the collision causes a chemical change it is referred to as a fruitful collision. For a reaction to occur, the reactant particles must collide. Only a certain fraction of the total collisions cause chemical change; these are called successful collisions. The successful collisions have activation energy at the moment of impact to break existing bonds and form new bonds, resulting in the products of the reaction. Increasing the concentration of the reactants and raising the temperature bring about more collisions and therefore more successful collisions, increasing the rate of reaction. When a catalyst undergoes collision with the reactant molecules, less energy is required for the chemical change to take place, and hence more collisions have sufficient energy for reaction to occur, therefore the reaction rate increases. The four factors that influence the rate of reaction and therefore the experiment are: 1. The temperature. This is because; if the concentration is warmer, then the reaction rate may increase or decrease depending on temperature. 2. The Catalyst. This is because; if the catalyst is of a larger volume or size than the concentration then it may have an affect on the concentration and experiment that will differentiate results. 3. The concentration. This is a variable that will be used because we are trying to find if the concentration will affect the rate of reaction. 4. The surface area. This is because; if the surface areas of the calcium carbonate pieces are different then it will affect the results also because it will give off more gas, the greater the surface area. To achieve the most accurate of results possible I will use all sufficient equipment and data. For my prediction, that the higher the concentration, the faster the reaction rate, I will use pre-test results to help with my evaluation before I start my investigation. Before I started my investigation, I did a pre-test experiment that helped me to reach my prediction.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

John Holt Essay

â€Å"By Friday you need to have the first 350 pages read in the novel and a written summary.† Do you remember being told that all the time in school? Teachers expecting us to read large amounts in a short period of time, they don’t think it is too much because they love reading. Well John Holt wrote a really good article about his thoughts called â€Å"Making Children Hate Reading.† Making Children Hate Reading is a good article because he uses real life situations and compares his thoughts to others but using several different examples, such as Mark Twain’s work. John Holt was a fifth grade English teacher. He once felt that he needed to push reading on his students so they would grow up into a world of great vocabulary and knowledge. Vocabulary tests and quizzes on the stories. He also encouraged them to look up every word in the dictionary that they were not sure of the meaning. Once confronted by his sister, who had a rough situation with her sons seventh grade teacher, he began to see what he was doing. John saw that he was pushing these kids further from the desire to read than he thought. People cannot be forced to do something they do not want to do over and over again because they will grow to hate it. They might still do it anyways but just not put any effort into it. â€Å"My sister answered that until this class her boy had always loved reading, and had read a lot on his own; now he had stopped. (He was not really to start again for many years.)† (Holt) Holt also describes how people become almost â€Å"scared† of reading. He talks as though someone who is humiliated about something or does something wrong and gets punished for it in some manner will most likely never do it again. That goes for reading as well. Being pushed over and over to read excessive amounts or write long essays they will either A) love it or B) hate it. Once a young child hates something they will fear it for a very long time. Holt uses info from one of Mark Twain’s quotes; â€Å"Mark Twain once said that a cat that sat on a hot stove lid would never sit on one again, but it would never sit on a cold one either. As true of children as of cats. If they, so to speak, sit on a hot book a few times, if books cause them humiliation and pain, they are likely to decide that the safest thing to do is to leave all books alone.† I believe each teacher needs to come up with their own ways to make their class run for every student. Not every student will enjoy everything they do but at some point they should all be able to say â€Å"I really had fun today.† Or â€Å"What I just learned was very interesting.† Not every teacher is going to understand each student’s level of intelligence, but it helps to try. Each individual student comes from a different home, some where parents were strict making them read in their free time or study flash cards and others probably just didn’t care. Now if each teacher had their own unique way of teaching a subject then the student would remain on their toes and ready to see what is next. Imagine being in a class room and every day the teacher just lectured; hearing the same message every day, in the same tone, about the same topic. Even that sentence was boring. Its gets old and people begin to tune out, it may seem they are paying attention but in their head they are really thinking about how the Bulls finally won last night, or what they wanted to eat when they got home.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Educational Technology

Exam Name___YVETTE TORRALBA-MOSES___________ TRUE/FALSE. Write ‘T' if the statement is true and ‘F' if the statement is false. 1) Technological literacy cannot serve as the primary rationale for integrating educational technology. 1) _T______ 2) One thing we have learned from the history of technologies in education is that teachers rarely have time to develop their own instructional media for teaching. 2) __T_____ 3) Research over the past 40 years has shown conclusively that technology-based methods are usually superior to traditional ones. 3) _F______ MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 4) Educators who come from a vocational background and belong to the ITEA professional organization use this term to refer to uses of technology for teaching and learning. 4) B______ A) instructional technology B) technology education C) educational technology D) instructional systems 5) In which of the following eras did Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs) become popular? 5) _D______ A) Internet Era B) Post-Internet Era C) Pre-microcomputer Era D) Microcomputer Era 6) What is one thing we have learned from the history of technology in education about the role teachers will play in the future? 6) __B_____ A) To be effective, schools must keep up with new technology-based methods. B) Despite technological innovations, human teachers will always be very important. C) Due to technological innovations, human teachers gradually will be phased out. D) The most successful teachers are ones who integrate technology into their methods. 7) What does AUP stand for? 7) __D_____ A) Authorized Use Procedures B) Authorized Uniform Procedures C) Authorized Uniform Policies D) Authorized Use Policies 8) Why do teachers need to develop their own rationale for using technology in education? 8) __A_____ A) Integrating technology is time-consuming and relatively expensive to use. B) Parents are often opposed to their children using technology in classrooms. C) Teachers often have to persuade administrators to support technology uses. D) Newer technologies continue to require different rationales than older ones. 9) Which of the following is one of the â€Å"big issues† shaping the current and future climate of educational technology? 9) ___B____ A) Macintosh vs. Windows platform usage in schools B) directed vs. constructivist learning strategies C) cooperative vs. individualized learning strategies D) web-based vs. broadcast distance learning delivery SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 10) Though many educators tend to think of technology as devices, Saettler reminds us that the historical function of educational technology was a/an ________ rather than a product. 10) __tool and process______ 11) This term evolved from â€Å"computer literacy† and has come to mean technical skills that help prepare students for the workplace. 1) _____________ 12) What kind of software, first introduced in 1994, marked the beginning of more widespread Internet use? 12) Computer assisted learning________ 13) Attacks on computer systems by hackers and viruses make it necessary for schools to install firewalls and this kind of software. 13) _firewall software______ 14) What term is used to describe the disparity between the u se of computers by girls and boys which some people feel leads to girls entering science and mathematics fields less often than boys? 14) _____________ 15) ISTE has worked with groups such as NCATE to identify this set of technology skills that should be required of all American teachers. 15) _NETS______ TRUE/FALSE. Write ‘T' if the statement is true and ‘F' if the statement is false. 16) Using drill and practice to promote automaticity is a directed strategy. 16) _F____ 17) Having small groups work cooperatively to develop a hypermedia product is identified more with constructivist models than with directed instructional ones. 17) ___T___ 18) One of the essential conditions for effective technology integration is adequate technical assistance for teachers. 8) __T____ MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 19) Which of the following technology-based strategies might Skinner have considered an effective way to shape learned behavior? 19) ___C___ A) forming responses through multimedia rewards for good behavior B) using visual examples to bridge adult/expert and c hild/novice levels C) drill and practice that gives reinforcement for correct answers D) using Internet illustrations to stimulate recall of prerequisite skills 20) Which of the following might be a kind of technology strategy based on constructivist learning models? 20) _C_____ A) Identifying skill weaknesses and targeting tutorial and drill software to them B) Giving students a German language tutorial because a teacher is not available C) Showing video-based problems that students solve through small group work D) Letting students write papers by word processing, rather than by hand 21) What two kinds of instruments can teachers design or select during Phase 3 of the TIP Model to assess changes in attitudes during a technology-enhanced lesson? 1) __A___ A) Rubrics and semantic differentials B) Likert scales and semantic differentials C) Rubrics and observation checklists D) Likert scales and rubrics 22) In writing outcomes and objectives for technology-enhanced lessons, which of the following should teachers always consider? 22) __A___ A) skills and attitudes to be learned B) teaching approaches to be used C) learning processes to be used D) technology skills to be learned 23) Which of the following should be asked during Phase 6 to determine if the technology-enhanced lesson worked as planned? 23) B_____ A) Have the technology resources been integrated well? B) Could a different technology produce a better result? C) Do teachers agree that the technology was necessary? D) Were all available technology resources used? 24) What is one of the most important guidelines for teachers and others to follow when writing proposals to obtain technology funding? 24) _D____ A) Give descriptions of relevant background for all personnel. B) Make sure to address the primary goals of the funding agency. C) Give detailed explanation to justify funds for technology resources. D) Make sure sufficient research history and background is included. SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 25) Howard Gardner would probably approve of assigning different roles in small group multimedia development projects because they can help address this concept that is central to his theory. 25) _Theory of Multiple Intelligences__ 26) What would Vygotsky call a process of helping students develop new math skills by using video-based problems to build on their own knowledge and experience? 26) _social process in learning_______ 27) What do teachers see when they determine that a technology-based strategy is better than the traditional one they were using? 27) _____________ 28) This model gives teachers a general approach to address challenges involved in integrating technology into teaching. 28) _Technology Integration Planning Model_______ 29) This software prevents access to specific web site addresses or to web sites that contain certain keywords or phrases. 29) _Firewall Software_ 30) What is the name for the policy that schools should have students sign to help make sure they are aware of appropriate behaviors on the Internet? 30) _Authorized Use Policies______

Friday, November 8, 2019

compulsory voting essays

compulsory voting essays Compulsory voting (CV) is a system of laws and/or norms mandating that enfranchised citizens turn out to vote, often accompanied by (a) a system of compulsory voter registration and (b) penalties for non-compliance, usually fines or the denial of state-provided benefits. Cross-national studies find CV to be an effective mechanism for increasing turnout, by between seven to sixteen percentage points; within-country comparisons also generally find that CV boosts turnout. CV is commonly thought to advantage parties of the left (based on social-structural and demographic patterns of turnout in countries without CV), and hence shift public policy in that direction also. But these conjectures are difficult to verify, since other political and institutional variables intervene between voter turnout, election outcomes and policy outputs. It is often overlooked that fines and sanctions are just one aspect of CV: states employing CV usually reciprocate by reducing the costs of turnout for its citizens, via weekend voting, simple registration procedures, and the creation of a centralized, professional bureaucracy concerned with all aspects of election administration. ____________________________________________________ Assistant Professor and Victoria Schuck Faculty Scholar, Department of Political Science, Over twenty countries around the world have some form of compulsory voting, which requires citizens to register to vote and to go to their polling place or vote on the election day. With secret ballots it is not really possible to prove who has or has not voted so this process could be more accurately called compulsory turnout. One of the most well known compulsory voting systems is in Australia. All Australian citizens over 18 (except those of unsound mind or those convicted of serious crimes) must be registered to vote and show up at the poll on Election Day. Australians who do not vote are subject to fines although those w...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Definition of Bleeding Kansas

Definition of Bleeding Kansas Bleeding Kansas was a term coined to describe violent conflicts in the US territory of Kansas from 1854 to 1858. The violence was provoked when the residents of Kansas had to decide for themselves whether to become a slave state or a free state.The unrest in Kansas amounted to a civil conflict on a small scale, and was something of a premonition of the full-scale war Civil War that was split the nation less than a decade later. The outbreak of hostilities in Kansas was essentially a proxy war, with pro-slavery and anti-slavery sympathizers in the North and South sending manpower as well as weapons. As events unfolded, elections were decided by outsiders flooding into the territory, and two different territorial legislatures were established. The violence in Kansas became a subject of fascination, with reports often being carred in the newspapers of the day. It was the influential New York City editor, Horace Greeley, who was crediting with coining the term Bleeding Kansas. Some of the violence in Kansas was perpetrated by John Brown, a fanatical abolitionist who traveled, with his sons, to Kansas so they might slaughter pro-slavery settlers. Background of the Violence The atmosphere in the United States in the 1850s was tense, as the crisis over slavery became the most prominent issue of the day. The acquisition of new territories following the Mexican War led to the Compromise of 1850, which seemed to settle the question of which parts of the country would allow slavery. In 1853, when Congress turned its attention to the Kansas-Nebraska territory and how it would be organized into states to come into the Union.  The battle over slavery began again. Nebraska was far enough north that it would clearly be a free state, as required under the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The question was about Kansas: would it come into the Union as a free state or a slave state? An influential Democratic senator from Illinois, Stephen Douglas, proposed a solution he called popular sovereignty. Under his proposal, the residents of a territory would vote to decide if slavery would be legal. The legislation put forth by Douglas, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, would essentially overturn the Missouri Compromise and allow slavery in states where the citizens voted for it. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was immediately controversial. (For instance, in Illinois a lawyer who had given up on politics, Abraham Lincoln, was so offended by it that he resumed his political career.) With the decision in Kansas approaching, anti-slavery activists from northern states began flooding into the territory. Pro-slavery farmers from the South also began to arrive. The new arrivals began to make a difference in voting. In November 1854 an election to choose a territorial delegate to send to the U.S. Congress resulted in many illegal votes. The following spring an election to choose a territorial legislature resulted in Border Ruffians coming across the border from Missouri to ensure a decisive (if disputed) win for pro-slavery candidates. By August 1855 the anti-slavery people who had come into Kansas rejected the new state constitution, created what they called a free-state legislature, and created a free-state constitution known as the Topeka Constitution. In April 1856 the pro-slavery government in Kansas set up in its capital, Lecompton. The federal government, accepting the disputed election, considered the Lecompton legislature as the legitimate government of Kansas. Eruptions of Violence Tensions were high, and then on May 21, 1856, pro-slavery riders entered the free soil town of Lawrence, Kansas, and burned homes and businesses. To retaliate, John Brown and some of his followers dragged five pro-slavery men from their homes at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas, and murdered them. The violence even reached the halls of Congress. After an abolitionist senator from Massachusetts, Charles Sumner, delivered a blistering speech denouncing slavery and those who supported it in Kansas, he was beaten nearly to death by a South Carolina congressman. A truce was finally worked out by a new territorial governor, though violence continued to flare until finally dying down in 1859. Significance of Bleeding Kansas It was estimated that the skirmishing in Kansas ultimately cost about 200 lives. While it was not a major war, it was important as it showed how the tensions of slavery could lead to violent conflict. And in a sense, Bleeding Kansas was a precursor to the Civil War, which would violently split the nation in 1861.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

A true leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A true leader - Essay Example A true leader is able to motivate the members of his group to not give up during tribulations. He drives them to keep on believing the power of teamwork and realize that aims and aspirations are better attained when people cooperate. Amidst hard times, a good leader is able to think and act strategically in order for the team to fight and in the end prevail. Leadership is about sacrifice and selflessness. It is not about abusing power or position so as to promote self-interest. Rather, it is about putting other people's welfare on top of one's own since this bodes well for the future of the entire team. This means that leaders think and even care more about their constituents or subordinates than themselves. For me, these qualities are best exemplified by Martin Luther King, Jr., the legendary leader of the black people's movement. Prior to his ascension as a great civic leader, King witnessed and experienced the injustices towards the black minority. Rules on separating the white people from people of color were being implemented in education, transportation and other public facilities. This made the black minority as second class citizens. In this regard, he valiantly fought for equal rights and racial integration. Through his po

Friday, November 1, 2019

Networks and alliances in biotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Networks and alliances in biotechnology - Essay Example It is general perception among the people in the market that the organization with higher quality collection of alliances will perform better in the long run, which leads to higher market valuation of the firms. The report prepared by the analysts of Goldman Sachs (2005) on the biotechnology firms has closely studied the alliances and has published a long list of such alliances, which suggested that there were quite large number of alliances in this sector. Apart from this, a study conducted by Baum, Calabrese and Silverman (2000) on biotechnology firms of Canada has found that the new firms are more capable of leveraging alliances, especially R&D alliances and are seen to grow at a higher rate. This report focuses on the strategic alliances in the biotechnology firms and unleashing their importance and implications. Primary activities of the Biotechnology Firms Biotechnology is one of the most important emerging technologies that generate several applications, which are applied to v arious fields such as healthcare, fine chemistry, food industry, agriculture and even in the environmental development. Biotechnology encompasses various research methods and technologies that are applied in various sectors. For instance â€Å"recombinant DNA technology can be used to produce large molecule medicines in the pharmaceutical sector, create new crop varieties in the agricultural sector, or create micro-organisms that produce industrial enzymes for the chemical sector† (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, 2005, p. 6). Reasons for collaboration of the biotechnology firms The alliance formation of the biotechnology firms has gained enough attention from many scholars. These scholars have tried to track the motives of the firms behind the alliances and have found quite significant number of reasons. The cost and risk of innovation involved in the product development for the biotechnology firms are quite high so a majority of the firms look for sha ring these risk and cost involved through strategic partnership. Apart from this, the biotechnology firms look for entering into strategic alliance with established rivals in order to avoid direct competition with those rivals in the product market. Keeping these motives in mind the two key driver that encourages the formation of alliance are firstly the accessibility to the knowledge and other complementary resources and secondly the search for legitimacy. Accessibility to the knowledge and other complementary resources An organization can be well defined as an open-system whose survival is highly dependent on the exchange of resources with various environmental aspects such as the competitors, buyers and suppliers. For biotechnology firms the need for accessibility to knowledge and other resources is due to the challenge that they face in commercialising the process and the development of the products that are considered to be highly resources-intensive. A large number of biotechn ology firms do not have the significant amount of required resources necessary for the execution of the process leading to the development of product; moreover, the intense competition leads to the further squeezing of the existing resources. Thus, strategic alliances provide a way of accessing the

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The corporate communications function of Microsoft Essay

The corporate communications function of Microsoft - Essay Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Microsoft as one of the largest and most well-known information technology companies in the world. Its internal and external communicational strategies have been analyzed to uncover how the company has been able to generate value for itself and also for its stakeholders. The study has revealed that the organizational communication plays a vital role in the success of a company. The internal communication comprises of the interaction among the employees and staff and the external communication includes the communication with the customers and notable external stakeholders like the investors. The company has improved its internal communication by incorporating advanced telecommunication technologies to virtually bring the employees together who are separated by national borders. It has been found that the communicational strategies incorporated by the company have helped to develop team work, productivity, and efficiency. The external communica tional strategies of the company include its marketing communications and promotional campaigns. Microsoft has developed its advertisements to highlight the brand image of the company and to create customer awareness about its products. It has leveraged its financial prowess to develop robust promotional campaigns. Finally, it has been concluded that the company has successfully designed its communicational process to increase its value generation and it has been recommended that in order to further improve them, it should adopt an integrated marketing strategy and adopt content localization.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Effective Teaching and Learning

Effective Teaching and Learning The purpose of Instructional design is to integrate resources to facilitate students acquisition of the learning goals as well as help teachers use what is available to help students achieve the desired learning outcome (Walter Dick, 2010). Nevertheless, instructional design should be grounded on theories of learning and instruction (Morrison, Ross Kemp, 2007). The following are several major teaching strategies and learning, instruction theories I have applied in my individual instructional plan. Also I will elaborate on the reasons for applying them in the following part. First, greet students before class. In my point of view, this is an effective way to build positive relationship between students and teacher .According to Boynton (2012), developing positive teacher-student relations are one of the most effective method teachers can take to establish a positive discipline climate in the classroom. Its not difficult for us to recognize that students who are treated with respect as well as love and care tend to behave well and have better academic performance. It is because we all want to be valued and respected and students without doubt also have these feelings, as a result, in order to get more attention and appreciation from the teacher, they will try to please teachers by behaving more appropriately to fit the teachers expectations. In this sense, we have to realize that rules alone cannot improve the behavior problems of students, whereas good teacher-students relationship can not only encourage students to behave well, but also benefit learning outcomes of students and help to ac hieve effective teaching. Second, improve the physical learning environment by arranging the desks in the U shape. With this arrangement, the teacher can see every student, and every student can see the board .This set-up puts the focus on the center of the room where the teacher will be teaching. Also, this set-up allows for ease of putting them into groups or partners. Besides, this arrangement maximizes the classrooms physical space and allows the teacher moving around the room a lot while teaching and keeping students attention. Despite facilitating easy teacher movement and proximity, it also improves student movement and communication. In short, the arrangement of the desks facilitates the teaching strategies employed and allows sufficient interaction between teacher and pupils, as well as among the pupils themselves Third, the lesson is presented in a way thats relevant to the students. In this instructional plan, the topic is about family and it is also further planned for students to show their own family photos, which are all closely related with the students. In this way, it gives the students a reason for learning, for they are relevant to their lives. Besides, it will stimulate the students interests and help to create a fun and productive learning environment. According to a neurologist and former classroom teacher Judy Willis, Long lists of vocabulary words that dont have personal relevance or dont resonate with a topic about which the student has been engaged are likely to be blocked by the brains affective (or emotional) filters, That is to say, students need a personal connection to the material, whether thats through engaging them emotionally or connecting the new information with previously acquired knowledge. In addition, making the information personally relevant can also improve the self-referent encoding of knowledge. Without this relevance, students may not only disengage and quickly forget, but they may also lose the motivation to try. (Bernard, 2010) Forth, use question strategies to facilitate students learning. According to Cotton (2006), questioning is second only to lecturing in popularity as a teaching method. So in this instructional plan, I use questions in order to: *quickly check for understanding by asking yes /no or true /false question and have students quickly stand up to show the answer they agree with. * gain attention, keep all students on task and reduce the likelihood of management problems *have students repeat directional procedures *elaborate on their answers /work * stimulate higher level thinking Apart from the aforementioned reasons, I also want to use questions to motivate students to learn. Because questions can offer a variety of opportunities to let students experience success, build up confidence, meet their intellectual and psychological needs and help to further develop their knowledge, skills and cognitive competence. Fifth, take advantage of cooperative learning of constructivist in teaching. I have applied two major methods of cooperative learning in this instructional design *Student Teams-Achievement Division *Jigsaw grouping By using the STAD, students will not only get enough time to rehearse new information, but also help each other to learn better through peer assistance in the small group . And in Jigsaw grouping, students are assigned to different roles in the group and only through sharing could they finish the task. Thus, the purpose of applying cooperative learning methods is not just for improving learning, but to cultivate a cooperative spirit, improve students presentation , social , communication skills and learn to be responsible as well. Sixth, provide various activities. In this instructional plan, I try to give students hands-on activities in order to achieve the following aims: * practice and rehearse what they have learned and give feedback to the teaching about their learning * get them away from passive learning through exploring and researching by themselves. *repeating information to keep it in STM, because information is lost rapidly without further processing. *give alternative opportunities for them to experience success and meet their psychological needs *create easy and interesting learning environment and have students actively and continuously engaged. Furthermore, it cant be denied that classrooms with motivated students, enthusiastic teachers, and stimulating, meaningful activities have fewer discipline problems, which is also crucial in helping to achieve effective learning. Seventh, use videos to supplement lessons. In recent years, the use of multimedia plays a more and more important role in teaching and learning because of the many advantages it has brought about. M. Hogreeve (1995) suggests several advantages with the use of multimedia for language learning, it includes a high level of stimulation of the senses a high level of involvement, attention, concentration -emotional arousal strong recognition effects So in the enrichment and remediation part of my instructional plan, I use a video of a family song in order to: *help to review and consolidate the knowledge learned *cater to different learning styles (visual, listening, touch) *vary material and mode of delivery to avoid satiation *get attention and improve memory by encoding information on the basis of dual code theory *motivate their interests in learning Eighth, apply scaffolding strategies in the teaching process. Scaffolding is the temporary assistance given by a teacher to help a learner learn how to do something, so that the learner will later be able to complete a similar task alone. As a result, I have added a scaffolding activity by modeling the family introduction first and then let the students do their own family introductions according to the words, sentences and ways the teacher has presented in her demonstration. Moreover, as can be seen in the first two parts of my instruction plan, I have used many questions to elicit new information of the lesson, which is another method of scaffolding through questioning techniques. Last but not least, provide positive and timely feedback to facilitate learning. Research on teaching effectiveness indicates that students need specific feedback to understand what is expected of them, correct errors, and get help in improving their performance (Sadker, D., Sadker, M. Zittleman, K.R., 2011). Therefore, I provide feedback to students and their performance throughout the instructional plan. There are many types of feedback, among which three types of feedback have been applied in this instruction plan. *nonverbal feedback *verbal feedback *motivational feedback (Barry, 2008) In the activity part , I ask the rest of the students to clap their hands to celebrate the students correct answering , which is a nonverbal feedback and acts as an encouragement and helps to build up the confidence of the students. I also use verbal feedback to try to provide the students with suggestion, clear direction for building on strengths or correcting errors when their answers are not on the right track. Motivational feedback is applied most frequently in this instruction plan, like awesome, yes, excellent, etc. They act as positive feedbacks that provide incentive for students to repeat actions that lead to good results. Hence, most of the time, feedback can be seen as a reinforcement, and plays a key part in reinforcing the good learning habits of students. In conclusion, the aforementioned strategies and theories are aimed at achieving effective teaching and learning, and at the same time, putting emphasis on the growth of students to enhance their social skills by being competent and responsible, developing in particular their self-motivation, self management and confidence in the process of learning. (Word counts: 1540)

Friday, October 25, 2019

My Personal Philosophy of Education :: Philosophy of Education Statement Teaching

An educator means that you are someone who cares and wants to see children be successful in your class and in their futures. The reason I want to become an educator is to make a difference in a child's life. I have worked with children for over seven years and everyday I spend with a child I learn someone new, about them and about myself. I want to give back to the community in which I was raised. I want to show them that they have helped make me become what I am today. A teacher can make a difference in a child's life to the good or bad if they went into the field for the wrong reason. I want to be remembered for the one who helped and made a difference a child?s life and also as good role model. In my classroom I would like to arrange the desk in a semi-circle and I want a sit at the head of the circle and than the circle will be complete. That way I will be able to see all of the children faces when involved in class discussion or in-group activities. This will show the students that I am equal and no one is better or less than the other. I still want my students to see me as the teacher and not a playmate when it comes to learning and see that I am in control of the class not them. I want them to be able to express what they are feeling and not be afraid that someone is going to put them down. On my bulletin boards I want to place work and coloring pictures that the students have brought in or did in class. I want to work with every student not just a selected few. I do not want to leave anyone out; I want them to be proud of their work. I would also like to have bulletin board with an historical theme such as up coming holidays, where the st udents can go and learn through different fun activities like coloring pages and information sheets that are on the board.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Why Daughters Need Their Fathers

Why does a daughter need a good dad? Fathers have a tremendous influence in their daughter’s lives. The research shows that daughters need their fathers and this influence determines a great deal of how the future will go. There is something special about the father/daughter relationship. I am the daddy of two very awesome little girls so I have firsthand experience and a keen appreciation for this subject. I want my daughters to have the best start in life possible. The responsibility I feel is weighty especially after I read the information below about how crucial a father’s role really is.The Reasons Daughters Need Their Fathers One of my most popular articles is 25 Things Every Father Must Teach His Daughter About Life. I was inspired to put it together after I read Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker, M. D. Dr. Meeker is a pediatrician. She has seen what a father’s influence means in the lives of girls from the counseling she’s done in her practice. If you are a daddy of girls, then you need to read this book. It should be mandatory for all fathers with daughters. I’m going to borrow some of Dr.Meeker’s stuff today to help you see why fathers are so important to the future success and happiness of their daughters. Here are three reasons daughters need their fathers: 1. Your Daughter Needs Your Protection Protection comes in many forms. Of course, when girls are young, they need us to protect them physically. However, as they grow up and venture out on their own, we can’t always be right there with them. But, we can still protect them by instilling in them confidence, wisdom and a sense that they are loved deeply by the most important man in their lives.You see, whether you want to admit it or not, our culture can sometimes be a very toxic and dangerous place for young women. Here are just a few of the disturbing statistics that Dr. Meeker cites in her book: â⠂¬ ¢Over 40% of girls 14 to 17 years old engage in unwanted sex because they fear their boyfriends will get angry if they don’t. That’s 4 out of 10! †¢Almost 12% of females will experience forced intercourse. †¢Over 35% of high school girls will have sad, hopeless feelings for longer than two weeks. †¢Over 11% of females attempt suicide. Don’t let your daughter become a statistic!A strong father can dramatically improve his daughter’s chances of avoiding these pitfalls and many others. Daughters who feel a close connection with their dad have fewer suicide attempts, fewer instances of body dissatisfaction, depression, low self-esteem, substance abuse and unhealthy weight. Your daughter needs you to protect her from these threats. 2. Your Daughter Needs to Know She Is Loved A father’s love is central to a daughter’s sense of well-being. A strong and loving father helps young girls avoid many of the mistakes that lead to the big ger problems in life. According to Dr.Meeker: †¢A daughter’s self-esteem is best predicted by her father’s physical affection. †¢Girls with good fathers are less likely to flaunt themselves to seek male attention. †¢Girls with involved fathers wait longer to initiate sex and have lower rates of teen pregnancy. †¢76% of teen girls said that their father influenced their decisions on whether they should become sexually active. A father who sets boundaries and curfews and makes a point of meeting the boys his daughter dates, makes her feel more loved and valued. As a result, this young woman will place more value on herself.A girl who places more value on herself is less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as casual sex, binge-drinking and taking drugs. So, even though she might not appear to like it on the outside, deep down inside, your daughter wants you to set boundaries and provide guidance. This makes her feel that you care about her. 3. You r Daughter Needs You to Be Involved It is not enough for a father to just be present. He must be actively involved. This requires spending time alone with your daughter on a regular basis. Time that you initiate and devote to her alone.You have to talk to her. â€Å"One of the great myths that our society perpetuates is that teenagers need their space,† says Dr. Meeker. â€Å"Even in affluent families, girls become sexually active and pregnant earlier if they don’t live with fathers, according to the largest and longest-term study on the problem,† cited an article in USA Today. You need to affirm your daughter verbally and often. Tell her that you love her and that she is pretty, but don’t stop there. Praise her for other desirable qualities like intelligence, courage, loyalty, integrity, a sense of humor and generosity.You want her to know that she’s valued for much more than just her physical appearance. Get involved in things that she likes. Thi s may be a little uncomfortable for some dads, but you’ve got to put all that aside and do what’s best for your daughter. She needs to know that she’s important to you and that you’re willing to engage with her on her terms. Personally, I’ve Learned a Lot from Playing Barbies with my daughters and you can too. An involved dad that is affectionate and spends quality one-on-one time with his daughter is investing in her future.This investment will pay off in big ways. Be the Father Your Daughter Needs I challenge the fathers out there to rise up be the kind of daddy that your daughter needs. Her future depends on you. There is nothing more important that you can be doing. There is time for all the other stuff later, but your daughter needs you now. Go be the father she needs. Please share this via Facebook, Twitter, email or your favorite social media site. My hope is that it will inspire a father to step up and get involved in his daughter’s life. It can make all the difference in the world!

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Chinese Cultural Revolution

The Cultural Revolution in China was a social movement that took place in 1966 through 1976. This movement involved major changes that took place in the political, economic and social nature of China. These changes were very often for violent and corrupted means. This Cultural Revolution threatened China for 10 years. In the beginning of the revolution. â€Å"Destructive groups such as Red Guards and The Cultural Revolution Authority grasped the power, and China drove into the severe confusion† (http://library. hinkquest. org/26469/cultural-revolution/). Mao Zedong lead these Red Guard units â€Å"which denunciated and persecuted Chinese teachers and intellectuals, engaged in widespread book burnings, facilitated mass relocations, and enforced Mao's cult of personality† (http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/history/A0814235. html). His goal was to prevent the development of a bureaucratized Soviet style of Communism. The Red Guard units turned violent and lead to the group s plitting up into different sides.Agricultural production declined, but the countryside area experienced less disorder than in the cities. â€Å"Production was reduced in the modern nonagricultural sectors in several ways. The most direct cause of production halts was the political activity of students and workers in the mines and factories. A second cause was the extensive disruption of transportation resulting from the requisitioning of trains and trucks to carry Red Guards around the country. Output at many factories suffered from shortages of raw materials and other supplies.A third disruptive influence was that the direction of factories was placed in the hands of revolutionary committees, consisting of representatives from the party, the workers, and the People's Liberation Army, whose members often had little knowledge of either management or the enterprise they were supposed to run. In addition, virtually all engineers, managers, scientists, technicians, and other profession al personnel were â€Å"criticized,† demoted, â€Å"sent down† to the countryside to â€Å"participate in labor,† or even jailed, all of which resulted in their skills and knowledge being lost to the enterprise† (http://countrystudies. s/china/90. htm). The Cultural Revolution also had greater effects on the economy, in which foreign equipment was imported and technological advancement was needed.But the most serious and enduring effect on the economy was the lack of highly educated people do to the closing of the universities. China was unable to develop new technology and work with the imported technology because of its lack of highly educated personal. As political stability was gradually restored, a renewed drive for coordinated, balanced development was set in motion under the leadership of Premier Zhou Enlai† (http://countrystudies. us/china/90. htm). During the mid 1970s, a group known as the Gang of Four attempted to dominate the power center through their network of supporters and, most important, through their control of the media (http://countrystudies. us/china/90. htm). Mao Zedong died, and one month later the Gang of Four was arrested.