Indiana High School Math Teaching

â€Å"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called â€Å"truth. â€Å"† ~Dan Rather This research paper was written to educate you and myself on various topics on becoming a high school math teacher. I enrolled at Ashford University to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in order to enter the transition to teaching program. This paper has allowed me to acquire pertinent and vital information about my future career choice. My research was done on the status of high school math teachers, as well as students, in Indiana. This paper will educate you on Indiana’s High School mathematics graduation requirements, percentage of math students passing these requirements, teachers’ salaries, and the effect that a minority teacher should have on minority students. To graduate High school in Indiana a student must complete the Core 40 requirements set by the state. These requirements were implemented in 2006. There are four different diplomas that a high school student in the state of Indiana could receive upon completing the Core 40 requirements: General, Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors, and Core 40 with Technical Honors (Indiana Core 40, 2006). Even after completing the courses required for the Core 40 High School students in the state of Indiana must pass an exam to â€Å"qualify† for graduation. This exam is referred to as the GQE (Indiana Core 40, 2006 ). Indiana has added a few nice provisions to this legislation to help out students who may simply not be good test takers, or for those who are ready to work and do not need the required math skills for their work. These provisions, which are found on the Indiana Department of Education website, are referred to as the â€Å"Evidence-based waiver† and the â€Å"Work readiness waiver. The evidence-based waiver is for those students who excel in the classroom, but have a hard time with tests. This provision, among other things, allows teachers to confirm that the student knows what has been taught in class and that they have kept up their attendance as well. The work readiness waiver is for those students who have completed the Core 40 coursework as well as a completed a Career Exploration Internship. This simply means that the student has done the work that was required of them and that they are, in fact, ready to enter the workforce even though they may not have passed the GQE. Both provisions have provided students additional opportunities to complete their Indiana High School Math requirements. After learning about the requirements to pass math in the state of Indiana I wanted to take a look at the percentage of passing students to see if the percentage had improved since the Core 40 and GQE was put in place. Since there had been a curriculum change put into place, I wanted to see if the students were being positively affected by this change. Although I could not find the passing percentage for 12th graders, which is what I wanted to evaluate, I was able to find the percentage of 10th graders that passed from 2006-2009. I found that there was a quite a jump in the percentage of passing students from the year ’06-’07 to the year ’07-’08; it went from 66% to 72% (Annual Performance Report , 2009). However, the following year the same increased percentage did not occur. Instead the Indiana 10th grade percentage of students passing their GQE went down two percentage points. The numbers for the ’09-’10 year in Indiana have not yet been released, but I hope to find that these percentages were on the rise and did not follow suit from the previous year. Based on these statistics I am unable to see the impact that the Core 40 was designed to have on Indiana’s High School math students. The new legislation has only been in place for a few years, so there is still time for this to have a positive effect on the students and their graduation rates. Looking at these statistics raised a question for me, â€Å"How do you measure a teacher’s worth? Well, based on some research I can tell you that the average high school teacher’s salary has been on a steady incline. Within the last 35 years the average public school teacher’s salary has went from $11,165 for the school year of 1974-1975 to $50,488 for the school year of 2009-2010(Teacher Salary, 2007). The increases in wages have been well over the national inflation rate also. As a future teacher this research shows me that the state is recognizing the hard work that its teachers are putting nto their students and the government is trying to retain quality teachers. The monetary compensation is one valuable form of measuring a teacher worth, but there’s still the intangibles of the career and that is community worth. I have found through conversations with family and friends who are educators, no one teaches for the money. However, it is reassuring to see that I will be able to have a career that I am happy with and be able to support my family at the same time. I was drawn to this research topic because of my background and love for coaching. As a coach you are a teacher, counselor, and father. As a minority I believe I will be able to relate to my Afro-American students better. In my experiences I have found it easier to relate to students of the same ethnicity or socioeconomic backgrounds. Bandura states that learning may occur as a result of watching someone else perform some action and experience reinforcement or punishment (Boyd and Bee, 2006). I served as a role model for my student athletes by showing them various life decisions and how to make the correct choices when they arouse. As a male I have been a father figure to a lot of young males. My advice has been used as education for life situations and life skills. I saw the self efficacy as a huge challenge in many young and economically challenged Afro-American males and females. Bandura defines self efficacy as the belief in one’s ability to perform some action or to control one’s behavior or environment, to reach some goal or to make something happen ( Boyd and Bee, 2006). Many students had the attitude that they couldn’t overcome the obstacles that life had placed in front of them. Many social problems that the students faced were looked at as obstacles that were to hard overcome. I was able to help one particular student with a life altering experience and persuade him to not give up on his dreams. This young man had the opportunity to obtain a full athletic scholarship to a division one school for football, however numerous obstacles surrounded this young athlete, but none were greater than his lack of mathematical aptitude. I realized with working with this student that all of my social and ethical skills teaching wouldn’t benefit him if he couldn’t not pass his mathematical requirements to graduate high school and also pass college entrance exams. I hope that someday I will be in this situation again and I will be able to help other student’s overcome what many people see as an adversity. The adversity I am speaking of is being able to complete their math requirements so that they may receive their high school diploma. One of the main reasons I have decided to become an educator is to help young students’ poor outlook on their futures. As a teacher I will receive tremendous gratification watching a student reach his or her full potential. Watching students that never believed in themselves enough to graduate walk across the stage during graduation and listen to the speaker announce their future plans to attend a university or college is something that cannot be matched. The social impact of this job is immeasurable and the joy that I will receive from the profession will last a life time. In conclusion, as a minority high school teacher I should be able to model correct life skills and teach proficient math skills to my students that will create a greater sense of self efficacy in them. After researching Indiana’s High School mathematic graduation requirements, the percentage of students passing math requirements, and teachers’ salaries, I have found that I will be teaching in a state that has transformed its educational curriculum and requirements to produce more societal ready students, whether they join the workforce or the campus. I will also be working for a state that has a proven track record of monetarily backing its educators and keeping them out of poverty. With any luck the salaries will continue to rise with the educational requirements of the students that we must prepare for the future. Lastly, I will have a career that will keep this great nation strong and also provide me with a great sense of community pride.

Mixed Blood

March 22, 2013 Everyones IQ â€Å"Mixed Blood† by Jeffrey M. Fish, is an article with demonstrates the cultural basis of race by comparing how races are defined in the North America (U. S), Africa and Brazil primarily. As defined by Fish in America, a person’s race is determined not by how he or she looks, but by his or her heritage. This paper will explore the topics that Fish talks about, in relation, to classification of races.In this article Fish emphasizes on the fact that race is not a biologically meaningful idea and as a result it is a waste of time to look for biologically based racial differences in behavior. As Fish states, â€Å"The short answer to the question ‘What is race? ’ is: There is no such thing. Race is a myth, And out racial classification scheme is loaded with pure fantasy. † As defined by Fish, Humans are a species, which means that people from anywhere in the world can reproduce and create a fertile offspring.Human populatio n over time were geographically separated from one another came to differ in physical appearance. They came through three major pathways: mutation, natural selection and genetic drift. Further, different geographical environments select for different physical traits that confer a survival advantage. Fish’s example of People in tropics of Africa and South America came to have dark skins, presumably, through natural selection as protection against the sun.In cold areas, like northern Europe or northern North America, which are dark for long periods of time, and where people covered their bodies for warmth, people came to have light skins. Fish also talks about the body shapes and relevance they have in consideration to the climate and areas where they live, for example round bodies adapted by the Eskimos. Fish strongly feels that,â€Å"our categories for racial classification of people arbitrarily include certain dimensions (light versus dark skin) and exclude others (rounded versus elongated bodies).Over the past 15,000 years, there has been many differences created due to the spread of people from Africa to the Americas and elsewhere. Due to this separation, not only has there been changes over time, leading to distinct traits from those areas. In Africa for example there are the Masai Tribe who naturally are lanky and tall, and in comparison to another tribe in Africa the Pygmy Tribe who are naturally short, adapted through natural selection. Fish states that Americans believe in â€Å"blood. † Which is a term used for the quality presumed to be carried by members of these so called races.The way offspring regardless of their physical appearance always inherit the less prestigious racial category of mixed parentage is called â€Å"hypo descent† by anthropologists. The defining of a person’s race, from mixed lineages and the hierarchy of the so called prestigious and less prestigious races, should for focus on the majority of the p ersons race rather than focusing on the part which is less prestigious and defining them as that. â€Å"The American system tells you about how people’s parents are classified but not what they look like.They Brazilian system tells you what they look like but not about their parents. † Fish focuses on the Brazilian system, to make clear how profoundly folk taxonomies of race vary from one place to another. White individuals with high IQ levels, usually tend to have offsprings with high IQ levels. Black individuals with high IQ levels, usually tend to have offsprings with high IQ levels. There is no defining factors which prove or show that race does not have an impact on IQ levels. Sources Jeffrey M. Fish â€Å"Mixed Blood† Psychology Today. Jeffrey M. Fish, 2008.

Power Shifts in Queen Kong

The poem presents the reader with a power shift from male to female but could also highlight that the story is not simply restricted too male perspective. In this light, Duffy is, like in ‘Mrs. Midas', highlighting how certain members of society are exploited and how, despite popular belief, women often have control over men. This is reinforced when Queen Kong states how he is â€Å"my (her) little man†. This reveals her affection towards the man but also significantly displays his physical inferiority.The use of the possessive pronoun â€Å"my' again possibly reveals her care for the man but also possibly signifies her ownership of the man and thus shows how she is control. Duffy use of humor is also apparent throughout this poem. This is evident when the people in the village do not hear because they are â€Å"used to strangers†-The image of a gorilla walking the streets and no one noticing is completely absurd. There is a further element of humor when Queen Ko ng states how she is â€Å"especially fond of pastrami on rye†.Here, Duffy is straining the Bohemian lifestyle. This comic effect is also conveyed in stanza 7 when Queen Kong states â€Å"l was discreet, prowled those trees in darkness†. Additionally the notion of her going shopping without anyone noticing adds to the absurdity of the idea and the image of a huge gorilla walking through a shop adds to comical effect Duffy is trying to create. The annalistic instincts and desires of Queen Kong are notable on several occasions In the poem. The long nights In the heat† reveal her physical reaction and emphasizes her annalistic behavior in that It Is her natural Instinct to mate. The way Queen Kong explicitly reveals how she â€Å"put the tip of (her) tongue to the grape of his flesh† again emphasizes her annalistic behavior with the alliteration stressing how they went straight to having sex. This accentuates the Idea that It was lust and not romance that bro ught them to have sex. Queen Kong Just using the man to satisfy her own desires -control that she has over concept reinforced by the Idea that she was â€Å"lonely'- Italicized stressing her desperation? The control and superiority of queen Kong Is again apparent In stanza 9 â€Å"l picked him up Like a chocolate from the top layer† – whilst the simile portrays the man as desirable and metaphorically tasty, ultimately he has no control. This concept Is developed when queen Kong refers to the helicopters as â€Å"dragonflies†.This metaphor reveals the extent of her power and physicality. Moreover, It can be connected to the threat made earlier on In the poem that she â€Å"could swat his plane from the sky Like a gnat†- effective In disclosing her control and how he Is physically Inferior. -shift of power from male to female- male's often use their physical strength as a threat and In that way are normally superior to women. Power Shifts in Queen Kong By nekton highlight that the story is not simply restricted to a male perspective.In this light, instincts and desires of Queen Kong are notable on several occasions in the poem. â€Å"The long nights in the heat† reveal her physical reaction and emphasizes her annalistic behavior in that it is her natural instinct to mate. The way Queen Kong straight to having sex. This accentuates the idea that it was lust and not romance desires -control that she has over concept reinforced by the idea that she was â€Å"lonely'- italicized stressing her desperation?The control and superiority of queen Kong is again apparent in stanza 9 â€Å"l picked him up like a chocolate from the top ultimately he has no control. This concept is developed when queen Kong refers to physicality. Moreover, it can be connected to the threat made earlier on in the poem that she â€Å"could swat his plane from the sky like a gnat†- effective in disclosing her control and how he is physically inferior. -shift of power from male to female- male's often use their physical strength as a threat and in that way are normally superior to

Ethics Final Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Final - Term Paper Example However, the challenge of the project lies with its side effects to the locals and to the environment. The keystone pipeline project entails transportation of oil from the extraction site to the storage facilities, hence passing through many regions before reaching final destination. Therefore, it has many disadvantages based on its environmental degradation in the areas. Similarly, the process of extracting oils is very difficult and risky to the locals in cases measures are not placed to curb any uncertainty that may arise (Figueiredo and Brent 8). Hence, many factors require consideration before embarking on the project. Accommodating different players involved will be crucial in the management of the project and reducing the negative impacts associated with it. One of the key people for the successful implementation of this project are engineers who have different function. One of the roles of engineers is to conduct an environmental assessment to evaluate all the claims that might hinder the implementation of the project (Figueiredo and Brent 8). It is true that oil pipelines are hazardous, especially when they break and leak into the environment. Their impacts are always immense and make people oppose them whenever they hear about their construction. Therefore, engineers must conduct an environmental assessment to determine risk and mitigation measures. Secondly, engineers have a role of informing the community where the pipeline is to be constructed on the benefits of the projects. They also need to know the risk involved and their duties for the success of the project (Figueiredo and Brent 8). This will be essential since it will give the locals an opportunity to contribute and participate in the construction of the projects. Creating awareness to the surrounding communities is critical to the implementation of any project since it becomes inclusive, and people have to give

Odwalla Juice Case Study Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Odwalla Juice Analysis - Case Study Example Even though the company was faced with several financial constraints as its proceeds dropped by almost 90% (Harvard Business School, 1997, p. 1), one might have expected that the company would collapse altogether or that even if there exists enough backup budget to run the company, management would loose the zeal to continue operating with the same set of customers who might have developed negative attitude towards the company. However, management decided to rise above the challenge and give the company a new image. Clearly, this is a challenge that comes with several subsequent problems especially when it comes to the regaining of customer trust (Ducharme, 2002). Important players within the organization No organization works in a vacuum. Clearly, the success and victories of any company to becoming either a local, national or international entity depends on the efforts of a number of coordinated strings often referred to as stakeholders (Esposito, 2001). On the whole, there could b e two major groups of stakeholders identified for a typical producer based company like Odwalla and these are profit oriented stakeholders and non-profit oriented stakeholders. ... For instance at the break of the news of contamination of the apple juice, the community showed that it indeed had a stake in the company when immediately, the FDA was made to investigate the cause of the problem (Harvard Business School, 1997, p. 1). Customers also showed their stake when their refusal to continue patronizing products from the company led to as much as 90% fall in the profits of the company. Target groups of the organization In the present circumstance, one of the chief and key target groups that the organization can have as part of its stakeholders; of whom there would be periodic attention and concentration are suppliers. These are forever going to be an integral part of the company’s success especially as the company continues to depend on external sourcing for the supply of its raw materials. In fact until such a time comes when the company will be in a position to have a production farm to supply it with fresh apples as raw materials, suppliers should be considered as important target groups. It should even be noted suppliers have important roles to play in preventing such major calamities as the contamination of products. This is because if supplies of raw materials are identified to be contaminated or sub-standard in any way, this can greatly affect the eventual outcome of the company’s production. Finally, suppliers hold a lot of stake in deciding the profit that the company makes because if the company has a very good bargaining power with suppliers, it can be spending less on expenditure and thus gaining more as profit. The role of management and the role of production Going through the case study, it can be said that management has rightly identified its role in bringing the company

High school does not adequately prepare students for college Essay

High school does not adequately prepare students for college - Essay Example Some of those schools lack required resources whereas in some schools, the teachers are not skilled enough to build the concepts of students properly. High school teachers must possess the ability to prepare high school students for successful transition to college level education. In this paper, we will discuss the factors, which make high schools unable to prepare the students for higher education. Why High Schools Are Not Able to Prepare Students? Lack of resources is one of those factors due to which most of the high schools are not able to prepare students for college. High schools, which do not have enough funds, are not able to pay competitive salaries to the well-experienced teachers. Such schools hire fresh graduates or less-experienced teachers who agree to teach students even on low wages. Such teachers do not posses the ability to teach students in an effective way because they do not have enough teaching experience required to teach high school students. In some schools, there are no proper labs and technological equipment due to lack of available funds. Properly equipped labs and classrooms not only assist teachers deliver their lectures to the students but also help the students learn in an interactive environment. â€Å"Teachers are not always successful at engaging their students when introducing lessons through typical lecture format† (Beam).

Research Exercise 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Exercise 5 - Essay Example Each answer must include references to each article you have used to answer each question: The Data Management Forum of the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) has defined ILM as â€Å"a new set of management practices based on aligning the business value of information to the most appropriate and cost effective infrastructure† (info world.com/2820) Stage 1: Identify the need: ILM can be required for two basic reasons. The first one is to implement storage tiers to reduce costs and the second is to meet regulatory requirements. An ILM strategy should only be implemented when needed and after determining what the need is. ILM is a need based focused approach to value based data management. Stage 2: Define your ILM Strategy: the concept behind this stage is to determine the value of data. The issue with this is how to value data properly. For this the aspects of the data that need to be analyzed are user, who is accessing the data, key words and file type. Stage 4: Talk to the Vendors: This refers to networking with industry professionals, vendors, consultants and reading product reviews to determine which vendor is providing the products which provides maximum number of solutions. It does not encourage limiting yourself to only one vendor to supply all solutions. 1. As far as regulatory issues are concerned, they apply to all data including desktop machines, remote offices and home offices and is not limited to server data only. This is a major threat to information security. Search the database of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and locate 5 articles that relate to various topics covered during ICT265, such as unauthorised access to records, Ecommerce transaction, etc. Summarise the results of your searches below. 1.ID Theft, ID Scanning and Online Privacy: According to a survey conducted by the Australian Privacy Commissioner, the recent technological developments are a threat to the

Type 2 diabeties Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Type 2 diabeties - Case Study Example In 1910, physicians were able to make progress on determining the cause of diabetes. Edward Sharpey Shafer stated that a patient showed signs of diabetes when the pancreas failed to produce a chemical, named â€Å"insulin†, which was responsible for breaking down sugar. He explained that that was why the urine contained excess sugar. In an effort to fight the disorder, doctors encouraged a fasting diet and urged patients to exercise regularly. This was in vain, as patients continued to die prematurely (Porter, 2013). In 1921, Charles Herbert and Frederick Grant made an important discovery when experimenting with dogs. They noticed that the conditioned improvement when they injected diabetic dogs with insulin extracted from healthy dogs. This also worked with diabetic people. However, doctors noticed that some people did not respond to this treatment. In 1936, Harold Himsworth classified the two types of diabetes as â€Å"insulin-sensitive† and â€Å"insulin-insensitive † with the latter being Type 2 diabetes (Porter, 2013). The 1950s brought in oral medication for patients with Type 2 diabetes, which would help stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin. ... They previously referred to it as adult onset diabetes but as children and teenagers cases increased, they changed it to Type 2 diabetes (Porter, 2013). Differential Diagnoses It is important for a physician to determine correctly whether a patient has Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. This is because these two types of diabetes need different treatments. Results obtained from physical examination, laboratory tests and the patient’s history can be used to make the right diagnosis that will help clinicians differentiate Type 1 diabetes from Type 2 diabetes (Colvin, & Lane, 2011). Through physical examinations, a clinician can identify Type 2 diabetes’ patients, as they may be obese; body may show manifestation of acanthosis nigricans, have chubby cheeks, and thick necks. The patients’ history can indicate whether they have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, for example, patients controlling their diabetes with oral antidiabetic agent or diet for long periods can be diag nosed with type 2 diabetes. Thin patients, who have had diabetic ketoacidosis for a long period and have always depended on insulin since childhood, can be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (Laine, 2007). Patients who show no signs of diabetes need two abnormal test results for a clinician to make a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. The abnormal tests can be done on different days, or different tests can be done on the same day. If the two results are abnormal, the patient is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes but if only one result turns out to be abnormal, the test is repeated on a different day. If it turns out to be abnormal the second time, the patient is diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Diagnosis of patients showing polyuria, weight loss or polydipsia, which are all

Guest Cycle Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Guest Cycle - Research Paper Example This approach is to assist the hotel manage their revenues and booking strategies. This approach can be facilitated by the reservation department having to automatically generate letters of confirmation, produce requests for guest deposits and handle pre-registration activities for all types of guests and generate daily expected arrival lists, occupancy and revenue forecast lists. Upon the acceptance of a reservation request by the reservation agents, the agents creates a reservation o the hotel management software. The record will initiate the process of the guest cycle. The reservation contains the details of the guest and their specific requests which are meant to provide the guest with personalized services upon their arrival at the hotel. The details are further used in the completion of the pre-registration activities which include room assignment based on the demands of the guests, the room rates to be applied to the guests, and the nature of room preparation for the guests (Enz, 2010). The stage is made up of registration and room assignment processes. After the guests have arrived, they establish a business relationship with the hotel management through the front office. The front office staff are charged with the responsibility of clarifying any queries from the guests especially those on the room rates and other packages. The front office staff should be able to determine the reservation status of the guests before the beginning of the check-in process. The front office should take into consideration all the guests who did earlier reservation or those without reservation who are commonly known as walk-ins. The front office print registration cards and are completed at the check-in stage as such will help them to collect essential information from the guest. The cards contain details such as billing instructions, passport details, reservation details, personal data and credit card details (Andrews, 2013). At this stage, the

Religious and Ethnic Groups Essay Example for Free

Religious and Ethnic Groups Essay Buddhism is a religious group as depicted from the world’s history that began in the 6th century BCE, in today’s Northern India. Buddhism was founded by a wealthy man of Indian dysentery called Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha Gautama’s main concern was to teach people how to realize great spiritual development. These teachings focus on areas like tradition/customs, beliefs, ethics, meditation and philosophy and making people more enlightened; Buddha means ‘to awaken’. To the religious group boast of a huge following of about 300million across the world including 0. 7 percent of U. S. A’s religious composition based on U. S’s Census Bureau Document (Seager, 2012). Buddhism is a religious group that differs broadly from other groups in America. The difference is eminent in the way they carry out various practice. Some examples are worship, beliefs, culture, doctrines, and in other routine practices. Buddhism, unlike other religious groups, believes in the existence of only one Supreme Being ‘God’. In contrast to most groups, Buddhism spirituality is of personal discipline rather than faith in ‘God’. A lot of differences may be present when attempting to draw a comparison between Buddhism and the other religious groups in America. Buddhists Experience in America Buddhism has received its fair deal of mixed reception from other religious avenue. Some people have good perception and understand their teachings seek to uphold good morals and values. Buddhism also seeks a harmonious co-existence with other people in society even if they are not practicing the same religion. Others have perceived them as having a bizarre view deeming its operation as being mysterious. Buddhism is unique in conducting their routine religious practices and beliefs. Some religious groups have upheld Buddhism, not as a religion but merely a philosophy (Seager, 2012). They have even incorporated some practices like meditation as an art of realization physical and emotional well being as yoga in pursuit of reliving off stress. They have also sorted in some Buddhism cultural element and used them to perfect their own religions. Contribution and Discrimination of Buddhism Historically in American culture Buddhism has contributed adversely in development of America’s culture. Many Buddhists doctrine and daily routine practices are borrowed and used to blend America’s culture. Example of such practice teachings of how people perceive life and attitude, changed Buddhism has mentored Great America’s scientists and philosophers (Seager, 2012). They borrow ideas from Buddhism teachings. Some of the ways in which Buddhism is practiced in America include stress reduction treatment. In addition, famous movies and songs based on Buddhism, such as Seven Years in Tibet, Little Buddha, The Matrix, and Star Wars, has helped the advertisement industry. Another instance is the Master Card commercial that shows an image of Woman Meditating. There is an increasing number of Americans who visit the Buddhist temples and also practice meditation in privacy. Buddhist Fellowship organization is a very large group that promotes peace, environmental advocacy, and conducts homeless and prison outreach. Buddhism has experienced discrimination minimally compared to other religious groups. Discrimination happens within its own religion and culture primarily against Buddhist women. All Buddhist women are ordained to follow laws and disciplines such as bhikkhunis. However, Buddhist nuns have come together to fight for their rights. The source of this prejudice was because the Buddhist nuns have increased in number and they want to eliminate them from the religion. Buddhism has helped me learn about meditation which can be used in reducing stress and as a way of relaxing. Asian Ethnic Group The Asian American comprises of a 5% of the American population (Espiritu, 2011). In the recent years, the Asian ethnic group is considered among the fastest growing group in America. The Americans refer to subgroups such as the Chinese, Filipino, Indians, Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese. Most Asian Americans were born in America while others have been the immigrants who have settled in America. Asian differs from the other ethnic groups because from history Asians have continued to follow their religions, unlike many other groups. The Asian Americans are known for their diligence, strong family values and their respect for education, authority, and discipline unlike any other ethnic group in America. Asian American Contribution and Discrimination The Asian American has contributed greatly in the formation of American society. These contributions include constructions of railway, joining the military and protecting the Americans. Asians have also contributed in creating internet sites such as youtube and yahoo. The Asians have influenced other areas like fashion, religion, science and culture. For instance, the kung fu culture of the Chinese is greatly employed in Hollywood while creating action movies. Acts of discrimination towards Asian Americans in America are similar to other minority group. This racial discrimination bars the Asian American from participating in politics (Espiritu, 2011). The reason Asian Americans are discriminated against is Americans consider them foreigners. In conclusion, Buddhism is an Asian practice which the Asian have practiced almost all their lives, but this practice came to be known only in recent years. Discrimination of Asian Americans means that their religion, cultures, and practices are discriminated against. Buddhism is different from Asian Ethnic group because Buddhism is a practice done by the Asian communities. Discrimination should never be practiced in America because America is a multicultural society and the majority of people in America are citizens by birth. References Espiritu, Y. L. (2011). Asian American pan ethnicity: Bridging institutions and identities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Seager, R. H. (2012). Buddhism in America. New York: Columbia University Press.

Context Aware Academic Planner Design

Context Aware Academic Planner Design Designing a Context Aware Academic Planner Al Khan bin Abdul Gani Abstract Academic calendar planner is an application whereby can give tremendous advantages to students, particularly university students and academic personnel. By using the academic calendar planner, student and academic personnel can manage their academic schedule anytime anywhere. Academic calendar planner let user to edit and amend their calendar activity up to date. Rather than that, user can have the interaction between other user which is interaction between lecturers and students. One ability that can’t be find in other academic calendar planner is the ability to change the view from monthly, weekly and daily basis and per semester based on user preference. And for that, academic calendar planner allow user to create group and which each user has ability to see the schedule of other user. Keywords— Academic Planner, social application Introduction The aim of this paper is to determine the context aware to be considered to develop academic planner by do literature review on previous paper and conducting a survey of students and lecturers to acquire the response regarding the academic planner. This paper focuses on proposed academic planner for UiTM. Academic calendar planner is an application whereby can give tremendous advantages to students, particularly university students and academic personnel. By using the academic calendar planner, student and academic personnel can manage their academic schedule anytime anywhere. Academic calendar planner let user to edit and amend their calendar activity up to date. Rather than that, user can have the interaction between other user which is interaction between lecturers and students. One ability that can’t be find in other academic calendar planner is the ability to change the view from monthly, weekly and daily basis and per semester based on user preference. And for that, acad emic calendar planner allow user to create group and which each user has ability to see the schedule of other user. Background This application develop for those student, lecturer and academic personnel who’re looking for featured application to manage their academic calendar. Current system in Universtity for an example UiTM only provide non-dynamic academic application to Student and Lecturer. Basically they totally rely on academic calendar to help them manage their academic schedules. But the problem with the existing academic calendar is, the calendar are limited to certain activities such as: Only academic personnel has right to add new academic plan, university events, public holidays etc. Lecturer and student can only view the calendar. They don’t have the authorization to do the updates or change any of the calendar information. Sometimes Lecturer wants to cancel and do the class replacement. Because of limited functionality of the current academic calendar, this leads to unreliable calendar information. In certain circumstances, student need to meet their lecturer, unfortunately lecturer is not are not around. This is due to unreliable calendar information about the availability status. METHODOLOGY This research is to determine key areas for a specification requirement to be considered for designing a context aware Academic. Two approaches have been used to find the best practice to identify the appropriate elements and features based on a literature survey and questionnaires. FRAMEWORK Element/Feature Application Figure 1: Research mission. Figure 1 represent the methods used to determine the features before design the application Literature review A literature review need to be done in order to continue the study on this topic. A literature survey was conducted to investigate the current issues and common element features of developing a context aware. Table 2 is a draft of element functions involving the academic planner system. TABLE 2: DRAFT FROM LITERATURE SURVEY The existing other Planner A literature review need to be done in order to continue the study on this topic Context awareness Ubiquitous computing (pervasive systems) was first proposed by Weiser (1991). Context-aware systems are a type of pervasive system and are viewed by computer scientists as a mature technology [1, 2]. A definition for context is given by Day in [3]: context is any information that can be used to characterize the situation of an entity, an entity is a person, place, or object that is considered relevant to the interaction between a user and an application, including the user and application themselves. Context-aware systems are able to gather contextual information from a variety of sources without explicit user interaction and adapt their operation accordingly [4]. Context-aware systems have the ability to integrate easily with any service domain, such as healthcare, commerce, learning and transport. A context-aware system must include three essential elements: sensors, processing and action. Three types of sensors are defined: physical, virtual and logical [5]. A physical sensor, such as a camera or thermometer, captures information about its local environment [6]. In contrast, virtual sensors extract information from virtual space, which is defined as the set of data, applications and tools created and deployed by the user. Logical sensors combine physical and virtual sensors to extract context information. For example, a company can infer that an employee is working from home using login information (a virtual sensor) and a camera (physical sensor) [1]. Context-aware user interfaces facilitate the user interaction by suggesting or prefilling data derived from the users current context. This raises the problem of determining which context information can be used as input for which interaction element in the user interface. This task is especially challenging as the texts that describe the elements, e.g. their labels, often differ in the terminology used. To facilitate the interaction with an application, we need user interfaces (UIs) that provide proactive assistance, for example by suggesting which values to enter in a form. Melanie is his paper present a novel mapping process for that purpose which combines the advantages of string-based and semantic similarity measures to bridge the vocabulary gap between context and UI element, and which is able to automatically extend its vocabulary by observing the users interactions. Their research show that these two features dramatically increase the quality of the resulting mapping. Unlike previous approaches, the proposed mapping process does not require any training or manually tagged data. Further, it does not only use the label to describe the context and UI elements, but additional texts like their tooltips. Context-aware applications are expected to become a remarkable application area within future mobile computing. As mobile phones form a natural tool for interaction between people, the influence of the current context on collaboration is desirable to take into account to enhance the efficiency and quality of the interaction [1]. Context-aware mobile devices have so far been investigated mainly from the technological point of view, examining context-recognition and sensor technologies inferring logic, system architectures or infrastructure. There have also been examples where contextual information has been used to facilitate co-operation between mobile users. User’s personal information, such as reminders, phonebook contacts or calendar notes, can be used as an information source which is used when creating location-sensitive messages, as done with CybreMinder [2]. Schmidt et al. [3] introduced a context-aware phonebook, which indicates the availability of a contact the user wants to call to. Location is probably the most commonly used context attribute, and it has been used to develop numerous location-aware mobile systems, such as GUIDE tour guide in Lancaster [4] or visitor’s guide at Tate Gallery, London [5]. Cloud Application A cloud application (or cloud app) is an application program that functions in the cloud, with some characteristics of a pure desktop app and some characteristics of a pure Web app. A desktop app resides entirely on a single device at the users location (it doesnt necessarily have to be a desktop computer). A Web app is stored entirely on a remote server and is delivered over the Internet through a browser interface. Like desktop apps, cloud apps can provide fast responsiveness and can work offline. Like web apps, cloud apps need not permanently reside on the local device, but they can be easily updated online. Cloud apps are therefore under the users constant control, yet they need not always consume storage space on the users computer or communications device. Assuming that the user has a reasonably fast Internet connection, a well-written cloud app offers all the interactivity of a desktop app along with the portability of a Web app. If you have a cloud app, it can be used by anyone with a Web browser and a communications device that can connect to the Internet. While tools exist and can be modified in the cloud, the actual user interface exists on the local device. The user can cache data locally, enabling full offline mode when desired. A cloud app, unlike a Web app, can be used on board an aircraft or in any other sensitive situation where wireless devices are not allowed, because the app w ill function even when the Internet connection is disabled. In addition, cloud apps can provide some functionality even when no Internet connection is available for extended periods (while camping in a remote wilderness, for example). Cloud apps have become popular among people who share content on the Internet. Linebreak S.L., based in Spain, offers a cloud app named (appropriately enough) CloudApp, which allows subscribers to share files, images, links, music, and videos. Amazon Web Services offers an AppStore that facilitates quick and easy deployment of programs and applications stored in the cloud. Google offers a solution called AppEngine that allows users to develop and run their own applications on Googles infrastructure. Google also offers a popular calendar (scheduling) cloud app. FINDINGS Questionnaires Analysis Proposed Feature In Academic Planner After several study in traditional planner and existing planner that related to Academic Planner, reviewing literature and questionnaire, the new features introduced to improve the academic planner Optimizing class scheduling in collaborative mobile systems through distributed voting Decision making through distributed voting can help automate routine-like collaborative class schedule, appointment and Event. In this paper author concentrate on how distributed voting strategies can be used for scheduling meetings in mobile and pervasive environments. Their work focuses on optimizing the meeting scheduling result for each participant in a mobile team by using user-specific preferences and information available on their devices. This negotiation is done in a distributed manner directly between the peers. In this paper author describe different approaches for the decision making strategy involving voting theory to balance out the different user preferences and availabilities. The weight of the votes from each participant can also be adjusted according to their importance or necessity in the given meeting. We also introduce briefly an approach to support distributed decision making strategies pervasively using a lightweight Web-based platform. To conclude the paper, w e give our views on the future development directions and evaluation plans as well as extend the approach for other related domains [1]. Categorizing Task Occurrence Pattern When we make a future plan of our work, we can predict or forecast the upcoming tasks, because we know that fair amount of our tasks are to be occurred as were occurred in the last year/month repeatedly. In addition, we know we have many dependent tasks; for example, there will be a series of regular meetings with the ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ce staff for which various auxiliary tasks need to be completed, for example, Announcement, Setting up Room, and Sending Minutes tasks. These related tasks are approximately on the same time grid with other corresponding tasks. This type of regularity is called a Task Occurrence Pattern, which arises from the repetition of tasks and the alignment of related tasks [4]. To conà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rm how much the real tasks are on the Task Occurrence Pattern, all tasks of a year of a user, who is a graduate student, are gathered and inspected from the view point of dependence and recurrence.

Food production methods in large functions

Food production methods in large functions Introduction The terms of food and beverage services gone from home forms a considerable element of the performance of the hotel and catering industry and like the industry of which it is a fraction , the food and beverage function is characterised both by its variety and its size. Outlets contain private and public division establishments and them choice from small privately-owned apprehension to large international organisations and from top-security reformatory catering to catering in the most luxurious hotels. In this assignment I will try to find out the characteristics of food production and food and beverage service systems and food production and food and beverage service systems. Task 01 Discuss the characteristics of food production and food and beverage service systems. Characteristics of the food and beverage sector A vital part of everyday life Major contributor to the national economy Generates employment Promotes diversity through many different food concepts cuisines An chance to enjoy the company of friends, family and colleagues Fulfils basic needs Food is a basic need for everyday life Food Production Methods Food production may be definite as that phase of the food flow mainly apprehensive with the dispensation of raw; semi prepared, or prepared foodstuffs. The resulting product may be in a ready to provide state, for example in the conventional method (cook serve); or it may experience some form of protection, for example cook-chill or cook-freeze, before being served to the consumer. Production systems Traditional Centralised Sous-vide Cook-chill Cook-freeze batch cooking call-order Traditional method In the conservative parties method, the majority of food is purchased raw, very little falling into what we now call the ‘’convenience foods’’ category. Facilities are presented for the receipt and storage of goods, the preparation, cooking, holding and service of food. The traditional method is used in most kitchen concern. Cook-Freeze method The expression cook-freeze refers to a catering system based on the full cooking of food pursued by fast freezing, with storage at a controlled low temperature of -18C or under. The method is related to cook-chill apart from refrigeration temperatures. Blast Freezing To decrease the time spent in danger zone, a specially considered Blast Chilling or Freezer is required measure refrigeration equipment just is not competent of removing heat fast sufficient. Blast Chilling The temperature must be concentrated from +70C to +3C or below within 90 minutes. Blast Thawing To de-ice food, the air approximately needs to be relatively heater than the food itself so that heat can be transferred from air to food to dissolve the ice. Hazard zone is between +8 C and +68C, where microorganisms multiply fastest, for as little time as achievable. The germs split into two each 20 minutes. Sous –vide method Sous-vide are more fresh food processing technique residential in the late 1970s. The sous-vide methods of food construction (vacuum cooking at exact temperature 138 degrees and time). Centralised distribution This method is frequently adopted by huge chains that are looking to subcontract all or measurement of their food production. Cook-Chill method This method is a catering coordination based on normal preparation and cooking of food pursued by rapid chilling and storage space. The Chilled food necessitates low capital outlay and minimum workforce. Service Systems Table/Plate service Counter/Buffet service A la carte Table d’hà ´tel Silver service Family service Flambà © service Specialist food service Table/ Service Food is organized, placed on individual tableware and delivered to the consumers. This method is used in the hotel and self-determining restaurants. Buffet service Food is prepared in move forwards. Big quantities of food then placed in containers and served from a table in the restaurant. Used in consultation and banqueting. Family/ English service Food is prepared and placed in dishes. Server then transportations to restaurant, it is placed in the centre of tables. Chinese and Middle Eastern Cultures. Silver/Russian service Food is prepared/ cooked, placed on hot silver containers. some fine dining, consultation and banqueting. A la carte Hotel or restaurant meal consisting of several differently priced dishes which are cooked frequently when ordered from a menu. A guest orders independently and pays for them separately. Table d’hà ´tel Is generally a restaurant meal consisting of a predetermined number of already prepared dishes, at a fixed price for a complete meal for one person. Flambà © service/Gueridon Food is prepared but not cooked. Attendant puts food on a convenient trolley and transfer into front of house neighbourhood. The food is prepared in front of the guests. Specialist food service A food overhaul specialist may arrange a selection of meals. Most employers require their food service specialist to have at slightest a high school diploma. Acquaintance of specialist food service should consist of: basic food handling, nutrition, sanitation measures. Discuss factors affecting recipes and menus for specific systems. Factors affecting recipes and menus for specific systems Size of operation Objectives of the operation Quality of the operation Nature of the menu Quality of customers Budget of the customers Customer needs Availability of resources The others factors affecting menu and recipes for specific system Size of the kitchen, consumer’s contentment, and price of items programmed, management decisions costs, availability of items, type of service, customer’s value, and demographic features, food habits and predilections, flavour and appearance of dishes, nutritional importance. Menu can be an outstanding selling tool to supplement the indicative selling of staff. Customer perceptions: keeping your consumers happy can be harder than you suppose. Happy customers result in: (repeat sales, positive company image, and high quality customer’s referrals) Space and equipment in the kitchen will manipulate the composition of the menu; Every establishment has a intention food cost to be achieved, the cost, preparation and production of the food items, have to well the target. Business stand up for profit; it is difficult for menu fashionable to make a customer and business friendly menu, to cover all costs. Accessibility of ingredients in seasonality and suppliers require be taken into reflection. Colour balance is essential; customers should be able to ‘eat with their eyes’. Ethnicity and nutritional value: Nutritional balance is important to make certain that the dishes are produced as nutritiously as potential (protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins). Menu is made for customer contentment, but if the items do not costume customer’s ethnicity and nutritional importance then it is a big difficulty. As we have only 60 guests, a medium kitchen is enough, the constituents we use in our menu are straightforward to find, and two or three waitress will be enough. Buffet/Counter service has the next advantages: can be provide a large number of people, customer have choice, customers are part of the development, fewer staff required, service staff require less skills, fewer objections due to their decision-making; Disadvantages: Queuing, food presentation can be pretentious; food can run out, food excellence affected due to temperature and mixing service crockery. Plate service has the next advantages: presentation, placed on individual plates, quality, portion control. Disadvantages of Plate service are: Require high quality and highly skilled chefs; consumers sometimes have to remain for food delivery. Conclusion Modern day food and beverage processes are progressing to get better in the quality, and the service. Professionalism is increasing, through improved training and development. The quality of service is becoming the generally important differentiating factor when consumers are choosing between different establishments. In this assignment I wrote about characteristics of food production and food and beverage service systems and affecting recipes and menus for specific systems.

One Big Happy Family :: essays research papers

The story that I chose to write about was "One Big Happy Family," by Anndee Hochman. The story is about a young woman whose family life seemed to be the American dream, for those of us looking in from the outside. Her family owned a house in the city like most of us and a house on the beach. The house on the beach was unique with its architecture anomalies, which made the house more a mix and match of parts than like her normal home in the city. The whole family, including relatives from afar, would gather there during the summer to spend time with each other. When in actuality behind her family’s unity, was a demand for conformity to her family’s way of life and thinking. The author finally realized that in order for her to find happiness she had to look within herself and learn to listen to her feelings. Once she learns this lesson, she will be able to break the bounds of her family’s conformity and find the peace of mind that she has always longed fo r. Several of the stories throughout this chapter discuss different myths of "One Big Happy Family," however it all seems to come back to the individual, and what they believe in. Anndee’s house is unique with its red picket fence, a bathroom with two doors, bedrooms surrounded by paper thin walls, and no bedroom doors. Also a glass panel window that was built into a wall that separated the living room from the kitchen. An added feature left behind from years of construction and now disregarded but adding to the overall character of the house. These unique fixtures and anomalies were what made the trip to the house worth the voyage each year from the city. They were thrust into an alien environment completely different from what they were used to. The whole house was set up with unspoken rules that they all abided by without question. The rooms were assigned to a particular family member, group, or couples. The topics of conversation were predictable and planned to the point that they all knew what would be acceptable answers and replies to each topic they discussed. After reaching adulthood Anndee began to develop her own opinions and thoughts that did not necessarily coincide with her family’s view. Anddee began to explore her own sexuality and discovered that she preferred the company of women to that of men.

Body and Nature as Signifying System in Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays

Body and Nature as Signifying System in A Thousand Acres The fascinating aspect of theories about the bodies, is that our bodies lie somewhere in the grey area between the physical and the intellectual realm (in itself testifying to the falsity of such dichotomies). On the one hand, they are biological; genetically programmed flesh. On the other, they are continuous sites of signification; embodying (no pun intended) the essentially textual quality of a human subject's identity. A Thousand Acres foregrounds issues raised by the perspective that one's body can be the vehicle for understanding of the self and the world. One of the ways this is done, is a part of a larger project of ecofeminist rhetoric, creating numerous analogies between the body and nature. This is first seen when Ginny utilizes nature by the Scenic. Not only are "the cattails green and fleshy-looking"(7, italics mine), but the natural scene forms a signifying system like her own body, a way to metaphorically internalize the problems of human interaction. Wonderfully incorporated into this is also the intertextual body created by A Thousand Acres and King Lear. In the storm scene, Lear calls Regan and Goneril "those pelican daughters" (III.iv.75, meaning that they feed on the parent's blood). By the Scenic, Ginny sees pelicans reemerging after supposedly being annihilated by her farmer ancestors, foreshadowing the reemerging of her self after a life of suppression. She can read nature like a text about her own suppression and the suppression and hiding of what is actually going on between the characters in this novel: "The view along the Scenic, I thought, taught me a lesson about what is below the level of the visible" (9). Nature, for Ginny, is understood by way of the intertwining of its and her body's past. She "was always aware [...] of the of the water in the soil, the way it travels from particle to particle", an awareness that eventually evolves into an understanding and identification. She reflects upon the millions of years and billions of "leaves, seeds, feathers, scales, flesh, bones, petals, pollen" (131) that constitute the soil they live on. The hope is that this is a large-scale development of corporeal transformation that transcends the petty exploitative farming of a patriarchal society, and that she is a part of it. After all, her body is not only a part of the soil, and vice versa, but of the poisoning of nature: "My inheritance is with me, sitting in my chair. Body and Nature as Signifying System in Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres :: Smiley Thousand Acres Essays Body and Nature as Signifying System in A Thousand Acres The fascinating aspect of theories about the bodies, is that our bodies lie somewhere in the grey area between the physical and the intellectual realm (in itself testifying to the falsity of such dichotomies). On the one hand, they are biological; genetically programmed flesh. On the other, they are continuous sites of signification; embodying (no pun intended) the essentially textual quality of a human subject's identity. A Thousand Acres foregrounds issues raised by the perspective that one's body can be the vehicle for understanding of the self and the world. One of the ways this is done, is a part of a larger project of ecofeminist rhetoric, creating numerous analogies between the body and nature. This is first seen when Ginny utilizes nature by the Scenic. Not only are "the cattails green and fleshy-looking"(7, italics mine), but the natural scene forms a signifying system like her own body, a way to metaphorically internalize the problems of human interaction. Wonderfully incorporated into this is also the intertextual body created by A Thousand Acres and King Lear. In the storm scene, Lear calls Regan and Goneril "those pelican daughters" (III.iv.75, meaning that they feed on the parent's blood). By the Scenic, Ginny sees pelicans reemerging after supposedly being annihilated by her farmer ancestors, foreshadowing the reemerging of her self after a life of suppression. She can read nature like a text about her own suppression and the suppression and hiding of what is actually going on between the characters in this novel: "The view along the Scenic, I thought, taught me a lesson about what is below the level of the visible" (9). Nature, for Ginny, is understood by way of the intertwining of its and her body's past. She "was always aware [...] of the of the water in the soil, the way it travels from particle to particle", an awareness that eventually evolves into an understanding and identification. She reflects upon the millions of years and billions of "leaves, seeds, feathers, scales, flesh, bones, petals, pollen" (131) that constitute the soil they live on. The hope is that this is a large-scale development of corporeal transformation that transcends the petty exploitative farming of a patriarchal society, and that she is a part of it. After all, her body is not only a part of the soil, and vice versa, but of the poisoning of nature: "My inheritance is with me, sitting in my chair.