The Brain and Language, Personal Memory, and Self-Awareness

Sahan Ratnayake Development of Language and its influence on self-awarness, personal memory, and higher emotion. Language is defined as the system of linguistic signs or symbols considered in the abstract. Language is purely a human concept. Though it is used by many animals on the planet, no other animal uses language to the extent or complexity as humans do. This is in part to the larger brain size of humans as opposed to animals. Our closest animal relative, the chimpanzee, has a brain size of around 400cc, while humans have a brain that weighs around 1300cc.This larger brain, as allowed humans to use language more efficiently to achieve its goals. With the development of language rose the characteristics that make us human: self-awareness, higher emotion, and personal memory. Though it is impossible to determine when language arose, it has been theorized that the growth of language coincided with the increase in brain volume. The brain is the control system of the body. All aspec ts of human behavior, language, reflexes, emotions, memory, are controlled by separate structure of the brain.Within these structures are billions of neurons, specialized cells that transmit information throughout the brain in the form of electrical signals. The brain is split into two hemispheres, the left hemisphere controlling the activities of the right side, and the right hemisphere controlling the activities of the left side. Regarding language, it was discovered that the left hemisphere of the brain is largely responsible for controlling language. More specifically, the outer surface of the central hemisphere, the cortex, is regarded as the center of human speech and language processing.Two structure of the cortex, Broca’s and Wernicke’s are responsible for speech production and understanding of written and spoken language, respectively. The development of language isn’t due solely to a larger brain, but also to genes and the physiological anatomy of huma ns. In the 1990s, geneticists discovered the FOXP2 gene. The FOXP2 gene is used for proper brain and lung development. Upon testing the gene, geneticists discovered that mutation to the FOXP2 gene caused severe speech and language disorder, leading scientists to conclude that the gene is essential in speech and language production.The physical anatomy of humans is also a major component in producing speech and language. These speech organs are the lungs, the voice box, the throat, the mouth, and the nose. Speech is an air pressure that travels from the speaker to the listener. The lungs produce the air pressure for speech while the rest of the speech organs shape this air pressure to create the final sounds that reach the listener’s ears. For years, scientists have tried to explain the origin of language.Though several theories have been put forth to explain the origin of language, there is no evidence to support any of them. Some scientists have theorized that language is so complex that it cannot exists in the form modern humans use today but must have evolved from our human ancestors. This theories are called continuity-based theories. There are other scientists that argue that human language is unique to humans, leading to the lack of evidence for its existence, and that it suddenly appeared in the evolution from early human ancestors to the humans that we are today.Yet there are other scientist that argue that language is embedded in the human genetic code, and others who see language is cultural, learned through social interaction. Though no solid evidence for any of these theories can be found in the early human ancestors, it is fairly certain that the earliest human ancestors to use language were Homo heidelbergensis, thought to be the common ancestor between Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. Recent archaeological finds have shown that H. heidelbergensis had an ear structure similar to that of H. apiens, which means that they could pick up the same sound frequencies modern humans could. Although this doesn’t necessarily mean they used language to communicate with one another, it is proof that H. heidelbergensis did have a system of communication. With the development of language came the ability of humans to become self-aware. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize oneself as an individual that is separate from its environment and other individuals. Self-awareness isn’t possible without inner speech. It is inner speech that llows individuals to question the past, present, and future. It allows them to think about themselves and to evaluate their actions. Several experiments have shown that, when individuals were asked to talk to themselves or to participate in self-relevant tasks. While doing so, it was discovered that in most people the Broca’s area in the left hemisphere of the brain, showed activity. The Broca’s area on the left hemisphere is used for inner speech. People whose Broc a’s area was damaged showed that they couldn’t talk to themselves and lost the process of self-awareness.Regarding the self-aware and self-relevant tasks, fMRI scans have shown that the Broca’s area lights up. This proves that language is essential for the task of self- evaluation. Literature has also given many example of self-awareness and the development of language. In the Greek work, Illiad, that lack of subjectivity by the characters and their insistence on divine intervention suggests that the language areas of the brain weren’t as developed as they are now, causing them to credit the â€Å"gods† for their actions, good and bad.However, in the Odyssey, the use of the pronoun â€Å"I† and Odysseus’s rebellion against the gods suggests that the Broca’s area is much more developed, thus a more developed self-awareness. Language is also responsible for the human trait of memory. Memory is defined as memory from episodes in o ne’s life. Personal memory is also referred to as personal event memory. Neurologically, memory is stored in the hippocampus and the amygdala. Studies have shown that the hippocampus become active during recollection of memories. The amygdala is used in the recollection of emotional memories.Language is an essential part of recalling a memory. Experiments by Tessler and Nelson in 1993, where a child was asked to talk about a visit to a museum. It was discovered that the child couldn’t recall anything that wasn’t told to him by his mother. This suggests that language is a key component in recalling a memory. Several other experiments with different age groups have shown that older kids remember more than the younger children, which means that since the older kids have a broader vocabulary than the younger kids, the older participants are able to remember and recall a more vivid memory of a past event.Language is also an essential part of the human trait of higher emotion. Higher emotion differs from emotion. Emotion, also known as basic emotions, stem from the mammalian brain of humans and the amygdala. Such emotions, for example fear, are necessary for survival. Higher emotions arise in the pre-frontal cortex, a relatively new part of the brain. Higher emotions such as love, are abstract emotion; they cannot be expressed using physical movement whereas fear, a basic emotion can be expressed using facial expressions or simulation.Language is extremely important for the expression of higher emotions. Language allows humans to explain, as well as understand, higher emotions. Language is necessary for all human advancements. Humans have used language to a greater extent than do apes. Though the origin of language is uncertain, it is undisputed that our earlier ancestors, H. hidelbergensis, were able to communicate and language passed down from them to H. sapiens. Language has also allowed humans to become aware of themselves, to develop memory , and to have higher emotions, characteristics that make H. apiens unique. Works Cited 1. Plontke, Ronny. Language and Brain. N. p. , 13 Mar. 2003. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. 2. Rumbaugh, Sue Savage. â€Å"Human Language-Human Consciousness. †Ã‚  A « On the Human. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 3. Morin, Alan. â€Å"Language and Self-awareness. †Ã‚  Science & Consciousness Review. N. p. , 2 Aug. 2007. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 4. Morin, Alan. â€Å"Inner Speech and Conscious Experience. †Ã‚  Science & Consciousness Review. N. p. , 20 Apr. 2003. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. . 5. â€Å"Speech Anatomy. †Ã‚  Speech Anatomy. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Oct. 012. . 6. â€Å"Language. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 7. â€Å"Rebecca's Dystopia. †Ã‚  : The Link Between Memory and Language. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 8. â€Å"Neanderthal Behavior. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 9. â⠂¬Å"FOXP2. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 10. â€Å"Language and Emotion. †Ã‚  Language and Emotion. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. . 11. â€Å"Personal Event Memory. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 27 Oct.

Finance And Accounting In The Media Industry Accounting Essay

Media and amusement includes a assortment of merchandises that entertains or keeps informed a day-to-day consumer. The industry is segmented into wireless, telecasting, wireless broadcast medium, etc. The competition in the media and amusement infinite is increasing twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours. To be on the top or even to last in this extremely competitory market one has to be really efficient in pull offing the information systems.Finance and AccountingRelationship to Accounting: There is really small difference between finance and accounting. Both autumn under the legal power of main fiscal officer who uses a peculiar MIS to function the intent of both. The difference lies in the sense that in finance the intent is to maximise the net income whereas the intent of accounting is score maintaining so that a base for revenue enhancement payment is prepared. A fiscal director analyses the natural information ( provided by the comptroller about the company ‘s yesteryear, present and future ) as inputs to MIS for doing of import determinations. Accounting is non concerned with hard currency flows. It is merely based on the recognized grosss when sale occurs. Finance is merely concerned to hard currency flows. The magnitude, timing and hazard of hard currency flows are the focal point of finance director. Finance involves determination doing under unsure conditions and is concerned with future whereas accounting is concerned with the past records.WHY MIS IS USED?ALarge organisations have a batch of information. This aggregation of informations can non be of any usage if it is non streamlined so that informations can be retrieved easy. MIS would assist in commanding, tracking and monitoring of informations. Segregation of informations into faculties would ensue in faster determination devising. Would assist in traveling paper free. Use of MIS would guarantee the consequence as per the outlook and analysis of informations would be done easy.SAP FOR FINANCE IN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENThypertext transfer protocol: //www.sap.com/global/images/tce/spacer.gif Reliance Mediaworks uses SAP for functioning its fiscal jobs. SAP for Media provides trim solutions to maintain up with rapid alterations driven by the Internet, on-line publication, and digital broadcast medium. License acquisition and surpassing royalties – Reports on accurate royalty statements are prepared utilizing SAP. Core accounting and coverage capablenesss Fiscal supply concatenation direction Treasury Management Shared services Supply Chain ManagementRELIANCE MEDIAWORKSCompany profile In 2005 Reliance ventured into this infinite and rapidly adopted the criterions required to last in this market. The twelvemonth 2005 saw the entry of new participants across all sections of the E & A ; M industry. Reliance made its manner into amusement by purchasing out ‘Adlabs ‘ and besides acquired a wireless station known as BIG FM 92.7after command for 50 FM wireless Stationss across with aggregative commands of over INR 1.5 billion. In this M & A ; E industry one can non bury the function of finance and accounting in the success way of these companies. Finance and accounting should be really efficient so that there are no statistical errors/delays. The presence of trust mediaworks is felt in Film Services: Motion Picture Processing and DI ; Visual Effects ; Film Restoration and image sweetening ; Digital Mastering: Studios and Equipment leases with installations located at US and India. Most companies that fail in this industry have no or hold a weak information system for finance and accounting system. Finance holds the key for company ‘s success. Reliance Media works adopted a really good MIS every bit shortly as it entered the infinite. It implemented a ‘SAP ‘ made MIS and rapidly got the positive consequences of utilizing it. Use of SAP in Reliance Mediaworks Used for accounting intents. Used for revenue enhancement intents. Used for organizing general legers. Keeping collectible and receivable histories. Besides used for computation of assorted ratios and analyzing them. Used for preparation of one-year and quarterly studies. Used for puting up a fixed budget.AccountingFiscal accounting consists of: – General ledger – Sap helps in pull offing a general leger for the company. General leger keeps an history of the assets, grosss, disbursals and the liabilities of the company. At the bosom of the Financials faculty, the General Ledger constituent automates the integrating of all your fiscal information and poster to your histories – supplying the terminal point for all drumhead information in the system. From the General Ledger all the cardinal direction studies of your concern ‘ are generated, including the balance sheet, gross statement, trading history and test balance. Comprehensive bore down capablenesss and graphical coverage makes job designation and declaration simple in the extreme. The General Ledger shops information on all of your histories, including all minutess – supplying the ability to update work-in advancement, stock values, foreign currency fluctuations, debitors and creditors, so that an accurate representation of the concern ‘ fiscal state of affairs is ever presented. Flexibility is provided in the set up of your chart of histories, which can be standard of customised to accommodate the alone demands of you concern. Full integrating from the full Prism system ensures the General Ledger presents dependable, accurate and timely direction information. Treasury Management of Assetss Reliance has a separate faculty for the intent of exchequer direction. This faculty invariably manages the assets and the investings that have been made by the company. Investings Reliance Mediaworks is invested in many bonds and common financess. The list of these investings every bit good as such other investings is maintained by SAP. New investings to be made are besides analysed by the MIS. A proviso for decline is made to recognize a diminution, other than impermanent, in the value of long-run investings and is determined individually for each single investing. Fixed assets and depreciation / amortization Tangible assets Assetss that can be equated in footings of money are known as touchable assets. Expenses incurred for up maintaining of the assets are taken into history. Depreciation on fixed assets is provided on the consecutive line method, . Cost of movie rights comprises original purchase monetary value / minimal warrant. Cost is ascertained on specific designation footing where possible. In instance multiple movies / rights are acquired for a amalgamate sum, cost is allocated to each movie / right based on direction ‘s best estimations. The single movie prognosis method is used to amortize the cost of movie rights acquired. Under this method, costs are amortised in the proportion that gross grosss realised bear to direction ‘s estimation of the entire gross grosss expected to be received. If estimations of the entire grosss and other events or alterations in fortunes indicate that the realisable value of a right is less than its unamortised cost, a loss is recognised for the surplus of unamortised cost over the movie right ‘s realisable value. Liabilitiess illustrations of liability histories include histories collectible and long term debt. Gross Gross is recognised to the extent that it is likely that the economic benefits will flux to the Company and the gross can be faithfully measured. Advertisement / sponsorship gross Reliance generates its grosss from advertizements and sponsorships that it offers to assorted companies. Large Frequency modulation every bit good as some other subordinates of ‘Reliance Mediaworks ‘ like the ‘Adlabs ‘ generates grosss through advertisement offerings. Film production and related income The twenty-four hours the movie rights are sold, the income/revenue from movie production is registered in the book of histories. Income from movie distribution activity Distribution rights for a movie produced by Reliance Mediaworks, abroad rights, picture, music or orbiter rights are sold and the grosss are registered by SAP. Film production services Gross from treating / printing of cinematographic movies is recognised upon completion of the related processing / printing. Theatrical exhibition and related income Grosss are besides generated by the sale of tickets at Big Cinemas. The amusement revenue enhancement is exempted from the gross. Interest income / income from movie funding Grosss may besides be generated from financing a peculiar movie and so finally purchasing the movie. Foreign currency minutess Due to operations in assorted states, Reliance has the grosss in assorted currencies which is converted into rupees at the terminal of the twelvemonth. The difference in exchange rates may do extra gross for the company. Expense/Cost Expense or cost can specify as escapes from the company. Personal costs Wages, rewards, fillips, PPF, staff public assistance disbursals Operational costs Advertisement, bank charges, rent, insurance, labor charges, loss on sale, bad debts, printing and communicating, other assorted disbursals. Other costs include involvement payment on the loans, fiscal charges etc. Receivable accounts- : Pull offing a list of receivable histories can be really boring if done manually. This job is solved utilizing SAP which records and manages such histories. The Accounts Receivable constituent of the Prism Financials faculty reveals a 360AÂ ° position of gross revenues public presentation – the footing for accurate and effectual decision-making. Histories Receivable shops all client information, footings, minutess and balances, streamlining dayto- twenty-four hours disposal. It provides direction with full and accurate graphical analysis, projections of gross revenues, grosss and hard currency flow. Credit control installations with comprehensive diary notes and gross revenues history facilitate easy client direction. Full integrating is provided from Histories Receivable to the General Ledger and Cash Book constituents of the Financials faculty, every bit good as the Job Costing and Inventory faculties on a existent clip footing. Collectible accounts- : Merely as we have receivable histories to enter the income so besides a record should be maintained for the outgoing payments that are to be made. With the Histories Collectible constituent of the Prism Financials faculty you ‘ll accomplish efficiencies throughout your bill and payment procedure. By hive awaying all your provider information, minutess and balances, and supplying elaborate analysis of your purchases, Accounts Payable will turn out an priceless tool within your histories section. Staff can automatically make payment tallies and print computerised cheques and remittals, in add-on to leting multiple currencies by creditor. Extensive graphical coverage on all disbursals incurred provides direction with critical determination doing information. Taxation- : Calculation of revenue enhancements ( gross revenues and purchases ) and coverage of the same is easy done utilizing SAP. Income-tax disbursal comprises current revenue enhancement disbursal computed in conformity with the relevant commissariats of the Income revenue enhancement Act, 1961 and deferred revenue enhancement charge or recognition. Deferred revenue enhancement charge or recognition and the corresponding deferred revenue enhancement liability or plus is recognised for clocking differences between the net incomes / losingss offered for income revenue enhancements and net incomes / losingss as per the fiscal statements. Deferred revenue enhancement assets and liabilities are measured utilizing the revenue enhancement rates and revenue enhancement Torahs that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet day of the month. Entertainment revenue enhancement is besides levied as a signifier of revenue enhancement. Accrual accounting- : Accrual means entering gross or cost every bit shortly as they are earned and non wait for the clip when they would be settled. SAP helps in pull offing collectible and receivable histories harmonizing to accrual accounting.Benifits to Reliance MediaworksThe operating costs have reduced and the efficiency has been increased thereby increasing the entrance royalties. The dealing and communicating charges have gone down drastically thereby increasing the net income borders for the company. The cost of integrating with finance and accounting direction has cut downing and has resulted in incremental gross for the company. Replacing manual accounting with the new system has improved the transparence and simpleness of pull offing histories. Version: SAP Crystal Reports Editions: SAP Crystal Reports comes in a individual edition that is the feature equivalent of the old Developer Edition. SAP Crystal Reports Dashboard Design bundle is a soft package of SAP Crystal Reports and SAP Crystal Dashboard Desing ( once known as Xcelsius Engage ) . Datas beginnings: Native, ODBC, OLE DB, and JDBC connectivity to relational, OLAP, web services, XML, and enterprise informations beginnings, and new salesforce.com driver. License theoretical account: Licensed per named user Languages: English, Gallic, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese ( Brazilian ) , Dutch, Swedish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Norwegian, Thai, Czech, and FinnishSystem RequirementsDisk infinite: 300 MB available difficult thrust infinite, 600 MB recommended with SAP Crystal Reports, version for Ocular Studio.NET Operating systems: Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP with Service Pack ( SP ) 2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, or subsequently Integrated development environments: SAP Crystal Reports, version for Ocular Studio 2008, 2005, and 2003 Brassy Support: Embedded Flash objects can be viewed with the.NET Winform spectator, .Net Webform spectator, Java DHTML spectator, SAP Crystal Reports spectator, and exported PDF files.

Analysis paper Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis paper - Movie Review Example There are similarities in Youngdal’s story and what happened between him and Baek-hwa, but there are also differences in how Youngdal and Chung found White Flower, what happened during the journey to the train station, and the ending. As for the visual aspects, the story and the film focused on the environment and how it reflects the diverse forms of attachment and detachment of the three main characters, but the film underlines more the development of friendship and love in its narrative through dialogue and sound. There are similarities in what happened to Youngdal in the story and the film. Both show that he is caught having an affair with a restaurant owner's wife and so he runs away. Youngdal is also suffering from the â€Å"nomad complex† in the text and film. He has a hard time finding that special something that can make him permanently stay in one place. It could be because of lack of economic opportunities though, which the story explores more than the film. I n the story, Youngdal shares with Chung how he separates with Okja, because he lost his job and Okja needs to work in another place. They promised to be together again, but they know that they are young and poor. Love is not enough to fill hungry stomachs. Furthermore, the story illustrates the detachment or sense of loss that workers feel, because of Korea’s rapid industrialization. In an article, Kwon Yong-min says: â€Å"The Road to Sampo sketches Korea in the 1970s well, showing its rapid urbanization and relentless industrialization. It symbolically shows the sense of loss that the â€Å"uprooted† laborers experienced†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Park 90). This sense of loss pervades in all three characters. They may not be wandering aimlessly together, but they share sentiments of uncertainty in their lives. Furthermore, there are differences in how Youngdal and Chung meet Baek-hwa in the story and film. In the film, they meet her at a restaurant in town. In the story, Youngd al and Chung meet her under a pine tree, while she is urinating. It seems that this scene was changed to avoid sexual connotations. Moreover, in the story, Youngdal and Chung did not change their course only to search for Baek-hwa. They are only heading to her direction by chance, because they are trying to catch a train to Gamchun, so that they can take a faster route to Sampo. In the film, they seek out Baek-hwa for the money. The motives are different, but they eventually find Baek-hwa in the story too through coincidence. Furthermore, in the story, Baek-hwa talks a great deal as they walk in the snow. In the film, she and Youngdal converse with each other. Despite not speaking so much in the story, Youngdal and Baek-hwa bonded well, because he had to carry her on his back after Baek-hwa sprained her ankle when she fell in a ditch. The physical actions replace the need for conversation. They do not have to speak to understand that they are similar in many ways, for they are both cold and lonely. In the film, there is much dialogue between Youngdal and Baek-hwa. It seems that they are dating. Dialogue and music play a large role in developing their romantic feelings. Both the film and story employ the environment to describe the characters and their experiences of attachment and detachment. The story often describes the environment in relation to characterization and plot development. For instance, after

MSc personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MSc personal statement - Essay Example The main reason for my application for this particular programme of study is related to my academic experiences whilst reading Biochemistry at Imperial College and in particular the specific modules of personal interest to me, Molecular Biology and Molecular Cell Biology. Moreover, driven by my interest in microbiology, I studied Molecular Basis of Bacterial Infection as one of my final year modules, which gave me an understanding of some of the fundamental principles of infectious diseases and molecular mechanisms used by specific bacteria during infection. Based on this, as well as my intrinsic interest for this research area, I believe that I possess the inherent tools required to build on and enhance my comprehension of the role of Virologists during the taught MSc course, tools prerequisite for working in the pharmaceutical industry. I have always held a keen interest in infectious agents and have directed my studies so far towards achieving success within this important area of study. My final year literature research project was based on the prevalent human pathogen Chlamydia.

Hispanic Gangs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hispanic Gangs - Essay Example During a time of recession, this information sheds more light on the impact crime has on our society. Combined with the very real struggle law enforcement agencies face to retain employees and maintain budgets, the report signals a very serious factor degrading our communities." (US Crime Affects Economy, 13 March 2009). "There are about 500 Sureo Hispanic gangs in Los Angeles County representing over 50% of the gang memberbership. They are more geographically distributed throughout the region and are found in significant numbers in the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, the Beach communities, Long Beach, Compton and South Los Angeles." (Hispanic Gangs in Los Angeles, 13 March 2009). The 18th street gang is very popular when it comes to Hispanic gangs in LA. The number of members of this gang range between 8000-15000 gang members. It is believed that this gang originated from the Clanton 14 street gang, the gang is further subdivided into 5 parts in order to ensure a better functioning of the gang. Most of the members belonging to this gang are of the Mexican origin and it was initially decided that only Mexican citizens would be allowed to join this gang, this was however altered later on. The gang does not have a central leader and it is fair to say that it is loosely structured. There is no leader to lead the gang and to take care of the smooth functioning of this gang. The members of this gang function individually; they however join hands when a rival gang attacks their gang. The members of this gang are easily identified by the tattoos on their body. Every gang member has the tattoo of no 18 on their body in order to make the identification process easier. "Some estimates of the 18th are as low as 8,000 members. The notoriety of the gang is based on four distinct barrios, three near downtown Los Angeles west of the Staple's Center and the 110 Freeway, and one in the West Adams area." (18th Street Gang in Los Angeles County, 13 March 2009). The no 18 is displayed with the help of a tattoo and it is usually in roman numbers. There is another tattoo that is mutually exclusive to this gang. Most of the members have the tattoo of BEST on some part of their body or the other. The word indicates that their gang is the best in the vicinity or may be the best in the world. The gang members have to follow strict rules in order to be gang members, they are restricted from making use of any hard drug like crack cocaine. If the gang members violate the rules of the gang, they are usually beaten up for 18 seconds for minor offences and executed for serious breach of the rules. The 18th street gang recruits young children and this practice is really bad in short term as well as long term. Thus this gang is often called Children's Army because of their practice of recruiting young children. The gang members expertise in drug trafficking, making illegal documents, exchange of arms and other serious criminal activities. US lead in terms of the financial loss incurred by a country because of criminal activities. There are so many gangs in the US which operate depending on the area

2004 Starbucks Comprehensive Valuation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2004 Starbucks Comprehensive Valuation - Essay Example A strategic analysis will review how Starbucks is moving towards achieving the company's mission and vision.The company's objective in the 2004 report of making Starbucks "the most recognized and respected brand in the world, to continue rapid expansion of retail operations and selectively pursue opportunities to leverage the brand through new products andnew channels of distribution" (SCC 13) is almost the same as the 1997 vision and mission, and show that Starbucks remains strategically focused and have clear, measurable targets.One target Starbucks finds achievable (SCC 17) is "to operate 15,000 retail locations in the United States and at least 15,000 stores in International markets." The company had 8,569 stores by October 3, 2004, up by 18.6% from 7,225 in 2003 (SCC 12-13). This is 25.8% of the target and if they continue growing 18.6% a year, they will reach 30,000 by 2012.In 2004, Starbucks tapped high traffic areas by opening drive-thru stores and specialty coffee shops (SCC 13), increased store licensing activities (SCC 14) in the U.S. and abroad, and ventured with Kraft, Jim Beam, Visa, and XM Satellite Radio to leverage brand strength, invent new products, tap new distribution channels, and sell other products like music CDs and specialty teas (SCC 15). Strategically, Starbucks is on the right path as it makes the right moves on the way to achieving its mission and vision. Financial analysis will focus on sales and profit growth and managing financial risks to see if its strategy of increasing stores leads to higher sales and profits. After all, part of their strategy is to leverage their competitive advantage: the unique Starbucks brand of coffee experience that can be enjoyed only in their stores (Schultz 249-254). Financial data (SCC 19-23) showed that as the number of stores grew 18.9%, so did Starbucks's sales (up 29.9%), operating income (up 43.8%), earnings before income tax (up 43.1%), and net earnings after tax (up 46.2%), which proves that increasing the number of stores increased Starbucks's sales and profits. The first part of our financial analysis proves that Starbucks's strategy is sound and consistent: sales and profit growth will generate the capital needed to put up new stores and create the momentum for ever higher sales and profits. There are two reasons for analyzing how Starbucks manages financial risks. Starbucks is a global corporation, doing business outside the U.S. (buying raw materials from and having stores in other countries), so it has to manage risks that can affect sales and profits. Second, its vision is to have the same number of stores in and outside the U.S. Although U.S. stores currently outnumber international stores by 2.5 to 1 (SCC 16) and U.S. revenues account for 85% of net revenues (SCC 20), as the company grows to 30,000 stores, their revenues outside the U.S. will grow and make risk management important. The report (SCC 24-25 and 34-35) shows that Starbucks is managing its foreign currency (exchange rate fluctuations), equity security price (investments in mutual funds, though minimal), and interest rate (investment-grade fixed income instruments, also minimal) risks with the right financial instruments. It also manages other risks like cost of raw materials, product warranties (espresso machines), and off-balance sheet transactions (SCC 24).

Poetry explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poetry explication - Essay Example War will not be without death or defeat. And the poem describes how sorrowful it is, that even if there is victory in war, there is no victory over death. For in war, there is violence and in violence there is death. The tone of the poem expresses sorrow and regret. Although the drums beat in victory, the drums also beats sorrow for the passing of the honorable men who sacrificed their very lives in order to gain victory in war. It is but sad for their families and comrades. Although everyone knows how difficult war can be in the end, there are still people willing to sacrifice themselves for the victory of their party. And with this, although there is victory, the family and friends of the passing comrades will always be a shadow of defeat. Yes, they are honored. Yes, the party thanks them for their sacrifice and their hand in victory. But never can they be brought back by the honor that is being given to them. The speaker of the poem tells the sad story of how he witnessed the fune ral procession of the war veterans. He is particularly struck by the fall of the father and son. With this, he begins to question the war, its purpose and its victory. He begins to lose his will to fight and his thirst for victory. He does not feel the passion soldiers feel when they begin fighting, but he feels the burden of guilt that he is still alive when there are a lot of his friends and comrades that have fallen. He feels the sorrow of the families who lost brothers, fathers and sons. And with this, he creates a picture of unfulfillment is disillusion from the war. Although they have gained the victory that they have fought hard for some time, he only felt the pain of being left while so many of his comrades are dead. Although there are drumbeats indicating victory, the drumbeats for him represent the loss that he has seen, felt and encountered during the period of war. He cannot move on so easily, and he cannot rejoice over their victory because all he sees is death all arou nd him. The picture created in the poem, where the moon shines over the procession indicates a sorrowful event despite a victorious winning. It shows that despite the victory, behind the pounding of drums indicating expressions of honor for the dead, there is still a darkness that covers the entire army. Yes, after darkness, there is light, but in this scenario, the speaker cannot find the hope of coming day but he wallows in the darkness of the bright yet ghastly moon. The moon represents how things may seem bright but it is only illuminated by the sun, when one cannot see the sun. In war, the death of the soldiers may be shown as honorable deaths, but it is a dark event, only illuminated by the thoughts of the entire army celebrating success. With the moon shining, the speaker begins to really that even if it is only illuminated by the absent sun, it is still steadfast and strong. With this, he begins to realize what he can for the dead and dying. He begins to let them go, and off er them the only gift he can give them with their deaths, that is his love and the thoughts of being able to gain victory. This indicates how soldiers can still move on while they see comrades die beside them. They gain strength with their deaths, pushing for victory, pushing for the win. Their comrades’ death is like the moon, it gives them the strength as the moon gives the nighttime some illumination. War will never be without sorrow. It is the twin sister of war. Death is always part of the war, and the only way the soldiers will be able to

Psycology in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Psycology in Education - Essay Example I remember how one of the science teachers in my elementary school used classical conditioning to develop a positive learning environment. When teachers scold young learners despite the fact that they may be having psychological problems, anxiety shows whenever teacher enters the classroom. By using the effective tool of classical conditioning, as a teacher I will try eliminating the link between my students’ bad past learning experiences and anxiety. For this, I will first assess the general outlook and mood of every young learner for applying myriad psychological techniques later in order to remove the weaknesses I might notice in them. Then, I will subtly pair the stimulus of test with encouraging words so that the anxiety my students might feel upon being asked a question could get replaced with positive conditioned response of confidence. That is how I deem classical conditioning to act as a benefit for me because I think it will help me remove negative stimuli to develop positive behavior. Now, instrumental conditioning is another development theory and the probability of how long this tool could last when applied to education could depend on the severity of reward or punishment. Instrumental conditioning can be used to both strengthen and repress a certain good or bad behavior by way of encouragement or reprimand, respectively. I find it to be relevant in my instructional setting because from my own past learning experience I have learned that teachers can play a huge role in either repressing or strengthening a certain behavior in the classroom. Some of my students might have an annoying habit of talking incessantly in the classroom and showing aggression when reprimanded... This paper approves that authoritarian teaching style proves to be toxic for the diverse learners as challenges are not handled appropriately and objectives fail to be met. That is why I intend to develop a learning activity for my instructional setting that would adhere to the learner-centered approach. I will use the learner-centered instruction strategy of problem-based thinking to serve as the backbone of my learning activity devised for the 9th graders in custody. Problem-based learning challenges the students to work in team so that everyone develops the ability to relate with people and social anxiety could be reduced. A learning activity in which puzzling questions are directed at the learners in the hope that they collaborate with one another energetically to solve different dilemmas would suit my instructional setting the most. This paper makes a conclusion that In response to this type of learning activity, my students will learn to enjoy the benefits of increased cooperation and find answers to certain problems they might come across during the learning process by themselves. There will be heightened curiosity to find answers, increased mental stimulation, and strengthened academic interest to participate. All these features form highly important elements of problem-based learning. Students feel more engaged in the classroom and remain more interested during the lectures when presented with some effective problem-based learning questions which should be preferably puzzling in nature.

Teacher Career Essay Example for Free

Teacher Career Essay When I was five, my mom asked me what do you want to be when you grow up. My answers were Batman, hero or Red Ranger. Then when I was ten she asked again; I answered rock stars or cowboy. Now that I have grown up, she wanted a serious answer. Finally, I could tell her that I want to be a teacher, possibly as a math teacher. It was very hard time for me to think about this decision about the career in teaching. There is a lot of work that goes into becoming a high school teacher. It required a variety of skills and aptitudes including working with children, but I am willing and ready to accept that challenge. â€Å"Education is the job that has a number of requirements. As a teacher you have to be organizational, administrative, recordkeeping abilities; research communication skills; the power to influence, motivate, and train others; patience; creative†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Michael Farr from â€Å"Professional and Related Occupations†, American’s top Jobs for College Graduates. Indianapolis: JIST Works, 2001). Math play important role in life. This is why I would like to become a math teacher. The reason this career interesting me is because I have a lot of experience from what I learned in both of my countries. The first is that teaching, like other professions, utilizes a specialized body of knowledge and translated into lessons for the students at a level they can understand. Second, teaching places emphasis on the decision making which I have to plan lessons by minding goals, objectives and furthermore how my teaching to the students will match their life. Student have to know the reason why they learn math whether they realized it or not. For examples, shoppers use math to calculate change, tax, and sales prices. Cooks use math to modify the amount a recipe will make. Vacationers use math to find time of arrivals and departures to plan their trips†¦ Finally, I’m really respecting the views of the students even if these differ from their own personal views, not embarrassing students, also dealing with those who cheat during the exams. â€Å"Everyone at one time or another believes that the children are the future. The youth stands in front of the door to the future and knowledge is the key. Without this knowledge, the world would be without a future. †(Gilmore, Dorothy. America Federation of Teachers:555 New Jerseys Avenue, 2001). In Vietnam, we say that children are the symbol of little seeds as teachers are the farmers. When a farmer watering into the seeds, they will grow and becoming so many king different trees. I want to be that farmer to take care of my students. I have a passion working with kids, this is why I would like to be there for the ones that want to give up, show them there’s always someone who believes in them and will be there to help them on any possible way. I realized that I also like helping other people learn math, especially those that struggle with it or those who have a disliking for it. As a teacher, I will be able to fulfill my aspirations; both my students and I will learn together. I believe everyone has the capacity and opportunity to be successful in like. I think that having the passion in working with kids/youth makes communication easier such as educational and friendly. I also have a good sense of humor is one of those traits that will help my students become more comfortable and it grabs their attention. There will not any pressure or violent in my classroom. â€Å"A teacher generally works between 175 and 180 days for a school year. Also, beginning salaries for secondary school teacher can range from $26, 598 to $27, 896 per year. † (Brendon, Stuart. Top 100 Careers. Chicago: Chicago Board of Education, 2002. ) In teaching, the disadvantages are more than advantages: low salaries relative to the work, teaching large classrooms, small school budgets But it doesn’t matter to me. I still want to be a teacher. It is a stable job! I don’t care so much about the salary because in every month though it is not very high. Therefore my life will not be affected by the change of economy. As a teacher, I can get respected by everybody. No matter how famous a person has become, students will never ignore their teacher. It feels good knowing I am able to help and guide someone through not only schoolwork but also life, as is true with young people. Being needed by young people gives me that desire to put forth-extra effort during each day and really giving them something to look forward to. My chosen career path has been an ongoing source of personal inspiration and growth. It helps me to define who I am and what I am about. It helps guide me through my life and provides a safe hold as I weather the storms of life. My career teaches me of my love teaching and how important education is to everyone. I want to teach them what I have been go through. There is no word to describe how happiness I am when my students get good grades in my class. The rewards I have received from my career have been so plentiful that they continue to fuel my desire to reach my ultimate mission. My intent to become a source of inspiration for others, helping to give back the guidance that others have provided for me.

Arranged Marriages Essay Example for Free

Arranged Marriages Essay Love is a many splendored thing: well thats what Ive heard. Eyes meet, birds sing, hearts beat and the world turns upside down; unless you are in a arranged marriage. Only the parents are happy, and of course we want our parents to be happy but at whose expense? For centuries arranged marriages were a tradition and in some cultures they still are. There may be a good reason why arranged marriages are good for the people in the east. However today, arranged marriages are still ongoing because its traditional, I dont think thats a good tradition. I mean celebrating New Years Eve in Times Square New York is a good tradition. Its a good tradition because I feel and know that no one ever gets hurt celebrating New Years Eve. Arranged marriages can hurt and deny a persons certain civil rights. There are plenty of cultures where there are no such things as civil or human rights but it still doesnt make it right. Arranged marriages are a tradition from a past era, I believe that arranged marriages are a way of controlling people, especially women. Around the world there has been a custom or tradition of subjugating women. Eastern cultures or religions believe that it is their right to make women 2nd class citizens. To me it means much more, like controlling a life. If you have the desire to control women and to control their lives start with the marriage. In the western societies they tend to frown upon that kind of control inflicted upon women. Im sure that women tend to frown upon that as well, any control over anyone is frowned upon. There must be a certain lack of respect for both the bride and groom in arranged marriages, these marriage ideas might be old but who said that theyre a good idea? Some traditions should be destroyed faster than a Scotsman can clean out a free bar at a wedding reception. Arranged marriages are one of those traditions. Romeo and Juliet is a classic example of why arranged marriages are outdated and ends in tragedy. Those times required most young women and men to enter into a relationship, that werent of their own choice, but their parents. You would not think that in todays society that arranged marriages still existed, however the parents are still planning their childrens life; albeit, the children are adults. The purpose of this is to maintain the wealth for both families. If the case was that a young girl was being made to marry a adult male, that is being labelled as paedophilia. Yet in India or in the east it is still ongoing and it doesnt make a difference, here in England its a different story for that matter and is illegal. These children are brainwashed into believing that this is normal and that love or any other emotion is not their right but to blindly allow the wishes of their parents. We have not stepped forward in time but have fallen into biblical proportions. That may have sounded too descriptive (biblical proportions), but we have to realize that in biblical times children were married off to other family members for the purpose of continuing their ancestors and that was thousands of years ago and yet its still happening in todays society. One might consider that arranged marriages are more like a business deal than a true marriage, often with the engaged couple being used as pawns on a chess game. Marriage should not be only a business proposition. Call me a hopeless romantic but I dont believe that two people can be truly happy together unless it was themselves who saw valuable qualities in their partner, what is more is that it completely defies the law of nature. More importantly a marriage should be based on usual trust and affection, as well as common goals. Anything less than that and all you end up with is an emotionless, false union. Arranged marriages are a mockery or the true nature of marriage, a worthless document to be filed into our court systems. What is love? That is said to be one of the hardest questions to be answered as many people dont know what it is. In all truth I dont think anyone knows the answer unless they are in love and even so its a unexplainable feeling that someone cant describe to another. You can only know what it is when you are in it. In a arranged marriage I feel that you cant find that love feeling between the two people in the relationship. As I said earlier we do want to make our parents happy and yes theyre the ones that know whats best for us and only want us to make the right decisions. But I dont think they know or understand that even though they might think the man/women were going to marry may not be the right choice, were in love with them. Whatever love is. We care about them and at the time you know that you want to be with them for the rest of your life and most importantly theyre yours forever and youre theirs. And it doesnt matter what people say and if they disagree with your choice. Because you know what you want and thats him/her. But this is not what you get in a arranged marriage. In a arranged marriage I would imagine that the woman would feel somehow trapped, thats how Id feel if I was in the situation. Id be so cooped up on trying to keep my parents happy and not being able to express how I felt to anyone and would feel as if it were my duty. If more couples were matched up through class, education, family background, life goals and earnings Thats quoted from a women called Aneela Rahman. She was on BBCs 2 programme Arrange Me a Marriage. The programme was about finding a partner for each contestant she had, she had one month to match someone with another. Traditions are one thing but outdated, irrational, new age slavery is another thing, I realize that whether you marry for love or not, it can either turn out good or bad, but there should be the opportunity of choice not mandatory rule. On the whole I am against arranged marriages. I think that it is not needed to please parents and not the actual bride and groom. If you want your children to get married and fall in love then let them do it in their own time. Its not something that can be rushed into and found straight away or first time round. Love should be experienced and not just felt.

The Great Big Turnip | Analysis

The Great Big Turnip | Analysis Introduction: Our choice of storybook is The Great Big Turnip edited by Bob Williams, published by KohWai and Young. This book is appropriate for children aged four to six as it is specially designed and created to assist children who have mastered basic reading skills. Marchado (2010) states that the success of any book for young children depends on its presentation of basic human tasks, needs, and concerns based on childrens perceptions, and at a level at which they can respond (p. 289). Thus, after examining our selected choices of books, we decided to choose The Great Big Turnip because it has met many aspects of selecting the right book for young children. The story revolves around a farmer who had discovered a giant turnip in his garden. He could not pull it out alone hence he sought help from his family members and other animals in the house. Together, they managed to pull the turnip out of the ground and enjoyed plenty of food for many years. From this synopsis, the story is able to inculcate the value of teamwork in the readers as it teaches that joint effort makes it easier to complete a task. Its print and vibrant illustrations had captivated us instantaneously. The language used is age appropriate for children to learn and comprehend. The moral of the story is that we should always help others when they are in need, even if you may think that your help is insignificant. Literary elements: Plot: The plot is good because it creates suspense in the story to develop the childrens interest in reading the book. It is also simple and straightforward as it focuses on how the farmer gets help to pull the giant turnip out of the ground. Machado (2010) states that simple plot necessitated by the length of a picture book allows young children to become involved immediately in action, discover problem, and understand the resolution (p. 289). The story is in a chronological order as it unfolds sequentially. In the beginning on page 3, it talks about the farmer planting turnip seeds on the ground. In the middle on page 7, the farmer asked his wife for help when he could not pull the turnip out all by himself. Eventually, they still needed more people to help out. On page 14, it reveals how the turnip was pulled out from the ground. From the plot, readers are able to pick out problem-solving skills from the characters, such as asking for assistance. The climax of the story happens on page 13 when six more characters were involved in pulling the turnip out of the ground, and it arrests the childrens attention to find out how the characters overcome the situation. Characterization: The characters in the storybook are life like as they appear like normal living being. Machado (2010) states that characters should be portrayed realistically and have experiences and emotions with which children can immediately identify (p. 289). Thus, this book has definitely met the book selection criteria. The protagonist in the story is a farmer. As the story continues, other characters develop one after another throughout the story to help the farmer. The story does not talk about the characters past, present and future as it focuses on how the farmer gets help from his family to pull the big turnip out of the ground. Based on the farmers dialogue, it shows that he is a jovial person. On page 5 and 7, the farmer was elated to find out that his plant had grown into an enormous turnip. At the end of the story on page 16, the farmer shows a sense of happiness as it states that the happy farmer ate turnip for years (William, 2002). Besides, this book also portrays an array of emotions based on the other characters dialogue on page 7, 9 and 11. It shows excitement yet their struggles in pulling out the turnip. Setting: The farmers garden is the main location where the story took place during daytime. Based on a western context, readers are able to visualize a realistic event that occurred in the story which helps to build on their prior knowledge of the images. Theme: The theme of the story is able to relate to childrens understandings, needs and interests because underlying concept educates the importance of teamwork and unity. The farmer would not be able to pull the big turnip out of the ground without the help of his wife, son, daughter, dog, cat and mouse. It shows the significance of working towards a goal in harmony; oneness of mind. Style and Diction: The language used is simple and age-appropriate for children aged four to six. The language used is able to create mood from text such as exclaimed, cried and excited. The story involves a careful choice of words and rhythm such as they all pulled and pulled, but the turnip still would not come out! With a predictable text, children are able to participate by reading aloud to themselves or a storyteller. And the book contains good diction as it contains phrases like eyes popped out from her head, luckily, fell backwards in a heap. Point of View: The author used a third person point of view to write the story using pronoun like He, She and They. Objective point of view was used in the story as the author only tells what happen without stating more than [what] can be inferred from the storys action and dialogue (Literature, No Date). Stereotypes: It is not reflected in the storybook. Personification: It is not reflected in the storybook. Visual elements The picture-books visual variety would kindle the interests of the children and arrest their visual attention. It is slightly smaller than an A4-sized book which words inside are of Arial font and appropriate font size. The space in between words and line spacing are not cluttered. Hence, this popular fairytale facilitates easy one-on-one readings and independent reading. Cover page: On the cover page, yellow, embroidered images on the borders of The Great Big Turnip give volume to the title and front illustrations. Every word in the title is capitalised and dark turquoise in colour. Below the title is a bright and colourful cartoon of the climax of the story, which is also slightly similar to the cartoon on page 14 and page 15. The clever illustration will intrigue readers as it shows just the giant turnip spinning out of the soil and several characters falling behind. It allows readers to think about what happened in the story. Texture: Illustrations are two-dimensional which gives a visual texture and promotes imagery development. Line: Heavy lines used give more precision and curved lines used depict fluidity which brings the characters to life. Jagged lines can be found on page 15s illustration of the spinning turnip, which enables the readers to sense danger. Colour and Shape: Furthermore, the cartoon characters stand out more as additional colours and geometric shapes are used to allow the reader to clearly differentiate all of them. Illustrations from page 13 are good examples, as when the characters are pulling the turnip out, the reader would not focus on other things such as the house far away or even the forest in the background. Colours such as brown used compliment the settings like the farmers wooden house and the soil in his garden. There is also more assertion and rigidity in the illustration of the farmer due to the geometric shapes used (Scott, 1989). Free-form shapes such as the cursive ends of the turnip on page 15 enable the reader to imagine the great amount of force when the turnip was pulled out (Scott, 1989). All in all, the visual elements of the picture-book nurture visual literacy which builds on the language development of child. They allow the facilitating readability and influencing recall of the text (Machado, 2010).

Life and Health Plan Essay -- Personal Narrative Health

I am in pretty good health right now where I am at in life. My family does not have a history of anything that can be described that could be foreseen as a problem. What I can talk about is a generalized health maintenance and plan for staying healthy that should be easy to follow and quite rewarding. I will talk about eating disorders specifically so as to adhere to the instruction of the assignment. Eating disorders are some of the top concerns with any person that has health concerns regarding food. To make sure that someone can be successful in achieving a healthy body it is important to set goals that you can adhere to. One goal that is very important to me is easily to live a long and productive life. This can be considered a physical exercise goal in the sense that without exercise you can not really expect the same rewarding health as you would with regular exercise. As another goal that would help in maintaining health I would like to set monthly targets for weight and physical fitness that are realistic and obtainable. By setting a personal target weight you can compare your weight once a week and see an accurate model of what is happening with your diet and exercise plan. Developing an exercise plan that keeps you motivated and makes the time spent fun and rewarding is important to ensure the best results from any plan. On the nutritional side of a goal oriented approach to health the best idea is the simplest. By watching your caloric intake and serving sizes you can c ut out a large amount of the fat causing nutrients as well as high sodium and other things that could potentially jeopardize your health plan. In order to achieve your goals you must keep to your plan easy to follow and keep it fun and motivated ... ..., December 31). Dripping With Sweat . Retrieved June 8, 2008, from Firstpath.com Web site: http://www.firstpath.com/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=firstpath/story.html?article=1219 Lawlor, Debbie (2001, March 31). The effectiveness of exercise as an intervention in the management of depression: systematic review and meta-regression analysis of randomised controlled trials. Retrieved June 8, 2008, from BMJ Web site: http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/322/7289/763 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, (2007, Dec 7). Food and Nutrition. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from Mayo Clinic Web site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU99999 Swenson, Jim (2006 October). Ask a Scientist. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from Argonne National Labrotory Web site: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aas.htm med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_fluids_sma.htm

Johann Sebastian Bach Essay -- essays research papers

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Johann Sebastian Bach was born in 1685 in the town of Thuringia, Germany where he was raised and spent most of his life. Due to a shortage of expenses, he was confined to a very limited geographical space, as was his career. This greatly affected his, in that his music was not as widley known as other composers of the time. On traveling he never went farther north than Hamburg or farther south than Carlsbad. To look back on the life of Bach many have referred to him as â€Å"one of the greatest and most productive geniuses in the history of Western music†, particularly of the baroque era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born to a family that produced at least 53 prominent musicians within seven generations, Bach received his first musical instrument from his father. Johann studied music with his father until his father’s death in 1695, at which point he moved to Ohrdruf to study with his brother, Johann Christoph. In the early 1700’s Bach began working as a chorister at a church in Luneburg. In 1703, he became a violinist in the chamber orchestra of Prince Johann Ernst of Weimar, but later that year he moved to Arnstadt where he became church organist.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1705, Bach took a one month leave to study with the renowned Danish-born German organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude who was staying in Lubeck. Later, Buxtehude’s organ music would greatly influence that of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach’s stay was so rewarding that he overstayed his leave by two months to be greatly criticized for his breach of contract by the church authorities. Fortunately, Bach was too highly respected to be dismissed from his position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1707, Bach married his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, he also moved to Mulhausen as organist for a church there, but, 1708 brought him back toWeimer. He came back as an organist and violinist at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, where he stayed for the following nine years to become concertmaster of the court orchestra in 1714. In Weimer he composed about 30 cantatas, including his well-known funeral cantata â€Å"God’s time is the best†, and also wrote organ and harpsichord works. Bach also began traveling throughout Germany as an organ virtuoso and a consultant to organ builders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...sical equivalents of verbal ideas, such as an undulating melody to represent the sea, of a canon to describe the Christians following Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bach’s ability to assess and exploit the media, styles and genre of his day enabled him to achieve many remarkable transfers of idiom. For instance, he could take an Italian ensemble composition, such as a violin concerto, and transform it into a convincing work for a single instrument, the harpsichord. By devising intricate melodic lines, he could convey the complex texture of a multivoiced fugue on a single-melody instrument , such as the violin or cello.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The controversial rhythms and sparse textures of operatic recitatives can be found in some of his own works for solo keyboard. Technical facility alone of course was not the source of some of Bach’s greatness. It is the expressiveness of his music, particularly as manifested in the vocal works, that conveys his humanity and touches listeners everywhere. That is why Johann Sebastian Bach was considered one of the greatest musical composers, but more specifically one of the greatest baroque composers of all time.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Davis Weiss The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a federal statute that was signed into law in America by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. It is divided into 10 titles. The bill contains provisions that will go into effect on June 21, 2010 and September 23, 2010. Also, the additional provisions will go into effect in 2014. Title I of H. R. 3590 will ensure quality affordable health care for all Americans by eliminating discriminatory practices by health insurers such as pre-existing condition exclusions. Title I also extends dependant coverage up to age 26, caps insurance companies non-medical expenses, and prevents unfair termination of insurance policies. Title II expands eligibility for Medicaid to lower income persons and assumes federal responsibility for much of the cost of this expansion. These bills provide enhanced federal support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, simplify Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, and improve Medicaid services. Title III will strengthen the quality of healthcare by establishing The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) which is a value-based purchasing program for hospitals that link Medicare payments to quality performance. Title IV puts into place a new interagency council to promote healthy policies and to establish a national prevention and health promotion strategy. Title V will encourage innovations in health care workforce training, recruitment, and retention, and will establish a new workforce commission. Title VI creates new requirements to provide information to the public on the health system and promotes a newly invigorated set of requirements to combat fraud and abuse in pubic and private programs. Title VII allows certain hospitals and treatment centers to receive discounted and/or generic drugs to aid their budget. Title VIII establishes a new, voluntary, self-funded long-term care insurance program, the Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Independence Benefit Plan, for the purchase of community living assistance services and supports by individuals with functional limitations. No taxpayer funds will be used to pay benefits under this provision. Title IX levies an excise tax of 40 percent on insurance companies and plan administrators for any health coverage plan that is above the threshold of $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. It also requires employers to disclose the value of the benefit provided by the employer for each employee’s health insurance coverage on the employee’s annual Form W-2. And lastly, Title X requires employers that offer and make a contribution towards employee coverage to provide free choice vouchers to qualified employees for the purchase of qualified health plans through Exchanges. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reforms the health care system by expanding the availability of health insurance, regulating health insurance coverage, and restructuring health care delivery, including how it is paid for. The bill would reduce the number of uninsured Americans by 31 million, leaving only 6 percent of nonelderly adults uninsured. A number of different mechanisms are used to increase coverage, including expanding Medicaid, which provides insurance to low-income parents and children at very small cost; establishing state-based insurance exchanges with subsidies for low- and middle-income households; requiring individuals to obtain coverage; and mandating that most employers offer health insurance. The new act would make Medicaid available to all individuals earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty line, or $14,500 a year ($29,500 for a family of four) while improving services for beneficiaries. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also create state-based health insurance exchanges, called Health Benefit Exchanges, which are marketplaces where consumers can shop for and purchase health insurance. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act include numerous reforms of the health insurance market, in many cases regulating this market for the first time. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 8 million such persons would remain uninsured. Additionally, the bill restricts access to abortion services in the Health Benefits Exchanges and, in particular, for people receiving federal subsidies. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act saves money by reducing the cost of premiums that families and individuals pay to maintain their health insurance policies. It also saves money by getting rid of waste in the medical industry by establishing a center where physicians can report waste and by supporting comparison shopping for medical equipment. In addition, the act helps small businesses to save money by giving them the opportunity o offer health benefits to their employees without devastating the budget of their company. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act raise revenue by imposing an annual fee on the health insurance sector. Such fees would be imposed on insurance companies that sell high cost health insurance plans. The fee is designed to generate smarter, more cost-effective health coverage choices. The r econciliation bill delays this new fee until 2018 so that plans have time to implement reform and begin to save from its efficiencies. The amount of the fee is $8. 0 billion in 2014, $11. 3 billion in years 2015-2016, $13. 9 billion in 2017, and $14. 3 billion in 2018. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the legislation will reduce the deficit by $138 billion over the first decade and by $1. 2 trillion in the second decade, as compared to current legislation. The CBO has recalculated its estimates several times, first projecting a savings of $132 billion, then $118 billion, and $143 billion. It also increases the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) tax rate by 0. percentage points on an individual taxpayer earning over $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly). The revenues from this tax will be credited to the HI trust fund. The taxable base of the HI tax is also broadened by including net investment income. The act would also impose a ten percent tax on amounts paid for indoor tanning services. The tax is effective for services on or after July 1, 2010. Reduces the deficit in the next ten years and beyond. The bill is fully paid for with revenue provisions that focus on paying for reform within the health care system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 1. Determine how this Federal law will affect market-driven and non-market driven decisions. This federal will affect the marketing aspect of the health care industry regardless if they are driven or not. If the companies are driven and market correctly then they will be able to attract people that are willing to pay for the services they provide. This will cause for private health insurance providers to change the way they provide services. The new marketing strategies will show how they are providing better care for those who have pre-existing conditions. This law will affect how the private health insurance sector markets the different types of services they provide. The companies will have to go back and look at how they are marketing their services to get the clients they want to attract. If they are market driven then they will market things that are more appealing to the clientele they currently serve or want to be serving, this could involve free health screening, more bang for their bucks, and the opportunity to understand all that the company offers to its insured. Some will be more ambitious to provide new marketing ideas to keep current clients and attract new ones while others might hate change and move slower towards new ideas. This will cause them to either loose current clients and not attract new ones. 2. Describe the circumstances at which you would prepare a strategic plan to include this new law in your marketing decisions, knowing this new law may or may not take effect. I would focus more on the issue of providing current policy holders that currently have pre-existing conditions with better options to health care. I would try to incorporate lower premiums or not charge them as much as competing insurance companies do. I would advertise free screening to all my customers and guarantee coverage. I would sit down with each of my potential policy holders and explain to them the ins and outs of what we offer and what would benefit them. I would want them to feel cared about and not just another policy number. They would feel comfortable coming to us with questions or concerns they may have about their policy. I would provide an around the clock support line just in case they came across a situation where they needed guidance. Also something that would be extremely important would be to have a website where all the needed forms can be accessed and they would also have access to their account information online. My marketing strategy would emphasize on family and hospitality, since that’s what’s most important to people. 3. Discuss how each of the five (5) environmental forces will be affected by the new law, which you believe will be the most affected and why. -Jockeying for position among current competitors. This is the aggressive competition between current firms or companies, the fact that these insurance companies will spend so much on having the best marketing strategy will cause the return compensation to be low. This is because they spend so much money on marketing and competing with its opponents. -Threat of new entrants. Since the new law applies to everyone that means everyone will most likely have to start from scratch or updater their antics. If it’s easy for new comers to come along and get their program up and running, the competitions between the difference companies will only become fiercer. Some barriers of entries for the new comers are if existing customers can trust their current companies, or if there are elevated fixed rates or not enough access to resources. -Bargaining power of customers. If the consumers can produce enough force to affect how many boundaries and capacity they can create, then they hold an incredible amount of power. Reasons why the consumers can have so much power is if they buy large amounts of the products being sold, if the company doesn’t have very many clients, or if they have the opportunity to change companies due to products eing so easy to come about. -Threat of substitute products or services. Depending on whether or not the cost of changing up providers is low and more efficient will determine if substituting is necessary. If the insurance companies are marketing the same products and services that one is already using depending on which more is appealing to the purchaser will determine who gets the service. -Bargaining power o f suppliers. If these insurance companies can produce enough force to affect how many boundaries and capacity the companies can create, then they hold an incredible amount of power. Reasons why the companies can have so much power is if there are limited or no alternates, not many companies with products of interest, or they have something of extreme interest to the buyers and they can’t go without it. I think the rivalry between the current firms will be affected the most, because they will be so wrapped up in their marketing strategy and trying to be the best that they won’t really notice how much money they are spending on the project. Once it starts to show that they are actually losing more money than they are making then it will be too late and another company would have come in and stolen the pie. 4. Describe one (1) new target audience and include the characteristics of their demographic and psychographic profiles. The new target audiences the insurance companies are focused on are lower middle income families instead of higher income families. They base this on income brackets, which neighborhoods theses potential clients live in blue collar workers versus white collar workers. Some companies only serve them through current employment under business aspects. Another target audience is expecting women; the insurance companies are looking to insure the baby as soon as it’s born. This way they can collect premiums on the infants from the start of their lives, while insurance policies for them are extremely high. They also allow young people to be insured who are likely to die soon due to illnesses in their families and based on current health conditions. This way they can assemble the premiums and not have to pay out so much money in the process. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Davis Weiss The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a federal statute that was signed into law in America by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. It is divided into 10 titles. The bill contains provisions that will go into effect on June 21, 2010 and September 23, 2010. Also, the additional provisions will go into effect in 2014. Title I of H. R. 3590 will ensure quality affordable health care for all Americans by eliminating discriminatory practices by health insurers such as pre-existing condition exclusions. Title I also extends dependant coverage up to age 26, caps insurance companies non-medical expenses, and prevents unfair termination of insurance policies. Title II expands eligibility for Medicaid to lower income persons and assumes federal responsibility for much of the cost of this expansion. These bills provide enhanced federal support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, simplify Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, and improve Medicaid services. Title III will strengthen the quality of healthcare by establishing The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) which is a value-based purchasing program for hospitals that link Medicare payments to quality performance. Title IV puts into place a new interagency council to promote healthy policies and to establish a national prevention and health promotion strategy. Title V will encourage innovations in health care workforce training, recruitment, and retention, and will establish a new workforce commission. Title VI creates new requirements to provide information to the public on the health system and promotes a newly invigorated set of requirements to combat fraud and abuse in pubic and private programs. Title VII allows certain hospitals and treatment centers to receive discounted and/or generic drugs to aid their budget. Title VIII establishes a new, voluntary, self-funded long-term care insurance program, the Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Independence Benefit Plan, for the purchase of community living assistance services and supports by individuals with functional limitations. No taxpayer funds will be used to pay benefits under this provision. Title IX levies an excise tax of 40 percent on insurance companies and plan administrators for any health coverage plan that is above the threshold of $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage. It also requires employers to disclose the value of the benefit provided by the employer for each employee’s health insurance coverage on the employee’s annual Form W-2. And lastly, Title X requires employers that offer and make a contribution towards employee coverage to provide free choice vouchers to qualified employees for the purchase of qualified health plans through Exchanges. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reforms the health care system by expanding the availability of health insurance, regulating health insurance coverage, and restructuring health care delivery, including how it is paid for. The bill would reduce the number of uninsured Americans by 31 million, leaving only 6 percent of nonelderly adults uninsured. A number of different mechanisms are used to increase coverage, including expanding Medicaid, which provides insurance to low-income parents and children at very small cost; establishing state-based insurance exchanges with subsidies for low- and middle-income households; requiring individuals to obtain coverage; and mandating that most employers offer health insurance. The new act would make Medicaid available to all individuals earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty line, or $14,500 a year ($29,500 for a family of four) while improving services for beneficiaries. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also create state-based health insurance exchanges, called Health Benefit Exchanges, which are marketplaces where consumers can shop for and purchase health insurance. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act include numerous reforms of the health insurance market, in many cases regulating this market for the first time. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that about 8 million such persons would remain uninsured. Additionally, the bill restricts access to abortion services in the Health Benefits Exchanges and, in particular, for people receiving federal subsidies. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act saves money by reducing the cost of premiums that families and individuals pay to maintain their health insurance policies. It also saves money by getting rid of waste in the medical industry by establishing a center where physicians can report waste and by supporting comparison shopping for medical equipment. In addition, the act helps small businesses to save money by giving them the opportunity o offer health benefits to their employees without devastating the budget of their company. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act raise revenue by imposing an annual fee on the health insurance sector. Such fees would be imposed on insurance companies that sell high cost health insurance plans. The fee is designed to generate smarter, more cost-effective health coverage choices. The r econciliation bill delays this new fee until 2018 so that plans have time to implement reform and begin to save from its efficiencies. The amount of the fee is $8. 0 billion in 2014, $11. 3 billion in years 2015-2016, $13. 9 billion in 2017, and $14. 3 billion in 2018. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the legislation will reduce the deficit by $138 billion over the first decade and by $1. 2 trillion in the second decade, as compared to current legislation. The CBO has recalculated its estimates several times, first projecting a savings of $132 billion, then $118 billion, and $143 billion. It also increases the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) tax rate by 0. percentage points on an individual taxpayer earning over $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly). The revenues from this tax will be credited to the HI trust fund. The taxable base of the HI tax is also broadened by including net investment income. The act would also impose a ten percent tax on amounts paid for indoor tanning services. The tax is effective for services on or after July 1, 2010. Reduces the deficit in the next ten years and beyond. The bill is fully paid for with revenue provisions that focus on paying for reform within the health care system.

Symbolism in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”

Hayley Hughes Professor Fowler English 1102 9 February 2013 Short Story Essay Guy de Maupassant’s short story â€Å"The Necklace† uses a diamond necklace to symbolize two different things. The first thing the necklace represents is that deceiving others will lead to one’s downfall. The necklace also symbolizes how the effects of greed can change a person. In the story, the reader sees the main character’s personal growth from beginning to end due to losing a diamond necklace.Mathilde Loisel’s life is turned upside down because she was materialistic, but by the end of the story Mathilde is wiser and more admirable. Mathilde changed in ways that could not have been possible had she not lost the necklace. The story opens with the beautiful Mathilde Loisel fantasizing about luxuries she and her husband cannot afford. When her husband comes home with an invitation to an exclusive party, she is upset because she does not have anything fancy to wear. Even after her husband gives her some money for a dress, she then complains about not having jewelry.Since she does not own any expensive jewlery, Mathilde goes to her friend Madame Forestier and borrows a diamond necklace. She absolutely loves the necklace and when she and her husband attend the party, everyone notices her and the necklace. After they return from the party, Mathilde is sees she has lost the necklace. However, instead of telling Madame Forestier that the necklace had been lost, Mathilde buys a replacement necklace worth 40,000 francs and gives that to her friend hoping she would not see the difference.She and her husband then spend the next ten years working to pay for the cost of the necklace only to find out that the original necklace had been a fake. Even though her hardship could have been avoided completely, Mathilde became a better person from of losing the necklace. The necklace is the main symbol in â€Å"The Necklace. † What is a symbol? According to Lite rature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, â€Å"a symbol is a substitute for the elements being signified,† (Roberts and Zweig, 382). The necklace could be considered a cultural symbol.A cultural symbol is universally recognized (Roberts and Zweig, 383). Out of all the jewelry Mathilde could have chosen, she chose the diamond necklace. Maupassant most likely chose a diamond necklace because people would recognize the gravity of the situation in the story; most people could understand the value of a diamond necklace as opposed to some of the other jewelry mentioned in the story, which makes the diamond necklace a cultural symbol. The necklace could also be considered a contextual symbol.Unlike a cultural symbol, a contextual symbol gets its meaning from the story (Roberts and Zweig, 383-384). In this story, the necklace represents the fact that appearances are not always what they seem and that the bitter truth of reality can lead to one’s downfall. Mathilde wants to wear a diamond necklace in order for people to think she is wealthier than she is. When she borrows it from Madame Forestier, who is wealthier than Mathilde, she has no reason to believe that the necklace is a fake.Because Mathilde thinks the diamonds as being real, she thinks that others will believe she is wealthy too. In deceiving others of her wealth, she essentially deceives herself. For example, when it is time for them to leave the party her husband gives her the shawl she brought; she does not want anyone to see her wearing the shawl because it reminded her that she was not wealthy and she did not want anyone to find out. She wants to live out this fantasy as long as she possibly can and runs outside with the shawl hoping no one will notice.When she loses the necklace, she is brought back to reality and must deal with the consequences. Instead of accepting her reality that she was not wealthy and being greedy, she set herself up for disaster. The necklace symbolizes gree d and how it can affect a person. In the beginning of the story, Mathilde is greedy. She pities herself for not being born into a wealthy family, claiming it was an â€Å"error of destiny,† (Maupassant, 200). She and her husband are most likely middle-class, but she is still unhappy with their financial status. Her husband, Mr. Loisel, is the exact opposite.He takes pleasure in the little things, even praising his wife’s beef stew while she daydreamed about the finest cuisines (Maupassant, 200). All he wants to do is please his wife, but Mathilde is never satisfied. It is because of her greed that she ends up borrowing the necklace in the first place. After losing the necklace and giving the replacement to her friend, not only had the Loisels’ lifestyle changed, but Mathilde also started to change. She had to do cleaning jobs to earn money, dressed in cheap clothes, and argued with food vendors about the price of their goods in order to save every penny.After th e ten years of hard labor, the story describes Mathilde as â€Å"the strong, hard, and rude woman of poor households,† (Maupassant, 204). Even though she still reminisced about the party, unlike before where she pitied herself for not being wealthy, now she contemplates what her life would be like had she not been so greedy in borrowing the necklace. She questions how something as small as a necklace could have such a big impact on her life saying â€Å"How little a thing it takes to destroy you or to save you,† (Maupassant, 204).The necklace both destroyed her and saved her. Even though she had to deal with ten long years of working to pay back the money, losing the necklace symbolizes Mathilde losing her greediness and gaining the knowledge that money does not lead to happiness. Works Cited Page De Maupassant, Guy. â€Å"The Necklace. † Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Roberts, Edgar V. , and Robert Zweig. 10th ed. Illinois: Pearson, 2012. 2 00-205. Print. Roberts, Edgar V. , and Robert Zweig. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 10th ed. Illinois: Pearson, 2012. Print.

Indication of a schools capabilities Essay

The current era’s education is known to be defined by students themselves, including their academic success, the value of educators and instructional quality in America, learning standards adopted by each individual state, anxiety, the role played by parents outside of a school setting, and much more. Most Americans believe that student’s standardized test scores are the only legitimate indicator of a school’s efficiency. Since 1965, when the United States Elementary and Secondary Education Act became a law, standardized testing has been used to evaluate American public schools. The ultimate goal of standardized testing is to examine how well teachers are preparing students and to improve student achievement. Some people would argue that standardized testing accomplishes the goal of examining educators, allowing them to better their skills for the future, while others would argue that the idea of standardized testing damages the educational system altogether. The leading debate that concerns most, but is brushed off by many, is whether the success of standardized testing should be used to indicate a student’s, teacher, and/or school’s capabilities. The key objective of the American educational system is for every student to graduate from high school, college and career ready. In 1959, when Everet Lindquist launched the _American College Test_ (ACT), it was â€Å"designed as a test of student’s general educational development and could be used with other criteria to predict student success at the college level.† After the launching of this well-known assessment, testing was being put in use in many educational settings. In 1954, as a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s, _†WAR ON POVERTY†_ , the _Elementary and Secondary Education Act_  _(ESEA)_ was introduced. This act was reauthorized in 2001, which is now known as _No Child Left Behind_ _(NCLB)_ . This reauthorized act â€Å"requires states to develop assessments in basic skills. States must give assessments to all students at select grade levels in order to receive federal school funding.† Race to the Top was introduced by President Barack Obama in 2012, which is a school district competition across the United States. This initiative was put forth to raise standards, with the goal of college and career readiness. In addition, Race to the Top has lead states to develop â€Å"rigorous standards and better assessments†, â€Å"support teachers and school leaders to become more effective†, and provide intervention for low performing schools. (Whitehouse.gov) Now that Race to the Top has become worldwide, it has become a controversial topic. Civil Rights organizations have argued that â€Å"federal funding should be based on need, not competition.† As a result of the Race, teachers will be evaluated in relation to their students test scores. In a Huffington Post, updated in 2011, research professor and author Diane Ravitch stated that â€Å"it will make the current standardized test of basic skills more important than ever, and even more time and resources will be devoted to raising scores on these tests.† The new era of Race to the Top will cause the importance of standardized testing to increase, and the demand for privately managed charter schools to increase. In June of 2010, â€Å"North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards in K-12 Mathematics and K-12 English Language Arts.† Beginning in 2012-13, the course of study was implemented in public schools across the state. In conjunction with these standards, â€Å"common exams† were put into effect. â€Å"†Common exams† or â€Å"Measures of student learning† refers to new assessments being developed to measure teacher effectiveness.† A teacher’s effectiveness can reflect on how well a student performs on his or her exams. Since teachers are not told what is on exams or standardized tests such as this, they must prepare their students based on the standards put forth by the state and assume it will be the same material when testing. A common exam is â€Å"given in classes where students are not given an end of grade or end of course tests† and is â€Å"created by local educators and the North Carolina  Department of Public Instruction to show the impact of teacher performance on student learning.† The success of these standardized tests â€Å"provides students with feedback on their knowledge and skills† (Astro.Temple.edu). On the other hand, it â€Å"motivates teachers to identify their areas of strength and weakness in teaching plans so that they can reconstruct them† (Astro.Temple.edu). This forms a relationship between teacher performance and student learning. On the other hand, many parents, students, as well as educators believe that standardized testing isn’t a great indication on a student’s knowledge. Standardized testing evaluates a student’s performance in one day, excluding any external factors. Many teachers are known to â€Å"†teach to the test† which can hinder a student’s overall learning potential† (Office of Work/Life Columbia University). There are many students who â€Å"are smart and understand the content, but it doesn’t show on the test. Many students develop test anxiety which hinders performance† (Office of Work/Life Columbia University). For federal funding, schools depend on their student’s to perform well. â€Å"Competition among schools† can sometimes take place (Office of Work/Life Columbia University). This could be a hard factor to overcome, when schools have exceptional and special education students. Special education include â€Å"individual or small group instruction, curriculum or teaching modifications, assistive technology, transition services and other specialized services such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy† (CHADD: National Resource Center on ADHD). Students that are considered â€Å"exceptional† are required to take the same standardized test as student without learning restrictions, so how exactly is someone at a lower level given such high standards? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, enacted in 1990 and reauthorized in 1997 and 2004, was designed to â€Å"ensure services to children with disabilities throughout the nation† (idea.ed.gov US Department of Education). This was designed to ensure that all student, ages 3-21, receive appropriate education regardless of any disability. In addition to this, the  disability they are diagnosed with must â€Å"affect his or her educational performance and must need special education in order to receive an appropriate education† (CHADD: National Resource Center on ADHD). â€Å"Many children in exceptional children’s programs have physical, mental, or social disabilities. In North Carolina, these academically gifted children are classified as EC, because they have different educational needs than the average child† (Exceptional Children UNC School of Education). Since No Child Left Behind was passed, â€Å"students with disabilities must be included in state testing and assessed against the same standard of proficiency as other students to determine whether schools are making the required â€Å"adequate yearly progress† towards goals for academic proficiency. The regular assessment is given to students with special needs, and they are given appropriate accommodations. Appropriate accommodations include extra time to take the test, larger print, a quiet room, Braille, having the instructions repeated periodically, or more breaks than normally allowed† (Boehner 10). In addition to the special benefits granted, an Individualized Education Program, (IEP), is designed for each child with a disability. Students under this program have a customized â€Å"learning plan† on how they will be evaluated and not whether they will be evaluated. â€Å"Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as a Nation’s Report Card, standardized test, which is used and measured the same in all states, provide useful information on the achievement and progress of students with disabilities. The results from the Nation’s Report Card show progress, as well as gaps, between students with disabilities and nondisabled students† (Aron and Loprest 112-113).