Downfall of Education in Louisiana essays

Downfall of Education in Louisiana essays Education in Louisiana has been a major problem in recent years. Louisiana has consistently ranked near the bottom of the 50 states in education, and this trend has yet to change. This is due to a money problem, but mostly is due to the training and selection of teachers. Most teachers are underpaid, unqualified, and some leave the state for better teaching jobs and higher pay. One problem is that many of the teachers in Louisiana are not certified. To be certified teachers must complete a course which gives them state certification to teach. Many teachers are hired without certification and this is only detrimental to the students. A solution to this is to mandate that all teachers receive certification. To add to this, the state could implement assessment test for the teachers to take periodically throughout the year to monitor their progression. Also many teachers are teaching subjects they are not qualified to teach. If a math teacher is teaching an English class what good could come of this? Teacher turnover is also a major problem for state school officials. Many teachers leave the state for better jobs and higher salaries. To combat this problem the state could institute a pay by performance plan. This would give bonuses to teachers based on the performance of their students. This would be an incentive for teachers to stay in state, but it would also make them focus more on the progression of their students, which in turn helps expand the learning experience of the student. The biggest problem our state faces in terms of education is teacher pay. Many solutions have been brought up, but nothing has seemed to work. The pay by performance plan is one way, but there needs to be more. Many people have already opposed by way of vote not to raise sales tax so the teachers would receive a pay raise. But, many people do not realize how it would drastically contribute. Only a one cent sales tax raise would be en...

6 Disappeared LinkedIn® Partner Applications and What to Do About Them †Part I Events

6 Disappeared LinkedIn ® Partner Applications and What to Do About Them – Part I Events It’s no secret that LinkedIn has recently undergone a significant overhaul (thus the release this past Sunday of the 5th edition of Profile href=https://theessayexpert.com/services-rates/linkedin-profiles/how-to-write-a-killer-linkedin-profile/>How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile). One of the most major changes you will notice is that you no longer have a choice of utilizing LinkedIn Partner Applications such as Events, Amazon, TripIt, Box.net, WordPress and SlideShare. What’s a savvy LinkedIn user to do? Many of my e-book readers and blog subscribers have been asking me questions about how to handle this big change. This article and subsequent blogs for the next few weeks will go through six previously popular applications and review how to transmit the information you used to be able to share through LinkedIn’s partner applications. One of the first applications to disappear from LinkedIn was Events. Events was a platform from which to share live and web-based events with the LinkedIn community, and from which to track RSVPs. The application was eliminated suddenly and with little fanfare. There is no new magic trick to posting events to your LinkedIn page in the absence of the partner application. The only way I know of to announce events on the new LinkedIn is to publicize them directly from your Activity updates, which you can easily populate from either your LinkedIn home page or the Activity bar on your profile. You can share on both LinkedIn and Twitter by using this function. Home page image: Profile Activity bar image: Any updates you add will appear on your profile in your Activity section (the top section of the profile). Your updates will also appear in LinkedIn Signal, which is a running account of all LinkedIn updates that can be found under the News menu. Here’s a sample:    LinkedIn is no longer a viable way to obtain RSVPs for events. If you want people to RSVP, the best way is to provide a link to a page where people can RSVP, such as a registration page or gotomeeting webinar announcement. Once you post an update, you have the option to share it with groups and individuals. Just click on Share below the update and you will see the following screen:    Is your event selective? Invite an exclusive crowd by clicking on Send to individuals. Then write them an enticing note:    Hit Share and spread the word to the world! The more connections you have, the more people will see your post and possibly share it with their connections as well. Next week: What to do about your Amazon reading list? Want more tips on the NEW LinkedIn? Check out the #1 Best-Selling E-Book Profile href=https://theessayexpert.com/services-rates/linkedin-profiles/how-to-write-a-killer-linkedin-profile/>How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile, 5th edition just released! Category:Archived ArticlesBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 21, 2013 2 Comments Cathy Yerges says: January 22, 2013 at 12:54 am Brenda, Thanks for starting this series on the lost apps of LinkedIn. Many of us are left finding new ways to engage with our connections. As far as events, I would also add that a person could promote their event on their LinkedIn profile in the summary section and the website url section. These two places would remain static on your profile until you changed them again. This would promote your event to those that view your profile and may not have seen the update. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: January 22, 2013 at 12:57 am Great idea Cathy thank you! If you are not using all the characters in your summary or all three websites in your website list, your idea would be an option. And an update would go out announcing that you updated your profile; overall I think posting to Activity updates will reach more people, but might as well approach the situation from multiple angles! Log in to Reply

The role of arbitration in settling foreign invetment related Dissertation

The role of arbitration in settling foreign invetment related disputes' - Dissertation Example It will be argued that despite the lack of an international convention or codification of investor-state FDI law, customary law and the doctrine of fair and equitable treatment as interpreted by arbitrators has inspired sufficient confidence in arbitration and as such, FDI. It will therefore be argued that the role of arbitration as a method of resolving ISA in FDI relate disputes is very important to promulgating FDIs. To substantiate this hypothesis, this dissertation will examine and analyse the rapid growth of BITs, the fair and equitable treatment clause and the arbitration clauses typically included in BITs. An analysis of resulting arbitration awards will also be conducted. The provision for institutional and ad hoc ISA in BITs will also be examined. Contents Abstract 2 Contents 3 Introduction 5 I.Research Questions 7 II.Statement of the Problem 8 III.Significance of the Study 10 IV.Aims and Objectives 11 V.Research Methods and Designs 11 A.Research Methods 11 B.Research Desig n 13 Chapter Two 14 The Investor State Relationship 14 Introduction 14 I.Investor/State Relationships 14 A.Definition of Foreign Direct Investment 14 B.FDI and Investor-State Relations 17 II.Issues Arising in FDIs Between the Foreign Investor and the Host State 20 A.The Risk of Expropriation Without Compensation 21 B.The Need For Fair and Equitable Treatment 23 C.The Risk of the Host State Changing the Regulatory Framework Once The Investment is Made. 26 D.The Risk of Contract Breaches and Breaches of Other Promises and Violations of International Law 27 III.International Investment Treaties 28 A.Compensation 30 B.Currency Control 31 C.Non-discriminatory Treatment 32 D.Full Protection and Security 35 E.Umbrella Clauses 36 F.Minimum Treatment Standard 37 G.Fair and Equitable Treatment 39 Conclusion 42 Chapter Three 44 Investor-State Arbitration: Substantive and Procedural Laws 44 I.Investor/State Arbitration: The Washington Convention 44 II. Arbitration Decisions 49 Conclusion 60 Cha pter Summary 61 Chapter Four 62 Findings/Conclusion 62 Findings 62 Conclusion 65 Bibliography 67 Chapter One Introduction Over the past 20 years, the number of FDI treaties have tripled.3 Since the 1970s the rate of growth of FDIs has eclipsed that of the growth of worldwide exports by double. This trend continues today.4 The proliferation of FDI is attributed to the â€Å"widespread liberalization of the FDI regulatory framework† as well as advancement in information technologies and the intensification of business competition. A majority of states have implemented institutional and policy reforms that appeal to FDI and have improved treatment and protection standards. These changes reflect the popular view that FDIs are associated with the introduction of capital, skills, technology, employment and access to markets. The main objective in implementing foreign investment treaties, particularly BITs is to let investors know that their investments will have the benefit of lega l protection and to encourage the inflows from FDIs.5 By year end 2010, the number investor/state arbitration (ISA)

Feminist geographies . The intellectual and political significance Essay

Feminist geographies . The intellectual and political significance - Essay Example It was coined by the French philosopher Charles Fourier. It spread to Great Britain and America by the year, 1910 (HAAN, DASKALOVA And LOUTFI, 2006). Feminist Geography or Feminist theory is the expansion of the study of feminism into a wide horizon of issues and experiences that women encounter. It covers the realms of both philosophical and theoretical aspects of female rights and place. It is primarily aimed to fathom the fabric of gender inequality and its causes and effects on human nature and society; it investigates women’s experiences, social roles, interests, and studies and develops theories on feminist politics in fields such as sociology, philosophy, economics, anthropology, education, psychoanalysis, literary, communication. In addition, feminist theory expounds on female welfare, promotion of women’s interests and gender inequality. Research on Feminist theory revolves around two key points: 1, the research should analyze and expound on the state of women in society; 2, the research should be a derivative of the assumption that women are generally considered subordinates to men. However, it abstains from being excessively political and negates research that is conducted to only achieve gender equality. The fields of interest for researches on feminist theory are sexual objectification, patriarchy, art history, oppression, stereotyping, contemporary art and discrimination (KOLMAR And BARTKOWSKI, 2005). Feminist theory in the past has gone through many changes; from being a movement that just aimed at consolidating and establishing women as a universal entity, to being more motivated towards individuality, diversity and social differentiation. Modern-day feminism has assumed the role of promoting the following issues faced by women: equality in property law, voting rights and rights to run for office, equality in contract law, reproductive rights, this includes open access to contraceptives and abortion, physical integrity, equal pay f or women, articulation of for protection of women from domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual harassment. This has led to the advocacy for workplace rights, such as maternity leave. However, feminist theory has also concluded that for female rights and feminism to succeed, men should also be liberated and that men also suffer from gender inequality (HANNAM, 2007). The popularity and rise of feminism has produced different forms of political movements which have branched into a larger part of society, such as conservatism and liberalism, and some interlink feminism with environment. Liberal feminism aims to achieve individuality and equality of women and men through legal and political reforms without morphing the framework of culture and society. Radical feminism aims at extremes; it deems the notion and practice of male dominance on women through capitalist rule as the primary reason behind oppression on women, this leads to the advocacy of total conversion of society and imp lementation of rules that change the total outlook of society according to the manner that women desire. Furthermore, Conservative feminism only aims to achieve the basic human rights for women and stipulates that women should be conservative against men according to the society in which they live. Libertarian feminism believes that people are self-owners and thus entitled to govern themselves according to their wishes, in reference to women, and that

A Brief Survey and Analysis on Procrastination Among Undergrads Essay Example for Free

A Brief Survey and Analysis on Procrastination Among Undergrads Essay In this survey, we developed a set of questions asking students in the unit of a dormitory. We asked individual students to assess their degree of procrastination, the specific occasions when they have significant sign of procrastination and their difficulties in solving the problem. We then asked them to think about one of two occasions when they were highly productive in order to see and compare what serves for and against their procrastination. Then, choosing the dormitory as a whole sample, we asked students to name one of them who is most productive generally, and asked them if they’ve noticed the difference and invited them to figure out the reason for this difference in productivity. In this way, we have managed to attain a number of individual samples to analyze their procrastination as well as group samples from which we may conclude the peer influences in this group of students. Results Based on the various results of individual survey, we have selected and categorized several typical cases presented in the form of case study as follows. Case 1: Procrastination with Trivial Things In one of the dormitory we carried out the survey, a student lost his key but just refused to get another one. Instead, he phones his roommates to open the door for him when he can’t enter, causing much trouble to his roommates. Another student we surveyed was said to have kept his dirty cloths for ages and not want to wash them simply because of the cold weather. Everyone may be reluctant with specific tasks for various reasons, especially boring and time-consuming work such as laundry. Case 2: A Whole Night in Dormitory without Finishing Homework Many of the students we surveyed mentioned their low-productivity in the dormitory. Often is the case when students find the clock ticks time away without awareness of what they have just done. In this case, distraction in dormitories plays an important role in students’ procrastination. With roommates playing games, listening to music or simply just walking around, it calls for great effort to stay focused. And it is even worse when there is work to be done on the computer with access to the Internet, as there is much more distraction online such as games, videos, IMs and SNS, which can easily attracts students from what they should be doing. Case 3: Perfectionism Perfectionism is another classical cause for procrastination. Students who want to have a perfect outcome often turn out to find nowhere to start, fearing that they would screw things up. Being back and forth with the project ahead may also lower his self-esteem and then possibly put him into a vicious circle of low self-esteem-caused procrastination. Case 4: Endless Entertainment No matter if it’s Sitcoms, SNS or computer games, many students have at least one type of entertainment from which they can tear away from. Many students surveyed mentioned the very typical scenario when they tell themselves to start working by six but still enjoying the â€Å"last† episode or round hours later. With more and more distraction and entertainment around, students show much more difficulty to stay focused without external control. Case 5: Vicious Circle From what we have learned from the survey, it is rather easy to fall into a vicious circle because of procrastination, which in turn worsens one’s procrastination. Many students will feel depressed and low mood because they’ve left too much of tasks behind and therefore cannot focus, suffer low-productivity, thus undermining their self-esteem and making it harder to accomplish the tasks next time. Case 6: Wrong Reward Many experts suggest setting a period of time for oneself when he or she focuses the tasks at hand. Then reward him or herself for having concentrated during this period. This may serve to build up one’s self-esteem and concentration with the time period set longer and longer. But there are cases in which the rewards are too appealing (for example one’s favorite game) that students either hurry to finish the task simply to enjoy the reward with poor quality or get stuck with the reward and keep excusing himself for extending the time, which holds up later schedule and puts him back to procrastination. Case 7: Enjoying the Last-Minute-Accomplishment Some of the students surveyed admitted that after accomplishing their tasks right before the deadline for several of times, they become fond of this kind of schedule and planning. These students often achieve extraordinarily high productivity during the last minutes with results turning out to be not bad. Students therefore become dependent on this external driving force and used to completing tasks in the last-minute. General Analysis In the cases described above, we can see that lack of self-control is a very dominant cause for procrastination. How well can a person resist his temptation, control his entertainment and avoid distraction largely affects his degree of procrastination. There are also certain psychological mechanisms contributive to one’s procrastination. Noticeably, these many of the causes mentioned above are inter-connected, meaning there’s hardly an easy one-way solution to procrastination. Discussion From the specific cases mentioned above, we can already spot some of the causes for procrastination. Furthermore, these causes are often also related. We will first further discuss the different causes for procrastination in this section and then specially analyze the peer influences in the scope of procrastination. Peer Influences on Procrastination From the group samples we’ve collected in the survey, we analyzed the cases when students become either more or less productive because of their peer and concluded three major types of peer influence on procrastination. Competition In one of the dormitories we’ve surveyed, one student who completes tasks much faster than his roommates has been nominated as the most productive and executive. When asked about his productivity, he attributed it to his competition with his high school classmate. Another student also mentioned what he heard form friend in Qinghua University where students in a dormitory are highly competitive and look up to the best and fastest, which creates an atmosphere of positive competition driving each one to speed up and work hard. We believe that competition is one of the most effective external driving forces apart from the looming deadline itself. Though there isn’t necessarily a competitive atmosphere, it is not very hard to look for a peer to compete with so as to urge and encourage each other. Peer Reference Peer reference here indicates the psychology when one looks on his peer to excuse himself from not working. Many people may have this kind of voice echoing in the mind: â€Å"It’s OK. Nick hasn’t started yet. Leave it some other day!† What’s worse, some students admitted that in order to keep this excuse valid, they often do not urge the other one to start working purposely but join in him dragging the to-do list instead. We believe that this overlooking and following of peer procrastination is due to lack of . And this crowd psychology in many cases contributes to the atmosphere of procrastination. On the other hand, it is rather crucial for the one with higher productivity to actively urge and influence his peers to prevent procrastination as a â€Å"shepherd†. Peer Pressure Throughout our survey, some students with low productivity turn out to be surprisingly efficient in team work, because they feel compelled to fulfill their share of responsibility in a team working on a same goal otherwise they will hold up the whole schedule. Therefore, it is crucial for team leaders to set a common goal and emphasize the importance of every individual’s work. However, this peer influence doesn’t always work as there are always irresponsible people in a team. Summary From the interconnected influences discussed above, peers do have certain influence on procrastination, either positively or negatively. When one wants to drag things on, others’ procrastination can be a good justification. However, it appears a little harder to impose positive influences on procrastination as it calls for certain mechanism, i.e. competition, peer urging or team cooperation. And the conclusion can be safely drawn that when there are more mechanisms functioning, individuals are easier to prevent his or her procrastination with the assistance of his peers. Therefore, apart from one’s own effort, actively seeking positive peer influence is also a good solution. Recommendations True as it is that solving procrastination needs multiple methods, we will elaborate our recommendations in a separate way so that students with different types of procrastination can find the suitable solution for his particular case more easily. While the methods are many, the philosophy behind is simple: actively seeking external influence. And specific methods are elaborated as follows. Avoid Distraction/Disturbance For students finding it hard to concentrate and work effectively, we recommend they go to the library, classrooms or other quiet places for serious business. One may also turn off the cell phones to further avoid any distraction or disturbance. For those who find themselves often wasting hours on games (either computer games like DotA or video games on little gadgets like Angry Birds) or surfing, it is also a good idea to go somewhere else to work or study, leaving anything that can distract you back in the dormitory or locked up. Peer Influence As discussed earlier, peer influence does play certain roles in the scope of procrastination. So to find a right peer who pushes you to work hard or poses challenge as a competitor is also a solution to procrastination. Or maybe, as some researchers suggest, pre-commitment supervised by peers is also a good idea. You can simply post on your SNS sites that you will finish your thesis in a week or not visiting renren.com for 5 days and encourage your friends to see if you make it. Technical Assistance Sometimes you have to use the computer or the Internet to do some research or write an essay when you cannot leave them away. How to avoid the temptations to click on the button? There are certain applications or extensions that help you control your time. For example, stayfocused is a Google Chrome browser extension which limit your visit to certain sites such as Facebook (well, the GFW has already done the favor), renren.com or tudoou.com etc which can easily suck hours out of your schedule. Once you set the time limit, you cannot change it that day. And if you try to change the limit when the allowed time is running out? Small windows will keep popping up to ask you if you’re sure to change the limit and not cheating. And even link to an article on procrastination as you finally clicked â€Å"yes†. This is just one example of the use of technology on the fight against procrastination.

Social Sciences In Theatre :: essays research papers

Social Sciences in Theatre How are the social sciences associated with theatre?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his article â€Å"Performance Studies†, Helbo identifies many social sciences associated with theatre including psychology, sociology, and semiotics. Psychology, he states, has greatly increased the work of the actor by giving him a tool to examine his character or role in greater depth. Psychology has also affected the spectator by creating a release and even a form of therapy. Sociology is used in theatre to determine the cultural politics involved, the link between demand patterns and economic patterns, and the role of theatre in everyday life. Semiotics plays a vital role in theatre by determining how signs, whether they are speech pattern or facial expression, affect the audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schechner focuses solely on anthropology and its use in theatre. Schechner even goes so far as to define theatre anthropology. It is defined as â€Å"the study of the biological and cultural behavior of man in a theatrical situation.† He writes that anthropology and theatre have no definite boundary and uses anthropology to show theatrical aspects in everyday life, which brings one to ask the second question. How do the social sciences show theatre used in everyday life?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Helbo uses sociology and biology to site instances through which theatre is used in everyday life. Sociologists see theatre in the social structures we face on a daily basis. A handshake, tipping a doorman and even the forbidden middle finger is what Erving Goffman terms â€Å"rituals of interaction.† Every culture is immersed in some aspect of performance, even biologists can see theatre in everyday occurrences. The biologist Laborit sees behavioral functions associated with theatre as liberating. Social Sciences In Theatre :: essays research papers Social Sciences in Theatre How are the social sciences associated with theatre?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his article â€Å"Performance Studies†, Helbo identifies many social sciences associated with theatre including psychology, sociology, and semiotics. Psychology, he states, has greatly increased the work of the actor by giving him a tool to examine his character or role in greater depth. Psychology has also affected the spectator by creating a release and even a form of therapy. Sociology is used in theatre to determine the cultural politics involved, the link between demand patterns and economic patterns, and the role of theatre in everyday life. Semiotics plays a vital role in theatre by determining how signs, whether they are speech pattern or facial expression, affect the audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schechner focuses solely on anthropology and its use in theatre. Schechner even goes so far as to define theatre anthropology. It is defined as â€Å"the study of the biological and cultural behavior of man in a theatrical situation.† He writes that anthropology and theatre have no definite boundary and uses anthropology to show theatrical aspects in everyday life, which brings one to ask the second question. How do the social sciences show theatre used in everyday life?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Helbo uses sociology and biology to site instances through which theatre is used in everyday life. Sociologists see theatre in the social structures we face on a daily basis. A handshake, tipping a doorman and even the forbidden middle finger is what Erving Goffman terms â€Å"rituals of interaction.† Every culture is immersed in some aspect of performance, even biologists can see theatre in everyday occurrences. The biologist Laborit sees behavioral functions associated with theatre as liberating.

Beowulf Essay Essay

Throughout history there have been many stories about men who were considered to be a â€Å"hero. † The definition of a hero has changed throughout the evolution of society. In the days of Beowulf and the Vikings, a hero was a man who was strong, courageous, and willing to protect his land and provide for his people. In today’s world, a hero is someone who is known for their selflessness and bravery. Beowulf is described as an epic hero before he even speaks a word in the story. He is described as â€Å"mightiest man on earth†, â€Å"the noble warrior†, and â€Å"the man whose name was known for courage, the Great leader. † These opening quotes about Beowulf alone make it seem like he was not only a great warrior and leader, but also a great hero. Beowulf displays the most common traits of a hero throughout his journeys. A hero needs to display bravery, courage, loyalty, dedication and determination to be considered a â€Å"hero†. According to www. dictionary. com the definition of loyalty is having a strong feeling of support or allegiance to someone or something. Throughout the entire story of Beowulf he stays loyal to the people of Geatland. From the beginning of the story Beowulf showed loyalty when he sailed to Geatland for King Hrothgar just to repay the debt of Hrothgar saving his father in the earlier years. Beowulf pledged his allegiance to Hrothgar when he needed his most because he believes in the hero characteristic of loyalty to someone or something with importance to you. Even after Beowulf kills Grendel and has in some way repaid his debt to Hrothgar he still stays in Geatland and fights Grendel’s mother and at the end of the story he fights the dragon for the good of his people. Beowulf remained loyal to Hrothgar until he became king and then he stayed loyal to his people for the remaining years of his life. Throughout all of Beowulf’s life he has been dedicated to being remembered and to live on even after he has died. Beowulf did not want any type of reward or prize for doing the things he does, all he wanted was to have fame and be remembered by people. This dedication lead him into many difficult battles that risked his livelihood. This dedication to fame leads him through the battle with Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and the dragon. All of these battles were fought so Beowulf’s name would live on and he could die a â€Å"hero† to his people. The most important characteristic of a hero is bravery. Beowulf displays how much bravery he actually has in three different battles. The first battle was his main reason for going to Geatland, to stop the man eating monster Grendel. Grendel is feared by all of the Danes but Beowulf was eager to meet Grendel in battle. Grendel had killed many of Danes before Beowulf arrived yet still Beowulf shows no fear. Also Beowulf tells the men in the mead hall how he will not fight Grendel with any type of sword or knife because the monster doesn’t use anything like that either. Even though Beowulf makes the fight an even one for his own personal reasons this action displays an immense amount of bravery. Beowulf kills the monster with his bare hands and restores peace to the Danes even if only for a little while. Courage also is an important characteristic of Beowulf. After killing Grendel with his bare hands this is a courageous act in itself, Beowulf is summoned to kill Grendel’s mothers. It took courage just to be on the journey to get to Grendel’s mother. Beowulf ventures into her lake home eager to meet her in battle just as he was with Grendel. Despite the fact that the lake is filled with creatures and evil things Beowulf shows no hesitation in going straight in by himself to fight Grendel’s mother. Once inside Grendel’s mother senses Beowulf and immediately drags him into her home. It looks like Beowulf is about to be killed when he takes a sword and cuts the throat of Grendel’s mother, defeating her. Beowulf re-surfaces and is greeted by the remaining men outside the lake. This journey into the lake and into Grendel’s Mother’s home was nothing short of courage. Even after Beowulf is king for many years he never loses his courage. When Beowulf is an old warrior his land is attacked by a sleeping dragon awoken by treasure being stolen from its cave. Beowulf immediately went on a journey to slay this dragon. It was said that no man had entered into the dragons cave and lived. Even with information known Beowulf still lead his followers into the cave to fight this dragon. Although the dragon takes Beowulf’s life, this journey is extremely courageous. Beowulf helped in the killing of this dragon and in return gave his life just so his people would be safe. It could be argued that Beowulf is not hero because heroes don’t gloat about their fights or accomplishments. Although Beowulf tells people he is the strongest person alive and he bragged about his accomplishments, it doesn’t take away from the fact that he displayed more than one characteristic of a hero. His bravery and courageousness are more prominent in his life than his gloating. Also it could be argued that heroes don’t accept things such as money or gold in return for doing a heroic act. Beowulf did accept gold from the Danes but during this time period it was a common gift for someone like Beowulf to receive gifts and gold. In some cases it might have even been seen as rude or disrespectful for Beowulf not to accept their gold. These two arguments have valid points but overall when you compare the heroic traits to the non-heroic traits of Beowulf the heroic traits outnumber the non-heroic traits. All in all Beowulf was a great man who led a great life full of accomplishments and accomplished missions. Everything he did was for a purpose that benefitted not only himself but more importantly the people he was loyal to and that were loyal to him. Throughout the story of Beowulf he has proven himself to be not only a great man but also a hero. Beowulf fought three non-human opponents and still with no fear or doubt he rose above and defeated all three of his opponents. Beowulf is the definition of what a hero should be like and he does a great job of displaying the traits one needs to have in order to be considered a hero.

Moneyball Essay

The film Moneyball was based on the bestselling non-fiction book by financial journalist Michael Lewis, the film tells the true story of how Beane and his youthful economics-whiz assistant turned around the fortunes of the Oakland Athletics by using a new approach called â€Å"sabermetrics†. This involved using statistics to analyze how many times players stayed â€Å"on base† (thereby increasing their likelihood to score runs), rather than relying on the traditional method of valuing players’ batting average. This new approach allowed Beane to ‘buy’ players he could actually afford, and take on the top major league teams using a different strategy than they did. The first thing about Moneyball to analyze is what makes Billy Beane a leader. As we discussed in class, he had a vision and he worked for it creating a bold plan, believing in his vision, and having the resolve to see his plan through. Billy Beane redoubled his efforts to make his vision a success. He traded players who had the wrong attitude and met face-to-face with the remaining players to explain his direction over and over. Beane’s resolve and persistence paid off, and the A’s went on to win 109 games that year. What’s the leadership lesson? Well, it helps to take note that Moneyball is not strictly a baseball story. It is also a story of rapid change in leadership in the business world. In the film Beane changes from participative to autocratic to paternalistic leadership styles. Analyzing this movie from the leadership aspect you can see that not all leadership models apply to every single case, evidence shows that Beane at the beginning used participative leadership style. The baseball establishment is mostly appalled by Billy’s novel approach to team selection, including his own coaches. The manager accused him of denigrating what scouts have done for 150 years, and ruining the team. He also faces a major blocker to success: Art Howe, the team manager. Art decides who takes the field and, having not bought into the approach, refuses to field players who might make the approach work. In this part Beane realizes that a participative approach won’t give him the result that he was looking for and he changes to an autocratic approach to get results. Consequently, Billy takes swift action by selling two more of his best players, one to prevent Art from meddling with team selection, and one because he’s a disruptive influence in the dressing room. Things didnt go well and when the team starts badly, the critics feel vindicated. Only then does Billy understand that he made a mistake because first he hasn’t committed himself 100% to his own approach, and second he failed helping others to buy into it. Autocratic leaders need to communicate. When Beane realized that, he started to open up to the people who are being affected by his decisions, sharing his strategy, and recruiting others to do the same. And finally we can see the last change of leadership to paternalistic style when Billy Beane is seen to learn some important management lessons himself during the course of Moneyball. When we first see him, he has a strict policy of distancing himself from players, which he thinks earns him greater respect and makes it easier to let players go when necessary. Yet gradually Beane learns that he can accomplish more, and inspire others, by actually talking to his team and letting them in on his unusual strategies. Here he is getting closer to his players – explaining the approach, getting by and building team spirit. He even encourages other potential leaders within the team. â€Å"You’re smart, you get what we’re trying to do here,† he tells an ageing, cynical but talented player.

Chartes Cathedral essays

Chartes Cathedral essays Malcolm Miller, an English-speaking tour guide at the Chartes Cathedral states, The Chartes Cathedral is a book. Its architecture is in the binding, and its stories are told through its windows and sculptures. The Chartes Cathedral held true to this statement through my research of this famous gothic cathedral. Located in the heart of a small, sleepy town southwest of Paris, it contains the largest collection of exquisite stained glass, sculptures, and vaulted ceilings. Chartes has been left virtually unharmed through over eight centuries of wars and rebellions. It miraculously survived the French Revolution unscathed when many churches were destroyed by rebelling peasants and it narrowly missed the bombing of Nazi planes during WWII. The exact time and date that the original cathedral was founded is unknown, but it was before 743 (the first sure date associated with it). The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and houses a relic, a piece of fabric that is believed to have been worn by the Virgin as she gave birth to Jesus. Because of this relic, Chartes became a major pilgrimage center and a great cathedral was built. The work on the current Chartes Cathedral began in 1194, after a fire destroyed the old church. Chartes is the largest and arguably the most magnificent of all Gothic cathedrals. The Western Facade, which is the front of the church, has two different steeples, built in different centuries and exhibiting different types of architecture. On all sides of the Cathedral, there are beautiful sculptures. The entire church is covered with icons of the Virgin, Jesus, angels, and biblical figures. Inside the church, the vaulted ceilings are built very high- this was one of the tallest free-stan ding structures in the world for a number of centuries. The high ceilings draw visitors attention to the sky and give one a sense of sacredness. The church is held up by flying bu ...

Information on Education and Schools in Connecticut

Information on Education and Schools in Connecticut Education varies from state to state as individual states control much of the educational policy that governs the school districts across their state. Even still, school districts within an individual state often offer key differences from their neighboring counterparts as local control also plays a critical role in shaping school policy and implementing educational programs.   Because of this, a student in one state or even a single district can receive a drastically different education than a student in a neighboring state or district. State legislators shape education policy and reform for individual states. Highly debated educational topics such as standardized testing, teacher evaluations, charter schools, school choice, and even teacher pay vary from state to state and typically aligns with the controlling political parties views on education. For many states, education reform is in continuous flux, often causing uncertainty and instability for educators, parents, and students. Constant change can also make it difficult to compare the quality of education students are receiving in one state compared to another. This profile focuses on breaking down education and schools in Connecticut. Connecticut Education and Schools Connecticut State Department of Education Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dr. Dianna R. Wentzell District/School Information Length of School Year: A minimum of 180 school days is required by Connecticut state law. Number of Public School Districts: There are 169 public school districts in Connecticut. Number of Public Schools: There are 1174 public schools in Connecticut. **** Number of Students Served in Public Schools: There are 554,437 public school students in Connecticut. **** Number of Teachers in Public Schools: There are 43,805 public school teachers in Connecticut.**** Number of Charter Schools: There are 17 charter schools in Connecticut. Per Pupil Spending: Connecticut spends $16,125 per pupil in public education. **** Average Class Size: The average class size In Connecticut is 12.6 students per 1 teacher. **** % of Title I Schools: 48.3% of schools in Connecticut are Title I Schools.**** % With Individualized Education Programs (IEP): 12.3% of students in Connecticut are on IEPs. **** % in Limited-English Proficiency Programs: 5.4% of students in Connecticut are in limited-English Proficient Programs.**** % of Student Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunches: 35.0% of student in Connecticut schools are eligible for free/reduced lunches.**** Ethnic/Racial Student Breakdown**** White: 60.8% Black: 13.0% Hispanic: 19.5% Asian: 4.4% Pacific Islander: 0.0% American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0.3% School Assessment Data Graduation Rate: 75.1% of all students entering high school in Connecticut graduate. ** Average ACT/SAT score: Average ACT Composite Score: 24.4*** Average Combined SAT Score: 1514***** 8th grade NAEP assessment scores:**** Math: 284 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Connecticut. The U.S. average was 281. Reading: 273 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Connecticut. The U.S. average was 264. % of Students Who Attend College after High School: 78.7% of students in Connecticut go on to attend some level of college. *** Private Schools Number of Private Schools: There are 388 private schools in Connecticut.* Number of Students Served in Private Schools: There are 73,623 private school students in Connecticut.* Homeschooling Number of Students Served Through Homeschooling: There were an estimated 1,753 students that were homeschooled in Connecticut in 2015.# Teacher Pay The average teacher pay for the state of Connecticut was $69,766 in 2013.## Each individual district in the state of Connecticut negotiates teacher salaries and establishes their own teacher salary schedule. The following is an example of a teacher salary schedule in Connecticut provided by the Granby Public Schools District (p.33)    *Data courtesy of Education Bug . **Data courtesy of ED.gov ***Data courtesy of PrepScholar. ****Data courtesy of the National Center for Education Statistics ******Data courtesy of The Commonwealth Foundation #Data courtesy of A2ZHomeschooling.com ##Average salary courtesy of National Center of Education Statistics ###Disclaimer:   The information provided on this page changes frequently.   It will be updated regularly as new information and data becomes available.

Intel Question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intel Question - Assignment Example In accordance with Hill et al. (2009) in order for a firm to be considered as having a competitive advantage towards the other firms operating in the same industry it is necessary that ‘its profitability is greater than the average profitability and profit growth of its rivals’ (Hill et al. 6). In the case of Intel, there is no doubt that the firm has achieved to build a competitive advantage in microprocessors – taking into consideration the firm’s position in the particular industry over the years. The factors that helped the firm to build this advantage are related to different parts of the internal and external organizational environment. One of key characteristics of the firm’s strategic policies is flexibility; this characteristic allowed the firm’s managers to develop radical updates of the firm’s practices – without delay, a fact that is considered one of the reasons that led Intel to develop a competitive advantage in mi croprocessors. In the study of Lewis et al. ... Another aspect of the firm’s strategies for achieving a competitive advantage is described in the study of Tallman (2010); the above researcher notes that Intel managed to build a competitive advantage by establishing the center or its activities in Silicon Valley, ‘the worldwide center for the microprocessors industry’ (Tallman 54). In other words, the competitive advantage of the firm has been primarily related to its location. At the next level, it is explained that the firm managed to keep this advantage by establishing manufacturing units in China and India – where the operational costs are extremely low and allow the standardization of the firm’s profitability. Apart from its location, the development by the firm of a competitive advantage seems to be related to other elements/ characteristics of its strategic processes. This issue is highlighted in the study of Argyris (1999); in the specific study emphasis is given on the firm’s abilit y to learn fast – reference is made to the rapid response of the firm towards the ‘technological opportunities that come about’ (Argyris 26). It was in this context that the potentials of the microprocessors industry were early identified by managers in Intel; moreover, measures were taken in order for the firm’s entrance in this market to be developed rapidly – with no delays in replacing the manufacturing technology and techniques used by the firm in the past, i.e. before its involvement in the microprocessors industry. In accordance with the above view, Intel managed to build a competitive advantage not because of the location of its facilities but because of its strategic choices and its ability to