Monday, September 30, 2019

American Civil War and Amendment Source

It explains the basics about why the 14th Amendment was passed. It also does give many other cool facts that you could find useful. This Includes the fact that the congress had to vote for the amendment to be passed. It also does explain how the 14th Amendment did not completely free slaves. When I say this, I mean that In some places, the 14th Amendment was not active. That means that the slaves In that area, were not free. Evaluation: I did not find the source useful AT ALL. The entire book was Just text, no pictures or anything. This dad It hard to visualize what was happening In the book.Also, the fact that only a fraction of the book was about the 14th Amendment, did not help on the Informational side. I would not recommend this book to someone that Is Just researching about the 14th Amendment. Source 3: Online weapon http://w. NM. Impermeableness. Gob/]b/recon/]b_recon_reveled_l . HTML, by: Web Guides Summary: This Is a weapon created by Web Guides. They go over everything you need to know about the 14th Amendment. They say that the amendment was ratified on July 9th, 1868 and granted excellently to everyone. The senate voted yes by 33 to 11 votes.The House of Representatives voted yes by 120 to 32 votes. Overall, It granted freedom to many African-American slaves. This was for reconstruction purposes for the aftermath of the call war. Evaluation: I found this website page very useful. It had many pictures and links to give you extra facts and Information. It also showed me about what happened after It. I would recommend this weapon/website to everyone.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Opening Chapter of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck displays contrast between Leonie, is a giant of a man ‘a huge man', ponderous in his walk and has the mind of a young child. Therefore, is dramatically effective as it leaves the reader uncertain about the situation as we think what do these different characters have In common, why are they together, are they up to something? The reader soon discovers that they have a very close bond. This Is because they both share the same dream of owning their own ranch, after many hard working years, moving from ranch o ranch, living in complete poverty and working for next to nothing they finally try to achieve this life long dream.At the end of the beginning chapter Leonie pleads with George to tell him over and over again about their dream ranch, when Lenis main task will be the rabbits. Again Steinbeck shows how immature Leonie is, I think George and Leonie have a bond which represent father and son. George being the father not very patient always telling Leonie off and L eonie very childlike keeps rebelling. Steinbeck emphasis his writing skills by revealing a Blvd description of the place and atmosphere ‘A few miles south, On the sandy bank under the trees, shade climbed up the hills towards the top'.This type of writing method is effective because it's so detailed that it becomes vivid and lifelike in our imagination, so that we feel like we have become involved in story, we the reader feel connected to the novel. In the opening chapter, Steinbeck immediately introduces the idea of isolation and loneliness and the idea of the men living temporary worker lives, with no real direction. Steinbeck cleverly uses the setting to convey these ideas. The path George and Leonie are walking on is described as ‘A path beaten hard by boys'. Beaten hard by tramps who came wearily down from the highway In the evening to Jungle, up near water' and ‘an ash pile made by many fires'. Not only do these quotes describe the setting, they also give us a detailed description of the men's tragic, Isolated lives as well. I en mall themes touting ten story Is loneliness, tons Is an Inevitable Tact AT Tie that not even the strongest can avoid. In his novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck illustrates the loneliness of California ranch life in the early sass's.Throughout the story, the reader discovers the many sources of solitude, primarily being discrimination and prejudice, resulting in loneliness and isolation. One of the most important things that are really needed is a friend. Without friends, people would suffer from loneliness and solitude. The characters in this novel are intrigued yet envious of the special friendship shared by George and Leonie because they do not have that in their life. However the theme in chapter 1 is about animal imagery. Tending the rabbits represents all the ideology of the free and happy spirit to Leonie.He doesn't consciously understand the totality of his dream, because by wanting to tend the rabbi ts he is really expressing his want to make something of himself and live simply, ‘off the fatty the Ian'. If asked, George would go on and on about settling down with a wife and raising a family on his own little farm, Leonie would simply say he wanted to tend the rabbits. This is dramatic effective because the reader assume that its going to be very difficult for George as he has to stay with Leonie, but also makes the reader wait in excitement for the next chapter to see how the main characters will survive.If the reader were to analyses the story in a more detailed way they would soon discover that the rabbit is the symbol of all that he desires, and the particular characteristic, which is endemic to rabbits, is their softness of fur. When Leonie touches something soft he is that much closer to discovering his dream. So, he is reluctant to halt any act, which allows him to caress something soft. Any force that comes between him and his ‘dream' is at great risk, cause Leonie is dangerous when angry ‘don't get to tend the rabbits! ‘ Suddenly his anger arose. ‘God damn you,' he cried.Unknown to Leonie, the mice may have had a dream Just like him. Though most mice probably would not have dreamt about owning their own land, a dream may have still existed. Maybe the mice would have wanted to live some place safe from people. Dreaming of a place in which a mouse could eat all the time not having to search for food, Leonie may have killed them. This harsh reality is exactly the same as what had happened to Leonie. It is unable to be disproved that what George had done to Leonie in his time of weakness was not the same as what Leonie had done to the mice in their time of helplessness.Possibly, that was how the mice wanted to die though, happy picturing their dreams in their heads. On the other hand, one is not to be sure that these mice did not die in excruciating pain, paralyzed by the touch of this enormous creature. However these po or creatures died, they were unable to live the rest of their lives. Overall , ten TLS chanter Is aromatic as It concentrates more on ten ascription AT ten atmosphere, this creates uncertainty for the reader as we do not know what is going to happen.I believe the author has displayed little information on each particular character so the reader believes that the novel is ambiguous. The reader's imagination starts to take over and consider what and who are George and Leonie. Already the audiences have become Judgmental about the main characters this highlights the writers skills towards the physical appearance of the George and Leonie, which may persuade the audience to have a specific view on the characters.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Rather than being a medium for western culture alone,the internet Essay

Rather than being a medium for western culture alone,the internet actually help promote and strengthen the societies - Essay Example Today, social networking websites seem to have turned the whole world into one single social platform where people belonging to different cultures and ethnicities communicate with each other and promote each other’s cultures (Tomlinson 1999). According to Hermeking (2005), significant influences of international cultures can be seen all over the internet today. Cross cultural marketing is being done to promote products from countries all over the globe including the non-western nations. Internet may be regarded as one of the reasons behind the increasing trend of globalization in the world (Slevin 2000). It can be said that internet has become one of the best sources for any kind of information and communication throughout the world has become very easy after the advent of the internet. Business entities seem to have put internet to use at its maximum potential and still a number of possibilities of innovative use of the internet pop up every day (Lengert 2000). So many signif icant business entities all around the globe have put their products on their website and users can easily view the features of the products and buy them online. Some of the significant organizations that conduct online business are Walmart and Amazon. Internet has made online businesses very easy and the best thing about using this resource is that it is not limited to a single society or a nation, internet can be used by anyone all around the globe and this has given the opportunity to non-western nations to introduce their products to other parts of the world. Internet has not only helped non-western nations promote their cultures internationally through internet but it has also helped them boost their economies through the exposure of their potential in the global market (Slevin 2000). The internet is being used widely as a primary source for real time information all over the globe therefore it has become significantly easy for western entrepreneurs to access information regard ing non-western nations, their human resource and the way business is conducted in such nations (Lengert 2000). The real time availability of such information has helped the non-western nations to present their potential to the international market and it has increased the probability of investment in non-western nations. IMPACT OF INTERNET ON BUSINESS OF NON-WESTERN NATIONS Internet has played a very important role in promoting business of non-western nations in the global market. Internet is one of the reasons behind the increasing trend of Foreign Direct Investment in underdeveloped countries. Following is the analysis of increasing trend of international investment in non-western countries. Internet and Multinational Entities As mentioned earlier, internet may be one of the biggest drivers of globalization. The exposure of the potential of the non-western nations to the international investment drove the attention of multinational entities to such countries (Park & Jun 2003). Wi th the development in internet, it can be observed that investment in under

What does Roy in Normal want from a sex change Assignment

What does Roy in Normal want from a sex change - Assignment Example People with gender identity disorder prefer to dress and live as the members of the opposite sex. Gender identity disorder is a psychological condition that causes many problems. Depression and anxiety are among the most common problems that he has to face. However, these psychological problems can be overcome by taking certain measures that also include some medicines but the social dilemma is the hardest thing the person suffering from gender identity disorder has to face. Everyone expect others to behave and act the way they are physically born. Parents start dictating their children about appropriate behavior from very early ages. As many boys have reported the message from their parents that they do not like them to play with dolls or wear pink dresses. As these individuals grow up, life gets harder and harder where at one side they are fighting with their souls while on the other side they are trying to cope up with the body they are born with. Puberty is the most difficult age in the lifetime for such people as they see gender specific changes in them in the form of facial hair growth, change of voice, development of genitalia and growth of breasts. They hate these changes and reported to be disgusted by hair growth in case of males or breasts development in case of females. It is quite a complicated stage where some are unaware with what is happening to them while others are either not confident enough or ready to take a decision for sex change. Most have been found to snub their inner feelings and try living against their will because of the fear and restrictions of society and moral impacts. Though, this is very distressing and depressing to them and can cause other psychological disorders (Park, and Manzon-Santos). The same situation â€Å"Roy† had to face in the movie â€Å"Normal† who snubbed his individuality in another body for a very long time but finally decides to change it and live the way he feels to. After 25 years of successf ul marriage and fatherhood, Roy found the biggest secret of his life that he was a woman in a man’s body. In a quest of finding his identity and portray what he is in real, he wants to go for a sex change surgery. After announcing the decision of sex transition, Roy faces disgust and intolerance from his family and co-workers. Some understands his transition while others totally abandon it. Roy transition to be a woman is going to affect not only him but also everyone he is related to. Roy goes through an inner war between his social existence and psychological empowerment. He sees a psychologist to identify more about him and try to fight with the situation socially but nothing makes it better. His wife tries her best to bring the man he loved by putting psychological pressure in different ways but nothing works on him. Roy is so desperate with his life that he even tries to attempt a suicide but his wife saves him. His psychological disorder is totally empowering him with d issatisfaction and unhappiness. He feels like he has been snubbing his internal desires and regrets to spend the whole life in a body and appearance that does not belong to him. The final change he brings to his life is dressing in a woman’s dress, wearing high heels and growing long-hair. The change was more a satisfaction to his psychological needs than physical. Roy has not gone through a sex-change surgery yet, however, he feels happiness and pleasure with the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

English Language Mastery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Language Mastery - Essay Example The out of class essays significantly helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses in the mastery of English language. When I was writing the two essays, I realized I could use some of the vocabularies that I had learnt in the course of my study. As featured in the essay on Inequality in America, I was able to use clearly and precisely words such as ‘perpetuate’, ‘rudimentary’ and ‘adamant’ among others. Such words, I did not have a slight idea of what they entailed. The same translates to the essay on The Effectiveness of Education in our Society. In addition, there was a clear mastery of sentence structuring. Initially, my sentences used to be lengthy and I used to receive comments that they were ‘ambiguous’. The use of speech marks has also been widely entrenched in my writings. I used to find it difficult to quote phrases from other sources and whenever I tried, there lacked coherence with the rest of my work. Through the essa ys, I was also able to perfect the art of writing an essay; this involves the arrangement of work into introduction, body and the conclusion. In addition, every beginning sentence of every paragraph had to carry a meaning that is explained in the rest of the paragraph.The in-class essay formed the foundation of my writing. These helped shape my skills such that the out of class assignments became easy to approach. There were myriad of challenges that I encountered through these assignments. Firstly, tenses were proving somehow challenging to master.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Theoretical Models of Leadership and Personal Reflection Essay

Theoretical Models of Leadership and Personal Reflection - Essay Example However, actual practice in nursing might dictate an incremental trust-building exercise to achieve long-term relationship growth. Starnes, et al. (2010) identifies that legitimate relationships are developed over time, beginning with small-scale acts and evolving into reciprocal acts with both employee and the leader. Trust is developed at the point in relationship where both leader and employee assume responsibility for development and growth in relationship by showing high affection and respect for one another through these acts (Starnes, et al 2010). Transformational leadership utilises collaborative methodologies in order to inspire commitment and motivation toward achievement of organisational goals, an idealized influence of role modelled behaviour that also seeks to inspire creativity and innovation in employees (Bass, et al. 2003). â€Å"Trust and distrust are embodied in the rules, roles and relations which some men impose on, or seek to get accepted by others† (Farr ell and Knight 2003, p.67). Getting nurses and other health care staff (or even patients) to follow the direction of the transformational leader includes not only behaviours, but the systems and structures that guide either autonomous work or rules guiding behaviour by which the transformational leader abides as well to enact idealized influence. Does this mean having more controls to gain trust? Transactional leadership is a significantly different approach to leadership in which the manager creates contingent rewards that are based on individual employee or group performance (Antonakis, et al. 2003). This style includes the development of a psychological contract where the leader promises acknowledgement for proper performance or guarantees of leader non-intervention so long as work... According to the report findings  the ideological goal of transformational style is to build long-term trust with health care employees individually or in groups, using practice in-line with a more people-centred leader. However, actual practice in nursing might dictate an incremental trust-building exercise to achieve long-term relationship growth. Legitimate relationships are developed over time, beginning with small-scale acts and evolving into reciprocal acts with both employee and the leader. Trust is developed at the point in relationship where both leader and employee assume responsibility for development and growth in relationship by showing high affection and respect for one another through these acts.As the paper discusses  transformational leadership utilises collaborative methodologies in order to inspire commitment and motivation toward achievement of organisational goals, an idealized influence of role modelled behaviour that also seeks to inspire creativity and inn ovation in employees.  Transactional leadership is a significantly different approach to leadership in which the manager creates contingent rewards that are based on individual employee or group performance.  This style includes the development of a psychological contract where the leader promises acknowledgement for proper performance or guarantees of leader non-intervention so long as work performance outputs are meeting expected organisational goals. Clear task discussion between leader and health care employee leads to understanding of expected rewards in transactional leadership.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Hurricane Katrina Health Impact in Louisiana Research Paper

Hurricane Katrina Health Impact in Louisiana - Research Paper Example Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the hurricane made great unprecedented devastation, which had adverse effects on the people of the neighboring coastlines such as Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Moreover, inside the countryside to an extent of 150 miles, significant devastation was witnessed from the hurricane that could be seen many weeks after the disaster (Palser, 2007). Introduction Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive and deadliest hurricane to be reported in the United States in the modern history. The hurricane struck on the coastline on august 2005 causing devastating health problems to the people of Louisiana and their neighboring vicinities. Various health problems arose out of the hurricane. This hurricane is said to be the costliest and the one of the five deadliest Atlantic hurricanes in the history of USA. From the hurricane, at least 1833 people succumbed to injuries from the debris and suspended floods caused by the hurricane. The estimated total cost of the hurricane is $81billion as of 2005, nearly three times more than that of hurricane Andrew in 1992 (Rodger, 2006). Statement of the Problem Hurricane Katrina caused many damages to the people of Louisiana especially in the health sector. Many people contracted diseases or were infected with different diseases caused by the hurricane

Monday, September 23, 2019

Management action plan for enhancing pedagogical outcomes on a Essay

Management action plan for enhancing pedagogical outcomes on a selected institution (educational report) - Essay Example With the constant endeavor of the thinkers/intelligentsia, ‘Pedagogy’, the science of teaching evolved as a separate and distinct discipline wherein emphasis was given on improvising the teaching methods to make the teaching-learning process more productive and result oriented. The teacher, students and the teaching methods combined make the skeleton of the education system and a good education policy focuses on all of them taking them as interrelated factors. â€Å"Education should develop pupils and students as independent individuals by promoting such qualities as initiative, courage, enthusiasm and the desire to learn something new. Education should make it possible for the individual to cope on his or her own, to develop his or her potential and make his or her contribution to the civil society. In this way, education sustains the community and the common cultural identity.† (http://pub.uvm.dk/2002/better1/01.htm ) Including all above, action plans for pedagogical development is prepared. Learning outcomes are very much dependant on pedagogy. These refer, to what a student will be able to know or do at the end of the instruction. Likewise a plan for actively doing something is called an action plan. When students are taught in classes, they are supposed to learn according to the learning outcomes. But, in many cases, it is seen teaching is done in a very traditional method where neither any goal is fixed nor is achieved. Parti cularly, taking the case of china, the pedagogical structure is based on decades of practice and according to the instruction of Ministry of Education of Chinese Communist Party. (Lang & Zha 2004). So, the challenge here is to remove bureaucratic hurdle and also placing realistically achievable goals.( Andrews et al 2002) Where there is a need to combat a problem or to introduce a new pedagogical approach, a plan is made for achieving some specific kind of learning outcomes. So, it is very much required to have a

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Mango Case Study Essay Example for Free

Mango Case Study Essay MANGO is an internationally famous multinational which designs, manufactures and markets women’s and men’s clothing and accessories. Its Headquarters are based in Palau Solita I Plegamans (Barcelona). At the current time, the company has over 11.000 employees out of which 82% are females, with an average age of 32. The Hangar Design Center, where more than 1500 employees work, is the biggest design center in Europe, with a surface area of 10.000 m2 and more than 550 professionals dedicated to creating fashion garments and accessories for women. The Quality, Purchasing and Design departments are also located there. The central offices have a total surface area of 150,000 m2 and their own structure, which comprises the departments of Image and Advertising, Property Management, Expansion, Production Control and Stores Distribution, Store Architecture and Interior Design, in addition to Logistics, Administration and IT systems. The company currently has a total of 2415 stores in 107 countries worldwide. Their expansion continues in cities of the stature of Tokyo, Beijing, Erlangen or Verona. MANGO considers its keys to their success are: Concept, Team and Logistics System. Concept The company is very keen on having a highly defined concept. The MANGO concept relies on an alliance between a product of a high quality with an original design and a strong brand image. Dressing the modern, urban women for her daily needs is the formula the company has analyzed, adapted and applied in all the countries in which MANGO is present: it has been and remains one of the keys to their commercial success and international prestige.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Society and Culture Essay Example for Free

Society and Culture Essay A. Background of the Study Nowadays, Filipino teenagers tend to be liberated and patterned their lifestyle based on western culture. If this is all to be considered, the culture of being conservative from our ancestors will be gone. Premarital Sex is now treated by many as natural or normal. Mostly teenagers occur to this even outside marriage. They continue doing this because it does satisfy their sexual pleasures. They are not aware that what they are doing is a sin called fornication. Fornication means sexual immorality or voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons of the opposite sex, where one or both are unmarried. This study will attempt to analyze how open minded Far Eastern University students on Premarital Sex. It is hoped that the result of this study will help to determine the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students on Premarital Sex. B. Statement of the Problem This study was conducted to determine the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students, specifically, it sought answers to the following questions: 1. What is the profile of respondents in terms of: age and gender 2. Are Far Eastern University students are open minded about premarital sex? C. Significance of the Study For church, sociologists and other institutions who does not promoting premarital sex, this research study will help to determine the length of open mindedness of students on premarital sex. To the students, the students will help the researcher to give their opinions about the study, they will also benefit on recommendations made by the researchers to not engage on  premarital sex. Lastly, to the researcher, this information will serve as their guide to the future youth on determining the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students on premarital sex and recommendation to not engage on premarital sex. D. Scope and Delimitation This study focused on determining the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University students on premarital sex and recommendation to not engage on premarital sex. There will be 100 respondents of Far Eastern University students. The study of factors why they engaged on premarital sex is beyond the scope of the study. E. Materials, Methods and Procedures This study employed the descriptive method in gathering information regarding â€Å"Are Far Eastern University students open minded about premarital sex†. It is employed internet research method. The subject of this study were drawn from 100 students of Far Eastern University. Data were gathered through survey questionnaire. The researcher chose the respondents through random sampling so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. The research instrument used in conducting this study was the questionnaire type with the instruction that can be easily understood by the respondent, this questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of knowing the length of open mindedness of Far Eastern University on premarital sex. The first draft of questionnaire was forwarded to the society and culture professor for corrections and suggestions. After the professor validated and enriched the questionnaires, the researchers prepare the final draft.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Social Media Impact on Fast Food Chain (KFC)

Social Media Impact on Fast Food Chain (KFC) Uuse Table of Contents (Jump to) 1. Introduction 1.1 Research aim 1.2 Research Questions 1.3 Research objective 2. Literature review 2.1 Social media 2.2 Impact of social media 2.3 Fast food chain 3. Research methodology 3.1 Research design 3.2 Population and Sampling method 3.3 Data collection 3.4 Reliability and validity 3.5 Ethical consideration 3.6 Data analysis 3.7 Research limitation 4. Anticipated findings 1. Introduction This report is targeted on exploring and understanding the impact of social media on fast food chain, focusing on fast food companies of UK. So, we have chosen KFC for case study to carry out the research on this topic, as KFC is well known company in fast food industry not only in UK but worldwide. In today’s world, people are attached with the social media and defy on it while selecting any organization they need to deal to fulfill their needs. So, social media impacts on the buying behavior of customers and on selection of the organization. Social media is used by the companies in order to advertise their products and services. In this report, we first sort out research aims and research questions that start the plan for research. Then in literature review, the concepts on social media along with its impact and the fast food chain are discussed. Further, we choose research method and research design for this report and then we also choose the methods of data collection and data analysis. Finally, in this research proposal we discuss the anticipated findings that we could achieve from this research. KFC is a fast food company now owned by Pepsico and was established in the service station of USA serving chickens. The full form of KFC is Kentucky Fried Chicken, based in Lousville, it is one of the few brands in USA that can boast about having 59 year old history of success and innovation. KFC serves chicken along with varieties of other products like burger, mashed potatoes, and sandwiches also. It has been serving customers foods as prepared at home at very affordable price that could be bought by people of even low income also. It has opened its 15,000 outlets in 105 countries like Malaysia, China, UK and so on. In this report, we carry out our research in the outlets that are situated in different places in the capital city of UK that is London. KFC is famous for serving chicken with unique taste that has been able to win hearts of several people all over the world. It has many employees working through its outlets in several countries speaking different languages and from dif ferent cultures and tradition but are dedicated to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives. The unique taste of fried chicken of KFC as well as different flavors of chicken curry, tom yam chicken, hot and spicy and original recipe etc. has been unique feature of KFC which has made it popular among its customers and a successful company in the fast food industry. 1.1 Research aims This report is concerned on social media and the fast food chain, so the aims of this research are also based around it. This research aims to find following facts on the fast food chain, To understand the social media used by KFC. To find the impact of social media on customers. To find the impact of social media in the company. To find the effectiveness of social media. 1.2 Research Questions This report is determined to find out the answers to following research questions: What is the effect of social media on KFC? What is the social media used by KFC? How is social media being helpful to KFC? What is the impact of social media on customers? 1.3 Research objectives This report is based on the hypothesis on finding the impact of social media on fast food chain. So, it sheds light on the effects of social media on the fast food companies. This research has been carried out with certain objectives which are sorted out in following points: To gain knowledge on the use of social media by KFC. To understand the impact of social media on KFC. To study the impact of social media on customers and employees of KFC. 2. Literature review In literature review section of this report, we gain knowledge on social media, its use in fast food industry and also its impact on the organization. We also discuss about the fast food industry and the fast food chains. In this report the discussion is centered on the role of social media in daily life, its consumption, customer’s perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of social media, the acceptance and impact of social media advertising, the level of engagement of brand through social media and the role of other media in reinforcing social media communication. 2.1 Social media Social media has revolutionized the communicating methods of the individuals, community, organization or the whole world. It can be defined as,† a group of internet based applications that is build on the ideological and technological foundations that allow the creation of exchange of User Generated Content.† It has been convenient way of communicating with the people not only within a certain region but within the globe. It has become an essential part of an organization in order to communicate with its customers, suppliers, investors as well as its employees. Rapid use of social media by the customers has enforced the organization to use those media in order to communicate with their customers as well as to build solid relationship with them that helps in customer retention. So, they are using blogs, wikis, podcast, social networking sites, websites and you tube so as to stay in touch with their customers and to get informed of new offerings on the market. Most of the o rganizations are using social media for marketing and include these media in their marketing strategies and plans. As consumers are turning away from traditional sources of advertising like radio and television, social media has become modern solution for advertising within the mass and wide range of people. Blogs are a kind of social media where people post images, ideas or links. Social networks are places where people with common interest meet and form personal websites. Content communities are websites where particular content can be organized or shared with others. Forums are sites for exchanging ideas or information around particular interests. Some of the most popular social media that people use are facebook, twitter, You Tube, Flickr, and Wikipaedia. Social media sites have been attracting millions of users around the world and some researches also show that most of the people in the world remain in touch with the social media sites daily. Social media is combination of sev eral internet tools that enable users to generate, exchange and modify content continuously. Social media like facebook, twitter, instagram, you tube websites, mobile social media etc have overwhelming number of followers increasing day by day. As the fast food industry in UK has become very competitive along with entry of several players, it has increased the level of competition and challenged the marketing players. So, KFC though is very popular needs to use more advertising sources in order to get a competitive edge and to win over its rivals. Social media has been rapidly used by KFC in order to gain global access and also for reducing its transaction costs. Further, it also facilitates access to potential customers along with customization of products and services and exchange of service and information. It has also become easiest way of taking orders for the food items for the company as well as its customers due to overwhelming use of social media. 2.2 Impact of social media Social media as being used rapidly by the people around the world attracts attention and encourages readers to share it with their social network sites. It acts as a platform for everyone who has easy access of internet. Social media also serves as the best advertising media as it is driven by word of mouth and can be considered as earned media rather than paid media. It also helps in increasing brand awareness through increased communication activities. It can be helpful in marketing campaigns for the recognition of the organization in the newer market as well as existing market. Social media is an online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. It provides numerous opportunities for strengthening and expanding relationships to customers. Social media impacts the customers for the selection of the organization they want to deal in order to fulfill their requirements as they are closely related to these media nowadays and trust these media the most to get information. For this research, it is important to understand the effect of social media on the potential customers when they are deciding which product or services they want to acquire. Customers use social media to enable them to create and share content, and communicate with one another build relationship with other people. Social media has become major factor in influencing various aspects of customer behavior including needs, recognition, information acquisition, opinions and attitudes, purchase behavior and post purchase communication. Social media develop horizontal relationship ranging from customer service to customer retention and acquisition. Increasing use of social websites perceive as a tool in forming online communities of users. Also companies can obta in various feedbacks and comment regarding their services so that they can improve their service in order to meet the needs and satisfaction of customers. Development of social media has helped in growth and expansion of business of fast food companies like KFC. 2.3 Fast food chain Fast food industry was not been available since ancient times but it has now becoming rapidly growing industry along with busy and scheduled life of people. As its name this industry is famous within its customers in providing quick food service for the rush hour of rapidly moving people. Mostly fast food industry serves quick foods like hamburger, sandwiches and also meat contained product. This industry is one of the most competitive and saturated industry in developed countries like UK or USA. Fast food service has culture has been embraced by several people due to their busy schedule and also easy availability of food when they want. 3. Research methodology 3.1 Research design This research is based on fast food chains and needs to explore the facts on impacts of social media, so it follows positivism theory of research methodology and deductive approach as the process of this research arrives at conclusions based on the interpretation of the meaning of the results of data analysis. This research is of exploratory nature as less previous researches have been found regarding this subject and general nature of the problem along with factors related to it has to be discovered. So, this research is commanded by qualitative methodology as it is of exploratory nature. Through deductive process, this research aims to uncover rich and detailed descriptions with a holistic focus. 3.2 Population and Sampling method In the proposed study, the population to be studied has been first identified and sampling frame was developed. The population for this study comprises all the customers and employees who are related to KFC belonging to different levels of jobs they are employed to. As this research is carried in KFC stores located at London Chinatown and Marylebone in London, UK, the population for this report is the customers and employees who are related to the stores there. Further, non-probability sampling method will be used for this research as it doesn’t involve random selection which is not feasible for this research. This research is of exploratory nature, so convenience sampling method is appropriate where the samples are selected looking into the ease of their accessibility and interest for the study. As the name reveals, convenience sampling is selected because it is convenient and often saves time and effort of the researcher to select a random sample. 3.3 Data collection As per the need of the study, both primary and secondary data will be collected, but priority will be given to collection of primary data, which will be both quantitative as well as qualitative. Primary data will be collected by some of the popular techniques used in this field. Primary data will be collected via field study where the researcher will visit KFC stores in order to collect data. In KFC stores, the researcher will collect the data through questionnaire method by distributing questionnaires to the respondents and then after they finish collecting it. So, questionnaire will be designed in view of data requirements and will be distributed to the respondents in the field. The respondents will be convinced that their responses will be kept confidential and average time taken to fill the questionnaire will also be limited. Secondary data will be collected adopting various secondary means and through the access of some secondary sources available conveniently. It will be collected from previous researches, previous studies, published or unpublished documents, annual reports of KFC, journals on KFC and other related articles that can be useful for this research. Secondary information available will be useful in checking the validity and reliability of empirical field data. The methods adopted in the study to generate relevant data will be guided by research objectives, questions and type of data required for the study. 3.4 Reliability and validity A reliable measurement is one which gives consistent results on independent testing. If the findings of one piece of work can be replicated by another research group, or by the same research group at a later occasion, then it produces the same result, then it is deemed to be reliable. Though total reliability is difficult to be achieved, quantitative methods are likely to aspire to it. In order to eliminate the chances of error, it is always better, if there are repeated observations and the measurements of the same individuals or situations. Validity concerns whether a research method gives a true picture of what it claims to have recorded, and shows social realities as they really are. No matter how reliable data may be, it will always be limited in its validity if the researcher cannot show that it gives true account of what it is being studied. It is the strength of our conclusions, inferences or propositions. It is an element that addresses the issues of whether the researcher is actually measuring what they want to. Reliability estimates the consistency of measurement and validity estimates the accuracy of your measurement. A measure can be perfectly reliable but yet not valid, which shows that reliability and validity differ from each other. 3.5 Ethical consideration In present situation, researchers have to carry out their research along with the consideration of ethical issues as well as obligations regarding the people participating in the research as well as the organization. Researchers need to do everything in their authority to make sure that their research doesn’t harm the cultural or ethical respect of the participants. So, for the research, written permission to conduct it has been sought and the Code of Good Research Practice of KFC will be followed. The respondents will be chosen based upon their willingness towards the research. Privacy, anonymity and confidentiality (PAC) of the studied groups will be strictly maintained. The data collection method includes personal information of the respondent also, so the information will be kept confidential and will not be used for other purposes than the research. Further, data provided by KFC will be secured in files with password protection. The final reports will not be provided for other researches and will not be provided for wider circulation. The participants as well as the organization under study will be provided with the required information on the research as well as the researcher. Further, while doing research the researcher should also ensure that the participants will be provided with certain questions to be answered and given certain time which will be recorded by the researcher. Further, the rules and regulations of KFC as well as of the business schools shall be followed while carrying out the research. 3.6 Data analysis Data analysis is very decisive in research as researcher has to highlight how in what ways data has to be tabulated and analyzed. The data collected from secondary and primary sources will be analyzed to obtain findings of the research. Statistical procedures will be clearly indicated. Quantitative as well qualitative data will be analyzed using the techniques that are available and easy to use. Simple statistical techniques will be espoused for analyzing data such as charts, diagram, figures percentage rank etc. so, qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed, categorized and tabulated according to the objectives of the research study. 3.7 Research limitation Like every other researches, this research is also bound into certain limitations that has to be followed and considered while carrying out this research. There are certain limitations for this research which binds this research in a small boundary with restricted time frame. Hence, major limitation of this research is termed as the timetable that limits this research in a boundary of time frame for completion of this research. Further, limitation of this research also has been observed in the research method to be used which is in the sampling method to be used in this research. The limitation also can be observed in the scope of this research. Also, the research methodology of this research is chosen for the shorter span of time and less time consuming method due to restriction of time. So, this research may not shed much light on the impacts of social media but can be useful in order to carry out other researches in future regarding the same subject matter. 4. Anticipated findings After the analysis of data collected from the research, this report may shed light on various facts on social media and its impact on the fast food chains. So, we can assume that we can be able to shed light on the following points of the subject topic: Reveal the involvement of KFC in use of social media. Provide information on impact of social media on KFC. Provide information on advantage or disadvantage of social media regarding fast food chains. Provide suggestions on use of social media for benefit of fast food chains.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

education Essay -- essays research papers

The dynamics of the student population yields no two students who are exactly alike. For this reason, it seems unreasonable to use one form of instructional materials, curriculum delivery, and assessment standards for all students. Educators realize that students learn at different rates and through different avenues. Individualized instruction approaches attempt to make the learning experience suitable for each student in terms of his or her learning needs, interests, and developmental level. Individualized instruction programs focus on objectives that are personal for each child. The child is an active partner in decision-making in terms of activities, subject matter, and assessment. Because students learn at different rates, individualized instruction is flexible in instructional pacing and the scheduling of class material. Individual instruction should be varied for each student in order to provide a variety of learning modalities best suited for the student. Teachers must be de dicated to curriculum planning and instructional decision-making, and encourage students to be responsible for their learning and take an active role in the learning process. Individualized instruction is not just a philosophy, but rather is comprised of a specific plan for meeting every student’s educational needs. Individualized instruction begins with a system to diagnose student strengths and weaknesses. Teachers use this pre-assessment to define goals for the student and understand their academic interests. The next step is to determine the best possible arrangement to group students for instruction, whether it is by needs, interests, or developmental levels. Once the teacher has determined student needs and organized the students into groups for effective instruction, the teacher must decide how to instruct the students to produce maximum benefits for each individual student. This includes instruction delivery, course content, integrated activities, and a learning time frame. In order to evaluate the student’s progress, a design for record keeping and a variety of assessment techniques must be must be made. The purpose of this paper is to design a plan for implementing an individualized instruction program in mathematics education. The plan will focus on mathematics content in 4th to 5th grade. The content area for this plan is geometry, and will include components of mea... ...many tests do. Students must show that they can apply their learning to novel places and demonstrate a technique for using mathematical strategies. These performance tests will be beneficial for problem solving tasks, manipulation of objects, construction activities, and identifying patterns and relationships. Performance tasks can be evaluated in real-learning situations or learning centers through teacher observation using a rubric with performance indicators. This way, the teacher can describe the mathematical processes that the student is capable of doing, rather that simply assigning an arbitrary letter grade, which only compares a student with his or her peers. Achievement tests have their place in the evaluation process. While the process is nearly as important as the product, as educators, we want students to be solving problems appropriately. Parents, administrators, and school board officials (as well as teachers) want to know that students are learning skills that follow the curriculum. Additionally, students need to know that they are solving problems correctly, and if they are not, the teacher needs to determine why that is the case. Evaluation of This Plan Appendix

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Ancient Greece is one of the most important civilisations in human history. It was a period that saw Greece militarily dominate much of the southern Mediterranean that began around 1100 Bc during the dark ages and ended around 146 bc with the invasion of the Roman empire. During this period, Greek civilisation gave birth to many new ideas and ways of thinking in the areas of politics, medicine and philosophy, many of which are now considered Greek legacies as they have endured the test of time and can still be seen in use today. Democracy is defined as â€Å"a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people collectively, and is administered by them, or officer’s appointed by them, the common people, a state or society characterised by recognition of equality of rights and privileges for all people, political, social or legal equality† (Chambers Dictionary). Some of the earliest examples of democratic practices date back to 600 Bc. Ancient Greece was split up into many different city states. These city states had different cultures, some were agricultural based whi...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Best Practices & Most effective strategies for Curriculum Design in K-12 education in America Essay

Curriculum is a plan for learning that includes targeting a student population, conducting a needs assessment, and writing a mission statement. It includes developing goals, objectives, content, teaching strategies, and assessment tools. Alignment is critical in curriculum development from purpose and philosophy, to goals and objectives, to content and activities, and to assessment and evaluation. Working through a process of asking and answering who, what, where, why, when, how questions is essential in designing and developing curriculum. A curriculum serves several purposes that include: †¢ Explicit statements of ideology underlying the instruction (why are you teaching it, and why is the teaching the way it is? †¢ General long-term aims (what are students intended to gain from following the course? †¢ Specific, testable, short-term objectives (what will they be able to do as a result of following the course? ) †¢ Resources to be used (what is needed to deliver the course? ) †¢ The delivery methods to be employed (how is it to be taught? ) †¢ Timing of the units and their sequencing (when is it to be taught and in what order? ) †¢ Assessment procedures and the balance of assessments to be made (how, when and why will it be examined? ) †¢ A methodology for evaluating how well the course has been received (how will instructor acquire feedback from the students about the course? ). K-12 education is defined as educational technology in United States, Canada and other countries for publicly supported grades prior to college. The K stands for kindergarten and 12 denotes 1st to 12th grade before the 13th that is the first year of college. Curricular Theory and Theorists The word curriculum has its origins in the running/chariot tracks of Greece. It was, literally, a course. In Latin curriculum was a racing chariot; currere was to run. A useful starting point for us here might be the definition offered by John Kerr and taken up by Vic Kelly in his standard work on the subject. Kerr defines curriculum as, ‘All the learning which is planned and guided by the school, whether it is carried on in groups or individually, inside or outside the school. [1] This gives us some basis to move on. For the moment all we need to do is highlight two of the key features: †¢ Learning is planned and guided. We have to specify in advance what we are seeking to achieve and how we are to go about it. †¢ The definition refers to schooling. We should recognize that our current appreciation of curriculum theory and practice emerged in the school and in relation to other schooling ideas such as subject and lesson. In what follows we are going to look at four ways of approaching curriculum theory and practice: †¢ Curriculum as a body of knowledge to be transmitted. †¢ Curriculum as an attempt to achieve certain ends in students – product. †¢ Curriculum as process. †¢ Curriculum as praxis. Curriculum as a body of knowledge to be transmitted Many people still equate a curriculum with a syllabus. Syllabus, naturally, originates from the Greek. Basically it means a concise statement or table of the heads of a discourse, the contents of a treatise, the subjects of a series of lectures. In the form that many of us will have been familiar with it is connected with courses leading to examinations. For example, when teachers talk of the syllabus associated with, say, the Cambridge GSCE exam. What we can see in such documents is a series of headings with some additional notes which set out the areas that may be examined. A syllabus will not generally indicate the relative importance of its topics or the order in which they are to be studied. Those who compile a syllabus tend to follow the traditional textbook approach of an ‘order of contents’, or a pattern prescribed by a ‘logical’ approach to the subject, or the shape of a university course in which they may have participated. Thus, an approach to curriculum theory and practice which focuses on syllabus is only really concerned with content. Curriculum is a body of knowledge-content and/or subjects. Education in this sense is the process by which these are transmitted or ‘delivered’ to students by the most effective methods that can be devised [3]. Where people still equate curriculum with a syllabus they are likely to limit their planning to a consideration of the content or the body of knowledge that they wish to transmit. ‘It is also because this view of curriculum has been adopted that many teachers in primary schools, have regarded issues of curriculum as of no concern to them, since they have not regarded their task as being to transmit bodies of knowledge in this manner’. Curriculum as product The dominant modes of describing and managing education are today couched in the productive form. Education is most often seen as a technical exercise. Objectives are set, a plan drawn up, and then applied, and the outcomes (products) measured. In the late 1980s and the 1990s many of the debates about the National Curriculum for schools did not so much concern how the curriculum was thought about as to what its objectives and content might be. It is the work of two American writers Franklin Bobbitt, 1928 and Ralph W. Tyler, 1949 that dominate theory and practice within this tradition. In The Curriculum Bobbitt writes as follows: The central theory is simple. Human life, however varied, consists in the performance of specific activities. Education that prepares for life is one that prepares definitely and adequately for these specific activities. However numerous and diverse they may be for any social class they can be discovered. This requires only that one go out into the world of affairs and discover the particulars of which their affairs consist. These will show the abilities, attitudes, habits, appreciations and forms of knowledge that men need. These will be the objectives of the curriculum. They will be numerous, definite and particularized. The curriculum will then be that series of experiences which children and youth must have by way of obtaining those objectives. This way of thinking about curriculum theory and practice was heavily influenced by the development of management thinking and practice. The rise of ‘scientific management’ is often associated with the name of its main advocate F. W. Taylor. Basically what he proposed was greater division of labor with jobs being simplified; an extension of managerial control over all elements of the workplace; and cost accounting based on systematic time-and-motion study. All three elements were involved in this conception of curriculum theory and practice. For example, one of the attractions of this approach to curriculum theory was that it involved detailed attention to what people needed to know in order to work, live their lives and so on. A familiar, and more restricted, example of this approach can be found in many training programs, where particular tasks or jobs have been analyzed and broken down into their component elements and lists of competencies drawn up. In other words, the curriculum was not to be the result of ‘armchair speculation’ but the product of systematic study. Bobbitt’s work and theory met with mixed responses. As it stands it is a technical exercise. However, it wasn’t criticisms such as this which initially limited the impact of such curriculum theory in the late 1920s and 1930s. Rather, the growing influence of ‘progressive’, child-centred approaches shifted the ground to more romantic notions of education. Bobbitt’s long lists of objectives and his emphasis on order and structure hardly sat comfortably with such forms. The Progressive movement lost much of its momentum in the late 1940s in the United States and from that period the work of Ralph W. Tyler, in particular, has made a lasting impression on curriculum theory and practice. He shared Bobbitt’s emphasis on rationality and relative simplicity. His theory was based on four fundamental questions: 1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain? 2. What educational experience can be provided that is likely to attain these purposes? 3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized? 4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? Like Bobbitt he also placed an emphasis on the formulation of behavioural objectives. Since the real purpose of education is not to have the instructor perform certain activities but to bring about significant changes in the students’ pattern of behaviour, it becomes important to recognize that any statements of objectives of the school should be a statement of changes to take place in the students. We can see how these concerns translate into an ordered procedure and is very similar to the technical or productive thinking steps set out below. 1. Diagnosis of need 2. Formulation of objectives 3. Selection of content 4. Organization of content 5. Selection of learning experiences 6. Organization of learning experiences There are a number of issues with this approach to curriculum theory and practice. The first is that the plan or programme assumes great importance. For example, we might look at a more recent definition of curriculum as: ‘A program of activities by teachers designed so that pupils will attain so far as possible certain educational and other schooling ends or objectives [4]. The problem here is that such programmes inevitably exist prior to and outside the learning experiences. This takes much away from learners. They can end up with little or no voice. They are told what they must learn and how they will do it. The success or failure of both the program and the individual learners is judged on the basis of whether pre-specified changes occur in the behaviour and person of the learner. If the plan is tightly adhered to, there can only be limited opportunity for educators to make use of the interactions that occur. It also can deskill educators in another way. For example, a number of curriculum programs, particularly in the USA, have attempted to make the student experience ‘teacher proof’. The logic of this approach is for the curriculum to be designed outside of the classroom or school. Educators then apply programs and are judged by the products of their actions. It turns educators into technicians. Second, there are questions around the nature of objectives. This model is hot on measurability. It implies that behaviour can be objectively, mechanistically measured. There are obvious dangers here: there always has to be some uncertainty about what is being measured. We only have to reflect on questions of success in our work. It is often very difficult to judge what the impact of particular experiences has been. Sometimes it is years after the event that we come to appreciate something of what has happened. For example, most informal educators who have been around a few years will have had the experience of an ex-participant telling them in great detail about how some forgotten event brought about some fundamental change. Yet there is something more. In order to measure, things have to be broken down into smaller and smaller units. The result, as many of you will have experienced, can be long lists of often trivial skills or competencies. This can lead to a focus in this approach to curriculum theory and practice on the parts rather than the whole; on the trivial, rather than the significant. It can lead to an approach to education and assessment which resembles a shopping list. When all the items are ticked, the person has passed the course or has learnt something. The role of overall judgment is somehow sidelined. Third, there is a real problem when we come to examine what educators actually do in the classroom, for example. Much of the research concerning teacher thinking and classroom interaction, and curriculum innovation has pointed to the lack of impact on actual pedagogic practice of objectives. One way of viewing this is that teachers simply get it wrong as they do not work with objectives. The difficulties that educators experience with objectives in the classroom may point to something inherently wrong with the approach, that it is not grounded in the study of educational exchanges. It is a model of curriculum theory and practice largely imported from technological and industrial settings. Fourth, there is the problem of unanticipated results. The focus on pre-specified goals may lead both educators and learners to overlook learning that is occurring as a result of their interactions, but which is not listed as an objective. The apparent simplicity and rationality of this approach to curriculum theory and practice, and the way in which it mimics industrial management have been powerful factors in its success. A further appeal has been the ability of academics to use the model to attack teachers. There is a tendency, recurrent enough to suggest that it may be endemic in the approach, for academics in education to use the objectives model as a stick with which to beat teachers. ‘What are your objectives? ‘ is more often asked in a tone of challenge than one of interested and helpful inquiry. The demand for objectives is a demand for justification rather than a description of ends. It is not about curriculum design, but rather an expression of irritation in the problems of accountability in education. [5] Curriculum as process We have seen that the curriculum as product model is heavily dependent on the setting of behavioural objectives. The curriculum, essentially, is a set of documents for implementation. Another way of looking at curriculum theory and practice is via process. In this sense curriculum is not a physical thing, but rather the interaction of teachers, students and knowledge. In other words, curriculum is what actually happens in the classroom and what people do to prepare and evaluate. What we have in this model is a number of elements in constant interaction. It is an active process and links with the practical form of reasoning set out by Aristotle, which is as follows: Teachers enter particular schooling and situations with an ability to think critically in action and with an understanding of their role and the expectations others have of them, and a proposal for action which sets out essential principles and features of the educational encounter. Guided by these, they encourage conversations between, and with, people in the situation out of which may become thinking and action. They continually evaluate the process and what they can see of outcomes. Curriculum as praxis Curriculum as praxis is, in many respects, a development of the process model. While the process model is driven by general principles and places an emphasis on judgment and meaning making, it does not make explicit statements about the interests it serves. It may, for example, be used in such a way that does not make continual reference to collective human well-being and to the emancipation of the human spirit. The praxis model of curriculum theory and practice brings these to the centre of the process and makes an explicit commitment to emancipation. Thus action is not simply informed, it is also committed. It is praxis. Critical pedagogy goes beyond situating the learning experience within the experience of the learner: it is a process which takes the experiences of both the learner and the teacher and, through dialogue and negotiation, recognizes them both as problematic. It allows, indeed encourages, students and teachers together to confront the real problems of their existence and relationships. When students confront the real problems of their existence they will soon also be faced with their own oppression. The process model is modified to fit the praxis model, which is as follows: Teachers enter particular schooling and situations with a personal, but shared idea of the good and a commitment to human emancipation, an ability to think critically in action, an understanding of their role and the expectations others have of them, and a proposal for action which sets out essential principles and features of the educational encounter. Guided by these, they encourage conversations between, and with, people in the situation out of which may become informed and committed action. They continually evaluate the process and what they can see of outcomes. Proposed Curriculum Design: A curriculum prepared for the targeted students of K-12 education must be tailored to meet their needs for a fast and productive mental growth. Therefore a curriculum for k-12 education must be prepared so that it supports all children and young people from 3 – 18 to develop as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors, ready to play a full part in society now and in the future. As part of the review process we need to develop clear guidance which sets out expectations of what children and young people should learn and also promotes flexibility and space so that teachers can use their professional judgment creatively to meet children’s needs. Therefore, before beginning to design a curriculum for k-12 education, one must capture the essence of what young people will learn over the course of their schooling and express this through the experience and outcome statements. Curriculum Designing Guidelines Purpose The construction of experiences and outcomes that effectively provide progression in each curriculum area and convey the values, principles and purposes of A Curriculum for Excellence is central to the success of the program. In particular, it is important that you reflect relevant aspects of the four capacities in your work. If we can get this right these outcomes and experiences will have a significant, positive, impact on classroom practice and hence on the learning experience of all children and young people. It is an exciting prospect. Starting point In phase 1 each early review group should be asked to simplify and prioritise the curriculum (from age 3 to 15 in the first instance) retaining what currently works well and making changes where these were justified by research evidence. The output from phase 1 of the review process and the rationale for your curriculum area, research and other national and international comparators are your starting points. Your work will be based on the relevant parts of the Curriculum Frameworks: for Children 3 – 5, 5 – 14 guidelines, Standard Grade, and National Qualifications. It is important that experience and outcome statements you write at each Curriculum for Excellence level provide appropriate cognitive demand. The framework for outcomes The experiences and outcomes will sit within a framework of advice to teachers. Curriculum Area The eight curriculum areas are: Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Languages, Maths, Religious and Moral Education, Science, Social Studies and Technologies. Rationale The rationale provides an overview of the curriculum area states its main purposes and describes its contribution to the values and purposes. Subsets of the curriculum area Each curriculum area is subdivided either into fields of learning – or ‘subjects’ (e. g. Expressive Arts into art, drama, dance and music) or into aspects of learning in that area (e. g. Languages into listening and talking, reading and writing) Lines of development These identify learning tracks in each subset of the curriculum area. They are expressed in different ways in each area of the curriculum. For example within expressive arts they identify the skills to be developed: creating, presenting and evaluating in art, drama, dance and music; within science they describe broad areas of knowledge and understanding to be developed; biodiversity, being human and cells in Our Living World. Experiences and outcomes Within each line of development, experiences and outcomes describe the expected progression in learning for children and young people. Essential outcomes Essential outcomes are a small number of high level statements, derived from the main purposes described in the rationale, that encapsulate what learning in that curriculum area provides for all children and young people. Taken together, the essential outcomes are intended to sum up the expectations for the broad general education of all young people. The focus of your work will be writing the experiences and outcomes for your curriculum area. It is likely that there will be interplay between what you produce and the ‘essential outcomes’ , which are the ones helping to shape and refine the other in an iterative manner. Outcomes should be written in the clearest possible English. Where possible these should be accessible to children and young people, but not at the expense of clarity. It is also important to try to write lively and engaging experiences and outcomes. Best Practices of Writing the Curriculum Ultimately the intention is to produce streamlined guidance for the entire curriculum in a single document. We also intend to make the outcomes available in electronic format to allow curriculum leaders and teachers to identify and blend outcomes from both within and beyond curriculum areas. Several stages will be required to achieve this. Curriculum for Excellence Achievement framework In the first stage of work the aim is to produce experience and outcome statements up to Third level with provisional work done to Fourth level. Both Third and Fourth level have particular significance. Third level is important because it defines the point at which a young person has experienced a broad general education and has satisfied the essential outcomes in all curriculum areas. At this point there may be opportunities to choose what she or he wishes to study, typically with a greater degree of speciality and in greater depth to Fourth level and possibly beyond. For some pupils, their choices will result in continued, lateral progression, in curriculum areas at Third level. Fourth level is important because it will enable transition into the formal qualifications system. Experiences and outcomes at this level will tend to be more specific than those for earlier levels. The outcomes and experiences written during this stage will be subject to refinement through the engagement process. Writing an excellent outcome Always remember that the experiences and outcomes should have an impact on classroom practice and learning. The outcomes should not be written in the form of assessment criteria, nor should they constrain learning. Every outcome should therefore be tested against the following criteria: 1. It should express learning that is clear to the teacher, and where possible the young person. This will promote the application of formative assessment strategies. 2. It should indicate the purpose of the outcome and/or direct the selection of learning activities for all children and young people. 3. It should allow evaluation of the outcome. In other words, it should be clear from the outcome what evidence might be observed to demonstrate progress by the child or young person. Also bear in mind that there is no intention to produce an elaborated curriculum. Outcomes should therefore offer and support opportunities for enrichment and development for those young people with additional support needs who may not progress beyond the first levels. As you complete blocks of work a further test is to consider the extent to which you have prioritised and simplified existing guidance and to ask yourself if any changes are robust and justifiable. As a general rule outcomes should begin with the ‘I can’ stem. Experiences describe purposeful and worthwhile tasks, activities or events that contribute to motivation, personal development and learning. As a general rule they should be signalled using the ‘I have’ stem. The following additional general parameters will help you get started. †¢ Simplification and prioritisation should result in time and space being made to operate the seven principles of curriculum design. For example, teachers should have time for greater depth of study, to introduce topics or ideas in a relevant context or to respond to local events or circumstances and to ensure progression. †¢ Assume your outcomes can be taught within the time allocations typically applied in schools at present.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Batman: The Dark Knight Trilogy

The function of a hero is inspiration which encourages people to be better and work harder. As described by Abrams, since the beginning of storytelling tales of gods and heroes described mankind’s desires, fears and ideas of an ideal future. Every culture has a different symbol and representation that tries to construct the perfect specimen of human power. In America this desire is described in comic books, the construction of Batman is a prime example.Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One and Batman: Court of the Owl by Scott Snyder discuss the altering battles faced by Batman and illustrate an almost flawless transition of how the characters progress throughout the years. The evolution of modern vigilantism from when comics were first introduced during the Great Depression to current times define their ability to adapt to the ever changing periods faced by society that allows for superheroes to remain relevant. The rise of modern superheroes was when A merica was facing the threat of a war in Europe and dealing with corruption within its own communities.The heroes depicted in comics allowed for people to escape reality during the Great Depression, states Hyde. It gave a sense of false perception to readers that allowed them to hope and ignited a desire to form a superhero as a reaction to the economical hardships as well as domestic crimes. Commissioner James Gordon plays an important role in Batman: Year One, an old version in the Batman series, because he is suspicious of Batman’s vigilante tactics but realizes that he is necessary and a strong ally in order to serve justice.Gordon is first introduced as Police Lieutenant James Gordon who begins working for the Gotham City Police Department after being transferred from Chicago under Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb and Detective Arnold John Flass. Upon arrival Gordon struggles to deal with corrupt officers, who beat up whomever they please. Feeling Gordon’s hesitancy a nd unease, Flass and several other officers decide to give him a beating. Gordon confronts Flass and gives him a baseball bat to defend himself then begins to pummel him as revenge.This describes the deviant behaviors of authoritative figures that choose to abuse their powers, leading the population to believe that the police force isn’t reliable. Thus proving the assumption that superheroes, Batman in this case, were made to understand the chaos people face in reality of modern day times. The physiological mindset of both heroes and villains takes a more realistic turn that separates itself from mythological and fairytale references. Modern comic book superheroes tend to follow the same general pattern in which the hero is estranged or secluded from society.Batman, for example, is a damaged character who witnesses his parents being gunned down which results in him swearing that he would rid Gotham City of evil. Although mythology provides an example of a true hero their vill ains change over time. Myths no longer deal with legends from the bible about the devil or beast and serpents described by the Greeks, the new complexity of the villains is by far more intriguing. Abrams explains how Americans have become fascinated with gangsters and the criminal cultural that surrounds their nature, representing realistic and current dangers of this new era.In Batman: Court of the Owl, which is a new version in the Batman series, the villain is William Cobb who is a Talon, meaning a skilled assassin for the Court of Owls. He boasts having killed several members of the Wayne family. He later attacks his great-grandson, Dick Grayson, because he feels betrayed by him choosing to become a vigilante instead of a Talon like himself. These serial killer tendencies and disgust expressed towards his own blood describe the unstable mental state of murderers throughout time.The creation of a hero without power or superhuman characteristics like Batman made him more relatable during a time period in which the crime rate was high. The popularity of Batman is attributed to people wanting a hero that represents their incapability or lack of being able to confront a problem in society. Batman: Year One establishes the legend of Batman, it is the origin story of a hero and how he learns to strike fear into the hearts of villains. When Batman manages to remove Loeb from office his mission in that comic is complete.The ending shows Gordon standing on a rooftop next to a bat signal waiting for him because of a new threat calling himself the â€Å"Joker. † This means that he has gathered the trust of the people of Gotham, namely Gordon who plays an important role as Commissioner. Batman: Court of the Owls is a continuation of Batman’s legacy but because it is a new version, Synder made it more appealing by adding another urban legend amongst several surrounding Gotham City. The Court of the Owls is a secret organization with tremendous power embark ed in the history of Gotham City.The myth that surrounds their existence is described in a chilling nursery rhyme: â€Å"Beware the Court of Owls that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they’ll send the talon for your head (Synder, pg 36)! † By combining an old urban legend with a more sophisticated version of Batman, the writers tie together the past and the present deeming it more appropriate for this century.The relevance of people’s beliefs in the impossible actions of heroes is due it the recognition and understanding of needing to escape from reality during a time of crisis. Batman is placed in several locations which seem almost impossible for him to escape from but at the last second he manages to reach safety. Batman: Year One shows one incident in which Batman is trapped in an abandoned building and Loeb ord ers bombs, SWAT teams and the Gotham City Police Department to attack. However Batman manages to avoid destruction and fools the police by directing a swarm of bats to head in the opposite direction he was going.Modern comic books have dramatic scenes as well but make sense in the fictional world. In Batman: Court of the Owls Bruce Wayne is attacked by the Talon during a meeting with Lincoln March, a politician with hopes of becoming mayor. They fall out of a window at the old Wayne Tower and Bruce survives by landing on a guardian that was installed by his great-grandfather. Even though it is unlikely for Bruce to survive a fall out of a window, the existence of guardians makes it seem possible. The chances of him living after being having bombs thrown and blasted near him repeatedly are slim to none.These drastic events allow people to continue to have faith in the indestructibility of a superhero. The role of women has progressed in comic books expressing the evolution of how the public regards them over time. Superheroes functionality is bound in imaginary lines that represent the way of dealing with the practicality of how life is perceived during the time period it was written in, such as gender roles and sexuality promiscuity. In Batman: Year One readers are presented with a female named Selina Kyle who is a young prostitute, taking her chances on the streets amongst the poor district of East End in Gotham City.Ottermann states how during 1980’s, when this comic was published, was a time when prostitution was considered part of the norm in most poverty-stricken regions. Inspired by the Caped Crisader himself Selina forms her own costume and becomes Catwoman, but her clothes do not classify as being strong or a leader like Batman’s. Her exterior exudes erotic and sexual appeal as well as her persona by not only describing her as a prostitute but also indicating how her role as a vixen in disguise leads her into choosing the demoralized path of robbery instead of being a heroin.This suggests that female superheroes were practically nonexistent and wouldn’t be able to take on the role or performance level of a male because of their gender inferiority at that age. Batman: Court of the Owls was written in 2011 and women of this generation would be insulted and rally against such publication of oppression. Therefore Synder didn’t mention a female character having no morals because then the appeal and interest of the comic would not apply to females. There was a decline in comic book readers because of what was being published was considered irrelevant by people during this age.The comic book sales dropped increasingly, â€Å"†¦ [as] the market was glutted with titles based solely on the war effort; these titles no longer had an audience and eventually faded away into obscurity (Kelley, pg 11). † The general population wanted to move on from the constant reminders of the struggles faced by American s. They wanted to look forward to a better and stronger future. This lead to the difference in demand from when comic books were first introduced and the few comics that did remain popular were highly competitive. While the approval of comic books was decreasing another problem was brewing in the pop culture society.Publishers, writers and artists received a public denouncement, claiming that comic books were ruining children’s minds regarding their values, morals and education. Dr. Fredric Wertham released a book called Seduction of the Innocent in 1954 which analyzed the deeper meaning behind some of the most popular superheroes. Wertham argued that the details and underlying messages found in the comics encouraged the use of narcotics, gang violence and characterized women as shameless and lewd. As a result, publishers formed the Comics Code in order to prevent further embarrassment and persecution from the government.The comic book industry suffered a major loss of reader s and thus began their gradual climb to regain their popularity. The target audience was older than the previous generations and more educated. Younger writers and artists began publishing comic books that expressed current concerns and social restraints instead of focusing solely on the past war effort. Eventually after â€Å"†¦ decades in America’s cultural gutter, comic books had finally emerged as a respectable and fantastically profitable entertainment industry worthy of a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (Wright pg 280). After revamping the comic book corporation, the business began focusing on producing films based on superheroes in order to make sure that they remained important in American culture. There are no new stories or characters, comic books are not different from any other type of media, they are repetitive. The superhero films retell the same stories with slight modifications and minor differences in art. The first popular Batman movie was made in 1989 and directed by Tim Burton. A few years later in 2005, director Christopher Nolan took a shot at rebooting the characters and placed new ideas with his Batman Begins.Both of the films focused on a particular emotion faced by Batman that was barely addressed in the comics, romance. The portrayal of love in Burton’s film revolved around the relationship of Bruce and Vicki Vale who was in the process of investigating rumors of a figure dressed as a bat fighting crime. After attending a benefit at Wayne Manor, Vicki is charmed into Bruce’s bed and remained with him after learning his second role as Batman. Nolan took on a different approach to the intimacy surrounding Bruce and his childhood best friend Rachel Dawes, who is an assistant district attorney.After revealing his true identity to her, Rachel realizes she cannot love someone who is both Bruce and Batman. The evident loss of this relationship in Nolan’s film is a direct form of connection with the a udience members that states that even superheroes sometimes don’t get the girl. The shared heartbreak of Bruce and the moviegoers demonstrate why Batman has thrived and remains appreciated because of his ability to bond with the public. Although many details and fine points have been tweaked in the comic books and films, Batman’s still a billionaire vigilante out to rid evil in Gotham City.He fights desperately to defend those who are in danger or are in need of assistance and it is the code that stops him from crossing over the line and into the dark side. Batman’s constant struggle to remain in control of his mentality shows how relatable he is, reminding everyone that he is just in fact a human. The comics describe and play his morality throughout. Batman’s one rule is that he is not to kill anyone by his hands, by not stooping to a villain’s level separates him from them.Batman Begins shows a scene in which Bruce is training with the League of Shadows and Henri Ducard says, â€Å"Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share,† to which Bruce replies â€Å"That's why it's so important. It separates us from them. † This type of ethics and philosophy has been inbreeded in the Batman series for decades. Publications have stayed true to this principle of righteousness no matter what age, and therefore remaining valid to the most essential law that defines Batman as a crime fighting vigilante.The comic book industry has matured into an American form of art that discusses the implications of morality, self expression and ideals. Superheroes are symbolic and remain popular no matter the time period in which they are reintroduced, not because of their powers but of their representation of something greater. The ability of the Batman series to express the apprehension and tension faced by society shows an understanding and flares a beacon of hope that not all humanity is lost. As times have changed and civ ilization has advanced, superheroes have changed with the growing demands of the population.Sharp explains how comic books have continued to revitalize the one significant detail that allows the Batman series to prevail, the different forms of the Caped Crusader. ‘†Batman is flexible enough to do what different people of different generations want of him (Sharp, pg 2). â€Å"’ Batman’s fundamental beliefs in comic books continue to remain the same even as the world changes. However in the movies, directors take the liberty of altering his rigid judgment in order to appeal to a broader audience. Either way, these changes do not affect the overall respect and approval given by Americans towards these figures of everlasting hope.Work Cited: †¢Abrams, Joshua, â€Å"Vigilante Patriotism: An Exploration of the Modern American Comic Book† (2012). Senior Projects Spring 2012. Paper 10. Web. . †¢Batman. Dir. Tim Burton. By Prince. Perf. Michael Kea ton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Billy Dee Williams, and Jack Palance. Warner Bros. , 1989. DVD. †¢Batman Begins. Dir. Christopher Nolan. By Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Prod. Larry J. Franco. Perf. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, and Katie Holmes. Warner Bros. , 2005. DVD. †¢Hyde, Douglas. Superheroes rise in tough tiems.CNN Entertainment. 2009 March 20. Web. . †¢Kelley, Mark. The Golden Age of Comic Books: Representations of American Culture from the Great Depression to the Cold War. E-Publications. 2009 April 4. Web. †¢Miller, Frank, and Mazzucchelli, David. Batman: Year One. New York: DC Comics, 1987. Print. †¢Ottermann, Ralf. Review Essay: Qualitative Research on Prostitution in the Early '80s' Red-light Districts of Vienna. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung. Vol 6. 2005 Nov 2. Web. < http://www. qualitative-research. net/index. php/fqs/article/view/488>. Sharp, Tyler. Batman redefined: Comics expert says success of Dark Knight tr ilogy tied to character examinations, loyalty to storyline. News and Editorial Services. Kansa State University. 2012 July 16. Web. . †¢Snyder, Scott, Capullo, Greg and Glapion, Jonathan. Batman Volume I: The Court of Owls (The New 52). DC Comics, 2011. Print. †¢Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent. New York: Rinehart, 1954. Print. †¢Wright, Bradford. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore: John Hopkins UP, 2001. Print.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Picture is Worth a thousand…Parts?

It is presumed that adults can not recognize a face in parts as easily as the complete facial structure.   It is presumed to be as such because adults recognize the features of an individual’s face more easily than the context of the facial patterns in isolation (762).This gestalt-like facial processing theoretically begins in infancy and has a developmental milestone that is disrupted if something delays or obliterates this phenomenon.   On television shows and in magazines I recall partial viewings of celebrities’ faces and I almost never got it right.   Such is the finding of Young et al in 1987 study in which adults found it difficult to recognize the top half of a celebrities’ face when it was aligned   with bottom half of a different face (762).   Some theorists believe there is an intimate ability to recognize faces.   However, this research study invalidates that theory.   A controlled experiment was done with patients that were born with or suffered from visual impairments at infancy.These participants were all less than seven months when visual acuity was affected.   Vision was later corrected and the experiment for holistic facial identification had commenced (765).To test for the gestalt-like effect, participants were asked to move a joystick forward if the top halves were the same and back if the top halves were different.   Composites were created by splitting face images horizontally across the middle of the nose, and then recombining the faces using the top and bottom halves of different individuals.   In the aligned position, the top and bottom were properly aligned.In the misaligned condition the top half was shifted horizontally to the left (764).   The results were astounding.   The group that had visual imperfections at infancy actually performed better than their control counterparts on same trials when faces were aligned (766).This group was also more accurate on different trials than on same t rials and did not vary with alignment (766).   This supports the theory that this ability is not innate.   Holistic face processing or a composite face effect was not a sustained ability of those with visual impairments at a critical time period.   Such patients fail to integrate facial features into a Gestalt (767).This experiment shows that early visual input is very critical for the normal development of facial processing.   It also raises the question of whether early vision is necessary to preserve the neural substrate that would allow training to induce the later development of holistic processing of non-face objects (767),   I find it rather interesting and this bizarre phenomenon begs the question of when the critical time period begins and ends.The article states that by age six, adult-like processing takes place.   It does not state if visual perception is disrupted after age six, if this ability for gestalt-like processing is still apparent.   Thus this expe riment does not prove that infancy is the critical time period or developmental milestone for this ability.To be sufficient, it would have to include a group of participants that had visual impairments later in life and the length of the impairment would have to be similar.   What about visual impairments for one and two year olds? This only mentions infancy from 3 to 6 months.This experiment is partial, at best.   I would also like to know how the control group compares to those who have visual impairments that have not been corrected.   Are such people able to recognize faces aligned and misaligned with similar circumstances? These are critical points to validate and substantiate the findings of this experiment.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

History of Ganga River Essay

The Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The 2,510 km (1,560 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal. It has long been considered a holy river by Hindus and worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It has also been important historically: many former provincial or imperial capitals (such as Patliputra, Kannauj, Kara, Allahabad, Murshidabad,and Calcutta) have been located on its banks. The Ganges Basin drains 1,000,000-square-kilometre (390,000 sq mi) and supports one of the world`s highest densities of humans. The average depth of the river is 52 feet (16 m), and the maximum depth, 100 feet (30 m). The river has been declared as India`s National River. The many symbolic meanings of the river on the Indian subcontinent were spoken to in 1946 by Jawaharlal Nehru in his Discovery of India, The Ganges, above all is the river of India, which has held India`s heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges, from her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of India`s civilization and culture, of the rise and fall of empires, of great and proud cities, of adventures of man. Although many small streams comprise the headwaters of the Ganges, the six longest headstreams and their five confluences are given both cultural and geographical emphasis (see the map showing the headwaters of the river). The Alaknanda River meets the Dhauliganga River at Vishnuprayag, the Nandakini River at Nandprayag, the Pindar River at Karnaprayag, and the Mandakini River at Rudraprayag and finally the Bhagirathi River at Devprayag, to form the mainstream, the Ganges. The Bhagirathi is the source stream; it rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3,892 m (12,769 ft). The headwaters of the Alaknanda are formed by snowmelt from such peaks as Nanda Devi, Trisul, and Kamet. Ganga River is also said to be the river of supreme Lord Rama and also called â€Å"Ram Ganga† as there is a belief Lord Rama promised while Ganges emerged from his feet that, when He will appear on earth as Lord Rama will reside on the banks of Ganga and her tributaries. Lord Ram then appeared in Ayodhya which is on the banks of Saryu Ganga River, when he went to Janakpuri he crossed River Ganga in Haridwar. During  his 14 years exile from Sita, his wife and brother Lakshmana after leaving Ayodhya his first night stay was at Tamsa River (Ganga tributaries), his second stay was at Shrungverpur which is on the banks of Ganga and with the help of Nishadraj Gruh and Kevat he crossed Ganga, he then went to Triveni sangam, Prayag Raj stayed with Muni Bharadvaj and then marched towards Chitrakoot and stayed there for 11 and half years on Kamadgiri parvat on the banks of Mandakini, holy stream. From there he went to Panchvati and stayed on the bank of Godavari until his wife sitaji was abducted by demon king Ravana. The search for his beloved wife Sita, Lord Rama went to Rameshwaram, as it is said all rivers meet the ocean. Pollution in Ganga River Today, over 29 cities, 70 towns, and thousands of villages extend along the Ganga banks. Nearly all of their sewage – over 1.3 billion liters per day – goes directly into the river, along with thousands of animal carcasses, mainly cattle. Another 260 million liters of industrial waste are added to this by hundreds of factories along the rivers banks. Municipal sewage constitutes 80 per cent by volume of the total waste dumped into the Ganga, and industries contribute about 15 percent. The majority of the Ganga pollution is organic waste, sewage, trash, food, and human and animal remains. Over the past century, city populations along the Ganga have grown at a tremendous rate, while waste-control infrastructure has remained relatively unchanged. Recent water samples collected in Varanasi revealed fecal-coliform counts of about 50,000 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, 10,000% higher than the government standard for safe river bathing. The result of this pollution is a n array of water-borne diseases including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. An estimated 80% of all health problems and one-third of deaths in India are attributable to water-borne diseases. The sacred practice of depositing human remains in the Ganga also poses health threats because of the unsustainable rate at which partially cremated cadavers are dumped. In Varanasi, some 40,000 cremations are performed each year, most on wood pyres that do not completely consume the body. Along with the remains of these traditional funerals, there are thousands more who cannot afford cremation and whose bodies are simply thrown into the Ganga. In addition, the carcasses of thousands of dead cattle, which are sacred to Hindus, go into the river each  year. An inadequate cremation procedures contributes to a large number of partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating down the Ganga. Hundreds of corpses burn on the line of wooden pyres. Soot-covered men bustle about, raking in the still-glowing ashes, sweeping them into the river. Gray dust from the pyres floats atop the waves, mixing with flower garlands and foam. The dust and debris resurfaces some distance away, this time, intermixed with polythene bags, empty cans and dirty clothes. This is the holy Ganga at its holiest spot Varanasi. The industrial pollutants also a major source of contamination in the Ganga. A total of 146 industries are reported to be located along the river Ganga between Rishikesh and Prayagraj. 144 of these are in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 2 in Uttrakhand. The major polluting industries on the Ganga are the leather industries, especially near Kanpur, which use large amounts of Chromium and other toxic chemical waste, and much of it finds its way into the meager flow of the Ganga. From the plains to the sea, pharmaceutical companies, electronics plants, textile and paper industries, tanneries, fertilizer manufacturers and oil refineries discharge effluent into the river. This hazardous waste includes hydrochloric acid, mercury and other heavy metals, bleaches and dyes, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls highly toxic compounds that accumulate in animal and human tissue. The tannery industry mushrooming in North India has converted the Ganga River into a dumping ground. The tanning industry discharges different types of waste into the environment, primarily in the form of liquid effluents containing organic matters, chromium, sulphide ammonium and other salts. According to the information obtained from the UP State Pollution Control Board, there are 402 tanneries operating in the city Kanpur of which 65 were closed On September 17, 2010 issuing notices to 253 tanneries operating in the city, the State Pollution Control Board has asked them to comply with central norms to curb pollution within 15 days or face consequences. A division bench of the Allahabad high court on January 19, 2011 asked UP chief secretary, who was present in the court, to f ile an affidavit about the action taken against those who were found involved in polluting river Ganga. The bench will now hear this case on February 14, next. The bench expressed concerned over the pollution in river Ganga and said that at Sangam in Allahabad river Ganga is dirty and its colour is brown. Ganga is getting polluted day-by-day. Nearly 170  factories and tanneries located between Kannauj and Varanasi, covering an area of 450 km, were found responsible for polluting the river by discharging wastes into it without treatment,† Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told reporters on August 28, 2010. â€Å"The government will issue show cause notices to these industrial units on August 30 and if they fail to take any action within 15 days, steps would be initiated to shut them,† he said. In 1996, the Supreme Court had banned the discharge of effluents from various tanneries and factories located on its banks in Kanpur. However, industry is not the only source of pollution. Sheer volume of waste – estimated at nearly 1 billion litres per day – of mostly untreated raw sewage – is a significant factor. Runoff from farms in the Ganga basin adds chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as DDT, which is banned in the United States because of its toxic and carcinogenic effects on humans and wildlife. Damming the river or diverting its water, mainly for irrigation purposes, also adds to the pollution crisis. Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals emitted from vehicles and presence of industrial units adjoining the Ganges is adding to the pollution load on the river, researchers have found on May 2010. Decades-long efforts by the government to breathe life into Ganga through massive clean-up programmes have come to naught. Consider this: Over Rs 1,000 crore have been pumped into the Ganga Action Plan I and II between 1985 and 2000, but Indias holiest river is still sullied. Discharge of untreated wastewater from towns along Ganga constitutes the major source of pollution load for the river. Against the estimated wastewater generation of around 3000 million liters per day (mld) from towns along the river Ganga, sewage treatment capacity of 1025 mld has been created so far under the Ganga Action Plan. This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests(Independent Charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh in Rajya Sabha on August 02, 2010. The incidence of gall bladder disease is high among people living near the Ganga and its tributaries, says the largest-ever study of the local population over six years.A team of doctors from Mumbai conducted the study and found high concentrations of heavy metals in the water and soil of 60 villages along the Indo-Gangetic plains that could be contributing to the disease. The study was published last week of January 2011 in the online edition of HPB, the official journal of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary  Association. It has identified eight villages in Bihar’s Vaishali district, located near the river Gandak, with an unusually high rate of gall bladder disease.