The History of Curriculum Planning Essay Example for Free

The History of Curriculum Planning Essay An effective curriculum depends on its design. When developing and planning a curriculum, educators must focus on student success. According to Danielson (2002), â€Å"educators follow clearly defined steps that are designed to link the local curriculum to state and district content standards† (p. 81). Once a state has established a Standard Course of Study, educators can design a curriculum that will provide the most appropriate education possible for the diverse learners in that state. This will prepare students to become successful, contributing members in a 21st century society and global economy. In this paper, the author discusses the historical and political influences on the current curriculum practices, the effects of English Language Learners (ELL) and Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) laws have on curriculum development, and the impact of gifted education on the evolution of curriculum development. Many political and historical influences on education come to mind, notably, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act and cases involving religion. Politics plays a very important part in curriculum development. The main component of politics is funding. Educational institutions rely on funding from federal, state, and local governments. These funds are used to hire personnel, build and maintain educational facilities, and purchase resources needed to define established goals. Failed programs such as No Child Left Behind have proved to be expensive and caused an increase in the achievement gaps among students. Designed to bridge achievement gaps, NCLB has not helped, but because it focuses on high-stakes testing, increased funding is needed to pay for the training, testing materials, and administration. Furthermore, NCLB focuses on literacy and math, leaving little time in curriculum for history, science, and the arts. â€Å"Any balanced curriculum should highlight the interconnectedness of various fields of knowledge, expose students to a  wide variety of experiences that can help them clarify their interests and talents, and incorporate appropriate ongoing assessment to gauge student mastery† (Cawelti, 2006, p. 67). Not only are there the issue of narrowed curricula and funding, research indicates NCLB has detrimental effects on minority and low-income students ((Woolhether, 2012). These students do receive the best education possible, because they are faced with overcrowded classrooms and teachers whose priority is â€Å"teaching to the test†. Education will continue to suffer as students are coached to pass tests and not taught a curriculum that will prepare them to live and participate in the 21st century. The other issue, school prayer and religion expression, has an impact on curriculum. Even though the court case Engel vs. Vitale (1962) sided with Engel concerning prayer in schools, it did not quell the issue of religion. Educators have to be careful when selecting resources for the curriculum. Choosing activities with religious undertones could pose problems for educators, such as musical and reading selections. However the move toward giving religion a role in education includes establishing guidelines that specify how students can pray in school, how religious clubs can have access to school facilities, and how teachers can incorporate religion into the curriculum (Brown, 2012). Increasing immigration in the United States has led to a large population of children who live in homes where English is not the primary language. To provide the best possible education for these diverse students, curriculum planning must include elementary school programs, such as ELL (English Language Learners) and SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) that address their needs. Some schools may offer several programs to accommodate these students while other schools may offer only one program. Some identified programs are (1) the English-language monolingual program where the child is in a regular English-language monolingual classroom; (2) the English-monolingual-plus-ESL program where the child is i n a regular English-language monolingual classroom, but receives instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL); (3) the Transitional bilingual education program where the child is placed in a bilingual education classroom and receives some form of English-language instruction, but also is taught in Spanish; (4) Maintenance bilingual education program, where children are placed in a bilingual education classroom and receives some form of English- Spanish instruction.  This program helps students develop full proficiency in both languages; (5) the structured immersion program where the child is in a classroom in which the subject matter is presented in English, but in a manner that students with limited English-language proficiency is insufficient (Honigsfeld, 2009). These programs are beneficial if the number of ESL teachers to student ratio is sufficient. Often funding issues lead to budget cuts in these areas. A positive for NCLB is that it allocates extra support for programs designed to help ELL students’ progress. The impact of gifted education on the planning of the curriculum is positive, but may also have some negative effects. The use of the multidimensional Curriculum Model (MdCM) helps educators to better prepare gifted students for the changing world, providing them with the skills needed for the 21st century (Vidergor, 2010). This model could be used as a framework for curriculum design and development that will reach and teach gifted students. The negative effects of gifted education include funding issues for hiring teachers capable of teaching gifted students and allocation of funds. Again, movements such as NCLB have overlooked the population of gifted students. Collaboration and planning a curriculum that uses differentiated instruction is an effective way to reach gifted students. Since funding is in short supply for gifted education, reaching out to community leaders will help them gain an understanding of the needs of gifted children. This can help dispel the myth that â€Å"gifted children can make it on their own† (Roberts Siegle, 2012). To save gifted education and serve gifted students, some schools are turning to the Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model (SCGM). â€Å"When implemented well, the SCGM represents one viable solution for providing effective and consistent gifted services within certain budget restraints† (Brulles Winebrenner, 2011, p. 35). This model allows school leaders to embed gifted education services into the school system, making it possible that all students’ needs are met (Brulles Winebrenner, 2011). Funds will still have to be allocated for teacher training. Classroom instruction should reflect societal needs, the needs of students, and recommendations of experts in their field of study. These are important components when planning an effective curriculum. It is clear that ELL program models do not work for everyone, in other words, ‘one size does not fit all’. NCLB has proven beneficial by the allocation of funds to certain departments; however, it  must be revisited and revamped before it will be completely effective. Unfortunately, it does solve the problems that cause students to be left behind. NCLB also has a negative impact on gifted education. Emphasis is placed on lower achieving students and efforts to make these students proficient on standardized tests. A well-planned curriculum should be rigorous and demand from students higher-order thinking skills. References Brown, M. (2012). 50 years later: High court’s school prayer ruling still fuels religious liberty debate. Deseret News. Retrieved July 15, 2013 from http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865558046/50-years-later-High-courts-school-prayer-ruling-still-fuels-religious-liberty-debate.html?pg=all Brulles, D., Winebrenner, S. (2011). The schoolwide cluster grouping model: Restructuring gifted education services for the 21st century. Gifted Child Today, 34(4), 35-46. doi:10.1177/1076217511415381 Cawelti, G. (2006). NCLB: Taking stock, looking forward. The side effects of NCLB. Educational Leadership(64)3. 64-68. Danielson, C. (2002). Enhancing student achievement: A framework for school improvement. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Alexandria, VA. Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962). Honigsfeld, A. (2009). Ell programs: Not one size fits all. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 45(4), 166-171. Roberts, J., Siegle, D. (2012). Teachers as advocates: If not You—who?. Gifted Child Today, 35(1), 58-61. doi:10.1177/1076217511427432 Vidergor, H. E. (2010). The Multidimensional Curriculum Model (MdCM). Gifted Talented International, 25(2), 153-165. Woolhether, L. (2012). The effects of NCLB on low-performing and minority students. Retrieved July 16, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/info_7930134_effects-nclb-lowincome-minority-students.html

Effects of Training Hours on Cardiovascular System

Effects of Training Hours on Cardiovascular System Imran Osman The effect of the average training hours per week on the cardiovascular fitness of sport participants: Studies such as that by Shannan E. Gormley et al. (2008) and Tabata et al. (1996) clearly show that exercise and regular training have a positive effect on the heart (circulatory system) and the respiratory system and therefore on the cardiovascular fitness of the individual. The aim of this study was to further endorse and determine the effect that training hours have on cardiovascular fitness of sport participants. Both the resting heart rates and VO2 max of sport performers were taken into account when measuring the cardiovascular fitness. Frequent training is of key importance for sport participants. Regular training should increase the aerobic fitness of the performer due to increasing their VO2 max and decreasing their resting heart rate. The hypothesis suggested that an increase in average training hours per week would results in an increase in VO2 max and decrease in heart rate. This is based on the fact that ‘VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can utilise per minute during intense exercise’ (Elizabeth Quinn, 2011) which is said to be an accurate measure of cardiovascular fitness. Resting heart rate is also a determinant of the fitness of sport participants. The resting heart rate of those who exercise and train more frequently should be lower because less effort is needed from the heart to pump blood.(Source?) Found this as a source; can’t find a author though.  http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/physical-activity/exercises-effects-on-the-heart.html Try to f ind a journal that says it because they prefer you to use peer reviewed sources Fifty sport participants, 25 male and 25 female took part in the study. The experiments included measurements of each participant’s VO2 max, resting heart rate and average training hours per week in their specific sport. In addition to this, alcohol intake and whether or not the participants smoked were recorded, as all of these factors may affect the results. Ethical issues were considered before the tests on these subjects were carried out. For example participants had given informed consent, they understood their role in the experiment, as well as having the choice to withdraw at any time. The subjects had volunteered to take part and were not pressurised to participate. If the participants had an injury or disease they would not be chosen to take part as this may have adversely affect their health during the experiment and have a negative impact on results. VO2 max was measured using the ‘Astrand 6 minute cycle VO2 max test’ which was performed using a cycle ergometer. A heart rate monitor, weighing scales and a stopwatch were also required. Resting heart rate is the number of beats per minute when the performer is at complete rest (Elizabeth Quinn, 2011), and was measured using the heart rate monitor. Many experiments involving the measurement of VO2 max have used the Astrand cycle test such as that by R.E. Cink et al.(1981) and it was said to be successful, also a study by G. Keren et al.(1980) on the Comparison of Various Methods for the Determination of VO2 max came to the conclusion that the Astrand-Rhyming procedure can be a reliable measure for maximal oxygen consumption. Therefore this test was chosen for the investigation. Before each participant carried out the test, the seat height was adjusted appropriately where the knee was almost straight and the pedalling position made to be comfortable for the subject. In advance to the participant took part in a 3 minute warm-up. The initial cycle work rate was set to 125 kilogram-force meter/minute. This setting was chosen as it was appropriate when looking at the age of each participant also this setting should raise the participant’s heart rate to 130-160bpm after 2 minutes cycling at 50rpm before the test starts. The participants would start the test on command and the stopwatch was then started. The performer(s) pedalled at 50rpm for 6 minutes whilst maintaining their heart rate between 120-170 bpm. The heart rate was chosen to be maintained at this range as recommended by G. Keren (1980), who is one of many others who carried out studies using the Astrand technique. He said that the procedure can only be a reliable measure for maximal oxygen consu mption if done properly in the way that Astrand, (1985) carried it out so that heart rate should be kept between 120-170 beats/min. The participant’s heart rate was recorded each minute and after 2 minutes if the participant’s heart rate was not in the target range of 120-170bpm then the work rate wattage was adjusted accordingly. The heart rate rose to a level in the target range and then levelled off, staying relatively constant during the last few minutes of exercise. After 6 minutes the test stopped and the final work rate wattage was recorded. To estimate VO2 max using this protocol, the Astrand-Ryhming nomogram was used, similar to the study by Stephen. F.Siconolfi (1985), where the nomograph technique is carried out where the heart rate (left of nomograph) is plotted and then the workload (right of nomograph), which helps find the VO2 max (middle of nomograph). Once the estimated VO2 max value had been determined the calculation-based formula was used where the estimated VO2 max value was multiplied by the appropriate correction factor (based on age). A treadmill or a stationary bike could have been used to measure the VO2 max and it was important to stay with the same apparatus for each participant to maintain an accurate and fair test. The bicycle ergometer was chosen over the treadmill because it is less expensive, requires less space and is easily transported. It also makes it easier to take heart rate or attach an ECG and requires little training or practice. Furthermore, mechanical efficiency of individuals on stationary bikes varies less than the mechanical efficiency of during running protocols. It is also relatively easy to calculate the external work done on a bike, whereas the work done on a treadmill could be quite variable. Due to variation in mechanical efficiency of a treadmill, bike tests were seen to be better at identifying differences between subjects VO2 max. The mean resting heart rates and mean VO2 max of each participant (male and female) were calculated. As well as the standard deviations of resting heart rate and VO2 max, to see the number of variations that can exist from the average and to determine how numbers varied and how spread out they are. Results: The average resting heart and average VO2 max of each participant as well as the standard deviations: Note; (Do Quantitative comparison; here)-comparing males and females vo2 and resting HR?.. Table of general results: Subject number Gender Average Training Hours per week VO2 Max (ml/kg/min) Resting HR (bpm) 1 Female 20 48 54 2 Female 9 44 59 3 Female 22 32 74 4 Female 18 41 66 5 Female 6 35 69 6 Female 18 36 69 7 Female 16 42 65 8 Female 10 42 67 9 Female 12 47 66 10 Female 8 41 66 11 Female 24 50 61 12 Female 14 31 75 13 Female 20 60 48 14 Female 18 59 48 15 Female 18 41 66 16 Female 20 60 56 17 Female 12 48 64 18 Female 11 41 65 19 Female 10 43 63 20 Female 26 46 61 21 Female 22 67 40 22 Female 16 54 50 23 Female 16 36 69 24 Female 16 56 62 25 Female 12 50 57 26 Male 18 39 68 27 Male 8 43 68 28 Male 12 46 66 29 Male 9 47 62 30 Male 16 46 58 31 Male 16 38 72 32 Male 16 44 58 33 Male 12 40 60 34 Male 20 42 58 35 Male 22 41 68 36 Male 18 44 60 37 Male 16 55 56 38 Male 16 34 69 39 Male 18 44 65 40 Male 14 35 69 41 Male 18 62 43 42 Male 20 45 70 43 Male 9 34 75 44 Male 16 44 54 45 Male 8 38 67 46 Male 8 32 70 47 Male 9 43 63 48 Male 14 43 55 49 Male 18 60 53 50 Male 10 47 62 Imran I don’t think you need the info for every subject, just the averages. Otherwise there’s too much data to read. The results vaguely show that as the number of training hours increase, the cardiovascular fitness for both genders increases. Figure 1 vaguely shows that the VO2 max increases for both genders, and figure 2 vaguely shows that for both genders as the average number of training hours increases the resting heart rate decreases. Figures 1 and 2 show that there was a large variation in results and that the results are not all close to the line of best fit, the data has anomalies, although there is a weak correlation. The variation could be down to factors such as the participants smoking and/ or having high alcohol intake, therefore affecting the VO2 max and resting heart rate. The participants may also have carried out different types of training and training in a way that was specific to their individual sports. Their activities may have been aerobic or anaerobic training and this was not taken into account. The biggest limitation is the fact that the results are varied and not all are similar, there are many outliers, and as discussed this may be due to the differing types of training of the participants and so a future recommendation would be to carry out the experiment with a sample of participants who have preferred sports of which are only anaerobic or only aerobic. Shannan E. Gormley et al. (2008) undertook a similar study to determine the effects of regular aerobic training on VO2 max and resting heart rate, and whether various intensities of aerobic training differentially affected VO2 max as well as resting HR and resting blood pressure. Sixty one healthy young adults took part in the study, they were matched for sex and VO2max and were randomly assigned to a moderate, vigorous near-maximal-intensity, or a non- exercising control group. Intensity during exercise was controlled by having the subjects maintain target HR. Exercise volume was controlled across the three training groups by varying duration and frequency. Fifty-five subjects completed a 6-wk training protocol on a stationary bicycle ergometer and pre and post testing. The researchers concluded that VO2 max had significantly increased in all exercising groups ‘by 7.2, 4.8, and 3.4 ml/kg/min in the near-maximal, the vigorous, and the moderate-intensity groups, respectively’. Therefore showing that Vo2 max increases with intensity of exercise as well as frequency of exercise. Other studies show similar results. Carleton B. Chapman and Robert. S. Frazer (1954) implies that regular exercise training increases cardiovascular function of an individual by increasing their cardiac output and therefore lowering the resting heart rate of the individual. A trial performed by Tabata et al. (1996) showed that after two experiments involving individuals whom are also young sport participants that took part in training programmes, and that after this regular training VO2 max of these individuals increases significantly. In conclusion, the results do not follow the hypothesis in that the data does not clearly show correlations of the effect of average training hours on the resting heart rates and VO2 max of this group of people. This however is only for this specific group of people and may be down to other factors influencing these results such as their alcohol intake, if they smoke or not, and also more importantly, what is involved in their training. One participant may be mainly focusing on agility, whilst another on strength. Furthermore, their particular sporting activity may be aerobic or anaerobic which may have affected the results also. Moreover, this sample size was small also, which means that the results cannot be generalised. References: Elizabeth Quinn. (2011). What Is VO2 Max. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available from: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/VO2_max.htm. Elizabeth Quinn. (July 26, 2011). Resting Heart Rate. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/qt/Resting-Heart-Rate.htm. Tabata et al. (1996). (Department of Physiology and Biomechanics, National Institute of Fitness and Sports, JAPAN) Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and  ·VO2max. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available from : http://jeffosadec.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/effects-of-moderate-intensity-endurance-and-high-intensity-intermittent-training-on-anaerobic-capacity-and-e280a2vo2max.pdf. Carleton B. Chapman and Robert S. Frazer. (1954). Studies on the Effect of Exercise on Cardiovascular Function: Cardiac Output and Mean Circulation Time. [Online] Last accessed 19/02/2014.Available from: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/9/1/57.full.pdf+html Shannan E. Gormley et al.(2008) Effect of Intensity of Aerobic Training on VO2max. [Online] [Accessed 20/02/2014] Available from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/576846 REFERENCE THE ONES BELOW CORRECTLY.. -STEVEN F. SICONOLFI, CAROL EWING GARBER, THOMAS M. LASATER AND RICHARD A. CARLETON (1985) http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/121/3/382.full.pdf+html R.E. Cink, T.R. Thomas. (1981) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1858756/pdf/brjsmed00255-0036.pdf EXERCISES EFFECTS ON THE HEART, New york times http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/specialtopic/physical-activity/exercises-effects-on-the-heart.html -A comparison of various methods for the determination of VO2max. Keren G, Magazanik A, Epstein Y. (1980). VO2 max ;(use this to replace all throughout essay) Usefull links? http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0101/cf.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2644030 http://www.sfu.ca/~leyland/Kin343%20Files/Bike%20Lab.pdf http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/52_06_VO2_Not_Gold_Standard.pdf Links to do with the method/ Amstrad test;†¦ http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0072844221/123981/laba3_3.pdf and http://web.sls.hw.ac.uk/teaching/level3/A33TT3/A33TT3/Practical%202%20Astrand%20Rhyming.prn.pdf http://www.brianmac.co.uk/cycle6min.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ2adzoaVdI (This link here will help find studies using the test; )=http://www.vo2konsulten.se/artiklar/dan_andersson_astrand_ryhming.pdf

Effect of Market Structures on Business

Effect of Market Structures on Business Market Structure Introduction There are diverse categorizations of markets and the structure of a business which denotes in which categorization it will descend into. Markets are separated as per to the business what it offers to the precise market. Structure of Business is established by the composition of market characteristics, and these aids to establish level and region of competition. The features in a market with the majority concentrated center on the numeral of purchasers and retailers, plane in which a product has a substitute, entry and exit easiness price, and the elevation of common dependence. These constituted variables are categorized in the subsequent market structures: perfectly competitive markets, monopolistically competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies (Colander, 2010). This paper is going away to talk about regarding the variety of market structures that will assist the local mayor recognize the structures of the several businesses in the city. Market structures Consecutively to recognize the diverse market structures, every structure requires being defined and discussed. The primary structure to be conversed is about perfect competition. This is a perfect structure that does not actually subsist in the real market, however; is used as a hypothetical model to evaluate additional structures to. Perfect competition is prominent for its elastic demand perfectly curves. Goods Price is like that the firm will simply construct normal profits (zero economic profits) in the extensive run. There is open entry and exit into the market in a market of perfect competition. Instances of a perfectly competitive market would be gas and milk. There might be a lot of suppliers of products, and if one dealer desires to raise their price superior than the price the market establishes, consumers will go away somewhere else to acquire the thing in need. Additional traits could comprise: no barriers of entry and exit, profit maximization, zero costs of transaction , homogeneous products, and ideal factor mobility.Devoid of the restraints of exiting and entering the market fresh businesses will not have an effect on the homogenous product market. At a clearing price of market a firm would be competent to put up for sale as much merchandise as it prefers while creating a profit. This might denote that there is equilibrium of market. With standard revenue superior to average cost the curve of demand will continue to be elastic. A monopolistically competitive market can be described as having a abundant amount of equally manufacturers and customers, customer’s inclinations for buying products is recognized; endurance in this locale consists of the seller endeavoring to differentiate specific products from competitors. A monopolistically competitive market might continue restrictions with entry and exit, the market is fundamentally assorted in nature, and a market of this might direct to the enhancement of non-price competition. Monopolistic Competition elucidates an industry compiled of a huge number of sellers. Each one of these sellers tenders a distinguished product, which is a service or good that has genuine or expected traits that are diverse from those of additional goods or services.[ Amacher (2011)] This is to pronounce that the similar product is being tendered even though it is revealed to be enhanced or better to the competitor products. A big example of this might be gas stations. Althoug h Chevron and Texaco are revealed as having better fuel owing to the cleaning additives owned inside the fuel, Aragon, Shell, and also Costco tender fuels with the similar quantity of detergency at a lesser price. The subsequent market structure is of an oligopoly. Oligopoly is a structure market that manages a product and is controlled by a minute number of firms that operate on one’s behalf. Prices positioned on products by each firm comprised are close up to matching since if one firm endeavors to alter the price, this will source further firms to do the similar thing. A major characteristic of a market structure of oligopolistic in the industry is the mutual dependence of firms. The function that oligopoly participates in the economy is that if the firm slashes prices, then further competing firms will counterpart the reductions of price. If the firm increases its prices of its goods, then further firms will not counterpart the price raise. There are only some different firms in an oligopoly market that powers 90% or of the market. Airline industries are a big instance of this. A number of further instances of this would be companies of cell phone in addition to companies that might form an alliance like the industry of oil. A monopoly comprises of a firm that has the throttlehold on a market. Any firm that has a structure of monopoly will have the majority control over price for its goods. The firms that function in competitive structures will have no power above their prices. Management of Price is when a firm has the capability to direct the products prices. Ownership of Public is not ordinary in monopolies and there are no takers of price. A monopolist makes certain the price for a product or service will certainly add to profits.There is no suitable alternate in this market to the merchandise being offered. Even though one may think that a product may perhaps be sold at any price enviable, which is not the case. Monopolies will in actual fact determine the rate that sells the majority products at an enviable rate. This lets the monopoly to maintain probable competitors out of the ring while making profit above the long-run. One instance of this would be utility company. Although there are no substitutes for customers, the government strides in and offers regulation of price to make certain that rates stay reasonably priced. It is in the paramount interest of the monopoly to stay rational, consequently conservation of the business. The Deutsche Telekom Company in Germany became tremendously avaricious with their phone service. The government strides in and separated the company initially backed by the government into 6 new subsidiary companies. Deutsche Telekom lost their grip on the power of monopoly that they owned. Market structure Real-life example A local market structureof a real-life example is the bakeries in the city. Even though there are 3 bakeries to select from, they all seize alike prices and the products are substitutable crosswise one another. This is an instance of a monopolistic competition. The market can with no trouble be moved in and out of and every firm is contending to sell the similar product as if it is superior or unique to the other. High entry barriers High end barriers renders to the subsistence of elevated start-up costs or additional hindrances that avert fresh competitors from effortlessly entering a region of business or industry. Barriers to entry benefit existing companies previously working in an industry since they guard an instituted companys revenues and profits from being carved away by fresh competitors. (Investopedia, 2013) An instance of this barrier would be a Credit Union. Consecutively to approach into the banking business, there requires being a considerable backing of cash together with the building capital, security systems, a vault, and the capability to contend on the open exchange market. In addition the capital barrier those positions in the means of such a business, there are as well official restrictions inflicted by the government. In additional firms such as in avionics, there are intellectual property and patent laws rights that might position as a high end barrier. Competitive pressures With high barriers of entry a number of the competitive pressures to markets are the capability to lessen the product price so low that a forthcoming firm cannot contend. There might as well be incidences of validity and consents to operate. A lot of monopolies support government officials which in turn aid to guard the firm by rejecting needed lawful documents and permissions to contend in the business. If a firm start-up were to effort to approach into the industry of airline they would not merely have to surmount the several millions of dollars required to sustain the jets, operating costs, and pay roll, however; they would as well require to have admission to terminals and be in conformity with the FAA. If they are not awarded sanction access through the FAA then they will by no means be competent to function and establish contending in the market. If they direct to sever through all of that, then the bigger airlines merely lesser the costs forcing the start-up firm into liquidation. Price elasticity of demand The demand of price elasticity in every market structure and its outcome on pricing the products inside the market’s structure diverge crosswise each market structure. Much or the cause is owing to competition and the proximity of substitutes accessible. For example a monopolistic competition has an demand of elastic against inelastic. This is since there are a lot of competing companies promoting the similar items. Consequently if the demand continues the same, however; one company lessens the rates severely, then that company will sell a great deal additional of its items even as the respite suffer sales. The price shifts crosswise the board in an oligopoly market all the way through the small number of companies that direct the market. All prices vary together comparably a great deal like an airline industry. If a cartel is structured, then the item turn out to be even additional inelastic. This is apparent with OPEC. In spite of whether or not the oil price rises or falls, the fuel demand will continue comparatively the same. A monopoly is as well additional of a structure of inelastic market. This is owing to the lack of competition. On the other hand, if not the firm is selling a total necessity, the price cannot be driven to irrational amounts as profit of long term will crash. There will be an equilibrium initiated that lets the firm to vend the items at a position that will make the most of profit over the continuing of the company. Role of the government The government roles have an effect on each of the market structure’s capability to price products in the course of numerous angels. One such way is the tax that it might place on a product for instance a sin tax. This tax is shoved from the firm to the buyer thus elevating the price of the product. If the item is elastic then the demand above the long-run will reduce. An additional way that the government influences each of the market structures capability to cost items is to inflict regulations on equally the manufacture and cost of an item. Farmers countenance this predicament for items for example wheat and grain. Even as they are proficient to grow far extra bushels a year, the government controls the quantity grown consequently as not to overflow the market out. This assists in regulating the price of goods diagonally the trade markets. Effect of international trade International trade have an effect on every market structure by regulating the quantity of a item that penetrates into one nation from another and with any tariffs initiated unto the item incoming into a country. Limiting the quantity of an item that is permitted into a nation is recognized as a quota. A quota will control or throttle the quantity of the item which is the identical as restricting supply. In view of the fact that supply is lesser the price of demand will raise. This denotes that the customer eventually ends up paying a great deal more for a desired good as it turn out to be additional restricted and desirable. Tariffs are initiated on goods as they flood in and do not control the quantity of an item. A fraction of a tariff will approach back as income for the government. Even though several price increases would ensue to the consumer, the elasticity of the item would not be as rigorous as the supply and demand level would stay constant. [Hubbard, R. OBrien, A. (2010) ] Conclusion In conclusion this paper has dealt with a variety of structures of market that will aid the local mayor recognize the structures of the lot of businesses in the city. The subsequent structures of market were dealt: monopolistic competition, perfect competition, monopoly and oligopoly. For each one of these topic structures of market characteristics were discussed. A real-life market structure in the local city was recognized with relative to the market characteristics. Subsequently, the paper discussed how high entry barriers into a structure of market effected profitability of long-run of the firms. Pressures of Competition that are existent in markets with high barriers to entry were clarified. Then the paper conferred the price elasticity of demand in every market structure and its outcome on pricing of its items in every market. Subsequent to that an explanation of how the function of government affects every market structure’s capability to price its items was offered. In conclusion, the outcome of international trade on every market structure was discussed. References Microeconomics principles and policies. Amacher, R., Pate, J. (2013). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Economics (7th ed.). Colander, D. C. (2008). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection. Differentiating between Market Structures University of Phoenix. (2008). [Multimedia]. Economics (3rd ed.). Hubbard, R. OBrien, A. (2010). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Barriers to Entry, (2013), retrieved from Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/barrierstoentry.asp

Working at The Bindery Essays -- Expository Process Essays

Working at The Bindery I have a dream. I have a dream about getting a doctorate degree in music. Well, to get that far, I know I must get through undergraduate school first, let alone graduate school, and so on. Last year I realized that I needed a job that paid much more than minimum wage if I was going to afford to go to college. I then heard about The Bindery from a friend in the same situation as I was. I filled out an application, went to the orientation a few weeks later, and then discovered that working there would be no ordinary job. I will now briefly explain how the factory works and then show you the "ropes" of working in my department.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are two major departments at The Bindery: the press and the bindery. The press cuts large rolls of paper into smaller ones. The rolls of paper are trimmed down to size for books, and all words and graphics are printed here. The paper is then folded by machinery into forms (groups of pages in books). Bundles of forms are held together with a piece of wood at each end and tied with plastic string. The bundles are then loaded onto skids. After the skids are prepared, the bundles are shipped to the work-in-progress area (where you are) by fork trucks. The skids of bundles are placed in front of each pocket, where forms are placed to feed into the machine that binds the paper into books. Pockets are parts of machinery about 12-15 feet long and are at waist or stomach height. The machine takes one form from each pocket and groups them all together to make a book. It runs very quickly, and it can make thousands of books in minutes. Five lines are in th e bindery department, therefore, five books can be made at the same time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, I will e... ...r workstation so it will be clean for the next shift. When the journey persons say it is timeto go, grab your belongings and punch out. Get some sleep for the next day. Working at The Bindery has taught me and is still teaching me much responsibility. I have learned to manage my time well. Working afternoons is tough because I don't get home until midnight every night. Life isn't fun and games every night anymore. I also have learned to work very hard for my money to pay for my college tuition. Being there just for the summers was a taste of real life for me; not everyone gets the opportunity to live wealthy like we see in the movies. It has given me more motivation to stay in school to avoid a life-long job like this, for I don't want to labor for the rest of my life. I want to continue to live out my dream of getting my doctorate degree in music.

Wind Power Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Wind Power Energy production causes more pollution than any other industry in the country. Currently, nearly all of the electricity produced in the United States is generated by fossil fuel plants, nuclear plants, and hydroelectric plants. The build-up in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels now threatens far-reaching climate change. In addition to global warming, conventional methods of electricity generation release the gases responsible for acid rain, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. In order to prevent further degradation of our environment and successfully transition to a sustainable society, we must change our current patterns of production and consumption. Conservation and switching to renewable sources of energy, such as wind power, are crucial steps to achieving this goal of sustainability. Wind power alone has the potential to meet 20 percent or more of the world's electricity needs within the next four to five years, (J ohansson, 157). Wind power, however, is still a developing technology, and is therefore far from reaching its full potential. How Wind Machines Work: Wind is the product of sunlight heating the surface of the Earth unevenly. Warmer air rises and cooler air tumbles in to replace it, causing everything from gentle breezes to raging tornadoes. Whatever the amount of power in the wind, it can be harnessed by a machine called a wind turbine. The most common type of wind turbine has a horizontal axis, with two or more aerodynamic blades mounted on the horizontal shaft, (AccessScience, "Types of Wind Machines"). As the wind passes over a turbine's blade, pressure forms on the downwind side, thrusting it upward like a propeller. In these... ... state's consumers the choice of who supplies their electric power and how that power is produced. With the implementation of at least some of these changes, wind power will eventually become a clean source of energy that all people can afford to rely on. Â   Sources: AccessScience.com. keyword: "Wind Power." Carley, Sanya, Sierra Curtis-McLane, and Galen O'Toole. "Renewable Energy at Swarthmore." April 15, 2001. Jacobson, Mark Z. and Gilbert M. Masters. "Exploiting Wind Versus Coal." www.sciencemag.org. August 24, 2001 Johansson, Thomas B. Renewable Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity. Island Press, Washington D.C., 1993. Raabe, Steve and Joey Bunch. "Advocates Say Wind Power Progressing from Novelty to Mainstream Practicality." The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. April 20, 2003. www.newwindenergy.com www.pennfuture.org

Bat Case Report

Executive Summary BAT is a technology that sells financial software to individuals and organizations. BAT’s success had attracted a number of competitors. BAT differentiated itself by committing to free tech support for the life of the product. BAT started its call center operations in 1987 with 6 technicians which grew to over a 100 technicians by 2002. However, the call center has been under pressure in terms of long waiting times for customers. Such poor service was beginning to take its toll on the company’s reputation.We recommend that BAT should implement the Fast Track proposal in order to improve customer service and the company’s bottom line. We understand that free technical support is BAT’s value proposition and central to its business model, but we will show with our analysis why this is the best approach to follow. Qualitatively, 1. BAT will still maintain free support with Fast Track. Fast track will only create market segmentation. Customers on top of the market pyramid who are readily willing to pay can be tapped. . Fast Track will convert the call center from a cost center into a profit center. With the revenue being generated out of Fast Track calls, BAT can staff the call center with more technicians to improve service levels for standard callers. Current Situation BOP Team 1 is consists of 8 customer service technicians and the arrival rate of customers is 22. 5 customers/hour. The average time to deal with one customer is 18. 2 minutes. Therefore, the service rate capacity per technician is 3. 2967 customers/hour.After running the Steady-State, Infinite Capacity Queues model, the average waiting time of customers is 0. 14979 hour, which equals to about 9 minutes and there will be in average 3. 37 customers waiting in the queue. Please refer to Appendix 1 for details. Since the arrival rate and the service capacity rate cannot be shortened, increasing number of technician is the only way to shorten the average wai ting time down to less than 1 minute. We ran the model again by adding more technicians one by one, and we found that the average waiting time decrease down to about half minutes at 11 technicians.Please refer to Appendix 2 for details. Fast Track We considered different staffing plans and ran Queuing Macro for average wait time. We considered adding servers and keeping one queue, and other scenarios with dedicated Fast Track Servers. We ran Queuing Macro under five different staffing scenarios: (Please note that we have dedicated Fast track servers in Scenarios 4 and 5) Scenario No| No of Standard Servers| No of Fast Track Servers| 1| 8| 0| 2| 9| 0| 3| 10| 0| 4| 7| 1| 5| 7| 3| The following results were observed:Refer to Appendix 3 for spreadsheet calculations. As observed in the data, Scenario 2 and 3 succeed in keeping Average waiting for track customers to less than 1 minute. Scenario 2 uses less number of resources. Scenario 2 (9 technicians) is the best staffing level, without dedicated servers for Fast Track. Economics of Fast Track We’ve now established that Scenario 2 and 3 keep average wait time to less than 1 minute to help meet the Fast Track Guarantee. In Scenario2, The average server utilization is 75%, which is an adequate level.The additional yearly net revenue that can be obtained ranges from $54,325 to $376,300 depending if 10% or 40% of customers become Fast Track customers. In Scenario 3, The average server utilization is 68%, which is not as good as in the previous scenario. The additional yearly net revenue that can be obtained is also less attractive, ranging from $1,325 to $323,300. Also considering a scenario where we keep 11 technicians, The average server utilization decreases to 62%. The additional net revenue/loss that can be obtained per year is now not so attractive, ranging from a net loss of 51,675 to a net revenue of $270,300. Scenario 2 (9 Servers) offers the best revenue opportunities. Free Service for Fast customers waiting over 1 minute. We did some simulations to see what happens if BAT offers Fast Track service, charging $2 / minute, but giving the service for free if the customer waits over 1 minute. According to the â€Å"Queuing† macro, with 1 additional server there is a 30. 7% chance that any given customer (whether Fast Track or Standard) will wait more than 1 minute.Considering that 10% of these customers are Fast Track individuals, we obtain an arrival rate of 30. 7% * 10% * 22. 5 customers/hr = 0. 69 customers / hr. On the other hand, considering that 40% of customers are Fast Track individuals, we obtain an arrival rate of 30. 7% * 40% * 22. 5 customers/hr = 2. 7 customers / hr This means that, on average, the number of Fast Track customers who will wait over 1 minute ranges from 0. 69 / hr to 2. 7 / hr. In other words, roughly anywhere from 1 to 3 Fast Track customers per hour will be waived from the Fast Track fee.As seen on Appendix â€Å"xxxxx† (Table 4), this rep resents a loss of annual revenue ranging between $2,197 and $8,786. However, despite declines in revenue, this fee-waiver option will surely improve customer’s experience and customer loyalty. Therefore, we recommend Scenario 2 (hiring 1 additional server) in order to implement Fast Track, charging $2 / minute and including the fee-waiver option if waiting time exceeds 1 minute. Service Contracts vs Pay per call There are several aspects to consider when deciding if BAT should offer service contracts or just pay-per-call.Firstly, offering charged technician support goes against BAT’s original value proposition, however, pay-per-call maintained free service option. Also, pay-per-call could differentiate itself from the industry norm. It is easier for customers to accept. BAT has been offering free technician service to support its product since the founding of the company. Free technician support is part of BAT’s value proposition to customers. While charging pay -per-call service is already deviating from BAT’s core value, following the industry norm to offer service contracts could negatively impact the value proposition of BAT.Secondly, offer service contracts require higher investment caused by increased volume of customer calls. With pay-per-call service, customer will only call technician support when they are encountering problems that are urgent and customer can not only solve by themselves in a timely fashion. And since the call is charged on the minute basis, customers are more likely to keep the call short. Whereas, with service contracts, customers could call technician support with any question, and tend to stay on the line longer that they actually need to.There will be an increase of number of phone calls if BAT decides to offer service contracts. The increase of number of phone calls and prolonged time for each phone call will require BAT to invest heavily in terms of human resource and training. Overall, in terms of e conomic value and flexibility in operation, the Pay-per-call option is more preferable than service contracts. Pay-per-call requires less investment in human resource and training, also it has the flexibility to not charge customer, if their waiting time exceeds 1 minute.

Types of Literary Criticism

Types of Literary Criticism Since ancient times, readers have debated and critiqued literature from a variety of perspectives. Some have looked at a story or play from a moral stance, considering how values are represented in a text. Another critic might evaluate a poem in terms of its form. Recent critics have looked at literature to see what it might be saying about our lives in society, our political or power relations, gender roles, or sexuality. Below I have summarized some types of literary criticism you might consider when reading or writing about literature.If you're interested in knowing more, see the Purdue Online Writing Lab or OWL or read Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide, by Louis Tyson. The Gavilan library website offers resources for students conducting research on literature. (You will need a Gavilan library card to access this information and can apply for a card in person or online. ) The library also has a helpful website on Academic Research Guidelines that will help you identify legitmate sources for your research and avoid plagiarism.See me, a librarian, and/or a writing assistant at the Gavilan Writing Center for help with writing about literature. * Moral Criticism, Dramatic Construction (~360 BC-present) * Formalism, New Criticism, Neo-Aristotelian Criticism (1930s-present) * Psychoanalytic Criticism, Jungian Criticism(1930s-present) * Marxist Criticism (1930s-present) * Reader-Response Criticism (1960s-present) * Structuralism/Semiotics (1920s-present) * Post-Structuralism/Deconstruction (1966-present) * New Historicism/Cultural Studies (1980s-present) * Post-Colonial Criticism (1990s-present) Feminist Criticism (1960s-present) * Gender/Queer Studies (1970s-present) Sociological criticism: Like historical criticism, sociological criticism examines literature in the cultural, economic, and political context in which it is written or received. This type of criticism may analyze the social content of a literary work—the cultural, economic, or political values a particular text implicitly or explicitly expresses. Reader-response criticism: This type of criticism attempts to describe what happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a text.A reader-response critic might also explore the impact of a particular text on his or her own ideas or values. For example, one might reflect on how a particular character seems admirable or unlikable and why. One might reflect on how one’s religious, culture, or social values affect readings. It also overlaps with gender criticism in exploring how men and women may read the same text with different assumptions. Gender criticism: This type of criticism examines how sexual identity influences the creation and reception of literary works.Gender studies originated during the feminist movement, when critics began investigating the unexamined assumptions around gender in a piece of literature. Feminist critics explored how an author’s gender migh t—consciously or unconsciously—affect his or her writing. These critics may also explore how images of men or women in literature might reflect or reject the social norms around gender in a particular society. Mythological criticism: Mythological critics explore the universal patterns underlying a literary work.This type of criticism draws on the insights of anthropology, history, psychology, and comparative religion to explore how a text uses myths and symbols drawn from different cultures and epochs. A central concept in mythological criticism is the archetype, a symbol, character, situation, or image that evokes a deep universal response. For example, critic Joseph Campbell, in his books like The Hero with a Thousand Faces, demonstrates how similar mythic characters and situations, like the hero’s journey, appear in virtually every culture.Biographical criticism: Biographical critics explore how understanding an author’s life can help readers more thor oughly comprehend the literary work. Note: biographical critics are not concerned with simply describing the author’s life but instead with interpreting the literary work using the insights provided by knowledge of the author’s life. New Historicism: New historicist critics look at the impact of the politics, ideologies, and social customs of the author’s world on the themes, images, and characterizations of a text.This type of critic considers the historical events or conditions during which the work was written. Psychoanalytic criticism: This type of criticism views the themes, conflicts, and characterizations of a work primarily as a reflection of the needs, emotions, states of mind, or subconscious desires of the author. Formalist criticism: Formalist critics look closely at the work itself, analyzing the various elements of the work as a way of explicating or interpreting a text.