The Glass Ceiling essays

The Glass Ceiling essays The Glass Ceiling How it has prevented Over the past decades, women have succeeded in conquering several rather daunting barriers in the workplace. But one of the most commonly asked questions about the glass ceiling is: why does it still exist? One of the most basic answers to this question is: because we havent seen it clearly for what it is. Describing it more accurately becomes, potentially, a very useful activity. Talking about the glass ceiling in terms of global, societal, or philosophical issues is no substitute for defining the problem in functional terms. The more we describe the glass ceiling in terms of discrimination, the clearer it will be to see how it has prevented employment to corporations. In 1979, women earned just 62.5 cents for every dollar earned by men. In the 1970s, women finally realized money is power and no one gives up power voluntarily. Also, more college-educated women joined the workforce. In fact, between 1975 and 1991, womens enrollment in higher education increased from 45.5% to 55%. But was this enrollment sufficient to satisfy womens needs and desire to someday be head manager of a corporation? Or to finally break the glass ceiling that was one day holding her back from showing her abilities to higher management? Unfortunately, the glass ceiling barriers still exists in todays workforce. If glass ceiling existed, corporations would allow employees to see through to the world above them. Because glass is clear, those existing under such a ceiling might not, at first, even notice that a barrier was in place that separated them from higher levels. Yet if they tried to pass through, they would quickly learn that the ceiling prevented any such r ise. This analogy has been offered by some people to describe glass ceiling as a term that describes the artificial plateau, beyond which women and other minorities are denied the...

The Impact of Trucker Driver Wellness Programs

The Impact of Trucker Driver Wellness Programs The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recently interviewed nearly 1,700 truckers about their health and work- and the results were shocking. 69% were obese. 54% smoked. And 88% reported at least one risk factor for chronic disease. Improving trucker wellness is a no-brainer for any long-haul fleet; it can help prevent high turnover rates, but also helps retain the most talented employees without having to lose them to disease or poor health.It’s never been easy to stay fit or healthy on the long-haul, but it’s no longer possible to ignore the impact on truckers’ health. Melton Truck Lines in Tulsa, OK, first rolled out an intervention program aimed at helping drivers who might be close to failing their physicals to lower their blood pressure and glucose levels. They hired a wellness manager, implemented a weight loss and voluntary lipid-panel testing program to guard against creeping cholesterol levels, and converted an employee smoking lounge into a gym. Melton’s Tulsa headquarters also added a landscaped walking and jogging trail, a fresh and healthy cafà ©, and a clinic providing no-cost primary medical care to employees.Getting drivers to participate in their own health is the cornerstone of the program. Melton even offers a â€Å"Health Concierge† service that helps employees sort through their health care costs and needs. There are various incentives and motivational programs, an online community, and even an app to keep employees motivated.While it’s hard to measure the success of these new initiatives on turnover rates, more drivers are passing their DOT physicals. And the number of employees who identified as having three medical risk factors dropped from 51% to 38% within one year. The number of employees reporting zero risk factors went up from 13% to 17% in that same year.Other companies have followed suit. Celadon Trucking launched their â€Å"Highway to Health† program in 2006, with similar screenings and incentives, as well as nutritional and exercise programs, and a full-service primary care medical clinic in their Indianapolis headquarters (as of 2011). And Schneider also has a Health and Wellness Manager to oversee their programs and focus on keeping individual truckers as healthy and productive as possible, which makes them safer on the road.We can only hope these trends begin to spread throughout the industry and become standard practice- for the benefit of everyone involved.The Impact of Truck Driver Wellness Programs

American global supremacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American global supremacy - Essay Example Walters, whom I interviewed for this project. I chose to interview him, my uncle who is going to be 75 in December, because he is a very knowledgeable and shrewd man. He was with the army as a doctor for his entire career until retirement. During his many appointments, he was posted in various countries all over the world and thus was an ideal candidate to elucidate on this topic. I took notes as we had a casual conversation. When I asked him whether he thought America was a ‘superpower’ right now, he explained to me what a superpower is. He said: The superpower is the nation that has a say in the world events and decisions the most. There cannot be a superpower without there being nations who give it that status, just like there cannot be a leader without having followers who want him to lead†¦ Before the 20th century, Great Britain provided tutelage to the world, as it had colonies and followers all over†¦ Look up history, you know, books and biographies and you will see the superpowers the world has seen, rule and then disintegrate. Soviet Union happened just a couple decades ago. However, the world has never been as global as it is now. America was building up to take this position when there was want of hope and optimism in the 17th, 18th centuries. It gained that position, and the acceptance from other nations in the 20th century. When I asked him how America came to be a superpower, he said it was through invention, progress and trade. Americans have always been very open, adventurous and have opted to set up work sites (Steingart) and joint ventures in countries all over the world. American language, food and culture have precipitated world over. From McDonalds to Apple, email to ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’, American items have penetrated all the cultures of the world in some form. Another very important factor that established the position of the US in the global arena is the US dollar. It has become the global currency for trade in the

The Morality of Death Penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Morality of Death Penalty - Research Paper Example Why death penalty is moralProponents of death penalty argue that aspiring criminals are likely to refrain from murder if the system makes it undoubtedly clear, through constant executions, that the same fate will befall them if they continued their criminal behavior of murder (Moore, 2014). The fact that murder is planned justifies death penalty. However, owing to the fact that there are other equally pertinent triggers of murder, capital punishment may arguably reduce cases of murder but only among those who are reasonable in the run-up to the commission of the crime. Regardless, while capital punishment prevents cases of murder among a majority of criminals, especially those who fear for their lives, the remaining cases of murders are arguably attributed to other stimuli such as substance influence, extreme anger, betrayal and or vengeance. Hinman (2012) noted that with capital punishment being made real for murderers, many criminals will likely participate in lesser crimes as a wa y of self-preservation. As such, capital punishment serves as the ultimate cautionary against all felonies including theft. The argument is especially credible because a criminal who is fully aware that the criminal justice system will hand him or her death penalty will seek more favorable penalties by refraining from murder. It is rational, therefore, to argue that the average criminal may refrain from robbery even if they did not have the intention of murdering the property owner or possessor.

Microsoft Corporation Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Microsoft Corporation Case Analysis Essay Industry Evaluation Software is an integral part of todays uncertain economy, as the push for greater globalization and efficiency drives much of the spending in business markets around the world. In order to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive global market, companies are spending more and more on hardware and software infrastructures (Yahoo!Finance, 2006). Microsoft is among 413 companies that produce and distribute application software products and services. These companies are all part of the Application Software industry within the technology sector, which is dominated by one software giant; Microsoft. More specifically, Microsoft is categorized into the Developmental Tools, Operating Systems, and Utility Software subindustry, which includes companies that design, develop, market, and support software for developing, testing, and debugging applications; for computer maintenance; and for desktop management (Hoovers.com, 2006). Microsoft, Oracle Corp, CA Inc., and SAP Aktiengesellschaft, with a four-firm concentration ratio of 39% dominate the industry. Most of the other 411 firms in the industry specialize in smaller niches, providing specialized software services such as accounting, business management, etcetera, and have profits under $1 billion per year. For this reason, the computer application industry has monopolistic competition (MSN Money, 2006). The top-selling software company is currently Microsoft, with $41.4 billion in sales in 2005, and is joined in the competitive arena by other top sellers such as Oracle Corp. with $12.9 billion and SAP Aktiengesellschaft with $10.4 billion. Other industry leaders in sales include CA Inc., Intuit Inc., Adobe Systems Inc., B.M.C. Software, Compuware Corp., and Novell Inc., each experiencing revenues exceeding $1 billion during 2005. Within the Developmental Tools, Operating Systems, and Utility Software subindustry, top competitors include Microsoft, International Business Machines (IBM), SAP Aktiengesellschaft, and Computer Associates International, who ranked a respective first, second, third, and fourth in application software sales (Yahoo!Finance, 2006). The Computer Software industry is largely dominated by Microsoft, which commands 54% of market sales among its top ten competitors, as listed above. The following chart details the market share of these ten main players in the industry (Yahoo!Finance, 2006): Within the legal environment, the software industry has been shaken by  several recent regulations that are revitalizing industries within the business market of the United States. Among them are the US Patriot Act, which dictates that companies providing financial services must have the ability to detect the occurrence of money laundering; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which mandates that companies provide real-time disclosure of events that might affect their financial performance and deep records of e-mail and instant messages exchanged between employees (Yahoo!Finance, 2006). Finally, antitrust laws have been an ongoing threat to the industry. Microsoft has finally reached a settlement after an ongoing antitrust investigation, and agreed to allow manufacturers to include competing software with Windows and uniformly license its operating systems (Antitrust Case Filings, 2006). New technological developments are revitalizing the software industry. The most recent and significant development includes a new set of web-friendly applications that, as of yet, has no official name. These web services can be assembled from standardized building blocks, meaning that any number of applications may be assembled in a variety of ways. Because of this, companies are able to develop enterprise applications to run on a wide range of software and hardware infrastructures and cater to the specific demands of their respective market segments. The companies that will maintain market share in the up-and-coming web era are those that are able to develop products that will be compatible on a wide range of hardware platforms. Massive consolidations have recently become characteristic of the software industry. Largely due to acquisitions, IBMs software holdings have grown a great deal. Small specialists companies face the greatest danger from large software providers such as Oracle, who recently acquired PeopleSoft and Siebel for $10.3 and $5.9 billion, respectively. If growth slows in their subindustries, these small companies who cater to specific niches become vulnerable to large companies offering extensive suites of enterprise applications that serve a variety of functions such as the industry leaders (Yahoo!Finance, 2006). Following suit after other mature industries such as electronics and apparel,  a large number of IT and software providers have begun outsourcing much of their manufacturing and RD functions to countries outside of the United States. Software companies are now able to hire manufacturers and product developers in countries such as India, Mexico, and China for much less than it would cost in the U.S. (MSN Money, 2006) The tragedy of the September 11 terrorist attacks as well as other post 9/11 attacks prompted another significant trend in the software industry when the United States government cranked down on security. By restructuring their communication systems, they opened a door to struggling software providers who began to provide new, more secure applications to governmental departments and agencies (Yahoo!Finance, 2006) A final trend reflects the popularity of Linux and other open-source code operating systems. While the Linux operating system is probably the most widely known and widely used open source code, the idea of open source is gaining momentum and popularity. Companies that provide their products for a nominal subscription fee and generate income based on training and support services have adopted the open source concept as a counter-intuitive business model, with which they counter the more traditional selling of products for profit model (Hill and Jones, 2005). Once online collaboration and word processing applications are fully developed and grow in usage and popularity, the researchers predict that the software industry will see a rise in sales of those kinds of products, and possibly a decline in the sale of PC compatible product that serve the same types of functions. The reason for this is that once these tools are available, consumers will realize that they may access and edit their documents or projects from any computer or PDA with internet access, without having to worry about being on the specific machine or machines that contain the documents they need. Currently, almost all users of open source software are computer-savvy programming professionals. In the future however, more consumers will use this type of software for business and personal use. This is forecasted by a  growing number of applications developed from open source codes such as Linux, as well as increasing popularity of these programs. If this comes to pass, then Linux and other open source applications and operating systems may accumulate market share, thus depriving it from Microsoft and Oracle. Strategic Evaluation Microsoft supports a number of values that translate into goals that the company strives to attain. These goals include doing business with honesty and integrity; to have passion for customers, partners, and technology; to be open and respectful, to take on big challenges and see through them; constructive self-criticism, self-improvement, and personal excellence; to help foster growth and innovation, and to be accountable to customers, shareholders, partners, and employees for commitments, results, and quality. These goals, however, are immeasurable, intangible, and unspecific. There is no timeline for achieving them, and no way to determine whether or not they have been acheived. There are, however, more specific goals that the company hopes to attain that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and tangible. Goals for the future include making technology available to one quarter of a billion people by 2010. Another goal is to fuse together Windows development and Web development to enrich Windows applications (Stu, 2003). By doing this, Microsoft may be able to convince consumes to use the rich application features of Windows. Another goal is to unify the disparate Windows communications and enterprise technologies into a common and simple framework that is competitive with Java Enterprise Edition. Microsoft needs to provide an alternative to this model unless it wants to see Java retain its lock on the server software market. This goal is consistant with Microsofts approach of taking the lead in developing a new computing standard. (Microsoft, 2006) The mission statement of Microsoft Corporation is At Microsoft, we work to help people and businesses throughout the world  realize their full potential. This is our mission. Everything we do reflects this mission and the values that make it possible.- Microsoft, 2006 The mission statement is clear in representing Microsoft as dedicated in providing the best products to help its customers achieve and realize their full potential. The mission statement is strong, and is very personable by saying At Microsoft, and repeating that this is Microsofts mission statement. The statement repeats itself in the third sentence, saying, everything we do reflects helping everyone in the world understand his or her full potential. Using words to repeat parts of the mission statement makes it bolder to the reader. The statement is broad enough to allow the company to expand into unfamiliar markets or businesses, or both. However, it is narrow enough that it focuses the company on aiding people in reaching their fullest potential. By adhering to this mission statement, employees at Microsoft look to the customers, not the shareholders, as the reason the company exists. It is clear to express that the company does not exist solely to make a profits or please shareholders. It reflects the desire of the management at Microsoft to make a difference in the world and help those who wish to success do so. Functional Review Marketing Analysis Microsoft focuses on the development of software, which includes products such as Office, Project, Visio, FoxPro, and more. The software packages aide in the creation of business documents, databases, and projects, as well as helps consumers manage their day-to-day lives. Microsoft has seven different product divisions: Client, Server and Tools, Information Worker, Microsoft Business Solution, MSN, Mobile and Embedded Devices, and Home and Entertainment (Microsoft, 2006). The Client segment has responsibility for engineering, product delivery, and technical architecture for the Windows product family. It also handles Microsofts  relationships with personal computer manufacturers, including multinational and regional original equipment manufacturer accounts (SEC, 2006). Server and Tools is responsible for the server system products and all related services. These services include providing advice for requirements needed for the system to operate properly, custom solution services, and business application planning for the operating systems. Information Worker involves licensing software to several types of users such as small to large corporations, homes, and specialized categories like students. This division releases a major change in software every two to three years. Microsoft Business Solutions deals primarily with developing and marketing offerings to manage financial, customer relationship and supply chain management functions for small and midsize businesses, large organizations and divisions of global enterprises. MSN is accountable for delivering online services that look to empower users by bringing them to the people and information that matter most. The Mobile and Embedded Devices section is responsible for the marketing and development of products that extend the advantages of the Windows platform to many types of devices. The Home and Entertainment segment is in charge of production, development, and marketing for the Xbox video gaming system (SEC, 2006). Another way Microsoft is continuing to broaden their customer base is by establishing itself into the gaming industry. An example of this is the innovative Xbox 360 Microsoft launched during the 2005 Christmas season. Microsoft has begun to explore new markets, like television, with the rising success of the Xbox 360 and the changing demographics. Microsoft realizes that demographics are changing to a younger generation and efforts must be made to accommodate their needs as well. (Wikipedia, 2006) In the past, Microsofts target market has been men of the ages of eighteen through thirty-four. The company is currently expanding the market it targets by experimenting with two methods of reaching the seventeen and younger age group. The first is through the gaming industry, with the release of the Xbox gaming system. The company is also developing a television show to reach this age group (Goo, 2006). Another strategy Microsoft is pursuing involves meeting its global clientele where they are  in terms of their economic and financial needs (Evers, 2006). These changes in strategy and products reflect Microsofts goal of expanding its target market. While there is risk involved with these changes, there is also the potential for returns above a normal profit. Another way Microsoft is continuing to broaden their customer base is by establishing itself into the gaming industry. An example of this is the innovative Xbox 360 Microsoft launched during the 2005 Christmas season. Microsoft has begun to explore new markets, like television, with the rising success of the Xbox 360 and the changing demographics. Microsoft realizes that demographics are changing to a younger generation and efforts must be made to accommodate their needs as well. (Wikipedia, 2006) Microsoft has established a presence in the international market. The headquarters, including most of the research and development centers, is located in Redmond, Washington. The company has several manufacturing facilities to meet supply needs on a global scale. These facilities are located in various places such as: Dublin, Ireland, Humacao, Puerto Rico, Reno, Nevada and Singapore just to name a few locations. Microsoft currently employees 40,081 in North America and 63,564 world-wide to help them meet growing demand for their products (Microsoft, 2006). Microsoft uses a wide variety of media to influence the demand of their products. Traditional types of advertising are used for global campaigns including television, print, and Internet (Microsoft.com, 2006). The company uses computer magazines to compare companies or products such as the case of Linux versus Microsoft. Microsofts goal is to reach a certain target market. In addition, Microsoft is implementing a new advertising campaign using the Internet in competition with Yahoo and Google. In the campaign, customers will be asked to fill out a survey; from there the data will be used to display personal ads of interest to the consumer. If a consumer chooses not to fill out the survey the company will provide them with general ads that are generated from the search. The goal in the long-run is to learn the customers want and needs for future purchases (Oser, 2006). The manufacturing function for most of Microsofts products is outsourced. A vendor supplies the parts needed to assemble the Xbox gaming system. This outsourcing strategy can be a drawback on two counts. Firstly, Microsoft relinquishes some control of the pricing of this product because it cannot control the manufacturing costs. Secondly, there is a threat of the manufacturer leaking product knowledge to Microsofts competitors. At the same time however, Microsoft has no legal obligation to the manufacturer, and can manufacture these products internally. Microsoft employs several vendors to supply parts that Microsoft manufactures. These components are purchased at a discount rate, and Microsoft keeps excess inventory in stock in case of shortages (Microsoft, 2006). The company has decided to do an 18 month campaign to advertise the differences between Microsoft and Linux giving the benefits of using our products. Some advantages to Microsofts products include: being user-friendly software and applications, as well as having a strong reputation in that area. Therefore, the cost would be greater to retrained employee how to use Linux software in the business industry for server application use. In dealing with more recent security issues, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has a code-flaw in the browser that makes it vulnerable to hackers. This flaw can allow hackers to infect a system with various code-scripts, which puts the system under attack. To have security issues associated with the companys name can produce a bad reputation. Microsofts goals are to have compassion for customers, for partners, and technology. The company wants to train and make technology available to a quarter of the billion people in the world by 2010. In addition, Microsoft shows passion towards customers by offering specialized advertisements to expose the varied selection of products to the consumer. Another goal is to exhibit openness and respectfulness, which will gain a huge amount of respect from the consumer. This is achieved by receiving feedback from our employees, government agencies, and community leaders which will lead to improve Microsofts business. Microsoft is staying on task of taking on large challenges by endeavoring to change their demographics of customers. In addition, the  company takes constructive criticism, and uses this as a way to improve; criticism in forms of comments and suggestions. Microsoft will accomplish this task through research and development and feedback. Other goals are to give personal excellence, and have accountability to customers, shareholders, partners, and employees for commitments, results, and quality. These achievable tasks would help Microsoft stay in the business for years to come (Microsoft, 2006). Production Analysis Microsoft alters its products to me needs of its global customers. The company translates the text and changes the appearance of its applications to make them understandable in that language. This is one reason Microsoft has a reputation for being developing user-friendly applications for its consumers. Other tasks the company is involved with include processing orders, payment options, processing needed information, and supplier management (Microsoft.com, 2006). These tasks are essential to maintaining good relations with Microsofts customers and suppliers. In addition, these tasks make it possible to make necessary changes when there are problems in distribution or manufacturing of Microsofts software. Microsoft outsources all of its manufacturing function except for a few, including the assemblage of the Xbox 360. A vendor supplies the needed parts for this product. This action can be a drawback because it limits Microsoft in its ability to control pricing aspects of this product. There is also the threat that suppliers will share the knowledge of this product with Microsofts competitors. Although this is a threat, Microsoft is under the no legal obligation to continue working with that supplier. Several vendors supply parts for all other products Microsoft assembles. Components for these products are purchased at a discount. Microsoft keeps an inventory of spare parts on hand if needed (Microsoft, 2006). Management Analysis Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, and in a few years, they  expanded to Bellevue, Washington from Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there, Microsoft began creating and developing new and revolutionary technology. In 1981, IBM introduced its personal computer with Microsofts 16-bit operating system, MS-DOS 1.0 (Microsoft, 2006). Because of its quality, this operating system became popular. Microsofts stock went public. Over the next twenty years, Microsoft created more technical and versatile operating systems such as Windows 95, 98, and the current Windows XP. This success has lead to worldwide expansion creating thousands of jobs. Microsoft is the worlds largest software company with over 50,000 employees in various countries as of May 2004 (Microsoft, 2006). Microsoft has become a needed portion of the personal computing market in which many PC retailers have sold their machines pre-equipped with Microsofts software. Because of its large and substantial business, Microsoft was found to be a monopoly among computer software and because of this, Microsoft has experience financial success. In 1998, a lawsuit found that Microsoft was using its monopoly power to defeat its competitors (Reference.com, 2006). Microsoft appealed and showed how changing their companys operations would bring the financial success down increasingly. A board of directors, who play a major role in decision-making and many fundamentals of the company, run Microsoft. The Chief Executive Officer is Steven Ballmer who joined with Microsoft in 1980 and was the first business manager hired by Bill Gates (Microsoft, 2006). In 1998, Ballmer was appointed President and this gave him full responsibility for running the corporation. 2 years later, he became CEO (in 2000) and this gave him full privilege over all the managers and staff of Microsoft. Following Ballmer is James I. Cash, Jr, Dina Dublon, Bill Gates, Raymond V. Gilmartin, Ann McLaughlin Korologos, David F. Margaurdt, Charles H. Noski, Helmut Panke and Jon A. Shirley. A lot of talent and skill is required to work in any position at Microsoft. They seek out motivated individuals who are experienced in communications and leadership. The purpose for finding such trained individuals is to lower training costs of the company. The Corporate Operations is Microsofts backbone, constructing, managing, and running the various services that support the companys 50,000 employees (Microsoft, 2006). This statement shows that Microsoft is dependent on two sections of their management staff; the corporate and administrative services. These departments are responsible for management, public relations, providing company-wide administrative support, building new office space, and other tasks. Financial Analysis Microsoft Corporation has achieved excellence in since 1975 in the application software industry. They finished the 2005 fiscal year with a market capitalization of $288.20 billion, doubling the closest competitor, IBM which came in second in market capitalization with $131.00 billion, and an industry average of a low $136.51 million (Hoovers, 2006). Microsoft Corporation has been enjoying a steady growth in revenue over the past three fiscal years. This has been achieved with the growing popularity of PC use in the world over this time period. Microsofts preliminary estimates showed a growth of worldwide PC shipments from 11% to 13%, and total server hardware shipments grew approximately 13% to 14% during the 2005 fiscal year compared to fiscal year 2004 (Yahoo! Finance). This has caused a growth in revenue of 8% from $36,835 million to $39,788 million from fiscal year 2004 to 2005 (U.S. SEC). This revenue growth was driven by growth in licensing of Windows Server operating systems and other server application, licensing of Windows Client operating systems through OEMs, and increased licensing of Office and other Information Worker products (Yahoo! Finance). The 2004 fiscal year ended with an overall growth of $4,648 billion from the previous fiscal year 2003, an increase of over 12%. Over the past five years, Microsoft Corporation has generated revenue of over $162 billion. This is an increase of 73% and about $75 billion of this is derived from net cash flow from operations. Shareholders received a return of $69 billion of this revenue in dividends and stock repurchases. With the launching of the Xbox 360, Windows Vista, and newer versions of existing software in 2006 fiscal year, Microsoft expects to have an equal or larger  increase of the past five years in the next five years (Microsoft, 2006). Net income for the fiscal year 2005 was $12,254 which is an increase of $4,086 million from the 2004 fiscal year. This is due to small decreases in operating expenses from the previous year with emphasis on research and development, a decrease of over $1.5 billion. Although decreasing in fiscal year 2005, a large jump in expenses occurred from fiscal year 2003 to 2004. Microsoft increased their total operating expenses by $5,159 million to $27,801 million in fiscal year 2004. Although decreasing expenses worked for the fiscal year 2005, decreases in research and development in the future might cause the industry to get the edge on Microsoft and revenues decrease (Microsoft, 2006). Operating income has also increased substantially during these two fiscal years with a total increase of 61%. Although it had a 5% decline from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2004, operating income jumped from a marginal $9,034 million in 2004 to an excellent $14,561 million in fiscal year ending 2005 (U.S. SEC). According to Yahoo! Finance, the operating income increase for fiscal year 2005 was driven by a decline in stock-based compensation expense; increased revenue in Server and Tools, Client, and Information Worker; and a reduction in legal costs associated with major litigation. Some key ratios will point out Microsofts position in accordance to the industry. Holding a total debt to equity ratio of 0.00, compared to 0.03 of the industry, Microsoft has showed that they have successfully controlled their assets without any debt, dating back as far as fiscal year 1996. The total debt to total asset ratio also confirms these successes with a low 0.33. This has a great statistic from an investor or shareholders eyes because there is potential for a high payout. Microsoft has a current ratio of 2.8, compared to the industries average of 2.3. This shows us that Microsoft can pay off any debt that may occur, and can continue operating with cash left over. The quick ratio is currently at 2.5 with an industry average of 2.1. Because this number is so close in comparison with the current ratio, this tells us that Microsoft is not dependent on their inventory. These three financial ratios show us that Microsoft Corporation  is achieving excellence in comparison to the industry (MSN, 2006). Both the gross profit margin and the net profit margin percentages will show us the financial health of the company. Microsoft Corporations net profit margin is over 7% higher that the industries average, at 30.8% compared to 23.5%. This tells us that 31.6% of the companys revenue can be kept as profit. Fiscal year 2005 is an increase of 8.6% from fiscal year 2004 and a small decrease of 0.2% from fiscal year 2003. Their gross profit margin is 87.3%, compared to 82.6% of the industries average. Although the industries average of these two ratios is healthy as well, Microsoft still holds better percentages (MSN, 2006). The companys price ratios will show some different trends in comparison to the industry from the other ratios presented. Although the earnings per share (EPS) are currently much higher than the industry average and the previous year, it is lower than some of the direct competitors. The EPS in the fiscal year 2005 was 1.13, which is considerably higher than the industries average of 0.15. This is not a bad ratio if you own share in the company, but two of the closest competitors is producing a much higher rate; Googles EPS is at 5.021 and IBMs is at 4.875. Although this might turn some investors away, numbers have been improving over the past three years. Fiscal year 2003 had an EPS of only $0.70 but increased to $0.76 in fiscal year 2004. The large increase came in fiscal year 2005 when EPS increased almost $0.40 to $1.13. With the latest innovations Microsoft has developed, these numbers will increase as investors see the future of Microsoft. Microsoft price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is more attractive than EPS with a ratio of 22.9. Although conservative investors may feel this number is too high, this ratio is much better than the industry average of 27.3 which might influence these investors to invest in Microsoft instead of the direct competitors (MSN, 2006). Management effectiveness ratios like return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) will show us how well the management at Microsoft Corporation is doing. With an ROA of 19.4%, over 5% higher than the industry average of 13.9%, Microsoft is very profitable in relation to the total assets of the  company. This is a substantial increase from 8.8% and 12.6% in fiscal year 2004 and 2003 respectively. The profit per dollar, or ROE of Microsoft, is 29.5%. This is close to 7% higher than the industry average of 22.6% and 18.6% than fiscal year 2004. This shows that Microsoft Corporation is achieving a higher profit from their investors per dollar in comparison to the industries. Although there was a large increase from fiscal year 2004 to 2005, a decrease of 5.5% occurred between fiscal year 2003 and 2004 (MSN, 2006). The efficiency of the company is struggling in comparison to the industry in one way, inventory turnover. The inventory turnover is currently much lower than the industries. With a low 8.1 compared to 28.4 of the industry average, Microsofts inventory turnover might indicate poor sales. Both Microsoft and the industry average of asset turnover are 0.6, indicating that 0.6 of every dollar is revenue. Microsoft is doing a better job than the industry in comparing the accounts receivable turnover, but not a significant amount. The accounts receivable turnover is at 5.7 with an industry average of 5.2. Both Microsoft and the industry are collecting payments from its customers in a timely manner. They are, however, significantly behind SP 500 which has an accounts receivable turnover ratio of 7.5 (MSN, 2006). A thorough research of cash flows will show the company heading in the right direction. Net operating, investing, and financing cash flows all increased from the fiscal year 2004 to 2005. Fiscal year 2005 showed an increase of 14% to $16.61 billion in cash flow from operations. This is derived from an increase in cash receipts from customers driven by the 8% revenue growth of the company. Cash payments decreased by approximately $1.8 billion from the previous year from binding legal settlements. These factors played the major role in the increase of operating cash flow. Keeping operating cash flows down was payments to the 7% increase in full-time employees added during the fiscal year 2005. This is a great recovery from fiscal year 2004 considering operating cash flow dropped by $1.17 billion from fiscal year 2003. Over two billion of this was from the Sun Microsystems settlement and the European Commission fine. The small offsetting gain is from increases cash receipts  from customers. Net financing cash flow showed a large increase from $2.36 billion in fiscal year 2004 to $41.08 billion in fiscal year 2005. This increase is driven by an additional $34.38 billion of cash dividends paid, and an additional $4.67 billion in cash used for common stock repurchases in fiscal year 2005 from fiscal year 2004. Net financing cash flow did have a substantial decrease from fiscal year 2003 to 2004 of almost $3 billion. However, this decrease is due the company not repurchasing common stock in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2004 and an increase of $628 million from stock issuances of employee stock option exercises. An increase of $872 million in cash dividends during this fiscal year offset the numbers provided. Net investing cash flow for fiscal year 2005 was $15.03 billion, an increase of $18.37 billion from the previous year. Investment maturities that occurred to fund cash dividends paid increased by $23.59 billion in fiscal year 2005. Offsetting this figure was the decrease of $5.32 billion in cash from sale activity and investment purchases. Cash used for investing was $3.34 billion in fiscal year 2004, a decrease of $3.88 billion from fiscal year 2003 (Microsoft, 2006). Model Analysis The Boston Consulting Group Matrix is a representation of the status of Microsoft in the current market. There are four different categories that fall under the matrix, Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks and Dogs. The highest category and most self-efficient is the Stars with very high growth and high share. Next in the matrix: Cash Cows, which are low in growth and high in shares. The third category in the matrix is the Question Marks which are high in growth and low in shares. Last are the Dogs which are very low in both growth and shares. Microsoft would be placed in the Stars category simply because the company is constantly growing and is very self-sustaining. Strategic Alternatives 1. Develop a Microsoft version of open source software by exploiting Microsofts distinctive competency for developing software. This will give  Microsoft an edge in the open market by allowing it to effectively compete with current alternatives to Microsoft products, such as Linux, Sun Systems, and other open source/free software products. This alternative will give Microsoft the opportunity to increase its revenues by offering support services and training for these products. 2. Acquire Red Hat Inc. or another successful Linux provider. By combining the rising popularity of the open source concept with the ongoing success of Microsofts application software, the image of Microsoft will improve and launch the company into the increasingly popular open source market. 3. Improve current product line. Increase research and development spending to improve the dependability and security of current products. Then, implement an advertising campaign through several mediums to stress the superior quality of Microsofts products.

Blindness In Oedipus The King Essay -- essays research papers

Blindness plays a two-fold part in Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus the King.'; First, Sophocles presents blindness as a physical disability affecting the auger Teiresias, and later Oedipus; but later, blindness comes to mean an inability to see the evil in one’s actions and the consequences that ensue. The irony in this lies in the fact that Oedipus, while gifted with sight, is blind to himself, in contrast to Teiresias, blind physically, but able to see the evil to which Oedipus has fallen prey to. Tragically, as Oedipus gains the internal gift of sight, he discards his outward gift of sight. Sight, therefore, seems to be like good and evil, a person may only choose one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teiresias, prophet of Phoebus, was stricken with blindness to the physical world, but, as a result, gained the gift of sight into the spiritual world. This great gift allowed him to become a superior prophet, praised by the people as “god like'; and as a person “in whom the truth lives.'; Therefore, it was no surprise that Oedipus asked the old prophet to come before the people to enlighten them as to who or what the cause of the plague decimating their country was. What Oedipus was not expecting, however, was that the sin he could not see himself was to blame for the judgement being poured out upon the country. The sin so hidden from Oedipus’ and the peoples’ eyes was quite visible to Teiresias. What Teiresias ... Blindness In Oedipus The King Essay -- essays research papers Blindness plays a two-fold part in Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus the King.'; First, Sophocles presents blindness as a physical disability affecting the auger Teiresias, and later Oedipus; but later, blindness comes to mean an inability to see the evil in one’s actions and the consequences that ensue. The irony in this lies in the fact that Oedipus, while gifted with sight, is blind to himself, in contrast to Teiresias, blind physically, but able to see the evil to which Oedipus has fallen prey to. Tragically, as Oedipus gains the internal gift of sight, he discards his outward gift of sight. Sight, therefore, seems to be like good and evil, a person may only choose one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teiresias, prophet of Phoebus, was stricken with blindness to the physical world, but, as a result, gained the gift of sight into the spiritual world. This great gift allowed him to become a superior prophet, praised by the people as “god like'; and as a person “in whom the truth lives.'; Therefore, it was no surprise that Oedipus asked the old prophet to come before the people to enlighten them as to who or what the cause of the plague decimating their country was. What Oedipus was not expecting, however, was that the sin he could not see himself was to blame for the judgement being poured out upon the country. The sin so hidden from Oedipus’ and the peoples’ eyes was quite visible to Teiresias. What Teiresias ...

Koger Properties, Inc

Koger Properties, Inc The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claims that Michael Goodbread had violated independence rules set forth by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Professional Code of Conduct and generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS). AICPAs Professional Code of Conduct considers an impairment of independence if during the engagement an auditor has â€Å"any direct or material indirect interest in the client. (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 1988) Because Goodbread held shares of Kroger common stock and carried on with the audit assignment of Kroger, he violated the AICPAs professional code of conduct in relation to independence. To comply with the rules of conduct, Goodbread should have disclosed to his employer, Deloitte & Touche, that he was financially invested in Kroger. The other option Goodbread had was to terminate the relationship with Kroger by selling his stock immediately. The GAAS auditing standard on independence was also vi olated by Goodbread connection to Kroger. GAAS general standards require the auditor to maintain independence in mental attitude in all areas of the assignment. They also require that the auditor complies with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. (Generally Accepted Auditing Standards, 2001) The SEC aims to protect investors by ensuring financial statements are reliable which is why they require independence. The SEC recognized that Goodbread violated independence rules by being invested in Kroger at the same time being an audit engagement partner for the assignment. Materiality is defined by the FASB as a â€Å"concept that relates to the qualitative characteristics, especially relevance and reliability. † (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2008) They further discuss a scenario where an investor might not disclose amounts that are small and do not make a difference. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requires an investor to document at acquisition the classification of an equity security. [FASB 320-10-25] The FASB requires entities to explain within their financial statements the rights and privileges of outstanding securities. FASB 505-50-30] If there were any common stock dividends both Kroger and Goodbread would have to recognize the dividend on their taxes. Because of the recognition of the investment on both sides it would be a material investment for Goodbread. Given that there is a direct material interest in the client there is in violation of independence rules get by all the accounting governing bodies. In order for Goodbread to serve as the audit engagement partner for the Kroger engagement he would have had to disclose that he was not giving an independent opinion. AU Section 504- Association with Financial Statements states that if an accountant is not independent any of the actions taken for the engagement would not be compliant with GAAS. The accountant should give an opinion on the client’s financial statements specifically stating the opinion is not an independent opinion. (Auditing Standards Board, 1979) Another action that could have been taken by Goodbread would have been to sell his shares of Koger before getting started on the engagement. The AICPAs Professional Code of Conduct states that independence would be impaired if the auditor does not dispose of any financial interests in the client. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 1988) If there was not the opportunity to disassociate his business in time for the audit in 1988, he could have served as the audit engagement partner on a future engagement. During the 19th century in Great Britain, auditors were able to have equity interest in their clients and on occa sion required to invest in their clients. This practice would benefit the client especially in times of financial distress; the auditing firm would be able to assist them financially. Having an investment with the client would ensure that the auditing firm acts in the best interest of investors since them themselves are investors of the company. In today’s business environment this practice would not be rational. In order for investors to make fair investment decisions the auditing firm should be independent. If the auditing firm is invested in the client it could appear that the client is doing better financially than they are. It might cause an investor to invest strictly because the auditing firm is associated. This practice could also open the door for the auditors to be pressured into making the financial statements appear more attractive for unethical purposes. From an ethical standpoint independence allows for a completely unbiased opinion which is better for both the client and investors. Resources American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (1988, January). Code of professional conduct responsibilities to clients. ET Section 101 – Independence. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www. aicpa. org/Research/Standards/CodeofConduct/Pages/et_101. spx#et_101 Auditing Standards Board. (1979, November). AU Section 504. Association With Financial Statements. Retrieved October 2011, 29, from http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AU504. aspx#ps-pcaob_94fa4359-1212-4ad6-a901-f7eb90bd34c9 Financial Accounting Standards Board. (2008). Statement of Financial Accounting. Concepts No. 2. Retrieved October 2011, 29, from http://www. fasb. org/cs/BlobServer? blobcol=urldata&blo btable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1175820900526&blobheader=application%2Fpdf Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) (2011). Investments- Debt and Equity Securities 320 – Overall 10 – Section 25 Recognition – Paragraph 2. http://asc. fasb. org Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). (2011). Equity 505 – Overall 10 – Section 50 Disclosure- Paragraph 3. http://asc. fasb. org Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. (2001, December 15). Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. AU Section 150. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www. aicpa. org/research/standards/auditattest/downloadabledocuments/au-00150. pdf Koger Properties, Inc Koger Properties, Inc The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) claims that Michael Goodbread had violated independence rules set forth by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Professional Code of Conduct and generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS). AICPAs Professional Code of Conduct considers an impairment of independence if during the engagement an auditor has â€Å"any direct or material indirect interest in the client. (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 1988) Because Goodbread held shares of Kroger common stock and carried on with the audit assignment of Kroger, he violated the AICPAs professional code of conduct in relation to independence. To comply with the rules of conduct, Goodbread should have disclosed to his employer, Deloitte & Touche, that he was financially invested in Kroger. The other option Goodbread had was to terminate the relationship with Kroger by selling his stock immediately. The GAAS auditing standard on independence was also vi olated by Goodbread connection to Kroger. GAAS general standards require the auditor to maintain independence in mental attitude in all areas of the assignment. They also require that the auditor complies with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. (Generally Accepted Auditing Standards, 2001) The SEC aims to protect investors by ensuring financial statements are reliable which is why they require independence. The SEC recognized that Goodbread violated independence rules by being invested in Kroger at the same time being an audit engagement partner for the assignment. Materiality is defined by the FASB as a â€Å"concept that relates to the qualitative characteristics, especially relevance and reliability. † (Financial Accounting Standards Board, 2008) They further discuss a scenario where an investor might not disclose amounts that are small and do not make a difference. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requires an investor to document at acquisition the classification of an equity security. [FASB 320-10-25] The FASB requires entities to explain within their financial statements the rights and privileges of outstanding securities. FASB 505-50-30] If there were any common stock dividends both Kroger and Goodbread would have to recognize the dividend on their taxes. Because of the recognition of the investment on both sides it would be a material investment for Goodbread. Given that there is a direct material interest in the client there is in violation of independence rules get by all the accounting governing bodies. In order for Goodbread to serve as the audit engagement partner for the Kroger engagement he would have had to disclose that he was not giving an independent opinion. AU Section 504- Association with Financial Statements states that if an accountant is not independent any of the actions taken for the engagement would not be compliant with GAAS. The accountant should give an opinion on the client’s financial statements specifically stating the opinion is not an independent opinion. (Auditing Standards Board, 1979) Another action that could have been taken by Goodbread would have been to sell his shares of Koger before getting started on the engagement. The AICPAs Professional Code of Conduct states that independence would be impaired if the auditor does not dispose of any financial interests in the client. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 1988) If there was not the opportunity to disassociate his business in time for the audit in 1988, he could have served as the audit engagement partner on a future engagement. During the 19th century in Great Britain, auditors were able to have equity interest in their clients and on occa sion required to invest in their clients. This practice would benefit the client especially in times of financial distress; the auditing firm would be able to assist them financially. Having an investment with the client would ensure that the auditing firm acts in the best interest of investors since them themselves are investors of the company. In today’s business environment this practice would not be rational. In order for investors to make fair investment decisions the auditing firm should be independent. If the auditing firm is invested in the client it could appear that the client is doing better financially than they are. It might cause an investor to invest strictly because the auditing firm is associated. This practice could also open the door for the auditors to be pressured into making the financial statements appear more attractive for unethical purposes. From an ethical standpoint independence allows for a completely unbiased opinion which is better for both the client and investors. Resources American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (1988, January). Code of professional conduct responsibilities to clients. ET Section 101 – Independence. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www. aicpa. org/Research/Standards/CodeofConduct/Pages/et_101. spx#et_101 Auditing Standards Board. (1979, November). AU Section 504. Association With Financial Statements. Retrieved October 2011, 29, from http://pcaobus. org/Standards/Auditing/Pages/AU504. aspx#ps-pcaob_94fa4359-1212-4ad6-a901-f7eb90bd34c9 Financial Accounting Standards Board. (2008). Statement of Financial Accounting. Concepts No. 2. Retrieved October 2011, 29, from http://www. fasb. org/cs/BlobServer? blobcol=urldata&blo btable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1175820900526&blobheader=application%2Fpdf Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) (2011). Investments- Debt and Equity Securities 320 – Overall 10 – Section 25 Recognition – Paragraph 2. http://asc. fasb. org Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). (2011). Equity 505 – Overall 10 – Section 50 Disclosure- Paragraph 3. http://asc. fasb. org Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. (2001, December 15). Generally Accepted Auditing Standards. AU Section 150. Retrieved October 29, 2011, from http://www. aicpa. org/research/standards/auditattest/downloadabledocuments/au-00150. pdf

Benifits of introducing children to books at an early age and Reading Aloud

Educational researchers praise the practice of parents and teachers reading to children. In a book aimed at helping parents provide their children with useful learning experiences, for example, Butler and Clay (1999) asserted: â€Å"There is no substitute for reading and telling stories to children, from the very earliest days† (p. 17). Based on his review of the literature on reading to children, Teale (1991) concluded that â€Å"reading to preschool children . . .Is an activity through which children may develop interest and skill in literacy† (p. 902). And in Becoming a Nation of Readers, Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, and Wilkinson (1995) cited reading to children as â€Å"the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading† (p. 23). Moreover, a number of correlational studies have linked activities in which adults and preschool children share book reading to the children's beginning reading success in school (Hew ison & Tizard, 1990).Such unabashed praise for reading to children is intriguing because it begs for elaboration: Why is reading to young children thought to be so beneficial? What knowledge do children acquire from it? Although asserting the value of the practice of reading to children, researchers have given little attention to what children learn from it. Interactive story reading is a joint use of picture books to talk about the pictures, read the text, and discuss the story ideas.Central to this definition is the notion that the adult and child (or group of children) construct an understanding of the book together. It is because of this emphasis on the joint construction of meaning that we prefer this term over others, such as shared reading, story reading, reading aloud to children, and guided reading that have been used in the research literature to label the event of reading to children. When adults read stories to young children, they usually do more than read the words alo ud.They ask meaningful questions about the stories. To make sure children understand the story, they paraphrase or interpret as needed, and they answer the children's questions about it. From the research that has examined parent-child story reading, it is possible to explain the social nature of the event and to make deductions about what young children learn during it. The research on parents reading to children is based primarily on middle-class mothers reading to their preschool children at bedtime.Moreover, the studies are often descriptions given by highly educated mothers reflecting on their practices with their children. A seminal work of this type is the Ninio and Bruner (1998) study in which it was found that highly ritualized discussion sequences between parent and child occur during story reading, and that these sequences are the primary means through which toddlers learn to label pictures.Ninio and Bruner found that mothers interpret children's smiling, babbling, vocali zing, reaching, and pointing as either requesting or providing labels. For example, a baby reaches toward one of the pictures in the book, and the mother extends that gesture by saying the name of the picture. Moreover, if the baby vocalizes or gestures toward the picture when the mother gives a label, the mother assumes that the baby is attending to the name she gave, furthering the likelihood that she will continue to provide labels.These parentchild interchanges are orchestrated into turn-taking sessions, with parent or child initiating a communication. At about the same time that Ninio and Bruner were reporting their work, Snow (1993) began reporting her analyses of mother-child discussion during book sharing. She posited that the features of the interactions that support oral language acquisition are the very same features that promote beginning reading and writing development.She highlighted four such features: (a) semantic contingency, or the adult continuing a topic introduc ed by the child's previous statement through expansions, extensions, clarifications, or answers; (b) scaffolding, or the steps the adult takes to minimize the difficulty of the activity; (c) accountability procedures, or the way the mother demands the task be finished; and (d) the use of highly predictable contexts for language use that help the child move from the concrete here and now to the remote and abstract.Elaborations on these four features illustrate how children learn about reading through social interactions during interactive storybook reading. The use by adults of semantic contingency, or meaningfully extending a child's comment to facilitate oral language acquisition, has been well documented (Cross, 1998). Snow (1993), however, argued that when adults expand on or clarify text during storybook reading, they facilitate the development of literate behavior.For example, adults can answer children's questions about letter names and words, they can clarify story meaning, a nd they can extend children's understanding of story concepts such as what direction one reads print or where a word begins and ends. Not only is the discourse during interactive story reading expansive in nature, Snow argued, it is scaffolded. Drawing from Bruner (1998), she defined scaffolding as the â€Å"steps taken to reduce the degrees of freedom in carrying out some task, so that the child can concentrate on the difficult skill he is in the process of acquiring† (p. 170).Scaffolding occurs in oral language development. For example, although young children often say only one word for a whole sentence when they are learning to talk, parents respond by treating the word as a complete and sophisticated statement. In story reading, scaffolding might include parent reminders to the child about the name of the story, who the important characters are, or what the story problem is. The parent might point to a picture and then its printed label, hesitate to see if the child fill s in a story word or phrase, or encourage the child to help tell parts of a story.Snow also argues that parents challenge their children during reading sessions by holding them accountable for what they do to help construct the session. Snow and Ninio (2006) proposed seven tenets of literate communication from the interactions during the reading event that, although not explicitly taught, help children become literate. These tenets are (a) that a book is for reading rather than manipulating, (b) that a book controls the conversation, (c) that pictures are events, (f) that book events occur outside of real time, and (g) that books are an independent fictional world.It is clear that parents help children take over storybook-reading talk, and that this practice encourages children's later strategies for talking about and interpreting books. The descriptive research shows clearly that children experience opportunities for learning from engaging in interactive story reading with parents, and that the interactions have characteristic patterns that children imitate and that could promote literacy development.The nature of the dialogue that occurs during interactive book reading is affected by factors that include the size of the group, the competency of the participants, and the familiarity and type of the text. Yet a basic framework can be seen. When parents or teachers model, read, and talk to children about a text, they provide a structure that helps children understand and remember the story content.By promoting socially interactive story reading in which both reader and listener actively participate and cooperatively negotiate what is important and what things mean, teachers engage children in a process of learning through social interaction. It appears that, not only do children internalize the social conventions of stories when they talk with adults about them, they take away specific knowledge from hearing stories, such as the syntax, organization, and word f orms used in written language, and knowledge of its elements – words and letters themselves.Explanations of how children move into independent word reading have assumed a strong relationship among letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and reading (Ehri, 1999). Reading requires children to attend to the sounds in words and to the letters that symbolize those sounds. New evidence from interactive reading studies suggests that interactive reading may be another way to draw children's attention to print and to the ways that letters sound in words. through interactive reading, children begin to remember the story dialogues.In the process, they acquire written language structures and new vocabulary and then begin to focus on print and letter concepts. The research documents that these aspects of literacy learning can appear both at home and in the classroom. Therefore, both parents and teachers can promote young children's literacy acquisition through interactive story reading. At home, children can learn at a fairly optimal level because most parents are sensitive to their children's developing abilities in language.Parents can connect book information with their children's background experiences, and they are better attuned to the children's interests and level of understanding. At school, teachers achieve similar effects if they organize the story reading to elicit maximum participation from all students and if they repeatedly read stories. The theoretical construct posited by Vygotsky helps to explain how learning occurs. When reading to children is a social event, children's book explorations are refined through the verbal and nonverbal interactions that take place during the reading.During the reading, adults highlight and interpret the reality of the book, its written language features, vocabulary, and print forms, and the children mimic and modify the language to fit their understanding. Structured interactions enable children to add these underst andings to their current viewpoints through play with the language, questions, comments, and attempts to extend their understandings by making sense of new situations with the book language and print.From this theoretical perspective, it becomes obvious that reading to children without allowing discussion is not likely to be sufficient for developing the ability to use written language. If the goal is to teach literacy, an adult should mediate the ideas in books by keeping within bounds of children's understandings and by using an interactive story reading approach. Then, story reading becomes a way for young children to acquire knowledge about written language at new levels of understanding.Their face-to-face communication with adults provides a way for them to ask questions, comment about what makes sense, and use book language and book ideas. Although picture books provide essential picture and story line context, the language is without intonation, gestures, and pitch until an a dult reads it to the child. But, through mediation of this language, the child learns to interpret, apply, and transfer the sophisticated written language to their own oral language. Thus, literacy learning opportunities abound in interactive reading sessions.The process takes place through highly structured social interactions, interactions that involve routine joint participation sequences, in which the adults help children make connections to their own knowledge, and in which children make known their old understanding and practice their new understandings. Although this approach is easier for parents who are reading to one child, sufficient evidence now exists that teachers can read to small groups of children in a similar way, particularly in situations where teacher-group interactive language structures are fairly routinized, such as in rereading stories.Children learn about three aspects of literacy when they engage in interactive reading. First, they acquire knowledge about written language structures from the stories that they read interactively with an adult on a regular basis, and that they can talk about, act out, and use to play with story language. This suggests that teachers need to provide opportunities for children to hear and talk about stories. Second, they acquire new vocabulary from listening to stories.Children's oral language is embellished with new words and book phrases that are drawn from the book they hear read, particularly those they hear read repeatedly. Their attention to story information thereby becomes more focused and their listening comprehension improves. Finally, children learn about the form of print, that is, about how language is graphically represented, when they have opportunities to memorize texts and recite them as though they were reading. Their learning can be heightened when the print in the stories is salient, and when they hear repeated readings.Repeated reading is an activity particularly well suited for presc hool and kindergarten classrooms and will foster development of children's letter knowledge and phonological awareness, which can be connected to later word and letter recognition and to decoding. It is clear from more than a decade of research that interactive story reading is a powerful social avenue for developing language and literacy, and that it can be used as an influential literacy tool both in the home and in the school; that is, as Cochran-Smith (1984) has said, the child and adult bring to life books, and books enrich children's lives.Works Cited Anderson R. C. , Hiebert E. H. , Scott J. A. , & Wilkinson I. A. G. (1985). Becoming a nation of readers: The report of the Commission on Reading. Champaign, IL: Center for the Study of Reading; Washington, DC: National Institute of Education. Butler D. , & Clay M. (1999). Reading begins at home: Preparing children for reading before they go to school. London: Heinemann. Cochran-Smith M. (1984). The making of a reader. Norwood, N J: Ablex. Cross T. G. (1998). â€Å"Mother's speech and its association with rate of linguistic development in young children†. In N.Waterson & C. Snow (Eds. ), The development of communication. London: Wiley. Bruner J. S. (1998). â€Å"Learning how to do things with words†. In J. S. Bruner & R. A. Garton (Eds. ), Human growth and development. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. Ehri L. C. (1999). â€Å"Movement into word reading and spelling: How spelling contributes to reading†. In J. M. Mason (Ed. ), Reading and writing connections (pp. 65-82). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Hewison J. , & Tizard J. (1990). â€Å"Parental involvement and reading attainment†. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 50, 209-215.Ninio A. , & Bruner J. (1998). â€Å"The achievement and antecedents of labelling†. Journal of Child Language, 5, 1-6. Snow C. E. (1993). â€Å"Literacy and language: Relationships during the preschool years†. Harvard Educational Re view, 53, 165-189. Snow C. E. , & Ninio A. (2006). â€Å"The contracts of literacy: What children learn from learning to read books†. In W. H. Teale & E. Sulzby (Eds. ), Emergent literacy: Writing and reading (pp. 116-138). Norwood, NJ: Ablex. Teale W. H. (1991). â€Å"Parents reading to their children: What we know and need to know†. Lrnguage Arts, 58, 902-912.

Rights people lose on public school property

Rights people lose on public school property Public schools are institutions funded by government through taxpayers’ money, and that is why is owns most of the schools. The heads of schools are accountable to the government because they bear responsibility for running public schools. Government supervises many institutions, from elementary level school to Universities. Even though there is an opinion that there is little supervision on the heads of schools, the government has created a special department which follows schools heads’ performance.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Rights people lose on public school property specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Schools have become the place for embezzlement of funds. Corruption can interfere learning in many ways. The heads of school siphon millions of dollars annually through crooked reason leaving children with outdated and discarded books, which eventually lead to their unintentional failure ( Segal 102). Frauds by the heads of schools always hinder development in such schools. This forces some children to learn in unfinished classrooms, without chairs, etc. This deprives the innocent children of their right for healthy and supportive environment. Joel Turtel writes that our public schools have become an educational menace to our children. He shows statistics for 2002 in the New York State Department of Education on public schools where 65% of elementary students, 90% of intermediate student and 84% of high school students failed to meet the New York Standards (86). This failure should be partially attributed to the administration fraud and partially to the students’ irresponsible attitude to studying. Teachers are often overworked due to their little number in comparison with many children. Teachers do not give children attention they need and children may go home with some lessons missed which may lead to class failure at the end of the term. A public school can also turn to be a dangerous place because of violence (Segal 46). Teenagers often lack judgment and cannot control their emotion. With the class, having teenagers of different ages, bullying of younger children by their elders is something inevitable. With no teachers around, children have more time to interact with each other eventually budding peer pressure. Peer pressure makes the class a natural breeding place for drug abuse. Children’s right of protection from substance abuse is therefore suspended. With substance abuse, parents do not expect their children to deliver something substantial from school. Adolescents always have raging hormones and arousing sexuality. Therefore with the critical issue of socialization in public schools, younger girls will end up dropping out of school because of unwanted pregnancies. I believe that bullying, peer pressure, and sexual tension create an environment which is non-blissful and violent. Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mandatory attendance law also contributes to violation of children rights. The law forces children to sit in boring classes from six up to eight hours consequently. This kills desire for learning. Those teenagers who are forced to be at school will take their aggression on other students. The compulsory attendance law helps government own children for 12 years and at the same time assuming the parental responsibility. With all the 12 years, parents have little to say on matters regarding their children. The school authorities nowadays threaten parent with arrest if they choose not to comply with the compulsory attendance law, but many scholars believe this is wrong (Alexander and Alexander 257). Disabled children also face discrimination in public schools. It becomes hectic for the socially impaired children to interact with other kids. They always have motives that other c hildren will subject them to insults. This adds another potential layer of violence. Violence can often kill a child morally. One of the parental responsibilities is protecting their children from adverse sex behaviors. Yet many public schools still force potentially harmful sex education into the brains of the innocent students. Most of the time parents have no control over the content of the classes and hence their children may end up spoiled by the bad values taught. I mean that the failure to incorporate appropriate sexual education, failure of a teacher to create a contact between him/herself and students may lead to controversial effect. Therefore, the lack of attention of a teacher to his/her students and the inability to implement appropriate sexual education may lead to increase of the violence, but not the understanding of the protected healthy sexual relations. Some public schools tend to turn their students against their parents. They tell them stories about child abuse , which make children become suspicious. Some school authorities inquire teachers to ask children how their parents behave at home. Many public schools now teach children anti-Christianity and try to mold children’s mind in a way that they embrace different religions (Turtel 52). Showing children that all religions are good and should be respected, teachers fail to stress on Christianity as native religion and many children are confused. Believing that children are at good hands, parents do not pay much attention to their children and harm them greatly.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Rights people lose on public school property specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People lose their rights mainly because of mismanagement characterizing public schools which is the part of public school property. This gives the implication that the federal government should put more effort in ensuring that these rights are maintained. This can only be achieved by ensuring that the publics are enlightened on the statutes that govern the country. Therefore, public school property depends on many factors and the failure to meet some specific laws, norms of behavior and teaching may result in loss of rights. Work Cited Alexander, Kern and M. David Alexander. American public school law. Cengage Learning, 2005. Print. Segal, Lydia G, et al. Battling Corruption in Americas Public Schools. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2005. Print. Turtel, J. Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie to Parents and Betray Our Children. New York: Liberty Books, 2005. Print.

Informal Essay about Friendship

Informal Essay about Friendship Informal Essay about Friendship Friendship can be defined as a personal relationship between two or more individuals, grounded in feelings of concern for one another and includes intimacy to a certain degree. Given that human beings are generally considered social, friendship is an important part of every individual’s life. Most people dedicate a portion of their day to interacting with friends, whether face-to-face or by phone or on the computer. Given the vital role that friendship plays in the lives of almost all human beings, it is prudent to friendship from different perspectives, including the nature of friendship. How does one know what true friendship is? Friendship is demonstrated through mutual care, acts of intimacy, and activities that individuals share with those whom they consider friends. Friendship is always valued and justified by examining both its individual importance and social worth. Individual value of friendship is gauged from the perspective of an individual who considers the amount of resources, time, energy that he or she is willing to invest in the relationship. The value an individual places on a friendship can also be measured from the perception of whether the friendship makes one’s life feel better or worse. Whether an individual appreciates the friendship of another, though, is sometimes tied up with how that person feels about himself. If one does not value himself, that person is less likely to value someone else or the friendship offered by someone else. People often form friendships based on what they have to offer each other. Sometimes they share a mutual problem or concern. Through collaborating with each other to solve the problem, they often form a mutual bond. Social factors can also significantly help an individual to determine the value of a friendship. For instance, if one’s friendship influences one to promote the general good and consideration for others, then that friendship can be considered to be of value. Moreover, morality issues can play a significant role in helping one to determine if a relationship is of significant value. Fighting a common cause can result in friendships forming. Finally, no one really knows who is true friends are except in times of trouble. Those who run away when needed cannot be considered true friends. On the other hand, individuals discover during difficult times new friends, individuals that perhaps they knew but did not previously value. Some informal essay writing tips: Since this is an informal essay which is written mostly for entertainment purposes, a few of the rules that guide essay writing can be skipped. These include a comprehensive introductory paragraph which ends with a comprehensive thesis statement. This essay began with a brief definition of friendship before delving into the various aspects of friendship. By examining the issue of friendship from different perspectives, this essay is designed to help its readers to understand the concept of friendship on a deeper level than perhaps they previously considered it. If you need a superior-quality custom informal essay about Friendship contact our essay writing service provided by professional paper writers.

PRESIDENCY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PRESIDENCY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON - Essay Example er at the White House  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."(Wikipedia Jefferson.) This staunch advocate of liberty and religious freedom, was born on April 13 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia. A diligent student, he graduated with top honors from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in 1762, and then went on to study law, being admitted to the Virginia bar in 1767. He had a passion for learning languages and began studying Latin Greek and French very early. At college he was introduced to the writings of John Locke, Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton whom he referred to as the "three greatest men the world had ever produced."(Bernstein Jefferson pg 95). This â€Å"Man of the People† as he was fondly known, had numerous achievements to his credit, but he wanted to be remembered as the founder of the University of Virginia, the author of the Declaration of American Independence and the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom. His dream of founding a new institution of higher learning, where students could specialize in new areas; was realized in 1819, with the founding of the University of Virginia. When it opened in 1825, it was then the first university to offer elective courses to its students. Jefferson is widely recognized for his architectural planning of the University grounds, an innovative design whose center was the library which he considered to be the fountainhead of knowledge. His educational idea of creating specialized units of learning is physically expressed in the layout of his campus plan, which he called the "Academical Village†. Jefferson died on the Fourth of July, 1826, at the age of 83 on the 50 th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, that he had authored. The Jefferson presidency (1801 – 1809)was the first to start and end in the White House although at the time it was known as the Presidential Mansion. It was a turbulent time in American history. His first term