History of the Old Testament Essay

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. I. Historical context of Isaiah 7:14-16 The historical setting is critical to the account since the prophet supplies it and the oracle draws on its timing. With a close study of the events referred to we may date the oracle in this chapter to 734 B. C. (Ross,Allen) It was when the ruthless Assyrian conqueror, on the throne is Tiglathpileser III, a ruthless and powerful king was terrorizing the all other nations, and Judah, unwilling to join in a coalition against him, was attacked by Israel and Syria, the ancient Aramaea , with its main city in Damascus, and Ephraim, the northern Israelite state, with its main city Samaria and therefore, King Ahaz when he heard of this coalition was thinking seriously of inviting Assyrian help(Tiglathpileser III). It must be pointed out that the whole purpose was to dissuade King Ahaz from embarking a wrong course of action, namely, that of relying upon Assyria rather than upon the Lord. In the name of Jehovah, it was this moment the prophet commences with a historical announcement. Isaiah 7:1 says It came to pass, in the days of Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aramaea, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, and could not make war against it. The Syrian king Rezin had come up against Jerusalem and with him was Pekah of Israel. Their purpose was to wage war, but unable to besiege it the prophecy of the chapter is amazingly accurate. The sign that a boy was about to be born is the pivotal point. Before he would be old enough to tell right from wrong, that is, about 12 years old, the enemies would not only be defeated but cease to exist. According to history, Shalmaneser V (the successor to Tiglathpileser) campaigned against the land and besieged Samaria. He died in the duration and was succeeded by Sargon II who completed the destruction of the northern state in 722 or 721 B. C. So the oracle in Isaiah 7 could be dated about twelve years before that destruction in 722 B. (Ross, Allen ) II. Literary Context of Isaiah 7:14-16 Therefore the Lord Himself give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. The word therefore signifies that something had taken place before the incident forwarded here in verse 14, and inasmuch as the wicked king in hypocritical fashion rejects the opportunity of asking for a sign, then he lost the privilege of asking a sign in his own favor. Instead the Lord Himself will give a sign, and this one of His own choosing, announcing the birth of a wondrous Child as the sign of deliverance, and making the infancy of that Child the measure of the time that Judah is yet to suffer affliction, before the time of deliverance will come. Yet as we have seen because of Ahaz’ unbelief after the comfortable promises made to him as a branch of the house of David, what took place was a terrible threatening against him, as a degenerate branch of that house; for though the God was patience and His loving kindness shall not be utterly taken away, for the sake of David and the covenant made with, yet his inequity shall be dealt with the rod, and his sin with stripes. In fulfillment of the prophecy, the Egyptians and the Assyrians filled the land in their war with each other. Devastation from this war severely tested the people, so that nothing grew in the fields, and the survivors had to rely on curds and honey. This led up to and included the invasion of 701 B. C. under Sennacherib, the next Assyrian king, when Hezekiah was on the throne in Jerusalem, and 200,000 people from Judah were carried off into captivity. As we shall see, the details of the Assyrian crisis are very accurately prophesied in these oracles (Ross, Allen_______& Young, E. J. 1993). III. Commentary on Isaiah 7:14-16 Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Since the King did not ask for a sign that the land shall be delivered from the enemies, Yahweh will furnish one unasked. Yahweh will not withhold it because a proud and contemptuous King refuses to seek it. The LORD himself, He will do it and not hindered though it is rejected and despised; he will do it because of its necessity – for the welfare of the nation, and for the confirmation of his religion, to furnish a demonstration to the people that he is the only true God. It is clearly implied here, that the emphasis is that the sign should be such as Yahweh alone could give. If this refers to the birth of a child, then it means that this was an event which could be known only to God, and which could be accomplished only by his agency. If it refers to the miraculous conception and birth of the Messiah, then it means that that was an event which none but God could accomplish. Shall give you, primarily refers to the house of David; the king and royal family of Judah. It was especially designed to assure the government that the kingdom would be safe. Doubtless, however, the word ‘you’ is designed to include the nation, or the people of the kingdom of Judah. It would be so public a sign, and so clear a demonstration, as to convince them that their city and land must be ultimately safe. A sign, a pledge; a token; an evidence of the fulfillment of what is predicted. The word does not, of necessity, denote a miracle, though it is often so applied; see the notes at Isaiah 7:11. But rather it means a proof, a demonstration, a certain indication that what he had said should come to its fulfillment. Behold this interjection serves to designate persons and things; places and actions. It is used in lively descriptions, and animated discourse; or when anything unusual was said, or occurred; it means, that an event was to occur which demanded the attention of the unbelieving King, and the regard of the people-an event which would be a full demonstration of what the prophet had said. A virgin, it is used in its obvious natural sense, to denote a young, unmarried female. The derivatives are applied to youth; to young men; to young women-to those who â€Å"are growing up,† and becoming youths. This virgin as used in his word properly means a girl, maiden, virgin, a young woman who is unmarried, and who is of marriageable age. And shall call his name, it was usual for â€Å"mothers† to give names to their children. The idea is, it is the â€Å"appropriate† name that would be given to the child. Although another name was also given to this child, expressing substantially the same thing, with a circumstantial difference. Immanuel a Hebrew name which means ‘God with us’ – the name is designed to denote that God would be with the nation as its protector, and the birth of this child would be a sign or pledge of it. The name, Immanuel, denotes nothing more than divine aid and protection. Others have supposed, however, that the name must denote the assumption of our nature by God in the person of the Messiah, that is, that God became man. The true interpretation is, that no argument to prove that can be derived from the use of the name; but when the fact of the incarnation has been demonstrated from other sources, the â€Å"name is appropriately expressive of that event. ( Barnes, 1997). Isaiah 7:15 He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. (NASV) Young( ), showed that the infancy of the promised Messiah is made the measure of the time that Judah will be in danger from her two enemies. This thought namely, namely the duration of a period of difficulty, is expressed symbolically in that Immanuel iws pictured as subsisting during His infancy on curds and honey, which was symbolical royal diet. From the time of His birth, supposedly, the Child will eat this peculiar food, and at the time when He can discern between good and evil, rejecting the one and choosing the other, He will be eating these things. At an early age a child learns to reject evil and to choose good, or at least to distinguish between the two. Thus, by means of this measure, we learn that the affliction or desolation of the two enemy kings is short-lived, possibly only two or three years. The reference may be to what is injurious or useful in life but in the light of the usage of this phrase in Genesis 2, it clearly refers also to what is morally good and evil. Isaiah 7:16 For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken. (NASV) The land that you dread, the land concerning which thou art so much â€Å"alarmed or distressed;† that is, the united land of Syria and Ephraim. Refers to one land, because they were united then in a firm alliance, so as to constitute, in fact, or for the purposes of invasion and conquest, one people or nation. The phrase, ‘which you dread,’ means properly, which thou loathes, the primary idea of the word – being to feel a nausea, or to throw up. It then means to fear, or to feel alarm; and this, probably, is the meaning here. Ahaz, however, evidently looked upon the nations of Syria and Samaria with disgust, as well as with alarm. The meaning of the â€Å"land† is that the kings themselves were the objects of dislike or dread; and not merely that the two kings should be removed, but that the land itself was threatened with desolation. This construction is an exegetical kind which agrees with the idiom of the Hebrew. (Barnes, 1993) IV Summary of Isaiah 7:14-16 As a summary of these three verses it was shown that in verse 14 Isaiah made a proclamation that the Lord will give a sign. This seeing of the virgin is not with with the physical eyes, Isaiah have not seen the Messiah in His physical birth, but in vision. In vision, then, the prophet beholds the virgin with child. An in the birth of this son, the presence of God is manifest in a most unique way. The fourteenth verse constitutes a sure and a definite fulfillment of the prophecy of the birth of Immanuel. With verse 15 the prophet proceeds to show that the infancy of the Messiah a symbolical representation of the fact that the threat which overhung Judah would be short-lived. This he does by picturing the child in vision eating royal food (according to commentator Young – which I prefer to use in this summary). The child will eat this food, symbol of threat and desolation; yet before He reaches the age where He knows the difference between good and evil, the two kings which Ahaz dreads will forsake the land of Israel, and there will be nothing more for him to fear from them. The prophetical naming of this child having thus had its accomplishment, no doubt this, which was further added concerning him, should have its accomplishment likewise, that Syria and Israel should be deprived of both their kings. One mercy from God encourages us to hope for another, if it engages us to prepare for another. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barnes’ Notes, Barnes and Nobles Commentary. Electronic Database. (Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft) Ross, Allen. â€Å"A Call for Faith and the Sign for Emmanuel†. Bible. Org < http://www. bible. org/page. php? page_id=2088> Young, E. J. â€Å"The Book of Isaiah: A Commentary†. (Michigan:William B. Eerdsman Publishing Company, 1993)

How to Improve Presentation Skill

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Definition of research problem Your presentations skills are just as important as the information you are presenting. Presentation skills are important for every individual when you have the need to present yourself. It is not only essential for your studying but also for future career. When you are applying for a job, you have to present yourself as a sincere applicant who is ready to improvise the organisation using his or her technical and non-technical skills. Only if you present yourself with the right attitude, you will be able to get the job.Even when you are in the job, you should be attending business meetings with the higher officials where your presentation skills will prove yourself. The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of oral presentation as an assessment tool in university and career as well. The assessment practices in these subjects have been studied by many authors. Assessment may involve written tasks such as essay, r eport writing, calculation using formulae, computer simulation, short answer or descriptive writing in examination, multiple choice questions and also an oral presentation on a written task.However, the issues relating to oral presentation have not been studied clearly before. This paper reports the results of an empirical investigation of oral presentation used Banking University, especially in Foreign Language Faculty. 1. 2 Research scope and objectives Three specific questions are addressed in this paper. The first question is about the inportance of performance in oral presentation. The second question is about the effect that gender and student background determined by students’ nationality may have on their performance in oral presentation and other forms of assessment.The third question is about developing insights on various issues involved in the student performance in oral presentation in university and future career. The study of oral presentation with the issues i nvolved helps student in understanding the relationship between the steps of making a presentation. The study of effect of gender and nationality of students on their performance can help in understanding the problems associated with particular groups of students and can help resolve equity and learning issues in a particular group of students. 1. Structure of research report This report begins with an in depth literature review in chapter two which examines the oral presentation and issues involved. In chapter three, research questions are formulated from the literature. Chapter four provides detail regarding the research methodology selected by the researcher, in an attempt to collect data. This methodology includes qualitative as well as quantitative methods of data collection. The collected dated is disclosed in chapter five, through the use of graph and figures, as well as direct quotation from experts.An in depth review of the findings is examine in great detail in chapter six . Here more common themes and opposing opinions are explored more closely. Chapter seven concludes the research and offers proposed future research topic. Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW In today’s business environment, the competition in the workplace is getting more competitive. It is no longer enough for you to have the necessary capability to do the job, you should also be able to talk well, write well, and present yourself attractively to your superiors.Until recently many researches have been done in this topic. Researchers show the importance of presentation skills and the way to improve them in working environment (Tom Antion), In fact, it’s not enough just considering the side of whether being good or bad of the presentation. We should consider it from many aspects to enhance our capacity in presenting and succeed in career. Thus, our research focus on analyzing the ways for students especially for seniors who will become staffs or entrepreneurs in the near futur e to cultivate their presentation skills.This paper was executed to solve communication problems noted above deficient oral presentation skills– and its purpose is to address: (1) a few possible reasons for students’ inability to effectively deliver presentations and (2) training strategies designed to help students develop a proficiency in the area of oral presentations. 2. 1. Explanations of Students’ Poor Presentation Performance 2. 1. 1. Communication-related anxiety The inability to effectively deliver oral presentations may stem from a communication-related anxiety known as oral communication apprehension.This is the biggest problem that presenter may come up against. The problem McCroskey (1977) defined as â€Å"an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons† (p. 78) which may contribute to an increase in anxiety and loss of self confidence and, consequently, n egatively affect one’s action to engage in oral communication from face-to-face speaking to an audience by delivering a presentation or speech.According to Phillips (1968), a factor contributing to poor communication performance may lie in one’s memory of his or her parents misusing language to ventilate grievances, berate one another, or verbally harass family members, including oneself. These negative experiences may have led the individual to be fearful or reticent of communication dialog, resulting in withdrawal from oral communication encounters. 2. 1. 2. Vague Intent You memorized the content (and it shows, by the way). Someone has a question. Panic sets in. You never prepared for questions and all you know about this topic is what is written on the slides. If you are not clear about what you want your presentation to achieve, then its success will be a hit-and-miss affair at best. What is the purpose of your presentation? †, said Shaun Killian (2009). 2. 1 . 3. Poor Structure It is intergral to prepare structure to transfer you intent after having clear knowledge about the topic you are going to present. It is not as simple as the popular â€Å"tell them what you will be saying, say it, and tell them what you have said† formula (Seven sins of poor presentations, Shaun Killian ,c. 2009).Not so well prepared structure will not allow you to deliver a cohesive presentation that achieves your intent. 2. 1. 4. Not Understanding Your Audience A great presentation given to one audience may fall flat when repeated with another because people are different and you need to personalise your presentation for the specific audience concerned. You've heard the phrase â€Å"know your audience† but do you know how to do that? Of course it means to know who is in your audience, what their general preferences are, to know different ways to relate to them, etc (n. ). Assuming you do, how you allow them to easily understand your points is an obstacle. 2. 1. 5. Low Engagement Storytelling is a way to engage audience because it sparks our imagination and plays to our innate desire to know what happens next (n. d). Sooner or later, the connection between you and your audience will be replaced by a boring atmosphere if you fail in engaging them. 2. 1. 6. Poor Preparation Shaun claimed that audiences can sense when you are relying on a script or using your slides as a crutch to hide your lack of knowledge.A lack of preparation can also throw off your timing, leaving you to: (1) Cram an overload of information into the time you have left, or (2) Come up with ways to fill your remaining time. 2. 2. Strategies To Improve Students’ Presentation Skills 2. 2. 1. Plan the purpose Before you create a new presentation, or when you review existing presentation, ask yourself â€Å"what’s my purpose for giving this presentation? †Is your goal to persuade, to inspire, to inform or to entertain (Chakisse Newton, 2008) . Having a clear understanding of the presentation’s purpose enables you to set more specific goals.Being clear about what you want your presentation to achieve will enable you to make wise decisions about how to best structure and deliver it. 2. 2. 2. Prepare carefully for your presentation To deliver an effective presentation, you have to know your material well. Here are some tips you can use to repare carefully your presentation * Check  that  writing  is  legible  from  the  back  of  the  room * Smooth  transition  between  topics  and  slides * Sequence  of  points  is  logical * Get  feedback  from  a  classmate * Become  familiar  with  the  audio-visual you shouldn't use a number of media (i. e. verhead projector and slides and blackboard) until you are quite confident and experienced. If you are going to use mixed media, it is even more important that you rehearse, to get an indication of how long it will take t o turn off one projector, start the other etc. * Timing of your presentation. To get your timing right, you need to rehearse your presentation. Actors, musicians and other performers understand this all too well. Yet many presentations are not practiced until they are conducted live in front of the audience. Rehearsing your presentation will help you speak with confidence and stay on track.It also helps you to move away from vague ideas about content into the more concrete realm of what you will say and how you will say it (Shaun, 2009) * Get used to public speaking and reduce your nervousness * Identify any mannerisms that may be inappropriate or annoying during public speaking. For example, these may include a tendency to finish sentences with the word â€Å" like â€Å" or † y'know † or perhaps you begin every sentence with an ‘ errm ‘, or ‘ ahhhm ‘ or ‘ So. . ‘, or maybe you begin every new slide by saying â€Å"Where are we now ? † or â€Å"Well, . â€Å". Once you have identified them, and with a little practice, you will be able to better control your use of these mannerisms. Don’t worry too much about having a few of them in your seminars- you are not a robot! In addition, people generally have a very good ability to filter the occasional ‘errm’ or ‘ahhhm’ out of your main points. It is the overuse of such mannerisms that is problematic. 2. 2. 3. Some other important tips * Devote some preparation time to better understanding your audience. * What have they been up to recently? What have they achieved? Will they be hostile or receptive to what you have to say? * What do they already know or believe about the matter at hand? * What do you know about their learning styles and personalities? * What challenges do they face in their workplace? What help do they need? * What do they like and respect? To truly understand your audience, you need to avoid the clinical, so mewhat removed method of answering these questions and try to view things from their perspective (Shaun, 2009). * Think of ways to actively engage them. One of the most powerful ways to accomplish this is  through storytelling. here are other ways to engage your audience. These include using: * Questions  both real and rhetorical, to get people thinking about what you have said * Games  that reinforce the key messages in your presentation * Movement  to wake people up * Literary devices  such as parallel structure, word pictures, triads, metaphors and the antithesis 2. 3. Summary of literature and research aim The materials including 3 books and an article conducted by relevant website. This literature on oral presentation involved two issues of students’ oral presentation.This study made a contribution to the study of presentation by offering insight into issues involved in the oral presentation. In particular, this study identified the problems associated with the execution of oral presentation and proposed the strategies for students to overcome the problems. Although the above strategies may appear to constitute a precise structure, they are subject to modification and omission at the strategy for the communication-related anxiety. More studies should be learned in order to get a clearer and deeper knowledge about managing anxiety for the presentation.Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Subjects to the study Finding reliable and valid sources of information for the research was a challenge for the researcher. The researcher used electronic databases using keyword? searching methods to locate traditional and online sources on the topic. The primary database used to locate sources was well? known research journals and publications. Another database used to locate sources was the Library of Banking University. The researcher used Library of Banking University primarily to locate traditional sources such as books and some research articles.This paper attempts to answer the above mentioned research questions through an analysis of student data collected from Faculty of Foreign Language, at Banking University over a period of for years from 2010 to 2014. Because we do not have enough time to do the survey the whole Foreign language Faculty we do the survey in the class we are studying with, which comprises 35 students who are studying the subject over this period. Out of these; 27 are female students, 8 males. This research was conducted by questionnaire and investigated junior students’attitudes to the importance of presentation.The questionnaire used multichoice method to assess student attitudes and provided open ended responses for additional comments. No personal information was collected; the survey was voluntary and anonymous. There was an 85% response rate to the questionnaire. A breakdown of the responses is listed below in Table 1. It can be clearly seen from the results that there are many students acknowledge ab out the importance of oral presentation and its relevant issues as well. The survey also allowed participants to suggest any strategies for the progress from the preparation to the presenting of the talk to have a good presentation. . 2 Research instrument The questionnaire instrument is a popular method doing research . It consist of 11 questions edited by researchers. Most of these questions focused on the importance of presentation skill ,the difficuties in doing a presentation and finding the way to improve. We gave somes mutiple choices . And some questions ,there is space for the participants to give their own opinions. After getting the information in the survey ,the data was gathered and annalyzed to come to findings 3. 3 Data collection and research procedures.The data collection procedures in this thesis consist of two phases Phases 1 : it took researchers a half of month from October 10th to October 25th 2012,to review previous study and select the ralated materials in th is subject Phases 2: after that on November 6th 2012 35 copies of the questionaire were distributed to the participants . Then the information was gathered and analyzed to achieve the concrete conclusion. This process lasted 7 days to November 13th . Lastly, it took more than a week to perfect and finish this research paper from November 13th to November 20th ,2012.Chapter 4 :DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDING 4. 1. Responses to the questionaire 4. 1. 1. Participants ‘s opinions about presentation skill in future career. Most of them (60%) agree presentation skill is the most important skill to get s good career . 30% participants think knowledge is the most important and 10% is neutral. 4. 1. 2 Reasons why students can not be a good presenter. * 35% of students think the lack of preparation makes the poor presentation. * It is culculated that 30% of students did a bad presentation because of being short of confidence. 25% of students have problem with the language they use in the pres entation. * 10% of them gave some different reasons such as: body language, pronunciation,the content of the presentation ,†¦. 4. 1. 3. Methods to have a good presentation There are some methods for an attractive presentation that participants gave : * Prepare carefully for the presentation. * Get used to public speaking and reduce your nervousness * Use some small games or a funny stories in the presentation. * Use body language * Use simple word or definitions. * †¦ 4. 2. SummaryAccording to the survey ,the real situation is found out . 60% of participants agree presentation skill is very important ,30% disagree and other 10% of them are neutral. It was calculated that the lack of preparation makes up 35% among the reasons which lead to the failure in presentation. The other 2 main problems are language and short of confidence. Along with that the participants also gave some solutions that they used to improve their presentation skill . Those finding indicated not only t he importance of presentation skill but also the method to advance it. Chapter 5 :DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION . 1. Preparation: 35% of participants think lack of preparation makes the presentation fail. Some people recommend memorizing a script and practicing it intensely for as long as you possibly can. Other people suggest having key talking points and riffing on those. From heavy-duty preparation to minimal preparation, you’ll get it all, and everything in-between. Besides, over time with enough practice you can learn to speak and present in any style. From there, you can find your own speaking style. Moreover ,   it is quite helpful to practice each section of presentation in pieces.You should focus on one part, memorize the core elements, run through it till you are comfortable and then move to the next piece. Then it’s just a matter of stringing the pieces together, which is easier. 5. 2. Confidence: 30% people point out that confidence contributes a lot to a n excellent presentation. Definitely, practicing in front of people helps you more confident. If you haven’t given a lot of presentations this  will feel awkward  but it’s better to get over those feelings now rather than when you’re on stage. You need the quiet time to memorize things and get a feel for what you’re doing.However, it will be better to practice while distracted by other sounds or visually because it makes you feel more confident . All the advice in the world won’t help if you can’t get comfortable with your preparation, practice techniques and ultimately, the presentation itself. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable. The more comfortable you feel, the more confident you feel, and the better things will go. 5. 3. Language: It is adviced not to get hung up on specific words. It’s unlikely that missing or changing any one word will totally ruin your presentation, so don’t worry about perfection.Practicing han d gestures is also essential. If you’re giving a â€Å"naked† presentation (with nothing in front of you like a table, etc. ) then you need to be aware of what you’re doing with your hands and your feet. So think about your hand gestures and how they relate to what you’re saying. If you plan to move around, pace in sync with your words. I’ve been practicing this for a few days with great success. Chapter 6: CONCLUSION 6. 1. Strengths: As students of Foreign Language Faculty, we have more chances to practice presentation in comparison with other students.It is also considerable advantage for doing surveys and collecting data from our classmates. 6. 2. Weakness: Still being senior students, the researchers have not been trained presentation skills systematically. Also, the time for processing this thesis was limited. The researchers can not apply more research methods into the procedure to tap into more evidence for the statements. However; after ver y hard working to gear up the research, the researchers are in the hope of bringing up the solution to make people find effective methods to get success in making a perfect presentation.APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRES These are all the questions the researchers used in the questionaires during the procedure: 1 Do you think presentation skill is important? * Yes * No 1. How much time do you spend preparing your presentation? *   a. a day *   b. a week *   c. a few weeks *   other: 3. What common mistakes do you (and your group also) usually make in the presentation? *   a. Spelling mistakes *   b. Pronunciation *   c. Too many information on the slide *   Other: 4. How do you feel about a presenter with a note? *   a. It`s ok.. *   b. So unprofessional!They should learn by heart all the stuffs *   c. Not very professional but acceptable *   Other : 5. What do you do to handle nerves before presenting? *   a. Drink some water . *   b. Take a deep breath, relax the muscle . *   c. Imagine the audiences turn into some kinds of funny things . * Other: 6. Do nerves affect your presentation? *   a. Yes, my stomach is ache. My hands shake. I just want to run away *   b. My hands shake, my heart pounds but I try to finish the presentation *   c. A bit nervous, but I prepare very carefully. Everything`s gonna be OK .   d. I don`t care what`s gonna happen. I just want to finish this . *   Other: 7. you often find the information from which sources? *   a. The internet *   b. Books *   c. Newspapers, magazines *   Other: 8. How frequent do you say â€Å"uhm†, â€Å"ohm† during your presentation? *   a. Very often *   b. Sometimes *   c. Rarely *   d. Never 9. What do you do if the questions are so difficult or you don’t prepare well? *   a. Answer arbitrarily *   b. Ask for another question *   c. Ask for teacher’s help *   d. Apology and promise to reply on the following day 10.Do you use body language when presenting? *   a. Mostly eye contact. I always look at the audiences to make sure they`re listening *   b. I know it`s important, but I barely use it. There are too many other things to handle *   c. The most important thing is the contain and the presentation. If it`s interesting, the audiences will pay attention *   Other: 11. What have you done so far to improve your presentation skill? a. Prepare carefully b. Use body language c. Use a note while presentting. d. Other REFERENCES Daly,  J. A. ,  &  McCroskey,  J. C. (Eds). (1984).Avoiding  communication:  Shyness, reticence,a nd  communication  apprehension. Newbury  Park:  Sage. Gallo,  Ã‚  C  Ã‚  (2006). The  Ã‚  10  Ã‚  worst  Ã‚  presentation  Ã‚  habits. BusinessWeek. com. Retrieved October  20,  2006  from: Krannich,  Ã‚  C. R. (2004). 101  Ã‚  Secrets  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  highly  Ã‚  effective  Ã‚  speakers:  Ã‚  controlling  Ã‚  fear,commanding  Ã‚  attention  . McCannon,  M. &  Crews,  T. B. 1999. Most  common  grammatical  and  punctuation  errors made  by  undergraduates  as  perceived  by  business  communication  professors.Parvis,  Ã‚  L. F. (2001). The  Ã‚  importance  Ã‚  of  Ã‚  communication  Ã‚  and  Ã‚  public-speaking  Ã‚  skills. http://inc. com/guides/how-to-improve-your-presentation-skills. html http://presentationmagazine. com/presentation-skills-and-how-to-develop-them-7577. htm http://presentationsoft. about. com/od/powerpointinbusiness/tp/071231resolutions. htm http://images. businessweek. com/ss/06/02/mistakes/index_01. htm RESEARCH PAPER WRITING EVALUATION FORM Student name: Grading criteria| Marks| Content| | Purpose/ objective| /10| Coverage and relevance of literature in relation to the topic/ research question| /20|Ability to summarise and evaluate the literature in relavant to the topic/ research question, including the identification of agreements and contradictions or gaps, etc. | /20| Form| | Coherence and structure of the paper| /15| Clarity of the outline including clear and consistent layout, script and spelling; provision of subheadings where approciate; introductory and concluding sections, etc. | /15| Clarity and appropriateness of academic conventions forquoting, paraphrasing, citing references, etc according to the guidelines learnt. | /20| Total marks| /100| General comments| Examiner:Date:B? NG PHAN CONG CONG VI? C T? t c? thanh vien d? u tim kiem tai li? u ,t? ng h? p va ch? n l? c tai li? u . Sau khi hoan thanh xong ph? n c? a minh g? i qua cho t? ng thanh vien xem va ch? nh s? a . sau day la b? ng phan cong c? th? T? NGUY? N PHU? C VINH| * PART 1 : INTRODUCTION * PART2 :LITERATURE REVIEW * T? NG H? P BAI| TR? N TH? BICH TRAM| * PART3:METHODOLOGY * Part4 :DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDING * T? NG H? P VA PHAN TICH S? LI? U KH? O SAT| BUI TH? KIM TUY? N| * PART 5: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION * PART 6: CONCLUSION * T? N G H? P VA PHAN TICH S? LI? U KH? O SAT|

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay Example for Free (#13)

A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay ? We watched two different versions of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. The first version we watched was from the BBC. This version showed the dream world mixed in with reality, which was quite good. The second version of this play was by channel 4. This was a little less detailed as it showed the forest with lights hanging down. The accents of the actors in the first version were hard to understand because they were from all over England. The first version was also hard to understand because the actors did not use very good body language. The first version also good in the way that it made its forest so life like, well as in the second version it was plain and had doorways in the middle from where people came from. The language use was easier to understand than the second version because the actors used more present English rather than old Shakespeare language. I think that the second version we watched was more suited to children rather than adults because it contained childish humour. When Puck gave Bottom a donkeys head it looked quite unrealistic in the first version because it looked like a rabbit. In the second version Bottoms ass head was good because it actually looked a little realistic. In the second version when Bottom and Titania fell in love, I think they went a bit over the top with the love scene. The first version of the play showed the dream world mixed with reality because Puck made it easy to see who was in the dream world and who wasn’t. The strange thing about the second version was having the little boy as a narrator. I think that may confuse people because they have now added another world to the whole story. There is now reality in the film, the dream world and reality in our world. When the first version showed the play by Bottom and his friends it seemed unpracticed and shabby. The second play showed a little humour by adding people forgetting their lines and the good roaring by the lion. They actually performed on a stage which was more appropriate for the occasion. In the first version they had to perform on the floor. If the actors were performing in front of a Duke and a Duchess then the performers should be given a proper performing stage. I think the second version of the play was by far the best because it had better acting and it showed some humour. In the first version I did not like it how the audience could sense the presence of the dream world. After Bottom and his friends had acted I did not understand why Puck had led all of the fairies through the corridors of the house. I think I prefer the second version of the play because I think it is more suited to my age group and plus I understood it a lot better than the first version. This is because it used present English and it used better body language. A Midsummer Nights Dream. (2017, Jul 12).

The legend of Zelda Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The legend of Zelda - Research Paper Example The Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda and its main character, a boy named Link, are so well-known and recognized in the video game community as to be nearly iconic. The original title spawned a series of sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and derivative works. The main series alone, without counting the remakes on various systems, consists of over fourteen games. For many, the instrumental background music, character sprites, and especially the unique gold game cartridge for the original Legend of Zelda can still conjure up happy images from their childhoods. The game Legend of Zelda is so important to both the company of Nintendo and to video game development as a whole because it was such a revolution in video game design. The game allowed players to move around on the main map between screens in a non-linear fashion, forcing the player to determine where they should go next instead of clearly showing them. In addition, the game was filled with puzzles and traps that made the game â€Å"more puzzle than plaything†. The game also ended up establishing the now-popular game genre of â€Å"action-adventure†, a combination of the speed and reaction time skill sets required in action games with the longer story lines and plot development of adventure games. (Nintendo, 2010). Despite its success now, the development of Zelda was never a sure thing, and in fact was following a long and sometimes rocky history for the company Nintendo (Paumgarten, n.d.). Having established the importance of the game itself, the need for further un derstanding of the game's history becomes clear. This history is in three parts: the history of the gaming company Nintendo, the careers of game developer Shigeru Miyamoto and his team, and finally the specific game development for The Legend of Zelda. Through this analysis, we will see that it took this series of events to produce the revolutionary Zelda game. History of Nintendo The original Nintendo company was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Obviously, at that point they were not producing video games of any kind. Instead, the company was known for its intricate, hand-painted playing cards and other table game accessories. Well into the twentieth century, Nintendo also produced Japanese hanafuda, a word which literally translates to â€Å"flower cards†. These colorfully painted hanafuda were used as gambling chips, replacing an older tradition of using painted seashells to keep score in playing card games. Around the year 1949, when Fusajiro Yamauchi's grandson Hiro shi Yamauchi took over the company, Nintendo began producing electronic games and gadgets, in an attempt to diversify their product line. One of the more famous products they produced during this period is the infamous â€Å"Love Tester†, which supposedly shows if there is an attraction between two individuals squeezing the machines levers. Another product in this line from Nintendo was the Beam Gun, which was used in converted bowling alleys to shoot simulations of clay pigeons and was quite popular in Japan (Paumgarten, n.d.). It was not until the 1970s that Nintendo actually entered the video game market. Contrary to what some fans seem to believe, Nintendo did not produce the earliest video games. Those were designed by California-based Atari, the company behind the memorable games Pong and Space Invaders. These arcade games, and later the home console versions, quickly became a worldwide craze. Seeing an opportunity despite having no personal interest in video gaming, Hi roshi Yamauchi decided that his company would enter this potentially lucrative new market (Paumgarten, n.d.). The result was a stream of arcade cabinets for the commercial market. At current count, Nintendo has produced over ninety arcade titles. These included such classics as Duck Hunt and Mario Bros., but had other failed games that are significantly less well-known, such as Battle Shark and the arcade version of Radar

Interpersonal Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interpersonal Skills - Essay Example (Haar, Retaining Experienced, Qualified Teachers: the Principal’s Role). These effective teachers can help the students to adopt their skills and learn many things from them; things that are not taught by them verbally. Among these skills, teachers can teach the students to develop their interpersonal skills, so that the students can interact or deal with others in a better way. Teachers should educate the students to build their interpersonal skills so that these skills can help them to build their confidence and improve their relationship with each other. To embed positive interpersonal skills in the students, teachers can use number of role plays that can help the students to polish their skills to this extent that it becomes part of their life. My strengths as a communicator Anything that is done by a person affects another person emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually is called communication. Communicating with one another is the main skill on which the entire l iving thing relies, to fill their special and daily needs. Since communication is a two way process therefore I understand that if one is a good speaker as well as a good listener only then the person can prove himself as a good communicator. As a communicator few of my strengths include; my willingness to listen to other people. As a person I prefer to listen to others so that I can understand them better and make them comfortable. I am also careful about other’s emotions; my sensitivity has also helped me become a good communicator. Other than this, my friendly personality also helps me to become more approachable for others and they feel free to talk to me in any regard. These were my strengths that I possess as a listener. As a speaker few of my strengths include; effective speaking, I am very comfortable in talking to others. At one time I can listen to others, while at the same time I can also make them understand my stance very easily. Moreover, I am also a confident i ndividual who is able to communicate with others and can adjust with them in no time. Other than this, I am also a quick thinker who can comprehend the situation comfortably, thus can act accordingly. However, though I possess all these strengths but unfortunately, I am only able to perform these tasks effortlessly when I am communicating in my first language, Arabic. When it comes to express myself or communicate with others in any other language, or in English for that matter, the problem arises as I do not have enough command on it. What do I yet need to develop in myself? The area that I find I need to develop as a communicator is my body language. Since the body language helps one improve their communication skills, the way one holds oneself also has an impact on how others perceive them and treat them. This shows that the body language helps others make decision on how to treat people in public and in person. As a communicator a major problem that I faced was poor eye contact with others. I understand the importance of having an eye contact while talking to anyone in order to prove your words and let others have interest in your conversation. Even though, I can contentedly make eye contact with the other person when I am talking in my native language, however, in second language the same task seemed difficult to me. In addition to this, I had weak listening skills for a foreign

Lifelong Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Lifelong Learning - Essay Example Super's theory included propositions relating to trait-and-factor theory, developmental psychology, and personal construct theory, from which Super derived his ideas about self-concepts and sociological theory. Super proved that the changes in the self-concept develop throughout the person's life as a result of experience. People modify their self-concepts depending on the career choice and new work conditions. The important part of Super's theory is dedicated to the construct of career concerns as divided by the six stages of person's development depending on the age span. Development stages were described by the theorist in the beginning of his career (1954) and are as the following: As we see these stages relate to the life-span dimension of the person: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middlessence and senescence respectively coincide with career stages of growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance and disengagement. The career stages of adulthood that includes specification stage, implementation stage and stabilization stage describe adults who are looking for stability and advancement in their jobs. Stability referrers to as keeping the same job for a long time period, struggling to meet job requirements but still being concerned about one's competencies. On arrival in the job market, young adults reflect on how to achieve their vocational goals. They then move on to seeking a promising path by questioning their goals and abilities in an attempt to accelerate vocational development. The adult then "grapple with the occupational race", striving to reach a plateau of occupational status (Super, 1969)Once adults reach their late twenties, different aspects of their career choice is combined with the feeling of safety and certainty in their competence and dependability. Advancing in career implies promotions, or moving to a position with more responsibility, and may involve a higher income (Super, 1980). After career has been established, adults become concerned holding on, keeping up and innovating in their careers during the consolidation stage. In the final career stage at the age of around 55 people are sure about tomorrow's day and have no need to keep on working, so they declare retirement. In conclusion, perceived as a well-respected theory, Super's theory of career choice and development it is regarded as one of the most comprehensive approaches describing the crucial factors of person's career. Mezirow and transformative learning Mezirow in his theory of transformative learning focused on the idea of perspective transformation, which he understood as the learning process by which adults come to recognise and reframe their culturally induced dependency roles and relationships. Later he drew on the work of Habermas to propose a theory of transfo

The effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms in Afghanistan Dissertation

The effectiveness of transitional justice mechanisms in Afghanistan. Is justice complementary or contradictory - Dissertation Example From decades of persistent strife and suffering to establishing the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, the country has come a long way towards the establishment of peace and security in the nation. However the success of transitional justice processes in the country remains precarious due to the ongoing security issues, political instability, and lack of political will. Recent years have however shown significant progress towards restoring normalcy in the country as is apparent from the rising awareness among the public and the need to end the culture of impunity. List of abbreviations used AIHRC Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission AC Amnesty Community ANDS Afghan National Development Strategy ARTF Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund HRVC Human Rights Violations Committee ICC International Criminal Court ICTJ International Centre for Transitional Justice CSO Civil Society Organisation DDR Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration HRW Human Rights Watch RRC R eparations and Rehabilitation Committee SATRC South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission TJCG Transitional Justice Coordination Group TRC Truth and Reconciliation Commission Contents Ch. No. Topic Pg. No. 1. Introduction and Methodology 5 1.1. Introduction 5 1.2. Aim 6 1.3. Method and outline 7 1.4. Limitations 9 1.5. Literature Review 10 2. Transitional Justice in Afghanistan 17 2.1. History of transitional justice 18 2.2. Bonn Agreement 21 2.3. Current status of transitional justice in Afghanistan 23 3. Challenges to transitional justice in Afghanistan 26 3.1. Political environment 27 3.2. Lack of international and domestic political will for justice 28 3.3. Weak and malfunctioning judiciary 30 4. Interventions aimed at effective transitional justice 34 4.1. Truth and reconciliation commissions 34 4.2. Amnesty 40 4.3. Legal Reforms 43 4.4. Lustration 44 5. Recommendations for effective transitional justice 45 5.1. Evaluation of successful transitional justice in South Afric a 48 5.2. Recommendations for effective transitional justice in Afghanistan 60 6. Conclusion 64 1. Introduction and Methodology â€Å"Peace is the only battle worth waging† Albert Camus1 1.1. Introduction The past couple of decades have witnessed significant progress in terms of the popularity and acknowledgement of transitional justice mechanisms as fundamental to peace building in post conflict countries. The concept of transitional justice entails establishment of various mechanisms such as truth commissions, reparations, trials and judicial proceedings with a view to punish the perpetrators of past crimes and preventing a culture of impunity in the process. However this approach of ‘digging up the past’ has been widely debated in recent years due to the arguments put forward by critics stating that such mechanisms are likely to cause chaos and disrupt the existing peaceful environment leading to severe internal strife and fragmentation of an already divided s ociety. Proponents of the process on the other hand maintain that the transitional justice mechanisms are imperative in order to assist and guide any society from social, cultural and political deterioration towards healing and democracy by restoring human rights and punishing the crimes

The Great Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

The Great Depression - Essay Example As the research declares most farmers and companies hence began to incur losses and default on their loans. The situation got worse after some parts of the nation were hit by a terrible drought. America was also operating on a laissez-faire economic policy that did not impose any regulations on businesses. Most companies paid low wages to their workers leading to uneven wealth distribution. The above factors coupled with the fact that Europe was also going through the depression led to an increased decline in the market for American products. It led to the closure of businesses, increase in debts, massive unemployment, and foreclosure of banks. The final blow resulted from the collapse of the New York stock market that led to the loss of billions of dollars of investor money. As the report stresses President Hoover tried to end the economic crisis by encouraging cooperation between government and business, establishing government agencies, fostering labor harmony and attempting to balance the budget. He refused to involve the federal government in manipulating the currency, fixing prices or controlling businesses. He also refused to use federal money to give direct aid citizens hence operated on the principle of rugged individualism. President Franklin Roosevelt, on the other hand, held a much more liberal philosophy as he believed the federal government was required to step in and give direct aid to its people.

CASE STUDY - EXPERIANCE OF ILLNESS AND DISABILITY Essay

CASE STUDY - EXPERIANCE OF ILLNESS AND DISABILITY - Essay Example tion will be done on questions such as how the illness and disability affect the individual sense of self and their way of life (before and after the illness), how the society’s perception transforms about the past and present of the ailing body, and how the social relationship affects the patients’ condition. Health, or illness, was once merely attributed to biological or natural conditions. Sociologists have verified that the spread of diseases is heavily influenced by the socioeconomic status of individuals, ethnic traditions or beliefs, and other cultural factors. There are obvious differences in pattern of health and illness across societies. The concept of health, diseases and illness varies from society to society. The social location of our peers affects the life chances; the beliefs about health and illness held by the peers shape the experiences and understanding of the later generation. The self-identity of an individual shape up his experience of illness, and the socio-cultural context affects his concept of death and dying. The behavior of the society with the patient varies with the culture. Understanding and beliefs about health and illness vary among different groups. This variation largely depends on the social, cultural, biographical and economic context within which ind ividual are positioned (Nettleton, 2006). In the narrative of every human life and every family, illness is a prominent character. Even if an individual does not get ill, he cannot prevent its reach into his family member’s life. Illness brings people closer in care giving. It moves people to sense the importance of life, brings hope and optimism in life, and creates confusion and doubts as well (McDaniel & Doherty, 1997). Experiencing illness, the term refers to the ways in which the people define and perceive any interruption in their health. It is typical in medical sociology to distinguish between illness and disease. Illness refers to peoples â€Å"lay† or subjective

The Political Economy of the European Union Essay

The Political Economy of the European Union - Essay Example Japan in particular has created worrisome situation for European economy and trade, this Asian country "has influenced in monetary and technology domains" (Wayne, 1992). It is essential for the European government and market to realise that it has to re-structure its political and economic policies, the union has to "construct a coherent political presence on the global stage in order to achieve the most attractive accommodation to the new order" (Wayne, 1992). The union shall realise that American economy has been partially able to sustain the implications caused by Chinese and Japanese market, however the political influence of the country supported by its stakes in policy making institutions kept the vital interests of the country protected and intact. The European Union has to take serious efforts to improve its political authority, and has to take political influence driven trajectory to reach a point of influence and dominance, to reign supreme in this world of competition and challenges (Ben, 2000). The major decisions in the history of the union have been influenced by liberal inter-governmentalist, who developed two-stage approach. The initial approach focused upon determination of primary preferences based upon "constraints and opportunities imposed by economic interdependence" (Andrew, 1993). The last approach is based upon the results achieved through intergovernmental negotiations, such achievements "were determined by the relative bargaining power of governments and the function incentives for institutionalization created by high transaction costs and the desire to control domestic agendas" (Andrew, 1993). The agricultural policy of the union is based upon the collective financial interests of the producers, the trade policy is also determined based upon such interests. The sets of such desires and preferences describe the societal limits on the governments, the limits of compromise is also determined through such act. The union has adopted the economic policies similar to the policies practiced by other international groups; the union has decided to improve the efficiency of bargaining through implementation of cost reducing rules. The only difference between the union and remaining international associations is that the union has "delegate and pool sovereignty" (Andrew, 1993), such that the crucial decisions "about linkage out of the hands of national governments" (Andrew, 1993) are taken swiftly. The union has decided to focus upon potential benefits from co-operation, and ignore the domestic political risk. The union has developed "two-level game", such structure is responsible for the rise in the "initiatives and influence of national government by providing legitimacy and domestic agenda-setting power for the initiatives" (Andrew, 1993). The notion of liberal inter-governmentalism has transformed the union into model of politics, which leads to the specification with reference to process integration (Desmod, 2006). The European Union works on joint-decision mode, all the major economic decisions undertaken by the union needs necessary consent of major parties, if not all. The mode of operation, where decisions are taken after joint approval which is integration of intergovernmental

Theoretical Matrix Essay Example for Free

Theoretical Matrix Essay This multi-staged model describes how a human system might experience, react to, and then adjust to change over time (Smith, 2010). The components of this Model of change consist of six stages: the first stage: old status quo is the current norm, the second stage: foreign element is something happens that interrupts the familiarity of the status quo, the third stage: chaos is the reaction to a foreign element that throws you into chaos, the fourth stage: transforming ideas gives you a new understanding of what to do, you begin to see a way out of the chaos, the fifth stage: practice and integration: you start to try your new idea or new behavior. The last stage new status quo: the new norm. According to Emery, (2012) â€Å"it is the nature of individuals to resist change and cling to familiar ways of doing things†. The Old Status Quo the group is at a familiar place. The performance pattern is consistent. Stable relationships give members a sense of belonging and identity. Members know what to expect, how to react, and how to behavior (Smith, 2012).Foreign Elements in this sage something happens that shatters the familiarity of the old status quo. A significant event that is internal or external seeking change that threatens the stability of familiar powers. Chaos the foreign elements throw you into chaos. In this stage, you are suddenly in unfamiliar waters where your things are unpredictable, and your usual pattern behaviors do not work. Your performance is affected and people around you may not act in unusual ways (Emery, 2012). Transforming ideas eventually the group transforms. You create lots of new ideas when you are in Chaos. Transforming ideas gives the group a new understanding of why’s, what and how’s. They began to see a way out of the chaos (Emery, 2012). Integration and Practice is the period of assimilation, you are transforming ideas into your operation, and a new status quo begins. You learn quickly and make progress. You make lots of mistakes, and every now and then your progress slips back to old status quo. You learn what works and what doesn’t. You have become more skilled and your performance is back up. You sense you are moving towards a new status quo (Emery, 2012). The New Status Quo your performance began to level off as you master your new skill. You start to feel good about your rapid learning. With time, the newness fades, and the â€Å"new status quo† become the â€Å"old status quo† (Emery, 2012).| Satir’s change model can be applied to any organization large or small. Hospital information is changing rapidly affecting clinicians both in ambulatory and primary care practice settings who are struggling to keep up with the pace of emerging technology. The demand for improvement in hospital safety, quality and performance reporting has made it necessary for this clinical transformation of its care practice process. Switching from paper to electronic medical record is one technological demand driven by Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement policies Transition from paper to computer documentation is still a challenge in health care (Straube, 2005). The process for documenting patient care was formalized during the years of Florence Nightingale’s practice the old status quo. Older nurses are having difficulty adapting to this change because their generation was driven by paper so they didn’t have to use the computer whereas the younger nurses have been exposed to technology must of their lives. A foreign element has been implemented into the care environment this has disturbed the status quo Satir second stage of the change model. A primary care setting feed ac keas given by receptionist stating â€Å"no one has time to scan charts for a physician who brought 1,000 patients with him to the practice†. The arrival of the â€Å"foreign element† electronic medical record precipitates a period of â€Å"chaos† According to Kiel (2011). â€Å"This is both the most liberating and terrifying aspect of the Satir Model†. The old way is out paper charting and the new way is in electronic medical record computer charting. Satir is optimistic in the fourth stage of the change model transforming idea people are calm, listening, being optimistic at that point they are ready to engage in problem solving. Not all transforming ideas are good you may have to try several times for chaos to achieve a renewed sense of direction (Kiel, 2011).Nurses that where apprehensive with the change from using paper charts to a computerized charting system where offered computer training classes, also some of the younger nurses offered to volunteer with in-house tutorial assistance. Chart software was purchase to help with staff development Rothenberg (2005). With integration and practice this stage of Satir’s change model the implementation of computerized charting nurses found themselves becoming more proficient in knowing more about computer technology and computer systems. According to Kiel (2011) â€Å"It is impossible to have too much support after implementation phase†. The last stage of Satir change model â€Å"new status quo† the older nurses now believe using a computer is like turning pages in a book. You access different screens and follow assigned task, like pain management vital signs, and a third for IO (Rose, 2011). | Kotter model| Kotter identified eight steps within the model after building on Lewin’s change model. Borkowski, 2005 identifies the following eight steps; (1) Establish a sense of urgency; This deals with the need for change and examines theOrganization’s crises, opportunity and competition.(2) Create a powerful guiding coalition; This should include all members not part of upper management. (3) Develop a vision; Create a vision for the change strategies to achieve it. (4) Communicate the vision; Using strategies and ways in which to communicate the vision, including new behaviors. (5) Empower others to act on the vision; Eliminate barriers to change creative problem solving. (6) Plan for and create short-term wins; plans for vision improvement recognize and reward staff involved.(7) Consolidate improvement produce more change; using hiring, promoting and developing employees to create more change.(8) Institutionalize new approaches; Reinforce changes by highlighting connection between new behavior Organizational success, ensure leadership succession (Borkowski, 2005). Utilizing Kotter’s model can be a guideline for all Organizations, when trying to implement a change process. According Du Plessis 2011, the biggest mistake people can make during a change intervention is tostart the process before a high enough sense of urgency has been established. Complacency is the biggest resistance factor to overcome in a change intervention, especially if there is no major or visible crisis.| Kotter eight step model can be applied in both small and large Organizations. For a change process to take place it is important to communicate with the staff members what is going to be implemented. Member’s involvement is also a significant factor. Being involved allows the individual to feel valued which makes the transition much easier. According to Spector 2010, people will become more committed to implementing solution, if they have been involved in the problem-solving process. For change to stick, it has to be integrated into the total psychic framework or personality and has to be supported by others whose opinions and perceptions the person cares about. (Winter, 2 002). Many Organizations feel that there is a need for change to improve the effective and quality of services offered to their customers. Examining Kotter model has key aspects in a change process. Important aspects such as; need for change, member inclusion, strategies problem solving, communication, rewards and recognition are all significant for small as well as large Organization to be successful. These key approaches will have less resistance and balance between the new structure and positive behavior among all staffs. Example of Organizations are health care settings; hospitals, nursing homes, and rehab facilities. | Complexity Theory| The complexity theory has emerged from the natural sciences in the 20ths century. It allows understanding of unexpected phenomena. The complexity theory (CT) has two applications. The metaphorical application is used by social science and a mathematical application is implemented by the physical sciences. The complexity theory addresses the dynamic, nonlinear, and complex nature of systems or organizations. Complex systems have multiple subsystems interacting at the same time with one another by nonlinear intertwined feedback loops which can produce unexpected results (Sanger Giddings, 2012). The complexity theory provides the following observations; first, small changes can generate massive or unpredictable changes. Second, changes applied under similar conditions are not guarantee to have the same outcomes. The results are unpredictable. Third, cause and effect are not continuous or directly proportional functions. Fourth, culture generates diversity so a standardization of processes cannot be implemented (Hoffman, 2012). The butterfly effect is exhibited in complex systems. This idea makes it easy to understand and remember the essence of the complexity theory. The butterfly effect explains that â€Å"small changes in a complex system may lead to large, unpredictable changes over time† (Sanger Giddings, 2012). This theory provides information on how the organization adapts to the environment and variable conditions.| The complexity model seems appropriate to deal with the constantly changing environment of the health care system. Managers and employees have to embrace the uniqueness of this system since they are forced to lead others particularly in the critical care environment. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) involves medical, social, psychological, and intertwined interactions. In addition, state and federal policies affecting the organization are considered as macro factors (Sanger Giddings, 2012). Federal and state issues focus on reducing the high cost of medical care and improving patient quality of care. One way that most hospitals are meeting these requirements is by keeping current with scientific advances in the medical field. Continuing education and updated knowledge have been essential in order to incorporate change and provide optimal patient care. This is not enough to improve overall performance of a complex system. Principles of complexity theory need to be applied in order to achieve optimal goals (Hoffman, 2012). The intensive care unit is a dynamic system affected by multiple factors interacting nonlinearly that can lead to unpredictable results. Complexity theory application can provide information on unexpected outcomes. Sedation administration, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), and infection control are some of practices that will benefit from complexity theory application. Sedation administration in the ICU is done based on standard protocol in order to prevent failed spontaneous breathing, coma, and delirium. Unfortunately, more than 30% of patients still reported some of these symptoms. These unexpected results need to be evaluated using the complexity model (Hoffman, 2012).. | References Borkowski, N. (2005). Organizational Behavior in health care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Du Plessis, M. (2011). Re-implementing an Individual Performance Management System as Change Intervention at Higher Education Institutions Overcoming Staff Resistance. Proceedings Of The European Conference On Management, Leadership Governance, 105-115. Emery, D. H. (2011). Managing yourself through change. Retrieved from www.http:// dhemery.com/articles/managing_yourself_through_change.html Hoffman, L. (2012). High-Value health care: Implication from Complexity Theory. Critical Care Alert, 20(7), 49-21. Kiel, D. (2011). Leading People Through Change. Retrieved from: www. http://cfe.unc.edu/pdfs/leading_people.html Rose, J.F. (2011). Charting challenges. Retrieved from: www. http://news.nurse.com/article.html Rothenberg, B. (2005). Medical technology as a driver of healthcare cost. Retrieved www.bcbs.com Sanger, M., Giddings, M. (2012). Teaching note a simple approach to complexity theory. Journal of Social Work Education, 48(2), 369-375. Schein, E. H. (2002, Winter). Models and tools for stability and change in human systems. Reflections, 4(2), 34-46. Retrieved from week 3 electronic reading. Smith, S, M. (2012). The Satir Change Model. Retrieved from www.http://stevensmith.com/ar-satir-change-model.html Spector, B. (2010). Implementing organizational change: Theory into practice (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Accounting Regulations Essay Example for Free

Accounting Regulations Essay Accountant Responsibilities By: Jennifer Koppelman March 11, 2014 Accountant Responsibility Accountants have responsibilities to many different groups such as their clients, the government and third parties. It is important that accountants act in a particular manner and have high ethical standards, integrity and professionalism. Accountant’s job responsibility is to validate financial statements and perform the duties in accordance with all the principles, standards and laws. Even though an accountant is hired by a company, they have a responsibility to many more people than just the company. Some of the people that accountants are responsible to, would be the companys management, investors, creditors, outside regulatory bodies, and the integrity of the financial markets. Accountants need to be consistent and constantly be carefully exercising due diligence and pay close consideration of the materiality of content (Accountant Responsibility). Accountants have a code of professional conduct that they should adhere to. This states that accountants should maintain objectivity and be free of conflicts of interest in the discharging professional responsibilities. An accountant in public practice should be independent in fact and appearance when providing audit and other attestation services. Situations where accountants will need to show objectivity would be when they are felt compelled to deliver bad news to a client or employer based on an analysis that they had performed (Colson, 2004). There are two different types of auditors; internal auditors and external auditors which have different responsibilities. Internal auditors have the main responsibility to develop statements that present the financial situation of a company in a fair way, meaning that as much disclosure as necessary to give a reasonable picture of the financial situation to any user having a claim to the knowledge. External auditor’s responsibility is to affirm that this has happened by issuing an opinion as to whether the financial statement fairly presents the financial position of that corporation (Duska, 2005). Accountant Responsibility to Clients Accountants have a professional responsibility to clients to keep their information confidential. The rule states that a member in the public practice shall not disclose any confidential client information without the specific consent of the client. This also extends to other accountants not directly involved with the client who obtain information through practice reviews or sanctioned disciplinary hearings to maintain confidentially. There are certain exceptions that facilitate compliance with other professional and legal obligations. Maintaining confidentiality is not only a professional obligation but also a legal obligation. General knowledge and expertise obtained through a client engagement is not considered to be confidential information (Cashell). Accountants have ethical responsibility to protect their clients, produce financial statements and tax returns that are to the best of their ability after performing proper due diligence. If there was an event that an audit would occur for a government agency they should represent their clients with professionalism. Accountants should always maintain the highest ethical standards. Accountants perform essential and critical roles in society. Accountants have responsibilities to all of those who use their professional services. The American Institution of CPAs has an official rule, Rule 301 states a member in the public practice shall not disclose any confidential information without the specific consent of the client. Accountant’s number one responsibility is to its clients, it is important that accountants do not disclose client information to anyone without the client’s permission first. There are consequences to the accountant if they do not keep client information confidential. It can also have a negative effect on the clients business, which will negatively affect the accountant also (ET Section 301 Client Confidential Information). CPA Responsibility to Clients Case Even when an accountant has the intention to warn others of pending financial harm the courts have held that accountants must not give any client information, client information should always remain confidential. In a case Wagenheim v. Alexander Grant Co the court ruled that Alexander Grant improperly divulged confidential information about their client, Consolidata Data Services, to other clients. Consolidata Data Services, an audit client of Alexander Grant performed payroll services for several of Alexander Grants other clients. Alexander Grant discovered that Consolidata Data Services was having financial difficulty; Alexander Grant warned their other clients to stop doing business with Consolidata Data Services. Alexander Grant argued that the other clients would suffer financial damage without warning them. The ruling was against Alexander Grant, the court said that there was no proof that Consolidata Data Services was in a financial hardship that they could not recover from. Which Alexander Grant had no legal right to inform third parties of the financial burden that Consolidata Data Services was in (Cashell, 1995). It is important that accountants keep client information confidential at all times. The accountant might not know the whole picture of a business and a company can state that they could have recovered from the financial burden but because the accountant may have told other clients that could ruin the reputation of the client and affect the business. It is always safer not to say anything in regards to the financial situations when you have an obligation to your client. Accountant Responsibility to Third Parties Accountants do not have as much liability to third parties as they do to clients. Accountants have a liability to third parties who are relying on the audit information, only if there is fraudulent conduct or proof of negligence would they be liable to the third party. When public accountants are done with an audit of their clients records and financials they put an opinion letter which sets forth, among other things, the scope of the audit and a professional opinion concerning the financial representations. Even though third parties may rely and act upon the auditor’s opinion, the auditor is contractually bond only to the client and usually owes nothing, no legal duty to third parties for negligence (Greene, 2003). Accountants need to be very careful when warning outsiders of a client’s fraud. Based on prior court cases, CPAs generally do not have an obligation to inform outsiders of known fraud unless if they remain silent they are becoming culpable themselves. It is a risky situation if an accountant decides to blow the whistle (Cashell, 1995). Accountants are generally not responsible to third parties in contracts because there is no privity of contract. However, accountants can be held to be a common law duty of care towards third parties in certain circumstances, despite that there is no contractual duties. Circumstances that give rise to such duty have been considered in a substantial number of cases in recent years and three general tests have been developed. One of the tests would be if there is foreseeability damage, proximity between parties and considerations of justice and reasonableness. Another test would be testing the assumptions of reasonability. If the court would take an incremental approach in comparing the relationship in any given case to previously decided cases in which a duty of care had been recognized or rejected. An accountant can be liable to a third party if the accountant knew or should have known that they were relying on the audit, only for fraudulent conduct and proof of mere negligence is not sufficient. If the accountant knew that the audit report for the client was intended to supply the information to a third party who would rely on the information. If the third party would be relying on the information in a decision concerning transactions involving the client and the third party (Professional Liability of Accountants Auditors). Duty to Disclose to Third Parties In some cases information should be disclosed to third parties but an accountant needs to be very careful and proceed accordingly. If it is detailed in their engagement letter, which is a written agreement to perform services in exchange for compensation then an accountant has a duty to disclose information. Once the letter is signed off on by an officer then the letter serves as a contract (Engagement Letter). In one case; Fund of Funds Ltd. v. Arthur Andersen Co. the CPA had a duty to disclose. Arthur Andersen was the auditor for two clients, Fund of Funds and King Resources Corp. King Resources Corp developed natural resource properties and agreed to be the sole vendor of such properties to Fund of Funds at prices no higher than those charged to King Resource Corp industrial clients. Arthur Andersen learned the agreement was not being met but failed to inform Fund of Funds. The court did rule that Arthur Andersen should have disclosed this fact to Fund of Funds because they had knowledge of the overcharges, knew the terms of the agreement that was being violated and the language of their engagement letter produced a contractual obligation to reveal that information. Another case involving duty to disclose, this one a CPA was found that he did not have a duty to disclose information. The case Gold v DCL Inc. , Price Waterhouse Co. informed DCL in December that they intended to qualify their audit report on DCLs financial statements. DCL was in the business of leasing computers and Price Waterhouse believed that their ability to recover their computer equipment costs was impaired due to the impending release of a new line of more powerful computers by IBM. In February, DCL announced earnings without mentioning Price Waterhouses concern and on February 15 Price Waterhouse was replaced. The court ruled that there was no basis in principle or authority for extending an auditors duty to disclose beyond cases where the auditor is giving or has given some representation or certification and the silence and inaction of the defendants auditors did not make them culpable. The courts reasoning that the CPA did not have to disclose was because the auditors had issued no public opinion, rendered no certification and in no way invited the public to rely on their financial judgment there was no special relationship that imposed a duty of disclosure (Cashell, 1995). Accountant Responsibility to the Government Different local, state and federal governments have different rules and regulations that accountants need to learn for the area and industry that they will be working in. This is important to find out and comply with the different regulations. This is part of an accountant’s responsibility to provide accounting services that are in compliance with the government regulations for your client’s particular industry. There may be different regulations for different industries so it is important to know which regulations are pertinent to your client. CPA for Responsibility to Government Case Some state laws might grant accountant client privileges, but these laws do not usually extend to a summons or subpoena related to a Federal Investigation by such agencies such as the IRS, or the SEC. In a case, Couch v. United States, the Supreme Court concluded that no Federal accountant client privilege exists and state created privileges do not apply to Federal cases. Before an accountant is responding to a Federal agency, the accountant should be sure that they are only responding to a valid and enforceable subpoena. In another case, Roberts v. Chaple, the Appellate Court ruled that the accountant violated Georgias statutory accountant client privilege because he provided information to the IRS without having been served a valid summons or subpoena. Some state privilege laws could also affect the ability to release information pursuant to a review of a CPAs practice. Firms are responsible for meeting and keeping client confidentiality obligations whenever state statutes do not clearly provide a confidentiality exemption for a peer review of a firms practice. Whenever an accountant is not sure on if information should be released it would be best to consult a lawyer and obtain legal counsel to ensure that they are not breaking any laws or violating any confidentiality agreements or obligations(Cashell, 1995). Conclusion Accountants need to be ethical and practice with the highest professionalism and ethics. Accountants have many responsibilities not only to the client that they are servicing but to the government and to third parties. Responsibilities are higher to clients then third parties but it is important to know when and where your responsibility for each is. If an accountant is negligent or not responsible to the parties when they should have been there are consequences. An accountants main responsibility is to their client, it is important to keep client information confidential at all times. Not keeping client information confidential can have a negative effect and consequences on the accountant and the client. It is important that accountants do not disclose client information without the permission from the client first. All accountants need to have and maintain the highest ethics, professionalism and confidentiality.

How Globalization and International Business Are Related

How Globalization and International Business Are Related Globalization with new value migration (more economically effective business design) has opens up more doors to opportunities. The literature review is broken into 5 parts: Firstly due to globalization, there will be restructuring in income resulting in more customer connections/segments restructure. With better segmenting capability and new business models, new opportunities can be ride on and unique requirements be met. Secondly, expansion of segment requires customization for each new market and effective management involves balancing between custom ratio and business design segment to get right combination of response rate/cost structure. Thirdly, increasing growth at base segment leads to entrepreneurs catering low-cost design, but eventually high profitability will attract them to premium segment. Premium players will counter attack by also catering new low cost business design. Organization must defend against market takeover which creates lead increased competition/risk. Four thly, redefining innovation is important to create high impact success activities. There must be balance in investment in innovation beyond product/processes that create values for investors/customers like alliance and global talent sourcing. Lastly, unique information chain that connects customer to innovation is important for organization to create proprietary information to gain head start by deploying its unique information/application system. To end off, there must be risk management system to respond to new waves of trend/risk. Rational for Selection Globalization is inevitable, ever-changing, shape competition and waits for no one. In this technology-fueled global environment, businesses must stay ahead these trends to remain competitive. I want to have better understanding of Globalization as it is the stepping stone for International Business by giving rise to international commercial transactions. Analysis and Viewpoints Positive Aspects of the Article: Slywotzky et al (2006) identifies the significance of having appropriate business models due to consumer pressure and income restructuring induced by globalization. I agree that when operating abroad, global competitive strategy must be adopted for different foreign conditions. Daniels et al (2011) support this and evaluates that organization must have different market responses in order to be global to compete, response to foreign opportunities and learn from each other. Hence, altering business models by investing on RD, source worldwide to work more efficiently in innovation/products is essential to meet the demand of global customers. Example: To gain global focus, two Brazilian firms alter business model and merge to form BRF-Brazil. Slywotzky et al (2006) also gave reason that globalization will drive organization to be innovative in creating its own proprietary information for success. Daniels et al (2011) and Davis et al (2007) concur by stati ng that foreign companies are the source for domestic companies to stay innovative and create own unique business models. Globalization provides the stepping stone for multinational transactions because of technology expansion, liberalization of cross-trade, increase demand in foreign product and opportunity for global cooperation. Example: Foreign firm will bring in new technology and better skilled workers. Also, increasing international competition will induce local firms to add skilled workers to handle new technology. This will help companies to explore innovative means of more efficient production which cut cost and increase production. Pursing international sales usually increase potential markets, helps acquire resources at lower cost, better/new products and additional operating knowledge to gain competitive advantage. These helps to build better global branding resulting in more profit due to higher exports demanded. Negative Aspects of the Article: Slywotzky et al (2006) comment that globalization has induced more effective low-cost business design, more customer connections and segments which organization can exploit. But I feel that this article fails to cover many negative pitfalls like social and environmental problems. Kumenit (2008) and Daniels et al (2011) argue that low cost strategy brings about negative effects and profit/income disproportionate. Recent shift in manufacturing job from US to China has help China to grow faster and reduced US real wage growth. We see that in USs garment industry, where it is cheaper to produce in China. This would mean a mass migration of work and many US citizens would be jobless. Globalization in this sense is good for organization as they can capitalize on cheaper labor, but bad for US citizens especially if they are lowly skilled. Those lowly skilled will be stuck in underground economy leading to political instability which undermine international t rade/investment. In developing countries, globalization/multinational investment leads to environmental degradation and generates pressure for cheaper labour to retain competitiveness. Hence, it erodes values of social justice and increase inequalities. Small enterprises in developing areas will face complexity in taking advantage of globalization and poverty persists. Global restructuring also dramatically affects rights of workers in developing countries. Example: Development of China as a world factory due to its cheap labour is causing worker suicides problem. Due to poor working condition/low salary, emotional health of Chinas migrant workers is on the down toll. Nine employee deaths at global electronics manufacturer Foxconn, Apples main supplier of iPhones revealed some harsh social aspects (The Straits Times, 2010). Conclusion In order to enjoy the full benefits of globalization, organization must have the right global business design, global operation strategy, global focus, customization, organizational structure, customer connection activities, innovation, proprietary information and risk management system in place. Though there are viewpoints on optimizing its benefits, the article failed to explore issues in relation to human rights, environmental matters, political instability and inequalities. These are common global concerns which have to be respected and since international business transactions have connection to these concerns, it is crucial for laws of international business transactions have to be in a position to promote guidelines to regulate global concerns which will in turn benefit businesses.

What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers

What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119 What Went Wrong With Americas Schools? Essay -- essays research papers What Went Wrong with America's Schools? Education is the key to any countries economic success. For a country to be economically sound, the business and industry within that country must be financially prosperous. In todays high tech world economy, businesses and industries need well educated employees to prosper. Therefore, the deterioration of a countries educational system should be considered a major economic problem. Between 1965 and 1980, the performance of American students dramatically declined, the educational system fell backwards, and it is affecting todays schools, as well as the future of the US's work force. During that 15 year period, US students' test scores severely dropped in comparison to other industrial countries. After 1980, the dropping scores leveled off, and recently, they have begun in increase. But American students must play catch-up with the rest of the world, and todays public school system is not prepared to facilitate the major leap forward that our educational system needs. Before 1965, America's public school system was producing better educated students with less money and fewer supplies than today. Each class was approximately 40% larger than today's classes, and they functioned with about one-third of the real dollar expenditures of present day schools. They taught with fewer books and less equipment, and did not have any of todays audio-visual material and equipment. Then, between 1965 and 1980, real dollar expenditures per student doubled as teacher to student ratio dropped by one forth. Yet, with more money and fewer students per class, student achievement deteriorated in every available measure. In 15 years, national SAT scores declined by 5 points annually. That 75 point drop has put the US behind greatly, and has left todays students with a lot of ground to make up in order to reach other countries test score levels. The cause of this dramatic drop can not been attributed to any one thing. The decline was sudden, sharp, and affected every region and socioeconomic group in the country. Because the 60's and 70's were a time of major changes, nothing that happened in that era can be ruled out. But a few major changes within the educational system have been linked to the decline. &... ...resent increase in learning and test scores, America will be on its way to being a leader in education again. And with a well educated work force, the US economy will continue to grow and prosper. Bibliography Stanley M. Elam, Lowell C. Rose, and Alec M. Gallup, "The 25th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 137-152 William Kristol and Jay P. Lefkowitz, "Our Students, Still at Risk," New York Times, 3 May 1993, p.A-23 Sam Peltzman, "What's Behind the Decline of Public Schools?" USA Today, July 1994, pages 22-24 The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, "More than Survival" 1980 copyright by Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA Gerald W Bracey, "The Third Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 105-117 Jim Fox, "The Wrong Whipping Boy" Phi Delta Kappan, October 1993, pages 118-119