Key problems at Edit 4U and recommendations

Drury ( 2008 ) has defined direction accounting as â€Å"†¦ the proviso of information to people within the administration to assist them do better determinations and better the efficiency and effectivity of bing operations.† Making the most effectual and efficient determinations is one of the most critical things to make because this leads to a successful growing and profitableness of the company. Assorted places like the Board of Directors make these important determinations every twenty-four hours in order to function the shareholders’ involvements and to do certain that the concern will go on to run in the hereafter. The determinations are made utilizing competent direction accomplishments, different managerial experiences and whether the direction chose to be a hazard taker or a hazard averse. Edit 4U ( E4U ) is a household owned concern who provides redaction and layout service for magazines. The concern was set up with the purpose to be profitable and to vie with other concerns in the same field whilst the economic system of Ireland is dining. As a get downing business- jobs and troubles could non be avoided which is the ground why this study has been commissioned. The study will supply information and concern advice to decide jobs that Mr. and Mrs. O’Sullivan is presently sing. The cardinal issues of the concern will be analysed and examined to be able to give the right solutions and recommendations to Mr. Sean O’Sullivan. Different direction accounting techniques would be endorsed in order to better the public presentation of the concern. KEY ISSUES The cardinal issues that have been found whilst the analyzing the concern is as follows: I.Costing Method Pricing occupations or merchandise costing is one of the cardinal issues that Sean and Mary are presently confronting. Sean does non cognize how to be a service per column occupation which has led to inaccurate fiscal statements and false figure of gross ( Banker & A ; Hughes, 1994 ) . A direction accounting research by Brignall, et Al ( 1991 ) have mentioned that merchandise costing are used for ‘ †¦ stock list rating, merchandise pricing, mix determinations and for direction planning and control’ . It is indispensable that a concern cost their service right because it helps the direction make better determinations towards the profitableness of the concern. The cost-plus pricing could be an option that Edit 4U could utilize because this determines the merchandising monetary value and costs of the service they offer. This is calculated based on Sean’s chosen net income border for the company. Furthermore, Edit 4U could utilize a merchandise costing system which helps to be products/ services based on the demand for the occupation. Marginal costing, soaking up costing and activity based costing are some of the bing methods that Sean could utilize to accurately monetary value the column services that they offer to their clients. The Activity Based Costing ( Garg & A ; Rafiq, 2002 ) method `†¦aid strategic determination devising, it act as a lens into the concern procedure leting resources to be expeditiously allocated and to enable cost decrease and in conclusion, it is an allotment mechanism that transfer pricing internal and external to the organisation’ . This indicates that the footing of allotment which a theoretical account is shown in Appendix 1should be considered to be implemented throughout the company because this will divide up the costs that are allocated consequently to its cost Centres. The method ensures that costs are being driven by the right cost Centres and they are exactly measured. Enforcing a direction accounting technique will ensue to a better service pricing based on the customization of each client ( Caplan, 2014 ) . However, in order to make these more information is needed from the concern. For illustration, Sean should account for all the relevant costs because this will back up him to take the most efficient determination with respects to the hereafter of the concern. Options should besides be considered because this will move as insurance in instance the first determination fails. In add-on, more information like how much work is allocated to a customized redaction service ; the type of merchandise mix that they are traveling to offer that could give high soaking up rate and how much is the demand for their service. These are some of information that would be required from Sean and Mary to to the full set a monetary value on services that they offer. Equally good as supplying extra information it is recommended that Sean and Mary use the client profit ableness analysis ( Epstein, 2000 ) which is shown in Appendix 2. II.Planning and Control The following cardinal issue to be raised is the deficiency of separation between the family and the business’ disbursals since Sean utilizations portion of their place as an office. The Activity Based Costing will assist Sean and Mary to allocate the cost more accurately with respects to the disbursals used in the concern. The deficiency of planning and control in the concern could take to hapless determinations being made, hapless hard currency flow, and they could be taking the business’ objectives to a incorrect way ( Lucey, 2009 ) . The Cost Volume Profit ( Drury, 2013 ) analysis â€Å"examines the relationship between alterations in activity and alterations in entire gross revenues gross, costs and net profit.† The analysis is a direction accounting technique that determines how many products/ services can a concern green goods in order to breakeven. This means that the analysis could let the direction to happen out how much services they can offer in order for the concern to gain net income. The analysis is besides used to pull the border of safety that will demo the scope of units before the concern will happen some loss. Using this sort of direction accounting technique could forestall Sean from doing the incorrect determination for the company. However, the analysis will non work if there is non adequate information available which makes it impossible for the concern to build the cost volume net income analysis right ( ACCA, 2014 ) . Some of the information that will be needed to bring forth the analysis is the expected gross revenues of the concern, the variable cost, the fixed costs and the part per unit of the merchandise. Therefore, it is recommended that the concern should go on on utilizing the accounting system that they already have because this will guarantee that the grosss and disbursals are accurately accounted for. Furthermore, this will do certain that the books remain balance and their VAT returns will be addressed right. III.Business Venture The last issue that will be analysed and discussed is the prospective concern venture that Sean will come in with Fergus. There are Numberss of concerns that would necessitate to be resolved in order to do the right determination for Edit 4U’s concern venture ( Datar, et al. , 2012 ) . The first concern is the loan that Fergus will borrow from Sean to pay for the printing and distribution costs. I would propose to Sean to make a full background and recognition cheque on Fergus before he agrees to make a concern venture with him. The ground for this is that Sean demands to do certain that Fergus is a believable individual and has a clean repute amongst Bankss and edifice societies. If Fergus has a bad repute as a man of affairs, so this could post great menaces and hazards to the concern venture and could stain Sean’s concern repute. However, if Sean wants to prosecute the concern venture so he would necessitate to come in into a contract with Fergus that contains all the conditions that Sean has with respects to any jobs in the hereafter sing Fergus’ credibleness. Sean will necessitate to retrieve that even though they have a contract, he could non alter the public’s sentiments towards him if there was a dirt about the concern venture. The 2nd concern would be the failure to budget the hard currency flows of the concern. Budgeting is a direction accounting technique which ensures that the hard currency out flow and inflow will be accounted ( Russell, et Al, 2001 ) C. Using this technique Sean and Fergus would be able to be after and do determinations about the hereafter of the concern and they can accurately cognize the costs and predicted grosss. If the concern does non utilize any accounting technique so it will be hard for the direction to find the public presentation of the concern and they will non be able to run into their aims. Last, Sean should be cognizant on how many yearss their creditors are giving them because if the company fails to pay these creditors in clip they will be given non to swear the company and discontinue making concern with Edit 4U. The worst instance scenario is the company traveling to travel on bankruptcy ( Agarwala & A ; Taffler, 2008 ) . Using personal recognition cards and overdraft installation as a capital is non the most efficient manner to finance a concern because this could take to paying higher involvement rates that will incur each month. In order to avoid losing the creditor’s yearss a direction accounting technique called ‘accounting ratio’ should be practiced. Patton has mentioned on his Accounting reappraisal in 1982 that ratio analysis could be really utile in countries like ‘analysis of concern minutess in markets that may non be efficient ; contractual bounds based on accounting rations and public presentation anticipation and hazard rating in an efficient market’ . Some people might believe that accounting ratios are non utile but in fact these ratios could steer the direction of the company to whether the concern is executing good and it could besides uncover how many yearss their creditors would necessitate to be paid and when they are traveling to have hard currency influxs from their debitors. However, if more information like the fiscal studies is available, it is possible for the company to to the full analyze and see the public presentation of the company. The accounting ratio could assist the company pull off its hard currency flows efficaciously. Therefore, I would propose for Sean and Fergus to utilize the ratio analysis technique whether they go in front or non with the concern venture. CONCLUSIONS & A ; RECOMMENDATIONS After analyzing and measuring the cardinal issues of Edit 4U, I conclude that Sean who started the concern along with his married woman Mary should utilize and implement a figure of direction accounting techniques in order for their concern to be enhanced, to turn and to place the costs expeditiously. As a direction adviser, I would urge for Mr. and Mrs. O’Sullivan to utilize the undermentioned: Activity Based Costing to be the service that Edit 4U offers and to apportion the costs efficaciously to each cost drivers. The Profitability Analysis should be used to calculate the profitableness of a undertaking and the concern. Cost Volume Profit ( CVP ) Analysis ( CSUS, 2014 ) should be used to be able to cognize when the units of end product and the sum of grosss breakeven. Budgeting and accounting ratios are used to analyze the concern venture between Fergus and Sean. These direction accounting techniques could give the two parties a better image of the public presentation of the concern. In add-on, these techniques could give them the most of import information needed to do determinations and send on their program. Therefore, after accounting the most of import key issues, it has been identified that more information is needed from Sean with respects to the past records and past public presentation of the company in order to utilize the direction accounting techniques and to acquire the most accurate consequences. The more accurate the consequences are from utilizing these techniques, the more accurate the determinations are made for the company.

Allman Brothers Band

Hailing from Macon, Georgia, the Allman Brothers Band were know as the foremost architects of Southern rock (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). The band was known for their jam or improvisational sessions and forged a new musical offshoot from several elements of music blues, jazz, soul, R&B, and rock and roll. They help advance the genre of rock and roll, along with groups like the Grateful Dead and Cream (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005).The Allman Brothers Band developed a type of â€Å"jam† session that required a distinct level of technical genius and musical literacy, which was somewhat new to rock and roll (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). Duane Allman, an original guitarist, and Dickey Betts broke the barrier with sensational guitar riffs and extended solos (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). This combined with front man Gregg Allman’s husky, soulful vocals dro ve the Allman Brothers Band to rock and roll powerhouse from their 1969 beginnings (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005).The legendary band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida on March 26, 1969. The Allman Brothers Band was comprised of Gregg Allman, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Jai Johanny Johanson, Butch Trucks, and Berry Oakley (Freeman, 1995). The brothers, Gregg and Duane, were in other garage bands before the Allman Brothers Band (Freeman, 1995). The Allman Brothers Band played shows throughout the south prior to the release of their debut album, the Allman Brothers Band. The critics adored the album; however, the album attracted only limited listeners and consisted of a cult audience (Freeman, 1995).Their follow-up album, Idlewild South, was a mass success, both with critics and listeners. Idlewild South became a rather profitable album, as well. The Allman Brothers Band received a great honor of playing the last act at the Fillmore East before its closin g in June 1971. These last acts also received a renowned status due to their ability to play all night long (Kimball, 1971). Gregg Allman was noted to say that it was hard to realize how long they were playing until the morning light poured in (Kimball, 1971).In 1971, the Allman Brothers Band was virtually kicked in the groin when Duane Allman was killed in a catastrophic motorcycle crash in Macon, Georgia (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). Gregg Allman said his brother Duane was the most intense person he knew. Only a year later, on November 11, 1972, Allman Brothers Band bassist, Berry Oakley died in a similar situation – his death occurred only a few blocks from Duane’s accident site (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). The band regrouped and persevered.A second keyboardist, Chuck Leavell, added a jazz-like dimension. Lamar Williams later replaced Oakley as the band’s bassist. The most commercially successful album came in wake of their tragic losses (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). The double album Eat a Peach reached number four on the charts. This album included Duane Allman’s last three studio performances. In 1973, Brothers and Sisters soared to number one and stayed there for five weeks, which included classics like â€Å"Blue Sky† and â€Å"Ramblin’ Man,† and lengthy pieces.In the same year, the Allman Band, along with the Grateful Dead, performed at the Grand Prix Racecourse in front of 600,000 rock and roll fans (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). The mid-seventies proved problematic with substance abuse and internal disagreement. This triggered a two-year hiatus. However, the Gregg Allman band toured with the Dickey Betts Band in August of 1978 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). This rejoined the Allman Brothers Band and reverted to their classic dual-guitar line up.They w ould then move from Capricorn to Arista records. History repeats itself and the Allman Brothers Band disbanded again in 1982 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). In 1989, Dreams, the box set, was released, and the band reunited for what would later become the most productive chapters in their history. With two additions, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, the band was revitalized. Their playing was as strong as ever, even dating back to the late Duane Allman and Berry Oakley (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005).The most stable line-up in the history of the Allman Brothers Band capitalized in 1991. The septet was consisted of Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe Johanson, Warren Haynes, Allen Woody, and Marc Quinones (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). Warren Haynes passed through their ranks capturing the technique and passion of the late Duane Allman (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005).The Allman Brothers Band released two of their most inspired albums in the early nineties, Shades of Two Worlds and Where It All Begins (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). This line-up came to an end with the departure of Haynes and Woody to their side project Government Mule (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005). In 2000, the band forced Dickey Betts to sit out for personal and professional reasons during their summer tour.A bitter argument rose from this – Dickey Betts filled a lawsuit against the other three original members and the summer disconnection became a permanent divorce (Freeman, 1995). The band release a live album, Peakin’ At the Beacon, that chronicled the annual March tradition of a several night stand at the Beacon Theater in New York City. However, within that same year, bassist Allen Woody was found dead on August 26th. Warren Haynes began appearing with the Allman Brothers Band in 200 and rejoin ed full-time in 2001 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the Allman Brothers Band, 2005).The Allman Brothers gathered back to back Grammy Award nominations in 2003 and 2004 in the category of Best Rock Instrumental for performance of â€Å"Instrumental Illness. † The Rolling Stone magazine named Duane Allman, Warren Haynes, Dickey Betts, and Derek Trucks to their list of top 100 greatest guitarist (Kimball, 1971). Allman came in at number two, and Derek Trucks being the youngest on the list. The Allman Brothers Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for many reasons. Their influential blended rock style paved the way for Southern rock.Their all-night, play to dawn sessions were fan favorites. Their albums were critically acclaimed and Grammy worthy. This band is legendary and according to George Kimball of Rolling Stones magazine â€Å", This is the best damn rock and roll band this country has produced†¦(Kimball, 1971). References Freeman, Scott. Midnight Riders The Story of the Allman Brothers Band. 1995. Kimball, George. Fillmore East Review. Rolling Stone magazine. 1971. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Allman Brothers Band. 2005.

The Link Between Nationalism And Racism History Essay

This essay will critically analyze the nexus between patriotism and racism in order to set up if there is a correlativity. Racism is an of import argument in modern-day society because it is widely perceived that racism in no longer prevailing but racism continues to be. Harmonizing to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is defined as the, ‘discrimination against or hostility towards other races. ‘ Barack Obama was the first black president of America in 2009 but is invariably greeted with unfavorable judgment claimed by former president, Jimmy Carter because he is black and the ‘belief held by many Whites that an African American is non qualified to be in the White House. ‘ ( The Guardian ) In order to reply this inquiry I will foremost discourse the function of patriotism and the effects that it has upon imagined communities in nation-states in order to set up links between racism. To exemplify my theory I will utilize illustrations of how patriotism was used to advance racist positions and reenforce a peculiar set of ideals. My First illustration is of Nazi Germany who wanted to eliminate the Judaic race in Europe. The German state was to be cleansed and go forth a superior German race. I will specifically look at the grounds why the National Socialist German Worker ‘s Party ( NSDAP ) was elected and how they used patriotism in order to advance the party ‘s hatred for the Judaic race. I will besides look at how Nazi propaganda was used to reenforce racist positions in order to convey together the nation-state. The concluding illustration will research the intensions of what precisely constitutes you to be a member of a nation-state and whether you have successfully integrated into society. In 2000 in the coastal town of Nea Michaniona an Albanian pupil named Odysseus Cenai was given the wages to transport the national flag at a commemorating parade. ( Tzanelli, 2006:27 ) I will look at the grounds why Cenai and others were discriminated against by looking at how Greece maps and looking at the history between Greece and Albania to tie in a nexus. I believe that patriotism reinforces a peculiar image of nation-states in order to make a sense of national pride. I believe that patriotism has stemmed from political motions, faiths and the media. Patriotism is non wholly to fault for racism but has played a critical function in back uping it. The Othering? Paragraph 1 Patriotism is defined as the: ‘Politicised societal consciousness centered upon an cultural born out of shared commonalties, seeking to accomplish integrity, liberty and group involvement by mobilising ethnic-based constituencies. ‘ ( Norbu, 1992:181 ) Norbu ( 1992 ) has identified the cardinal function of patriotism within a state ; patriotism has in kernel sought to reconstruct the original Latin significance of state, people or state. ( Norbu 1992:25 ) Patriotism is an political orientation of the province or a inactive political orientation in so far as it identifies peoples ( states ) with provinces. Anderson ( 1983 ) claims there are three causes of patriotism: faith, dynastic kingdom and print capitalist economy. The historical context will supply the background for patriotism in order to set up the cardinal incentives such as: nationalism, national pride, conveying the nation-state together and making a specific set of beliefs. The state is ‘an imagined political community and imagined as both inherently limited and autonomous. ‘ ( Anderson, 1983:06 ) Harmonizing to Anderson ; ‘The state is imagined because the member of even the smallest state will ne'er cognize most their fellow-members, run into them, or even hear of them, yet in the heads of each lives the image of their Communion. ‘ ( Anderson, 1983:06 ) Paragraph 2HistoryHitler ‘s rise to power had cardinal effects for the German province every bit good as the persecution of Jews. The German populace elected the National Social Workers Party ( NSDAP ) which was controlled by Hitler in order to take them through a difficult period in clip due to the great depression and the economic and national casualty of World War I. In 1920 Anton Drexler published the â€Å" Twenty-five Points † programme which set out the NSDAP policies. Bizarre combinations of political idea were in common in Germany in 1918. The growing of Nazism was doubtless helped by a clime of comparatively similar thoughts. ‘ ( Eatwel, 2003:126 ) This was polar to the party deriving control of the province because the morale of the state was low and the economic crisis made it hard for the state. This plan had set out how the German state needed to take back control and create equality amongst a superior race by the remotion of inferior races. The plan was really negative and critiqued what was incorrect with Germany at the clip and was the ground why it became so appealing to the imagined community.National pride i? Superior raceHitler brought the German province closer by conveying back national pride to the imagined community, which had been losing for so long. He believed that the Aryan race was the superior race and everyone else was inferior. Drexler used Charles Darwin ‘s theory of endurance of the fittest and radicalised it by claiming that the inferior persons should be eradicated. It was non merely the Jews who were discriminated against but besides the Slavs and the Blacks were ‘deemed inferior people, destined for conquering or servitude. ‘ ( 37 ) Hitler used patriotism in order to know apart against other races because they were seen as below them, by doing the German race seem more of import or worthy so everyone else he reinstalled national pride in the imagined community. In his 25 point programme he spoke of how he wanted to unify ‘all Germans in a great Germany ‘ and that â€Å" German people have rights to those equal to those of other states and the Treaty of Versailles and St. Germain shall be abrogated. † Nazi Germany were rallied by this belief of their importance and wanted to take back what was truly theirs, sovereignty resides with the Aryan race ( volksgemeinscharft ) Hitler believed that over clip it was going of all time more hard to separate Hebrews from the Germans apart from their faith as they took on European individualities which he believed was incorrect because the Jews who held of import places were working the state for the ain selfish demands. ‘Under Nazism Katz argues ‘racism became metaphysical and the devastation of the Jews was indispensable for the saving of the German state if non their redemption. ‘ ( 68 ) aˆÂ ¦Nazi propaganda i? Encourage themi? FearNazi propaganda played a important function in maintaining the state province strong and to reenforce the province chief policy, which was to make a superior race. Nazi propaganda was used to promote everyone that what they had set out to make was the right thing and the state should be proud for cleaning society. ‘Publicity was designed to startle the population, to implement continued attachment and group trueness. ‘ Hitler invariably spoke of h ow he wanted to take the Judaic race in Europe. Nazi political orientation was systematically used with the purpose of keeping high national pride in the imagined community. In a popular hebdomadal magazine, Der Angriff had a circulation of some 300,000 wrote, ‘the war will stop with the extinction of the Judaic race ‘ and in another widely read article, Das Reich made an indistinguishable anticipation: ‘the Jews will pay with the extinction ( aussrottung ) of their race in Europe. † The repeat of despised towards Jews in the imperativeness would go synonymous in the imagined community and hence would back up the German cause. ‘ Nazi Germany non merely promoted propaganda but when they realised they were get downing to lose clasp on the war they tried to beat up the state by motivating fright. Nazi Germany tried to convert the imagined community that it was non merely them who played a function in the attempt to destruct European Jewry but it was the German public excessively. NSDAP believed that by intimidating the German state, they would hold no pick but to back up and promote their attempts. NSDAP claimed that ‘Jewish Acts of the Apostless of retaliation against the full German people, and non merely the Nazi leading, should the war terminal unsuccessfully. ‘ This clearly shows the nation-state employed these fear tactics in order to beat up the state and convert them that what they were making was for the greater good. Hitler used patriotism in order to convert the populace that what he set out to make was for the Aryan race. The two most of import factors of Nazi political orientation were antisemitism and racism, Nazi political orientation was committed to the creative activity of a maestro race and therefore the riddance of what it deemed ‘life unworthy of populating ‘ among the Germans such as ‘mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed, and physically handicapped Germans, along with Gypsies and Jews. Hitler ‘s used patriotism to implement his ideals by claiming that the Aryan race were superior and that the Jews were the ageless enemy of the German people.Political motion i? Historyi? Hitlers anti-semitic positionHitler was an anti-semitic leader, who was n't afraid to publicise his extremist hatred towards the Judaic race and Hitlers ‘ideas sing antisemitism must be entire remotion of the Jews. ‘ Hitler entirely is non to fault for the annihilating offense co mmitted to the persecution of an full race but the NSDAP party who believed in the Nazi political orientation and the people who were involved in it every bit good as the people who stood by and watched. ‘ The Otherring Greece illustration Greece ( 2000-2004 ) there were several instances of racial bias, which brought to the foreground inquiries of national individuality, racism and favoritism. Traditionally the best student of the school in acknowledgment of that student ‘s excellence holds the Grecian national symbol. This was non the instance in 2000 because in the costal town of Nea Michaniona the Michaniote found out the best pupil was non Grecian but in existent fact Albanian, whose household migrated to Greece a few old ages before in hunt of a better life. Odysseus Cenai ( Odhise Qenaj ) is the pupil in inquiry, which caused tumult from his equals and their parents. The chief ground for such ill will was because of his race, he was Albanian and non Greek. This racism towards Cenai and many others who inhabit Greece has stemmed from historical events, spiritual positions and nationalism towards their state. Firstly I will discourse the context in which the events occurred because it provides us with an pen etration to the beliefs of the imagined community. The ground why the Grecian state were so inexorable non to see Cenai an Albanian to transport the flag was because of the significance of the flag. The flag and the national anthem are symbolic mentions to the Greeks with its ain myth of common beginnings and history ( Smith 1981, p. 66 ) . The Grecian flag ( bluish with white cross ) dates back to a decree issued during the Grecian Independence War ( 1822 ) , and ‘entwin [ es ] national sentiments with spiritual strong beliefs ‘ ( Karakasidou 2000, p. 226 ) . The Grecian anthem operates along the same lines, as both its history ( as a piece of poesy composed by the Greek ‘national poet ‘ , Solomos ) and its content refer to the procedure of Grecian ethnogenesis. ‘ Grecian ethnogensis derives from the Greek Ethnos, which means ‘groups of people ‘ , or ‘nation ‘ is the procedure by which a group of human existences come to be unde rstood or understand themselves ethnically distinct from the wider societal landscape from which their grouping emerges. This is an of import construct because the Grecian civilization is really loyal and see themselves distinct from other races due to their belief towards Greek orthodox. The national flag harmonizing to Firth today plays a symbolic map, being a ‘condensation symbol ‘ and ‘a focal point for sentiment about society. ( Firth 1975:356 ) The national flag symbolises the sacred character of the state ; loyal citizens revere it. The national flag plays an of import function in keeping the nationalism and love for Greece. Michael Billig suggests that â€Å" the topographic point of national flags in modern-day life bears a minute ‘s consideration † ( 1995, p. 117 ) . These minutes of ideas towards the flag and the significance that they play are cardinal in making a strong sense of national pride. National pride could be considered ideologica lly racist because you adore your state and you do n't desire anyone staining its image. The parade itself is really of import because it is excessively commemorate the Greeks strength and their finding non to give in to the Italian ‘ultimatum ‘ and resignation to the Axis Forces on the 28th October 1940. Throughout Greece the imagined community remembers the legendary ‘Ohi ‘ ( No ) that the Metaxas fascist government ( 1936-1941 ) allegedly delivered to the Italian fascist government. The struggle between the Greek and Albanians supported by Italy that followed the ‘ohi ‘ and the ephemeral Greek triumph before the German invasion and business ( 1941 ) , are registered as a great loyal act. Parading therefore symbolizes the victory of the ‘Greek spirit ‘ over its ‘enemies. ‘ ( Karakasidou 2000:241 ) nationalism towards their state is clearly high among the Greeks and this is apparent in there conflict against holding a non-Greek carry the flag which means so much to them and in this was they are honoring their t riumph. However this may be good for the Greeks that they love their state but this has besides created barriers between other civilizations. Harmonizing to Nadia Seremeta-kis so advisor to the Greek Ministry of Public Health discovered an association between Albanians and other immigrants to Greece after the gap of EU boundary lines and narratives about ‘waves of infections traversing Grecian frontiers. ‘ ( Seremetakis 1996:489 ) This creates a sense of imagination in that the infections are the immigrants traversing the Grecian boundary line. The intension of the term infection describes the immigrants as if they are occupying the host state, the racialist tone towards other civilizations is apparent and this is due to national pride. Albanians have even changed their names to Greek traditional ways in order to suit into society so they would n't be stigmatised. Furthermore it was from Grecian perceptual experiences that if you were a different ethnicity to them, so yo u are Albanian. ( ibid ) The fact that they cant distinguish between different races reinforces the Grecian state ‘s attitude towards other races and their racialist positions. There was a possibility of allowing Cenai Greek citizenship so that he could take part but some Greeks argued that would non wipe out his ‘alien ‘ individuality. Two female parents of Michaniote students gave voice to such reserves by shouting in a local meeting ‘I will non allow an Albanian touch MY FLAG or sing MY NATIONAL anthem! ! ! ‘ ( Raptis 16 November 2003 ) . The racial tone was grounds of their disfavor of Albanians and their involuntariness to absorb other civilizations into their society. For illustration, senior members of the conservative party Nea Dimokratia ( New Democracy ) suggested that bearing the flag is a inquiry of birthright, therefore overruling the civic construct of the state. The permutation of civic with cultural apprehensions of the state figured once more in 2003, when the Prefect of Thessaloniki, Panagiotis Psomiadis, declared that ‘You are born a Grecian, you can non be turned into a Grecian! ‘ ( Raptis 16 November 2003 ) . Firth, R. ( 1975 ) ‘Symbolism of flags ‘ , in Symbols Public and Private, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.

Importance of Physical Education at Schools Essay - 9

Importance of Physical Education at Schools - Essay Example Physical education is an integral part of elementary and high school curriculums further validating the importance of sports. The different parties involved in designing school curriculums take into consideration various factors, which when combined contribute to the holistic development of students. As such, students are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities such as sports and enrolling in different social clubs. Sports represent a more intensified form of physical education whereby students expel more energy and spend more time on practice with the aim of honing their skills in order to excel in competitions. Students who participate in sports competitively while in schools learn a wide range of life skills, which instructors might find difficult to teach in a classroom setting. For example, such students develop resilience, as they learn how to push themselves beyond their physical and psychological capabilities. Those who participate in team-oriented sporting a ctivities learn how to trust and rely on their teammates. In some cases, student-athletes who were previously introverted adjust their behaviors whereby they become socially active, as they frequently interact with their teammates and fans. In addition, students who participate in sports have a lower risk of developing health-related complications caused by leading a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity among students in the US remains an issue of concern. Competitive sports increases the student-athletes’ physical fitness level by increasing the efficiency of their metabolism levels. Through sports, exceptional athletes are able to access scholarship opportunities to further their education.  

Introduction to global politics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Introduction to global politics - Term Paper Example China is now the cynosure of eyes in pure business terms. Countries like India and Brazil have also been able to invite world attention, as huge investment possibility exists in these poor countries as well. Countries like India and Brazil have also been able to invite world attention, as huge investment possibility exists in these poor countries as well. Unlike earlier times, when the military might was the only yardstick to measure the strength of a country, today the economic strength holds key. Strategic tie-ups take place amongst countries depending upon the economic leverages being held by each country. The classical liberalism limited the role of governments to maintaining social order, enforcing law and defending the country against foreign aggressions. This kind of liberalism hinged on individualism, with respective countries making best efforts to safeguard their own interests. But, over the years this philosophy has widened to a great extent. The neo-liberalism not only in cludes the individualistic or country specific aspects, but it also includes regional interest as well as global interests. For example, the recession hit economies of US and the European nations is a matter of concern for almost all countries around the world, because a weak US economy, weaker dollar, weaker Euro would imply all round losses to many countries around the world. On the other side, the neo-liberalism promotes institutions like world bank or IMF, which provide easier loans and financial assistance to nations in need of such assistance. Q-3. Is 'National Interest' a useful concept for understanding the actions of states It is true that in the market driven economy, the 'interest' of states lies well beyond the boundaries of the state. But, the 'national interest' proves crucial for shaping policies, retaining power and winning the confidence of corporate world. Therefore, the 'national interest' is indeed a very useful concept in understanding the actions of states. For the sake of argument it can also be said that in today's materialistic world, number of political people have become more of self-serving nature, but it is equally true that they too realise the importance of 'national interest'. If the national interest goes, their own identity too melts away. While devising policies for foreign trade, tripartite agreements or regional framework agreements, a state is supposed to keep its national interests supreme, while extending ground to other state/s Q-4. What are the key causes of war If we analyse the causes of the two world wars, it becomes abundantly clear that the imperialistic policies of some nations was a key factor in antagonising other countries which in turn translated into wars. But, it must also be emphasised that when some of the European nations established their colonies in foreign land, they started exploiting the alien land for the natural resources and trade prospects. This indicates that economic interest was equally relevant even during those days. It was only after the oppressed people started reacting, that war like situations started. War can take place on economic, industrial, racial, religious, cultural issues. Therefore in general key causes of war include

Anthem case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthem - Case Study Example lth identification numbers, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, employment information and income data had been illegally accessed by an unauthorised party (Humer, 2015). This is a major crisis for the company as 78.8 million people including minors had their information compromised (Abelson & Goldstein, 2015). This therefore, exposed just how vulnerable the company is to cyber attacks, thus necessitating the strengthening of its IT system security. Being the among the largest health insurance companies in the United States, this situation received immense media attention. The media attention was also great as this is considered to be the worst cyber attack to have hit a health insurance company in the US. Different media companies such as the Forbes, Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Reuters and NBC, among others highlighted this issue. The stakeholders of Anthem include its employees, current customers, past enrolees, suppliers, Independent Blue Cross, Blue Shield, shareholders, the public, the government and media. The fact that this company has many stakeholders implies that this data breach affected many parties. Strong growth in revenues: Over the years, Anthem has experienced an increase in its revenues. For instance, since 2000, it is estimated that the revenues of Anthem have grown at a compound rate of about 24.1%. In 2003, Anthem experienced an increase of $3,486.6 million in its revenue; and this was an increase of 26.8% as compared to 2002. Strong focus on technology: Anthem is highly focused on IT leading to a reduction in its processing time and saving on costs. Anthem reduced its cost of claim processing per claim from $2.50 to 14 cents. Additionally, Anthem collaborated with Accenture to develop a digital pen technology that would aid digital capturing and sending of medical claim information (Anthem Health Insurance, 2015). Strong brand association: Anthem is closely associated with

Organizations and Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizations and Behavior - Essay Example However dealing with how organizations behave, it is necessary to see how the concept of leadership is in an organization. Leadership is all about the needs of the individuals of an organization. Leadership styles are mostly related to the situation in hand. They are used by considering the requirements of people involved and the particular challenges that the organization is facing. There are apparently six different leadership styles or approaches (Kotter and Cohen, 2002, p124). The first one is Visionary. This style is needed when an organization is looking for a new direction and its aim is to move people towards a new goal. Second one is coaching. This style deals with the development of individuals and showing how they can improve their performance and connects their aims to the aims of the organization. Coaching is best for organizations in which the workers who are initiative and want more professional development (Hatch, 2006, p19). Thirdly there is the Affiliate style. This style talks about team work and how a good connection between groups is important. This approach is important in improving and increasing team harmony and morale and improving communication or repairing any type of broken trusts within an organization. However too much praise can lead to poor performance as well. The fourth one is the Democratic style. This style deals with people’s knowledge and skills and introduces a commitment towards goals. However this style will fail in times of crises and in times of urgent decisions. The fifth style is Pacesetting. This style deals with the high standards of performance. The leaders want a perfect work and better and faster things. This style fails in if used too much hence it should be used sparingly. The final and sixth style is Commanding style. This style is also known as the military model. This is the most often used one but the least effective though. It deals with less praise and more criticism; it

Capital Punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Capital Punishment - Essay Example The other strong reason to oppose capital punishment is that it infringes the most basic human right: the right to life. Critiques of capital punishment have always questioned the morality in correcting a wrong with a wrong. Even though the supporters of the death penalty argue that it deters people from committing serious offenses, this claim is far from the truth. The death penalty is indeed a perpetuation of murder in the society. How right is it to appeal to a person not to killing by killing? Capital punishment has no moral dimension as serves to inculcate the most vicious vice in the society: murder. The death penalty violates people’s right to life.Apart from the deterrent factor, many people in support of capital punishment argue that it is a majority view so capital punishment must continue. It is correct that majority of the population supports capital punishment as is evident in the poll survey done by Pew Research Center. The survey was conducted between November 9 and November 14 in 2011 and 2001 adults responded to this survey and 62% supported the death penalty for homicides. In 1996, 78% respondents favored the death penalty and for last 4 decades, the public opinion has consistently remained in favor of capital punishment. Based on these results, one can argue that capital punishment is essential in fostering a moral society. Perhaps, in the mind of people, capital punishment acts as a deterrent for people not to commit the crime; otherwise, criminals will become fearless and commit more crimes.

Online Application Ning - the Platform Allowing Users to Create and Cl Coursework

Online Application Ning - the Platform Allowing Users to Create and Close Their Own Social Network - Coursework Example This critical analysis functions to examine the role of social networking with a variety of diverse populations, arguing that the widespread social adoption of this technology has not simply been a tool to achieve greater efficiency, but is in actuality reshaping and formatting the nature of human culture and consciousness.A television program recently had a comedic skit where the internet went out in a home and the residents had to resort to a box-labeled ‘pre-internet’ – inside the box were a rubber duck, a barbell, and a fake plastic tree. While most of us recognize that there was a lot more going on in pre-internet times than a box full of trinkets, the absurdity of the skit draws one's attention to the fact that one of the great divides of culture, arguably on the scale of the Protestant Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, or even the Renaissance, is the contemporary occurrence of what has been deemed the Digital Age. Having died in 1980 Marshall McLuhan had only glimpsed its genesis when he proclaimed, â€Å"In this electronic age we see ourselves being translated more and more into the form of information, moving toward the technological extension of consciousness (McLuhan 1967).†With the explosion of Web 2.0 software and the use of social networking sites (SNS), it was certain that professional environments would begin to incorporate the technology. While previous conceptions of computer-mediated communication – video gaming, Facebook use, YouTube – have been characterized as detrimental, the technology is now being reconsidered for its functional value. Many varied corporations have implemented collaborative technology, including Google whose employees hold daily meetings with associates spread throughout the world. One of the most widespread uses of collaborative technology has occurred in education environments. Indeed, certain researchers even argue that this technology is expanding the very nature of the classroom room outside institutional walls.     

Marketing Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing Decision Making - Essay Example Promotion is considered as one of the major elements of marketing mix and it possesses its own mix of communication tools. Advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion among others are some of the elements of IMC, these tools enable a company to implement its advertising and marketing objectives constructively through a coordinated approach. This paper seeks to discuss the basic elements of communication mix putting more emphasis on their pros and cons and how they influence an organizations ability to succeed in their marketing program. It will provide an overview of a promotional product that I created and how I intend to market it using the IMC approach. The rational that I will follow in choosing or rejecting specific elements of the integrated marketing mix will also be provided (Mossman, 2007). Advertising is any paid form of promotions that does not employ active participation of personal presentation to promote ideas, goods, or services through the use of a specific sponsor . Advertising uses a number of channels which include the print media, media broadcast through radios and television, outdoor advertising and other forms of non personal selling. Advertising is a promotional strategy that maintains the omnipresence nature of an organization by increasing its non personal availability to different people. Advertising is highly flexible as it allows a business to focus on a small and precise segment or a mass market depending on the intention of the advertising model. It is also highly cost effective as compared to other elements of market mix as it reaches a large number of target consumers at a lower cost per person (Chen, 2011). With advertising, the message is repeated severally to the consumers which allow them time to compare the product with others offered with other organizations. Dramatization captures the attention of the audience and creates a lasting impression on their minds, a feature that is only possible with advertising. Advertising c an also trigger quick sale and impulse buying among consumers which improves the impacts intended by the promotional strategy employed. However, advertising also have a number of disadvantages as compared to the other available elements of market mix. Feedback is an important aspect of promotion as it enables a business to repackage their product according to the consumer’s desires. Advertising has no room for any immediate feedback from consumers and is less persuasive when compared with the other elements of communication mix (Lichtenthal and Eliaz, 2003). Personal selling is a face to face interaction between the product promoter and the prospective consumers for the sole purpose of making presentation, answering any questions that may arise and finally procuring orders from the consumers. Personal selling is one of the most powerful elements of communication mix as they provide room for building customer relationship and long lasting business relations with the buyers. It provides the room for getting feedbacks from the consumers which allows for any adjustments on the products being marketed. Personal selling occurs in an environment where the consumers attention is fully captured increasing the possibility of getting a genuine response from them on how they view the products and the company. Despite the numerous advantages that personal selling posses, it is however an expensive means of product promotion

Describe in detail how you would go about isolating and studying the Essay

Describe in detail how you would go about isolating and studying the expression of the gene which appears to render the Southern Region population subgroup in saudi Arabia resistant to Type 2 diabetes - Essay Example Among these are the genes encoding leptin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and adiptonectin. These genes may be involved in the development of insulin resistance. Therefore, to address the potential genetic association between resistance to type 2 diabetes, it is important to assess whether individuals whose phenotype shows resistance to the disorder are genetically screened to see if differences exist between the structure and/or activity of adipocytokine genes in groups women with similar risk factors (viz. obesity) and markedly different incidence rates for diabetes. A subpopulation of Saudi Arabian women has been identified that is resistant to the development of type 2 diabetes, despite incidence rates of obesity at the same level as the entire population of women in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this research was to identify whether or not there was a genetic basis to this phenotypic observation. The present study involves a genetic assessment of the gene called resistin, previously identified in mice on chromosome 8 (Steppan et al, 2001). To study this gene in humans it was necessary to clone the gene. This process is initiated by a technique called fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The mouse gene is used as a probe to identify the chromosomal location of its human gene counterpart. Since gene sequences are frequently homologous among different species, the related genes or orthologues can be used to identify similar genes in different species (Gregory & Hebert, 1999). The mouse gene is attached to a fluorescent probe and mixed with human chromosomal DNA that has been denatured (connverted to single stranded form). The fluorescent band identifies the chromosomal location of the gene in humans. The chromosome segment can then be cut with restriction enzymes and linked to an expression vector to generate a recombinant

How We Are Teaching Children to Think Inside the Box Essay Example for Free

How We Are Teaching Children to Think Inside the Box Essay When children come home from school, parents usually sit down with them, go through their homework folders and ask their child, â€Å"so, what did you learn at school today?† Twenty years ago, the child may have commented on what they learned in art, music, social studies or geography. Now, a child will comment only on what they learned in their reading circle or in their math book. The fault for this lies within the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Standardized testing has turned teachers into test proctors and schools into testing facilities. Students are no longer receiving a broad education that covers many subjects; instead, their learning is streamlined to fit the content that is on the standardized tests. The NCLB Act is not working as it was intended, and as a result the American children are falling even further behind other developed nations. In fact, American students are ranked 19th out of 21 countries in math, 16th in science and last in physics (DeWeese 2). The No Child Left Behind Act needs to be tossed out before we do irreversible damage to the education system. It is not too late – we can turn everything around by getting rid of costly standardized tests, ensure students receive a broad education that includes classes in arts and music, which will better prepare them for higher education, and give control back to the individual states. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted by Congress, which was intended to close the learning gap between Caucasian students and minority students. The NCLB promised to promote accountability amongst teachers and school administrators, as well as assuring that all children would be proficient – according to standards set by the individual states – in reading and math by the end of the 2013-2014 school year (Ravitch 2). In addition, NCLB stated that by the end of the 2005-2006 school-year every classroom in America would have a highly qualified teacher (Paige 2). The most reliable way that the drafters of No Child Left Behind proposed collecting the data that they needed in order to keep track of accountability and proficiency was by mandating that each state issue their  students in grades 3 through 12 a standardized test annually that covers the subjects of reading, writing and math (Beveridge 1). The test that is issued is given to all students, whether they are Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, disabled, etc. and schools are graded based on the proficiency of their students. Each state sets a yearly goal that increases each year based on the mandates of the NCLB Act, in which all students will be 100 percent proficient in those three subjects by the year 2014 (Ravitch 2). On paper, the NCLB Act looked like a blessing to schools that are located in areas of low-income, minority areas and advocates for children with learning disabilities because these tests were meant to highlight the schools that are doing poorly and ensure they receive funding and training in order to turn the scores around (Darling-Hammond 1). In a letter that is addressed to parents on their website, the U.S. Department of Education explains that the NCLB Act provides â€Å"more resources to schools† through funding and â€Å"allows more flexibility† when allocating the funds (3). According to Linda Darling-Hammond, a Professor of Education at Stanford University, â€Å"the funding allocated by NCLB – less than 10 percent of most schools’ budgets – does not meet the needs of the under-resourced schools, where many students currently struggle to learn† (2). Another way schools get their funding is through the taxes that we pay. It makes sense that schools located in an area that has higher income would receive more funds than schools located in a low-income area. What happens is that with the limited funding, schools in low-income areas need to prioritize funding to raise the standardized test scores of their students because once a school fails to show improvement in their standar dized test scores, they are placed on probation the second year and parents are given a choice to leave the failing school, taking their child and the funding attached to that child to a school that is rated better. â€Å"In the third year of a school’s failure, students are entitled to free tutoring after school† according to Diane Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University (2). The funding provided by NCLB is supposed to help pay for the free tutoring, but, like was stated before, the funding provided is not enough. What happens when a school is mandated by law to provide resources, but it cannot find room in their budget? That’s  right, they cut funding elsewhere. In an article written by Angela Pascopella, the Austin Independent School District superintendent Pascal D. Forgione explains that â€Å"NCLB also requires that schools in need of improvement set aside 10 percent of their local Title 1 funds for professional development †¦ this creates no flexibility in budgeting† (1). When schools need to restructure their budget in order to pay for tutoring and retraining teachers, the arts and music programs are the ones that suffer most. NCLB places so much emphasis on the outcome of the standardized tests. Can you really blame the school districts for re-emphasizing the importance of standardized tests when their funding relies on it? States were put in charge of providing their own assessment tests in order to provide a more focused education to their students and ensure that the students meet the state’s standards of proficiency. Tina Beveridge explains that â€Å"in 2007, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) cost the state $113 million †¦ [and] many districts eliminated teaching positions as a result, despite the use of stimulus money. As budgets are cut nationwide, the funding for nontested subjects are affected first† (1). The fact that the distribution of funds is based on the outcome of the standardized test scores mea ns that we are blatantly failing the inner-city schools. A school will be placed on probation if they fail just one category ranging from proficiency of Caucasian students all the way down to the proficiency of the students who are just learning the English language. Schools located in higher income areas don’t really have to worry as much about budget cuts because those schools are located in areas that are predominately white and with parents who are active in their children’s education. On the other hand, schools in low income areas have to provide tutoring and other mandated actions in order to improve their proficiency rates, all the while their students are learning in â€Å"crumbling facilities, overcrowded classrooms, out-of-date textbooks, no science labs, no art or music courses and a revolving door of untrained teachers† (Darling-Hammond 2). After a few years of a school not showing improvement through their test scores, their entire teaching staff could be fired. We just saw this happen last year in Providence, Rhode Island. The school board terminated 1,976 teachers because of insufficient results and the need to make budget cuts (Chivvis 1). The turnover rate for  teachers is already extremely high, as much as 50 percent leave within 5 years in urban areas (McKinney et al 1) and the pressure of working in a low-income school district where schools are lacking basic teaching necessities is not all that appealing. The inability of low-income schools to offer teachers incentives because of funding, and with the added stress of job security, it makes one wonder how any highly qualified teachers are in the classroom. On top of that, the curriculum for students has gotten so narrow that it has taken a lot of the creativity and individualization that once attracted the best of the best to the teaching profession. Susan J. Hobart is an example of one of those teachers who used to love doing her job because she was leaving her mark on her students, in a positive way. In Hobart’s article, she tells of a letter she received from one of her students prior to the NCLB Act. The letter explained that Hobart was â€Å"differen t than other teachers, in a good way. [They] didn’t learn just from a textbook; [they] experienced the topics by ‘jumping into the textbook.’ [They] got to construct a rainforest in [their] classroom, have a fancy lunch on the Queen Elizabeth II, and go on a safari through Africa† (3). The student goes on to explain that the style of teaching she experienced during that time is what she hopes she can do when she becomes a teacher too. Unfortunately, that student’s dream will most likely not come true because the fact is that when schools are placed on probation, like Hobart’s school, they â€Å"teach test-taking strategies similar to those taught in Stanley Kaplan prep courses †¦ and spend an inordinate amount of time showing students how to ‘bubble up’† (1). With all the time and energy being placed on teaching children to read and write, you would think that they would be proficient by the time they enroll in college, right? Wrong. â€Å"42 percent of community college freshmen and 20 percent of freshmen in four-year institutions enroll in at least one remedial course †¦ 35 percent were enrolled in math, 23 percent in writing, and 20 percent in reading,† according to the Alliance for Excellent Education (1). Scho ols are so reliant on the standardized tests in order to gauge how students are understanding material that they have slacked-off in other areas like teaching basic study skills and critical thinking skills. When most of these kids graduate from high school and enter into a college setting, especially the ones who need to take remedial courses to catch-up to where  they should be when they graduate, they’re taken completely off guard with the course load and they will either succeed in managing it or struggle for the first few semesters, but the majority will drop out without a degree (Alliance for Excellent Education 1). High school is meant to prepare students for higher education or to enter the workforce, but the government is spending millions of dollars in order to remediate students and doing what high school teachers were meant to do (Alliance for Excellent Education 3). So, who is to blame? The supporters of No Child Left Behind acknowledge that there are some faults to the Act, but those like Kati Haycock believes that â€Å"although NCLB isn’t perfect, the Bush administration and Congress did something important by passing it. They called on educators to embrace a new challenge – not just access for all, but achievement for all †¦ there are no more invisible kids† (1). Supporters feel as though benefits such as holding teachers accountable for all students, including those with disabilities, and weeding out the schools that have a long history of doing poorly outweighs the negatives and that with time, the NCLB Act can be reformed to work as efficiently as it was enacted to work. Ravitch disagrees, stating that â€Å"Washington has neither the knowledge nor the capacity to micromanage the nation’s schools† (3). We have to agree with her as concerned citizens and parents. While the NCLB Act meant well when it was passed, it’s time to acknowledge that the government has spent billions of dollars trying to improve the education of America’s youth, yet 10 years later American students are still falling behind the mark set by other industrialized nations and the 201 3-2014 school year is quickly coming upon us. Not only are we falling behind globally, but minorities are still struggling behind Caucasian students. The gap between Caucasian students and minority students, that was intended to close through the NCLB Act, has remained just as far apart. E.E. Miller Elementary School, located here in Fayetteville, NC, just released their annual report card to parents. The chart below shows the break-down of students who passed both the reading and math tests provided at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. African American children, Hispanic children, and children with disabilities are still lagging far behind their Caucasian peers. African American children passed at 49.4 percent, 25.5 percent of students with disabilities passed and Hispanic children passed at rate of  56.9 percent. Remember that the NCLB expects this school, along with every other school in the Nation, to be at 100 percent proficiency by the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Source: Education First NC School Report Cards, E. E. Miller Elementary: 2010-11 School Year, Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education, Web, 26 Oct. 2011. In order to put this chart more in perspective, below is the 3-year trend for E.E. Miller. [pic] Source: Education First NC School Report Cards, E. E. Miller Elementary: 2010-11 School Year, Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education, Web, 26 Oct. 2011. While math scores are steadily improving, reading scores (the solid line) are declining. E.E. Miller has been on probation for at least 3 years, having provided tutoring to children who were struggling last year. Even with those efforts, the end of the year test suggests those students are still struggling in reading. These mandates are not working. States are spending millions of dollars per year to fulfill all of the required obligations without any fruition. We need to put education spending back into the hands of the states with more substantial federal funding. The federal government cannot expect every public elementary school, middle school and high school in this nation to fix a problem that has been prevalent for many, many years with this one-size-fits-all approach to learning. It will not happen with No Child Left Behind, and it definitely will not happen by the end of the 2013-2014 school year. We can no longer sit and watch while students in America struggle to compete o n a global level in nearly all subjects. Teachers are not educating our nation’s students to think critically and to form their own ideas or opinions; instead, teachers in failing schools are stuck teaching a curriculum that directly corresponds to what is being tested, and we are failing to prepare them for higher education. The future citizens we are molding will be of no use to society if they cannot think for themselves, which will happen if they remain in the current system. We need to undo this one-size-fits-all curriculum and re-broaden our children’s education to include subjects that will teach them think outside the box. Works Cited Alliance for Excellence in Education. â€Å"Paying Double: Inadequate High Schools and Community College Remediation.† Issue Brief: August (2006). All4Ed.Org. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. Beveridge, Tina. No Child Left Behind and Fine Arts Classes. Arts Education Policy Review 111.1 (2010): 4. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. Chivvis, Dana. â€Å"Providence, RI, School Board Votes to Lay Off All Teachers.† AOL News (2011). Web. 28 Oct. 2011. Darling-Hammond, Lisa. â€Å"No Child Left Behind is a Bad Law.† Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. DeWeese, Tom. â€Å"Public Education is Failing.† Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. Education First NC School Report Cards. â€Å"E. E. Miller Elementary: 2010-11 School Year.† Public Schools of North Carolina State Board of Education. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. McKinney, Sueanne E., et al. â€Å"Addressing Urban High-Poverty School Teacher Attrition by Addressing Urban High-Poverty School Teacher Retention: Why Effective Teachers Persevere.† Educational Research and Review Vol. 3 (1) pp. 001-009 (2007). Academic Journals. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. Paige, Rod. â€Å"No Child Left Behind: A Parent’s Guide.† U.S. Department of Education (2002). PDF File. 28 Oct. 2011. Pascopella, Angela. Talking Details on NCLB. District Administration 43.7 (2007): 22. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. Ravitch, Diane. Time to Kill No Child Left Behind. Education Digest 75.1 (2009): 4. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.

Improving Car Chassis Stiffness

Improving Car Chassis Stiffness Introduction The purpose of the project is to increase the stiffness and reduce the weight of the existing car chassis, without disturbing the shape provided for engine mountings and drivers space and other constraints provided by the existing chassis model. Why is it so important to increase the stiffness and reduce the weight of the chassis? In general to define chassis in this way, first a clear meaning of structure should be known. In general perspective a structure can be defined as a specific arrangement of material to resist loads. This structure should also enable to the location of the components such as engine mountings, transmission, fuel tank, suspension system etc. So it must resist loads without breaking, and without more deflection. If the chassis cannot resist loads it leads to a serious handling problems, and will not support the engine and transmission system, also the chassis should be light enough to maintain weight to power ratio and better handling in corners. 1.1 Background to project The principle loads that includes on the chassis are, by the engine, the aerodynamics, brakes, road irregularities, the inertia loads due to masses under accelerations and vibrations. Also the chassis must with stand impact loads, having absorbed part of crash energy by deformation which includes the bending, torsion, combined bending and torsion, also lateral and longitudinal loads. So the chassis structure should be strong in stiffness in design case rather than strength. The chassis and body developments should also reduce weight because it improves the vehicle ride, handling, improves the performance of car by reducing the drag because of high weight to power ratio, and also will reduce the need for power there by increases the fuel efficiency. Because of this now even mass produced passengers cars lightened up by the most detailed weight-watcher engineering techniques due to corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations of the federal government. Lighter vehicle requires less power, hence less fuel, for equal performance. History The demand for the chassis with high torsion stiffness and low weight had increased from the World War 2. This demand had led to the innovation of many kinds such as Space frame, stressed skin etc. These types had become universal among the European road race cars following its appearance in the Lotus MK and the Mercedes-Benz 300SL in 1952. These are the cars which used strictly space frame chassis and the attention they received had popularized the idea. Major automobile industries in present era are purchasing the competitive vehicles and disassembled them carefully to study the weight and stiffness of car for comparison with the equivalent part of their own vehicle. So this lead to a competitive reasons than for increase fuel economy. Today have been included to expand the following three reasons: A means for recognising opportunities for overall weight reduction for better fuel economy. The means for determining centre of gravity (CG) location and polar moment of inertia. Detail weight estimates provides target figure of cost estimates of all parts. To resist inertial loads under accelerations, accidents etc. Structural efficiency A designer can achieve enough stiffness for a chassis from any form of construction, if enough material is used. This is not the criteria of a designer, to assess the efficiency of structure its stiffness must be considered in relation to the weight. The below shows the absolute increase in stiffness achieved in recent years is the increase in stiffness to weight ratio. Vehicle year Torsional stiffness(lb-ft/degree) Structure weight (lb) Stiffness/weight ratio Lotus 21 F1 1961 700 82.0 8.5 Lotus 24 F1 1962 1,000 72 13.9 Mc Laren F1 1966 11,000 Na Na Lotus 79F1 1979 3,000 95 31.6 Lotus 79 F1 Late 1979 5,000 85 58.8 Lotus F1 1980 10,000 75 133.33 Lola F1 1993 30,000 80 375 Table1: Demand for increase in structural efficiency. Literature Review Introduction: The loads that are experienced on a chassis are light commercial loads due to normal running conditions are considered. That is caused as the vehicle transverses uneven ground as the driver performs various manoeuvres. Basically there are five load cases to consider. Bending case. Torsion case. Combined bending and torsion case. Lateral loading. Fore and aft loading. 2.1.1. Bending case This type of loading is caused due to the weight of components distributed along the frame of the vehicle in the vertical plane which causes the bending about y-axis. The bending case depends mainly on the weight of the major components in the car and the payload. First the static condition is considered by determining the load distribution along the vehicle. The axle reaction loads are obtained by resolving the forces and by taking the moments form the weights and positions of the components. 2.1.2. Torsion case The vehicle body is subjected to the moments applied at the axels centrelines by applying both upward and downward loads are at the each axle in this case. Because of this it results in a twisting action or torsion moment about x-axis of the vehicle. The condition of pure torsion does not exist on its own because of the vertical loads always exist due to gravity. However for the calculation purpose the pure torsion is assumed. The maximum torsion moments are based on loads at the lighter loaded axle, its value can be calculated by the wheel load on the lighter loaded axle multiplied by the wheel track. The loads at the wheels are shown in the above figure. So the torsion moment is given as: RF  tf =  RR  tr 2 2 Where tf  and tr  are front and rear track respectively and R  f  and Rr  are front and rear loads. These loads are based on the static reaction loads but dynamic factors in this case are typically 1.3 for road vehicles (Pawlowski, 1964). 2.1.3. Combined bending and torsion In practice the torsion will not exist without bending as gravitational forces are always present. So the two cases must be considered when representing a real situation. Fig3: combined bending and torsion. 2.1.4. Lateral loading This type of loading is experienced by the vehicle at the corner or when it slides against a Kerb, i.e. loads along the y-axis. The lateral loads are generated while cornering at the tyre to ground contact patches which are balanced by the centrifugal force MV2  / R, M stands for vehicle mass, V vehicle velocity , R is the radius of the corner. The disaster occurs when the wheel reactions on the inside of the turn drop to zero, that means that the vehicle ready to turn over. In this case vehicle will be subjected to bending in x-y plane. The condition that applies to the roll over is shown in the below figure and it also depends up on the height of the vehicle centre of gravity and the track. At this particular condition the resultant of the centrifugal force and the weight that passes along the outside wheels contact patch. And hence lateral acceleration is V2/R=gt/2h Lateral force at the centre of gravity MV2/R = Mgt/2h. Front tyre side forces YF  = Mgt b/2h(a+b). At the rear tyres YR  = Mgt a/ 2h(a+b). From the lateral acceleration it is clear that it is t/2h times that of the gravitational acceleration. Kerb bumping will cause high loads and will roll over in exceptional circumstances. And also this high loads will cause in the bending in the x-y plane are not critical as the width of the vehicle will provide the sufficient bending strength and stiffness. 2.1.5. Fore and aft loading At the time of acceleration and breaking longitudinal forces will come into picture along the x-axis. Traction and braking forces at the tyre to ground contact points are reacted by mass times acceleration inertia forces as shown in below figure. The important cases such as bending, torsion, bending and torsion will come into play as these determine the satisfactory structure (Pawlowski, 1964). 2.1.5.1 Longitudinal loading At the time of vehicle accelerates or decelerates, the inertia forces are generated. The loads generated can be transferred from one axle to another by the inertia forces as the centre of gravity of the vehicle is above the road surface. While accelerating the weight is transferred from front axle to the rear axle and vice versa at the time breaking and decelerating condition. To have a clear picture of forces acting on the body a height of the centres of gravity of all structures are required. And its not so easy to determine. A simplified model considering one inertia force generated at the vehicle centre of gravity can provide useful information about the local loading at the axle positions due to breaking and traction forces. Front wheel drive, the reaction on the driving wheel is: RF = Mg(L-a) Mh(dV/dt) L Rear wheel drive, the reaction on the driving wheel is: RR = Mga + Mh(dV/dt) L In braking case the reactions on the axles are: RF = Mg(L-a) + Mh(dV/dt) L 2.1.6. Allowable stresses From the above discussed loads it is clear that it will induce stresses in all over the structure. So it is important that under the worst load conditions that the stresses induced into the structure are kept to acceptable limits. In consideration of the static loads of a limited amount should give a stress level certainly below the yield stress. If analysed the bending case for a road gong car is considered the maximum allowable stress should be limited as follows: Stress due to static load Ãâ€"Dynamic factor ≠¤ 2/3Ãâ€" yield stress. The above equation says that under any worst load condition the stress should not exceed 67% of the yield stress. Alternatively the safety factor against yield is 1.5 for the worst possible load condition. 2.1.7 Bending stiffness It is equally important to consider the bending stiffness weather to say the structure is sufficiently strong or not. So an equal and important assessment is given to the structural stiffness. Therefore many designers consider the stiffness is most important than strength. It is possible to design a structure which is sufficiently strong but yet unsatisfactory because of insufficient stiffness. Designing for acceptable stiffness is therefore often more critical than designing for sufficient strength. For vehicles the bending stress is determined by the limits of deflection of the side frame door apertures. In case of excessive deflection the doors will not shut properly. Local stiffness of floor is also important because it minimises the safety of the passenger. 2.1.8 Torsion stiffness If the stiffness is low the driver may feel that the vehicle in front will be shaking with the front wing structures moving up and down. The practical problems of doors failing to close properly will also be seen. A similar thing will be seen in the jacking points that are positioned at the corners of the vehicle. For fast moving cars the torsion stiffness is very important because it may cause serious handling problems. Therefore care should be taken in maintaining sufficient torsion stiffness. So from the all above dimensions of forces and handling of a vehicle chassis should be stiff enough and also should be less in weight. 2.1.9 Chassis types Chassis are classified into several types they are: Ladder frames. Cruciform frames. Torque tube back bone frame. Space frame. Monocoque. In the present era of automotive industry designers are using the space frame and monocoque for the justification of design problems and to sufficient structural stiffness. 2.1.9.1 Space frame A space frame chassis is a development of four tube chassis, both of them look quite similar. But the space frame differs in several key areas and offers very good advantages when compared to the predecessor. A space frame is an arrangement of many straight tubes in which the loads acting are either in tension or compression. The figure below shows the clear idea of a space frame. But from the above figure it is clear that the diagonal member is pulled in tension when a load is acted on it. This above illustration is the simple idea of the space frame chassis. This experiencing of loads in either tension or compression is a major advantage. So none of the tubes will be subjected to the load will tend to bend in the middle. Since the space frames are very good in torsion stiffness. The three dimensional space frame chassis are used for specialist cars such as sports racing cars. This type of vehicle design is used for low volume and mass production as well. In this type of structure it is imperative to ensure that all planes fully triangulated by doing so the beam elements are essentially loaded in tension and compression. In the space frame welded joints are done it retains bending and torsion at the joints, but to rely on this restrains will render the structure less stiff. The stiffness is provided by the diagonal member subject to direct tension or compression. 2.1.9.2 Space frame principles A space frame is three dimensional arrangements of tubes loaded in pure tension and compression. The joints between them can be replaced by the ball joints without affecting the stiffness. Other important feature is all loads enter and leave the structure at the points of intersection of three or more tubes. The structural elements do not have to be tubes and the joints do not have to be welded. In terms of torsional stiffness the space frame attempts to connect the four spring anchorages so that is impossible to twist the pair without stretching and compressing the tube. AIMS The first thing to undertake this research is to set some basic aims that need to be achieved. As the aim of the project is stated to reduce the weight and increase the stiffness of existing vehicle chassis. So the main aims are in terms of weight, stiffness, and size. 3.1. Weight Weight was a main consideration in the research it is very crucial to reduce it to that of original weight. It helps in improving the weight to power ratio, better fuel efficiency and performance. 3.2. Stiffness It is also another key factor to be considered in the research. The stiffness must be improved to that of existing one in case of torsion, bending. 3.3. Size Last but not the least, the above reduction in weight and increase in stiffness must be achieved without effecting the size and shape of the chassis. This is important because it should not affect the driver to get in the car, and appearance of the car. And also the constraints set for the positioning of the engine etc should not be changed. 3.4. Requirements Certain requirements beyond my research boundary and aims are needed to be specified, to make up and achieving success in my research they are: The elements in the space frame which should not disturb must be specified. The dimensions of the chassis, and the materials used must be specified. The specification of the loads on the chassis. The original weight of the chassis which is going to be modified. The stiffness that chassis must be in terms of torsion, bending. Project Objectives The objectives of the project are: To analyse the original chassis, its structure, weight, stiffness, torsion, and materials used. Research the characteristics of space frame chassis and discover the effects with respect to vehicle handling and performance in case of bending and torsion loads. The benefits and performance of materials when replaced by the original one in terms of weight and stiffness. The research should be done with resources available. From testing and changing the elements, dimensions other than the constraints in lab, modifying the improvements in chassis. Analysing the results to that of the original chassis and comparing. Research Questions What are the materials used for the chassis construction? What are positions in the chassis which should not be disturbed? What is maximum allowable weight, stiffness and loads that being subjected by the chassis? What will be effect on stiffness and weight if certain elements of the chassis were replaced by the other materials? If the diameter and size of the elements were changed what will be the effect on weight and stiffness? If the positions of the elements other than the elements which should not be disturbed, i.e. by mix and matching, replacing the positions. What will be the effect on stiffness and weight? If the circular tube cross-sectional elements of the chassis in some areas are replaced by square tube cross-sectional elements, what will be the effect on stiffness and weight? Research Approach and Design 6.1. Introduction The problem being researched is quantitative rather than qualitative. It deals in numerical values and variables, predetermined categories, focuses on specific knowledge and control of variables. The approach of this research is different to that of qualitative research which would involve human subjects, questionnaires and interviews. The approach will be analytical which will include experimental analysis, analysing the data, interpreting the results, comparisons etc. 6.2. Approach and design The research is about how to increase the stiffness and reduce the weight of existing vehicle chassis. The research is based on a lot of literature, experimental design and analysis. It should be well designed, planned and managed to ensure that the results can be analysed, interpreted and presented. Throughout the period of the research a process was followed to produce a successful report on the analysis done with that of the original chassis they are: Setting some benchmarks in regarding to the design of chassis. Analyse the previous chassis, and getting an idea in terms of stiffness, weight, shape. Developing the modelling, and analysing techniques that allows the process to be simple and can be modified easily. Gaining the information regarding the dimensions of the chassis from the designers and the areas in the chassis which should not be disturbed in terms of design. Looking for the possibility of the new considerations that were not previously included in the design. Considering the feedback of the supervisor as the process of the research goes on. 6.3. Experiment design It includes a statement of problem to be solved. Before going to do the research on the experimental design it is important to consider all points of view of what the experiment is intended to do. 6.3.1 Response variable The problem must include reference to at least on characteristic of a unit on which information is to be obtained. Those characteristics are called response or dependent variables. In this research the response variables are weight and stiffness, which are dependent on material, design, etc. In addition to reference of the response variable, some questions should be asked. They are measurements methods, what tools are required to measure the variable? Can variable can be measured accurately or not? 6.3.2 Independent variables The variables which control the response variables are called Independent variables. In this piece of work the independent variables are: Load on the space frame chassis. Material used for the chassis. Design of the chassis. Size and shape. The independent variables will be chosen randomly one at a time or by considering more than one independent variable. The response on the dependent are analysed and compared to that of original chassis. 6.3.3. Design Before the data is collected and results are drawn, it is important to know how to solve the problem with a limited amount of time and available resources. It is important to note how many observations should be taken, what is the maximum amount of deviation in terms of stiffness and weight in comparable to original one. Also attention is required in handling the independent variables. 6.3.4. Analysis comparison The final step in the experiment is to compare the results of the optimised chassis to that of the results on the original one, and approach the problem by checking and comparing the results. This will be done by the preparation of the graphical displays of the values in terms of weight and stiffness. Its important to make sure that the results are within the prescribed limits. If its not, follow the investigation again by controlling the independent variables. 6.4. FSAE chassis Rules and Requirements. There are some rules that must be followed throughout the design and construction of chassis. If these rules are not followed strictly the FSAE car will be eliminated from the competition. The rules that have to be followed are. Structural requirements. Minimum material requirements. Alternative tubing and material. Steel tubing requirements. Aluminium tubing requirements. Composite material requirements. Roll hoops requirements. Tube frames. 6.4.1 Structural requirements. The structure of the vehicle must include two roll hoops, front bulk head with support system and impact Attenuator, and side impact structures. 6.4.2 Minimum material requirements. 6.4.2.1 Baseline Steel Material. The structure of the car must be constructed with: Round, mild or alloy, steel tubing (minimum 0.1% carbon) of the minimum dimensions according to the following table. Item or Application Outside diameter Ãâ€" Wall thickness Main and Front hoops, Shoulder harness mounting bar. inch (25.4 mm) x 0.095 inch (2.4 mm) 25.0 mm x 2.50 mm metric Side Impact Structure, Front Bulkhead Roll Hoop Bracing, Drivers Restraint Harness attachment. inch (25.4mm) Ãâ€" 0.0065 inch (1.65mm) or 25.0mm Ãâ€" 1.75mm metric or 25.4mm Ãâ€"1.60mm metric. Front bulk head support. 1.0 inch (25.4mm) Ãâ€" 0.049 inch (1.25 mm) Or 25.0 mm Ãâ€"1.5 mm metric or 26.0mm Ãâ€" 1.2 mm metric. Table 6.4.2: Minimum material requirements. (Source: FAE rules 2008) 6.4.2.2 Alternative Tubing and Material The chassis can be constructed with alternative tubing and material but not for the Main Roll Hoop and Main Roll Hoop Bracing. These must be constructed only with the Steel, to say in other words the use of Composites and other materials such as Aluminium or alloys are strictly prohibited. If the chassis was to constructed with alternate tubing rather than material, the tubing must not be thinner than as shown below. 6.4.2.2.1: Minimum wall thickness for steel tubing requirements Material and Application: Minimum wall thickness: Steel tubing for front and Main Roll Hoops 2.0 mm (0.079 inch) Steel tubing for Roll hoop Bracing, Front bulk head drivers harness attachment. 1.6 mm (0.063 inch) Steel tubing for side impact structure front bulk head support. 1.2 mm (0.047 inch) Table 6.4.2.2.1: Minimum wall thickness for steel tubing requirements Source: FSAE 2008 rules. 6.4.2.3: Aluminium tubing requirements Minimum wall thickness: Material Application : Minimum wall thickness: Aluminium tubing 3.0 mm (0.118 inch) Table 6.4.2.3: Aluminium tubing requirements. (Source: FSAE 2008 rules). 6.4.3. Roll Hoops The Roll hoop design criteria must justify the following: 6.4.3.1. Main Hoop The drivers head and hands must not contact the ground in any rollover attitude. The frame must include both Main Hoop and Front Hoops The Main Hoop must be constructed of single uncut tubing made of steel as per the minimum tubing requirements. The use alternate material is prohibited for construction of main hoop. The main hoop must extend from the lowest member on one side of the frame, to the down towards the lowest Frame member on the other side of the frame. In the side of the car the portion of the attachment of the Main Roll Hoop which lies above the attachment point of the main structure of the frame must be within 10 degrees to the vertical. The vertical members of the Main Hoop must be at least 380mm apart at the location where the Main Hoop is attached to the Major Structure of the Frame. In the Front view of the vehicle. 6.4.3.2. Front Hoop The Front Hoop must be constructed of closed structure of steel as minimum tubing requirements. The use composite materials are prohibited. The Front Hoop Frame member must extend from one side of the Frame, to the down over and towards the lowest Frame member on the other side of the Frame. The top most surface of the Front Hoop should not be below the top of the steering wheel in any angular position. The front Hoop should be no more than 250 mm forward of the steering wheel when measured horizontally through the vehicle centre line. No part of the Front Hoop should be inclined at not more than 20 degrees in the side view. 6.4.3.3. Main Hoop General Requirements A straight line drawn from the top of the main hoop to the top of the front hoop must be clear by 50.8 mm of the helmet of the teams drivers and the helmet of a 95th  percentile male. When seated normally and restrained by the Drivers Restraint system. 95th Percentile Male Template Dimensions A two dimensional template used to represent the 95th percentile male is made to the following dimensions: A circle of diameter 200 mm (7.87 inch) will represent the hips and buttocks. A circle of diameter 200 mm (7.87 inch) will represent the shoulder/cervical region. A circle of diameter 300 mm (11.81 inch) will represent the head (with helmet). A straight line measuring 490 mm (19.29 inch) will connect the centres of the two 200 mm circles. A straight line measuring 280 mm (11.02 inch) will connect the centres of the upper 200 mm circle and the 300 mm head circle. The 95th percentile male template will be positioned as follows: the seat will be Source: FSAE rules 2008. 6.4.4. Front Impact Structure The drivers feet are always with in the Major structure of the Frame. No part of the drivers feet should be above or outside the Frame in the side and front views, while touching the pedals. Forward of the Front bulk head must be energy- absorbing Attenuator. 6.4.4.1. Bulk Head The requirements of the Bulk head in a Front impact structure are: It should be constructed of closed section tubing.

Children Learning and Symbolic Play

Children Learning and Symbolic Play Abstract Our understanding of children development and learning is complicated because of the numerous and varied factors that impact it. These include physiological, mental, emotional, social, linguistic, cognitive, socio-cognitive, and cultural aspects. Two of the most considerable theories on the growth and development of cognitive thinking in children were proposed by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both offered explanations for childrens cognitive learning styles and abilities; their explanations and ideas have significantly contributed to the field of learning and instructions. While they have different views into the cognitive development in children, Piaget and Vygotsky both emphasized that much of childrens early learning is achieved through play and symbolic play in particular. The objective of this paper is to examine the major constructs of Piaget and Vygotsky theories about cogitative development in children and to evaluate the implications of their theories for instructions and sy mbolic play practices for children in preschool (kindergarten) age. Cognitive Development Theories: Children Learning and Symbolic Play Cognitive development refers to the development of the ability to think and reason. It is the transformation of the childs undifferentiated, unspecialized cognitive abilities into the adults conceptual competence and problem-solving skills (Driscoll, 2005). For many psychologists, cognitive development answers the questions about how children moves toward reaching the endpoint of gaining the adults skills, what stages they are pass through and how do changes in their thinking occur and what role dose learning play? Among many theories that are introduced to explain the children cognitive and knowledge development, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky proposed the most influential theories that contributes to this component of psychology. Their theories underlined that the way the children learn and mentally grow has a critical role in their learning progress and abilities development. Piaget and Vygotsky were considered as constructivists who believed that learning occurs as a result of mental construction and by fitting the new information into the cognitive structure (scheme) that the learners already have (Driscoll, 2005). Constructivism approach also suggests that learning is affected by the context in which knowledge transfer occurs and by learners beliefs and attitudes . Piaget and Vygotsky also agreed on the societal influences in cognitive growth; however, they differ in the learning progression process. Piaget believed that children learn by interacting with their surroundings but with no impo rtance for the input from others and that learning occurs after development; Vygotsky, on the other hand, held the idea that learning happens before development and that children learn through history and symbolism and they value the input from their surroundings (Slavin, 2003). Further, it is imperative for teachers to understand the progression of cognitive development and the constructs of the major theories in the field in order to be able to attend the unique needs of each child and to develop the learning program, instructions plans and classroom activities in a developmentally appropriate approach. Kindergarten program is an example of these learning programs that is of particular interest because it influences children in very young age and shapes their cognitive development journey. Kindergarten learning programs should be designed on the natural approach for children learning as suggested by the cognitive development theories. The natural approach suggests that the physical, socio-emotional and cognitive development of children depends on activity and interactions with others (Driscoll, 2005). This means the play is a key aspect of the Kindergarten learning programs and that is seen as phenomenon of thoughts and activity growth (Piaget, 1951). Play consists of activities performed for self-amusement that have behavioral, social, and psychomotor rewards. Play is directed towards the child, and the rewards come from within the individual child; it is enjoyable and spontaneous. Children engage in different types of play depending upon situations and different needs. Types of play range from physical play which involves jumping, running and other physical activities to the surrogate play at which ill children watch others play on their behalf. They also range from inactive observation play to active associative in group play that requires planning and co operation. Play types also include expressive play which involves playing with materials (such as clay, play dough,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and the manipulative play that gives children the measure of control over others and their environment (for example, to throw a toy out of a cot, watch a parent pick it up, and then throw it out again). Symbolic play (also be referred to as dramat ic play) is another important type of play at which children enact scenes where they substitute one object for another (for example, a child will use a stick to represent a spoon or a hair brush to represent a microphone). This kind of pretend play takes on various forms: The child may pretend to play using an object to represent other objects, playing without any objects and pretending that they are indeed present. Or the child may pretend to be someone else and imitate adults and experiment what it means to be an adult in a role they are exposed to in their surrounding environment (for example, mother, father, care-giver, doctor and so on). They may also pretend through other inanimate objects (e.g. a toy horse kicks another toy horse). Symbolic play in children can usually be observed during the beginning of the second year of life and it has been linked through the studies and experiments to the cognitive problem solving skills, creative abilities, and emotional well-being. In the following sections of this paper, the major constructs and ideas proposed by Piaget and Vygotsky theories will be examined in relation to symbolic play for cognitive and knowledge development of children; and the implications of each theory for instruction and practice in Kindergarten educational settings. Theories of Cognitive Development: Piaget and Vygotsky It is a fact that most of the methods and approaches for teaching are driven from Piaget and Vygotsky research studies. They both offer teachers good proposals on how to teach certain learning materials in appropriate approach that matches the child developmentally conditions. Piaget (1896-1980) believed that children progress through an invariant sequence of four stages. Theses stages are not arbitrary but are assumed to reflect qualitative differences in children cognitive abilities (Driscoll, 2005, p.149). He proposed that each stage must represent a significant qualitative and quantitative change in children cognitive and that children progress through these stages in a culturally invariant sequence. Each stage will include the cognitive structures and abilities (schemes) of the previous stages (constructivism) which all will act as an integrated cognitive structure (accumulated knowledge) at that given stage (Driscoll, 2005). These schemes can be alerted, changed or developed through assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation occurs when a child perceives new objects or events in term of existing scheme (Driscoll, 2005); in other words, within information the child already knows. Accommodation occurs when existing schemes are modified to adopt (or fit in) a new experience or information. If the new information doesnt fit or it conflicts with the existing scheme then the disequilibrium occurs. Equilibrium, however, is the master developmental process which encompasses both assimilation and accommodation and prepares for the child transaction from one state of the development to the next (Driscoll, 2005). Piaget stages of development are: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations and formal operations. Sensorimotor stage is over the period between the birth to two years. During this stage, the child experiences the surrounding world through the senses and movement. The child develops object permanence which refers to the ability to understand an object exist even if it is not in field of vision (Woolfolk, 2004). Toward the end of this period, children begin to mentally represent object and events but to that point they only can act and during the transaction to the mental representation, they may use simple motor indicators as symbols for other events (Driscoll, 2005). They also begin to understand that their actions could cause another actions developing a goal-director behavior; for an example, throwing a toy from the cot to make parents pick the toy and pressing the doll button to make the sound and so on (kind of the manipulative play). Preoperational stage extends from the child second year to seventh year. According to Piaget, children have not yet mastered the ability of mental operation or to think through the actions (Woolfolk, 2004) but they acquire the semiotic function early in this period. This means that they are able to mentally represent the objects and events, as evidenced in their imitation of some activities long after it occurred (Driscoll, 2005). Hence, pretending, or symbolic play, is highly characteristic stage and the language acquisitions. One more interesting idea proposed by Piaget is that during this stage children are considered to be egocentric assuming that others share their points of view and which makes them engage in self monologue with no interacting with others (Woolfolk, 2004). Concrete operations period that is from seventh year to eleventh, is characteristic to be the hands-on period at which children overcome the limitation of egocentrism and learn through discovery learning while working (operating) with real tangible objects (Woolfolk, 2004). They become more internalized and able to create logical-mathematical knowledge resulting in operations (Driscoll, 2005). Formal operation occurs from eleventh year to adulthood and at which propositional logic is developed. Reaching this stage, children (who become adult) should be able to not only to think hypothetically but to plan systematic approaches to solve problems (Driscoll, 2005). The acquisition of the met-cognitive (thinking about thinking) is also an important characteristic of the formal operations. Piaget also believed in the active role of the child during development. He proposed that children act on their own environment and cognitive is rooted in the action (Driscoll, 2005). He acknowledged the social interaction aspect of the children development but only to move the child away from egocentrism to develop the social knowledge that can be learned only from other people (language, moral rules, values..). Although, Piaget theory of cognitive development proposed an integrated and beneficial framework for children learning that can be utilized by educators and parents to influence and enrich the learning process of the children; the theory has faced serious challenges and especially in the recent years with the contemporary research add to this filed. For an example, Piaget believed that all children, regardless of the culture, progress through four stages and once particular stage is reached, the regression to earlier stage cant occur. Replications of Piagets experiments have shown that children in different cultures do not pass through the same types of reasoning suggested in Piaget stages (Driscoll, 2005). Moreover, there are people, in any culture, who fail to reason at the formal operation level; we experience interacting with these people in our day-to-day life in personal and professional levels. Also, Piaget claimed that there must be a qualitative discontinues change in cognit ive from stage to stage; this has been questioned with the ability to accelerate development and the studies and experiments showed that that children can learn more than Piaget thought they could (Siegler Svetina 2002 as cited in Driscoll, 2005). One more is that children dont exhibit the characteristics of each stage; for example, children are sometimes egocentric beyond the proportional stage and the preoperational children are not egocentric all the time (Driscoll, 2005). However and despite these challenges, understanding Piagets proposed stages and development sequence suggests useful and effective certain learning and teaching strategies at each level. Example of these strategies as implications of Piaget theory will be discussed in the next section. Vygotsky (1896 -1943) proposed an alternative to the Piaget stages of cognitive development, he stated that children learn mainly by social interactions and their culture plays a major role to shape their cognitive (woolfolk, 2004). He believed that individual development could not be understood without reference to the social and cultural context within which such development is embedded (Driscoll, 2005, p.250). His theory suggests a co -constructed process of social interactions at which through children move toward individualized thinking. When a child receives a help through this process, her or she may be able to develop better strategy in the future to deal with a similar problem. This co-constructed channel of communications between the child and his culture will lead to internalization and eventually to independent thinking (Woolfolk, 2004). A good example to understand social dialogue and internalization is what introduced by Vygotsky himself and cited in Driscoll (2005) One a child stretching out her hand for an object she cant quite reach, an adult interprets the gesture of pointing and responds accordingly. Until the adult responds, the child is simply grasping for an object out of reach, however, the situation change with the adult respond to be a social exchange and the act of grasping takes on a shared meaning of pointing. When a child internalizes the meaning and uses the gesture as pointing, the interpersonal activity has been transferred into intrapersonal one. (p.252). The zone of proximate development is another principle introduced by Vygotsky. He agreed with Piaget that there is knowledge and skills associated with the child developmentally range of understanding, but he believed that with given help and support, children can perform problems that Piaget would consider out of their staged mental capabilities (Woolfolk, 2004). Scaffolding is the technique proposed by Vygotsky to support the discovery learning through social interaction and in the zone of approximate development. Scaffolding entails providing the child with a hint or clue for the problem solving and encouraging childs thinking in order to allow him or her to better approach the problem in the future. Further, Vygotsky highlighted the importance of the mediation cultural tools to support learning and higher-level processing in children. These cultural signs and tools involve technological, symbolic and any available resource that aids in social communication (language, signs, symbols, media television, computer, booksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Although the tools at hand may include sophisticated toys, children are successful at creating imaginary situations with sticks and other common objects in their environment. This leads into the symbolic play as a strategy for children teaching. Driscoll (2005) noted that in play, Vygotsky argued, children stretch their conceptual abilities and begin to develop a capacity for abstract thought; the signs they establish in their imaginations, in other word, can make up a very complex symbol system, which they communicate through verbal and nonverbal gestures(P.259). The development of language is another major principle that is proposed by Vygotsky s theory. Althoug didnt address specific implications for instruction of language, he believed that language constitutes the most important sign-using behavior to occur during the cognitive development and this is because it frees children from the constraints of their immediate environment. The language of a certain group of people reflects their own cultural beliefs and value system and children initially associate the words meaning to their contexts and life aspects till they learn to abstract the word from a particular concrete context (decontextualization). This process of decontextualization must occur with any symbol system if it is to serve higher mental functions such as reasoning (Driscoll, 2005, p. 259-260). Once again, Vygotsky suggested that symbolic play is important for language learning in young children. He also emphasized the importance of the private speech as a self-directed regula tion and communication with the self to guide actions and aid in thinking; this is in contrast to Piaget who viewed privative speech as egocentric (or immature) (Woolfolk, 2004). Undoubtedly, both Piaget and Vygotsky provided educators with influential insights and important views on the cognitive development in children. Piaget suggested that the children progress through maturation stages and discovery learning with minimal social impact. Vygotsky, from other hand, stressed the importance of the cultural context and language on cognitive development. The following will browse, in general, some implications of the both theories for instructions in different educational settings then more specific for symbolic play in kindergarten. Implications for Instructions of Piaget and Vygotsky Educators and school systems have been applying the cognitive development theories of Piaget and Vygotsky in classrooms teaching for some time. The most important implications of the both theories are that the learning environment should support the discovery-learning and that child should be effectively involved in the learning process. They stressed the role of peer interaction and the symbolic play. Both also agreed that development may be triggered by cognitive conflict; this entails adopting instructional strategies that make children aware of conflicts and inconsistencies in their thinking (Driscoll, 2005). A good example of this would be the Socratic Dialogs which fosters the critical thinking through a series of questions and answers that enable learner to develop the understanding of the learning materials. However, Piaget and Vygotsky differ in the way to guide the children in the discovery learning. Piaget recommended a very little teacher interference while Vygotsky prompted the teacher to guide the discovery learning offering questions to students and having them discover the answer by testing different options (Scaffolding). According to Piaget, teachers dealing with children in preoperational stage (like in kindergarten) are encouraged to incorporate the play as a pedagogic strategy; in play children are engaged in active self-discovery activities employing concrete object or symbolically. It also helps to understand that and since the children in this stage have not yet mastered the mental operations, the teacher should not only use action and verbal short instructions but also to demonstrate these instructions. Using visual aid is very important in this stage to create attractive and discovery-oriented learning environment (Driscoll, 2005). Moreover, is to pay attention to the egocentrism in this stage as suggested by Piaget and the teacher to be sensitive that children may not realize that not everyone shares their view or understand the word they invented (Woolfolk, 2004). It is important to in the stage to provide the children with a range of experiences and knowledge to build the foundation (basic scheme) for concept learning and languages those children are expected to master in coming stages. Teaching children in the concrete operation stage should involve hands-on learning at which children have the opportunity to test and manipulate objects, perform experiments and solve problems in order to develop logical and analogical thinking skills. Teacher should consider using familiar examples to explain the complex ideas and this is by linking to the existing knowledge of the learners (scheme). While teaching the students in formal operations stage requires teachers to offer student open-ended projects that enhance their advanced problem solving and reasoning skills. It is critical in this stage for the teachers to help learners understanding of the broad concepts and their applications in the real life. The teachers applying Vygotsky teaching methods would be very active player in their students education. The most popular technique to be utilized is the scaffolding at which teachers will provide assistance and the feedback as the knowledge source to support learning of new information. The teachers then will not present information in one sided way but will provide the guidance and assistance required for learners to bridge the gap between their skills level and the desired skills; when they are able to complete tasks on their own, the guidance and support will be withdrawn (Greenfield, 1984 cited in Driscoll 2005). Also teachers applying Vygotsky theory utilized the meditation tools and teach students how to use these tools in their learning (computers, books,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Vygotsky emphasized the language and other sign systems (such as symbolic playing) as important tools for children learning. Language is the cultural communication tool that transmits history and cultural va lues between individuals and from parents and teachers toward children. Most importantly, is incorporating the group or peer learning as an important source of cognitive development. A good application of Vygotsky principles of social learning and the zone of approximate development zone is the strategy at which teachers encourage children with varying level of knowledge to help each other by allowing the child who master the skill to teach and guide his or her peer who still trying to master this skill. It is evident to be an effective learning strategy not only in children learning but also in adult learning. Piaget also believed that peer interactions are essential in helping children move beyond the egocentric and that children are more effective to provide information and feedback to other children about the validity of their logical constructions (Driscoll, 2005); hence the instructional strategies are favored that encourage peer teaching and social negotiation. Applying Piaget or Vygotsky, the teachers main goal should be to support learners and to provide the assistance plan that fulfill the learner needs and promote his thinking skills and cognitive development. Teachers should also prepare the learning environment that attracts children attention and encourages their self-discovery. The instruction plan should be designed on the premises that classrooms have students with different cultural, linguistic and knowledge backgrounds. In preparing learning activities, teachers should be able to get children to play and learn collaboratively and enhance their understanding through teacher feedback, peer feedback and social negotiation. Symbolic Play: Cognitive and Language Development As introduced, the cognitive development theories encourage play and symbolic play-in particular- as a pedagogic strategy for active self learning and language development. In play, the children initiate and take control of their activity (Driscoll, 2005); and this very nature of play along with other criteria are what distinguish play from other behaviors: play is essentially motivated with self-imposed goals, play is activity of spontaneous and pleasure, play is free from imposed rules, player is an active participants in the play; play focuses on means rather than ends, play is characteristics by the as if dimension that encourages children to use objects and gestures as if they were something else ( Hymans, 1991 ; Fein Rivikin as cited in Yan, Yuejuan Hongfen, 2005; Piaget, 1951; Rubin, Waston Jambor, 1978). In symbolic play that starts in second year of life, children use tools of objects, actions, language, signs and roles to represent something from their real or imagined world of experiences. It enables the children to build and express their understanding of either individual or social experience (Driscoll, 2005; Hymans, 1991; Lenningar, n.d; Lyytinen, Poikkeus Laakso, 1997; Piaget, 1951; Woolfolk, 2004). Symbolic play indicates that the child developed the two main cognitive operations: reversibility and decentralization; reversibility refers to the child awareness that he or she can come from the pretended role to the real world at any time while decentralization refers to the child understanding that the child in the play is still him/her at the same time with the person he/she is imitating (Rubin 1980 as cited in Marjanovic Lesnic, 2001). The next intellectual skill noticeable in the symbolic play is conservation which refers to the child ability to preserve the imaginary iden tity of the play materials despite the fact they are perceptually and could be functionally inadequate (Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). The social element of the symbolic play is also a very important aspect to be considered for the cognitive development in the children. According to Vygotsky, children learn to use the tools and skills they practice with social parents; he also emphasized that learning occurs in social interactions and it is affected cultural context it occurs at. He further proposed that social interaction could lead to developmental delays or abnormal development as well as to normal or accelerated development (Driscoll, 2005). Piaget also highlighted the importance of social interaction for the children to develop beyond the egocentrism that is a characteristic of pre operational stage. The impact of symbolic play in this dimension is supported by Smilansky (1968) studies at which she proposed that social activities influence the development of the childs cognitive and social skills. When children are engaged in a role performance; they have to reach a agreement about the play idea, the course of actions and the transformation of roles and play materials and this can only be achieved when individuals come over their egocentrism and develop the ability to communicate and empathize (cited in Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). Smilansky then developed the Scale for Evaluation of Dramatic and Socio-Dramatic Play; the scale tracks the progressive development in the use of the objects in the symbolic play over five stages. The first stage includes simple manipulation followed by the stage of imitating the adults activities of adults by using the model of the object as adult do (as using the hair brush as a microphone). In the third stage, the object becomes an instrument for enacting certain roles while in the forth stage the use of object/toy goes together with the speech and gestures. The final stage focuses in the speech without using objects or gestures (Smilansky 1968; Smilansky Shefatya, 1990 as cited in Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). Smilansky scale supported also the role of symbolic play in the language development that was firstly proposed by Vygotsky and this language-play relation has been investigated all the way since then. The research studies discussed the component of the language in the context of symbolic play and mainly in the role playing part of it. In role playing, children engage in a communication dialogue with their playing parties. It is evident that the role playing and object transformations enable the childe to use lexicographic meanings and clear speech (Pellegrini Galda as cited in Marjanovic Umek Lesnic Musek, 2001). According to Lyytinen, Poikkeus and Lassko (1997); their study to observe and examine the relationship between language and play among 110 18-month-old children showed that early talkers of these children displayed significant more symbolic play than the late talkers ; a significant connection was found between the language comprehensive and percentage of symbolic play. Th is is supported by the study conducted by Marjanovic Umek and Lesnic Musek (2001) at which they compared three age groups of children in preschool settings with different level of play using Smilanskys Scale for the Evaluation of Dramatic and Socio-dramatic Play; the observations and results proved stronger use of the language in the function of defining roles, scenes and materials that are required for the play context. More interesting studies looked into the implications of symbolic play for the education of children with special needs and disorders such as Down syndrome and Autism. Example of these studies is the study conducted Stanley and Kinstantareas (2006) who investigated the relationship between symbolic play and other domains such as nonverbal cognitive abilities, receptive language, expressive language and social development among 131 children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The result indicates a significant positive relation between symbolic play and development of these domains in children with (ASD). The study also stressed that training in symbolic play will help to improve these children skills in other domains (Stanley Kinstantareas , 2006). Another recent study conducted by Venuti, Falco, Giusti and Bronstein (2008) to investigate the impact of mother-child interaction in the play on the cogitative functions of children with Down Syndrome concluded that such inter action leads to enhanced cognitive functioning (Venuti, Falco, Giusti Bronstein , 2008). Symbolic play, then, inked through the literature to the development of cognitive problem solving skills, linguistic transformation and creative abilities. It also supports the emotional and social development. Role playing is evident to be a way of coping with emotional conflict through which children can escape into a fantasy world in order to make sense out of the real one. From different aspect, it enhances the child self awareness and self directed; when a parent or sibling plays a board game with a child, shares a bike ride, plays baseball, or reads a story, the child learns self-importance. The childs self -esteem gets a boost. Parents send positive messages to their child when they communicate pleasure in providing him or her with daily care. From these early interactions, children develop a vision of the world and gain a sense of their place in it. In term of social development, the children enjoy playful interactions with others staring with parents through which they learn their culture values and aspects. Interaction with other children helps the children helps children to learn about boundaries, taking turns, teamwork, and competition. Children also learn to negotiate with different personalities and the feelings associated with winning and losing. They learn to share, wait, and be kind. Some of the more common functions of play are to facilitate physical and moral development. Physical play develops both fine and gross motor skills. During play, children repeat certain body movements purely for pleasure, and these movements develop body muscles and control. Moreover, when children engage in play with their peers and families, they begin to learn the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. During playing with peers, they learn that taking turns is rewarding and cheating is not; they learn to appreciate teamwork, share and respect others feelings. Therefore, models of children learning and preschool education in professional settings are mainly driven from different understanding and implications of symbolic play which are in turn based on the premises of different cognitive development theories. Play and Learning: Educational Framework in Kindergarten Settings Children learn through play is the golden rule that any educational frameworks in the preschool (Kindergarten) settings should revolve around. According to the theories and studies